Indochina overland tour, Saigon to Bangkok
| country: | Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam |
| location: | Indochina holidays |
| departures: | 2010: 29 Apr, 30 May, 26 Jun, 22 Jul, 13 Aug, 9 Sep, 6 Oct, 4 Nov, 28 Nov, 13 Dec 2011: 18 Jan, 8 Feb |
| price: | From £2190 - £3340 (16 days) including flights from the UK, from £1350 - £1455 excluding flights. Price includes all transport, accommodation & activities specified in itinerary, all meals (except lunch on day 13 and dinner on day 5 & 13) |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Indochina overland tour, Saigon to Bangkok
An exciting river and land adventure through the heart of Indochina: from Vietnam's bustling Saigon and picturesque Mekong Delta region, up river to the fascinating Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, before heading west via the mysterious & dramatic, jungle-clad temples of Angkor to Thailand's vibrant Bangkok.
Highlights include:
Trip details: Accommodation is in hotels & guesthouses, on full board basis, except lunch on day 13 & dinner on days 5 & 13.
Transport is by minibus, boat, tuk-tuk and flight. Maximum hiking time is 3-4 hrs per day during the Angkor visit. Travellers not taking up the flight option would join the tour in Saigon on day 2 and depart in Bangkok on day 15. Optional extensions for a few days in Bangkok or some time relaxing on a Thai island are available.
Please note for those with limited time there is now a shorter version of this itinerary leaving Siem Reap on day 14.
Highlights include:
Trip details: Accommodation is in hotels & guesthouses, on full board basis, except lunch on day 13 & dinner on days 5 & 13.
Transport is by minibus, boat, tuk-tuk and flight. Maximum hiking time is 3-4 hrs per day during the Angkor visit. Travellers not taking up the flight option would join the tour in Saigon on day 2 and depart in Bangkok on day 15. Optional extensions for a few days in Bangkok or some time relaxing on a Thai island are available.
Please note for those with limited time there is now a shorter version of this itinerary leaving Siem Reap on day 14.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Departure from London. |
| Day 2: | Morning arrival in Saigon, meet your tour leader and transfer to a downtown hotel. Afternoon to explore the area, browse the markets or just relax in a cafe and watch the non-stop spectacle of the city’s traffic! |
| Day 3: | Day tour of some of the City’s sites including the bustling Chinatown district of Cholon, the War Museum, Jade Emperor Pagoda and Saigon’s own Notre Dame Cathedral. |
| Day 4: | Our four day exploration of the picturesque Mekong Delta begins with a journey south to Vinh Long with a stop-off at one of the area's unique and spectacular Cao Dai temples. Afternoon scenic boat cruise through the Delta's maze of waterways to discover the region's spectacular scenery, and the local cottage industries and handicraft manufacturing of the, still very traditional, villages. Overnight stay as guests of a friendly local family on one of the myriad islands. |
| Day 5: | Morning stroll or cycle ride around the tranquil island before a visit to the traditional floating market of nearby Vinh Long Town. Continue on to Can Tho for lunch with the afternoon at leisure to explore the town or check-out the interesting Mekong Delta Museum. |
| Day 6: | Visit another of the Delta’s bustling morning markets and a fascinating tour of the former Vietcong jungle base at Xe Quit before turning west to the small riverside town of Chau Doc near the Cambodian border. |
| Day 7: | Day tour of the area including a visit to a floating village, bustling fish market and Cham ethnic minority village. Afternoon drive (cycles for the energetic), along the Cambodian border through lush paddy fields to the sacred Sam Mountain for sunset before returning to Chau Doc in the evening. |
| Day 8: | Back on the Mekong for a morning departure by boat for Phnom Penh. Lunchtime arrival and check-in to a small, comfortable, downtown hotel. Time to relax and an afternoon walk taking in the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and lively waterfront area. |
| Day 9: | Day tour of some of the sites of Cambodia’s fascinating capital city; the infamous Killing Fields site and the highly moving Khmer Rouge Genocide Museum at Tuol Sleng, the Russian Market and finishing perhaps with sundowners at the famous Foreign Correspondents Club? |
| Day 10: | Up country through Cambodia’s scenic countryside to the small provincial town of Siem Reap in Western Cambodia – our base for the next few days and jumping off point for the nearby Angkor Temple complex. Stops on the way at the famous ‘spider village’ of Skuon, (tasting not compulsory), the rarely visited but well preserved 10th century temple of Kuhananokor and lunch by the Tonle Sap Lake. A dusk visit to the atmospheric ruins of Ta Prom completes our day. |
| Day 11-12: | Angkor – an unforgettable two-day tour of this fabulous site – its vast jungle clad temples and mysterious stone carvings: a comprehensive tour of the major sites, plus some lesser known ones, including sunrise and sunset visits. (A detailed itinerary for our Angkor visit is available upon request.) |
| Day 13: | Free morning in Siem Reap: explore the market, checkout the handicraft school or visit the unusual landmines museum before an afternoon trip to some of the remoter temple Angkor sites such as Banteay Samre and sunset at the little visited Bakong Temple. |
| Day 14: | Spectacular boat journey across the Tonle Sap Lake, passed the ‘flooded forest’ and Prek Toal bird sanctuary and on down the Sangker River and its floating fishing villages to the town of Battambang. Afternoon to check out the town’s French colonial architecture. (If water levels are low in March and April this journey will be overland.) |
| Day 15: | Continue on through this little visited region of Cambodia via the hilltop temple of Phnom Sampeu to the Thai border at Pailin -, famed for its gemstones and as the Khmer Rouge’s last stronghold - and on to Bangkok for an evening departure for London. (Optional extensions in Bangkok or a wide range of Thai beach and island stays available.) |
| Day 16: | Morning arrival at London Heathrow airport. |
traveller reviews for Indochina overland tour, Saigon to Bangkok
Most memorable were Angkor Wat and the other temples around Siem Reap. Home Stay near Vinh Long. (more)
small group holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - you will be sharing your experiences with like minded people. Group sizes are limited to a maximum of 11 persons, a genuinely small group. Experience has taught us that smaller groups are less intrusive to local cultures and environments whilst allowing more interaction with local people. Furthermore it means greater flexibility on a day to day basis and on a social level it proves to be fun. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends/family its good value, and a great way to meet new people! The intention is to travel as a group of friends rather than a typical tour group, so don't expect stick-on name badges or any following the umbrella. how this holiday makes a difference
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In keeping with all our tours we take small groups (max 9) to rarely visited locations.
We encourage homestays and visits to local community craft and cottage industry – the brick works is a revelation… We also visit a plant nursery, a family rice paper business, and blacksmiths workshops. Our use of local guides and homestays enable us to get a real understanding of the people and places visited and bring tales of the war torn past century of Vietnamese history to life (along with ample rice whiskey). In Cambodia, too, through our regular visits to sites (and if present souvenir shops) we help sustain local businesses and enterprises, such as the handicraft school for handicapped persons in Siem Reap, to the ‘land-mine museum’ in Siem Reap where we help support the organizer’s mine clearance operations through donations. The Overland crossing (by boat) from Vietnam into Cambodia is only recently opening up so tourists are being introduced to many small towns and communities new to Western tourism. |
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. |
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