12 Days Family Trip to Vietnam and the Ancient Stone City of Angkor Extension

ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi | Arrive in Hanoi

International Flight: Excluded
Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival in Hanoi, our guide will greet you at the airport welcome area and transfer you to your boutique in the French Old Quarter for check-in. Feel free to take a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake outside your hotel – a center point of Hanoi culture.

Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi | Highlights of Vietnam’s Capital | Water Puppet Show and Dinner

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
In the morning, you’ll be escorted to see the Tran Quoc Pagoda. This 1,400-year-old temple features ten tiers surrounded by gardens and which also hosts a bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the original Buddhist tree under which Buddha sat. Next, you’ll take a stroll around the Hoan Kiem Lake where you can see the Tortoise Tower sitting on the water. Then you’ll enjoy a half-hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter in Hanoi. The cyclo is a historic mode of transportation in the cities of Vietnam where a cyclist escorts you while you sit in a seat affixed to the front with a canopy over top.

Next, you’ll visit the One Pillar Pagoda – a pagoda situated on a pillar made of a single stone, in the middle of a lotus pond. This pagoda was built by a 9th-century emperor who saw it in a dream and regarded this as divine inspiration to recreate the structure in the vision.
You’ll pass by the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum before visiting the highlight of this tour – The Temple of Literature. This ancient university was erected almost a millennium ago and has hosted many of the most prominent scholars through Vietnamese history. The site features many gardens, pools, buildings, and ancient trees where the best and brightest of Vietnam studied under the guidance of Confucius’s teachings.

Water Puppet Dinner Show

The evening will start with a Water Puppet Show performed by the world-renowned Thang Long Opera House. This performance features a talent unique to Vietnam. You’ll watch as water puppets perform the folklore legends of Vietnam while live ethnic music sets the mood.

After the show, you’ll enjoy traditional Vietnamese cuisine at Home Restaurant – a historic French colonial residence restored in between the Old Quarter and the serene West Lake. Enjoy the fine Vietnamese cuisine as you begin your enchanting journey through Vietnam and Thailand. Once you finish your dinner, you’ll be escorted to your hotel.

Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Day 3: Hanoi – Lan Ha Bay | Voyage Lan Ha Bay with Cruise by Orchid

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
In the morning, our guide and driver will assist you with a transfer to Halong Bay. Then continue to the Orchid Private Lounge and enjoy refreshments until boarding. Then board Orchid Cruise.

Receive a safety briefing and check in your cabins. The boat sets adrift for Da Chong islet, home to an old French lighthouse. Enjoy a sumptuous feast in the panoramic dining hall while en route to the islets of Con Vit and Gia Luan. The bay opens up to you with stunning green karsts towering above the water. This area receives very few cruise ships as it has just been newly opened up. Continue to Ba Trai Dao beach of Lan Ha Bay. A paradise with perfect beaches and natural beauty. Stop at one of the beaches for swimming or kayaking during the afternoon.

As dusk approaches, welcome the sunset with a local specialty – “Ba Kich”(a liquor made from Noni fruit). Back on board, you’ll join a cooking demonstration to learn a few Vietnamese culinary secrets. Enjoy your creation! Then time for supper in the dining hall. Delicious Vietnamese cuisine and seafood in a romantic setting. After dinner, you may enjoy watching the stars from the sundeck, watching a movie in the restaurant, or give night squid fishing a try with the staff(subject to seasonal availability).

Sunrise at Halong Bay – 12 Days Family Trip Vietnam Ancient Stone City Angkor Extension

Accommodation: Orchid Cruise

Day 4: Hanoi – Ninh Binh | Halong Bay Sunrise | Continue to Ninh Binh | Bai Dinh Sunset

Meals: Breakfast
Rise early for one of the top best sunrises in the world. Then head to the sundeck for an invigorating Tai Chi session amongst a picture-perfect backdrop of karsts, sea, and nature. Enjoy breakfast in the dining hall before taking the journey to explore the area around Sang Tai sea cave via canoes.

