Discover Two Fascinating CountriesCambodia & Vietnam, South East Asia

See the very best of Cambodia and Vietnam on this fantastic holiday.

Includes:

★ Visit to the ‘Killing Fields’ in Cambodia

★ Overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

★ War-relic tour in Hanoi

★ Mekong Delta Discovery tour

★ Visit to Chi-Chi tunnel complex in Ho Chi Minh City

Itinerary:

Day 1

Fly from Edinburgh to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Day 2

Arrive Phnom Penh, private transfer to ★★★★ hotel

Day at Leisure

Overnight Phnom Penh

Day 3

Pick up from hotel for full day tour ‘Phnom Penh Secrets’ (9 hours)

Take a guided tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum that served as a Khmer Rouge torture centre. Head out of the city to the Choueng Ek Memorial, where a pagoda made up of some 8,000 human skulls marks the site of a Killing Field. Afterwards enjoya Khmer lunch at an NGO training restaurant. Travel by moto-remork out of Phnom Penh on the Japanese Friendship Bridge before catching a ferry to Mekong Island. The island is famous for silk weaving, agriculture, and aquaculture. Stop to see the silk weavers at work. As you wander the village, you can explore a Buddhist temple and floating fish farms, see fields of rice and morning glory, and enjoy local Khmer snacks at a family home. Board a boat to enjoy the sunset from the water at the junction of the Tonle Bassac, Tonle Sap, and the mighty Mekong. See the distinctive architecture of Cambodia, such as Wat Ounalom, the Royal Palace, and the Silver Pagoda, as well as French colonial buildings. Close off the Mekong boat tour with a gorgeous sunset.

Overnight Phnom Penh

Day 4

Day at leisure

Overnight Phnom Penh

Day 5

Afternoon pick up from hotel, private transfer to Phnom Penh Airport.

Vietnam Airlines flight from Phnom Penh to Hanoi, Vietnam

Private transfer from Hanoi Airport to ★★★★ hotel

Overnight in Hanoi

Day 6

Day at leisure in Hanoi

Overnight in Hanoi

Day 7

Pick up from hotel for journey to Ha Long Bay.

Full day and overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay in a Superior Cabin. Dinner included

One of the great natural wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Halong Bay covers an area of 1,500 km over which are scattered thousands of limestone islands and grottoes rising from the clear, emerald waters of the Gulf of Bac Bo.

Thousands of limestone islands jut out of the sea, sculpted into awe inspiring shapes and surrounded by colourful floating villages; Halong Bay is a truly one of the natural wonders of the world.

The perfect way to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site is to spend a night aboard a charming wooden junk. The mystical beauty of the bay and its islands is only fully appreciated while cruising among the islands, fjords and inlets.

Eat, drink and take romantic walks while cruising amongst the islands. After a night on board wake up to see daylight filtering through the early morning mist and the towering rock formations, leaving a dream-like memory of your visit to Halong Bay.

Jasmine & Ginger Junks - These traditional wooden junks are superbly furnished with typical 1930s Asian inspired décor. Newly launched on the bay they set a new level of standard of junk cruising on Halong.

Day 8

Breakfast on board Junk Cruise in Ha Long Bay. Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi Emerald Waters & Spa hotel.

Evening at leisure, then overnight in Hanoi

Day 9

Pick up from hotel in morning for visit to Huu Tiep Lake and see downed B52 from the ‘American War’

Start the tour in the northern part of the city at a colourful market selling herbs, spices, sea products and many other local and exotic ingredients. Stroll alongside the lake till Tran Quoc - the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, located on a small island near the southeastern shore of the West Lake. Carry on past the peaceful Quan Thanh a Taoist temple and the Presidential Palace to the Botanical Gardens, the green lung of the capital. Wander through the maze of narrow streets and crowded alleys until you emerge at a small lake containing the wreckage of a crashed B52 from the Vietnam War. Enjoy coffee at a small local shop nearby the lake and continue by walk to Ngoc Ha Street where the car will transfer you back to your hotel.

Afternoon and evening at leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi

Day 10

Private transfer from hotel to Hanoi Airport.

Vietnam Airlines flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Private transfer to ★★★★ hotel.

Day 11

Day at leisure in Ho Chi Minh City

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 12

Make your way to Saigon Opera House for 0800 departure on your Mekong Delta Discovery tour.

Set off for My Tho, a port city on the Mekong Delta. Approximately half of Vietnam's total agricultural output comes from this incredibly fertile delta. Life for villagers here revolves around rivers and canals. Upon arrival board a private boat for a cruise along the river. Visit an island with lush tropical gardens and sample tropical fruit accompanied by a traditional music performance. Continue to another island to see coconut candy being made. We have a chance to visit local villages in the area and learn more about traditional lifestyles, culture and customs. Continue by Xe Loi (motorised cart) to an apiary where we transfer to smaller rowing boats allowing us to get deeper into the narrow canals. Diem Phuong Restaurant provides lunch. The guide will provide some advice on the finer points of local cuisine and assist in ordering. After lunch return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Afternoon and evening at leisure

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 13

Day at leisure in Ho Chi Minh City

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 14

Make your way to Saigon Central Post office where you will join your tour to the Chi Chi Tunnels.

Leaving the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City behind journey into the countryside bound for the Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnels were built by local fighters during the Indochina conflict as a base from which the Viet Cong could covertly operate from close to the Southern Vietnamese capital. Initial construction started in 1948 when the Viet Minh required somewhere to hide from French air attacks and by 1965, the complex was estimated to consist of 200 km of tunnels. It included, hospitals, schools, meeting rooms, kitchens and sleeping quarters. To protect against outside intruders booby traps were laid throughout the complex. Before arriving at the tunnel visit some local friends and get an insight into life in the area, past and present. The local guide will take you on a fascinating trip underground to learn more about the conditions the people lived in, the hardships they faced and the amazing ingenuity employed to make the tunnels habitable.

Afternoon at leisure

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 15

Last day at leisure in Ho Chi Minh City

Private transfer from Ho Chi Minh City hotel to airport

Fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Edinburgh

Day 16

Arrive Edinburgh

Discover Two Fascinating Countries is located in Cambodia & Vietnam, South East Asia. Accommodation rating is the operators own rating and may not be the official rating. Hotel details correct at 20/02/2017