 FROM
ANGKOR WAT TO HA LONG BAY
A cultural tour of Cambodia & Vietnam The histories of Cambodia and Vietnam have influenced each other for many generations. Our two-week program covers the best of these two Indochina countries from the Angkorian era to the French and beyond. This journey is one of artistically designed temples, lush scenery and landscape, markets, sounds, music, the scent of the Perfume River and, above all, friendly and sociable people. There can be no doubt, this is a distinct world.
Day
01 Wednesday: Arrive Phnom Penh (CAMBODIA)
Sohm swaakohm! (Welcome in Khmer) Phnom Penh is located
at the confluence of the beautiful Mekong, Bassac and
Tonle Sap rivers and is considered the loveliest of the
French-built cities of Indochina. It was founded as a
small monastery in 1372 by a rich Khmer woman named Penh
after she found four Buddha statues and set up a monastery
at a nearby hill or “Phnom”. We visit Wat
Phnom temple, where the first pagoda was built and Wat
Ounalom which was built in 1443 to house a single hair
of Buddha and is comprised of 44 structures facing the
Silver Pagoda. Next is the National Museum containing
a fine collection of Khmer art including a beautiful
6th century bronze statue of Vishnu. The Tuol Sleng Museum
(Museum of Genocide), became the Khmer Rouge’s
main torture was known as Security Prison 21. We culminate
the day with a visit to the Central Market, distinguished
by its central dome and filled with shops selling jewelry,
fabrics and all kinds of souvenirs making it a great
place for shopping.
Overnight: Sunway Hotel, Phnom Penh (1 night)
Day 02 Thursday: Phnom Penh/Siem Reap (Flight)
This morning we take a short flight to Siem
Reap where we tour the majestic Angkor Wat,
a temple that was constructed over a period
of 30 years and illustrates some of the most
exquisite examples of Khmer and Hindu art.
In 1992, the monuments and the city of Angkor
were declared a World Heritage Site. Our
next stop is at the Angkor Thom, a fortified
Royal City (10 square kilometers/4 square
miles) encircled by a moat 100 metres/109
yards wide with five monumental gates. In
the center of the walled city are the most
important monuments including the Baphuon,
the Terrace of Elephants and the Bayon -
Jayavarman VII’s temple mount standing
at the center of Angkor Thom. This is one
of the most popular and interesting of Angkor’s
monuments with its narrow corridors, steep
flights of stairs and an amazing collection
of towers.
Overnight: Angkor Century Hotel, Siem Reap
(2 nights) (B)
 Day
03 Friday: Siem Reap
We spend another day at Siem Reap and visit
more interesting sites. Banteay Srei, built
late in the 10th century, is a square Hindu
temple with entrances on the east and west.
We also visit the three central towers decorated
with male and female divinities and beautiful
filigree relief work. Banteay Samre, Ta Keo
and Ta Prohm. One of the most popular attractions
of Angkor, Ta Prohm looks very much as most
of the Angkor monuments would have appeared
when European explorers first stumbled across
the site. Pre Rup and Eastern Mebon wrap-up
an extraordinary day of sightseeing. (B)
Day 04 Saturday: Siem Reap/Saigon (VIETNAM)
(Flight)
Chào ban! (Welcome in Vietnamese)
Upon arrival to one of Vietnams largest cities
we are met and transferred to our hotel.
Overnight: Majestic Hotel, Saigon (3 nights)
(B)
Day 05 Sunday: Saigon
We have a whole day to explore
some of the most interesting
sites, including the beautiful
neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral,
the Central Post Office, the
Opera House also known as “Saigon
Concert Hall’, the Jade
Emperor Pagoda with its colorful
and mysterious ambiance, the
Reunification Palace and Ben
Thanh Market. We also visit the
Giam Lam Pagoda built at the
end of the 17th century and the
oldest pagoda in Saigon, Binh
Tay Market, and finally the Thien
Hau Pagoda, one of the most active
in Cholon. (B)
Day 06 Monday: Saigon
Today we take an
interesting excursion
to My Tho, the capital
of Tien Giang Province.
The economy of My
Tho is based on fishing
and the cultivation
of rice, coconuts,
bananas, mangos,
longans and citrus
fruits. We have the
opportunity to visit
the centuries-old
My Tho Church and
experience the Central
Market, filled with
stalls selling everything
from fresh food and
bulk tobacco to boat
propellers. Cao Dai
Temple in the Long
An Province, is a
smaller temple than
the one at Tay Ninh,
but is well worth
a visit. The Vinh
Trang Pagoda is a
beautiful and well-maintained
sanctuary where charitable
monks provide a home
to needy children.
Finally, we visit
Dragon Island with
its many longan orchards
and lush, palm-fringed
shores lined with
traditional wooden
fishing boats. (B)
The above tour/excursion
may be substituted
for Cu Chi & Tay
Ninh.
 Day
07 Tuesday: Saigon/Dalat
(Drive 298 kms/185
miles)
This morning we journey
northeast for Dalat.
