Indochina Experience - 20 days

Drifters Price: £793.25

RRP: £835.00

Trip Code: INTIE20

Local Payment: USD$400.00

Days 1-2 Phnom Penh

You will be met at the airport and transfered to the hotel, providing you have advised these flight details to Intrepid at the time of booking.

You and your fellow travellers will be arriving at all times from around the world today, so there are no arranged activities.Your leader will organise a pre-trip meeting for the early evening followed by an optional group dinner. Look for a welcome note at reception in the joining point hotel explaining where to meet. For those who arrive early, there is sightseeing information on the noticeboard in reception. Hotel check-in time is 12 noon.

Please note that your leader will collect the first part of your local payment (USD200) in cash at the group meeting on Day 1. Please bring new bills/notes in large denominations. The second part will be collected in Ho Chi Minh City.

On Day 2 we confront Cambodia's tragic past, as a local guide accompanies us to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, a former school which served as a Khmer Rouge torture centre, and out of the city to Choueng Ek Memorial at the site of the infamous Killing Fields. On a lighter note, we also visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Phnom Penh has many attractions, and there is some free time to explore the Russian Market, the National Museum or Wat Phnom atop the hill for which the city is named. You could also take a stroll along the river's famous Sisowath Quay and enjoy a coffee or cocktail at one of the many cafes while observing the busy river traffic.

Days 3-5 Siem Reap

A short morning flight on Day 3 takes us to Siem Reap, our base for the next 3 days. We'll make the most of our visit to the world-famous Angkor complex with our local guide. These temples were built between the 9th and 13th Centuries when the Khmer Empire was the pre-eminent influence in South East Asia. The temples are believed to represent the cosmic world; set in perfect balance, symmetry and composition. The intricately carved bas-reliefs and architecural design are mind-blowing and there are spectacular photographic opportunities at all times of the day. The ruins are scattered over an area of some 160sq km, but the main cluster of temples is close to Siem Reap.

We will have plenty of time to fully appreciate the great archeological sites of Angkor Wat, the Bayon and the jungle-covered Ta Phrom. Tiny Banteay Srey is one of the finest examples of classical Khmer art.

Days 6-7 Ho Chi Minh City

On Day 6 we are transferred to Siem Reap airport for the short flight (approximately 1 hour) to Ho Chi Minh City. This evening there is another group meeting where you meet your leader and fellow travellers for the Vietnamese sector of the tour. At this meeting your leader will collect your final local payment (USD200) cash. We shall then head out to dinner for your first taste of local Vietnamese cuisine!

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam with a population of about 6 million people. The huge number of people rushing about their daily business gives the city a vital and dynamic atmosphere. Ho Chi Minh City is characterised by a vast variety of sights and sounds, from ancient pagodas, mosques and cathedrals to the former Presidential Palace and the War Museum, from historical Dong Khoi Street (the Rue Catinat from Graham Greene's novel 'The Quiet American') to the markets of Ben Thanh and Cholon (Chinatown). Much of the city life takes place on the streets which are lined with stores, shops, stalls, and vendors, their wares spread out on the footpath, selling everything from soup to sophisticated electronics! French influence is evident in the excellent baguettes and coffee.

In the morning of Day 7 we drive out to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. This network of over 200km of tunnels became legendary during the war, when they allowed the Viet Cong to control a large rural area only 30 to 40km from Ho Chi Minh City. At its height, the tunnel system stretched from Saigon to the Cambodian border. The network, parts of which were several storeys deep, included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centres and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction, giving the visitor a very different experience and a feel for what underground life was like during the war.

In the afternoon we take a cyclo tour and visit some of the city's highlights, including the Reunification Palace, the residence of the President of South Vietnam until 30 April 1975 when the North Vietnamese tanks came crashing through the front gates, symbolising a dramatic end to the war. Close to the Palace are some of the best examples of French Colonial architecture such as Notre Dame Cathedral.

Days 8-9 Mekong Delta

This morning we head down to the Mekong Delta. Often referred to as the 'rice bowl' of Vietnam, the fertile Mekong Delta is famous for its tropical fruits, flowers and boating along the canals. At Vinh Long we board our private boat to cruise along the maze of waterways to visit some local cottage industries. We then head to our overnight homestay along the water.

Rising early to the sounds of the Delta coming to life for another day, we have breakfast before boarding our boats and visiting the floating markets enroute to Cai Be., We visit Vinh Trang Pagoda before returning to Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of day 4. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to further explore Saigon or just relax.

Days 10-11 Nha Trang

We catch an early morning flight to Nha Trang, one of Vietnam's most attractive coastal towns, with its charm derived from a harmonious combination of mountains, islands, sea and sand. We take an afternoon cyclo tour to explore Nha Trang and its surrounds.

On Day 11 we take a boat trip to the nearby islands and have the chance to swim and snorkel. Nha Trang is famous for its delicious seafood delights, which we will experience while taking lunch aboard the boat. Nha Trang also has an excellent local market for exploring.

