In the few years since Cambodia began to re-open to foreign visitors, we have come to know it very well. It is a land of gently smiling people and exquisite beauty. The remains of the mighty Khmer Empire, and the more recent French colonial legacy, have given Cambodia immense cultural riches, and ancient Angkor Wat has leapt to prominence as one of the world’s ‘must-see’ treasures.
We take you from Bangkok across the Cambodian border to Battambang; then by boat to Siem Reap and the glories of Angkor Wat. Then it’s on to Phnom Penh and a cruise down the River Mekong into Vietnam and the extraordinary beauty and fascination of its delta region, where the way of life has changed little in centuries. You finish with two nights in exciting Saigon.
DAY 1 - UK/Bangkok
Depart on your scheduled flight to Bangkok.
DAY 2 - Bangkok
Arrival in Bangkok. Transfer to your hotel for a two night stay. Rest of the day free to relax.
DAY 3 - Bangkok
Included this morning is a sightseeing tour of Bangkok visiting the famous temples of the Golden Buddha and the Reclining Buddha. For those revisiting Bangkok, alternative optional sightseeing can be arranged. Afternoon at leisure. During the evening there will be a special Thai dinner, with a performance of traditional dancing included.
DAY 4 - Battambang
Morning drive from Bangkok through the lush Thai countryside of rice paddies and fruit orchards to the border with Cambodia at Aranyaprathet. The border post is fascinating, with a constant stream of handcarts, lorries and people laden with goods crossing the 200 yard ‘no man’s land’ between the two countries. Once inside Cambodia and its border town of Poipet, you will continue to Sisophon. The contrast between Thailand and Cambodia is quite dramatic, and the drive to Sisophon for lunch and then to Battambang passes through many roadside villages and settlements. Mid-afternoon arrival in Battambang for an overnight stay in Cambodia’s second city. It is a bustling riverside community, with French colonial buildings, a lively market and remarkable temples. A short sightseeing tour on arrival will include a drive through local villages to the Khmer temple at Ek Phnom.
DAY 5 - Siem Reap
Today features a remarkable journey by our specially chartered boat along the Sangker River and through the wetlands of north-west Cambodia to Tonle Sap Lake and then Siem Reap. The riverside communities adjust their way of life, and even the location of their homes, according to the water levels in the different seasons. A harsh but self-sufficient living is made from farming and fishing. Your journey is a continuous panorama of stilt houses, giant fishing nets, riverside life and fields of crops. Stops include a floating village and a hilltop temple. You will then emerge into the vast expanse of Tonle Sap Lake, the heart of Cambodia, and cross to the floating village of Chong Kueas near the eastern shoreline, before disembarking and driving the short distance to Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat, for a three night stay.
DAYS 6 & 7 - Siem Reap
Full sightseeing programme of the Angkor Complex. You will see Angkor Wat itself, plus many of the surrounding temples and monuments, including Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, the Temple of Bayon and much more. (Please refer to page 36 for a full description of Angkor Wat and all that you will see). We also include a special dinner on Day 7 accompanied by a display of Khmer Classical Dance.
DAY 8 - Phnom Penh
Morning departure for the drive to Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. The route passes through absorbing countryside and the towns of Kampong, Thom and Skuon, famous for the ‘fried spiders’ offered for sale by local farmers! Afternoon arrival in Phnom Penh for a two night stay.
DAY 9 - Phnom Penh
Once considered the loveliest of the French-built cities in Indochina, Phnom Penh, situated on the River Mekong, is recovering rapidly from its turbulent past. Full sightseeing will include the magnificent Royal Palace, with its Silver Pagoda of 5000 silver floor tiles and priceless Buddhist treasures, the History Museum, the waterfront, the Russian Market, the Wat Phnom and the General Market. Dinner will be at the fabled Foreign Correspondents’ Club by the river.
DAY 10 - Can Tho
Your exploration of the mighty River Mekong begins today. One of the world’s greatest rivers, the Mekong descends for 3,000 miles from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea, and is constantly busy with sampans, barges and houseboats in its lower reaches. You will travel by special fast cruise boat downstream from Phnom Penh, with stops at the Cambodian and Vietnamese border stations, to Chau Doc in Vietnam. Continue by road deep into the Mekong Delta. You will drive through traditional villages, settlements and farmland, with a fascinating backdrop of homesteads on stilts, river fishing nets and rickety ‘monkey’ bridges. Late afternoon arrival at Can Tho for an overnight stay at the delightful and romantic Victoria Hotel, situated on the banks of the Mekong.
DAY 11 - Saigon
Morning boat trip to the extraordinary floating market at Cai Rang. In contrast to such markets elsewhere, those on the River Mekong are much larger, and are conducted on much wider stretches of water. Return to Can Tho to explore this bustling township and important trading post on the busy Mekong. Depart by public ferry to Vinh Long, followed by a cruise by small boat through every shade of green along narrow inlets and canals to a lunch stop at a farmer’s house. Visits will be made to local workshops along the way. Very little has changed over the centuries in this part of Vietnam, and everything and everybody travels by boat. Finally, you recross the Mekong to Cai Be, and drive to Ho Chi Minh City, better known as Saigon, for a two night stay.
DAY 12 - Saigon
Morning included city tour visiting the Presidential Palace, the War Museum and the famous shopping street formerly known as Rue Catinat. You will also pass Notre Dame Cathedral. This afternoon you drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an amazing series of underground passages. These were first constructed in the late 1940s by the peasant army fighting the French but were later extended by the Viet Cong rebels.
DAY 13 - Saigon/UK
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
DAY 14 - UK
Arrival in the UK.