Custom Tour: Classic Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia for Edna & Steve
22 Jan 10 Bangkok - Arrival
Catch your flight.
Arrive in Bangkok where you will be met by your Guide and transferred to your hotel.
Your guide will meet you and take you to Jim Thompson’s House. Now a museum this traditional teakwood house is just as Jim Thompson left it before he mysteriously disappeared in the Cameron Highlands of Western Malaysia. After your tour enjoy dinner at the nearby Once Upon A Time Restaurant.
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight at The Davis Hotel Bangkok Hotel - 1Double Superior Room
23 Jan 10 Bangkok - Public Transport Tour
You will be met by your guide at your hotel at 9am before transferring to the Skytrain. Enjoy an elevated view of central Bangkok before boarding a river express boat to the Flower Market. Enjoy the sights and smells before taking an exciting tuk tuk ride to Wat Pho to see the famous Reclining Buddha.
Enjoy a thirty minute massage from the temple’s near by traditional Thai massage school. Break for lunch at a local restaurant, and then head to the pride of Thailand, the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew housing the Emerald Buddha. Take a stroll down the street to a local Buddhist amulet market before boarding a river express boat to the Skytrain station and return to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at The Davis Hotel Bangkok Hotel - 1Double Superior Room
24 Jan 10 Luang Prabang - Arrival
You will be transferred to Bangkok Airport for your flight
Upon arrival in Luang Prabang you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Have the afternoon at leisure exploring Luang Prabang and don't miss the night market.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel - 1Double Garden Wing Room
25 Jan 10 Luang Prabang - Sunrise to Sunset
Wake up at sunrise to give monks morning alms. You’ll be accompanied by your guide who can demonstrate the proper method of alms giving and explain this daily Buddhist ceremony. Return to your hotel for breakfast, after which your guide will take you on a tour of the city, including visits to The National Museum, Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Visun and Wat Sen.
Enjoy lunch in town at a restaurant of your choice. After lunch your guide will meet you and you’ll continue your tour, finishing with a hike up Mt. Phou Si in the late afternoon to see a sweeping view of Luang Prabang and watch the sunset.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel - 1Double Garden Wing Room
26 Jan 10 Luang Prabang - Day on the Mekong
After breakfast, take a long tail boat crossing to the right bank of the Mekong to visit the pottery village of Ban Han. From here take a thirty minute walk to Wat Long Khoune village to see its local temple. Return to your boat which will stop by a rice wine distilling village on its way upriver. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and cross the river to visit the Pak Ou caves, famous for thousands of miniature statues of the Buddha. Return to Luang Prabang by long tail boat in the late afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel - 1Double Garden Wing Room
27 Jan 10 Luang Prabang - Market and Village
Start your day with a walk through town where you’ll see everything from a silversmith to locals shopping at the morning market for their daily produce. Take a short walk to the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre, a museum dedicated to the culture and customs of ethnic villages in Laos.
Have lunch at a local restaurant and afterwards take a scenic drive to visit three villages, each with a different handicraft skill. Return to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon and head back to your hotel to relax or take an optional stroll through the night market with your guide.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel - 1Double Garden Wing Room
28 Jan 10 Hanoi - Arrival
After breakfast your guide will take you on a scenic drive to visit the stunning Kuang Si Waterfall. On the way you’ll stop at a Khmu village for a glimpse of local life. Once you reach the falls, wind down with a relaxing dip in the serene pools before returning to town for lunch.
Transfer to Luang Prabang airport from your hotel in time for your flight
Arrive at Noibai airport Hanoi, where you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Hanova Hotel - 1Double Classic Room
29 Jan 10 Hanoi to Sapa
Your guide will meet you and will discuss with you what you would like to see. There are so many options that we like to leave it up to you and your guide to decide what suits you best.