Days 12-14 Hoi An

We have a midday flight to Danang. Hoi An is a delightful riverine town 30km south of Danang and a firm favourite with Intrepid travellers. Known as Faifo to early Western traders, it was one of South East Asia's major international ports during the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries. Today, parts of Hoi An look exactly as they did a century-and-a-half ago. More than perhaps any other place in Vietnam, Hoi An retains the feel of centuries past, making it the sort of place that grows on you the more you explore it.

We take a walking tour through the old quarter and stop to try one of the local delicacies, cau lao noodles, for lunch. The remainder of the day is at leisure until we meet again for an optional dinner at one of the charming local restaurants. Hoi An is famous for its large number of tailor shops so if you want to have a new wardrobe made up, this is the time to do it!

If you can muster a 6am rise the next morning, it is well worth it to visit the wonderful local market and see the haggling over fish, spices and vegetables - a great experience and insight into local life. There is also an option to take a morning tour to My Son, Vietnam's most important Cham site and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This afternoon is free - your leader can help you arrange an optional Vietnamese cooking course or you can rent a bicycle and take a trip out to the nearby Cau Dai beach.

The following day is a free day to wander and explore this pretty town or simply relax by the beach.

Days 15-16 Hue

Leaving Hoi An early in the morning we visit Marble Mountain, China Beach and the Cham museum in Danang. We drive to Hue via the spectacular Hai Van Pass, an incredibly scenic and mountainous stretch of highway with spectacular views of Lang Co Beach. We stop at Lang Co Beach for lunch en route and arrive in Hue in the afternoon. Founded as a royal city in 1687, Hue is the gateway to the treasures of Vietnam's royal past. Today Hue remains one of Vietnam's major tourist attractions. This quiet city is widely known for the magnificent architecture of its citadels, palaces, royal tombs, pagodas and temples built under the Nguyen Dynasty.

After arrival in Hue we have time to freshen up before our tour of the Imperial Citadel, including the Forbidden Purple City, which was almost totally destroyed during the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War, and the museum of Royal Relics.

On day 11 our sightseeing includes a boat trip on the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, considered by many to be the unofficial symbol of Hue. It is an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. One of the most poignant displays is a car belonging to a former monk who, in 1963, drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest against the treatment of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese regime. We also visit one of the majestic royal tombs, the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, with its central lake set amid a grove of frangipani and pine trees or perhaps the most majestic of the Royal Tombs, Minh Mang.

In the evening of Night 16 we board the Reunification Express overnight train to Hanoi. The trains have 4 seats to a compartment which convert into 4 sleeping bunks (2 upper/2 lower) for the overnight portion of the journey. The bunks are provided with sheet, pillow and blanket, though some people prefer to bring their own sleeping sheet. Simple food is provided on the train but many people like to stock up on French rolls, cheese and fruit prior to departure. Bottled water should also be bought before the journey.

Day 17 Hanoi

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is a charming city of about 4 million people, famous for its beautiful lakes, shaded boulevards and public parks. The city centre is an architectural museum piece, its blocks of ochre buildings retaining the air of a provincial French town of the 1930's, contrary to the fast living and bustling air of Saigon. As Vietnam develops to compete with other South East Asian countries, Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake reflects the modern office buildings, old Buddhist temples and tangle of ancient streets. The city hums with the never ending flow of bicycles, cyclos, latest-model Mercedes Benz and everything from the racy new Honda Dreams to 30-year-old Russian motor bikes.

We have time to freshen up before heading off to tour the fascinating Old Quarter, Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and house, One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature and the Fine Arts Museum. This evening we take to cyclos for a visit to the famous water puppets, followed by an optional dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 18 Halong Bay

We drive to Halong Bay today, stopping at a handicraft centre which is run to raise money for disabled people. We board our private boat to cruise around Halong Bay and soak up the misty atmosphere of this World Heritage site. Halong Bay is a breathtaking secluded bay with over 3000 limestone islands rising from the emerald waters of the Bac Bo Gulf. It is one of the most magnificent scenic regions in Vietnam. The area of about 1500sq km is dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes, created over thousands of years by the waves and wind.

We spend the night aboard our comfortable boat. Cruising among the islands, we explore some caves, swim during the warmer seasons and enjoy a sumptuous seafood feast.

Days 19-20 Hanoi

We return to Hanoi on Day 19, stopping en route at some villages where lovely locally made blue and white ceramics can be picked up. Your afternoon is free to further explore Hanoi's sights and make last minute purchases. This evening we will have a farewell dinner.

There are no activites planned for Day 20 so you are free to depart at any time

Book this holiday On-line now.

Make a booking on-line with Drifters, Simply make a selection from the available dates in the dropdown box and click book now.

Great Drifters Deals.

We currently have the following great specials available for the following dates. Click buy now to book this trip.

Departure

Return

Special Price

Enquiries ?

Still not satisfied and need to know more ? Please feel free to call, email or come in and see us anytime, We would love to hear from you!