Top experiences of Indochina – 22-day extraordinay exploration

This morning, gain insight into Cambodia’s recent dark history on a visit to the remarkable Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, housed in the former school that was taken over by the Khmer Rouge and used as its main detention and torture center, named “S-21.” Also, visit the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. A moving but important visit will allow you to dig below the surface and understand Cambodia better.

After learning about some of Cambodia’s tragic past, it is time to put a smile back on your face and experience modern Khmer life. Return to central Phnom Penh for lunch at Le Lotus Blanc, a training restaurant for the humanitarian organization Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (for the smile of a child), which provides education and job training to street children that used to be scavenging the municipal dump and gives them skills and hope for a brighter future. Your visit helps support the training of these kids by being their guest. (Note: Lotus Blanc closes on Sunday.)

In the afternoon, head to Wat Phnom Temple, the founding place of the city on a small hilltop. Then continue along the riverfront to the Royal Palace. This palace dates back to 1866 and houses the Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5,000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors. Its original name is Wat Prakeo, meaning the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In this temple, you will view a collection of Buddhas in gold, silver, crystal, and bronze.

Your next stop is the National Museum, built in the traditional Khmer style. It houses the world’s foremost collection of ancient Khmer artistic, archaeological, and religious artifacts from the 4th to the 13th centuries. Over 5,000 pieces are on display, constituting the repository of the kingdom’s cultural wealth. In addition, the roof space is home to a large bat colony!

Late afternoon, enjoy an atmospheric sunset river cruise and watch how Phnom Penh’s popular riverfront comes to life in the early evening, with a coconut juice degustation on board.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Phnom Penh Killing Field

The collected images of Cambodia’s history are vibrant in your mind and will soon come to life. Your private transfer meets you at your hotel and escorts you back to the airport.

Today, you will take a 45-minute flight to Siem Reap, the city known as the “Gateway to Angkor.” On arrival, you will be met by a new private guide and driver and transferred directly to your hotel downtown. Head out to visit the excellent Angkor National Museum. The visit serves as an excellent primer for the gems of Angkor before visiting the temples. The museum provides a potentially large collection of relics, texts, and audiovisual presentations relating to the Angkorian era. If you know even a little bit about the history and meaning of the architecture, your visit to the temples will be much richer and more interesting.

Enjoy an evening of culture at the Phare Cambodian Circus Show. Set up by refugees of the Khmer Rouge era, Phare promotes performing arts as a way to cope with trauma. Over the years, they have not only helped hundreds of Cambodians but also promoted traditional Khmer culture.

Then sit down for dinner, a feast of traditional Cambodian dishes. Afterward, the lights will dim and the performers will take the stage. The hour-long show tells stories of modern life in Cambodia through a rich spectacle of song, dance, and acrobatics. The performers combine traditional Khmer theater with modern influences, resulting in an entertaining and enthralling show. Following the show, there is an opportunity to take photos with the cast, a spectacular memory of the evening’s performance.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Siem Reap Angkor national museum

This morning, you will visit the ancient capital city of Angkor Thom. First on the agenda is Ta Prohm, a ruined and mysterious temple with its own story about giant tree roots and strange shapes. This mystery attracts both domestic tourists and oversea explorers to set foot in Cambodia. Continue to Banteay Kdei (the citadel of Chambers), the Victory Gate, the Terrace of the Leper King, the Royal Palace, Baphuon, and Bayon. Bayon Temple is considered the heart of the Angkor Thom Complex. It is a massive temple, built in the 12th century, that played an important role in the Khmer people’s spiritual life.

One of the most curious things at Bayon Temple is the almost 200 smiling faces carved into the walls. Some carving details of the temple have been damaged by time and climate. However, the soul of this ancient Khmer architecture remains.

The afternoon tour gives you time to explore Angkor Wat, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The temple architecture has been modeled after the great Meru Mountain of India. The highest central tower is 65 m, representing the legendary Mount Meru, and its five towers correspond to the peaks of Meru. The entire structure has been built from sandstone and honeycomb. The magic is that the giant blocks of stone are stacked on top of each other without any binders or reinforced concrete.

After touring, you get dropped off at your hotel.

Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Siem Reap Angkor Wat

We kick off this half-day cooking class with a guided tour of a local Cambodian market. Learn about the colorful produce, amazing fruits, and typically Cambodian ingredients. From the market, we head out to our purpose-built garden pavilion for your hands-on, interactive class. Led by one of our fantastic chefs, learn how to cook three delicious Cambodian dishes that you will be able to recreate back home. Menu:

• Fresh Rice Paper Spring Rolls.
• Cambodian Curry.
• Bananas in Palm Sugar.

