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B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
Day 1:
Vientiane Arrival (D)
On your
arrival at Wattay airport, you will be met
and transferred to our centrally located
hotel. After refreshment, you’ll start
visiting the major sights of the capital
including the oldest Wat Sisaket with
thousands of miniature Buddha statues and
the former royal temple of Wat PraKeo
previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha
Image. On the way to the famous and sacred
structure of That Luang stupa, you’ll stop
to take some pictures of the imposing
Patuxai which is well known as Vientiane’s
own Arc de Triomphe. Later on, your driver
will take you to the local restaurant for
your “Welcome Dinner”.
You'll
spend the night at Lane Xang Hotel (***
close the city centre) or similar
Day 2:
Vientiane/Luang Prabang (B, L, D)
In the
morning, you’ll take a short flight to Luang
Prabang, which is perhaps the best preserved
traditional city in Southeast Asia. The
tranquility and charm of this town with is
splendid natural scenery and cultural sights
make it one of the most delightful places to
visit in Laos. On arrival, you’ll visit the
impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the
shrine of Wat Mai. Then climb up to the top
of Phousi Hill for an enjoyable exploration
of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a
beautiful sunset view of the city and the
Mekong River.
You'll
spend the night at Manoluck (*** a few
minute drive to the city centre) or similar
Day 3:
Luang Prabang/Pak Ou/Luang Prabang (B, L, D)
After
breakfast, you’ll enjoy a short guided tour
seeing the city’s oldest temple and the
magnificent Wat Xieng Thong with its roof
sweeping low to the ground, which represent
the classical architecture of Luang Prabang
temple. You’ll next embark on a cruise
upstream on the Mekong River which also
gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil
countryside as well as an interesting visit
to the mysterious of Pak Ou caves, crammed
with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha
statues of various shapes and sizes. Along
the way, you can stop at the village of Ban
Xang Hai, where they make the local rice
wine. On return, we take a short drive to
Ban Phanom, well known for its hand weaving.
You'll
spend the night at Manoluck (*** a few
minute drive to the city centre) or similar
Day 4:
Luang Prabang/Hanoi (B, L, D)
You’ll visit the National Museum at the former
Royal Palace, which displays a lovely
collection of the artifacts reflecting the
richness of Lao culture dating from the day
of the early kings right through the last
sovereign and the central market are not to
be missed. You’ll then be escorted to the
airport for your international flight to
Hanoi. Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi,
you'll be met and driven to your hotel.
You’ll then be free until be picked up to
watch the Water Puppet show an art form
unique to northern Vietnam, and a good,
light-hearted introduction to its rural
culture. Later on, your driver will take you
to the local restaurant for you “Welcome
Dinner” with one of our representative.
You'll
spend the night at Army hotel (*** city
centre with swimming pool) or similar.
Day 5:
Hanoi (B, L)
After breakfast at your hotel, you'll be picked
up to start a Hanoi city tour. You’ll visit
Ba Dinh Square, where silent sentries guard
the marble and Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum where
Ho Chi Chi lies in state (closed on every
Monday & Friday and October & November) and
see the simple cottage where Uncle Ho lived
and worked. You’ll continue to visit the One
Pillar Pagoda and hear the legend of its
construction, born from the love of an
emperor in the 11th Century. You’ll drive to
visit the serene Tran Quoc Pagoda, the
oldest in Hanoi, on the banks of Hanoi’s
West Lake. You’ll also call the Temple of
Literature, built in 1070 and the dedicated
to Confucius, it is a serene retreat from
the busy streets outside and later become
Vietnam’s first university. After lunch at
local restaurant, driver and guide will take
you to visit the Ethnology Museum for an
overview of Vietnam’s 54 distinct ethnic and
enjoy an orientation of the tree-lined
streets of Hanoi, resplendent with French
colonial architecture, including the
recently restored Opera House. Pass by Hoan
Kiem Lake, also known as Lake of Restored
Sword from the legend that surrounds it
en-route to one of the city’s fascinating
museums.
In the
afternoon, you’ll take to the streets by
walking tour of the Ancient Quarter of 36
streets District. This densely populated
corner of the city was once a centre of
commerce where goods were sold under the
street name of a particular guild. Still a
thriving community of sellers today, you’ll
see streets name such as Sugar Street, Tin
Street and Paper Street. Ancient homes and
temples are interspersed with stores in this
souvenir hunter’s paradise.
You'll
spend the night at Army hotel (*** city
centre with swimming pool) or similar.
Day 6:
Hanoi/Ha Long (B, L, D)
You’ll leave
for Ha Long Bay, which is often called
Vietnam's eighth wonder of the world and
once visited, it is hard to dispute that
claim. 4000 spectacular limestone
outcroppings, cliffs, arches and coves
compete for space in an area that is without
doubt the most outstandingly naturally
beautiful in the country - incomparable
coastal scenery. On arrival, you’ll board
your boat, a wooden junk that will take you
first to the busy World Heritage area Ha
Long Bay, which is translated as “Descending
Dragon”. You’ll stop off at an islet and
climb though a series of breathtaking caves
and grottoes, marveling at some of the most
impressive stalactite and stalagmite
formations anywhere in the world and then
making a stop secluded beach where you can
enjoy cruising among the cave dotted island
and seeing the small fishing boats with are
always feature of this lovely bay. Weather
permitting, you’ll be able to swim, fish,
climb a hill for an overview of the Bay’s
remarkable seascape. All your meals will be
provided on board, usually based on fresh
seafood.
