14 Days Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand Discovery with Khlong Lad Floating Market

ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi | Arrive in Hanoi | Hanoi Highlights and War Sites

Meals: Breakfast

Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival in Hanoi, our guide will greet you at the airport welcome area and transfer you to your hotel in the Old French Quarter for check-in.

After check-in, enjoy a stroll on your own around Hoan Kiem Lake outside your hotel. Feel free to also pick up a souvenir at the night markets or at one of the many trinket shops in the alleys and small roads of this historic part of town.
The morning is at your leisure to relax and recover from jet lag.

Afternoon City Tour

In the afternoon, you’ll enjoy a short 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.

Continue to Hoa Lo Prison – constructed in 1896 by the French colonist to house Vietnamese political prisoners. Under the French regime, it was known as the Maison Centrale and was an important symbol of colonialist exploitation of the era. The Vietnamese took it over in 1954, and the prison was subsequently used to house prisoners of war from 1964 to 1973, where it came to be known sarcastically as the “Hanoi Hilton” by American POWs – alluding to the rough living conditions. It is bound to be a moving visit.

Huu Tiep Lake

Next, stop at Huu Tiep Lake, where the wreckage of an American B-52 bomber lies as a memorial to the war.

Last stop, visit 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. Then, you’ll go with our guide 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.

Accommodation: Silk Path Boutique Hotel

Day 2: Hanoi | Wonders of Ninh Binh

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, you’ll transfer to 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 morning.

Continue with 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 are magnificent forested mountains upon which you might catch a glimpse of grazing white-bearded goats. In the valleys, you’ll see cultivated rice fields.

Accommodation: Silk Path Boutique Hotel

Day 3: Hanoi – Lan Ha Bay | Emerald Isles of Lan Ha Bay by Orchid

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning, take a shuttle transfer to Haiphong where you’ll enjoy some time at Orchid’s Private Lounge for 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 isles 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).

Accommodation: Orchid Cruise

Day 4: Hanoi | Sunrise Lan Ha Bay | Return to Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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 a journey to explore the area around Sang Tai sea cave via canoes.

You’ll return to Hanoi

Accommodation: Silk Path Boutique Hotel

Day 5: Hanoi – Siem Reap | Private Streetfood Tour | Flight to Siem Reap

Internal Flight: Included
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Start the afternoon with the latest craze in Hanoi: Egg Coffee at the original cafe where it began – Cafe Giang(for the less adventurous, other drink options are available). Soak up the local life of Hanoi from your seat while enjoying a pleasant chat. After your cups are dry, begin your walking tour of the Hanoi Old Quarter. Our guide will entertain you with a commentary about the history of the “36 Old Streets and Guilds”.

Throughout the afternoon, you’ll stop to try some excellent Vietnamese street food which may include Pho Cuon(grilled beef and fresh herbs wrapped in rice noodles), Ngo Chien(crispy sweet corn), Bun Cha(BBQ pork in fish sauce with rice noodles, fresh herbs, and spring rolls), Nem Cuon(fresh spring rolls) or some other popular Vietnamese dishes. During the afternoon, you will also visit a local market to see how vendors display their produce, meat, and foodstuffs. Finish the walking tour at Hoan Kiem Lake, a calm lagoon with an old stone tower on an island in the center.

After the exploration, take a flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

Siem Reap Historical City

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: Natura Resort

Day 6: Siem Reap | Kompong Pluk Floating Village | Phare Circus

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, our private guide will pick you up from the hotel to discover the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake, the biggest in Southeast Asia’s freshwater lake, called Kampong Pluck, is one of the communes located in the south-east of Siem Reap and 16 km away from Siem Reap. Kampong Phluck means, Harbor of the tusks this village has it unique mangrove forests, which other floating village does not has. This mangrove forest offers a much more authentic floating village experience than the other floating village on Tonle Sap Lake, and you will see the forest of stilted houses rising up to 10 meters high in the air.

