Indochina Overview 12 days (ATD-M02)

On arrival at Luang Prabang International Airport, you will be greeted by your private driver and guide, and transferred to your hotel for check-in. You will have some time free to rest and relax after your flight.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Start your day with a guided tour to the Royal Palace Museum (Haw Kham), which is now the National Museum. It houses many religious and cultural treasures, including the royal throne of the Lane Xang kingdom in its original splendor, and preserves some of the daily royal life up to 1975.

Transfer to the Jetty to board the traditional longtail boat and begin your cruise along the amazing Mekong River. The main destination is the Pak Ou Caves. Locally called Tam Ting, the caves are filled with thousands of Buddha statues in a wide range of sizes. Motoring upriver you can see locals fishing and listen to the joyful laugher of children splashing in the water.

Stop en route to visit Ban Xang Hai, a unique little village on the banks of the Mekong River famous for their handicraft products like distilling and selling whiskey, handwoven fabric, and jewelry.

Returning to town where you will continue to visit the magnificent Wat Xiengthong a superb piece of Lao temple architecture, which presents a sweeping two-tiered roof and ornate mosaics including a beautiful ‘tree of life ‘glass montage on the rear temple wall. This 15th century Wat is the most important in Luang Prabang and one of the most important in the entire country. Until the revolution of 1975, Wat Xieng Thong was a royal temple, supported by the royal family. During the 1960s, Wat Xieng Thong was completely remodeled and redecorated, becoming the splendid temple we see today.

Head to Wat Mai (“New Monastery”), built-in 1796. It was given its present name following the restoration was undertaken by King Manthathourat in 1821. The most striking feature of the temple is the gilded relief panels covering the front facade. The panels tell the story of Vessentara, the highest incarnation of the Buddha. The gilded doorframes merge into the relief panel, forming what looks like a monolithic wall of gold.

You will have an opportunity to visit the Traditional Art and Ethnology Center to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures. From there, you will be transferred to Wat Prabath to admire the sunset.

The rest of the evening will be yours at leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Luang Prabang

Optional Experience: Monk Arm Giving
Wake up as the sun rises, you will prepare to join the most sacred tradition of Laos, the daily morning almsgiving, which dates to the 14th century. More than 200 Buddhist monks depart from various temples to gather their daily meals from the faithful residents sitting quietly on the streets.

Return to the hotel for breakfast and start to visit the morning local market near the Royal Palace. Just set on the ground, the local people come here to barter their day’s catch, from rice to vegetable, to fish, or chicken. This is the best chance to experience the flavor of local life.

Continue to drive through Luang Prabang countryside to Kuang Si Waterfalls. Upon reaching the Waterfall, enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings or explore the dense jungle on foot. For the adventurous, it is possible to walk to the top of the falls via a steep track where beautiful views await. These waterfalls cascade down a multilevel limestone formation creating a series of turquoise blue pools perfect for swimming on a hot day (if swimming, please dress modestly).

There is also the chance to walk to the nearby village of Ban Thapene and explore the hidden waterfalls, which is rarely visited by other people.

If you wish, you can also take a short visit to the Bear Rescue Center, which houses a couple of dozen animals rescued from the hands of poachers and traffickers

On the way back to Luang Prabang, stop at Ock Pop Tok, set in a tropical Mekong garden it opens doors to learning about Lao textiles and crafts. Bringing alive the concept of east meets west, the Living Craft Centre (LCC) is a place where you can meet silk weavers, craft artisans and silkworms and learn about textiles. Weavers work on traditional looms practicing the age-old techniques brought here to Laos over 1200 years ago. Intern artisans from the Village Weaver Projects work alongside the Ock Pop Tok weavers learning new skills that they, in turn, take home to their villages. The exchanges taking place at the LCC have proven to keep alive the spirit that was prevalent during the prime of the Silk Road and all that was instrumental then in the emergence of the silk industry and appreciation of silk textiles around the world.

Return to your hotel in the late afternoon where the balance of the day will be free at your leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Luang Prabang

The true nature lovers tour! Get it all with this diverse and action-packed tour which takes you on the jungle trekking on foot to local villages and a traditional Lao long boat ride. Even your lunch will be an adventure as you picnic in the forest surroundings. You are sure to be delighted (and exhausted) after this adventure!

• 8:00 am – 8:30 am: You are picked up by your driver and transferred to the Elephant Camp.
• Arrive at the Elephant Village Camp: Welcome greeting by your guide and participate in a short briefing about elephants.
• Jungle Trek: Enjoy a 3 km trek on foot through a diverse landscape.
• Picnic Lunch: Dine in the forest surroundings with a picnic box lunch prepared just for you at our camp restaurant (vegetarian options available).
• Trail of Falls: Enjoy another 3 km trek on foot along our exclusive Trail of Falls leading up to Tad Sae Waterfall where you can relax or swim in its cool natural pools (water levels vary with seasonal conditions).
• Boat trip back to camp: Traverse the Nam Khan River in a traditional Lao longboat from the waterfall back to our Elephant Camp. You just might see traditional fishing methods and other various ways with which the local villagers make use of and enjoy the river.
• Departure: Finish the tour and transfer back to your hotel in Luang Prabang between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Luang Prabang

Morning is free at your leisure and check out of the hotel at midday. In the afternoon you are picked up and driven to the Airport for a short flight to Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.

