ITINERARY OVERVIEW

08 Nights – 09 Nights

 

Day 1: SIEM REAP – ARRIVAL

Welcome to Siem Reap, the center of Angkor! Pick up from the airport and transfer to the hotel & check in. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 2: ANGKOR WAT TOUR

Breakfast at hotel. The sightseeing tour of Angkor area begins & we spend a full day exploring the wondrous ancient ruins with the South Gate of Angkor Thom, which is famous for its series of colossal human faces carved in stone, the impressive Bayon Temple, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King and the largest as well as the most complete temple of Angkor Wat. This architectural masterpiece was constructed in the 12th century and covers an area of about 210 hectares. We stroll around this massive edifice, seeing the many galleries with columns, libraries, pavilions, courtyards and ponds full of water reflecting the towering temple and the jungle covered temple of Ta Prohm is an incredible sight. There are enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers which embrace themselves in the stone foundations of the structure giving the impression of man’s creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature. Overnight in Siem Reap. Note: -During the visit of the Bakan Tower of Angkor Wat Temple visitors are required to wear proper attire, covering shoulders and knees (no short, miniskirt or short trousers). -Children under twelve years old are not allowed to climb up this tower. -It will be closed on the Buddhist Sabath Days, the Buddhist religious days (four days a month).

Day 3: SIEM REAP ANGKOR TOUR

Breakfast at the hotel. Heading out of town we make our way by traveling on a newly paved road to the intricately carved and well preserved temple of Banteay Srei. Along the way we stop over at the Preah Dark village and we follow these with a visit the Banteay Samre Temple adorned with impressive reliefs depicting scenes of Vishnu as well as Krishna. We also explore the grand circuit with Preah Khan, Kravan, NeakPean, East Mebon and Pre Rup Temples where we will watch the sun set for the end of the day. Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 4: SIEM REAP ANGKOR TOUR

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, we head out by car to the Pouk district about 15 Km in the West of Siem Reap town and visit the silk farm, a fascinating farm/workshop where you can see the entire silk creation process including growing the food for the silk worms, breeding the worms, silk extraction and refinement, traditional kit dying pattern creation and looming. Retail silk and souvenir shop also present for shopping. On the way back, visit the Western Baray (Baray Occidental) measuring 8 km by 2.3 km which provided water for the intensive cultivation of lands around Angkor. Afternoon, visit the floating village of Chong Khneas, located 13 kilometers south of Siem Reap. Take a traditional wooden boat for a ride on the Tonle Sap Lake, the “Great Lake” of Cambodia, one of the largest in Asia, where you can find schools, restaurants, and hospitals and much more. Return to the town for some shopping. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 5: SIEM REAP – HO CHI MINH CITY

Breakfast at the hotel. Free time at your leisure time till transfer to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh city. Pick up at Tan Son Nhat airport and transfer to city centre to have a half day city tour of dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Sai Gon by many locals. Visit War museum which primarily contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War, and is a major tourist attraction, Reunification Palace which was the workplace of the President of South Vietnam & was then known as Independence Palace. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral, the spiritual and cultural crucible of the French presence in the Orient & the General Post Office with French colonial architecture style. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 6: HO CHI MINH CITY – CU CHI TUNNELS – VUNG TAU

Breakfast at hotel. Leave Ho Chi Minh for Cu Chi tunnels. Here you will have the opportunity to witness how rice paper is made and to explore the amazing labyrinth of tunnels used by the guerrillas during the war. Proceed to Vung Tau, a well known coastal resort 125 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh city. Overnight in Vung Tau.

Day 7: VUNG TAU – HO CHI MINH CITY

Breakfast at hotel. Visit the Summer Palace of the Emperor Bao Dai, the Jesus Monument, which overlooks the peninsula and the Pacific Ocean. Visit ThienHau temple of Five Races and the Whale temple. Transfer back to Ho Chi Minh city. Upon arrival, visit and shop at Ben Thanh market which is always loaded with varieties of goods, such as cakes and candies, food and foodstuff, and particularly tasty & fresh fruits and vegetables. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 8: HO CHI MINH CITY – MY THO – HO CHI MINH CITY

Breakfast at hotel. Take a full day trip to the watery world of the Mekong Delta, just some hours by coach from Ho Chi Minh City. My Tho is a prosperous town of 175,000 inhabitants in the Mekong Delta. It is famous for its extensive orchards and immense rice fields. Take a cruise on Mekong river to visit islands. Here, you will get a chance to visit coconut candy workshop & to taste fresh candy which is a specialty here. Enjoy tropical fruits, honey tea & listen to Southern traditional music. Get on a small boat to discover a natural canal of Ben Tre province. Take a short walk in the coconut farm to visit a typical house in Mekong Delta. Get back to big boat by rowing boat on small canal. Visit Vinh Trang pagoda. Back to Ho Chi Minh city. Enjoy water puppet show, a unique art performance of Vietnam. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 9: HO CHI MINH CITY – DEPARTURE

Have breakfast at hotel. Time free at your leisure. Check-out of hotel (before 12:00 noon). Transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for departure flight. End of services.