9-DAY TOUR

Day 1 - Siem Reap

Welcome to Cambodia. Upon arrival in Siem Reap obtain your Cambodian visa, if you haven’t already. You will meet your private driver and guide for your transfer to the hotel. Enjoy the remainder of the day at your own leisure.

**Accommodation: **Park Hyatt

**Day 2 - Siem Reap **

This morning after breakfast meet your private English speaking guide and driver for a full day of temple touring. The Angkor Archaeological Park is visually, architecturally, and artistically breathtaking and one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia if not the world. Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area, the park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. You could spend weeks exploring the ruins, but on this day tour, you will have a chance to see all the highlights.

You will start with a visit to the South Gate of Angkor Thom where you can take a quiet optional walk along the wall and through the jungle to a hidden temple. Then visit the temples of Bayon, Baphoun and Terrace of Elephants and Leper King. Take a break with a local lunch at Mahob Restaurant. After lunch, you will visit Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is one of mankind’s greatest achievements, and the intricate carvings at the temple of Angkor Wat demonstrate the skill of the Khmer builders. It was constructed in the jungle in the early 12th century, then - two centuries later - was mysteriously abandoned by the Khmer civilization. Continue to the fabulous jungle temple of Ta Phrom. Finish the day with an unforgettable sunset at Srah Srang.

**Accommodation: **Park Hyatt

**Meals: **Breakfast & Lunch

Day 3 - Siem Reap

Rise very early this morning for a special experience as you join local Buddhist monks for chanting and meditation.

Head back to the hotel for breakfast before departing to Treak Village for your cooking class. The cooking classes are fun, informative, hands-on and include individual workstations. You will learn to make such delicacies as mango salad and fish amok in a beautifully restored traditional Khmer house surrounded by endless rice fields and sugar palm trees. The day will also include a visit to a local family to learn about cooking in a traditional household, food customs and superstitions.

After eating your creations for lunch, continue to Banteay Srey temple which for many years was off limits due to its remote location and Khmer Rouge activity. Built in the late 10th century and dedicated to Shiva, Banteay Srey’s pink limestone walls contain the best bas-reliefs of any temple at Angkor.

**Accommodation: **Park Hyatt

**Meals: **Breakfast & Lunch

Day 4 - Mekong River - Phnom Penh

This morning you transfer to the airport for your flight to Phnom Penh. On arrival, you are met and transferred to the port for your cruise. Check into your three-storey, five-star Aqua Mekong abode.

Welcome aboard. You’ll leave you to settle into your floating retreat, with its window wall opening onto an endlessly captivating panorama. Enjoy these private Aqua Mekong moments on your California king bed, terrace or daybed.

Celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of this mighty river with a Khmer Apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialised on the temple walls at Angkor Wat.

**Accommodation: **Aqua Mekong

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5 – Mekong River - Ka´Om Samnor- Vinh Xuong Border Crossing - Chau Doc - My An Hung

Say ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ while you cross the border and sail towards Tan Chau, a vibrant border town where you take the local rickshaw called xe loi for a trip around town or pedal around the peaceful island of Long Khanh.

In the afternoon, you will visit a typical Mekong Delta village called My An Hung where you will walk through verdant plantations. You will be invited to a local’s home to taste local fruits while hearing traditional folk songs performed by villagers, followed by a unique Unicorn dance.

Biking option is also available for those who wish to explore on wheels.

**Accommodation: **Aqua Mekong

**Meals included: **Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 - Mekong River - Binh Thanh/Sa Dec - Cai Be

Begin the day at Binh Thanh mat weaving village or opt to visit Sa Dec where you will peruse the vibrant market and see the famous house of Marguerite Duras’ legendary lover, Mr. Huynh Thuy Le. Continue downstream for Cai Be, zigzagging in the sampan past of lone fishermen on their long tail boats.

Later, the skiffs moor at a wooden pier. Here in Cai Be, walk or bike ride among high-roofed open courtyard houses, some dating back more than 100 years, and currently inhabited by gracious locals who will invite us to glimpse their property.

**Accommodation: **Aqua Mekong

**Meals included: **Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7 - Mekong River - My Tho - Ho Chi Minh

After breakfast, disembark in Ho Chi Minh City where you are met at the port and transferred to the hotel. After checking in, enjoy a unique tour of the familiar and not-so-familiar landmarks in modern-day Ho Chi Minh City, revealing the city’s culture, architecture, religious practices, and fascinating history.

The first stop is the Central Post Office with its beautiful architecture, followed by the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Reunification Palace, and the former CIA Office. Drive down Dong Kh oi Street (which means “people’s revolution”) and visit the place where, in 1975, the iconic photograph was taken of a helicopter removing people from Saigon. Next, stop outside the HCMC People’s Committee (formerly Hôtel de Ville), one of the most photographed buildings in Vietnam with its gardens, ornate facade and crystal chandeliers.

Stop for a late lunch and dine with the locals at a restaurant which is renowned for the meal synonymous with Vietnam – pho.

The rest of the day is at leisure.