You'll spend the night on the boat.
Day 7: Ha
Long/Hanoi/Hue (B, L)
You'll have
western breakfast on boat and then spend the
morning cruising Ha Long Bay, followed by
lunch just before docking to the harbour at
around 11.30. On the way back from Ha Long,
you’ll enter one of the villages nearby to
enjoy the life of the Northern farmer. If
the time permits, you can visit a school for
children. You’ll return to Noi Bai airport
in Hanoi for your flight to Hue. When you
arrive, you’ll be picked up to travel to
your hotel.
You’ll spend the night at Heritage Hotel (***
city centre with outdoor swimming pool) or
similar
Day 8:
Hue (B, L, D)
After breakfast at your hotel, you'll drive to
visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the most
famous structures in Vietnam on the banks of
the Perfume River. You’ll then be taken by
boat to cruise along the Perfume River to
the Royal Tombs of Minh Mang, the most
majestic emperor and a staunch follower of
Confucianism with many wives, concubines and
a small army of children. Planned by the
Emperor and built shortly after his death in
formal Chinese style, it’s opulent and
exotic, and a good example of classic
Sino-Vietnamese architecture. In the
afternoon, you'll drive to visit Royal Tu
Duc tomb, the "poet Emperor", is set in an
elegant garden with a magnificent lake and
pavilion complex. The simplest of the actual
tomb (a monument - he was buried elsewhere
to thwart grave robbers) is at odds with the
lavish opulence of his reign. You'll then be
picked up to visit the Royal Khai Dinh tomb
is an unprepossessing concrete construction
on the side of a wide valley. Its interest
lies in the uneasy combination of Vietnamese
and European features, the use of fragments
of ceramics and glass for decoration, and
the striking views from the courtyard in
front of the mausoleum.
In the
evening, you'll sit down for dinner in the
pleasant surroundings and a comfortable
atmosphere of another of the garden houses.
The owner will prepare and serve a
traditional meal based on the distinctive
characteristics of classic Hue cuisine. The
garden houses are a unique feature of Hue.
The houses are traditional, privately owned,
and set in attractive formal gardens. Some
have connections with the old Royal Imperial
Court. Hue traditional architecture has long
had close associations with the natural
environment. The garden houses reflect this
association. Each is highly individual -
house and garden, people and scenery,
plants, clouds and water co-exist and blend
with each other in a harmonious context. The
narrow streets and abundant flora give the
garden house area a country village feeling.
You’ll
spend the night at Heritage Hotel (*** city
centre with outdoor swimming pool) or
similar
Day 9:
Hue/Hoi An (B, L)
Breakfast at your hotel, you'll then be picked
up to travel to Hoi An. You’ll drive to Lang
Co Beach and the lagoon far below. You'll
then cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van
with excellent view to see Danang spread
out. After lunch at local restaurant, you’ll
have a brief to visit Cham museum,
remarkable Hindu statuary. The Cham left a
legacy of excellent sculptures as they were
pushed south by the advancing Vietnamese
invaders. Driver and guide will take you to
visit China Beach, immortalised for many by
the US television show and still one the the
most spectacular beach in Asia. You’ll then
visit the Marble Mountain, Stone Carving
village where you can admire the stone
products of local people. You'll travel to
Hoi An to have a visit the town, and enjoy
its considerable significance in the history
of Vietnamtown. You’ll enter a narrow street
to look at unique Japanese covered bridge,
Chinese communal house, shop for art at one
of the numerous galleries and enjoy
riverside ambience.
You’ll
spend the night at Lotus Hotel (*** with
swimming pool, 2km from town centre) or
similar
Day 10:
Hoi An/Ho Chi Minh City (B)
After
breakfast, your time is your own until your
car arrives to take you to Danang airport
for the afternoon flight to Ho Chi Minh
City, where a guide will meet you and take
you to your hotel. After checking in you’ll
be free, perhaps for a preliminary wander
around Ho Chi Minh City’s busy streets and
shops. \
You’ll spend the night at Elios Hotel (*** in
the city centre) or similar
Day 11: Ho
Chi Minh City/Cu Chi (B, L)
In the morning, your car and driver will come to
take you for your Ho Chi Minh City tour.
You’ll be driven to visit the Museum of War
Remnants provides a very partial, but
riveting, perspective of the ‘American War’.
You’ll then visit Centre Post Office with
colonial building and the Cathedral Church.
