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Snap Mekong Tour
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Code: |
IDCN43 |
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Routes: |
Luang Prabang - Xieng
Khouang - Vientiane - Muang Khone -
Meuang Kham - Siem Reap - Phnom Penh -
Chau Doc - Saigon - Mekong Delta - Tay
Ninh |
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Duration: |
15 Days |
Detail Itinerary
Places
Covered: Main Street
Thanon Sisavangvong, Phousi Hill, Tribal Market,
National Museum, Wat Visoun, Wat Aham, Wat Xieng
Thong, Kuangsi Waterfall, Hand-weaving Village
of Ban Phanom, Ban Sang Hai Village, Pak Ou
Buddha Caves (Tham Ting), Plain of Jars,
Historical Cave (Tham Piou), Hot Spring, Wat
Sisaket, Haw Pha Kaew, That Luang, Patuxai,
Morning Market, Rolous Group Temples of Lolei,
Bakong & Preah Ko, Angkor Thom, Bayon,
Phimeanakas, The Elephant Terrace, Terrace of
the Leper King, Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Prohm,
Ta Keo, Prasat Kravan, Banteay Kdei, Sras Srang,
Angkor Wat, Bakheng Temple, Banteay Srei, Kulen
Mountain, Kbal Spean, Ta Keo, Banteay Kdei,
National Museum, the Royal Palace, Silver
Pagoda, Wat Phnom, Toul Sleng Prison-Museum, the
"Killing Fields" at Choeng Ek, Waterfront, Ba
Chua Temple, Sanctuary of Tay An, Sam Mountain,
Floating Market of Cai Be, Cholon, Cao Dai
Temple, Cu Chi Tunnels.
Day 01: Luang
Prabang (Laos) - Arrival (Dinner)
Upon arrival in Luang Prabang, meet your guide
at the airport and be taken to your hotel. Go
with your guide on a walking tour of this
heritage town which was once a royal city of
Laotian kings, in particular in the main street,
Thanon Sisavangvong. You will not forget the
wonderful simplicity of the town and its sedate
flow of life beside the Mekong River and the
smaller Nam Khan River. Have a Lao coffee or tea
with a baquette sandwich or pastry at Le Café
Ban Vat Sene at the top end of the main street.
Climb the 329 steps up Phousi Hill and see a
panoramic view of Luang Prabang city nestling
between the Nam Khan and the Mekong River. Upon
your descent see the tribal market at the foot
of the hill as the Hmong tribesmen would have
set up their makeshift stalls on the road to
display their home-made embroidery and other
products.
Have a good Lao dinner at Pakhuay Mixay
restaurant that your guide will take you to.
Overnight at hotel, Luang Prabang.
Day 02: Luang Prabang (Breakfast/ Lunch)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Morning sightseeing of Luang Prabang including
the former Royal Palace now the National Museum
for the memorabilia of the last Laotian King
Sisavangvong and other cultural treasures of
Laos before the Pathet Lao takeover. Visit Wat
Visoun, Wat Aham and Wat Xieng Thong the best of
them all. Chat with the friendly English
speaking monks in these temples and take photos
with them. Learn how they study and live the
dharma. Lunch in a restaurant.
The afternoon is free at leisure. (Suggest
indulging in the herbal steam bath and massage
at the Red Cross building. Sauna is US$1 and
one-hour massage is US$2).
Overnight at hotel, Luang Prabang.
Day 03: Pak Ou Caves - Kuangsi Waterfall
(Breakfast/ Lunch/Dinner)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Morning trip by road to the Kuangsi Waterfall
about 30km to the south of Luang Prabang.
On the way visit the famous hand-weaving village
of Ban Phanom where very good embroidery works
are made by the villagers, and see some village
life and the weavers busy at their looms
underneath their houses. The Kuangsi Falls have
water tumbling over several tiers of limestone
formations into several turquoise pools that
people enjoy wading in.
Lunch at Indochina Spirit restaurant.
Afternoon excursion by boat upstream of the
Mekong River to visit Ban Sang Hai (a village
producing very good Lao rice-wine and embroidery
works) by the bank of the Mekong River. It used
to be famous for its earthen jars but today it
imports such jars to contain its copious
production of rice-wine. Proceed by boat to the
Pak Ou Buddha Caves (Tham Ting ) where local
people bring various sizes and kinds of Buddha
images and wooden elephants to place at this
shrine out of reverence for the Buddha. By now
there are hundreds if not thousands of these
images inside the main cave. See the light of
the setting sun strike the limestone cliff
opposite the caves. Return to Luang Prabang
revived by this mystical experience.
