Day 1 – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Today you will start your Indochina adventure by flying to Ho Chi Minh International Airport.

Day 2 – Ho Chi Minh

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh or as locals still call it, Saigon. Our guide and driver will meet and greet you at the airport and transfer to the hotel.

After checking-in you will take a half day city tour. This begins with a visit to the War Museum, which shows the full horror of the conflict between the USA and Vietnam. You will visit the old palace where the president of independent South Vietnam once worked, now renamed the Reunification Palace before touring the gorgeous old French colonial centre. You’ll see the bubblegum-pink neo gothic French colonial cathedral of Notre Dame Cathedral and the vast General Post Office, attributed to Gustave Eiffel.

After lunching at a local restaurant you will be left at your hotel for an evening at leisure.

• Board Includes:
• Lunch

Day 3 – Ho Chi Minh → Cu Chi Tunnels

This morning you will have a guided tour of the astonishing Cu Chi tunnels – a vast, sprawling and entirely underground village used as a base for the Viet Cong and never discovered by the Americans. You will see evidence of the fierce battles which took place here during the 1960s when Cu Chi was a designated ‘Free Target Zone’ and watch a short introductory video showing how the tunnels were constructed. You will then have the chance to enter them yourself and should you wish to try shooting with real Vietnam era guns in the firing range.

On the way back to Saigon you will enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and visit the sprawling Ben Thanh market – the city’s best stop for souvenirs, clothes, teas and tropical fruits. You will then have the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

• Board Includes:
• Lunch

Day 4 – Ho Chi Minh → Da Nang → Hoi An

After breakfast and checking out you will transfer to the airport for your flight to Da Nang, once the tiny village where the Americans made their landfall in the War, now the sparkling new gateway city for Central Vietnam and the travel-brochure-pretty village of Hoi An. This World Heritage listed little town is a delight – a perfectly preserved Sino-Portuguese trading port cut by canals spanned by covered bridges and with streets of beautiful 15th Century tea houses and Japanese merchant mansions. It’s a wonderful spot for a wander – browsing stalls in the central market, strolling along the riverside, shopping for painted Hoi An lanterns or lacquerware, commissioning a jacket, dress or pair of bespoke cobbled shoes, stopping for coffee and a crisp Vietnamese baguette, sipping a Singapore sling in one of the fashionable waterfront lounge bars. You will have the rest of the day to explore Hoi An at leisure.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast

Day 5 – Hoi An

Today you will enjoy a visit to another Unesco World Heritage site – the ruined tower temples of My Son – nestled in steamy rainforest in the foothills of the mountains just inland from Hoi An. Between the 4th and 13th centuries My Son was a the capital of the powerful Hindu Champa kingdom, whose influence spread into neighbouring Cambodia and far to the north to the borders of China. Today the ruins are a tranquil, jungle covered place, mixing intricately carved temples and atmospheric ruins with wild forest. Brightly coloured bulbuls and sunbrids flit in the branches of orchid-covered rainforest trees and the loudest sound is the call of a cinammon bittern. Once it was not so peaceful. Look out for craters in the woods around the ruins – the legacy of the heavy B52 bombing that the region endured during the conflict.

After lunch at a local restaurant you will return to Hoi An early afternoon and have the rest of the day to relax.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Lunch

Day 6 – Hoi An → Heritage Train → Hué → Hanoi

After an early check-out from your hotel, you’ll ride to the railway station to catch the newly opened Revolution Express train to the UNESCO-listed city of Hué, the former imperial capital. The journey features beautifully refurbished French colonial carriages pulled by Vietnam’s last working steam locomotives, restored using original parts and skilled craftsmanship.

As the train traverses the stunning Hai Van coastal mountain range, it stops briefly at Lang Co Station, where you can take in the picturesque lagoon and beach scenery. Light refreshments will be served by staff in period costume during the ride. You’ll arrive in Hué at lunchtime.