You'll then be driven to visit the Jade
Emperor Temple. It’s one of the best Taoist
temples in Vietnam, with superb effigies,
remarkable carved panels of the descent to
Hell and somewhat incongruous terrapin and
tortoise sanctuaries. In the afternoon,
you'll visit the Cu Chi tunnels, a byzantine
maze of underground passages, chambers,
rooms and booby traps used by both the
Vietminh and the Viet Cong to suddenly
materialise as if from nowhere, launch a
lightning ambush, and vanish equally
rapidly. You’ll drive back to Ho Chi Minh
City.
You’ll
spend the night at Elios Hotel (*** in the
city centre) or similar
Day 12: Ho
Chi Minh City/Vinh Long (B, L)
Drive to Vinh Long, a city famous by the Mekong
River and floating market. You’ll cruise to
visit Cai Be floating market, fruit
orchards, a traditional family-run brick
kiln, and drop in to look at some
traditional cottage industries - a workshop
making the huge coffins unique to the Mekong
is particularly interesting. You'll have a
lunch at one of the local family and have a
shot show of traditional music in Mekong
Delta which is operated by the local people.
You'll have
time to wonder around the fruit market to
buy some kind of famous tropical fruit such
as banana, pomelo, dragon fruit and so on.
You'll then return to Ho Chi Minh City.
You’ll
spend the night at Elios Hotel (*** in the
city centre) or similar
Day 13:
Ho Chi Minh City/Siem Reap (D)
In the morning, you’ll take a flight to Siem
Reap. On your arrival at Siem Reap airport,
you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. The
day’s activities, and those of the next,
will be devoted to the Angkor Temple
complex, of which Angkor Wat is a key
element. You’ll begin with a visit to Angkor
Thom, starting with the Bayon, a bizarre
structure of several architectural changes
reflecting a switch from Hinduism (the
foundations) to Buddhism (the
superstructure). Your next visit will be to
the Elephant and Leper Emperor Terraces,
followed by the Baphoun Temple, which is now
nearing the end of an eight-year
multi-million dollar restoration programme.
In the afternoon, you’ll explore Angkor Wat
itself, the largest, and for most people,
the most impressive temple in the complex.
As dusk nears, a walk to the summit of Phnom
Bakheng Hill will afford a panorama of the
whole complex lit by the rays of the setting
sun, weather permitting of course.
You’ll
spend the night at Casa Angkor Hotel (*** in
the heart of city centre) or similar
Day 14: Siem Reap (B, L)
Your day will
be taken up with visits to some of the outer
sites including Ta Keo, a five-tiered
pyramid, Sras Srang lake and landing
terrace, Prasat Kravan (also known as the
Cardomom Sanctuary), and Pre Rup and East
Mebon, both built in the tenth century.
You’ll also see Ta Prohm, strangled by
massive tree roots and typical of the
condition of the whole complex when it was
discovered in 1860 by French naturalist
Henri Mouhot, and Neak Pean, a
Himalayan-style lake and sanctuary.
You’ll
spend the night at Casa Angkor Hotel (*** in
the heart of city centre) or similar
Day 15:
Siem Reap (B, L)
After breakfast, you’ll be driven to Siem Reap
River and Wat Athovea. There, you’ll embark
for a boat trip on Tonle Sap Lake, a natural
reservoir that partly controls the level of
floods in the Mekong Delta, and visit a
floating fishing village en-route. You’ll
return to your hotel for checkout and lunch,
and have free time in the afternoon until
your car returns to pick you up for your
international departure flight.
Price in
US$ per person: US$ 2,049.00
Contact Us
for more details
For group tours
Validity
until: December 31, 2009
Our price
includes:
-
Breakfast and accommodation sharing a
twin or double room.
-
Pick-ups and transfers by private
air-conditioned vehicle as specified in
the itinerary above
-
One way domestic flight tickets in Laos:
Vientiane – Luang Prabang, including
domestic airport taxes.
-
One way domestic flight tickets in Vietnam:
Hanoi – Hue, Danang – Ho Chi Minh City,
including domestic airport taxes.
-
One way international flight tickets: Luang
Prabang – Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City – Siem
Reap, excluding domestic airport taxes.
-
Boats cruise as programme. For Ha Long Bay,
you’ll join other passengers on a high
quality wooden boat with comfortable
accommodation, good facilities and an
experienced crew. The boat will be fully
licensed and comply with current safety
regulations.
-
Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle with
an experienced, safe driver.
-
The services of experienced English-speaking
guides as indicated in the itinerary
-
Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as
mentioned in the programme.
-
Lunches and dinners, as specified, in the local
restaurants and full board on the boat
in Ha Long Bay.
-
VAT and other taxes
Our price
does not include:
- Other
international flight tickets and airport
tax.
-
Visas
Dinners, except as specified above.
-
Drinks,
gratuities and personal expenses.
-
Insurance.
Creating Unique Touring Experiences with Gia
Linh Travel
All the touring itineraries on this
website have been carefully crafted by our
in-country management teams and represent a
series of experiences we can certainly
recommend. However, we understand that every
travel experience should be as unique and
individual as each traveler. Our consultants
are waiting to hear from you so that we can
tailor or
custom design
a tour to your individual specifications. |
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