Small group holiday to Indochina
| country: | Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam |
| location: | Golden Triangle |
| departures: | 2010: 10 Feb, 24 Feb, 10 Mar, 14 Jul, 28 Jul, 11 Aug, 13 Oct, 27 Oct, 10 Nov, 24 Nov, 15 Dec, 29 Dec 2011: 12 Jan, 26 Jan, 9 Feb, 23 Feb, 9 Mar, 23 Mar, 20 Jul, 3 Aug, 17 Aug |
| price: | From £1345 - £1625 (12 days) including flights from the UK. From £325 - £340 excluding flights. Optional single supplement £95. Price includes accommodation, 5 breakfasts, transport, tour leaders and drivers. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A great overview of Southern Indochina using its excellent public transport connections - flexibility and a sense of adventure are recommended!
Bangkok & Tomb Raiders:
From the bustling exhilaration of the Thai capital we take a cross-border bus to Cambodia and Siem Reap, a traveller friendly town that's the base for visiting the fabulous temples of Angkor, setting for much of Angelina Jolie's shenanigans as Lara Croft in the film Tomb Raider! Spread out over 150 square kilometres, this unique complex of walled cities, magnificent stone temples, sculptures, reservoirs and causeways lay hidden in the jungle for years - each temple has its own special atmosphere. A great way to explore is on a bike or by one of the many rickshaws that ply their trade here.
Battambong to Phnom Penh:
We leave by boat, cruising past stilted and floating fishing villages on the tranquil waters of the vast Tonle Sap lake to Battambong - a peaceful country town that is actually Cambodia's second largest settlement. In Phnom Penh on the banks of the Mekong where we've time to explore the Royal Palace and pick up a bargain in the vibrant markets. We also recommend a visit to the museum of Tuol Sleng and Killing Fields of Choeung Ek which provides a disturbing yet essential insight into Cambodia's recent past.
Streets of Saigon:
The Mekong Express bus takes us to Vietnam where we take a walking tour along the vibrant streets of Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City as it's officially known) amongst the colonial buildings of Old Saigon and 1970's kitsch of the Reunification Hall. There's a chance to visit the War Crimes Museum or infamous Cu Chi Tunnels in the countryside beyond - an underground base that hid 10,000 Viet Cong troops.
Highlights include:Amazing value overland journey across South Indochina Explore the fabulous jungle temples of Angkor Discover the fascinating Mekong-side city of Phnom Penh
Bangkok & Tomb Raiders:
From the bustling exhilaration of the Thai capital we take a cross-border bus to Cambodia and Siem Reap, a traveller friendly town that's the base for visiting the fabulous temples of Angkor, setting for much of Angelina Jolie's shenanigans as Lara Croft in the film Tomb Raider! Spread out over 150 square kilometres, this unique complex of walled cities, magnificent stone temples, sculptures, reservoirs and causeways lay hidden in the jungle for years - each temple has its own special atmosphere. A great way to explore is on a bike or by one of the many rickshaws that ply their trade here.
Battambong to Phnom Penh:
We leave by boat, cruising past stilted and floating fishing villages on the tranquil waters of the vast Tonle Sap lake to Battambong - a peaceful country town that is actually Cambodia's second largest settlement. In Phnom Penh on the banks of the Mekong where we've time to explore the Royal Palace and pick up a bargain in the vibrant markets. We also recommend a visit to the museum of Tuol Sleng and Killing Fields of Choeung Ek which provides a disturbing yet essential insight into Cambodia's recent past.
Streets of Saigon:
The Mekong Express bus takes us to Vietnam where we take a walking tour along the vibrant streets of Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City as it's officially known) amongst the colonial buildings of Old Saigon and 1970's kitsch of the Reunification Hall. There's a chance to visit the War Crimes Museum or infamous Cu Chi Tunnels in the countryside beyond - an underground base that hid 10,000 Viet Cong troops.
Highlights include:
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Bangkok. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Bangkok; optional klong tour. |
| Day 3: | Cross-border bus to Siem Reap (Cambodia). |
| Day 4-5: | In Siem Reap; optional temples visits, floating villages. |
| Day 6: | Boat across Lake Tonle Sap to Battambong. |
| Day 7: | Bus to Phnom Penh; orientation walk. |
| Day 8: | In Phnom Penh; optional visits to genocide museum, 'Killing Fields', Royal Palace & markets. |
| Day 9: | Cross-border bus to Saigon (Vietnam); orientation walk. |
| Day 10: | In Saigon; optional trip to Cu Chi tunnels & War Crimes museum. |
| Day 11: | Fly London. |
| Day 12: | Arrive London. |
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Community:
Using public transport whenever practical and staying at simple, locally owned hotels and guesthouses, these tours really get off the beaten tourist track. Accompanied by an expert tour leader, we travel and mix with local people every day and seek out the most authentic local places, truly getting under the skin of the destination. The itinerary and activities are planned to be as flexible as possible, so you have the freedom to do your own thing: join in as much or as little as you want – it’s a very un-packaged experience! In order to give you the best insight into the local culture we employ local tour leaders on this trip who can offer a true insight into local life, as well as explain the history and culture of the region. Using local leaders is consistent with our policy to generate local employment and deliver direct economic benefits to the areas we are travelling in. It is important that the people who work for us are treated fairly and confident in their work. This is why we take care to train all our local tour leaders and give them all the support they need to do their job well. During your free time in Siem Reap, you may choose to accompany your tour leader on a visit to the local Land Mine Museum. This helps to support affected families and land mine clearance. There are many other small community run excursions you can join or services you can choose to support, such as the Friends Restaurant in Phnom Penh which supports and offers training to street children, to local excursions – just ask your tour leader. We support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. Environment: Travelling by public transport is not only a great way to get a flavour of the country and mix with local people; it’s better for the environment as it reduces our reliance on specially chartered vehicles. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |