South East Asia Adventure

Arrive Bangkok and check-in at the hotel. The rest of the day is free. You may choose to take an optional cruise along the city’s Klongs (canals) in a traditional longtail boat. This is the ideal way to explore Bangkok’s network of meandering waterways that branch off from the main channel of the Chao Phraya River. The excursion will also include visits to the Royal Barge Museum and the iconic Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, which was built to represent the towering slopes of Mount Meru, the home to the gods of Khmer mythology.

Overnight Standard Hotel

Our sightseeing tour this morning is on foot and includes the Grand Palace with its stunning Emerald Buddha and Wat Po (Temple of the Reclining Buddha). The afternoon we leave the capital behind and drive west towards Kanchanaburi. From here we travel by longboat to our jungle raft houses situated on the Kwai Noi River. Please note, there will be no electricity in the jungle raft house.

Overnight Standard Jungle Raft House Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we take the opportunity to take an elephant ride through the jungle and make our way to the nearby Mon Minority Village. Later on we do a bamboo rafting trip along the Kwai Noi River.

Overnight Standard Jungle Raft House Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning we make the short transfer to our bus and drive back to Bangkok. En route we make a stop at the famous ‘Bridge over the River Kwai’. The building of the bridge and the ‘Death Railway’ as it has become known, is one of the most infamous episodes of the Second World War. The Japanese built the railway to link Siam and Burma (Myanmar) using Prisoners of War between June 1942 and October 1943. It was to carry supplies to their fast expanding empire and by doing so it would cut almost 1300 miles off the sea route from Japan. The working conditions were atrocious and over 16000 allied troops lost their lives as well as an estimated 75,000 Asian forced labourers.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we leave Thailand and fly to the former Laos Royal capital of Luang Prabang. Situated among the rolling hills of the upper Mekong, this tranquil little town is celebrated for its exceptionally lovely setting. This evening we suggest you climb to the small temple on top of Mount Phousi to enjoy sunset views of the town.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

All the main places of interest are close together, so this morning we explore on foot. Our tour includes Wat Xieng Thong (Golden Temple), built in 1559 is perhaps the most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang, and we also visit the shimmering Wat Sen. This afternoon we walk to the jetty and board boats for a journey along the Mekong River to Pak Ou Caves. The river is quite wide here and is often lined with bamboo. We will stop to visit the Pak Ou Caves, where we climb steps up the limestone cliffs to reach the sacred Buddhist shrine. Although now abandoned by the monks, there is an altar for incense burning, flower offerings and numerous rock shelves crammed with thousands of Buddha images of all shapes and sizes. Later we’ll return to Luang Prabang and you will have the possibility to visit the wonderful night market.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning is left free with time for wandering through the temples or visit the Royal Palace which now houses the National Museum. A short flight south brings us to Vientiane. This low-built, red roofed town is the attractive, if somewhat sleepy capital of Laos.In the afternoon we explore some of the main sights including the Victory Gate, the That Luang stupa (said to contain a hair of the Buddha) and Wat Sisaket which is packed with fine Buddha images. In the evening, it is pleasant to promenade along the banks of the Mekong whilst the sun sets over the Thai city of Nong Khai across the border on the western bank.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We have further free time in Vientiane this morning and a popular excursion is to nearby Buddha Park with its lovely gardens and statues. You can also plan a visit to COPE a local project which helps Othotic and Prosthetic people. Later in the afternoon we drive to the airport for our flight to Hanoi in Vietnam.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we make a tour of the main sights of Hanoi. Architecturally styled like a French provincial town with tree-lined boulevards and substantial low-built houses, the city is wonderfully nostalgic. Among the interesting sights are the charming One-Pillar Pagoda and the Presidential Palace, a very fine example of French colonial architecture. Ho Chi Minh himself, a spartan-living and scholarly man, chose not to live in the Presidential Palace; he preferred instead a simple teak 2-storied stilt-house specially built for him in the grounds (it reminded him of the many years spent in the forest directing his wartime campaigns, first against the French, then the Americans). In the afternoon you are free to explore the Old Quarter, through the city’s bustling street markets. streets are named after various crafts or specialities: Paper Street, Silk Street, Basket Street etc. The shops themselves have very narrow frontages but are actually quite deep; they are known locally as ‘tube’ shops, while on the pavement food sellers sell noodles, snacks and stir-fries from shoulder panniers.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we drive out towards the magnificent Ha Long Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin. Thousands of jagged limestone islands rise out of the jade green waters like the hairy scales of a submerged dragon. In fact Ha Long means ‘where the dragon descends to the sea’as legend tells that the rugged seascape was created by the pounding tail of a dragon as she ran from the mountains into the sea, carving islands in her wake.We spend the night on board our junk with twin share cabins and ensuite facilities. All bedding is provided. N.B. Due to the nature of this trip a small number of other travellers may occupy other cabins.

