Itinerary Expand all Hanoi to Siem Reap Day 1 Start Hanoi An arrival transfer is provided; you will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. Check-in is in the early afternoon. The day is free to recover from the flight or stroll amongst broad tree-lined avenues dating from the French period. There is a faded colonial charm where baguettes and good coffee are sold from doorways of grand buildings of a past era. Lan Vien Hotel or similar Day 2 City tour; afternoon free This morning you will enjoy a sightseeing tour of Hanoi that includes a visit to the Temple of Literature; the site of the oldest university in Vietnam with over 2000 graduates, Hoa Lo Prison & the Old Quarter of the city with its '36 Streets' where each street is home to shops selling particular products - e.g. 'silk street', 'gold street', 'paper street' and 'tourist souvenir street'. The afternoon is then free to wander around the Hoan Kiem lake and perhaps enjoy the view from a lakeside café. Lan Vien Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 To Halong Bay; cruise; overnight on boat This morning is an early start for the approximate 4 hour journey to Halong Bay. This is one of the most stunningly beautiful sights in South East Asia with some 3000 limestone peaks rising directly from the clear emerald sea. Cruise amongst this amazing karst scenery, stopping to swim and kayak, allowing you to get to places inaccessible by boat (weather permitting), and enjoy a seafood lunch on board. Here you will overnight on board in a twin share cabin with en suite facilities. Overnight Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 Continue cruise; return to Hanoi Continue to cruise around Halong Bay this morning before returning to port to transfer back to Hanoi where the evening is free to explore or relax. Lan Vien Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Fly to Da Nang; transfer to Hoi An After breakfast, transfer to Hanoi Airport for a flight to Da Nang. In Da Nang, stop to climb Marble Mountain where you can explore the large caves which were used by the Viet Cong as a hospital base during the war. From the mountain peak there are fantastic views over My Khe Beach and the surrounding countryside which leads on to Hoi An, your next destination. The Villa Hoi An Boutique Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Walking tour of Hoi An; free afternoon This morning will include a walking tour of Hoi An, the original European trading port in Vietnam dating back to the mid-16th century. It is now a living museum, with attractive wooden merchant's houses and pagoda-style temples with Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European architectural influences. It is also a marvellous place to wander around and enjoy the thriving riverside market and great silk clothes shopping. The afternoon is free to enjoy a town that has become a favourite for so many travellers to Vietnam. Options include a trip to My Son, the Cham civilisation's spiritual home, where Cham kings were buried as long ago as the fourth century. Although wartime bombing has destroyed much of the site, there's a number of interesting stone towers and sanctuaries. The Villa Hoi An Boutique Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Cruise on Thu Bon River to a cooking class; free afternoon Today, spend the morning at the wonderful Red Bridge restaurant, located on the bank of the Thu Bon River. Visiting the colourful local market first, you will shop for ingredients before taking a boat ride to the restaurant. Here, learn the intricacies of Vietnamese cooking. Under the supervision of an English-speaking Vietnamese chef you have the opportunity to create your own dishes. You don't need to be a proficient cook to enjoy this activity but be warned, you get to eat your creations at the end of the morning! You may choose to stay on and enjoy the idyllic garden at the restaurant or make your way back into Hoi An town for an afternoon at leisure, or jump on a bike (optional) for a ride through the countryside, passing markets, schools and villages before continuing on to Cua Dai beach (5 km). The Villa Hoi An Boutique Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 8 Fly to Saigon; afternoon city tour This morning transfer to Da Nang Airport for the flight to Saigon, officially known as Ho Chi Minh City. This is an exciting and absorbing city where scooters pack the streets and temples stand defiantly alongside modern developments. Devastated by the Vietnam War, it is now a bustling free market city where anything goes. The Saigon River and Ben Thanh market, are within easy walking distance and are highly recommended. This afternoon a city tour will include a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum. The Museum has an interesting photographic record of the Vietnam/American War. Please be aware that some images at the museum are very graphic. Millenium Boutique Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 9 Morning visit to Cu Chi tunnels; free afternoon Today leave the city behind and head north to visit the infamous Cu Chi tunnels. Used by the Viet Cong during the war, the network covers 3 levels and incorporates around 240km of tunnels. Traditionally these were very narrow but some areas have been widened to allow tourists to explore the system. Claustrophobes may prefer to stay outside in the sunshine! In the afternoon return to Saigon and the rest of the day is free for exploration. Millenium Boutique Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 10 To Mekong Delta; cruise through waterways In the morning, drive to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta (approx 2½ hours), known as the 'rice bowl' of Vietnam. This region produces most of Vietnam's fruit, sugar cane and coconuts. Here you will take a boat trip on the mighty Mekong River, passing many orchards and friendly locals also travelling by boat. Recently, Cai Be floating market has become less crowded and smaller as fruit trading is mostly now done by trucks due to the