Flight: TG580 Bangkok - Phnom Penh 07.40 - 08.50

Meet & greet: Upon arrival at Phnom Penh airport, you will be welcomed to Cambodia by your private English-speaking guide, and then transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day will be free at leisure for you to settle into your hotel and relax after your flight.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Palace Gate Hotel (Deluxe Room)

Guided tour of Phnom Penh: Start your tour of Cambodia's capital at the stunning Royal Palace complex, home to the Cambodian royal family and a symbol of the nation. Here, you will see beautiful gardens landscaped with tropical plants and the Throne Hall, where the royal receptions are held and the Cambodian king's coronation took place. Continue to the Silver Pagoda, named after the 5,000 silver tiles covering the floor, each weighing 1kg. Inside are some of the country's most cherished treasures, including a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds, the largest weighing 25 carats. Leave the Royal Palace and continue to the nearby National Museum, home to the world's finest collection of sculpture from the Angkor period. The exquisite building was completed between 1917 and 1920 and features a lush courtyard garden surrounded by collections from the pre-Angkor, Angkor and post-Angkor periods.

You will then have the option to learn of the Khmer Rouge's horrific crimes at Tuol Sleng, a former high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a centre for interrogation, torture and death. 17,000 people passed through the gates of this prison and only seven lived to tell the tale. The Khmer Rouge were meticulous in their record keeping, photographing all the prisoners and many of these haunting black and white images are on display in the cells. Tuol Sleng is a profoundly moving experience and not everyone will want to visit. However, it is key to understanding the hell into which Cambodia descended and how far it has come in the years since.

Finish your tour at the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. An old Chinese cemetery, Choeung Ek was turned into an extermination camp for political prisoners. The remains of 8,985 people were exhumed from mass graves and are kept in a memorial stupa here. Despite the horrors of the past, it is a peaceful place to go and a tranquil spot to reflect on the tragic events that engulfed Cambodia and its people.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Palace Gate Hotel (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Road journey from Phnom Penh to Battambang: After breakfast this morning, travel by road from Phnom Penh to Battambang, a journey of 180 miles. En route visit Udong, capital of the Khmer kingdom between 1618 and 1866. Today Udong consists of a collection temples and stupas containing ashes of several kings, and precious Buddha relics. The ruins are sprinkled across two ridges and are generally very quiet - it is possible that you will have the site all to yourself. At the base of the ridge is a memorial to victims of Pol Pot, containing the bones of people buried in the 100 or so mass graves found in the area. On arrival in Battambang, you will be transferred to your hotel to check in. 

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Bambu Hotel (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Full day tour of Battambang: After breakfast, you will travel to Wat Koh district to visit a local village and learn about rural life in Cambodia. Here, you will learn about the rice harvest, fruit farming and how the sugar palm is used. Later, continue to the hilltop temple of Wat Banan. The winding road follows the Sangker River and passes by many traditional wooden homes, offering an authentic glimpse of rural Cambodia. Arriving at the temple, ascend to the summit, where you will be rewarded with striking views of the surrounding plains. There are five towers here, leading some ambitious Battambang residents to claim it may have been the inspiration behind Angkor Wat. Continue to Phnom Sampeau, a sacred mountain dotted with interesting pagodas and stupas. There is also a moving memorial to Khmer Rouge victims, who were thrown into one of the many caves that pepper this holy mountain. You then return to Battambang town for the night.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Bambu Hotel (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Private boat trip across Lake Tonle Sap to Siem Reap: This morning, depart Battambang on a private local boat journey across Lake Tonle Sap to Siem Reap, on one of the most beautiful river journeys in Cambodia, a trip of between 6-7 hours. Enjoy views of the Cambodian landscape and the daily life along the river. See the incredible network of bamboo fish traps, areas of water hyacinth and pass the Prek Toal Biosphere, where you may be lucky enough to see some rare large water birds. Travel across Lake Tonle Sap, which feels like a vast inland sea, until the journey ends at the floating village of Chong Kneas. From here, you will be transferred to your hotel in Siem Reap by road.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Shinta Mani Shack (Pool View Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Guided tour of Angkor Wat: Probably the best time to visit Angkor Wat, the largest and most famous of the Angkor temples, is early in the morning, when the light is good and it is relatively quiet. Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five beehive-like towers rising 65 metres from ground level. At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region, Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat in the form of a massive 'temple-mountain' dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall and the walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs and carvings. Nearly 2,000 distinctively rendered apsara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of apsara carvings in Angkorian era art.