Upon arrival, you’ll be picked up for a tour of the Purple Forbidden City, the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, and the Royal Tombs. Explore the Huyen Tran Princess Temple, dedicated to a Vietnamese princess who championed peace, set amidst beautiful pine forests, and the Royal Gia Long Tomb, a serene complex of mausoleums and temples spread over 42 hilltops, blending ancient architecture with nature.

After the tour, you’ll transfer to the airport for your early evening flight to Hanoi.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Lunch

Day 7 – Hanoi → Ha Long Bay

After breakfast, you’ll transfer by shuttle bus to Ha Long Bay (2½-3hrs) for a luxurious cruise aboard a boat designed for optimal views. Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is renowned for its stunning limestone karst islands and rainforest-covered landscapes.

You’ll cruise through the breathtaking Lan Ha Bay, mooring near Cat Ba Island to explore a floating fishing village and visit a local family home. Cycle through Cat Ba’s valley, where isolated villages thrive on self-sufficiency, surrounded by thick forests and mountains.

As the sun sets, unwind on the sun deck with a cocktail, enjoying the view of the islands as darkness falls. After anchoring for the night, join the ship’s chef for a hands-on cooking class featuring local ingredients and classic Vietnamese dishes. You can then choose to fish for squid by lantern light or relax under the stars with a drink from the bar before retiring to your suite.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Day 8 – Ha Long Bay → Ninh Binh

You will wake to a gorgeous Ha Long Bay morning, the sun rising golden over the water, mist rising from the sea, birds trilling in the island rainforest. You can enjoy these with a coffee and pastry in hand, or with a Tai Chi class on the sun deck to wake your mind and muscles.

The boat then departs for the Trung Trang Cave complex known locally as the golden treasure cave. The stalactites, stalagmites and flow stones inside are extraordinary and the opening to the cave sits in a grove in the toprical rainforest. Returing to the boat you will enjoy a full breakfast buffet, which includes both international favorites and typical Vietnamese dishes, including traditional Vietnamese Noodles (Phở).

On arrival at the docks you will be met by our driver who will transfer you south to the beautiful region of Ninh Binh.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Lunch

Day 9 – Ninh Binh

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Lunch

Day 10 – Ninh Binh → Pu Luong

In the early afternoon you will be picked-up from your hotel by your private driver and guide to leave for Pu Luong. This beautiful area is dominated by dramatic limestone mountain ridges that drop to brilliant-green and gold rice-filled valleys. Many Indigenous people live here and life feels much as it has done for centuries.

With hump-backed bridges, ancient watermills and myriad rice paddy villages, Pu Luong offers a real chance to experience local rural life.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Dinner

Day 11 – Pu Luong Nature Reserve and Villages

This morning we explore the country roads of Pu Luong and visit remote, hidden tribal villages where we dip into local culture. You will take light walks through one of the most beautiful valleys in Vietnam – hills shimmering with rice terrace and topped with forest dropping all around. You will take a bamboo raft along the Cham river, past little villages and hamlets and enjoy a farm to table lunch of typical Indigenous food – all grown in the local area. And in the late afternoon you will return to the lodge.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Dinner

Day 12 – Pu Luong → Mai Chau → Hanoi

Today you will return to Hanoi via Mai Chau – another area of pretty villages and rice fields. On the way, you pass over the Thung Khe Pass, one of the most specatuclar mountain roads in Asia, with a vast landscape of villages, fields and forest-swathed mountains at your feet. You arrive in Hanoi in the early afternoon with the rest of the day to explore the city.

Hanoi was the seat of power under Vietnamese, Chinese, French and Viet Minh rulers: Ho Chi Minh is entombed here in a massive Soviet-style mausoleum lit with sentry lights. Later Modern Hanoi remains the locus of Vietnamese power – the huge parliament buildings next to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum extend tight control from Halong Bay to the Mekong Delta.