In the evening, you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to Siem Reap airport for a short flight to Luang Prabang, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival in Luang Prabang, your private tour guide will take you to your hotel in Luang Prabang to check-in.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Siem Reap Cambodia curry cooking class

You get up as the sun rises to join the daily morning almsgiving, the most sacred tradition in Laos. In the early morning, more than 200 Buddhist monks depart from temples for the old quarter of Luang Prabang to receive alms from devotees. The monks meditate while moving lightly on their bare feet. The Buddhists prepared offerings such as sticky rice, fruit (mainly bananas), sweets, and some other food and put them in the monk’s bowl. Next, you will visit the temporary morning market, where the locals exchange their daily catch for rice, vegetables, fish, or chicken. It is the best chance to experience the flavor of local life.

After breakfast, your city tour begins with a visit to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong, a superb piece of Laos’ architectural temple, which presents a sweeping two-tiered roof and ornate mosaics, including a beautiful tree of life, glass montage on the rear temple wall. Next, you will visit the Royal Palace Museum, which was built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family.

Enjoy lunch at Tamarind, offering some of the best local food in Luang Prabang. Drive along the Mekong to the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre to explore the rich diversity of Laos’ ethnic minorities with many traditional costumes, tools, and artifacts on display. In the late afternoon, you conquer the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of a gilded stupa and a panoramic sunset view of the city and the Mekong River.

The dinner will be at the local restaurant with traditional dance & folk songs, the best way to experience Lao culture. The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Luang Prabang almsgiving ceremony Laos

In the morning, You head out for a community-based living rice farm in the idyllic countryside of Luang Prabang. Surrounded by mountains and rice paddies, you’ll have an opportunity to experience rural life as a Laotian farmer. You would try your hand at various farm activities – or observe them from a traditional Lao rice house balcony, set amidst rice terraces and an organic vegetable farm. You’ll have time to check out nearby workshops where local bamboo weavers, blacksmiths, and sugar cane processors practice their crafts. Then take a tour of the organic garden to learn how natural herbs are used in traditional medicine. Lunch will be on the terrace overlooking the rice field.

You then drive to the beautiful three-tiered Kuang Si waterfalls, where a 50-meter waterfall drops into spectacular azure pools before flowing downstream. You take a short visit to the Bear Rescue Center, which houses a couple of dozen animals rescued from the hands of poachers and traffickers. On the way back to the hotel, you visit the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, where weavers, spinners, and batik makers produce top-quality fabrics and offer free tours every half hour. This place is also the perfect spot to admire the sunset.

Stay overnight in Luang Prabang.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Luang Prabang Asiatic black bear sanctuary

It includes all our most wanted activities packed into a single-day trip; you will learn to become a professional Mahout, get ready to get wet as you plunge into the Nam Khan river, and give your personal elephant a refreshing bath!

8:30am – 9:00am:  Pick up by our English-speaking guide from your hotel and transfer to the Elephant Village camp.

• Arrival: Meet and greet, and then participate in a short briefing about elephants.
• Be a Mahout: Enjoy the impressive experience of being a Mahout, Laos style (two people per elephant).
• Mahout Training: Receive your basic mahout training on how to move with your elephant just like a mahout!
• Lunch: Dine at the Elephant Camp restaurant. A buffet lunch is served with coffee, tea, and drinking water (vegetarian options are available).
• Bath Your Elephant: Take your own elephant down to the Nam Khan river for an exhilarating and once-in-a-lifetime bathing experience!
• Boat trip to the Tad Sae Waterfall: Take a traditional Lao longboat to the Tad Sae Waterfall and relax, dip your feet, or take a swim in the clear, cool water (water levels vary with seasonal conditions).

Depart: Finish the tour and transfer back to your hotel in Luang Prabang between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

Notes: Schedules and itineraries are approximate and subject to change due to seasonal conditions in the jungle and at the camp. The Elephant Village reserves the right to break larger groups into smaller groups and/or operate tour activities in a different order than published above.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Luang Prabang elephant camp

Your private transfer greets you at the hotel and escorts you to the Luang Prabang train station, where you will travel on to more adventures. Train C81 dep: ODY12.49, Arr VTE 15.19. Welcome to Vientiane, the quiet capital city of Laos. You check into the hotel and take time to stroll around.