Dinner of French set menu at the Elephant Blanc
restaurant.
Overnight at hotel, Luang Prabang.
Day 04: Luang Prabang - Free Day (Breakfast)
Buffet breakfast at hotel.
Full day you are free at leisure. It is a
required thing for visitors to this ancient
heritage city to have a day all to themselves to
discover the little gems around the town and
truly absorb themselves with Luang Prabang.
Experience the unique Lao herbal steambath and
the very good massage at the Red Cross building
in Wisunalat Road. Watch the river scenes and
sip coffee at a sidewalk cafe.
Overnight at hotel, Luang Prabang.
Day 05: Luang Prabang - Xieng Khouang
(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Buffet breakfast at hotel.
Excursion by road to Xieng Khouang a drive of
about 270km through verdant valleys and
mountains to an ancient capital of the Lan Xang
kingdom. On the way make a few stops at local
minorities villages for sightseeing. Tour the
mysterious ''œPlain of Jars'' where hundreds of
huge and small stone jars carved in situ are
strewn in clusters all over the plain. Their
purpose has been debated for decades with no
consensus reached.
We will also explore Muang Khone, the former and
ancient capital of Xieng Khouang. Return to town
for lunch in a local restaurant, then continue
to Meuang Kham to visit the Tam Hmong hill
tribe, historical cave (Tham Piou) and hot
spring. Return to town and transfer to hotel.
Dinner and overnight at hotel, Xieng Khouang.
Day 06: Xieng Khouang - Vientiane (Breakfast/
Dinner)
Breakfast at hotel.
Transfer to the airport for your flight from
Xieng Khouang to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
Upon arrival in Vientiane, meet and transfer to
hotel for check-in. In the afternoon tour the
city. Sightseeing of Vientiane will include Wat
Sisaket (built by Prince Anou in 1818 of Thai
design that was not destroyed by the Thai
invaders of the early Bangkok period), Haw Pra
Kaew (a former royal temple built in 1565 to
house the Emerald Buddha that is now in Bangkok
since 1779), That Luang (the holiest of Lao
temples that annually holds a huge religious
fair that attracts devotees from all over Laos),
and Patuxai (Laos' own Arc de Triomphe). Dinner
at Kua Lao restaurant.
Overnight at hotel, Vientiane.
Day 07: Vientiane - Siem Reap (Breakfast)
Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel
after breakfast. Visit the large sprawling
morning market to have an insight into the kinds
of food consumed daily by the Lao people in
Vientiane. You will see a host of edible
products including frog legs so loved by the
former French colonialists in the city, and
baquettes by the basketfuls, a whole range of
vegetables and many other things. Transfer to
the airport for your flight to Siem Reap (in
Cambodia).
Upon arrival, be met by your driver-guide and
taken to your city hotel for check-in.
Overnight at hotel, Siem Reap.
Day 08: Rolous Group & Angkor Thom
(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning tour to the
Rolous group temples of Lolei, Bakong and Preah
Ko all built in the pre-Angkor period (850-893)
to see the precedents of the great Angkor period
temples. Lunch at Jasmine Angkor restaurant.
Afternoon sightseeing of Angkor Thom, the great
city located next to Angkor Wat. Angkor Thom was
the greatest achievement of King Jayavarman VII.
Built in the 12th century, it extends almost 4
square miles and is enclosed by a wall 26 feet
high, 7.5 miles long and surrounded by an
originally crocodile-infested moat. This great
city contains many structures built to honour
the Buddha and amenities for the king and people
to enjoy. The area is surrounded by five
monumental gates more than 65 feet high, each
dominated by 4 huge carved faces of the king
himself represented as the Buddha
Avalokitesvara, facing north, south, east and
west. (Many guides say there is a fifth face in
the centre of this cluster.) In front of the
south gate are giant statues of 54 gods on the
left, 54 demons on the right. In the centre is
the Bayon, a massive cluster of towers carved
with 216 faces of the king. More great carvings
are found on the 4000 feet of interior walls
that are covered with bas-reliefs showing 11,000
figures engaged in battles, ceremonial pageants
and everyday life of 12th century Angkor. Visit
Phimeanakas, a 10th century temple built by
Jayavarman V; the Elephant Terrace, a viewing
platform from which the kings of Angkor watched
military processions; the Terrace of the Leper
King, supposedly named after the founder of
Angkor who legend says was afflicted with
leprosy. Visit also Preah Khan dedicated to
Buddhism and Neak Pean, both built by Jayavarman
VII, the latter a healing place.
