Vietnam & Cambodia Encounters

We meet you at Noi Bai International Airport and transfer into central Hanoi to your hotel. En route we outline the city’s history and share practical tips for your first evening. You then have free time to rest or wander the Old Quarter at your own pace. We arrange day use of a room so you can freshen up before the evening train.

We visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – a landmark honouring the former leader – then pause at the historic One Pillar Pagoda, a small wooden shrine set above a lotus pond. From the landscaped grounds we view the French colonial Presidential Palace before continuing to the Temple of Literature – courtyards, pavilions and stone steles celebrating centuries of scholarship. We take a guided street food walk through the Old Quarter, sampling favourite dishes in narrow lanes, and stop at Hanoi Train Street for an egg coffee beside the tracks. We end the day with dinner at KOTO Van Mieu – a social enterprise restaurant that trains disadvantaged youth.

Leaving Hanoi, we drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay and board a traditional junk to cruise among limestone karsts and scattered islets on emerald water. A fresh seafood lunch is served as we sail deeper into this UNESCO World Heritage landscape. Later, you may choose to hike to a steep viewpoint for a panoramic sweep of islands at sunset.

We begin with a Tai Chi session on the sundeck at sunrise – a calm start to the cruise – then kayak through the low arch into Luon Cave to reach a quiet lagoon ringed by cliffs. Back on board we join a Vietnamese cooking demonstration and enjoy the dishes for lunch. In the afternoon we drive inland to Hanoi, passing farms and Red River Delta villages. In the city, you have free time to relax or wander the Old Quarter, and we provide day use of a room to freshen up before boarding the Reunification Express SE3 overnight to Hue – shared cabins and an unhurried rhythm as the countryside slips by.

On arrival in Hue a short road transfer brings us to our hotel, our first glimpse of the imperial city on the Perfume River. We explore the UNESCO listed Imperial Citadel, where walls, palaces and ceremonial gates reveal the scale of Nguyen rule. We then take a gentle dragon boat cruise on the Perfume River and visit Thien Mu Pagoda, whose seven storey tower and tranquil grounds are among the city’s most important religious sites.

We head south over the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An – a spectacular coastal drive with sweeping sea views and forested mountains – then explore the UNESCO listed Ancient Town on foot, its lanes, riverside houses and ornate assembly halls recalling centuries of trade. We step into a traditional family chapel used for ancestor worship, pause at a Chinese style assembly hall or pagoda, cross the 16th century Japanese Covered Bridge with its small shrine, visit the Fukien Association Temple, browse the Ceramic Museum for pottery and trade artefacts, and call at Chua Ong Temple dedicated to a revered general from legend. We round off the afternoon with a lantern making workshop guided by local artisans, and as dusk falls we release our handmade lantern on to the Hoai River.

You have free time in Hoi An to revisit favourite streets, browse the shops or relax by the river. We then transfer by road to Da Nang Airport and fly south to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival we drive to your hotel – traffic, scooters and tall buildings signalling the energy of Saigon.

We leave Ho Chi Minh City for Cai Be as the suburbs give way to the flat, fertile delta. We board a motor boat to explore canals lined with wooden boats, stilt houses and workshops, stopping at a family home to watch rice paper and popcorn cakes being made. We continue to Cai Be Floating Market to see traders sell directly from their boats, then visit a rice candy village to taste sweets warm from the pan. Crossing to Tan Phong Island we meet Uncle Tu Dang at his bee farm for honey tea, stroll through fruit orchards, and call at Uncle 5 On’s house for fresh fruit and traditional folk music. A small rowing boat carries us along palm fringed channels for an intimate look at delta life. We check in at Mekong Ecolodge, wander the gardens – you can pick and taste fresh fruit – then join a hands on ditch slapping experience to catch fish and harvest vegetables for a cooking class dinner.

We cycle quiet lanes on Tan Phong Island, visiting homes and workshops tucked among the orchards. We stop at Sister 3’s house to see traditional rice paper rolls being made, at Aunt 4’s to watch hammocks woven from banana fibre rope, at Ms Thao’s to learn weaving with dried water hyacinth – you can craft a small keepsake – and at Ms Hieu’s to see how bamboo sticks become nail files. Back at the ecolodge we join Ms Tam for a hands on cooking class to make and taste jackfruit leaf cake. A short local ferry carries us with residents towards Hiep Duc, then a road transfer returns us to Ho Chi Minh City.

We drive from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, crossing the international border at Moc Bai and Bavet, following the main highways that link the two capitals. In the evening you have free time to explore the riverside and browse night markets at your own pace – try local street food or shop for crafts and souvenirs.

We visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum for a powerful introduction to Cambodia’s recent history, then continue to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek to walk past memorial stupas and mass graves. We discover the National Museum of Cambodia, housed in an elegant Khmer style building, before touring the Royal Palace complex with its ornate courtyards and ceremonial halls. We step inside the Silver Pagoda to see the silver tiled floor and treasured Buddha statues. In the evening you have free time to explore the riverside and night markets.

We drive from Phnom Penh towards Skun as city streets give way to villages and farmland, stopping at the town’s famed spider market to see stalls selling fried insects and local snacks. We visit a stone carving workshop in Santuk District to watch artisans sculpt traditional figures, then explore the ancient Naga Bridge near Kampong Kdei and walk across its laterite span from the Angkor era. At Kampong Khleang on Tonle Sap Lake we board a boat to see stilt houses, floating villages and flooded forest. We continue to your resort at the foot of Kulen Mountain as the landscape shifts from flat plains to wooded hills.

We leave Thisak Resort for the Phnom Kulen Mountains, ascending into protected jungle dotted with ruined temples and waterfalls. On the plateau we visit the River of a Thousand Lingas, continue to a hilltop pagoda housing a large reclining Buddha with sweeping forest views, and take a gentle walk to Kulen Waterfall where you can cool off by the natural pools. Later we descend towards the Tbeng community near Siem Reap, pausing in a village to see vegetable gardens, livestock areas and family homes. At Damnak Thlork Vea Pagoda we receive a monk’s blessing, then as evening approaches we explore Street 60 Night Market – you can sample Khmer street food and fresh fruit – before driving into Siem Reap to your hotel.

We enter Angkor Thom through the South Gate, passing serene stone faces and ranks of guardian figures, then explore Bayon with its countless smiling visages and richly carved galleries. We continue through the Royal Enclosure and Phimeanakas, visit the Elephant Terrace, and study the reliefs and legends of the Terrace of the Leper King. We then visit Angkor Wat, approaching along the west facing causeway, before ending at Ta Prohm where vast tree roots weave through ancient masonry. We round off the day with dinner at Spoons Restaurant in Siem Reap – a social enterprise training local youth in hospitality – enjoying Khmer cuisine while supporting a community initiative.

We transfer you by road from your hotel in Siem Reap to Siem Reap International Airport – a smooth journey back to your point of departure. You depart with a fond farewell to the temples, countryside and communities we have visited.