Indochina Balance
Eco-friendly, Detox, Culinary & Culture trip from Siem Reap
Highlights
Itinerary
Welcome to Siem Reap
Welcome to Siem Reap, gateway to the majestic ancient Angkor Wat. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to the hotel for a rest. In the evening, enjoy a dinner with a live Apsara dance performance. Then spend your first night in Siem Reap.
(D)
Siem Reap – Kulen Mountain Waterfall
Today you are going to explore the Phnom Kulen Mountain, which is considered the birthplace of the ancient Khmer Empire and the most sacred mountain in all Cambodia. Approximately two hours drive from Siem Reap, you can sit back and enjoy the scenery. After we arrive at the top of the mountain, it is time to visit Preah Ang Thom pagoda where you will find its colossal reclining Buddha carved into the sandstone formation above the pagoda. Continue on to Thousand Lingas River - a riverbed with many 9th-century intricate sandstone carvings of Hindu mythological characters and creatures. After a picnic lunch, you take a little hike to the marvelous Phnom Kulen waterfall where you can take a swim. Return to Siem Reap in the late afternoon and spend the night here.
(B, L)
Angkor Archeological Park – Fly to Hanoi
Start your day early today with a tour to the one and only Angkor Archeological Park. You will visit Ta Prohm, a ruin that is being mesmerizingly swallowed by the surrounding jungle's vast root system. Then go to Angkor Wat, the majestic world's largest religious monument. Then move on to Angkor Thom to see the Bayon temple with over two hundred giant stone smiling faces peering at you as well as the surrounding temples. After the tour, we take you to Siem Reap airport for your flight to Hanoi. Our local driver will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. In the evening, enjoy your dinner in a nice local restaurant. You spend the night in Hanoi.
(B, D)
Hanoi – Ky Son Village & Moon Garden Homestay
Today you will be heading out of the city to enjoy a very unique experience of Hanoi's countryside. Your destination is the historic Ky Son Village with an authentic stay at the traditional style Moon Garden Homestay. Upon your arrival, you will be greeted with a cup of local fresh green tea before enjoying your free time to explore the homestay's beautiful ground and the historic Ky Son village. Later, you join a cooking lesson led by the host family, in which you will prepare your Vietnamese dishes for lunch. After lunch, enjoy a traditional herbal hand bath and massage. In the afternoon, you go on a guided bike tour through various crop fields to visit the nearby villages, farming communities, temples and pagodas. Afterwards, return to your homestay and recharge with some local seasonal snacks before relaxing in a herbal steam bath. In the evening, you can attend a Buddha worship ceremony before having dinner. At the end of the day, you get a medicinal foot bath that will help you have deeper sleep tonight. Spend the night in the Moon Garden Homestay.
(B, L, D)
Ky Son Village – Hanoi
Start your morning with Yijin Jing - an ancient Chinese form of exercise that promotes the harmony of the mind, body, and spirit, through extended and soft movements. Then enjoy your breakfast and free time to relax in the garden hammocks, take picture with traditional Vietnamese clothes, or further explore historic Ky Son village. Afterwards, we drive you back to Hanoi center where you can explore on your own. Later in the day, you are in for a unique performance at Hanoi's Water Puppet Theatre. You spend the night in Hanoi.
(B)
Hanoi – Mai Chau
After breakfast, we take you on a scenic drive to the Mai Chau valley. Once you arrive in the valley, you go on a bike tour through paddy fields, villages, and breathtaking mountainous landscapes. You will learn about local lifestyle, customs, and culture. AT the end of the day, enjoy a traditional dinner with various local specialties accompanied by a traditional show of the local ethnic minorities. You spend the night in a hotel in Mai Chau.
(B, L, D)
Mai Chau – Pom Coong & Lac Village
Today you will have an authentic experience visiting the off-the-beaten-path villages of Pom Coong and Lac. Located far off the main roads, these two villages offer a rustic glimpse into the daily life of the local White Thai minority. After a short hike, you have a traditional lunch and then explore the villages. After the tour, you return to Hanoi in private car. After you arrive in Hanoi, spend the rest of the day at your leisure and stay overnight in Hanoi.
(B)
Hanoi – Ha Long Bay
Today you go to Ha Long and embark on overnight cruise into the breathtaking Ha Long Bay. As the cruise leaves the port, a fresh seafood lunch is served. After lunch, relax a little before going on a cave excursion with a stop at Ti Top island for a swim or you can choose to explore the bay by kayak. Return to the cruise boat in time for a cooking lesson before having dinner on board while watching the sun setting behind the karst cliffs. Afterwards, you can relax on the sundeck, have a cocktail at the bar, or watch a movie. You spend the night on board.