bridge being built. However, this is still a great opportunity to see a local market and the trade being conducted traditionally on a smaller scale. You can also stop to see some small cottage industries such as rice paper and coconut candy, getting a chance to sample the produce along the way before enjoying the local speciality, ‘Elephant Ear Fish', for lunch. After lunch, continue by boat to Vinh Long where your transfer is waiting to take you to Can Tho. Hau Giang Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 11 Visit floating market; return to Saigon This morning you will take a boat trip to visit Cai Rang floating market, the biggest and most lively floating market in the Delta, with great photo opportunities. It is a maze of hundreds of boats packed with fruits, vegetables and plants, where samples are hung from the tops of long poles so that buyers can see from a distance what is for sale. Later, drive back to Saigon where the remainder of the day is free. Millenium Boutique Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 12 Fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia Today you transfer to Saigon Airport for the flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia. On arrival in Siem Reap, you will be met by your Cambodian local guide. Flight-time dependent, you may have the opportunity to see the sunset at the temple-complex this evening. If not, you will enjoy this magnificent marvel tomorrow evening. Tara Angkor Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 13 Full day to explore Angkor A full day spent exploring the Angkor complex. Visit the incredible Angkor Wat and the many temples inside the Royal City of Angkor Thom, including the magnificent Bayon, which comprises of 54 intricately carved towers in one single temple. The Bayon certainly left an impression on an early traveller in 1925 who stated 'we stand before it stunned. It is like nothing else in the land.' You will also see other less-visited outlying temples. Particularly impressive are Banteay Srei and Ta Prohm, which is still covered in jungle as it was first found. Re-discovered in the 1870s and famously described as being 'grander than anything of Greece or Rome' by the French explorer Henri Mouchot, this World Heritage Site stands alongside Chichen Itza and Machu Picchu as one of the world's most spectacular archaeological sites. A truly magical experience and a photographer's paradise.Tara Angkor Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 14 End Siem Reap The trip ends this morning in Siem Reap after breakfast. Meals included: Breakfast
Cambodia Arriving By Flight: An electronic visa (e-Visa) facility is available via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Co-operation website at the cost of $37. A tourist visa can be obtained on arrival for British nationals at most border crossings. Two passport photos are required. The cost is US$30, although an additional express fee of US$5-6 may be incurred at the border. For further information see the FCO site and check under Cambodia / 'Entry Requirements'. Arriving Overland: A tourist visa can be obtained on arrival for British nationals at most border crossings. Two passport photos are required. The cost is US$30, although an additional express fee of US$5-6 may be incurred at the border. For further information see the FCO site and check under Cambodia / 'Entry Requirements'. Important advice regarding E-Visas Please be advised, e-Visas are not accepted at all border check points when travelling overland. This applies to the following borders/trips: Tinh Bien, Vietnam/ Phnom Den, Takeo, Cambodia border: AOX- Thai Indochina Explorer and AOG- Thai Indochina Grand Tour Xa Xia, Vietnam/ Prek Chak, Cambodia (Ha Tien crossing): FIJ- South East Asia Adventure You can only purchase a tourist visa on arrival at these borders as e-Visas will not be accepted. More information can be found at: https://www.evisa.gov.kh/ https://www.evisa.gov.kh/information/port_entry/3
Vietnam **UPDATE 11.03.2020** The below visa advice is not valid at the current moment in time. If you are booked to travel to Vietnam within the next month, Exodus will contact you with further information when it becomes available. A visa is no longer needed for British, German, French, Spanish and Italian citizens travelling to Vietnam (for all purposes) for a period of up to 15 days, and on the basis of meeting all conditions prescribed by Vietnamese laws. The visa exemption period will end on 30 June 2021. All other nationalities require a visa to enter Vietnam and this must be obtained prior to departure. For further information please check the FCO site and check under Vietnam / 'Entry Requirements'. If you have any questions about whether you need a visa for your trip please contact the Customer Operations department.
Cambodia There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. The risk of malaria is slight but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. Dengue fever is a known risk in places visited. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Vietnam There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Tetanus, Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Diphtheria. The risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. Dengue fever is a known risk in places visited. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Hotels & Boat You will spend 12 nights in comfortable hotels and 1 night aboard a boat with twin share cabins, all of which feature en-suite facilities. We have selected hotels both for their character and relative luxury and we utilise the best hotels available in each area. Please be advised that the accommodation listed in each location on the day to day itinerary are the standard hotels used. Single supplements are available (on request) and only available for 12 nights (hotel nights). Please advise the tailormade sales team at the time of booking if you would like to request a single supplement.
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