DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1    Phnom Penh
Arrival in Phnom Penh. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Day 2     Phnom Penh
TCambodia’s capital sits at the confluence of the Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap rivers. Considered the loveliest of the French-built cities of Indochina, it was founded as a small monastery in 1372 by a rich Khmer woman called Penh after she found four Buddha statues in a tree trunk on the banks of the Mekong. She set up the monastery on a nearby hill – or ‘phnom’ in Cambodian. Your sightseeing has the following highlights: WAT PHNOM: a temple and location of the first pagoda on this site built in 1372 by ‘Penh’ to house the four Buddha statues found on the banks of the Mekong. It is the only hill (27 meters) in the capital. WAT OUNALOM: a very important wat comprising 44 structures facing the Tonle Sap Lake and built in 1443 to house a hair of the Buddha. ROYAL PALACE AND SILVER PAGODA: the royal palace stands on the site of the former citadel, Bantey Kev (built in 1813). Visitors are not allowed in some portions of the grounds, as the palace is the official residence of King Sihanouk. The silver pagoda is often called the Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Preah Kaeo after the statue housed there. The wooden temple was originally built by King Norodom in 1892 and inside, its floor is comprised of more than 5000 silver blocks which together weigh nearly 6 tons. NATIONAL MUSEUM: designed by a French archeologist and painter, George Groslier, in Khmer style in 1920 to exhibit works previously scattered throughout the country. It contains a collection of Khmer art including the beautiful 6th century bronze statue of Vishnu. TUOL SLENG MUSEUM (Museum of Genocide): formerly the Tuol Svay Prey High School, in 1975 it became the Khmer Rouge’s main torture and interrogation center. It was known as Security Prison 21 – or just S-21. CENTRAL MARKET: a covered market distinguished by its central dome (built in 1937). It is filled with shops selling jewelry, fabrics and all kinds of souvenirs. A great place for browsing. Overnight in Phnom Penh. (B)

Day 3     Phnom Penh
Excursion to Killing Fields. THE KILLING FIELDS OF CHOEUNG EK: people tortured in the S-21 prison (a former school taken over in 1975 by the Khmer Rouge and turned into a torture chamber) were brought here to be executed. Many mass graves were found in this area. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Phnom Penh. (B)

Day 4     Phnom Penh - Saigon
Transfer to the airport. Flight from Phnom Penh to Saigon. Arrival in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), the largest of Vietnamese cities, with the hustle and bustle of Vietnamese life visible everywhere. There are street markets, sidewalk cafes and sleek new bars. The city churns and bubbles. Yet within this teeming metropolis are 300 years of timeless traditions and the beauty of an ancient culture. To the west of the city is District 5, the huge Chinese neighborhood called Cholon, which means 'Big Market'. Transfer to the hotel and full day sightseeing in Saigon and Cholon (Chinatown). Highlights: NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL: built between 1877 and 1883 and set in the heart of Saigon's government quarter. It has a neo-Romanesque form and two high square towers, tipped with iron spires. In front of the cathedral is a statue of the Virgin Mary. CENTRAL POST OFFICE: a French-style building with a glass canopy and iron frame, situated next to the Notre Dame Cathedral. The structure was built between 1886 and 1891 and is by far the largest post office in Vietnam. CITY HALL: completed in 1908, also known as “Hotel de Ville”, and located at the northern end of Nguyen Hue Boulevard. With its ornate gingerbread façade, it looks like the town hall of a French town. (May be viewed from the outside only). OPERA HOUSE: built around the turn of the century and first renovated in the 1940s, the building housed the lower division of the National Assembly. Today it is a Municipal Theatre and also known as the Saigon Concert Hall. (May be viewed from the outside only). JADE EMPEROR PAGODA: was a key meeting place for Chinese secret societies. It has very colorful and mysterious ambience. REUNIFICATION PALACE: this was the Independence Palace of the South Vietnamese president and was stormed by tanks on 30 April 1975, signifying the fall of South Vietnam. It has been preserved in its original state. WAR REMNANTS MUSEUM: collections of weapons and photographs from two Indochina wars are exhibited along with the original French 'Guillotine' brought here in the early 20th century. BEN THANH MARKET: the central market of Saigon, its surrounding streets make up one of the city's liveliest areas. Everything commonly eaten, worn or used by the average resident of Saigon is available here. GIAC LAM PAGODA: the oldest pagoda in Saigon, built at the end of the 17th century. Because the last reconstruction here was in 1900, the architecture, layout and ornamentation remain almost unaltered by the modernist renovations that have transformed so many other religious structures in Vietnam. Ten monks live in this pagoda, which also incorporates aspects of Taoism and Confucianism. BINH TAY MARKET: Cholon's main marketplace, much of the business conducted here is wholesale. THIEN HAU PAGODA: built by the Cantonese congregation in the early 19th century. The pagoda is one of the most active in Cholon and is dedicated to Thien Hau. It is said that she can travel over the oceans on a mat and ride the clouds to wherever she pleases. Overnight in Saigon. (B)