Spend an evening tasting the best Vientiane has to offer! Start with a cold beer, joining locals as they wind down from a day of work. Then weave through vibrant street markets to sample a range of local fare, from noodles to fried insects, barbequed meat to fruity ice cream. Get ready to get a true taste of Laos with an evening exploring the best food in Vientiane.

Start the evening by heading to a beer shop for a sundowner. Sip on cold beer in Laos as the sun sets over the Mekong River. Beer shops are post-work watering holes, and the atmosphere is always enjoyable. After dark, the street stalls fire up their grills and start cooking. Take a walk through Sihom, an area of small stalls selling cheap but tasty snacks. This crowded street market is popular with locals, especially on the weekends. Wander from stall to stall, stopping to taste items such as Lao-style donuts, bowls of steaming noodles, and pork meatball wraps.

Continue to the nearby Ban Anou night market, the city’s culinary hub. The market is a hive of activity in the evening with Vientiane’s residents, who come to dine with friends or family. Walk through the ends of the rows of food stalls and rub elbows with the locals. The market is a great place to sample exotic snacks such as fried insects or classic Lao favorites like grilled pork skewers. Having filled up on savory treats, venture to a hidden sweets shop for dessert. The specialty here is ice cream and sticky rice, an oddly delicious combination. With a full belly, it is time to return to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Overnight in Vientiane.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Vientiane Ban Anou Night Market

Begin your private tour at the serene Wat Si Saket, the only temple left intact after the Thai invasion of 1828. It is one of the most beautiful temples in the capital, and its breezy teak-covered hallways are filled with thousands of miniature Buddha statues. Continue to the nearby Wat Ho Phra Keo and the nearby Presidential Palace and appreciate the building from the outside. Visit Wat Si Muang, one of the most popular and venerated temples in Vientiane.

Then move on to the Patuxai monument, Laos’ version of the Arc de Triomphe, where you can climb the stairs to the roof for sweeping panoramic views of the city. Next, your tour takes you to That Luang, the holiest site in Laos, which was constructed by King Setthethirat in the 16th century. The temple is resplendent as the sun shines upon its towering golden spire.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and then take a 45-minute drive to Buddha Park. En route, the group makes a brief stop and takes photos of the Friendship Bridge, built by the Australian government in 1994, which links Laos and Thailand. On arrival, take a stroll around the Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan), filled with more than 200 Buddhist and Hindu statues, including a huge 40-meter-long reclining Buddha image.

Overnight in Vientiane.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Vientiane Buddha park

The calm morning of Vientiane comes to charming life. Following the hotel breakfast, you will be taken to the airport for a one-hour flight to Hanoi. The modern capital city of Vietnam is flush with culture and style. You spend a half day visiting some of the city’s most renowned heritage sites, such as Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam (the Temple of Literature), the first imperial school in Vietnam, built in 1070 during the dynasty of King Ly.

When you come to the Old Quarter, you find the wealth of life in a city that reaches back over 1,000 years. Thirty-six streets divide the neighborhood and represent a different section of goods that are provided, from medicine to silk. Bicycles whir down the pathways. The scent of coffee mixed with condensed milk creates a rich and sweet aroma. The tree-lined boulevards offer a reminder of the French Along the tour, you’ll also get the chance to discover why by visiting many important landmarks, including Ngoc Son Temple, But Tower, Dai Nghien, and the Huc Bridge.

In the late afternoon, you visit Hanoi’s largest covered market, Dong Xuan. Along the perimeter of the market, dozens of street hawkers sell a staggering variety of produce, from live seafood to exotic fruits and spices. Your expert English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture, including details on the ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. Exploring Hanoi this way with the help of your expert local guide will help make your visit to Vietnam a memorable one.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Ha Noi Dong Xuan market

Our tour starts at your hotel in and around Hanoi Old Quarter. You will be greeted by our guide and driver at your hotel lobby or our meeting point for a safety briefing, and we will then begin our adventure!

In the first part of our Hanoi motorcycle tour, we expose you to the REAL HANOI with a day in the life experience, featuring the parts-unknown of the city with slices of life in the maze of backstreets, tiny alleyways, local homes, schools, random markets, and the black market, experiencing where and how locals live, work, and play. On Hanoi Backstreet Tours’ journeys, we not only show you the good, but we also expose the bad and the weird of your destination as it is. For us, the run-of-the-mill tourist sites are only the tip of the iceberg; the majority of your destinations remain hidden in parts unknown.