**Accommodation: **Park Hyatt

**Meals included: **Breakfast & Lunch

**Day 8 - Ho Chi Minh City **

Wake up to the sounds of Vietnam this morning with a tour around Ho Chi Minh City in the morning hours when it is buzzing with local activity. Your guide will pick you up early to catch the first rays of the sun and a chance to see Saigon waking up. The first stop is ‘Tao Dan Park’ where locals practice their morning exercises – Tai Chi, aerobics and badminton. Stroll around the park to a small pagoda where you’re likely to see locals performing daily prayers. Buddhism in Vietnam has had a symbiotic relationship with Taoism and Chinese spirituality as well as aspects of indigenous Vietnamese religion. You will also have the unique opportunity to enjoy a café sua da at the birds’ club located at the end of the park. Local people gather here with their birds to relax, talk, enjoy a morning coffee, and compare their birds.

Continue to a local wet market where shoppers haggle over the fresh produce on offer. Wander through the stalls where vendors are selling everything from live seafood to dried meats, fresh seasonal vegetables, and homeware goods.

Return to the hotel in time for breakfast and the morning at leisure.

This afternoon you travel to the Cu Chi Tunnels where you will learn first hand how the Viet Cong survived the extraordinary underground existence during the Vietnam war. For those that prefer, the day can be at your leisure to make your own discoveries.

**Accommodation: **Park Hyatt

Meals: Breakfast

Day 9 - Tour ends

Your tour comes to an end today with a transfer to the airport.

**Meals: **Breakfast

​

13-DAY TOUR

Day 1 - Siem Reap

Welcome to Cambodia. Upon arrival in Siem Reap obtain your Cambodian visa, if you haven’t already. Clear Immigration and Customs and proceed into the arrival area. You will meet your private driver and guide for your transfer to the hotel. Enjoy the remainders of the day free at your own leisure.

**Accommodation: **Park Hyatt

Day 2 - Siem Reap

This morning after breakfast you meet your private English speaking guide and driver for a full day of temple touring. The Angkor Archeological Park is visually, architecturally, and artistically breathtaking and one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia if not the world. Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area, the park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. You could spend weeks exploring the ruins, but on this day tour, you will have a chance to see all the highlights.

You will start with a visit to the South Gate of Angkor Thom where you can take a quiet optional walk along the wall and through the jungle to a hidden temple. Then visit the temples of Bayon, Baphoun and Terrace of Elephants and Leper King. Take a break with a local lunch at Mahob Restaurant. After lunch, you will visit Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is one of mankind’s greatest achievements, and the intricate carvings at the temple of Angkor Wat demonstrate the skill of the Khmer builders. It was constructed in the jungle in the early 12th century, then - two centuries later - was mysteriously abandoned by the Khmer civilization. Continue to the fabulous jungle temple of Ta Phrom.

Finish the day with an unforgettable sunset at Srah Srang.

**Accommodation: **Park Hyatt

**Meals included: **Breakfast & Lunch

Day 3 - Siem Reap

Rise very early this morning for a special experience as you join local Buddhist monks for chanting and meditation.

Head back to the hotel for breakfast before departing to Treak Village for your cooking class. The cooking classes are fun, informative, hands on and include individual work stations. You will learn to make such delicacies as mango salad and fish amok in a beautifully restored traditional Khmer house surrounded by endless rice fields and sugar palm trees. The day will also include a visit to a local family to learn about cooking in a traditional household, food customs and superstitions.

After eating your creations for lunch, continue to Banteay Srey temple which for many years was off limits due to its remote location and Khmer Rouge activity. Built in the late 10th century and dedicated to Shiva, Banteay Srey’s pink limestone walls contain the best bas reliefs of any temple at Angkor.

**Accommodation: **Park Hyatt

**Meals included: **Breakfast & Lunch

Day 4 - Mekong River - Phnom Penh

This morning you transfer to the airport for your flight to Phnom Penh. On arrival you are met and transferred to the port for your cruise check in to your 3 story, five star Mekong abode.

Welcome aboard. You’ll leave you to settle into your floating retreat, with its window wall conferring an endlessly captivating panorama. Enjoy these private Mekong moments on your California king bed, terrace or daybed.

Celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of this mighty river with a Khmer Apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at Angkor Wat.

Accommodation: Aqua Mekong

**Meals included: **Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5 - Tonle Sap River - Koh Chen - Kampong Prasat

In the silversmith village of Koh Chen, watch artisans producing the magnificent silverware favored by Khmer royalty. Continue to Udong, the royal capital from the 17 - 19th centuries, where you learn about a uniquely challenging Buddhist practice at the Vipassana Dhura Mandala, a meditation center.

In the afternoon, a walking tour of Kampong Prasat offers a close-up perspective on local lives and their riverside environment.

Accommodation: Aqua Mekong

**Meals included: **Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 - Tonle Sap River - Kampong Chhnang - Kampong Tralach

In the cooler hours, head into the lush countryside to visit traditional potters and palm sugar producers, astride mountain bikes or chauffeured by shaded tuk - tuk. Into the rice paddies, pedal to watch wizened masters scale sky - piercing palms towering over us.