Overnight Standard Cabin Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we will enjoy the romantic scenery cruising amongst the islands. We’ll have the chance to stop at some of the hidden grottoes beneath towering cliffs and perhaps pull into a quiet beach, fringed with thick jungle.  It is also interesting to see the curious assortment of boats, junks and wooden sampans, their sails hoisted, gliding through Ha Long Bay. We then return to Hanoi and board the ‘Reunification Express’ to Hué.  Please note: when travelling on the overnight train you may be sharing with strangers or members of the opposite sex.

Overnight Basic Train Included meals: Breakfast

We arrive in Hué, one of the great cultural and religious centres of Vietnam, a quietly impressive place and a major highlight of our trip. The Perfumed River divides the city in two; it has been the inspiration for poets and painters for many centuries. In the afternoon we plan to take a trip by boat on the Perfumed River from Hué to the Thien Mu Pagoda. Thien Mu Pagoda has its roots in a local legend: an old woman once appeared on the hill and said that a Lord would come and build a Buddhist pagoda for the country's prosperity. Hearing of this, Lord Nguyen Hoang ordered the construction of the pagoda of the "Heavenly Lady" (Thien Mu). This lovely monastery is the oldest in Hué.  

Overnight Standard Hotel

On the Left Bank is the Old Citadel, the palace built by the Nguyen dynasty (Vietnam’s ruling emperors from the early 1800s to 1945). The Citadel has formal moats and impressive ramparts which were constructed by 20,000 men and was an exact copy of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Although most of the Inner City was totally destroyed during the month-long Tet Offensive (1968), the vast outer walls and the West Wing remain and are an eloquent reminder of the palace’s former glory. To appreciate Hué’s fascinating history we’ll tour the citadel in the morning including the Tomb of Tu Duc, which is one of the most striking pieces of architecture in Vietnam. The rest of the day free for personal exploration.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We enjoy a scenic drive across the spectacular Col des Nuages(the Pass of Ocean Clouds), passing rural scenes of thatched, wooden houses and lime-green rice paddies. Pausing at Danang, the one-time centre of the important Kingdom of Champa (2nd century AD – 1720) we visit the Cham Museum, which houses a fine collection of Cham sculptures, such as sandstone altars and many images of Shiva, the Hindu god. We then visit the nearby five peaks of the Marble Mountains, originally islands, said to represent the five elements (water, wood, fire, gold and earth). The naturally formed grottoes have been transformed into heavily carved buddhist sanctuaries and Thuy Son hillock, representing water, is especially hallowed. About 1km from the mountains are the white sands of China Beach – an ideal spot to rest awhile and view the South China Sea. Finally we continue to the ancient town of Hoi An, first colonised by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

The historic merchant town of Hoi An had become one of the busiest international trading ports of southeast Asia by the 17th and 18th centuries and it still retains its medieval charm with many of its old buildings superbly preserved. The day is free to explore at leisure. You may choose to visit the Japanese Bridge, built in the 17th century, whose undulating yellow and green tiled roof gives the impression of moving water. Alternatively there are many markets which are an ideal place to pick up silk paintings and tailored silk clothing, including the early morning fish market where you will see many conical hats!

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we drive back to Danang and take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We plan a walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City’s central sights. Our programme will include such interesting places as the Presidential Palace (renamed Reunification Hall) and the War Crimes Museum.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today is left free for further personal exploration of this popular city. We do offer an optional boat trip to My Tho in the Mekong Delta. This takes approximately 7 hours and visits a range of local villages on islands as well as a floating fish market.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we’ll take a short drive out of the city to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels which formed an amazing underground command base for 10,000 Viet Cong troops, and were a major part of the 1968 Tet Offensive. We continue on to Cambodia and its capital, Phnom Penh.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we include a city sightseeing tour which will take us to the National Museum of Arts (which contains a notable collection of Khmer sculpture), the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (a High School which became the Khmer Rouge’s main torture and interrogation centre), and the ‘Killing Fields’ (a huge glass tower memorial filled with human skulls), a sombre reminder of the scale of Pol Pot’s atrocities. You should be aware that many people do find Tuol Sleng and the ‘Killing Fields’ quite distressing.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We drive to Siem Reap, our base for exploring the ancient temples of Angkor. This amazing ruined city, built between the 9th and the 13th centuries, deep in the Cambodian jungle is spread out over some 155 square kilometres, scattered with walled cities and magnificent stone temples, sculptures, causeways and reservoirs. Our exact sightseeing programme may change slightly at the tour leader’s discretion (to avoid crowds, coincide with sunsets etc.). On our first day we plan to include the 2nd Angkor Capital which contains Kravan, Sta Strang, East Mebon and Pre-Rup. On our second day we will visit Ta Phrom – lying half consumed by the jungle, before continuing on to the 3rd Angkor capital and the temples of Suriyavarman II to include Banteay Srei and the famous Angkor Wat.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we continue our explorations with a visit to the temples of KingJayavarman VII, reputedly Angkor’s greatest king. The complex includes many of the most impressive buildings and temples in Angkor including Angkor Thom, the Bayon and the Terrace of Elephants. Late this afternoon we transfer to the airport for our flight back to Bangkok.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Tour ends after breakfast. If you have time you may wish to wander through Chinatown for a different flavour of the city.

Included meals: Breakfast