In the second part of our Hanoi Motorcycle Tour, we pass by and stop at the MUST-SEE places of our beautiful city, such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum—the Mecca of Vietnamese, the 1000-year-old Buddhist and Taoist temples of Tran Quoc, the historical training track, the enchanting French Quarter, the hustling and bustling Old Quarter, the romantic lakes of Hoan Kiem, West Lake, the Hanoi Opera House, and the famous Long Bien Bridge, etc.

In the third part of our Hanoi motorcycle tour, we also take you to the poetic and peaceful villages and floating communities along the Red River to enrich your experience of the contrast in the harmony of life between the city and the countryside of Hanoi.

In the last part of our Hanoi motorcycle tour en route, you’re going to stop at different authentic local restaurants, eateries, and food stalls. So you can savor the tastiest of the tasty dishes of Hanoi, including family heirlooms and secret recipe dishes, local delicacies, and specialties.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Ha Noi Flower street vendors

The scenery of Halong Bay where thousands of limestone islands jut out of the emerald sea, in bizarre shapes, is truly an iconic image for Vietnam. An overnight boat trip is the best way to enjoy this Vietnamese must-see.

Today you will leave the elegant combination of culture and modernity behind, venturing to the stunning scenery of Ha Long Bay, another iconic image of the country that you have only seen through photographs before. With thousands of islands along the archipelago sculpted by the elements and time, you can look into the emerald waters that make up the Gulf of Tonkin without reservation.

Cruising through the charm of rising limestone karsts with the mist in your face will eventually bring you to Sung Sot Cave. The colors of the rock walls change with the reflected light, bringing bright green and even purple hues draping across the deep grotto. The ceiling hovers around 90 feet tall and leads to various halls. One such hall features stalactites that dangle in many shapes and look as though they melted from the stone; there is nothing but natural majesty to captivate you.

In the evening, the boat will anchor along a quiet cove where the sound of the tide brushing against the rocks will lull you to sleep.

Overnight on board.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Ha Long Bay landscape view

The salty and sweet scent of the sea drifts over the boat in the early hours of the day. You continue to careen through beautiful limestone karsts that seem more impressive in the morning light than they did the previous day. The quiet atmosphere surrounds the islands, and the water adds to the unforgettable moments that can be found here. Soon, the scent of fresh Vietnamese coffee again fills the air, and you can delight in the dark roast accompanied by the sweet, buttery, flaky French pastries, remnants of the French colonial past.

When you return to shore, you will have a private transfer to return to Noi Bai Airport. The city’s high-rises brush the sky, and you watch the towering modernity fade away beneath the clouds as you fly to Hue. Your private transfer meets you at the airport and takes you to the poetic streets of Hue. The rest of the day will be yours to explore at your leisure. Settle into the centrally located hotel. The rest of the day is free for leisure.

Overnight in Hue.

Meals: Breakfast, Brunch.

Ha Long Bay landscape view

Discover the sights and sounds of Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city sits on the banks of the delightful Perfume River, where you will find amazing citadels, fabulous palaces, and royal tombs. Many of the sites can be reached by river, and on this full-day private tour, a boat cruise is part of the program.

You will be picked up from your hotel by your guide, who will take you down to the river for your cruise. Sail along the romantically named Perfume River, seeing Hue’s best-known religious sites, such as the Thien Mu Pagoda. Continue your journey by land, visiting the Imperial Citadel, from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. See the Flag Tower, Noon Gate, 9 Dynastic Urns, 9 Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and the Forbidden Purple City.

After a break for lunch, visit Khai Dinh King’s Tomb and discover the blend of Western and Eastern architecture. Then visit Minh Mang King’s Tomb, where one is sure to be impressed by the majesty and symmetry of the architectural constructions. Continue to the conical hat village, an incense stick-making village. The guided tour will give you a deep understanding of the king’s philosophy of geomancy, and how this affected royal life.

Overnight in Hue.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Hue Imperial City

From Hue, an early morning drive in a private car deep into the heart of Vietnam’s north-central countryside takes you to Bach Ma National Park.

Originally a French colonial-era hill station, Bach Ma’s protected 22,031 ha (54439 acre) of parklands stretching from coastal plains to soaring mountains. One of Indochina’s key biodiversity centers, Bach Ma is a habitat for diverse fauna and flora species and native wildlife, including rarities such as the Douc Langur. A local forestry expert, whose in-depth knowledge and passion for Bach Ma have endured for two decades, leads you on a three-hour trek through the sub-tropical rainforest. You reach magnificent Ngu Ho Lake and Do Quyen waterfall and later, ascend Bach Ma’s highest mountain, 1,450 meters (4,757 feet) above sea level, for breathtaking views.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Bach Ma national park

Spend the whole morning relaxing. At 14:00, our guide will meet you at your hotel for an orientation walk in Hoi An town.