Day 5     Saigon
Excursion to Cu Chi Tunnels and Tay Ninh. Cu Chi was an important base during the American War, because of its strategic location. The Vietcong built a 200km long network of tunnels connecting command posts, hospitals, shelter and weapon factories. Dug out of hard laterite by hand tools without the use of cement, this amazing network was never discovered. Tay Ninh serves as the headquarters of one of Vietnam's religions, Caodism. The Caodai Great Temple at the sect's Holy See is one of the most striking structures in all of Asia and was built between 1933 and 1955. The area's dominant geographic feature is Nui Ba Den (Black Lady Mountain), which towers 850m above the surrounding plains. Please note that shortly before and during the annual TET festival (Vietnamese New Year) the daily ceremony of the priests in Tay Ninh may be cancelled without prior notice. Overnight in Saigon. (B)

Day 6     Saigon
Excursion to My Tho, capital of Tien Giang Province. The economy is based on fishing and the cultivation of rice, coconuts, bananas, mangoes, longans and citrus fruit, with boat trip on the Mekong. The Mekong Delta is the southernmost region of Vietnam, formed by sediment deposited by the Mekong River. Silt deposits extend the delta shoreline at the mouth of the river by as much as 79m per year. The area is known as Vietnam's 'bread basket' and produces the rice which feeds the entire country. Visit one or two of the islands with traditional handcrafts, bee farms and coconut candy production. Highlights: DRAGON ISLAND: the island has many longan orchards which can be visited and the lush, palm fringed shores of the island are lined with wooden fishing boats. PHOENIX ISLAND: until his imprisonment and the consequent dispersion of his flock, the coconut Monk (Ong Dao Dua) led a small community on this island. VINH TRANG PAGODA: a beautiful and well maintained sanctuary, this is the oldest pagoda in the delta. The charitable monks here provide a home to orphans, disabled and other needy children. Overnight in Saigon. (B)

Day 7     Saigon - Hanoi
Transfer to the airport. Flight from Saigon to Hanoi. Transfer to the hotel. Sightseeing in Hanoi (full day). Hanoi, a city of lakes, shaded boulevards and public parks, is the capital of Vietnam. It is a very attractive city with French style buildings and less traffic than other cities in Asia. Highlights: ONE PILLAR PAGODA: built by the Emperor Ly Thai Tong, who ruled from 1028 to 1054. Constructed of wood on a single stone pillar, it is designed to resemble a lotus blossom. TEMPLE OF LITERATURE: founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, who dedicated it to Confucius in order to honor scholars and men of literary accomplishment. HOAN KIEM LAKE: right in the heart of Hanoi, this lake contains an islet with the tiny Tortoise Pagoda, topped with a red star. HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM: in the tradition of Lenin and Stalin before him and Mao after him, the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh is a glass sarcophagus set deep in the bowels of a monumental edifice that has become a site of pilgrimage. (Closed Mondays and Fridays). OPERA HOUSE: a magnificent 900-seat opera house built in 1911. (May be viewed from the outside only). ST JOSEPH CATHEDRAL: a neo-Gothic cathedral finished in 1886, it is noteworthy for its square towers, elaborate altar and stained-glass windows. BAO TANG LICH: once the museum of the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient, is a building constructed of reinforced concrete completed in 1930. Exhibits include artefacts from Vietnam's turbulent history including some from prehistory, proto-Vietnamese civilisations, the Dong Son culture, the Oc-Eo culture and the Khmer Kingdoms. Overnight in Hano. (B)

Day 8     Hanoi
Excursion to Chua Thay and Chua Tay Phuong Pagoda. The Master's Pagoda, also known as Heavenly Blessing, is dedicated to Thich Ca Buddha. Eighteen arhats appear on the central altar. Water puppet shows are performed on a small stage which is raised on stilts above a pond. Tay Phuong Pagoda consists of three parallel single-level structures built on a hillock said to resemble a buffalo. Seventy-six figures carved from jackfruit wood, many from the 18th century, are the pagoda's most celebrated feature. Overnight in Hanoi. (B)

Day 9     Hanoi/ Depart
Transfer to the airport - End of services. (B)

Included:

• Accommodation and meals as described (please note that some hotels provide only CBF)
• All transfers within the journey, including pick-up at airport
• Economy class flights
• All entrance fees
• English, French or German speaking guides (other languages available upon request)
• Visa-approval letter for Vietnam

Not Included:

• Visa fees and Airport taxes
• Tips and expenditure of a personal nature, such as drinks, souvenirs and laundry etc.
• Other tours & meals not mentioned in the program

+ During peak periods, this hotel applies a surcharge not included in this quotation. Such surcharge will be added to the quote at time of confirmation!.