Lunch at Sala Kdei: In the middle of the day you will stop for lunch at Sala Kdei, a beautiful traditional wooden house overlooking the royal bathing pool of Sra Srang. Once used by the ancient Khmer kings and their concubines, this is a celebrated spot for sunrise and sunset. In a serene setting amid the rural village atmosphere of Angkor, Sala Kdei is the perfect private escape from the crowds around Angkor during the heat of the day. Today, you will be enjoying a delicious Khmer meal, but the Sala can also be used for cooking classes, yoga, or meditation. Unwind or indulge, it’s the perfect complement to the majestic temples.

Guided tour of Angkor Thom & the Bayon: In the afternoon continue your exploration. Angkor Thom (Big Angkor) is a walled and moated royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian Empire. After Jayavarman VII recaptured the badly damaged Angkorian capital from the Cham invaders in 1181, he began a massive building campaign across the empire, constructing Angkor Thom as his new capital city. He began with existing structures such as Baphuon and Phimeanakas and built a grand enclosed city around them, adding the outer wall and some of Angkor's greatest temples including his state-temple, Bayon, set at the centre of the city. There are five entrances (gates) to the city, one for each cardinal point, and the victory gate leading to the Royal Palace area. Each gate, as well as much of Jayavarman VII's architecture is crowned with four giant faces. The giant stone faces of Bayon have become one of the most recognizable images connected to classic Khmer art and architecture. There are 37 standing towers, most sporting four carved faces oriented toward the cardinal points.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Shinta Mani Shack (Pool View Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Dawn at Ta Prohm, tour of Preah Khan and Banteay Srei: Rise early to travel to Ta Prohm in the dawn light. 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. Left as it was ‘discovered' by French explorer Henri Mouhout in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones, man first conquering nature to create, nature later conquering man to destroy.

Afterwards, drive to the mighty temple of Preah Khan, or 'Sacred Sword', built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. Sister temple to Ta Prohm, the cruciform corridors here are impressive and there are some wonderful carvings adorning the walls, including the spectacular hall of dancers. Look out for the curious two-storey structure that is almost Grecian in inspiration. This is one of the few temples originally dedicated to Buddhism and Hinduism. The original eastern entrance was for Mahayana Buddhists, while the other cardinal points represented the Hindu trinity of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.

Afterwards, head to Banteay Srei, Angkor's ultimate art gallery. This petite pink temple is the jewel in the crown of Angkor-era sculpture. The elaborate carvings here are the finest found in Cambodia and the name translates as ‘Fortress of the Women', thanks to the intricate detail here, considered too fine for the hands of a man. Originally believed to date from the latter part of the Angkor period, inscriptions at the site suggest it was built by a Brahman in 967. However, some architectural historians have suggested that the inscriptions may date from an earlier structure on this site and the temple is in fact later, marking a high-water mark in Khmer sculpture.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Shinta Mani Shack (Pool View Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Private transfer: After a leisurely start this morning, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to Siem Reap for your Lao Airlines flight to Pakse.