Upon arrival in Hanoi, you will be greeted by your driver and transferred in a private vehicle to the hotel in downtown for check-in.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Hanoi

After breakfast, dive into the sights, sounds, and aromas of Hanoi. Start with Ho Chi Minh Complex including his Mausoleum (Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed all afternoon, every Monday & Friday, and from late September until December), the Presidential Palace, the historic Stilt house, and the One Pillar Pagoda.

Continuing on your journey through Hanoi, you head to Tran Quoc Pagoda (which means “Stabilizing the Nation”), the oldest pagoda constructed in the sixth century in the Westlake and also a famous attraction for pilgrims.

From there, you will proceed to the Temple of Literature. Originally built in honor of Confucius by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong in 1070, a university was added to the grounds six years later. The university provided education to the royal family and children of the aristocracy or “mandarins”.

Around 12.30: you will have lunch at a local restaurant. Following lunch is aa short drive to the Museum of Ethnology, a museum of the 54 officially recognized Ethnic Groups in Vietnam (Ethnology Museum is closed every Monday).

Return to the City center to visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart and soul of Hanoi.

End up your day with a fun cyclo/ rickshaw ride through the French Quarter and then enjoy a Water Puppet show, a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of national history.

Around 18.00 – 18.30, return to your hotel where the rest of the day will be free at your leisure.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Hanoi

After breakfast you will leave the busy streets of Hanoi behind, bound for the serenity of Halong Bay where you will discover the UNESCO World Heritage-listed landscapes. The limestone karsts and tropical islets rising up from the emerald waters provide an ethereal backdrop for your leisurely cruise.

Once there, you’ll be welcomed aboard your traditional-style Vietnamese Junk boat, each with its own individual route, to begin your cruise around the bay’s rocky islands and hidden caves.

After lunch on board, you will take a small boat transfer to the Tien Ong Cave and Cua Van Fishing Village, whose residents still live in traditional floating houses. Return to your Junk boat for a cooking demonstration with the chef or enjoy a mesmerising sunset on the top deck before enjoying a scrumptious dinner and a peaceful overnight stay in this UNESCO-listed natural wonder.

Note: If your time permits, we would highly recommend an additional night on board which gives you a lot more time to relax and take in the amazing landscape. You’ll get to cruise deeper into the Bay where it’s more beautiful and less crowded. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight on board in Halong Bay

The graceful practice of Tai Chi eases you into your day as is the local custom. Join a ‘Local Specialist’ on the deck of the Junk boat for a morning class in exquisite natural surrounds. You’ll have time for an early morning swim at one of Halong Bay’s quiet beaches and, if you’re feeling energetic, a brisk walk to catch one last view of scenic Halong Bay before your drive to Hanoi. You will be free to explore Hanoi for the rest of the day.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Hanoi

The whole morning will be free at your leisure until you are picked up by your private driver and taken to the airport for a short flight to Siemreap, Cambodia.

Upon arrival, you will be met and greeted at Siemreap Airport and transferred in a private vehicle to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day will be yours at leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Siemreap

After breakfast, you will start to visit the ancient city of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8m high wall, drawing a perfect square. Enter the city through the ancient South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with Elephants and four giant faces. On each side of the entrance path, a row of 54 gods or demons is holding the sacred Naga snake. Continue on to the incredible Ta Prohm Temple, built in the mid-12th to early 13th centuries. Ta Prohm is unique in that it has been left largely as it was found: overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will visit the legendary Angkor Wat. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with stone carvings and bas-relief depicting Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II fought during his reign. Angkor Wat is well known for the more than 2,000 Apsara dancers decorating the temple.

End the day with a beautiful Sunset View from the top of Phnom Bakheng Hill. Once the sun has set, you will head back to town. Time will be on your own in the evening.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Siemreap

This morning you will embark on an incredible boat trip on Tonlé Sap Lake (Kampong Phluk area), where you will have the opportunity to learn about life on the lake. Tonle Sap is Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake with its size varying greatly depending on the season, as it swells to about four times of its size during the wet season. Board a local boat and visit Kampong Phluck, a village where you will see houses on stilts that are submerged when Tonlé Sap Lake swells. On the way, you will pass floating houses and impressive flooded forests, portraying life on the water.

Return to Siem Reap town for Lunch and rest for a while.

In the afternoon, you will be taken on a drive through the countryside to a local village, a beautiful small farming village where life revolves around the seasons and family, located approximately 15 minutes outside of Siem Reap. Here you will embark on a walking tour through the village and local community, learn about their simple way of life, meet local people and you will probably want to chat with them or help them with gardening works or help grow vegetables in the gardens, you will be welcomed by kids saying “Hello” to you. The village tour guide will explain to you about Cambodian daily lifestyle, customers, cultures, and superstitions. Then you will also stop at a local pagoda for an intimate monk blessing (water blessing), wishing you good health and a safe journey – a very special experience!

This is a wonderful village tour that provides a lot of photo opportunities and local experiences. End of the trip, enjoy seasonal fruits & fresh coconut juice at a host family’s house before transferring back to your hotel. The rest of the day will be on your own.

*** Note: Today we recommend you to have proper clothes if you want to join the monk blessing at the local temple.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Siemreap

Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you to Siem Reap International Airport where you board your flight home or travel on to more adventures, we will help you with the planning.

Meals included: Breakfast