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 leisure and overnight.

Accommodation: Natura Resort

Day 7: Siem Reap | Hiking at Kulen Mountain | Banteay Srei: Citadel of Women

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today you’ll wake early to visit Kulen Mountain National Park(Mountain of Lychees). Explore the jungles brimming with wildlife and tropical fruit. Discover stone carvings under the streams that predate Angkor Wat. Trek to the 16th-century temple on the mountain where Buddhists and Hindus pilgrimage frequently. Kulen Mountain is home to a unique variety of banana with a red peel. Our guide will buy some and let you try. They have a sweet and rich taste but don’t store very long.

For lunch, enjoy a picnic next to Kulen Waterfall where Angelina Jolie was filmed for the movie Tomb Raider. Take a swim if you like before we continue to the rice fields and countryside below the mountain.

On the way back to Siem Reap, continue to Banteay Srei: The Citadel of Women. Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings, which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have led to it being widely praised as a precious gem or the jewel of Khmer art.

Accommodation: Natura Resort

Day 8: Siem Reap | Angkor Thom by Bicycle | Killing Fields of Wat Thmei

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

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. Then take part in a Water Blessing Ceremony. We will provide a change of clothes for you – a traditional Sarong which you will wear during the ceremony.

In the afternoon, go to visit Ta Prohm Temple – a jungle monastery with trees overcoming stone. This temple has been featured in many Hollywood films, including Tomb Raider and Transformers 3. On the way back, stop to see the Killing Fields of Wat Thmei. Our guide will relay to you the history of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, and the war. Cambodia is still healing from these atrocities.

Accommodation: Natura Resort

Day 9: Siem Reap | Sunrise Angkor Wat | Village Visit and Filter Donation

Meals: Breakfast

Before the light of the day, our guide will pick you up from the hotel and transfer 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 in the early hours, you’ll explore the vast temple with your guide bringing to life the stories of Angkor. In the morning, the rays of the light play through the chambers as the morning haze settles and giving the temple a mystical ambiance while there are few tourists who visit during this time of day.

Then, go with our guide to visit a small village where a water filtration system* has been donated on your behalf. You’ll have a chance to meet with locals. The water filtration system will be able to provide potable/drinking water to the family. We can also arrange to have your logo or names painted on the filter ahead of time. The guide will help to translate.

Optional Recommendation

We suggest 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.

*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. We coordinate with waterforcambodia.org to have the filters made and for coordinating with local government authorities in establishing which families need a filter. Water for Cambodia is a non-profit supported by Rotary International and The Singapore International Foundation.

Accommodation: Natura Resort

Day 10: Siem Reap – Chiang Mai | Countryside ATV Adventure | Flight to Chiang Mai

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast

This morning, prepare to hit the trails and take a ride on ATVs through rice fields and ancient jungles. On the way, you’ll see the Rolous Temple Group in thrill and style. The route is 45km and takes a little over 2 hours to complete. After the tour, you’ll return to your hotel to rest and refresh yourself.

Then, take a flight to Chiang Mai with a short stopover in Bangkok. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

The old city walls still stand formidably against the ravages of time, inviting pilgrims to come rest, and explore the lost treasures of the Lanna Kingdom. Established as the capital in 1296AD of the vast “Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields”, Chiang Mai carries a heritage lurking around every quiet cobble-stone alley and corridor. These days, cafes, boutiques, pubs, and spas are auspiciously peppered throughout, while colorful Meo and Akha hill tribes make their daily ritual visit to the valley to offer their hand made tapestries and handicrafts to curious adventurers. The Ping River weaves through the valley to the East of the Old City while a peaceful moat surrounds the time-worn walls.