Dinner at Thyda Spean Neak Restaurant.
Overnight at hotel, Siem Reap.
Day 09: Ta Prohm & Angkor Wat (Breakfast/
Lunch/ Dinner)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning departure at
8.30am to tour Ta Prohm which is unrestored and
left to the elements with giant trees embracing
its stoneworks, giving Ta Prohm its unique
character. Also Ta Keo, a 11th century sandstone
temple dedicated to Shiva. Prasat Kravan,
Banteay Kdei, Sras Srang and others if we have
time for. Lunch at Angkor Cafe restaurant.
Continue sightseeing after lunch.
Visit Angkor Wat, the great temple built before
Angkor Thom. Angkor Wat represents the spiritual
and mystical grandeur of the Khmer people. The
kingdom was founded in the early 9th century by
King Suryavarman II as a microcosm of the
mythical world in which he identified himself
with the god Vishnu. At the heart of the city
was a mountain temple - traditional home of the
Hindu gods and also the centre of an earthly
kingdom in which the king was regarded as
sacred. The temple also served as a mausoleum
for the dead king and was in use until 1431 when
the Siamese eliminated the kingdom. The lost
city was rediscovered by French explorers in the
late 19th century. The temple complex of Angkor
covers 200 acres, enclosed by a massive
rectangular-shaped wall and surrounded by a
moat. The wall contains gates on all four sides,
with the main entrance richly decorated with
carvings and sculptures. The temple comprised of
five distinctive towers with 72 major monuments
and an irrigation system, which together
portrayed the harmonization of Indian roots in a
Cambodian context – which was the very
foundation of Khmer art and architecture. This
place is probably the largest religious monument
ever built on earth, and is considered one of
the most inspiring. Angkor Wat was declared a
world heritage site by the UNESCO, and is
regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World. As the sun lowers itself beneath
the horizon, climb up to the Bakheng Temple
ruins to see the sunset on Angkor Wat. Dinner at
Sampheap restaurant.
Overnight at hotel, Siem Reap.
Day 10: Tour of Banteay Srei & Kbal Spean
(Breakfast/Lunch)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Pick up at 8.30am to drive to the temple of
Banteay Srei, 38 km from Siem Reap. It is the
only pink sandstone temple exquisitely carved
dated before Angkor Wat. Its apsaras on the
walls are regarded as the best in the whole
Angkor temple complex. Venture out farther into
the Kulen Mountain area to Kbal Spean, which was
the first capital of the pre-Angkor period.
There are over 20 unrestored temple ruins here,
but the marvellous carvings are of huge Hindu
gods and the hundreds of carved lingas in the
river-bed that you get to with a half-hour trek
along a shady jungle path. On the return trip,
if there is time, also visit Ta Keo, an 11th
century sandstone temple dedicated to Shiva,
Banteay Kdei in the image of Ta Prohm used as a
monastery, Prasat Kravan and Sras Srang. Lunch
along the way.
Return to Siem Reap and be at leisure.
Overnight at hotel, Siem Reap.
Day 11: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh (Breakfast/
Lunch/ Dinner)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning transfer to the
airport for your flight to Phnom Penh, the
capital of Cambodia. Lunch at Rum Chang
restaurant of good Khmer cuisine. Tour of the
city to include the National Museum (a wonderful
museum displaying priceless artefacts from the
Angkor classical and non-classical periods), the
Royal Palace where King Sihanouk resides, Silver
Pagoda tiled with 5,000 slabs of silver on its
floor, Wat Phnom the holiest temple in Phnom
Penh on a knoll housing the Buddha statues that
started with the foundation of the city, the
Toul Sleng prison-museum and "Killing Fields" at
Choeng Ek where the truly savage brutalities of
the Khmer Rouge will forever haunt the nation
and the world. Dinner at Pondok Restaurant. Free
evening to stroll along the waterfront beside
the Mekong River that is lined by many nice
shops, pubs, bistros and bars.
Overnight at hotel, Phnom Penh.
