Discovery of Indochina

Rise early to the sound of the temple gong and witness Luang Prabang’s mystical daily ritual. In the cool of the early morning, a procession of about hundred young monks walk silently by, collecting sticky rice and other foods in their bronze bowls. The ritual is linked to a Buddhist tradition in which monks beg for their daily food as a way to demonstrate humility. Giving alms an important religious act in Buddhism and it must be carried out respectfully by locals and tourists alike.

If you would like to be involved in the offering of food, your guide will be more than happy to show you the best way to interact with monks. Watch as the monks disappear down the road in a long, saffron-coloured ribbon. Feel free to take photos, however please use discretion and refrain from using your flash. Later, grab your swimsuit and take a short drive to the stunning Kuang Si Waterfall. The falls cascade over many calcified tiers and down several hundred feet into a series of cool, turquoise pools.

Day at leisure

After breakfast, check out and drive to Vang Vieng (about 4 hours). Stop along the way for lunch and to stretch your legs and check out panoramic views. On arrival, check in to your hotel and relax.

Late afternoon, we start the trip for sunset view in Vang Vieng. Kayaking or boating down the Nam Song River to watch the sun setting behind. During tour leisurely ride on the river you might also see the local fishermen with their nets and spears, villagers preparing for the evening or water buffalo soaking in the cool waters. Then, before it gets dark, you’ll be dropped on an isolated riverbank where you have relax time before back to hotel.

After breakfast, say farewell with Vang Vieng for transfer to Nam Ngum Lake. Once you reach Nam Ngum Lake, take a long-tail boat trip on the massive artificial lake with many small islands. Feel the wind in your hair as you cruise around the reservoir, formed when the Nam Ngum River was dammed for hydroelectricity, to admire the panoramic views and get the opportunity to swim in the clear waters before lunch by your own expense at local restaurant.

And then, we continue the road to Vientiane. Along the road, we visit the archaeological site of Vang Xang and a market often frequented by Hmong people before arrival in Vientiane.

Indochina Discovery Tour today offer you to enjoy a city tour of Vientiane, the quietest Asian capital. Visit the historical sites of Wat Sisaket and Hor Pha Keo, which houses a fine collection of Lao art. Continue on to Patouxai, the Victory Monument, with panoramic views of town. Finally end up at Pha That Luang, the holiest site in Laos and its national symbol. You are then transferred to the airport for your flight.

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your flight.

Flight: Vientiane – Siem Reap

Upon arrival, your guide will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel.

Indochina Discovery Tour today offer you to experience Angkor Complex. Start with a visit to the South Gate of Angkor Thom where statues of the gods of good and evil line the entrance. Your next stop is the Bayon, known for the hundreds of smiling faces that grace the towers. The bas reliefs are quite impressive and tell stories of daily life and the great battles that were fought between the Khmers and ancient Thais. Move on to Phimeanakas, shaped a bit like a pyramid with two ponds in the rear. The ponds were once used for religious rituals but today serve as swimming pools for Khmer kids. Walk to the top of the temple for impressive views of the Angkor complex.

See the rows of trunks that form the wall of the Terrace of the Elephants, a platform from which King Jayavarman surveyed his army. Close by is the Terrace of Leper Kings, which includes a statue depicting Yana, the Hindu god of death. Then it’s a short drive to one of the most loved temples of all – Ta Prohm. This small crumbling temple is held together by giant tree roots giving it a magical feel.

Return to Siem Reap for lunch and to escape the hot sun. Then later in the afternoon explore the magnificent Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument. This visually spectacular temple is a massive three-tiered pyramid, rising 65 metres from the ground and crowned by five lotus towers. It’s the national symbol of Cambodia and proudly appears on the country’s flag. End your day with sunset views over the jungle from the top of Pre Rup Temple before returning to Siem Reap.

Day at leisure

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your flight.

Flight Siem Reap – Phnom Penh

Upon arrival, your guide will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel.

Indochina Discovery Tour today offer you to experience Phnom Penh – capital of Cambodia. Begin your half-day tour with a visit to the Royal Palace overlooking the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. Built in 1866 by King Norodom, the palace is now home to the reigning monarch. Within the palace grounds you will find the Silver Pagoda, its floor covered by 5,000 silver tiles each weighing 1kg. But that’s not all, there is a beautiful emerald and crystal Buddha sitting on top of a gilded pedestal, and life-sized Buddha made from solid gold weighing 90kgs and encrusted with 9,584 diamonds, the largest weighing in at 25 carats!

