DAY 1

Arrive Ho Chi Minh City

Upon arrival, embark on a sightseeing tour. Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, is the largest of Vietnamese cities, with the hustle and bustle of Vietnamese life visible everywhere. There are street markets, sidewalk cafes and sleek new bars. Yet within this metropolis are 300 years of timeless traditions and the beauty of an ancient culture.

Visit District 5, home to the Chinese neighbourhood of Cho Lon. In 1788 a group of Chinese from Pho and My Tho Islands founded a market here, this is today Vietnam’s largest Chinatown and is an interesting place for visitors to observe the lively atmosphere.

Also stop at Thien Hau Pagoda in Cho Lon. Built by the Canton Congregation in the early 19th century, this pagoda is dedicated to Thien Hau, the Chinese Goddess of the Sea who protects fishermen, sailors, merchants and other sea travellers.

The Post Office, a French-style building with a glass canopy and iron frame, situated next to the Notre Dame Cathedral is also a must-see. The building was built between 1886 and 1891 and is by far the largest post office in Vietnam.

Then you will take a cyclo ride to Binh Tay Market (Cho Binh Tay),  Cholon's main marketplace. Actually, it's technically not in Cholon proper, but about one block away in District 6 (Cholon is District 5).  Much of the business here is wholesale.

Overnight: Sheraton Saigon Hotel
Meal Plan: B,L,D

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DAY 2

Ho Chi Minh City - Danang

This morning you will first visit Cu Chi, a small community located to the northwest of Ho Chi Minh City. Cu Chi gained notoriety for its network of deep tunnels that provided shelter and an effective source of infiltration for the Viet Cong during the later years of the Vietnam War. The tunnels, which reach hundreds of miles in total length, housed storage room, makeshift hospitals and sleeping quarters that accommodated rebel fighters for up to two weeks at a time.

In the afternoon, fly to Danang where you will be met and transferred to your accommodation in Hoi An.

Overnight: Nam Hai Resort, Hoi An
Meal Plan: B,L,D

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DAY 3

Danang/Hoi An

Day at leisure to relax at resort.

Optional activity: A visit to Hoi An.

Hoi An was one of the orient's major trading ports in the 16th and 17th centuries. Nestled on the banks of Thu Bon river, this charming old town was once a flourishing port and meeting place of eastern and western cultures in central Dai Viet under the Nguyen Lords. Hoi An’s ancient past is superbly preserved in its architecture. The old quarter is a fascinating blend of temples. Pagodas, community houses, shrines, clan houses and shop houses.

Overnight: Nam Hai Resort
Meal Plan: B,L,D

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DAY 4

Danang/Hoi An

Day at leisure to relax at resort.

Optional activities:

• Cham Museum and Marble Mountains       
• Bicycle tour to local village in Hoi An       
• Basket Boat Race                   
• Ecotour to Water Palm Forest in Hoi An
  

Overnight: Nam Hai Resort
Meal Plan: B,L,D

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DAY 5

Danang - Siem Reap

After breakfast, transfer to Danang Airport for your flight to Siem Reap. Visas are available upon arrival. After clearing immigration and customs, you will be welcomed by a representative who will take you to your accommodation.

After lunch, visit the Angkor Complex. From their dazzling temple structures, the rulers of Angkor controlled an empire which expanded over six centuries to cover a region extending from present day Vietnam in the east to the shores of the Bay of Bengal in the west. Although Khmer civilisation perished over five centuries ago, it has left outstanding monuments such as the great temples of Angkor Wat and Bayon and numerous unique sculptures like Apsara.

The temples of Angkor were built between the 7th and 11th centuries, and represent one of the most impressive examples of man's creativity. The estimated 100 temples, which constituted the foundation for Angkor’s administrative network, were made of wood (long since decayed) as construction of buildings from stone or brick was reserved solely for the gods.

Angkor Wat is the largest monument of Angkor, and it is believed to be the largest religious structure in the world. This glorious example of classical Khmer architecture combines Inian and Indochinese culture. Suriyavarman II ordered the gigantic construction to be built from all four sides at once, most probably as his funerary temple to honour Vishnu, the Hindu deity to which he identified himself.  Surprisingly, it was finished in less than 40 years and the king actually lived to see it finished.

Tonight enjoy a temple dinner.

Overnight: Sofitel Phokeetra Royal Angkor Golf & Spa
Meal Plan: B,L,D

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DAY 6

Depart Siem Reap

Continue your sightseeing this morning.

Visit Ta Prohm, there is hardly a temple anywhere else that shows so clearly the destructive power of the luxuriant tropical vegetation. When French archaeologists first discovered the temple hidden in the jungle, they left the giant trees standing even though their huge roots were coiling themselves like enormous snakes around the temple, penetrating its stonework. But now some of these giants will have to be felled in order to save the temple. Jayavarman VII had the temple built as a residence for his mother, who had been deified as Prajnaparamita. Ta Prohm looks rather like a smaller version of Angkor Thom.

This morning, you will also explore the site of one of Asia's most magnificent archeological ruins - the religious citadels of Angkor Thom which were part of one of the most powerful kingdoms to rise in Southeast Asia.

Considered the single most outstanding monument of Khmer culture, the Bayon is also the most mysterious. This temple complex marks the exact centre of Angkor Thom, making it the most venerated of the city's temples.  Archeologists in the mid 19th century debated the identity of the great faces ornamenting the central tower with many believing the temple to be a shrine dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva , while later specialists concluded through the assistance of ancient Chinese records that this was a Mahayana Buddhist temple. The faces depicted however not the Buddha, but rather the benevolent Avalokitesvara.

The structure is staggering in its construction. Its third level is stunning - 49 towers adorned with 172 smiling faces of the omnipresent Avalokitesvara. Sixteen chapels inside the structure indicate its religious importance while on the outer perimeter over 1,200 metres of exquisite bas-relief record scenes of daily life from 11th century Angkor.

The Terrace of the Elephants was built early 13th century. The terrace has three platforms of different heights, to which five flights of steps lead up. The northern one was probably built later than the others. The terrace takes its name from the outstanding depiction of elephants and of an elephant hunt, which takes up the major part of the frieze.

The Terrace of the Leper King was built around the same time. This structure owes its name to a sculpture which used to stand here depicting King Yasovarman who originally founded Angkor and was popularly known as the "Leper King" because he died of leprosy.

In the evening transfer to Siem Reap airport for your onward flight.

Meal Plan: B,L,D

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