Southeast Asia Explorer Journey

Ho Chi Minh City, once known as Saigon, fizzes with energy as bicycles weave past trucks and temples sit beside gleaming towers. Scarred by war yet defiantly forward looking, today it is a bustling free market city where almost anything goes. If you arrive early, you can stroll to Ben Thanh Market for a first taste of the city. Around 6pm we meet our tour leader and fellow travellers to get acquainted and hear about the journey ahead, followed by a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. If you would like extra time in Ho Chi Minh City, you can arrange additional nights before the tour through your sales representative.

This morning we leave the city and head west to the Cu Chi tunnels – a three level network stretching for approximately 150 mi (240 km). Originally extremely narrow, some sections have been widened for visitors, while anyone with claustrophobia may prefer to stay outside in the sunshine. In the afternoon we return to Ho Chi Minh City for a tour, including the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum, which presents a powerful record of the Vietnam American War – please note that some images are graphic.

We drive to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta, visiting a temple used by followers of Cao Dai, an indigenous faith that blends major eastern and western religions. En route we pass lush countryside and pause at small cottage industries. Known locally as Vietnam’s rice bowl, the Mekong produces much of the country’s fruit, sugar cane and coconuts. In the afternoon we take a gentle sampan cruise to reach our accommodation. Dinner is on an island where we enjoy warm Delta hospitality, and we stay overnight in a simple homestay guesthouse built in the style of a local house – bedding, a mosquito net and a small towel are provided.

This morning we take a short walk through the nearby village to learn about daily life, then board boats again to cross the main channel to Vinh Long and rejoin our vehicle for the drive deeper into the Mekong Delta to the small border town of Chau Doc. After checking into the hotel, we ascend the holy Sam Mountain for sunset views that stretch into Cambodia. The evening is free – you can wander the riverside town at your own pace.

After about an hour’s drive we reach the Tinh Bien – Phnom Den land border, bid farewell to Vietnam and cross into Cambodia. We continue via La Plantation Pepper farm for lunch and an introduction to Kampot pepper, then transfer to Kampot town on a picturesque river. On arrival we check in to our centrally located hotel, our base for the next two nights, before boarding a local boat for a sunset cruise on the Kampot River, which runs through the centre of town and can flow in both directions due to its close connection with the sea. Please note – E visas are not currently accepted at the Tinh Bien – Phnom Den land border; you can obtain a visa on arrival at the crossing, for which you need a passport photo and payment in US dollars.

Today we take a local boat for the short hop to Koh Tonsai, also known as Rabbit Island. Fringed with palms and a small beach, it is an ideal place to swim in warm water or simply relax and soak up the tropical setting.

There may be an opportunity to rise early for an optional walking tour with the leader to visit the Kampot fish market, before returning to the hotel for breakfast. Afterwards we depart Kampot and transfer to Phnom Penh, where we spend the next two nights. During our time in the capital, you can wander among traditional buildings or shop at the impressive Central Market or the sprawling Russian Market – a souvenir hunter’s paradise.

This morning we visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also known as S21, which graphically documents the four years when Pol Pot’s regime murdered between two and three million Cambodians. Formerly a school, it was used as a centre for torture and interrogation between 1975 and 1979 – a sobering yet important place to visit. Afterwards we continue to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, a football field sized area surrounded by farmland that contains mass graves for perhaps 20,000 Cambodians, many of whom were tortured before being killed. We finish the day with a late afternoon visit to the beautiful Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda within the palace complex, named for the solid silver tiles that form the floor – similar in style and scale to Bangkok’s Grand Palace but with far fewer visitors, allowing ample time to wander among the traditional buildings.

Today we undertake a long drive to Siem Reap of approximately eight hours. En route we stop in the town of Skuon, famed for its local delicacy – fried spiders. We also visit Sambor Prei Kuk, the most impressive group of pre Angkorian monuments in Cambodia and among the oldest structures in the country, and pause for a traditional Khmer lunch at a community restaurant before continuing to Siem Reap.

We spend a full day exploring the Angkor temple complex, described by French explorer Henri Mouhot as grander than anything of Greece or Rome. A Unesco World Heritage site that rivals Chichen Itza and Machu Picchu, it is truly magical and a photographer’s paradise, and on one evening we watch the sun set over this magnificent scene. We visit the incredible Angkor Wat and the many temples within the royal city of Angkor Thom, including the magnificent Bayon with its 54 intricately carved towers in a single temple. We also take in less visited outlying temples – particularly impressive are Banteay Kdei and Ta Prohm, the latter still wrapped in jungle as when first found.

This morning we continue our exploration with a visit to the small yet exquisite temple of Banteay Srei, 22 mi (35 km) from Siem Reap, travelling past paddy fields and through pretty villages. Built in the 10th century, it holds some of the finest examples of Khmer sculpture, and although smaller than later temples, its buildings are covered in superb carvings. The afternoon is free – you can keep exploring the temples, wander around Siem Reap town, or visit a floating fishing village for a boat trip on Tonle Sap Lake as an optional excursion.

After breakfast we transfer to Siem Reap – Angkor International Airport for a short flight of about 1 hr 15 min from Siem Reap (SAI) to Don Mueang (DMK), arriving early afternoon. On arrival we meet our Thai tour leader at the airport, who will be with us for the remainder of the journey. Famous for tuk tuks, khlong boats and sensational street food, Bangkok is a feast for the senses and offers a vivid contrast to quieter Cambodia.

We board a longtail boat for a tour of the canals – note that larger groups may be accommodated in a bigger boat. Once known as the Venice of the East for its intricate canal network, Bangkok reveals daily life along the waterways as we pass vendors selling wares from the river. We visit the home of the Thai royal family at the Royal Palace complex, followed by Wat Phra Kaew, which houses the Emerald Buddha, one of the most venerated images in Thailand. Another highlight is Wat Po, the largest temple in Bangkok, home to a gold plated reclining Buddha measuring 151 ft (46 m) in length and 49 ft (15 m) in height. Please note – when visiting the Royal Palace, clothing that covers shoulders and knees is required for entry.

The tour ends this morning in Bangkok after breakfast. You can take your free transfer to the airport to begin the journey home, or, if you would like more time in this invigorating city, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.