Next you will visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, which documents the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge against both their political enemies and many thousands of everyday Cambodians. In 1975 this former high school was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and converted into Security Prison 21 (S-21). It soon became the largest detention and torture centre in the country. Please note that the images on display are quite graphic and unsettling.

End you day on a lighter note at the city’s art deco inspired Central Market. This main market sells everything from fresh fish to flowers. You can buy gold jewellery, precious gems, silk, t-shirts, souvenirs and more!

Morning is free at leisure.

Afternoon, board a speedboat for the 5-hour journey (depart approx 01:30pm) to Chau Doc. On arrival,you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Today take a walk around the town and see the bustling market, then continue to Sam Mountain, with its breathtaking views over the rice paddies to the Cambodian border. You will then be transferred to Can Tho, enjoying typical rural scenery en route.

Wake up in early morning. Take a leisure boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong River (Bassac River) then visit to Cai Rang floating market which is the liveliest one in the whole of region. Walking trip to visit the fruit plantation and local noodle factory.

Adn then, we visit Binh Thuy communal house and Munir Ansay Pagoda – a Khmer pagoda, renowned for its unique structure. Have lunch and return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Indochina Discovery Tour today offer you to experience Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – the biggest and most bustling city in Vietnam. Your guide will meet you at your hotel and driven to the city’s Central Post Office, which was designed by the renowned French architect Gustav Eiffel, and Notre Dame Cathedral, the iconic landmark built between 1863 and 1880. Admired for its neo-Romanesque architecture, the cathedral is a popular backdrop for local wedding photographers.

Next, stroll toward the Saigon River along Dong Khoi Street, which figured prominently in Graham Greene’s famous Vietnam novel, The Quiet American, to the Saigon Opera House, a commanding building completed in 1901. Shelled during World War II, it was used to shelter French citizens fleeing North Vietnam in 1954, the year Vietnam earned its independence from France.

The tour continues with a stop at the Reunification Palace, where a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the gates in 1975 to end a war that killed an estimated 58,000 Americans and three million Vietnamese. You will also visit the War Remnants Museum, where Vietnam’s government has assembled presentations – some of them graphic – of wartime hardships and atrocities. End stop is Ben Thanh market – the biggest central located market for shopping and know how local people work.

Day at leisure until to transfer you to the airport for your flight.

Flight Saigon – Danang

Upon arrival, your guide/driver will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel.

Indochina Discovery Tour today offer you to experience Hoi An ancient town – the world cultural heritage. Begin your tour of Hoi An, a former trading port that welcomed Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab merchants between the 16th to 18th centuries. Today Hoi An is famous for its restored architecture, homemade silk, expert tailors and delicious noodles and seafood. Its relaxed vibe and pedestrian streets make this town a pleasure to walk around and discover new things.

The tour includes stops at several famous landmarks. The first is Chua Ong Pagoda, dating back to 1653 and built in honor of the Chinese general Quan Cong, who is worshipped by many as a symbol of loyalty and justice.

Next, pop into Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, to see the Jinshang Temple/b> which is dedicated to the goddess of the sea and the protector of sailors. From there it’s a short walk to Tam Ky House, a 200 year old ancestral house and finally, stroll across the often photographed 17th century covered bridge built by Japanese craftsmen. The beautifully built bridge doubles as a temple and is a major landmark of Hoi An.

Day at leisure

Today, drive along one of Vietnam’s most beautiful stretches of road, the Hai Van Pass and on to the former imperial capital of Hue.

Day at leisure until to transfer you to the airport for your flight.

Indochina Discovery Tour today offer you to experience Halong Bay – the world natural heritage and most tourist attraction in Vietnam. Depart from Hanoi and travel by shuttle bus to the Tuan Chau Island pier in Halong Bay arriving just before midday. Take a tender boat to meet the overnight cruise, for check in and a short safety briefing. Then set off to cruise the emerald waters and enjoy lunch while admiring the views. Later in the afternoon take a sampan to discover village life on the water or for the more active there is the option to kayak. Return to cruise in time for a sunset drink and dinner.

This morning join in with the ancient art of Tai Chi on the sun deck or watch the bay wake from the comfort of your room. After breakfast an expert guide will accompany you for exploration of the Sung Sot Cave, a remnant of the Stone Age era some 10,000 years ago. A narrow crack forms the entrance to the cave that then opens into several chambers with impressive stalagmites and stalactites. Then return to Aphrodite to for a light brunch on the cruise back to the Tuan Chau pier, and then onward to Hanoi arriving mid afternoon.

Day at leisure until to transfer to the airport to take flight back to your country.