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Thai Indo China holiday

country:Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam
location:Indochina holidays
trip type: A small group adventure
departures:2009: 24 Jan, 21 Feb, 14 Mar, 4 Apr, 4 Jul, 8 Aug, 5 Sep, 17 Oct, 14 Nov, 19 Dec
2010: 23 Jan, 20 Feb, 27 Mar, 17 Apr
price:From £1779 - £2279 (15 days) including flights from the UK, from £945 excluding flights. Optional single supplement £140
 
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the amazing things you'll be doing
A most unusual journey across the south of Indochina, including the bustle of Vietnam, the incredible lost city of Angkor and pristine tropical beaches

From the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City we journey into the mighty Mekong Delta. Criss-crossed by numerous interlinking waterways and never-ending rice paddies, this is the nation's rice bowl, the emotional heart of Southern Vietnam and the site of some of the fiercest fighting of the locally-named 'American War'.

Cambodia has an abundance of historical wonders and the vast temple and city complex at Angkor is a highlight of any visit to Indochina.

Aside from its unique culture, Cambodia has a troubled past and visits to the Genocide museum and infamous 'Killing Fields' provide a moving insight into the devastation caused by the Khmer Rouge regime. We end with a day to explore the sights and sounds of Bangkok, one of South East Asia's most vibrant cities.
day-by-day itinerary
Day 1:Depart London.
Day 2:Arrive Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon); rest of day at leisure.
Day 3:Morning visit to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels; afternoon tour of Saigon.
Day 4:To the Mekong Delta visiting local craft industries and the floating market at Cai Be; overnight in an island village homestay.
Day 5:Walking tour and sampan ride in the delta; to Chau Doc; afternoon walk up Sam Mountain for sunset.
Day 6:To Kampot via the beach resort town of Kep.
Day 7:To the coastal town of Sihanoukville; more beach time.
Day 8:Morning at leisure; drive to Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia.
Day 9:Full day sightseeing including the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Tuol Sleng Prison Museum and the 'Killing Fields'.
Day 10:Drive to Siem Reap; sunset views over the temples at Angkor.
Day 11-12:One and a half days to explore the amazing temple complex at Angkor including Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the impressive Bayon and Ta Prohm Temple.
Day 13:Fly to Bangkok; afternoon city tour.
Day 14:Free day in Bangkok; evening depart Bangkok.
Day 15:Arrive London.
small group adventure holiday
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 its 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 seeing new places.
award winner
This tourism business won an award in our 2004 Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical, Magazine of the Royal Geographical Society



how this holiday makes a difference
This tour has been designed to both operate in a way that minimises our impact on the environment that we visit and to maximise the benefit that our clients can have on the host community. We use a locally based operator for this trip and have established a long-term partnership, assisting with local staff training in all aspects of their jobs. This investment we hope will help improve their knowledge and future prospects.

All our Thai, Cambodian and Vietnamese leaders are committed to Responsible Tourism and receive regular updates and training via us and our local partners. The leaders will give a briefing on Responsible Tourism issues to help you understand how you can help reduce your impact and maximise the benefits to the local communities from your visit. During the trip we use 3 separate leaders so that clients have a Thai leader in Thailand, Cambodian leader in Cambodia and so on. This ensures that leadership skills and pay are not retained exclusively by one country and provides clients with first hand knowledge of the culture, customs and history of the places they visit.

We use predominantly locally owned and run accommodation, including a village home stay in the Mekong Delta. This contributes directly to the local community as local staff are employed and locally produced and sourced goods are bought for the accommodation benefiting the wider community. At our offices we have worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively try to reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism.

Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit.

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'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

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