VIETNAM • CAMBODIA
City, seeing the Palace of Supreme Harmony, which contained the emperor’s throne. Later we visit Emperor Tu Duc’s mausoleum. It took 3,000 workers three years to build and includes a lake, pavilions and a theatre. Lunch is included today and the evening is at leisure. (B,L) + Included Experiences – Visit the Thien Mu pagoda, the Imperial City and Emperor Tu Duc’s mausoleum DAY 7 – Ho Chi Minh City Today we fly to Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as the locals still call it. Brash and boisterous, it has real zest for life. Vietnam’s culinary capital, Saigon offers a very wide variety of excellent dining experiences, from top class restaurants in swish luxury hotels to French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Indian options. In the afternoon our city tour covers all the major sights including the colonialstyle central post office, the cathedral and the Reunification Palace where famously in 1975, a tank burst through its gates in the final defining moment of the Vietnam War. We also see the War Remnants Museum. (B) + Included Experiences – Guided tour of Saigon V Signature Experience – Absorb the unique ambience of the Saigon River on an unforgettable evening cruise and dine on Vietnamese cuisine as you sail past the glittering lights of the city.
188
Angkor Wat
DAY 8 – Cu Chi Tunnels Today we visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a complex underground network stretching for 200 kilometres, which included hospitals, meeting rooms, sleeping quarters and kitchens. Begun during the last years of French rule and vastly expanded during the 1960s, the tunnels provided a base for the Vietcong from which to attack US forces within just 30 miles of Saigon. Despite being carpet-bombed, the tunnels were never really penetrated and our visit is a fascinating insight into these times. On return take the opportunity to see the lively Ben Thanh Market or explore at your leisure (B) + Included Experiences – Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels DAY 9 – Mekong River delta Leaving Saigon towards the great Mekong River delta, our first stop is at one of the island villages to sample different types of locally grown tropical fruit. We continue our exploration through the narrow canals visiting Coconut Island, where locals specialise in producing rice paper, coconut cakes and other delicacies. Dappled sunlight filters through the wide leaves of the mangroves as we arrive at a local restaurant for lunch of Mekong specialities. (B,L) + Included Experience – Explore the Mekong River delta
DAY 10 – Fly to Phnom Penh We take a short flight to Phnom Penh, on arrival we transfer to our centrally located hotel. (B) DAY 11 – Phnom Penh We’ll visit the majestic Royal Palace with its silver pagoda and the fascinating National Museum. After lunch in a local restaurant, we visit the Tuol Sleng Museum – originally a school, turned into the country’s most notorious prison by the Khmer Rouge. Finally, there’s time for a stop at one of the local markets before we return to our hotel for the evening. (B,L) + Included Experience – Visit the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh, the National Museum and the Tuol Sleng Museum DAY 12 – Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Today we journey through the heart of rural Cambodia stopping at Kompong Thom for an included lunch enroute to Siem Reap. (B,L) + Included Experience – Visit Kompong Thom DAY 13 – Angkor Today we visit one of the largest religious structures in the world, Angkor Wat and see the haunting soft morning light rise over the eerie temples. At its height in the thirteenth century, Angkor had a staggering one million inhabitants. The incredible state of preservation, the beauty of its design and sculptures have made Angkor one
Visit our website or call for full prices & departure dates
