13 DAYS – VIETNAM CAMBODIA LOAS THAILAND

Morning, we start the city tour at the Reunification Palace, the witness of the fierce Vietnam War ended in 1975. The grand building today is a Museum and Hall of official receptions. Nearby the Palace are the colonial-styled Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1877 and 1883 and one of the city’s major landmarks. Have a walking tour on Nguyen Hue Street to take the photos of the Opera House and the Ho Chi Minh Committee (outside). From here, walking to Ben Thanh Market one of the most typical symbol of Saigon to experience the daily life of the locals and do shopping the hand-made goods there.
Afternoon, we visitCu Chi Tunnels, one of the few remaining monuments to the Vietnam War. Beneath the ground lie 200 km of tunnels, dug by hand and inhabited by the forces of the Vietnamese guerillas during the conflict. At its peak, prior to the Tet Offensive in 1968, the tunnel complex was base to almost 10,000 troops. To this day, it remains one of the most impressive examples of how fierce the war used to be. You even can try to crawl some dozens of m on the tunnel underground to have the real experience. Return to Saigon. The rest of day is at leisure for shopping at the downtown. Overnight in Saigon. (Meals: B, L, D)

Early morning depart to Phnompenh by flight. Arrive in Phnom Penh ietnam. After lunch, we transfer to visit the Victory Monument, and the National Museum, also called Musee des Beaux-Arts. A French archaeologist and painter, Georges Groslier, designed it in Khmer style in 1917. The museum contains a collection of Khmer art – notably sculptures – throughout the ages. Visit the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda. Located within the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver tiles. The treasures found inside include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90kilograms and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. End your afternoon with the visit of the Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh’s namesake, from where you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of Phnom Penh during sunset. Overnight in Phnom Penh. (Meals: B, L, D)

Proceed to the Pouk district about 15 Km in the West of Siem Reap town you visit the silk farm, a fascinating farm/workshop where you can see the entire silk creation process including growing the food for the silk worms, breeding the worms, silk extraction and refinement, traditional kit dying pattern creation and looming. Retail silk and souvenir shop. On the way back, visit the Western Baray (Baray Occidental) measuring 8 km by 2.3 km which provided water for the intensive cultivation of lands around Angkor. We also visit War museum on the way. Visiting Cambodian Cultural Villages, including Wax Museum, Miniatures, former capital Ou Dong, Royal palace, National Museum, Wat Phnom, Phsar Thmey, 12th century Kompong Kdei Bridge, 16th century reclining Buddha and Independent Monument. Also includes Carving, Traditional Dances Show and Villages and visit to Killing field at Wat Thmei. Overnight in Siem Reap. (Meals: B, L, D)

We spend the rest of time visiting the “Chantiers Ecoles – Les Artisans d’Angkor” which provides training to young Cambodians in an effort to revive the ancient Khmer traditions of stone carving and wood sculpting. We continue to one of the city’s lively open markets, Psar Chars, also called the “Old Market”, surrounded by elegant French Colonial colonnades! Then continue to Wat Bo, a large, highly respected pagoda, founded in the 18th Century. Like the Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh, the Vihear of Wat Bo contains unique wall paintings of the Reamker that are said to be late 19th Century. Look for the daily-life market scenes such as an opium smoking Chinese merchant, the colonial era French officer at the market and the French soldiers attending a traditional dance performance. Also of interest is the large collection of Buddha statues located behind the main Buddha. Then Straight to Siem Reap Airport for flight to Luang Pranbang. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. In the evening, we explore the Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textile made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang. (Meals: B, L, D)

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. From there, we will take a short visit to the morning local market near the Royal Palace.At the market, you can find anything from rice, to fresh vegetables, to steamed fish, frogs, and anything else that might be the day’s catch, just set up on the ground, this is what the locals do every day. This is really the chance for you to get a real flavor of the local culture. After breakfast at the hotel, we ascend the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a panoramic view of the city and the Mekong River. We then visit Wat Visoun, dating back to 1513 during the reign of King Wisunarat (Visoun), this is Luang Prabang’s oldest temple and was once home to the Prabang Buddhas. This then takes us to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails.Before returning to Luang Prabang, we stop to visit the Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park (closed on Tuesday), one of the must-visit spots, where you can have an optional 15 minute tour to learn about butterflies and local flora.Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, we will take a short visit to the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, where you will have a short tour so you get information about Silk, about weaver, about the Women that work in the Centre. Overnight in Luang Prabang. (Meals: B, L, D)

After breakfast at the hotel, Drive to Elephant Village with Guide. On arrival, you will be welcome and greeting by the Camp Manager and participate in short briefing. After enjoying the impressive experience of approx. 30 minute elephant ride on Elephant’s neck ( Not on Howdah (Elephant seat); you will then take a return boat trip to the Tad Sae Waterfall and spend some time in the clear water. Your lunch will be provided at the Elephant Village Restaurant (Buffet lunch served with Coffee or Tea and drinking water). We are free to stroll around before transferring back to the center. Along the way, we take a short visit to the tomb of the 19th century French explorer Henri Mouhot; the first European to rediscover Angkor Wat and the Royal Kingdom of Luang Prabang. We go for laung Prabang city tour and visit you will first visit Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. Then we will visit magnificent WatXiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. Afterwards, we will visit the Traditional Art and Ethnology Center to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures. Overnight in Luang Prabang. (Meals: B, L, D)