Discovering Southern Vietnam and Cambodia 8 days

Day 1: Arrival in Ho Chi Minh (D)

Arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh. Upon arrival, our driver welcomes and transfer you to hotel.

Rest of the day is your leisure in Ho Chi Minh.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh – City tour & explore Cu Chi Tunnel (B,L)

Morning, Ho Chi Minh City tour. We start the trip by these famous places: Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office, followed by exploring the Reunification Palace, and the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum. (Drop you off at Ben Thanh Market for shopping if we have enough time).

Afternoon, leave Ho Chi Minh for Cu Chi. Arrival at Cu Chi tunnel, before entering the tunnels visitors can watch a short introductory video showing how the tunnels were constructed. You will spend the next hour exploring the tunnels. Afterwards, enjoy tea, cassava (guerrilla’s food during the war).

Go back to the city.

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Day 3: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong delta (B,L)

Around 8.00am, leave Ho Chi Minh city and head to Can Tho, enjoy the scenic journey along the National Highway bordered by green rice fields. On arrival at My Tho, visit Vinh Trang pagoda, take a leisurely boat ride along the river, view stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages along the river bank.

Proceed to Tortoise islet, have lunch in the orchard garden. Then a boat ride to An Khanh, a less touristy attraction in Ben Tre, enjoy cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shade of the water coconut trees along natural canals. Then enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of “Southern Vietnamese folk music”, performed by the locals.

Visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste delicious coconut candy & observe the pastoral life as you roam through fruit plantations and villages. Transfer to Can Tho city.

Stay overnight at hotel in Can Tho.

(Family home-stay with dinner can be arranged on request).

Day 4: Mekong delta – An exotic world of its own (B,L)

Take a leisurely boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong river (Bassac River), then proceed to Cai Rang floating markets (Alt: Visit Phong Dien floating market) which are the liveliest in the whole religion.

Have you ever tasted Vietnamese vermicelli soup? Well, now go and see how it is made. Then wander around the village and meet the friendly local people and experience how to pass a “Monkey bridge” which is built by only one stem of bamboo. Visit the orchard garden. Stop for lunch.

Proceed to Chau Doc, continue the tour to visit Tra Su, getting to the wild birds Sanctuary, cruising smoothly with small boats to discover the arrays of splendid canals deep into the forest, watching storks, cranes and other tropical birds. Back to the Town, hotel check in.

Stay overnight at hotel in Chau Doc.

Day 5: Mekong delta – Phnom Penh, Cambodia (B,L)

After breakfast, take a rowing boat trip through the floating village and visit the fish farm to see how the Mekong Delta people raise fish from their floating houses. Visit the Cham minority in their traditional weaving village. Transfer to a speed boat for the final part of the journey to Phnom Penh. Arrive at Sisowath tourist dock in Phnom Penh around 02.00pm.

Our car is waiting to pick you up and transfer you to a local restaurant in Phnom Penh for your lunch.

After lunch, reach your hotel and check-in. Rest of the day is your leisure time in Phnom Penh.

Stay overnight in Phnom Penh.

Day 6: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap (B,L,D)

Morning, visit to the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town. Visit the Silver Pagoda, located within the grounds of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver tiles.

You then continue your visit at The notorious Choeung Ek Killing Field and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum afterward.

– Choeung Ek Killing Fields, 15km southwest of Phnom Penh, is the site of brutal executions of more than 17,000 individuals, most of whom first suffered through interrogations, torture and deprivation in Toul Sleng Prison during Pol Pot regime (From 1975–1979).

– Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21 prison). This prison was a high school, and used as a prison by Pol Pot’s security forces and became the largest center for detention and torture during the rule of the Khmer Rouge.

Afternoon, get a transfer to Siem Reap. The transfer takes approximately 6 hours.

Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 7: Siem Reap – Explore Angkor Thom & Angkor Wat (B,L)

In the morning, visit to the antique capital of Angkor Thom (literally: “Great City”), located in present day Cambodia, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. Continue your visit at the South Gate with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk, the Bayon Temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, the Phimeanakas, the Royal Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

Continue your visit to Ta Prohm, one of the most beautiful temples in Angkor. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Neak Pean, a fountain built in the middle of a pool (representing the paradisiacal Himalayan mountain-lake), Ta Som, built in late 12th century C.E. the most distant temple on the grand circuit, small but classic.

In the afternoon, visit Angkor Wat the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture.

Before ending the tour today, enjoy a wonderful sunset scenery from the Top of Phnom Bakhen Hill.

In the evening, enjoy a delicous dinner at a nice local restaurant in Seam Reap. Watch a Apsara dance show while dining.

Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 8: Siem Reap – Tonle Sap Lake – Departure flight (B)

Morning, enjoy breakfast at hotel. Visit Angkor National Museum at 7.30am.

Angkor National Museum is an archaeological museum dedicated to the collection, preservation and presentation of Angkorian artifacts, also to provides information and education about art and culture of Khmer civilization, with collections mainly dated from Khmer Empire’s Angkor period circa 9th to 14th-century. Most of the artifacts are discovered in and around the Angkor archaeological sites nearby. The museum is located in Vithei Charles de Gaulle No. 968, Siem Reap, Cambodia, on the way between downtown Siem Reap to northern road leading to Angkor ancient city.

After that, take a boat trip for sight-seeing on Tonle Sap Lake, the Great Lake of Cambodia. It is one of the largest lakes in Asia. Here, enjoy a brief cruise past floating villages complete with schools, restaurants, and hospitals.

Leave the lake and head to downtown to visit Artisan’s D’angkor, the caving art school. Continue your visit to Wat Thmei. Wat Thmei near Charles de Gaulle Boulevard in Siem Reap, Cambodia where you will find a small memorial stupa which contains the skulls and bones of victims killed during the regime of the Khmer Rouge during 1975 – 1979.

Transfer to Siem Reap airport for your departure flight

Tour Includes:

Tour and cabin on Mekong Eyes Cruise.
Speed boat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh.
Accommodation mentioned in itinerary.
Meals mentioned in itinerary.
Transfer from and to airport.
Transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.
Any other transfers as per tour program.
English speaking guide.
All entrance fees.

Tour Excludes

Drinks.
Personal Expense.