En Route we have
the opportunity to
stop at Dambri Falls,
the highest falls
in Vietnam, where
the views are breathtaking.
This area is inhabited
chiefly by Montagnards.
We also stop at Pongour
Falls that, during
the rainy season,
form a full semicircle.
Next on our journey
is Langa Lake, a
reservoir that is
crossed by a bridge
and is residence
to many floating
houses. Finally we
explore Dinh Quan,
where we will find
3 inactive volcanic
craters dating from
the late Jurassic
period.
Overnight: Novotel
Hotel, Dalat (1 night)
(B)
Day 08
Wednesday:
Dalat/Nha
Trang
(Drive
213 kms/132
miles)
Today
is our
day to
tour
Dalat
beginning
with
the Hang
Nga Art
Gallery,
a café and
art gallery
run by
the gallery's
eccentric
owner.
The French
District
is a
delightful
area
for walking
around,
and is
reminiscent
of a
French
provincial
town.
Next
we are
off to
Cam Ly
Falls,
the grassy
areas
around
the 15m/16
yard-high
cascades
are the
habitat
of horses
and Dalat
cowboys.
The Valley
Of Love
was named
the Valley
of Peace
by the
Emperor;
however
in 1972
its name
was changed
by romantically-minded
students.
Dalat
Cathedral
was built
between
1931
and 1942
for use
by French
residents
and holidaymakers
and features
stained-glass
windows
that
put us
in medieval
Europe.
Domaine
De Marie
Convent
is a
pink
tile-roofed
structure
and was
once
home
to 300
nuns.
Thien
Vuong
Pagoda,
also
known
as the
Chinese
pagoda
is set
on a
hilltop
amid
pine
trees.
Later
this
afternoon
we depart
for Nha
Trang,
the home
of tens
of thousands
of descendents
of the
Cham
people.
Overnight: Lodge
Hotel,
Nha Trang
(2 nights)
(B)
 Day
09 Thursday:
Nha Trang
This
day is
full
of interesting
sites!
The Po
Nagar
Cham
Towers,
built
between
the 7th
and 12th
centuries,
were
used
for Hindu
worship
as early
as the
2nd century
AD. The
Oceanographic
Institute
has an
aquarium
and specimen
room
open
to the
public.
Next
we are
off to
the Lang
Son Pagoda,
with
an exquisite
entrance
and roofs
decorated
with
mosaic
dragons.
At the
top of
the hill,
behind
the pagoda,
is the
huge
white
Buddha
seated
on a
lotus
blossom.
Nha Trang
Cathedral,
built
in the
French
Gothic
style,
stands
on a
small
hill
overlooking
the train
station.
The Bao
Dai Villas,
formerly
the retreat
of Bao
Dai Vietnam's
last
emperor,
were
used
by high-ranking
officials
of the
South
Vietnamese
government.
(B)
Day
10 Friday: Nha Trang/Danang/Hoi
An (Flight/Drive 30 kms/18
miles)
We
are transferred to the
airport for a short flight
to Danang where we start
our tour with the Cham
Museum. Founded in 1915
by the Ecole Francaise
d'Extreme Orient, it has
the finest open-air collection
of Cham sculptures in the
world. China Beach, made
famous in the American
TV series of the same name,
stretches north and south
of the Marble Mountains.
The Marble Mountains consist
of 5 stone hillocks made
of marble and each is said
to represent one of the
five elements of the universe.
The largest and most famous,
Thuy Son, has a number
of natural caves, in which
Buddhist sanctuaries have
been built over the centuries.
We continue to Hoi An,
a picturesque riverside
town south of Danang. Known
as Faifo to early western
traders, it was one of
South East Asia's major
international ports from
the 17th to 19th centuries.
Overnight:
Hoi An Beach Resort, Hoi
An (2 nights) (B)
Day
11 Saturday: Hoi An
A
full day visiting the many
interesting sites of Hoi
An, including Quan Cong
Temple, founded in 1653.
The Phuoc Kien Pagoda is
a typical example of the
Chinese 'clans' that were
established in the Hoi
An area, was built around
1690. The Japanese Covered
Bridge, constructed in
1593 was built by the Japanese
community of Hoi An, to
link them with the Chinese
quarters across the river.
The Sa Huynh Museum contains
exhibitions from the earliest
period of Hoi An's history.
Finally we visit the Phung
Hung House, a structure
that combines Vietnamese,
Japanese and Chinese architectural
styles and has been the
home to one family for
eight generations. (B)
 Day
12 Sunday: Hoi An/Hue (Drive
132 kms/82 miles)
A
scenic drive to Hue begins
this day. Upon arrival,
our afternoon tour includes
the 19th Century Imperial
City that was for a long
time the cultural and intellectual
center of Vietnam. Our
tour includes the Citadel
that was built in the early
19th century and modeled
after the Forbidden City
in Peking. Ngo Mon Gate
is the principal entrance
to the Imperial Enclosure
and faces the Flag Tower.