Some interesting highlights are the Hanoi Hilton, where John McCain and other prisoners were held during the war, it now houses a museum. Or head to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where you can see Uncle Ho laid out to rest. If you like art you can visit the Fine Art Museum or see which local galleries are offering shows. The Temple of Literature is always a nice place to stroll through and is a great stop before or after lunch as you will be having lunch at KOTO, a restaurant benefiting at risk youths. Your guide will be with you all day so discuss what suits you and then have fun.
And then transfer to the train station for a 10pm departure to Sapa.
Overnight on the train.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
30 Jan 10 Sapa - Weaving Trek
In the early morning, you will arrive at Lao Cai train station at 6am where you will be met and driven to Matra Village, 25km from Sapa town. Here you will leave the car and walk 3km to Ma Tra Village where you can see local weavers and visit a village rarely visited by tourists. You can walk back to the car and your guide will take you to have lunch at Delta restaurant and then head to Ta Phin Village and visit a local weaving factory where you can weave your own fabric. Return to your hotel and have dinner at Nature Restaurant.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Victoria Sapa - 1Double Superior Room
31 Jan 10 Sapa - Bac Ha Market
In the morning, you will visit Bac Ha Market where all of the local hill tribes come to trade, it is an amazing place full of color and life. Try a local food called Thang Co and watch village life happening around you. Continue from here to Hoang Yen Chao Palace and have lunch at a local restaurant. Continue to drive to Sapa.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Victoria Sapa - 1Double Superior Room
01 Feb 10 Sapa to Hanoi
In the morning, you will be driven to Giang Ta Chai Village. 30km from Sapa Town and this village is rarely visited by tourists. Here you will leave the car and walk 2km to this small village where you can see the H'Mong Ethnic Minority and discover their daily life. You can walk back to the car and your guide will take you to have lunch at local restaurant and then return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
In the evening return to LaoCai for the return train to Hanoi leaving at 9:15pm. Spend the night on the train.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
02 Feb 10 Halong Bay with Kayaking Day 1
You will arrive early at Hanoi Station where you will be met and transferred to Halong Bay where you will board the Huong Hai Junk. After checking in enjoy lunch on board, including a complimentary glass of wine.
Start your cruise through Halong Bay enjoying the stunning scenery of this amazing World Heritage Site. After a cruise the boat will stop and you can paddle from Titov Beach to Luon Cave after which you can enjoy a well deserved dinner on board. In the evening enjoy an optional night paddle, fishing or partake in some Vietnamese wine. Spend the night onboard.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
03 Feb 10 Halong Bay with Kayaking Day 2
After an early breakfast on the boat continue kayaking in this incredible area from Luon Cave towards the islands of Man’s Head and Tortoise Islands. Return to the boat after your morning paddle to rinse off and enjoy your last lunch aboard as you make your way back to Halong City. Return to Hanoi in a private car, stopping en-route at Dong Trieu Pottery.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Hanova Hotel - 1Double Classic Room
04 Feb 10 Hanoi - Handicraft Village
Enjoy a full day excursion visiting handicrafts villages in the rural outskirts of Hanoi. Bat Trang, 12 km from Hanoi, is a village entirely devoted to pottery making, ceramic production of exquisite dinner ware and vases. Lunch at a local restaurant. Continue visiting Ha Khe and Dong Ky, villages where beautiful hand-carved wooden furniture is made. Then visit Dong Ho village to observe the ancient art of woodblock printing. Return to Hanoi.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Hanova Hotel - 1Double Classic Room
05 Feb 10 Hue - City Tour
Transfer to Noibai airport for your onward flight
You will be met on arrival at Hue and taken to check in at your hotel.
With your guide visit the old capital city, a World Cultural Heritage site. Visit the Royal Tombs of Emperor Khai Dinh and Tu Duc. Enjoy lunch at the local restaurant. In the afternoon take a dragon boat across the triangle of the Perfume River, stop to visit Con Hen Island and Thien Mu Pagoda. Continue to Phu Cat quarter to enjoy the special glutinous cakes of Hue: Banh Me, Banh Nam and Banh Uot.
