Vietnam & Cambodia

Start your day visiting two iconic architectural landmarks the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office built between 1877 and 1883 by renowned designer Gustav Eiffel. The cathedral still remains an active church with services each day and is favoured backdrop for Vietnamese wedding photographs. From the cathedral, take a short stroll along Dong Khoi Street to the Opera House.

Next, visit the Reunification Palace, once a symbol of the South Vietnamese Government. The museum contains displays of military aircraft, weaponry and many photographs – some that are quite graphic in nature.

Head to Cholon the city’s Chinatown and Thien Hau Pagoda which is dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea. With intricate friezes, carved tableaus and impressive incense coils make for some great photos. Then enjoy street life with a cyclo ride through the narrow streets to Binh Tay market .

This morning drive about two hours south of Ho Chi Minh City to the gateway of the Mekong Delta. Known also as the rice bowl of Vietnam because of its large rice production, the area has also diversified into activities related to aquaculture, rearing of animals, cash crops and fruit trees.

Board a small boat and meander through the canals and waterways and stop at a small home-based factory to see how coconuts have been turned into oil, candy and woven mats that are later sold in the market. After the boat trip you will have a short walk to a local village to see mat weavers at work.

Board the boat again and continue your cruise along the river. While onboard join in the demonstration of Vietnamese cooking before sitting down to a sumptuous three-course lunch of Mekong specialities. After lunch relax on the top deck and take in the scenery back to Ben Tre, then transfer by road to Can Tho.

Take a small boat to the township of Cai Rang to see the hustle and bustle of a floating market. The best time to go is very early in the morning when the boats a teeming with goods for sale. Afterwards drive for about three hours to the riverside town of Chau Doc, a colourful and sleepy town near the Vietnam-Cambodia border.

The afternoon features a boat ride on Mekong waterways, where you’ll see fishermen hauling nets, wooden barges transporting rice and vendors gathering on riverbanks to sell their wares.

Cruise the Vinh Te Canal, constructed in 1824 by more than 80,000 Vietnamese and Cambodian workers. The canal helps define the two countries’ mutual border. After the cruise, head to Nui Sam Mountain for breathtaking sunset views over a chequered patchwork of rice fields and earthen dikes.

Take a morning boat trip from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh. Transportation from the pier to your hotel.

After breakfast, leave for a full day city tour of Phnom Penh. First stop would be the Toul Sleng Museum of Genocide, which used to be a school that was turned into a torture and interrogation center by the Khmer Rouge. Nearly 14,000 people were killed within these walls.

The heartbreaking Cheung Ek Museum is next, also known as the killing fields. A large number of people were killed and buried in mass graves, some of which still haven’t been excavated.

After lunch visit Wat Phnom, constructed in the year 1373. Nearly 27 meters tall, it is the tallest religious structure in the entire city. Wind up day with a shopping stint at either Russian Market or Center Market.

This early morning be picked up at 7:00am and transferred to Siem Reap by private vehicle.

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. 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. 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.

This morning be picked up at 7am. Banteay Srei is considered the’ jewel in the crown’ of all the Angkor temples and is about a 1 hour drive from Siem Reap. This small delicately carved pink sandstone temple is also known as the Citadel of Women. The temple has hundreds of small, intricate figures and deities, cut into the walls and lintels that depict scenes from Hindu stories.

Next, drive the short distance to Banteay Samre that is very similar to Angkor Wat, particularly the style of the towers and balustrades. The temples name is derived from the Samre people who live to the east of the baray.

Drive to the edge of the Tonle Sap Lake and embark on a cruise to Kompong Phluk, an isolated Khmer community of three villages built on wooden stilts, rising from six to eight metres high. The community has about 3,000 inhabitants who farm fish and vegetables on floating platforms.

During your visit, your boat will take you through mangrove forests, a unique ecosystem that survives on flooded soil for months. Mangroves are also hosts for a variety of wildlife, keep an eye out for birds and especially the crab-eating macaques!

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