The Forbidden Purple City
was reserved for the personal
use of the emperor and
the only servants allowed
into the compound were
eunuchs. Evening is free
to mix and mingle with
the local Hue people.
Overnight:
Saigon Morin Hotel, Hue
(2 nights) (B)
Day
13 Monday:
Hue
A
jaunt to Tu
Duc Tomb, once
the Royal Palace
of Tu Duc,
begins our
day’s
tour. Constructed
between 1864
and 1867, its
pavilions are
framed in a
tranquil setting
of forested
hills and lakes.
The Khai Dinh
Tomb, the last
monument of
the Nguyen
dynasty, sits
magnificently
on the slopes
of Chau E Mountain
in Chau Chau
Village and
houses a long
staircase flanked
by dragons
and decorated
with stunning
ceiling murals
and ceramic
frescoes. Located
just outside
of Hue on the
bank of the
Perfume River,
Thien Mu Pagoda
was a hotbed
of anti-government
protests during
the early 1960s.
The Emperor
Minh Mang Tomb
complex built
in 1840 is
known for its
magnificent
architecture,
military statuaries
and elaborate
decorations.
It is perhaps
the most beautiful
of Hue's pagodas
and tombs,
a fitting end
to a spectacular
day. (B)
Day
14
Tuesday:
Hue/Hanoi
(Flight)
Morning
free
at
leisure
till
we
are
transferred
for
our
short
flight
to
Hanoi,
a
city
of
lakes.
Hanoi,
the
capital
of
Vietnam,
is
a
charming
city
of
peaceful
shaded
boulevards,
French
style
buildings
and
public
parks.
Balance
of
the
day
at
leisure.
Overnight:
Sunway
Hotel,
Hanoi
(3
nights)
(B)
 Day
15
Wednesday:
Hanoi
The
first
of
our
two
full
day
of
Hanoi
sightseeing
includes
the
One
Pillar
Pagoda
built
by
the
Emperor
Ly
Thai
Tong.
Built
of
wood
on
a
single
stone
pillar,
this
structure
was
designed
to
resemble
a
lotus
blossom.
Hoan
Kiem
Lake
is
located
in
the
heart
of
Hanoi
and
is
home
to
a
small
Tortoise
Pagoda
topped
with
a
red
star
perched
on
an
islet
in
the
middle
of
the
lake.
The
Ho
Chi
Minh
Mausoleum
is
the
final
resting
place
of
Ho
Chi
Minh,
Vietnam’s
great
leader
of
independence.
Our
journey
today
concludes
with
a
visit
to
St
Joseph
Cathedral,
a
striking
neo-Gothic
cathedral
noteworthy
for
its
square
towers,
elaborate
altar
and
colourful
stained-glass
windows.
(B)
Day
16
Thursday:
Hanoi
Our
excursion
to
Ha
Long
Bay
includes
a
boat
ride
to
Hang
Dau
Go,
a
huge
cave
consisting
of
three
chambers
that
are
reached
climbing
90
steps.
The
cave
derives
its
Vietnamese
name
from
the
third
of
the
chambers,
which
is
said
to
have
been
used
by
Tran
Hung
Dao
during
the
13th
century
to
store
bamboo
stakes
that
were
used
against
Mongol
invaders.
Bo
Nau
is
the
'Pelican'
cave
of
interest.
Thien
Cung
is "Heaven
Palace".
(B)
Day
17
Friday:
Depart
Hanoi
This
morning
we
depart
Vietnam
having
filled
our
senses
with
the
rich
offerings
of
this
historic
and
artistically
rich
country. (B)
 Departure Dates | | 2008
English Speaking Departures
Jan 02 & 30, Feb 27, Mar 05 & 19, Apr 02 & 16, May 07 & 21, Jun 04 & 18, Jul 02 & 16, Aug 06 & 20, Sep 10 & 24, Oct 08 & 22, Nov 05 & 19, Dec 03 & 17
| Inclusions | | Tour Price Includes | Tour Price Does Not Include | | Hotel
Accommodation as mentioned or similar | International Airfare | | Meal
Plan as mentioned (B=Breakfast) |
Departure Taxes | | Regional/Domestic Air/Trainfare: Phnom Penh/Siem Reap, Siem Reap/Saigon, Nha-Trang/Danang and Hue/Hano |
Insurances
/ Visa Fees |
| All Sightseeing and Transfers | Drinks/Beverages
with meals | | Entrance Fees to Museums and Sites | Tips/Gratuities
to Drivers & Guides | | Services
of local English speaking guide | | | Tour Price | | We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download  Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf
Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat. | | Departure | Double Occupancy | Single Room Supplement |
| 2008 |
US
$ 2880 • CA $ 2880 |
US
$ 795 • CA $ 795 |
| Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour | | Canada - West Coast | CA $ 1500 | USA - West Coast | US $ 1200 | | Canada - East Coast | CA $ 1800 | USA - East Coast | US $ 1400 | | | | |