Your guide will take you to the Ancient House in Hue, a beautiful home with gardens exemplifying the use of Feng Shui in ancient architecture. A noted Hue historian and the owner of the home will give you a personal tour and you can then stay and enjoy a home cooked meal with served in the Ancient House.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Pilgrimage Village - 1Double Villa Deluxe Room
06 Feb 10 Hue - DMZ Tour
With your guide drive to the infamous DMZ, where some of the bloodiest battles were fought during the Vietnam war. In a fascinating day visit the Vinh Moc Tunnels kept as a monument to the determination of the Vietnamese to continue living in their traditional village areas. Whole villages moved underground and lived in these tunnels and caverns. Stop at a small church showing the signs of mortar attack in the area and visit US Bases kept as museums containing photographs and memorials of the war. Cross the Ben Hai River, used to demarcate the division between North and South Vietnam.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Pilgrimage Village - 1Double Villa Deluxe Room
07 Feb 10 Hue - Danang - HoiAn
After breakfast drive to Danang where you will visit the Cham Museum, which has the finest collection of Cham sculpture in the world. Also visit the famous Marble Mountain and then have lunch at a restaurant overlooking the river. In the afternoon drive to HoiAn, a picturesque riverside town 30 km south of Danang that was one of South East Asia’s major international ports during the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries. Have dinner at a HoiAn restaurant specializing in HoiAn delicacies like White Rose.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Vinh Hung I Hotel - 1Double Suite Room
08 Feb 10 HoiAn - City Tour
After breakfast your guide will meet you and take you on a walking tour of HoiAn. Visit the Ancient Town including the beautiful Chua Cau, or roofed bridge, Hoi Quan, the ancient meeting places, some ancestral family homes and some of the lovely and hidden pagodas. Have lunch at a local restaurant and in the afternoon take a boat ride on the Thubon River to visit Thanh Ha, the traditional pottery village and Kim Bong, a famous carpentry village. In the evening return to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Vinh Hung I Hotel - 1Double Suite Room
09 Feb 10 Hoian- Bike ride through countryside
You will head out from your hotel by bicycle stopping to see some of the highlights throughout Old Town Hoi An. You will then head out of town into the countryside. After exploring all morning you will enjoy lunch with the guides family and have traditional food with them, feel free to ask questions and relax, they love to have guests and if you bring some photos from home they would love to hear about your lives as well. Then head back to Hoi An.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Vinh Hung I Hotel - 1Double Suite Room
10 Feb 10 Saigon - City Tour
Drive to Danang where you will transfer to the airport for your onward flight
Arrive in Saigon where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Our guides are the experts so we leave you in their hands to decide what you want to see and do today. There are some great markets if you are in the mood to shop or you can visit some of the museums like the History Museum, or some pagodas, like Thien Hau Pagoda and Jade Emperor Pagoda. A more somber attraction is the War Remnants Museum, a very powerful look at the Vietnam War. Chat with your guide and decide what suits you!
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Majestic Saigon Hotel - 1Double Colonial Saigon River Deluxe Room
11 Feb 10 Day 1 - Mekong Delta Exploration
Your guide will meet you at 8am and you will take a private van to Can Tho, stopping along the way for tea at the bonsai gardens, a bit touristy, but good for the restroom. You can also stop at Dong Tam Snake Farm if you are interested.
Once you reach Cai Be you can take a motorized sampan for a cruise to the floating market and the nearby popcorn cake and rice paper making workshops. The popcorn cake is a favorite of Andrea’s as you can see the entire process and it’s delicious! Have lunch at a garden restaurant including a huge selection of fruit for dessert.
Visit brick and pottery making villages before taking the ferry to a nearby island and driving to Mr Ut’s House, where you will have dinner with the family. Your guide can help with translating, so don’t be shy, you can ask questions about their life and the history of their country.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Victoria Can Tho - 1Double Deluxe Room
12 Feb 10 Day 2 - Mekong Delta to Saigon
Wake up early and enjoy a one hour bicycle ride around the village, stopping to take photos wherever suits you. You will then take a boat to the Cai Rang Floating Markets, a less touristy market that will be bustling this early in the morning.