Cruise across the glassy water and disembark among the lotuses for an oxcart ride along the Tonle Sap riverbanks, past lacquered wooden houses where during these dry months residents take refuge in the relative cool of these outdoor impromptu living rooms.

Accommodation: Aqua Mekong

**Meals included: **Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7 - Mekong River - Koh Oknha Tey - Preah Prosop

On this river of time you will admire dexterous Khmer artisans dyeing and weaving kroma, the ubiquitous item no Khmer lives without. Explore the riverbank on two wheels if you wish, past Buddhist temples and thatch houses perched on spindly wooden stilts while white oxen wade just offshore.

After lunch, board the marine - grade aluminum skiffs and head towards the tamarind trees of Preah Prosop, a remote village little changed over several lifetimes.

**Accommodation: **Aqua Mekong

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8 - Mekong River - Phnom Penh

Explore the Cambodian capital by motorized tuk – tuk, the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world’s largest collection of Khmer art. For those who wish, visit the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide and the Killing Field or shopping at the Russian Market.

This evening, enjoy custom sundowners like the Salted Watermelon Crush with Thai

Basil before a Khmer Apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at Angkor Wat.

**Accommodation: **Aqua Mekong

**Meals included: **Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9 - Mekong River – Ka’om Samnor Vinh Xuong Border Crossing - Chau Doc - Myan Hung

Say ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ while you cross the border and sail towards Tan Chau, a vibrant border town where you will take the local rickshaw called xe loi for a trip around town or pedal 18 kilometers on the peaceful island of Long Khanh.

In the afternoon, visit a typical Mekong Delta village called My An Hung where you will walk through verdant plantations. You will be invited to a local’s home to taste local fruits while hearing traditional folk songs performed by villagers, followed by a unique Unicorn dance. Biking option is also available for those who wish to explore on wheels.

**Accommodation: **Aqua Mekong

**Meals included: **Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 10 - Mekong River - Binh Thanh / Sa Dec – Cai Be

Begin the day at Binh Thanh mat weaving village or opt to visit Sa Dec where you will peruse the vibrant market and see the famous house of Marguerite Duras’ legendary lover, Mr. Huynh Thuy Le. Continue downstream for Cai Be, zigzagging in the sampan past of lone fishermen on their long tail boats. Later, the skiffs moor at a wooden pier. Here in Cai Be, walk or bike ride among high - roofed open courtyard houses, some dating back more than 100 years, and currently inhabited by gracious locals who will invite us to glimpse their property.

Accommodation: Aqua Mekong

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 11 - Mekong River - My Tho - Ho Chi Minh

After breakfast, you disembark in Ho Chi Minh City where you are met at the port and transferred to your hotel. After checking in you enjoy a unique tour of the familiar and not-so-familiar landmarks in modern-day Ho Chi Minh City, revealing the city’s culture, architecture, religious practices, and fascinating history.

The first stop is the Central Post Office with its beautiful architecture, followed by the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Reunification Palace, and the former CIA Office. Drive down Dong Kh oi Street (which means “people’s revolution”) and visit the place where, in 1975, the iconic photograph was taken of a helicopter removing people from Saigon. Next, stop outside the HCMC People’s Committee (formerly Hôtel de Ville), one of the most photographed buildings in Vietnam with its gardens, ornate facade and crystal chandeliers.

Stop for a late lunch and dine with the locals at a restaurant which is renowned for the meal synonymous with Vietnam – pho.

The rest of the day is at leisure.

**Accommodation: **Park Hyatt

Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 12 - Ho Chi Minh City

Wake up to the sounds of Vietnam this morning with a tour around Ho Chi Minh City in the morning hours when it is buzzing with local activity. Your guide will pick you up early to catch the first rays of the sun and a chance to see Saigon waking up. The first stop is ‘Tao Dan Park’ where locals practice their morning exercises – Tai C hi, aerobics and badminton. Stroll around the park to a small pagoda where you’re likely to see locals performing daily prayers. Buddhism in Vietnam has had a symbiotic relationship with Taoism and Chinese spirituality as well as aspects of indigenous Vietnamese religion. You will also have the unique opportunity to enjoy a café sua da at the birds’ club located at the end of the park. Local people gather here with their birds to relax, talk, enjoy a morning coffee, and compare their birds.

Continue to a local wet market where shoppers haggle over the fresh produce on offer. Wander through the stalls where vendors are selling everything from live seafood to dried meats, fresh seasonal vegetables, and home ware goods.

Return to the hotel in time for breakfast and the morning at leisure.

This afternoon you travel to the Cu Chi Tunnels where you will learn firsthand how the Viet Cong survived the extraordinary underground existence during the Vietnam war. For those that prefer, the day can be at your leisure to make your own discoveries.

**Accommodation: **Park Hyatt

**Meals included: **Breakfast

Day 13 - Tour ends

Your tour comes to an end today with a transfer to the airport.

Meals included: Breakfast