Your walking tour will include visits to a private house where members of the same family have lived continuously for centuries in a traditional setting and to one of the family chapels built by prominent merchant or official families as centers for ancestor worship. Continue to the Sa Huynh Museum, which contains exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An’s history. Finally, continue to the famous Japanese Covered Bridge Pagoda, first constructed in 1593 by the Japanese community of Hoi An to link the town with the Chinese quarters across the stream.

After that, you are going to join a lantern-making class. Colored lanterns are a symbol of Hoi An, where locals believe they bring happiness, luck, and wealth. Bring home a souvenir with a difference—a lantern that you made yourself—after this fascinating class. Choose from a wealth of different silks, then work with your instructor to craft a bamboo frame and create your lantern, which will fold away neatly into your luggage.

Enjoy a romantic sunset dinner on the Cinnamon Cruise. The elegant river cruise lasts a leisurely 2 hours, giving you plenty of time to sip some cocktails and relax over a unique experience of dining on the water while listening to music. A great way to start your evening is by watching the boat cast off from our outside observation deck, and it is also a fabulous opportunity to make your best wishes by lowering a floating candle lantern into the river from the boat.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Hoi An Ancient Town in the morning

You have a full day to relax in the town, at the beach, or book one of the many optional tours such as a cooking class, bicycle tour, history tours of the My Son Ruins and Marble Mountain, or a day of snorkeling at Cham Island. Just let us know, and all the things can be arranged.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast.

Da Nang Cham Island

Visit the once precious pearl of Indochina!

A short flight from Danang takes you to Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s commercial center with a bustling population of 10 million. You can easily be swept up in the whirlwind of modern comforts that fill the city. The culture and traditions of the locals persist in the shadows of the spreading skyline. Experience Old Saigon with a half-day city tour of historic landmarks.

At 13:30, you start the city tour to explore the great architecture in one of our largest cities in Vietnam. The architecture of Ho Chi Minh City is a splendid mix of Vietnam’s historical heritage, from French colonial villas to modern steel and glass monuments. The top architectural sights for tourists date back to the time when Saigon was the capital of French Indochina. More has been added to the cultural heritage since then, and we see interesting times ahead in terms of modern architecture. Our guide would be more than happy to bring you to the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Reunification Palace. If time permits, you also visit the Saigon Opera House, Saigon’s city hall.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Ho Chi Minh city Independence Palace

Making our way down to the Mekong Delta, you stop in Long An to visit the ‘Binh An Drum’ village, where twenty families specialize in producing this unique drum made from buffalo skin. Visit a family-run workshop and see this 200-year-old craft in action. On the way to Can Tho, you also stop at a mat-weaving village and observe the meticulous process of this handmade craft.

Overnight in Can Tho.

Meals: breakfast, Lunch.

Mekong Delta Binh An drum village

After breakfast and check out, your private tour guide will pick you up and take you on a boat trip to the Cai Rang floating market, situated close to the city’s main jetty. This wholesale market is filled with small boats darting through the water as vendors sell their wares, and there is plenty of time to explore the market and practice your bartering. After leaving the market, you will return to the docks to get off the boat.

Then stroll through the villages, visiting the rice paper mill and the rice noodle factory. If you are feeling brave, you can learn how to cross the “Monkey Bridge,” which is made from a single bamboo! If you are interested, you can also take a bike ride through the villages to enjoy the beautiful rural scenery.

Next, you will visit the Binh Thuy Ancient House. The home is an outstanding example of Western and Oriental architectural elements and was famously used in the movie “The Lover”, the love story of young Marguerite Duras, set during the Indochine period. Afterward, visit the Pitu Khosa Rangsay Pagoda, one of the most beautiful Khmer temples in the Mekong Delta, before returning to Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Mekong Delta Binh Thuy ancient house

The streets of Ho Chi Minh City are calm this morning. After breakfast, your private transfer meets you at your hotel and escorts you to the airport. You board the plane filled with mixed emotions. You’re ready to journey home, but you know that you will miss Indochina. Luckily, the memories will last a lifetime.

Meals: Breakfast.

Ho Chi Minh city landscape view