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Day 1
West Coast – Hong Kong
Board your transpacific flight to Hong Kong.
Day 2
Hong Kong – Ho Chi Ming City
Arrive in Hong Kong and connect to Ho Chi
Minh City, still called Saigon by most people.
Upon arrival, you will be greeted and escorted
to the Equatorial Hotel (or similar).
Day 3
Ho Chi Minh City (AB,SD)
After breakfast, visit Cu Chi, where you will
visit the 124-mile-long system of underground
tunnels built by the North Vietnamese Army
during the Vietnam War. Continue on to visit
Tay Hihn, home to the headquarters of one
of Vietnam's religions, Caodism. The Caodai
Great Temple at the sect's Holy See is the one
of the most striking structures in all of Asia
and was built between 1933 and 1955. This
evening enjoy a special dinner at the Blue
Ginger Restaurant.
Day 4
Ho Chi Minh City (AB)
Take an excursion to My Tho, a bustling town
in the rich agricultural region of the Mekong
Delta. And visit the Vihn Trang Pagoda, a
beautiful temple and sanctuary for orphans and
other needy children. Afterwards, board a local
boat to explore the Mekong River's islands,
stopping at a fruit orchard to enjoy fruit and
tea while listening to local music. The trip
also includes a brief sampan ride through the
narrow waterways that thread the island.
Day 5
Ho Chi Minh City – Hue
(AB,D)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your
flight to Hue, the imperial capital during the
19th century. Upon arrival, visit the Thien Mu
Pagoda, just outside of Hue, on the bank of
the Perfume River. The temple was a hotbed
of anti-government protests during the early
1960s. Next, visit the Tomb of Emperor Minh
Mang, a complex built in 1840 by King Minh
Mang, known for its magnificent architecture,
military statues and elaborate decorations.
Overnight at La Residence Hotel and Spa (or similar).
Day 6
Hue (AB)
Today's sightseeing features a tour of the
Imperial City of the Nguyen Emperors,
including visits to the Ngo Mon Gate, the
Halls of the Mandarins, Nine Dynastic Urns,
Forbidden Purple City and the Imperial Tombs
of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh.
Day 7
Hue - Hoi An (AB)
This morning, drive via the scenic Pass of
the Ocean Clouds to Hoi An. Then embark
on a sightseeing tour by cyclo through this
charming city, which did not suffer damage
during the Vietnam War, and has the most
well-preserved buildings in Vietnam. Visit
Quan Cong Temple, Phuoc Kien Pagoda,
Japanese Covered Bridge, the Tran Family
Chapel and the Phung Hung House. Check
into Life Heritage Resort Hoi An (or
similar).
Day 8
Hoi An – Hanoi – Halong Bay
(AB,D)
After breakfast, transfer to the Danang airport
for your flight to Hanoi, where you will be
met at the airport and transferred overland
to Halong Bay. One of the most impressive
landscapes on earth, Halong Bay has thousands
of small islands and limestone cliffs full of
caves and caverns. Check in to Halong Plaza (or similar).
Day 9
Halong Bay – Hanoi (AB,L,D)
Enjoy a 4-hour cruise on a traditional junk
and sail amidst the emerald waters and craggy
limestone cliffs of Halong Bay, stopping at
different islands to explore some of the area's many caves. Cruise past a quaint fishing
village, and observe the rhythms of daily life
on the bay: see fishermen casting their nets and
pearl farmers at work. Then drive to Hanoi.
Check in to Daewoo Hotel (or similar).
Day 10
Hanoi (AB,D)
Spend today exploring Vietnam's atmospheric
capital. Visit Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son
Pagoda, the downtown area with its French
colonial architecture, the Historical Museum
and the Opera House. Also take in the One
Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature
(Vietnam's first University, founded in 1076)
and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. This
evening, enjoy dinner and traditional water
puppet performance.
Day11 Hanoi – Siem Reap (AB)
Enjoy the morning at your leisure, then transfer
to airport for your flight to Siem Reap. The
town is home to the extraordinarily beautiful
Angkor Temple Complex, an UNESCO World
Heritage site. Upon arrival, you will be greeted
and escorted to the Victoria Angkor Resort
& Spa (or similar).
Day12 Siem Reap (AB)
After breakfast, go on a full-day excursion
to the Angkor Temple Complex, the crown
jewel of Khmer architecture. Angkor Wat is
the country's national symbol and the highlight
of any visit to Cambodia. Also visit Preah
Khan, a temple built by King Jayavarman
VII with towered enclosures and shoulderhugging
corridors in a jungle setting. Then see
Baneasy Srei Temple. Seemingly miniature
in comparison to other Angkor temples,
Banteay Srei is considered to be the jewel of
classical Khmer art. Watch the sun set over
the Cambodian countryside from the upper
terraces of an ancient Angkorian temple.
Day13 Siem Reap (AB)
Today's full-day excursion includes a visit
the Chantiers Ecoles, a vocational center that
trains 650 apprentices a year, 160 of them in
fine arts and crafts trades united in the “Artisan
d' Angkor” production network. Next, visit
Angkor Thom, Prasat Kravan and the Banteay
Kdei Temple – a massive Buddhist temple
dating from the second half of the 12th century,
which is surrounded by four concentric walls,
the outer walls measuring 500 by 700 meters.
Visit the Ta Keo, built by Jayavarman V
who ruled from 968 to 1001. Then explore
Ta Prohm, one of the area's most popular
attractions, because much of the jungle has not
been cleared and it looks very much as most of
the Angkor monuments would have appeared
when European explorers first stumbled across
them. Continue on to visit Thommanon and
Chau Say Tevoda.
Day14 Siem Reap – Hong Kong –
West Coast (AB)
Farewell to Siem Reap. Transfer to the
airport for your flight back to the USA via
Hong Kong. |