Flight: QV514 Siem Reap - Pakse 14.40 - 15.40

Road journey from Pakse to Champasak: On arrival, you will be met by your driver and head south from Pakse by road to the small town of Champasak, set on the Mekong River.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The River Resort (River Front Villa)

Meals: Breakfast

Full day tour of the Four Thousand Islands: After an early morning breakfast, you will head south by road and boat to explore Khone Island. Here, you will begin by re-tracing the French colonial-past at Ban Khone, where some old colonial houses still stand, and glimpse the first Lao railway with its own locomotive. Continue your exploration of the 4,000 Islands area on foot and visit the beautiful Liphi waterfall, also known as the Samphamith, which forms a natural border between Lao and Cambodia. You then return to Ban Nakasang and visit the famous waterfall of Khone Phapeng – one of the largest waterfalls in South East Asia, also known as the 'Niagara of the East'. From here, you will take a boat ride back out onto the Mekong to one of the few places in the world, where it is possible to see freshwater ‘Irrawaddy’ dolphins. The dolphins reside in deep pools near to the Cambodian border and if you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of them. In the late afternoon, you will head back to Champasak in time for dinner at your lodge and a chance to relax.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The River Resort (River Front Villa)

Meals: Breakfast

Morning tour of Wat Phou: This morning, take a guided tour of one of Southeast Asia's most dramatically situated temples, the fascinating pre-Angkorian ruins of Wat Phou near Champasak. Founded in the first decades of the 9th century by Jayavarman II, the first king of an independent Khmer nation, Wat Phou served for some time as the Khmer capital. Wat Phou is often compared to Angkor, not only because it was built in the same style but because it too was lost to the jungle for centuries. Whilst the structures themselves are thrilling, it is the jungle overgrowth that creates the atmosphere. The Wat stood unused for centuries because it is a Hindu temple in what became a devoutly Buddhist land.

Road journey from Champasak to Pakse: After the morning tour, you will be transferred to Pakse Airport in time for your onward flight to Vientiane.

Flight: QV306 Pakse - Vientiane 12.30 - 13.45

Private transfer: On arrival in Vientiane, you will be met by your local guide and taken to the Ansara Hotel for a one-night stay.

Afternoon tour of Vientiane: Your tour of Laos' capital city starts with a visit to the enchanting Si Muang Temple. Continue to the Siamese style Wat Si Saket and the That Luang Stupa, the bright golden monument which represents a lotus bud and is used as a symbol of the Lao nation, and Patuxay Monument, Vientiane’s very own Arc de Triomphe. The tour ends with a visit to the excellent COPE exhibition centre, highlighting a much overlooked aspect of Laos and a major problem many of the local people face on a day to day basis in the form of unexploded ordnance, as a result of heavy bombing campaigns during the Vietnam War era.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Ansara Hotel (Savvy Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Train and road journey to Muang La: This morning you will be transferred to the high-speed railway station in time to board the train to Oudomxay. The train will take around two hours 50 minutes. On arrival at Oudomxay you will be met by a driver who will transfer you the rest of the way to your accommodation, a further journey of around 45 minutes.

Afternoon at leisure: This afternoon, you are free to relax at your riverside retreat, stroll around the village or enjoy a traditional massage and soak in the hot spring baths.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Nam Kat Yorlapa (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Morning minority village tour: This morning, depart Muang La by 4x4 and travel along a decent road that follows the river Nam Phak to a remote Ikho village, a community from Yunnan and Tibet, which has retained many of their traditional customs. Have a look around their mountain village, where the houses are constructed of wood and bamboo, and learn about their way of life and spiritual beliefs. You will also see the unique way that they have to dye their clothes with dyes from plants. 

Please note that there are several other excursions and activities such as trekking and mountain biking that can be arranged for this day - please ask for more details.

