Indochina Free & easy 19 Days - 19 Days

Arrival at Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. It is called little-parched Asia’s Paris according to beautiful architecture and wide boulevards. In the arrivals hall stands your driver with a sign with your name. Transfer by car to hotel in town. Checkin and free.

Day off in Phnom Penh.

You may want to grab a rickshaw or tuc tuc to the Royal Palace, where some of the royal buildings in the palace area and the Silver Pagoda are accessed. You can visit the nearby National Museum or dive into the darkest chapter in the country’s history at the Toul Sleng Prison Museum. Experience the cozy late afternoon hours in the streets near the Royal Palace, or at a rooftop cafe on Sisavath Boulevard.

The driver will take you to the bus stop. From here by public bus to Siem Reap – the city known for the many Angkor temples. From the bus stop in Siem Reap, pick up and drive to your hotel. The rest of the afternoon and evening to discover Siem Reap city. See and experience the Cambodian night-life on and in the streets around Pub-street.

With the guide and on the motorcycle rickshaw (or if desired by bicycle or by car – extra charge) to visit the Angkor temples: Angkor Thom South Gate. Bayon. Baphoun. The elephant’s terrace.

Thommanon. Chau Say Tevoda. The jungle temple of Ta Prohm, and of course Angkor Wat, which is no less than an absolutely stunning building built over 800 years ago, which in its construction style and detail is quite unmatched.

In the evening you should experience the graceful Cambodian folk dance Apsara.

Free time for sightseeing before transfer to airport and flight in the afternoon, you are taken to the airport, from where there is a flight to Luang Pabrang in Laos.

End of Cambodia Part

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Start Laos Part

After completing the visa formalities, you are taken to the hotel check-in in the city. Free to get the first impressions of the old imperial city

Day off to feel the city’s laid back pulse and sniff around the many pristine nooks and crannies of the old town. Along the way, visit the Imperial Palace, the Royal Temple of Xieng Thong and one or more of the golden Buddhist temples, which exude tranquility and mental peace. Drop in to a coffee shop or one of the restaurants along the river.

You start the day with a beautiful boat ride up the Mekong River to the sacred Pac Ou Cave, where thousands of Buddha figures are placed by visitors of the time.

Further on the river to the lodge which is in beautiful rural area, close to a smaller village and the Mekong River, and where the green and mountainous surroundings form the beautiful setting for the lodge. Here you will stay for the next 2 days in a kind of luxury safari tent (where you can stand fully erect).

The days at the lodge offer experiences and a unique impression in the simple country life. You visit the nearby village and get a glimpse into the daily life of the minority group Kamu, and follow along in the field and, depending on the season, are introduced to sowing / harvesting rice and vegetables. Also, the stay offers a variety of activities at the lodge and a hike into the hilly areas.

Time at the lodge before sailing back to Luang Prabang. You will be taken to your old hotel, where you will later be picked up and taken to the airport, from where you will fly to Hanoi.

End of Laos Part

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Start Vietnam Part

The driver is waiting for you and driving you to the hotel, which is located in the old quarter of the city with the nice narrow commercial streets and within walking distance of Hoan Kiem Lake and Dong Xuan Market, both of which are some of Hanoi’s landmarks.

Day off to discover the capital on your own. Obvious sights are the old President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. His simple residence the pile house. Presidential Palace. The one-pillar pagoda. Temple of Literature.

Another day off, and thus a good time to experience Hanoi, which offers many museums, quaint temples and other attractions that are definitely worth a visit. Remember to soak up the atmosphere in some of the 36 historic streets of Old Quarter, or stroll around the French Quarter.

Get off in bus to Halong. In a junke (boat) you will be traveling around Halong bay with its marvelous limestone landscape on a 2 day 1 night cruise. Along the way, a dripstone cave is visited, you pass a floating fishing village and there is the opportunity to rent a kayak. Overnight stay in 2-person cabins with own toilet / bath.

You wake up to this peculiar natural landscape, and continue your boat trip in Halong Bay until the end of the morning.

Return to the former hotel in Hanoi, from where you transfer to the airport and fly to Hoi An – in the opinion of many previous travelers – most beautiful city in Vietnam. This is where the central city district, when French, Chinese and Japanese traders came up to the city during the 17th century, built commercial houses in each architectural style.

Free day.

You can take a stroll around the narrow commercial streets of the old city center and visit old grocery stores, the ethnic assembly houses of the respective traders, and the covered Japanese bridge. Drop into a chair at one of the little cozy cafes and lunch places. The tailors are also kept in the historical frame, and you can easily be inspired to create a little new for the wardrobe.

Free day.

Transfer for departure to Ho Chi Minh City. Further from the airport with first car and then boat to Mekong Delta, which is a riverine delta area. Accommodation at Mekonglodge, a hotel built with architectural eye for the green surroundings of the delta. You take a bike ride on a larger island and get an insight into life on the rivers and in the villages. You stop at local sights along the way, and visit a garden and taste some of the exotic fruits. (Also possible instead of cycling)

Boat trip to small floating market and stop at family business making local specialties. Transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest city with a variety of historical sights and shopping opportunities.

Free day.

You can take on city sightseeing based on the main sights, including Notre Dame Cathedral. Presidential Palace. War Museum. The old French post office. Get lost in the Ben Thanh Market’s many stalls, and drop into a juice or coffee shop and watch the crowds from here.

Free time for sightseeing before transfer to the airport in the afternoon or evening. Most overseas airlines have flights first or late in the evening. You may want to take a detour to Chinatown or out to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels off the town ( extra Charge)