Indochina In-depth

On arrival at Bangkok, board a short connecting flight to Chiang Rai where you’ll be met by a member of the Asia Senses team and driven to your riverside hotel. Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand and shares borders with Myanmar and Laos, the area known as the Golden Triangle, where opium merchants used to trade free from any jurisdiction. Rejuvenate after your long journey.

Recommended Hotels in Chiang Rai:

- The Imperial River House Resort
- Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort

After breakfast, you’ll be driven across the border into Laos to board the Luang Say, setting sail along the Mekong towards Luang Prabang, which gives you the opportunity to observe everyday life on the river. You’ll be spending the night in an atmospheric lodge on the riverbank just outside Pakbeng.

Recommended Pakbeng Hotels:

- Namkat Yorlapa Resort
- The Sanctuary Pakbeng Lodge

The boat sets sail in a southerly direction to arrive at Luang Prabang, located at the confluence of the Mekong with the River Khan. Luang Prabang is a fascinating city full of the ancient traditions and trades which make Laos so unique. Having disembarked, you will be driven to your hotel.

Recommended Hotels in Luang Prabang:

- Le Bel Air Boutique Resort
- Mekong Riverview Hotel

It’s worth getting up early to witness the saffron-robed monks collecting their alms; according to legend, the Buddha smiled when he rested in Luang Prabang for a day during his travels, predicting that one day it would be the site of a rich and powerful city. The best way to appreciate the charms of this culturally-rich UNESCO town is to explore the streets on foot.

Spend another day discovering the delights of Luang Prabang at a pace that suits you.

 Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Phou Si, Royal Palace Museum, Luang Prabang Elephant Camp, Pak Ou Caves, Night Market...

After a leisurely morning, you’ll be driven to the airport to board a short flight to Vientiane, the sleepy capital of Laos, to spend the rest of the day as you choose, perhaps taking a leisurely stroll along the Mekong as the sun sets.

Recommended Vientiane Hotels:

- S Park Design Hotel
- Mandala Boutique Hotel

Spend the morning exploring Vientiane; we recommend visiting the national monument of Pha That Luang before catching a short flight to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. There is so much to explore here –we recommend a wander through the bustling Old Quarter, a maze of streets dating back to the 13th century.

Recommended Hanoi Hotels:

- Essence Hotel & Spa
- Church Boutique Hotel (Lan Ong)

 Pha That Luang, Hanoi's Old Quarter

You’ll have a private guide with you as you discover the sights and sounds of Hanoi, exploring the warren like streets of the Vietnamese quarter or perhaps visit to one of the city's famous museums such as Hoa Lo prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton.

 Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, Hanoi Old Quarter, Hanoi Hilton Prison

A second day to explore Hanoi with your guide who will help you choose what to see, perhaps taking in the Ho Chi Minh complex and eponymous museum or the famous Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a fascinating piece of architecture inspired by Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow.

You’ll be driven to Halong City where you’ll board a traditional Vietnamese junk, and spend a relaxing afternoon cruising around the limestone islets and coves of picturesque Halong Bay; there are almost two thousand islands in the bay, some home to villages, others uninhabited.

Best Halong Bay Cruises

- Signature Cruise
- Prince 2 Cruise

It’s worth getting up early to catch the sun rising over the bay as the boat continues to meander along the bay, returning to Hanoi in the afternoon, from where you’ll catch a flight to Hue, a small city located on the Perfume River, home to a wealth of architectural treasures.

Recommended Hue Hotels:

- Eldora Hotel Hue
- Romance Hue Hotel

A boat journey on the poetically-named Perfume River (so called thanks to its fragrant waters which have wound their way from the source in the mountains through several forests) brings you to the impressive tomb of Minh Mang and Thien Mu Temple, a complex dominated by the Phuoc Duyen Tower, which has seven floors, each dedicated to a different Buddha. Spend the afternoon relaxing or visiting the World Heritage Citadel Site, an important relic from the imperial era.

 River Cruise on Perfume River, Thien Mu Temple, Minh Mang Tomb

Drive over the dramatic Hai Van Pass to Hoi An, stopping en route in the Marble Mountains, at the small museum in Danang to learn about the Cham people. The Marble Mountains are five 'mountains', named after the five elements; Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth).

Recommended Hoi An Hotels:

- Hoi An Trails Hotel
- Vinh Hung Emerald Resort

Spend the day exploring the cobbled streets of Hoi An, a town which retains its history and charm having thankfully escaped the numerous civil wars that have destroyed an enormous amount of Vietnamese heritage. If you fancy adding to your wardrobe, there hundreds of tailors in town who will be happy to run up a bespoke garment for you before you leave Hoi An.

Enjoy a second day exploring; we recommend hiring a bike and cycling through the verdant rice paddies that surround the town, checking out the beaches and strolling through the charming streets to take in the sights and sounds of Vietnamese life.

You’ll be driven to Danang to catch a morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City. En route to the city, you’ll stop to explore the infamous Cu Chi tunnels, to learn how the Viet Cong lived and fought during the conflict. Having arrived at your hotel, spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring as you please.

Recommended Ho Chi Minh City Hotels:

- Lavender Saigon Hotel
- Liberty Central Saigon Centre Hotel

  Cu Chi Tunnels

Meander your way towards Can Tho along the backwaters of the Mekong Delta, often referred to as the ‘rice basket’ of Vietnam due to the vast yield of rice it produces; enough to feed the whole country with a surplus to boot.

Hotel in Can Tho:

- Nam Bo Boutique Hotel

Get up early for a private tour of the Cai Rang floating market, the largest of its kind in the Mekong Delta; the waterway becomes a maze of hundreds of boats, packed with colourful produce, plied by animated traders. You’ll leave Can Tho in the afternoon, headed for Chau Doc, on the border with Cambodia.

Recommended Hanoi Hotels:

- Victoria Chau Doc Hotel
- Victoria Nui Sam Lodge

 Cai Rang floating market

An exhilarating speed boat ride takes you across the border into Cambodia; you reach Phnom Penh at lunchtime, the capital and largest city of Cambodia, founded in 1434 on the Mekong River, and noted for its beautiful architecture. Spend the afternoon uncovering Phnom Penh's turbulent war-torn history with your private guide.

Recommended Hotels in Phnom Penh:

- The Pavilion Phnom Penh Hotel
- King Grand Suite Boutique Hotel

Enjoy a leisurely morning exploring Phnom Penh at your own pace, browsing the shops and traditional markets, before taking the short flight to Siem Reap in the afternoon.

Recommended Siem Reap Hotels:

- Home Indochine D’Angkor
- Angkor Village Resort

The temples of Angkor warrant a full day’s exploration – there is such a variety of extraordinary ancient sites to take in. There is the jungle-clad Ta Prohm, the ancient complex Angkor Thom, home to the colossal faces of the Bayon and of course, the majestic Angkor Wat which you will experience in all its spell-binding glory as the sun sets.

 Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom

Another day in Siem Reap to spend as you wish – your Angkor pass is still valid, so you may like to return to explore the site in more detail, or simply browse the old French shop-houses and stroll the elegant tree-lined boulevards.

You’ll be driven to the airport for your flight back to Bangkok to connect with a lunchtime flight home.