Accommodation: Pingviman Hotel

Day 11: Chiang Mai | Gentle Giants of Asia

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, you will join in a tour to an elephant sanctuary in the jungles near Chiang Mai by 4WD truck. First, you’ll learn about the project and hear the amazing stories of each rescued and orphaned elephant. Learn how they became a proud herd free from abuse and misuse. Then have an opportunity to feed them. Take a stroll with the herd to the nearby river. Here you will have the opportunity to observe or participate in bathing the elephants with the sanctuary staff. Next, enjoy a picnic spread for lunch.

After you have said your farewells, return back to the hotel for some leisure time.

Note: This tour is with other travelers. Please note not to wear any perfume or strong fragrances as elephants are sensitive to smell. Also, bring a change of clothes for swimming, odorless sunscreen, and a towel.

Accommodation: Pingviman Hotel

Day 12: Chiang Mai | Rain Forest Zip Line

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Early morning, join a trip to the Flight of the Gibbon zip-line deep within the Mae Kampong Rainforest. State of the art safety equipment is used and the Sky Rangers are ACCT certified.

Enjoy flying through the rainforest all morning from several platforms with the highest at 200 feet and the longest line spanning half a mile. Then have lunch hosted by a village family. After lunch, take a hike through the rainforest to Mae Kompong Waterfall for seeing the fauna and flora of Thailand along the way. You’ll visit the village and learn about their fermented teas. Return back to the hotel in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Pingviman Hotel

Day 13: Chiang Mai – Bangkok | Lanna Lantern Making Class | Flight to Bangkok | Streetfood Tour by Tuk Tuk

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

In the morning, you’ll go with our guide to a small community near Wat Srisiphon. There you will learn with a local artisan how to craft a Lanna-style Lantern. Lanna tradition has many kinds of lanterns for different occasions. The lantern tradition began several centuries ago when families would bring personal made lanterns to the local monasteries. The wealthier the family, the more elaborate the lantern! This tradition has been passed down for many generations.

Then, take a flight to Bangkok. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

Thai Capital

Beginning as a small trading village on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok has expanded to be both Thailand’s largest city and serves as its booming and cosmopolitan capital. As a gateway to South East Asia, Bangkok has grown in international business significance and yet still maintains its grandeur, mystery, and tropical beauty. With its many markets, world-class restaurants and street food, extraordinary Royal Palace, and a myriad of pagodas, it continues to attract millions of visitors each year and is consistently rated as one of the world’s foremost Destination Cities.

Go beyond tourist zones for the most enjoyable midnight eating adventure. After the moon comes up, cruise along Bangkok streets via this city’s iconic 3-wheel, Tuk Tuk, to visit Bangkokian’s favorite places to eat. Taste a variety of savory menus, including the local favorite Northeastern Thai Food (Esan Food), the town’s Best Pad Thai, and the popular home-style Thai snack. Between the bites, visit old-town landmarks and temples for a different perspective compared to the busy day time scene. Discover the side of Bangkok wholly unknown to visitors. We will finish the tour by Cinderella’s time. This tour is not suitable for vegetarians.

Accommodation: Praya Palazzo Boutique Hotel

Day 14: Bangkok | Floating Market: Khlong Lad Mayom | Bangkok by Boat | Farewell!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you will be picked up from the hotel lobby and transferred to one of the most attractive floating markets of Thailand, Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market. There, you will have a chance to take a boat observing the lifestyle of locals along the small canals.

In the afternoon, take a traditional long-tail boat to Wat Arun – the Temple of the Dawn to enjoy a stunning view and explore the gem of Bangkok.

Continue to one of the must-see sights, the spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city’s most famous landmark. Built in 1782- and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government – the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people.

Bangkok Royal Palace

Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom. Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. The robes on the Buddha are changed with the seasons by HM The King of Thailand and forms an important ritual in the Buddhist calendar. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace around the turn of the twentieth century, but the palace complex is still used to mark all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings. Then return to the hotel for some leisure time in the evening.

In the late evening, our guide will transfer you to the airport to catch your flight back home and to bid you a fond farewell. Thank you for traveling with us!

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