Footloose Travel Guides

    Vietnam

Mekong Delta by boat to Cambodia

 

Itinerary:     DAY  1: ARRIVAL - HO CHI MINH On arrival at Tan San Nhat Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Ho Chi Minh City,  also known as Saigon, is a center of commerce, finance, culture and tourism in Vietnam. This bustling metropolis, a contradiction of its northern counterpart, is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, teeming with shopping area and sidewalk cafés. If you won't be too tired after your overseas flight, we will stroll around the downtown to explore the city. O/N in Ho Chi Minh. DAY  2 : HO CHI MINH Today we spend a full day exploring Ho Chi Minh City. We pass the now-demolished wartime American Embassy before we visit the Reunification Palace, the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975. Close to the Palace, there are some beautiful French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Sai Gon Post Office. After seeing the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnant Museum, we continue our trip to Cho Lon, Saigon’s Chinatown, which is crammed with fascinating temples and mysterious, narrow lanes. We end our city tour with a visit to the bustling Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is for sale. O/N in Ho Chi Minh. (B) DAY 3 : HO CHI MINH - CU CHI - TAY NINH - HO CHI MINH The headquarter of Cao Dai sect is located in Tay Ninh. This religion was founded in 1923 and now numbers  over 2 million members. After breakfast we travel to Tay Ninh to see the ornate temple of Cao Dai and  attend the fascinating mid-day service when the followers fill the hall wearing colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Afterwards we continue to the well-known  Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground network of tunnels that contained hospitals, accommodations, schools, and were used as a military base for the Vietcong during the war. O/N in Ho Chi Minh. (B) DAY 4 : HO CHI MINH - VINH LONG - CAN THO Heading out of the town, we travel by road to Vinh Long Province. On arrival, we embark on our boat cruising around the tributaries of the mighty Mekong River, a great way to observe the local lifestyle close-up. Along the way, we visit the vibrant floating market of Cai Be and many local cottage industries including rice paper makers and bonsai nurseries. A huge lunch followed with many seasonal fruits at an orchard is part of the enjoyment of the trip. We then weave our way through the intricate network of canals which are the lifeblood of the Mekong Delta before we meet up with our vehicle for a short drive to Can Tho, our destination for today. O/N in Can Tho. (B,L) DAY 5: CAN THO - CHAU DOC This morning we depart for Chau Doc and pass many rice fields fringed with palm trees, fruit orchards and canals crammed with boats and rice barges. Arriving in Chau Doc  we have time to stroll around . This  is a tranquil town and less affected by the flash and glitz of Ho Chi Minh City’s fashionable young people although it is a major hub of trade along the Mekong. An afternoon tour takes us to major places of interest in this region. We enjoy a boat trip on the Hau River to explore the local fisheries and a Cham village. Upon disembarking, we vist the sacred Ba Chua Temple and the nearby sanctuary of Tay An before ascending the Sam Mountain to watch the beautiful sunset over Cambodia and the mighty Mekong River. O/N in Chau Doc. (B) DAY 6: CHAU DOC - PHNOM PENH After breakfast we board  an express boat for a trip along the Mekong River crossing into Cambodia and continuing on to its capital. Phnom Penh was once considered the loveliest city of Indochina. Despite its recent turbulent history, it still maintains considerable charm. The private quarters of the Royal Palace are now home to the royal family. At the northern area of the palace grounds is Silver Pagoda, the most sacred shrine in the country. We visit both structures as well as the legendary temple of Wat Phnom, a temple which reflects the history of Phnompenh’s name. O/N in Phnom Penh. (B) DAY  7: PHNOM PENH The sightseeing tour of Phnom Penh continues with a visit to the Royal University of Fine Arts where the young Cambodians learn the ancient arts of their ancestors. The most interesting part of this structure is the Dance Academy. Here, many young children practice the graceful movements of the beautiful national dances. We then continue to the National Museum, dedicated exclusively to Khmer art and sculpture. The majority of the exhibits here are from the Angkor period (9th to 15th Century), but some date from as early as the 4th Century. The Tuol Sleng Prison Museum and the notorious ‘Killing Fields’ of Choeung Ek are not to be missed. A visit to these sights provides us a deep insight into the bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge. O/N in Phnom Penh. (B) DAY  8: PHNOM PENH - SIEM REAP - ANGKOR TEMPLES An early morning transfer to Phnom Penh Pier.  We embark on express boat and make our way up the Tonle Sap River and into the lake of the same name. The shallow Tonle Sap is the largest of Southeast Asia’s lakes. Depending on the season, our boat journey takes anywhere from 4 to 6 hours to reach Siem Reap. This town is our base for visiting the world famous temples of the ancient city of Angkor, the capital of the powerful Khmer Empire from 802 AD to 1350 AD. After checking into hotel, we drive to the archeological area to visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom, famous for its series of colossal human faces carved in stone, the impressive Bayon Temple, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, and the Terrace of the Leper King, the largest and most complete structure of Angkor Wat. O/N in Siem Reap. (B) DAY 9: SIEM REAP - ANGKOR TEMPLES The jungle covered temple of Ta Prohm is an incredible sight. There are enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers which embrace themselves in the stone foundations of the structure giving the impression of man's creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature. We explore this masterpiece as well as its surrounding temples of Banteay Kdei, Sra Srong, Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevado. Our grand circuit includes Preah Khan, the Kravan, Neak Pean, Krol Ko, Ta Som, East Mebon, and Pre Rup Temple, before we ascend Phnom Bakheng Hill for a view of the stunning sunset over these spectacular sandstone monuments. O/N in Siem Reap.(B) DAY  10: SIEM REAP - BANTEAY SREI - ROLUOS GROUP Heading out of the town, we drive on a newly paved road to the intricately carved and well preserved temple of Banteay Srei. On the way we make a stopover at the Preah Dark village and the River of 1000 Lingas, locally known as Kbal Spean. We follow these with a visit the Banteay Samre Temple adorned with impressive relieves depicting scenes from Vishunu and Krishna legends. On the way back we will explore the ancient Khmer civilization site of Hariharalaya which flourished in the late 9th and early 10th centuries. These were the earliest temples in the Angkor area and are referred to as the Rolous group. O/N in Siem Reap. (B) DAY  11: SIEM REAP - DEPARTURE There is free time for your own exploration of the town and strolling around the shopping areas. The trip ends upon your transfer to Siem Reap Airport for departure. (B)