The Auld Enemy may be China; but that country’s age-old cultural influence and legacy is strong in Hanoi. You will see it in the shophouse markets, the temples, the Confucian University and library. Look out for the characteristic dragon gables and the old Chinese script (the Western alphabet was introduced under French occupation). China ruled North Vietnam for a thousand years; first conquering and occupying in the Han Dynasty. It wasn’t until 1010 that a Vietnamese emperor Lý Thái Tổ finally shook off their rule and established Hanoi as the capital of a new independent imperial Vietnam. It couldn’t be a mere country.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Lunch

Day 13 – Hanoi → Luang Prabang, Laos

After breakfast this morning you will transfer to the airport for your flight to the temple glittering  wooden city of Luang Prabang, set in a steep forested valley high up on the Mekong River. It is a stunning spot, and another Unesco World Heritage Site.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast

Day 14 – Luang Prabang

You have a full day today exploring the best of Luang Prabang and the gorgeous rainforest-covered hills which surround the ancient city.

You begin with a guided city walk, starting at Wat Xieng Thong temple – built in 1560 and situated on the banks of the Mekong. It is the most beautiful monastery in Luang Prabang and shows the typical Lao art style with a plunging gable covered in intricate Buddhist lotus and floral carvings. The temple is decorated with some of the masterpieces of Lao art. You will then visit Wat Visunalat temple, built in 1513 and the oldest operating temple in Luang Prabang. It has a pricelss collection of gilt wooden Buddhas dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. You will pass the That Makmo or Watermelon Stupa – so named because of its bulbous appearance and then take a boat onto the Mekong for a visit to the Pak Ou Buddha cave perched in the cliffs overlooking the water. These extraordinary caves are filled with

Buddha images of every style and material imaginable. To fortify you you’ll have the chance to sample strong Lao rice whisky at Ban Xang Hai village before climbing to the top of  Phousi hill for the loveliest sunset view in Laos – of the day darkeing over the temple town of Luang Prabang and the sun sinking over the mountains.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Lunch

Day 15 – Luang Prabang

It’s an early rise to see Luang Prabang’s famous Buddhist alms giving ceremony – when dozens of saffron-robed monks hold out brass begging bowls which are heaped full with rice and cooked food by local people.

You will then visit the National Museum housed in the former Royal Palace, a graceful turn-of-the century teak house which mixes traditional Lao and French beaux-arts motifs. The palace has been preserved as it was when the royal family last lived here and provide a unique insights into late 19^th Century Laos life. You will see some of the country’s most prized pieces of art, including the Phrabang Buddha, cast in an alloy of gold, silver and bronze.

In the afternoon you will take a trip to the Kuangsi Waterfalls, whose milky turquoise waters drop in a series of flowstone terraces to the Mekong. It is a wonderfully restful spot with great swimming. You will see Kuang Si Butterfly Park, where hundreds of Laotian butterflies float like wind-blown petals in a beautiful landscaped garden. You will return to Luang Prabang late afternoon in time for a final meal.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast

Day 16 – Luang Prabang → Siem Reap, Cambodia

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia – the gateway to the famous Unesco World Heritage listed ruined cities of the Khmer civilisation. They include the largest religious monument ever constructed – Angkor Wat.

After arriving at your hotel you will enjoy and evening food tour. Siem Reap is one of Souteast Asia’s under-the-radar foodie destination; with a wonderful gastro scene. An increasing number of local chefs who have crafted their art in the region’s five star hotels, have opened their own restaurants offering gourmet takes on traditional Cambodian dishes like Amok. This evening you will enjoy a degustation.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Dinner

Day 17 – Angkor Wat

Today you will have a full day at the Angkor Ruins – the largest religious structures ever built by man. They sit in the heart of recovering rainforest, rich with wildlife. You will see the temples at dawn when the sun warms the ancient stone and glistens in the lotus-flower-filled lakes; enjoying the serene Buyddha faces at Bayon and the exquite carvings that cover the vast corridors and walls of Angkor Wat itself.

