Indochina
Grand Tour
A comprehensive 22-day guided luxury
tour of the main attractions of the counties of French Indochina.
Highlights:
Three capital cities, five World Heritage Areas including
the magnificent Angkor Wat temple complex, the Mekong River
and Delta, boat cruises, floating villages, local culture,
spending the night on a junk in Ha Long Bay, and much more. |
Your
tour begins with four days in Laos....
Vientiane is a good place to enter Indochina because it’s
a gentle, laid-back place to relax you after your flight. From
there you fly to World Heritage Luang Prabang, regarded as the
best example of an ancient town in SE Asia. It’s compact,
a pleasant place to stroll, and steeped in the magic of the Orient.
Meals: three breakfasts, three lunches and
four dinners
Escort/guide: transfer to hotel, ‘Welcome’
dinner and thereafter until transfer to Luang Prabang airport
for departure to Cambodia
Three
days in Cambodia
What can we say about Angkor Wat that isn’t an understatement?
It’s simply unique - beyond hyperbole! Although you’ll
have two full days to explore one of the most remarkable cultural
sites in the world, you’ll barely scratch the surface. Prepare
to be overwhelmed by this miracle in the jungle.
Phnom Penh is a different matter. Once one
of the architectural pearls of Indochina, the K’mer Rouge
legacy was one of wanton destruction. Fortunately, some of its
glory remains. The Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace are splendid
and well worth a day’s visit.
Meals: three breakfasts, three lunches and
three dinners
Guide: from entry in Siem Reap to departure
from Phnom Penh.
Three
days to cross the Mekong Delta
Cruising down the Bassac River to Chau Doc is a slower, but more
civilised, means of entering Vietnam. The town itself is surprising
– a melange of cultures and religions and justifies a day
to look around its pagodas.
After that, it’s back on a boat to cross
the Mekong Delta by river, canal and road. En-route, you’ll
get to know the culture of the Delta people and their complex
relationship with the mighty river that sustains them. Finally,
after slicing through overgrown channels, visiting orchards, cottage
industries and tried your hand at local crafts, you’ll arrive
at Vietnam’s commercial metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City.
Meals: three breakfasts, three lunches and
two dinners
Guide: all three days.
Two
days in Ho Chi Minh City
Still known as Saigon by many of its residents
and visitors, the city sprawls over more than 2,000km in
the centre of the south of Vietnam. It’s brash, noisy but
undeniably exciting. The famous Cu Chi tunnels, the mysteries
of Caodaism and the city itself await you.
Meals: two breakfasts and two lunches
Guide: both days
Four
days in Vietnam’s Central area
Hue’s imposing Imperial City and Hoi An’s intimate
ancient town, two contrasting World Heritage Areas, the remarkable
mausoleums of the Nguyen Emperors, ‘garden houses’,
and the famous Marble Mountains are some of the Centre’s
many attractions. Add in distinctive cuisines, Imperial traditions
and the Perfume River, and you’re in for a feast of culture!
Meals: four breakfasts, four lunches and one
dinner
Guide: from arrival at Danang airport to departure
from Hue Airport
Hanoi,
Ha Long Bay, a free day, and your departure day – six days
altogether
Elegant Hanoi, the heart of Vietnam, awaits you. It's a city steeped
in history: a chronicle of wars and conquest, dominance and subjugation,
defeats and victories. Compact and accessible, it’s bursting
with variety.
Sleeping in a wooden
junk on the amazing Ha Long Bay brings your tour through
Indochina to an unforgettable climax. The Ha Long experience is
difficult to describe – suffice it to say that most of our
customers rate it as their most durable memory. If you’re
a seafood fan – you’re in for something special! You’ll
have a day and a half on the bay and a night under the stars.
If the weather’s good, take the pillows from the cabin,
and sleep on the roof – it’s magic, especially if
you encounter a clear Ha Long dawn!
Sadly, it’s back to Hanoi on
the following afternoon with the next day free for shopping and
sightseeing. We’ll treat you to a farewell dinner in the
evening before you leave so you can tell us about your adventures!
Meals: six breakfasts, three lunches and two
dinners
Guide: transfers and three days
This
tour is twenty-two days/twenty-one nights.
It includes:
All transfers and flights within Indochina
All accommodation
Twenty-one breakfasts, eighteen lunches and twelve dinners
For more information about what’s included,
and what isn’t, click on the ‘prices’ link below