Have lunch at a local restaurant and in the afternoon return to Saigon. (Please be sure to bring a rain poncho, mosquito repellent and long sleeved shirts and pants for the evening as there are mosquitoes in the area. We also recommend anti malarials for this region).
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Majestic Saigon Hotel - 1Double Colonial Saigon River Deluxe Room
13 Feb 10 Siem Reap - Arrival
You will be picked up and taken to the airport for your flight
You will be met by a Journeys Within representative and taken to Journeys Within Bed & Breakfast.
In the afternoon head to Angkor Wat in an air conditioned car, or if you choose by bike, with your guide. There are several beautiful spots from which to watch the sunset. Discuss with your guide where you would like to be and then relax and enjoy a memorable end to your day at the temples.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Journeys Within B&B
14 Feb 10 Siem Reap - Angkor Thom
Wake up early and head out to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat, then grab a traditional breakfast of noodle soup like the locals do at local stall.
After breakfast head to Angkor Thom, the famous walled city and see the many temples within its borders, including the fascinating Bayon temple with its many magnificent faces smiling out. Walk between the temples as your guide shows you detailed reliefs and hidden wonders.
Visit one of Journeys Within Our Community’s (JWOC’s) free schools to help in an English class. JWOC offers a wide variety of free classes to students who have the desire to learn, but lack the financial means to do so.
Our English program for children and adults welcomes the participation of native English speaking volunteers who play an extremely useful role assisting the teachers with speaking activities, providing a model for students who often have limited opportunity to hear and speak English in their everyday lives. No experience is necessary – your ability to speak English is the only qualification you need to help. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the class starts to meet the teacher and find out what you will be doing.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Journeys Within B&B
15 Feb 10 Siem Reap - Beng Mealea , Banteay Srei and the Ta Prohm
Enjoy breakfast at Journeys Within before leaving the crowds behind and heading to Beng Mealea, a temple only recently opened to the public; about one and a half hours drive from Journeys Within. After an hour you will leave the paved road and get onto a beaten track running through rice fields and villages of rural Cambodia. At the temple our guide will help you imagine how it once was as you pick your way through the rubble now surrounded by jungle.
In the afternoon head to Banteay Srei, an intricately carved temple known as the Lady Temple. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant near Banteay Srei and then on the way back visit Ta Prohm, one of the prettiest temples in the complex.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Journeys Within B&B
16 Feb 10 Siem Reap - Village Tour and The Tonle Sap
Wake up early head to Wat Bo to see the monks during their 5 am chanting. Return to Journeys Within for breakfast.
Set out for our Journeys Within Village Tour. Our village guide will take you to his village showing you rice paddies and typical homes along the way. At his village enjoy a fresh coconut drink and meet his family and neighbors. Walk from here to West Baray Lake where you can take a local boat to an island with some picturesque ancient Khmer ruins. Return to shore where your car will be waiting for you. From here head to Pua District and visit the Artisans de Angkor silk farm where many local women are trained in the art of silk weaving.
After a rest or swim drive through rural Cambodia to the Tonle Sap Lake where you will take a boat ride to visit the floating village and a Cambodian fish farm. As the day ends choose to climb Phnom Krom and see the ancient ruins high on the hill and watch the sun set over the lake and rice fields below or relax and watch the sun disappear below the horizon from your boat on the lake.
Transfer to the airport in time to catch your flight - Bangkok Airways PG910 departing at 20:45 & arriving at 21:40.
Arrive in Bangkok and transfer to Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel which is situated only 300 meters from the Bangkok International Airport. The Hotel operates a 24 hour free shuttle bus service between the terminal and the Hotel. Their shuttle service operates from Gate 4, Level 2 - Arrival Level.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Novotel Suvarnabhumi Hotel
17 Feb 10 Bangkok - Departure
Check out of the hotel and catch the Shuttle to the airport for your flight
Meals included: Breakfast