Return back to the pier for check out. Our guide will be waiting to help you with luggage and transfer to Ninh Binh.

Check-in at the Emeralda Resort with stunning views all around.

Time to stretch your legs! Go with our guide to visit Bai Dinh Temple, the largest temple in Vietnam. This Buddhist temple was built into the mountain with 3 terraces and faces the river. Explore the many halls, rooms, carvings, and statues during the late afternoon. Our guide will then take you to the best place for watching the sunset over this untouched part of Vietnam. Shortly afterward, you’ll witness the 13-tier pagoda – Chau Bai Dinh – be lit up for the evening: a true spectacle to behold! Return to the resort for overnight and leisure.

Accommodation: Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh

Day 5: Hanoi | Wonders of Ninh Binh

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, enjoy some time at the resort to relax and take in the stunning views. Check out late morning and then you’ll go to visit Hoa Lu, the ancient capital. In 968, Dinh Bo Linh declared himself as the King. Since then Hoa Lu existed as the capital for only 41 years. In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long – present-day Hanoi. Hoa Lu became the old citadel. In Hoa Lu, there are now two temples dedicated to two Vietnamese kings, which have been built on the grounds of the old royal palace. The visit offers a chance to learn more about the feudal dynasties and historical periods in Vietnamese history.

Next, you’ll take an amazing boat trip through Trang An Grottoes. A gathering of 31 valleys and 50 cross-water caves are home to 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna many of which are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam. Rowing through the Trang An Grottoes is a peaceful trip of serenity. The highland air is a respite from modern living and the sounds are only that of birds and the oars stirring the clear water. Towering overhead is magnificent forested mountains upon which you might catch a glimpse of grazing white-bearded goats. Then return to your hotel in Hanoi.

Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Day 6: Hanoi | Leisure Day

Meals: Breakfast
This is full day leisure to relax or explore the rest in the city on your own.

Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Day 7: Hanoi – Siem Reap | At Leisure | Flight to Siem Reap

Internal Flight: Included
Meals: Breakfast
Morning is at your leisure to relax or explore the rest in the city on your own.

Board an afternoon flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

Siem Reap is a quaint town in Cambodia and the gateway to the vast remains of the Angkor empire. Discover the Royal Gardens on your own with ancient trees home to a colony of giant fruit bats. Take a stroll along the scenic riverside and visit the night markets to find unique souvenirs. You may also want to spend the evening with a visit to Pub Street with several restaurants and bars that stay open late into the night. Many restaurants have live entertainment in the evening.
Accommodation: Shinta Mani Villa – Bensley Collection

Day 8: Siem Reap | Kompong Phluk Floating Village | Water Filter Donation

Meals: Breakfast
In the morning, take a trip to the largest lake in Southeast Asia, the Tonle Sap. You’ll take a boat ride to Kampong Phluk which means, Harbor of the Tusks due to its history in the elephant trade several centuries ago. You’ll also see the mangrove forests nearby.
Then go to visit a small village to donate a slow sand water filtration system. You’ll have a chance to meet with the village families. The water filtration system will be able to provide potable/drinking water to the whole village. We can also arrange to have your logo or names painted on the filter ahead of time. The installation staff will instruct the villagers on how to maintain the filter.

Kompong Phluk Floating Village – 12 Days Family Trip Vietnam Ancient Stone City Angkor Extension

Optional recommendation: We recommend that if you have any used children’s books in your home that you no longer need, you may bring them with to donate to the children in the village. This can impact the village children to focus on their education and provide them English reading materials not available from their school.

More information on the slow sand water filtration system provided can be found on the Center for Disease Control website here: https://www.cdc.gov/safewater/sand-filtration.html

The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Accommodation: Shinta Mani Villa – Bensley Collection

Day 9: Siem Reap | Angkor Thom Ancient City by Bicycle | Apsara Dinner Show

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Enjoy a relaxing cycling tour in the morning in ancient Angkor Thom – a stone city built around the time of Angkor Wat.