Afternoon / evening activities: The afternoon can be spent relaxing in the natural hot springs, or taking a traditional massage, before enjoying the excellent Lao fusion cuisine in the restaurant this evening.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Nam Kat Yorlapa (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Road and train journey to Luang Prabang: This morning you will be transferred to Oudomxay train station, a drive of around 45 minutes from Muang La. On arrival in Oudomxay, take the high-speed train to Luang Prabang. The train will take around 50 minutes. On arrival at Luang Prabang you will be met and transferred to your hotel to check in.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Burasari Heritage (Deluxe Balcony Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Morning walking tour of Luang Prabang: Your morning tour starts with a visit to the quaint Royal Palace Museum, which gives a good overview of the local history and features a guided audio tour. Afterwards, begin your walking tour, taking in some of Luang Prabangs hidden secrets, including a stroll down the quiet back lanes. Along the way stop at Wat Chomkhong, which is known for its decorative carvings. This area contains a mix of beautiful old French Colonial buildings, and traditional old Lao houses, which you will have time to admire, along with a stop at the small but charming Wat Phapai. Your final visit of the tour is the magnificent Wat Xiengthong, with its roof sweeping low to the ground, representing the classical Luang Prabang style. The rest of the day will be free at leisure for you to relax and continue exploring at your own pace.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Burasari Heritage (Deluxe Balcony Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Morning at leisure: This morning is free to explore this picturesque & atmospheric ancient capital independently. A side trip to Kuangsi Falls is recommended and can be arranged either in advance or through your guide. Staying within the city, there are a number of excellent cooking classes, plus great shopping opportunities in local craft centres.

Private transfer: This afternoon, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to Luang Prabang Airport for the flight to Hanoi Noibai Airport.

Flight: QV313 Luang Prabang - Hanoi 17.10 - 18.10

Private transfer: On arrival in Hanoi, you will be welcomed to Vietnam by your local guide and transferred to your hotel in a chauffeur driven car for a two-night stay.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hotel de l'Opera (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Morning tour of Hanoi: After breakfast, start your tour of Hanoi with a visit to the 900 year old Temple of Literature, Vietnam's principal Confucian sanctuary and its historical centre of learning. Made up of five courtyards, this is one of the few remnants of the original city. Continue to the Soviet style Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh read out the declaration of the nation's independence in 1945. Visit the museum dedicated to Ho Chi Minh, before passing through the mausoleum (you will be asked to remove hats if entering, and no shorts or vests are allowed) escorted by a soldier in full regalia. As you leave, you will be able to walk through the gardens of the Presidential Palace, before seeing Ho Chi Minh's house, the modest dwelling he built based on a rural Vietnamese stilt house, and where "Uncle Ho" lived for the last years of his life.

Afternoon at leisure: You have an afternoon at leisure to explore the Vietnamese capital independently. Stroll around the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake, take in a water puppet show, go shopping in the Old Quarter, or sample some of Hanoi’s many culinary delights.

Special Dinner: This evening, you will be taken for dinner at the charming Green Tangerine Restaurant which serves French fusion cuisine. The restaurant is set in a restored French colonial style building that dates from 1928, and is somewhat of an oasis in the heart of the chaotic Old Quarter. Green Tangerine specializes in modern French fare with a Vietnamese twist, so you can expect stylishly presented dishes bursting with flavour.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hotel de l'Opera (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Road journey from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay: This morning, you will be met at your hotel and driven for approximately two hours through the Red River delta to the coast and the Gulf of Tonkin, where the quieter waters of Lan Ha Bay are found.

Overnight Lan Ha Bay Cruise: On arrival at Dinh Vu Port in Haiphong you will be transferred to the Orchid Cruise boat on a smaller boat up the Cai Trap Canal. On arrival, board the main boat and enjoy a welcome drink while a safety briefing is conducted on-board before settling into your cabins and being served lunch on-board. This afternoon the cruise will set off through Lan Ha Bay stopping at a number of interesting islands including Da Chong where you can see an old French colonial lighthouse. In the mid-afternoon, the boat will moor up at Ba Trai Dao beach in Lan Ha Bay and you will have time to kayak, swim in the ocean or just relax on the beach. Back on board this evening there is a happy hour at the bar, followed by a delicious dinner.

Accommodation: Stay tonight on board the Orchid Cruise (Balcony Suite)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Halong Bay Cruise: After some morning activities, enjoy brunch on board. Disembark the Halong Jasmine late morning.

Road journey from Halong Bay to Hanoi: Upon arrival at the quay, you will be met by your private guide and transferred back to Hanoi. En route you will stop off at the Phu Lang ‘ceramic village', where the villagers have been practicing this traditional craft for generations. Continue to Hanoi airport in time to catch your onward flight.

