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Experience the excitement of the Thai capital, Bangkok. See the River Kwai, the vast serenity of Angkor Wat, and the palaces and museums of Phnom Penh. You'll also drift through the exquisite waterways of the Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City - formerly and famously Saigon - on this wonderful tour of South East Asia.
Highlights
- Bangkok's Buddhas, palaces and monuments
- A visit to the floating market at Cai Rang
- Cruising across the 'Great Lake' of Tonle Sap
- A visit to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon)
- A scenic journey to the Cambodian border and French colonial Battambang
- Two full days at Siem Reap, including a visit to the temple complex of Angkor Wat
- A tour around the evocative Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh
- A journey along the mighty Mekong River by fast passenger boat
- A chance to see the infamous Cu Chi tunnel complex, a former Viet Cong hideaway
- Two days to explore the multicultural city of Singapore
Inclusions
- 15 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation at a series of four-star hotels in Bangkok (3 nights), Battambang (1), Siem Reap (3), Phnom Penh (1), Chaudoc (1), Cantho (1), Ho Chi Minh City (2) and Singapore (3)
- Six lunches and eight dinners
- Return flights from the UK to Bangkok (via Singapore), returning from Singapore
- Comfortable, air-conditioned coach and boat travel and transfers
- All included tours detailed in the itinerary
- The services of a friendly, experienced Tour Manager
Day 1
Begin your holiday with an overnight flight to Bangkok via Singapore.
Day 2
Arrive in Bangkok, meet your Tour Manager and transfer to your hotel. Spend your afternoon relaxing and enjoying the hotel's facilities, or head out to begin exploring the city. This evening, why not round off your day by joining your fellow travellers for a traditional Thai dinner? Watch a performance of typical Thai dancing as you enjoy your meal, and celebrate the first of your three nights in the city.
Day 3
Immerse yourself in Thai culture, today, on our included excursion to the floating markets at Damnoen Saduak. Watch as the locals buy fresh produce from the traders on the boats, then head back into Bangkok for a guided tour. See Rattanakosin Island, the royal island on the bank of the River Kwai, and visit the Grand Palace and the adjoining Wat Phra Kaew temple, as well as the Wat Pho temple - home to the gigantic figure of the Reclining Buddha. You'll also see the ornate five-and-a-half-ton Golden Buddha at Chinatown's Wat Traimit temple.
Day 4
Relax in Bangkok, or perhaps join today's optional River Kwai and the Death Railway excursion. Travel by train, through a fascinating landscape of rice fields and sugar-cane plantations and into the Thai jungle, to Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi. Enjoy lunch, and visit Kanchanaburi's beautifully-tended war cemeteries as well as the various museums connected with this area's tragic WWII history, the construction of the Death Railway and the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai.
Day 5
You'll have an early start to make the most of the day, this morning, as we travel through the unspoilt rural landscape to the border where you'll cross into Cambodia at Psar Phrum. Formalities completed, you'll begin the second part of your adventure with the short journey to the elegant French colonial city of Battambang.
Day 6
Today you travel to Wat Ek Phnom, a pre Angkor Period temple situated on the banks of the Sandker River. Later, enjoy a ride on a Bamboo Train through the Battambang countryside before continuing to the colourful market town of Siem Reap, home to the archaeological Angkor National Museum, and your gateway to the incredible temple complex of Angkor Thom.
Day 7
This morning, you'll journey across Tonle Sap, South East Asia's Great Lake, and see the villages built entirely on stilts that are home to the floating communities whose livelihoods depend on the lake's waters. An afternoon visit to the Angkor National Museum, to see its collection of sculptures, stonework and other priceless artefacts, rounds of a fascinating day.
Day 8
Discover the four vast stone heads and countless carved faces of the Bayon, which stands in the heart of the 'lost city' of Angkor Thom, today. Angkor Thom was the greatest citadel of the Khmer Empire that ruled half of South East Asia for nearly 600 years, and its ruined boulevards and gateways cover a vast area to the north of Siem Reap. And yet it is not the highlight of this landscape littered with great ruins. That title goes to Angkor Wat. The world's largest religious building, with its five great towers and 1000-metre-long carved bas-relief, is dazzling and unforgettable. Expect to return to your hotel awed and amazed by everything you've seen.
Day 9
Travel to the evocative Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, set on the banks of the Mekong River, where you'll take an introductory afternoon's guided tour that includes The Royal Palace, and its Silver Pagoda of priceless Buddhist artefacts. This evening, you'll have dinner at Phnom Penh's famous, riverside Foreign Correspondents' Club.
Day 10
Spend a thought-provoking morning at the Tuol Sleng Museum, which chronicles the Pol Pot years and the reign of the Khmer Rouge.
Afterwards, you'll have the opportunity to visit the Wat Phnom Temple before you board the fast boat along the Mekong River to feel the wind on your face on a thrilling boat ride into Vietnam.
Day 11
Your day begins with a visit to the holy mountain of Nui Sam. Studded with pagodas and temples, the mountain offers visitors stunning views over the Mekong Delta (which you'll be heading towards today). You'll stay overnight in the university town of Can Tho, with its colourful floating markets, busy working harbour and sacred Khmer pagoda: Muniwangsyaram.
Day 12
Brilliantly coloured orchards, lush forests and traditional rice fields criss-crossed by a network of small tributaries: this is the unmistakable landscape of the Mekong Delta. Today, you'll enjoy a boat ride to the floating markets of Cai Rang and Cai Be, and visit the delta town of Vinh Long.
By evening, you'll arrive in Ho Chi Minh City for a two-night stay.
Day 13
The remarkable Cu Chi tunnel complex provides a poignant reminder of the country's recent history. This 200 km underground labyrinth was used by the Viet Cong as a base, and now serves as a national memorial for those who lost their lives in the conflict.
Back in Ho Chi Minh City a guided tour will reveal its fascinating mix of French colonial history and modern Vietnamese life. You'll see the grand General Post Office, the Reunification Hall on the site of the former President's Palace, the Xa Loi Pagoda with its bronze Buddha, and (time permitting) the War Remnants Museum.
Your day ends with a celebratory farewell dinner: the perfect opportunity to look back on your holiday and relive the many highlights with your travelling companions (and new-found friends).
Day 14
Spend your final morning and afternoon exploring Ho Chi Minh City, before you transfer to the airport for your flight to Singapore.
Days 15-17
Extend your Asia adventure a little more, and spend three nights in multicultural Singapore. Your Singapore stay includes bed and breakfast accommodation, and a captivating half-day city tour that includes a visit to Singapore’s Botanical Gardens. At the end of your stay you'll be transferred back to Singapore airport to catch your overnight flight home.
Day 18
You'll touch down in the UK, today, after an unforgettable tour of South East Asia.