The biking tour will start at the South Gate – a photogenic bridge at the gateway of the stone city of Angkor Thom which has made its way into many Hollywood movies. Angkor Thom was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire. Enter the stone city and explore shaded trails and ancient monuments. Visit Bayon Temple where you will be surrounded by 216 gigantic stone faces which fame as “ Khmer Smile ”, you will also visit the Terrace of Elephants, the Royal Palace, and the Terrace of the Leper King. Stop your cycling trip with a visit to the local monastery to chat with monks and see their daily life.

After having lunch near the Royal Pool of Srah Srang, continue to visit Ta Prohm. Worn by time, rain, and overpowered by the jungle, this immaculate structure is hidden under the canopy will leave you feeling like you’ve stepped into the movie set of a treasure hunt adventure. Your private tour guide will give you the history and stories passed through oral tradition.

Apsara Dancing Show with Dinner

Be prepared to enjoy a beautiful traditional dance performed by a team trained in the Dance of Apsara.

In the evening, you will be picked up from the hotel lobby and transferred to Angkor Village Hotel Theater for a traditional Apsara Dinner Show. where you will have a unique dinner experience which will bring ancient Khmer culture to life in spectacular surroundings while you enjoy the very best in Cambodia cuisine. This one-of-a-kind cultural experience highlights the mysterious civilization and heritage of Khmer spoken through choreography and music. Colorful costumes and playful activities will give you insights into the Khmer daily life and wedding traditions while you enjoy a delicious meal to welcome your family to the Kingdom of Wonders.

Accommodation: Shinta Mani Villa – Bensley Collection

Day 10: Siem Reap | Zip-line Adventure with Gibbons

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This day, prepare to visit the #1 “Craziest” Zipline in Asia.
World-Class Course Features:

• 21 platforms high in the treetops
• 10 thrilling ziplines
• 4 sky bridges spanning hundreds of meters
• Spiral staircases circling trees
• A 50 ft. abseil finish
• The longest single zipline in Cambodia
• 6 hectares teaming with exotic wildlife
• Re-introduction of wild-gibbons
• State of the Art Safety Equipment

After the course, you will be transferred back to the hotel. The afternoon is at your leisure to relax or cool off in the hotel’s pool.

In the evening, you’ll go to visit Phare Cambodian Circus. Be amazed by stunts and choreography unique to Cambodia’s performing arts. You’ll watch as a story written by locals is acted out with an impressive stage show. Be prepared for laughter and wonder as you enjoy the performance. After the hour-long spectacle, you’ll return to your hotel for the evening.

Accommodation: Shinta Mani Villa – Bensley Collection

Day 11: Siem Reap | Angkor Wat Sunrise and Photo Treasure Hunt

Meals: Breakfast
Before the light of the day, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and escort you to the front of Angkor Wat Temple. From here, you’ll watch one of the most revered sunrises in the world. Our guide will arrange a light picnic breakfast for you to enjoy in front of the world’s #1 Heritage Site.

Then ready for an adventure? In the early hours, you’ll go on a photo treasure hunt to discover the vast Angkor temple while the rays of the light play through the chambers as the morning haze settles and giving the temple a mystical ambiance. You will receive a map and a list of unusual objects or places that you’ll need to find and take pictures of throughout the day. Do as a family or split up into teams depending on your preference. For an added twist, the participants need to be in the picture as well(Please note that digital cameras are not included). After your adventure, you’ll return to your hotel for some rest and leisure time.

Accommodation: Shinta Mani Villa – Bensley Collection

Day 12: Siem Reap | Farewell!

Meals: Breakfast
Today our guide will transfer you to the airport before your homeward flight and will bid you a fond farewell. Thank you for traveling with us!

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