Flight: VN 1545 Hanoi - Hue 18.30 - 19.40

Private transfer: On arrival in Hue, you will be met by your local guide and taken to the Azerai La Residence Hue for an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Azerai La Residence Hue (Superior Room)

Meals: Brunch

Morning Perfume River Cruise to Thien Mu Pagoda & Imperial Citadel: Take a morning cruise on the Perfume River, named after the tree resins and blossoms it carries on its way to the Pacific. Visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, sitting on the riverbank outside the city, this octagonal seven tier stupa has long been regarded as the symbol of Hué and was founded in 1601. It is still a site of Buddhist worship and its huge bell is said to be audible from the city. Continue to the Imperial Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City. Modelled on the Forbidden City in Beijing by the Nguyen emperors in the early 19th century, the city was badly damaged during the war but the imposing city walls surrounded by a large moat afford good views of Hué. The palace retains a feeling of its past scale and importance, with detailed stonework and pavilions and it is at the moment in the process of being restored to its former magnificence.

Road journey from Hue to Hoi An: This afternoon, you will be driven south, along Highway 1, to Hoi An, a journey of approximately 3 hours. Soon the highway meets the Hai Van Pass (meaning Pass of the Ocean Clouds). There are some spectacular vista points and photo opportunities en route as the Truong Son mountain range cuts across the narrow centre of the country. The mountain range has created a barrier to the cold airstreams from the north, which often results in thick cloudbanks over the peaks. The pass has been a strategic military focal point during Vietnam's turbulent history and from the top, there are views of the curve of Danang Bay. En route, pass through the port city of Danang, with the option of stopping to see the famous 'Danang Beach', before continuing south to Hoi An where you will check-in to your hotel.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Anantara Hoi An (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Day at leisure: Today you have some time to relax. Alternatively, there are opportunities to visit the beach, cycle in some beautiful countryside, visit the ruins at My Son, discover the artists of Hoi An or see a tailor to get some clothes made.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Anantara Hoi An (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Private transfer: After a leisurely morning, you will be transferred to Danang Airport for your flight to Saigon.

Flight: VN125 Danang - Ho Chi Minh City 14.00 - 15.25

Private transfer: On arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, you will be met by your local guide and taken to the Caravelle Hotel for a two-night stay.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Caravelle Hotel Saigon (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels by speedboat: After breakfast, you will be transferred to Bach Dang jetty, where you will board a speedboat to the Cu Chi Tunnels. This river journey provides a glimpse of the changing faces of Vietnam – the glittering skyscrapers and busy commercial centres give way to green paddy fields and pottery villages dotted along the Saigon River. The Cu Chi tunnel complex was initially started in 1948 to protect the Viet Cong guerrillas from the French air and ground sweeps. The tunnels also served as communication routes, storage facilities for food and weapon caches, as well as hospitals and living quarters for guerrilla fighters throughout the American War. A visit to the underground villages will provide a better understanding of how the tunnels were constructed, the hardship of life in the tunnels and the Vietnamese resilience during combat. Note that the Cu Chi tunnels have been widened in places for visitors, however they can still be dark, hot and claustrophobic inside, so please bear this in mind if you do not like enclosed spaces. After touring the complex, you will enjoy lunch at a riverside restaurant, before returning to the speedboat and heading back to Saigon.

Afternoon tour of Saigon: This afternoon, you will visit some of Saigon's historic landmarks. Start with the former Presidential Palace, which was once headquarters for the Saigon Government during the "American War". Then head to the historical heart of the city and visit the Notre Dame Cathedral. The red bricks of the cathedral walls were originally from Paris. From there, take a short walk to the old Central Post Office, then visit the best-preserved buildings from the colonial era, the Opera House and the Hotel de Ville, which is now home to Saigon’s municipal authorities. Continue to the Catinat building. Built in 1927 in an art deco style, it has once again become a hub for fashion conscious Saigonese and contains many designer boutiques, galleries, restaurants and cafés.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Caravelle Hotel Saigon (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch