Hanoi is a green city with its stylish French villas; it still exudes that old French charm and style. Its tree-lined boulevards, romantic lakes and French architecture allow us to step back in time to a quieter, more relaxed Vietnam. We visit the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and Ho’s simple, yet impressive house on stilts, set in beautiful gardens. Then we view the One Pillar Pagoda and the ancient Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university. In the afternoon we visit the Ethnological Museum, one of the most interesting in Hanoi and then take an hour cyclo tour to discover the heart of Hanoi - the bustling Old Quarter – where the narrow streets buzz and bustle with the life of city. It is a shopper’s delight, with beautiful silks, linen, and Vietnamese artifacts. To finish off the day, we attend the performance of the famous Vietnamese water puppetry.

Overnight at Hotel in Hanoi.

This morning, we leave Hanoi by road for Ha Long Bay by shuttle bus from the cruise, enjoying the timeless scenery of rice fields, water buffalo and daily life of the countryside. On arrival in Ha Long, we board a beautifully appointed wooden junk. A seafood lunch will be served as we cruise among the hundreds of islets in the Bay. Our cruise takes us to Sung Sot cave to witness a splendid sunset.

Overnight on boat.

Early morning coffee and tea will be served on the sundeck followed by a Tai Chi class. We continue exploring magnificent Ha Long Bay. Change to a small motor or rowing boat to see the floating village. When we return to the junk, a sumptuous meal, combining Vietnamese and Western cuisine will be served. On leaving the cruise, we depart back to Hanoi by shuttle bus.

Transfer directly to Hanoi airport for our flight to Saigon. Upon arrival at Saigon, we met our guide and transfer to hotel for check in.

Overnight at Saigon.

After breakfast, our tour guide will meet you at the lobby of the hotel then we leave Ho Chi Minh City behind and head to Vietnam's rice basket, the Mekong Delta. We will pass through idyllic, rural scenes until we arrive at My Tho, a peaceful town on the bank of the Mekong River, where we will visit VinhTrang Pagoda. Next we will have a boat ride on the Mekong, visit local homes and orchards, a coconut candy workshop, a honeybee farm, take a sampan ride on palm-shaded creeks, try a taste of season fruit and honey tea and enjoy a performance of traditional Southern singing. We return to Ho Chi Minh City about 5pm.

Overnight in Saigon.

We pass the now-demolished wartime American Embassy before we visit the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975, and some French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Sai Gon Post Office. After seeing the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnant Museum, we continue our trip on to the bustling Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is for sale.

Transfer directly to Saigon airport for our flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival Siem Reap airport, we meet our guide and transfer to hotel for check in.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

We drive to Angkor Thom that was the masterpiece of King Jayavarman VII. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, the new king decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire. We begin to visit Bayon Temple. At the exact center of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king. From there, we walk to Baphuon temple, once of the most beautiful temples at Angkor, dating from the reign of Uditayavarman 1 in the 11th century. We continue to visit Terrace of the Leper King. Along the Terrace of Elephants, originally used as a viewing gallery for the king to preside over parades, performances and traditional sports. We continue to Ta Prohm `Tomb Raider` fame. Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history. We journey out to the Mother of all temples, Angkor Wat. Believed to be the world's largest religious building, this temple is the perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry and a source of pride and strength to all Khmers.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

We’ll escape the heat of the city by driving 48kms North of Siem Reap to visit the holy Kulen Mountains, also referred to as Phnom Kulen (“Mountain of the Lychees”) by locals. The sandstone from this mountain was the main supplier of construction materials for the Angkor Kingdom. We’ll stop at the sacred site of The River of a Thousand Lingas, which features hundreds of lingas carved in the sandstone bed of the river, which date back to the 9th century. Further downstream, large blocks of stone, also under water, are carved with Apsaras dancers and Vishnu figures. Next on the agenda is a wander around the mountain-top pagoda which is home to relics, statues and a large reclining Buddha. The last mountain stop will be Kulen Waterfall, featuring a natural pool which is the perfect place to cool off on a hot day and a great picnic spot too, so that’s what we’ll do. On the way back to Siem Reap we’ll pay a visit to local villages make palm sugar.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

We will enjoy a boat ride on the Tonle Sap Lake. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South East Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see a fishermen's ``floating village`` with floating schools, floating police station, etc. It is same as a big village floating on the lake, and the ``village`` move from place to place following water levels and current. Transfer to SIEM REAP airport for departure to next destination. It’s time to say goodbye, we thank you for traveling with us and warmly welcome you to come again.<br />