Day 12: Phnom Penh - Chau Doc (Breakfast)
Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning transfer to the boat jetty of Phnom
Penh to board the boat ''œHang Chau'' that
departs at 9am to cruise down the Mekong River
to the Cambodian-Vietnamese border, arriving at
Chau Doc town about 2pm. (Please note that a
Vietnamese visa must be obtained prior to
crossing the border into Vietnam, as it is not
possible to obtain one at the border.) At the
border crossing, your Vietnamese guide will meet
you. Chau Doc is an active trading town due to
its proximity with the border. The market area
runs along the riverfront and sells black-market
goods smuggled in from Thailand. Being on the
water allows us to see the interesting lifestyle
of many of the local people. Homes are built
over metal netting and their inhabitants are
kept busy producing enormous amounts of food to
feed the thousands of fish being bred here.
Visit the sacred Ba Chua Temple and the nearby
sanctuary of Tay An. The nearby Buddhist
pilgrimage site of Sam Mountain offers
spectacular views of the surrounding countryside
sweeping down into Cambodia. The mountain is
covered with tombs, religious sanctuaries and
temples.
Overnight at hotel, Chau Doc.
Day 13: Mekong Delta - Saigon (Breakfast)
Breakfast at the hotel.
The watery world of the Mekong delta is home to
the many bustling floating markets. Today we
visit one in Vinh Long province. After a short
drive from the city we board a boat for an
exciting excursion around the tributaries of the
Mekong River. Along the way we explore various
fascinating local cottage industries including
rice-paper making and bonsai nurseries. The next
stop of our excursion is the vibrant floating
market of Cai Be, whose trading way is unique -
each boat usually sells one particular item,
whether it be pumpkins, pineapples, or sugar
canes - and in order that the customers would
know where to shop, the vendors hang that item
from the highest part of the boat. We travel by
road back to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), stopping
to visit Cholon, Saigon’s Chinatown, which is
crammed with fascinating temples and mysterious,
narrow lanes.
Overnight at hotel, Saigon.
Day 14: Saigon - Tay Ninh - Cu Chi Tunnels
(Breakfast)
Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning we will visit the eclectic
headquarters of the Cao Dai sect located in Tay
Ninh. This religion was founded in 1923 and now
numbers over 2 million members. After breakfast
we travel by road to Tay Ninh to see the ornate
temple of Cao Dai and attend the fantastic
mid-day service when the followers fill the hall
wearing coloured robes, a symbol of the curious
combination of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism
and Christian faiths. Afterwards we continue to
the famous Cu Chi Tunnels out of town, which
were an incredible underground network (about
200km) constructed by Vietnamese fighters (Viet
Minh) during the long struggle for independence.
The tunnels containing hospitals, accommodation
and schools were used as a military base by the
Vietcong in the American war to creep up on
unsuspecting American GIs in Saigon. The 1968
Tet Offensive was launched from Cu Chi with
surprising effect. A section of the tunnels has
been widened to allow tourists to get a feel for
what the life underground must have been like.
Return to Saigon.
Overnight at hotel, Saigon.
Day 15: Saigon - Departure (Breakfast)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning sightseeing of
Saigon city before transfrerring to the airport
for your departure flight. (This sightseeing
will depend on your international flight
timing.)
End of Tour & Services |
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Bac Ha
Trekking Tour |
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Vietnam Cycling
Tours |
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Ha Giang Trekking Tour |
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Northeast Cycling Tour |
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Kayaking Ha Long Bay Tour |
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Fansipan Climbing Tour |
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Explorer Ha
Long Bay By Cruise Tour |
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Sapa Trekking Tour |
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Prices inclusive of:
14 nights
hotel accommodation with daily breakfast
7 dinners (one with show) and 7 lunches
All transfers and transportation in air-conditioned car/van/coach
Tours as stated in the programme
All entrance fees when on tours including that to the Angkor Temple
Complex, tolls and parking charges
Boat fares in Luang Prabang and Phnom-Penh-Chau Doc on the "Hang Chau"
boat
English, French, Thai speaking guide services |
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Prices exclusive
of:
Domestic
and regional airfares and their airport taxes: BKK-LPQ, XKH-VTE,
VTE-REP, REP-PNH, and departure flight from Saigon
Visa fees in Laos (US$30) and Cambodia (US$20)
Other lunches and dinners not stated in the itinerary
Drinks at meals other than what is served at table
Expenses of a personal nature like massage, use of hotel mini bar,
laundry, phone calls, room service |
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