Exclusions:
Personal expenses, meals, travel
insurance, airport taxes and departure fees.
Small-Group:
The tour is limited to a group of
16 persons at most. |
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Imagine
spending a few days at a vast and spectacular temple complex in a remote
location in Asia. Standing amongst the ruins
of this awesome monument and it does not require much imagination to take yourself back to
the ancient times when the area was a thriving center of art and culture, science and
ritual - all at a grand scale. Join
a small group of like minded travellers to explore Indochina - experience the rich
cultural heritage of the region and also see the changes happening as this once isolated
area opens up to the new Millennium. Visit Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia - and then
spend the days leading up to the New Year near the temples of Angkor Wat. Then move on to
Vietnam - stop by Saigon, or the modern day Ho Chi Minh City, a bustling city today. Go
back in time as you visit Hoi An and Hue - where the cultural traditions of Vietnam are
alive and thriving, even for the most casual visitor to see. Finally, go north to the
capital city of Hanoi - unmistakably Asian, yet with a distinct stamp of the French
colonial influence. Round off your trip with a day-cruise on Halong Bay - as your boat
winds its way through some of the 3,000 odd islands that dot the bay, it is easy to see
why this extraordinarily beautiful and romantic area was added to UNESCO's World Heritage
List.
Your Indochina
Explorer trip includes:
- Long-haul flights on Malaysia Airlines wide-body Boeing 777 service
- Two nights in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with
full touring
- Two nights in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with a
full tour in and around the city
- Two nights in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with
extensive touring around Angkor
- Two nights in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) with
sightseeing in and around the city
- Visits to Da Nang, Hoi An & Hue in central Vietnam with
extensive touring
- Overnight accommodation in Hanoi, with a full-day tour of the city
sights
- Extended cruise around the Halong Bay World Heritage Area
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1
Late this morning we meet
at Newark Airport (connecting flights from other locations are available at a modest
surcharge) for our flight to Kuala Lumpur. We enjoy the superb in-flight service of
Malaysia Airlines’ and the roomy comfort of their Boeing 777 aircraft, as it flies
across the Atlantic.
Day
2
After a brief (1½ -hour) stop-over in
Dubai (famous for the fabulous bargains of its Duty Free shop) we land in Kuala Lumpur
(KL) this evening. We will be met at the airport and transferred to the Dynasty
Hotel in the heart downtown KL, in time for a good night’s sleep.
Day 3
After breakfast this morning, we go for
a tour of Malaysia’s capital city.
Day 4
We will be transferred to the airport
early this morning for our flight to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, across the Gulf of Siam.
After arrival formalities are completed, we will be met at the airport and transferred to
the
Day 5
Early this morning we will be
transferred to the airport for our flight to Siem Reap, where accommodations have been
booked for us at the newly constructed Angkor
Hotel. We have eagerly waited for this moment when we begin our tour of Angkor this
afternoon – starting with the magnificent temple complex of Angkor Wat, and then
passing through the impressive gateway of Angkor Thom to arrive at the spectacular ruins
of Bayon. Returning to the hotel at dusk, we cannot help wondering that if the ruins are
so impressive, what would the temples have looked like in their hey days, many centuries
ago.
Day 6
Another full day of touring around
Angkor awaits us – today we visit the temple complexes of Banteay Srei, Ta Keo Pre
Roup and Banteay Kdei, where we can watch a spectacular sunset. The evening’s program to usher in the New Year includes a grand Cambodian
dinner with a performance of traditional Khmer dances.
Day 7
After breakfast this morning, we leave
Siem Reap and head to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam’s largest city, with a
change of aircraft in Phnom Penh. We will met at the airport and transferred to the
Omni Saigon Hotel. The rest of
the afternoon is ours to relax at the hotel, until this evening, when we proceed to a
welcome dinner at a local restaurant specializing in Vietnamese cuisine.
Day 8
We spend the day visiting the sights in
and around Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Our full-day tour includes visits to the Notre Dame
Cathedral with its obviously French influenced architecture, Pagoda of the Jade Emperor,
the Ben Than Market and Cholon. After lunch we visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an
underground system of tunnels used by the army during the Vietnam War. We return to the
hotel in the evening.
Day 9
We head north this morning, with a
flight to Danang, Vietnam. Upon arrival we will be met and taken on a tour, visiting the
Cham Museum and famous Marble Mountains. Later, a 45-minute drive will take us to Hoi An,
where we check into our hotel. The rest of the afternoon is free.
Day 10
After breakfast this morning, we begin
our drive to Hue, the cultural capital of Vietnam. On the way we visit the Pass of Ocean
Clouds, Lang co Lagoon and a fishing village. Upon arrival in Hue we visit some Nguyen
Dynasty tombs and other attractions around the city, before checking in at the
Day 11
We will be picked up this morning for a
boat ride on the Perfume River, followed by a visit to the Thien Mu Pagoda, the Citadel,
the Imperial Palace, the Forbidden City and Khai Din. We return to our hotel in the
evening.
Day 12
After breakfast we will be transferred
to the airport for our flight to Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Accommodations have
been booked for us at the
Day 13
Today we drive to the northern port
city of Haiphong for a full-day tour of Halong Bay, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage
Area. Our tour includes an extensive boat ride through the myriad islands that dot the
bay. We will visit some of the small islands enroute, along with limestone cliffs full of
caves and caverns. After the boat trip we check into the Halong Plaza Hotel for our
overnight accommodations.
Day 14
After
breakfast this morning, we drive
back directly to Hanoi airport for our Malaysia Airlines flight back to Kuala Lumpur, with
an onward connection there to Newark.
Day 15
Arriving in Newark Airport early this
morning there is ample time to take connecting flights to our home cities or just relax
and get over the jet-lag! |
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The entrance to Angkor Wat
Halong Bay,
Vietnam
Temple of Bayon, Angkor
Friendly faces in Vietnam
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