While your visit includes these it will be unique – a tailored, guided wildlife walk through the best of the wonderful ruins. You begin at the best time for wildlife with a pre-dawn pick-up and a search for crepuscular birds and mammals. You will see sunrise over the temples and also over breakfast, brought by the guide. You will walk from the temples through the wonderful rainforest surrounds in search for rare Pileated Gibbons, beautiful brilliant-blue Hainan Flycatchers and huge Hornbills, who have returned to the forests since the pandemic. Your guide will choose the best locations for you. You will have plenty of time for the famous temples – Angkor Wat itself, Bayon, the best carvings at Banteay Srei and Ta Prohm – encrusted with liana vines and giant tree roots.

In the afternoon you will visit the Apopo Centre – an extraordinary place. Apopo have trained giant African pouched rats to sniff out landmines and to detect tuberculosis. These Hero Rats as the locals call them, have helped to clear thousands of hectares of land of mines left by the U.S, Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge armies over Cambodia’s decades of conflict. On your visit you will see them at work.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Lunch

Day 18 – 20 Siem Reap → Koh Rong Island

It’s time for some downtime on the beach. After a leisurely breakfast our driver will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Sihanoukville on the South China Sea and a fast boat to gorgeous Koh Rong. With creamy white sand, palm-shaded beaches lapped by a turquoise sea, and offshore reefs teeming with turtles, it’s one of Southeast Asia’s loveliest islands. And it’s far less spoilt than those across the border in Thailand.

You have the next four days literally at leisure.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast

21 Koh Rong → Phnom Penh

Welcome to Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh, one of the most exciting, vibrant big cities in South East Asia. Glistening, glass towers hover over Centuries-old steeply gabled royal palaces and pagodas, leafy streets lined with French houses sit alongside buzzing markets. There’s a burgeoning arts scene – with great street art, theatre and live music and the whirligig atmostphere is infectiously vibrant.

Right away you will be immersed in Cambodia’s rich cultural past – with a visit the National Museum, which houses some of the best Khmer art and sculptures in the world. This is followed by the Royal Palace; and its famous Silver Pagoda, built in 1866 by the French for King Norodom. You will also have the opportunity to visit the harrowing Tuol Sleng camp where the Khmer Rouge inflicted their horrors during the Pol Pot era. It is a deeply moving experience; but essential for any understanding of modern Cambodia.

In the evening you have an optional motor scooter tour of the night markets, street art and music venues of contemporary Phnom Penh, with a local culture journalist.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast

Day 22 – 24 Phnom Penh → Mekong River Cruise

Today you begin a four-day cruise on Asia’s most beautiful river, the mighty Mekong on a tour led by Professor Jean-Michel of the Royal University of Phnom Penh. You will learn about the rich history of the river, of Cambodia and Vietnam  and of the Khmer and Cham civilisations.

You will visit villages along the way, have a chance to brush-up your Khmer cooking skills and soak-up the astounding views. You’ll explore the Cham village of Tan Chau by “xe loi” cycle rickshaw – dropping-in at workshops, local markets and temples and you’ll see the Mekong Delta village of  My An Hung, visiting the rice fields and joining a local family for a meal in their home. You’ll visit Bin Thanh island – famous for its water hyacinths, and one of Asia’s largest and busiest floating markets at Cai Be – which is nearly ten times the size of Thailand’s famous Damnoen Suduak.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Day 25 – Mekong River Cruise → Ho Chi Minh

After breakfast on board your cruise boat you will transfer back to Saigon and have the rest of the day at leisure to catch up on shopping, touring or simply to laze by the pool at the Mia: set on the riverside in a tranquil tropical garden, it’s one of the city’s most relaxing hotels.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast

Day 26 – Ho Chi Minh → Home

Today you will return home.

• Board Includes:
• Breakfast