(B, L, D)
Ha Long Bay – Danang – An Bang Beach
Start this morning with a round of Tai Chi in the fresh air and watch the sun rise. Then enjoy your breakfast and free time to relax and soak in the morning sun on the sundeck Lunch is served while the cruise is making its way back to the port, where you disembark and are transferred directly to Hanoi airport for your flight to Danang. Our local driver will greet you at Danang airport and take you to your beachfront resort in An Bang Beach, where you will spend the night.
(B, L)
Bike Tour & Cooking Class in Tra Que Village
Today you will be introduced to the local cuisine through a hands-on culinary journey. Your local guide will pick you up at your hotel and together you will bike through paddy fields to visit the colorful central market of Hoi An. There you will learn about the local essential ingredients, herbs, and spices. Then you continue on to Tra Que, a small and charming village on the outskirts of Hoi An, where vegetables and herbs are grown organically to supply to local restaurants and markets. Once you arrive, you can walk through the gardens, see a variety of local vegetables, smell the fresh herb aroma, and watch the farmers at work. Then come to the village kitchen, where you will learn from the village chefs how to prepare some Vietnamese dishes. Enjoy the meal you made and a herbal foot massage before biking back to the hotel in the afternoon to relax. You spend the night in An Bang Beach.
(B, L)
Hoi An Surroundings & Luxurious Spa Experience
This morning you can explore the surroundings of Hoi An. After a picnic lunch, enjoy the rest of the afternoon at a luxury spa resort in town, where you can relax by the pool and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere before getting pampered with a 60-minute spa treatment. Have some hot tea afterwards before going back to your hotel. You spend the night in Hoi An.
(B, L)
Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City
Today you transfer from Hoi An to Danang airport and fly to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Our local driver will meet you at Ho Chi Minh City airport and take you to your hotel. In the afternoon, you go on a sightseeing tour to visit Notre Dame Cathedral, the War Remnants Museum, the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the Reunification Palace. Then enjoy your dinner on a Saigon River cruise. You will spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.
(B, D)
Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta
This morning we will take you to Cai Be, a small town in Mekong Delta, where you board a wooden cruise boat for an overnight trip cruising along the Mekong River. Upon boarding, enjoy your lunch on the boat while observing local life along the river banks. In the afternoon, you will go on a guided shore excursion through rice fields, villages, and orchards. You will get to taste seasonal fresh fruits grown on the orchards and see local handcrafted products. Afterwards you will return to the cruise boat and watch the great sunset over the Mekong River. Dinner will be served on board. Stay overnight on the cruise.
(B, L, D)
Mekong Delta Floating Market
Start the day fresh and early with a sunrise breakfast, you then transfer to a sampan boat to visit a floating market. Floating markets in the Mekong Delta are a way of life and trade for over a 100 years due to the region's extensive river system. These markets are centrally located in the delta, where people sell and buy locally grown fruits and vegetables. Your boat will pull up to the vendor boats so you can talk to, bargain, and buy from them. Afterwards, explore the small canals by boat or bike, or on foot, and visit a local candy maker. After lunch, continue to visit a village before returning to Ho Chi Minh City, where you will spend the night.
(B, L, D)
Ho Chi Minh City – Phu Quoc Island
Today you will fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc Island. Upon arrival, our local driver will take you to your beach resort where you can relax for the rest of the day. You will spend the night on Phu Quoc.
(B)
Phu Quoc Beach Day
The next few days you will have plenty of time to enjoy and relax. You can spend your beach vacation however you wish. Try one of the water activities such as snorkeling or diving. You spend the night in the beach resort.
(B)
Relaxation on Phu Quoc Island
Another free day on Phu Quoc. You can visit Phu Quoc National Park, explore the local markets and try local food. You will spend the night in your beach resort on Phu Quoc.
(B)
Phu Quoc Island
Today is your last full day on the island. Enjoy the beach, sand, and sun as much as you want. In the evening, upon request, a picnic BBQ on the beach while watching the sunset is a great way wrap up your trip. You spend the night in your resort.
(B)
Phu Quoc Departure
Enjoy your free time until you are picked up and taken to the airport for your journey home.
(B)
Route
Your trip starts in Siem Reap then go to Hanoi. From there travel to Ky Son Village, Mai Chau, and Ha Long Bay. Then continue via Danang to Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. The last destination is Phu Quoc Island.
Destination
Cambodia, VietnamDeparture
Siem Reap / Phu QuocDeparture Time
dailyIncluded
2 hours free babysitter2 Spa & massage vouchers for you & familyAirport TransfersBike rentingBoat trips as described in programCooking classDaily breakfast in accommodationDomestic flightsEnglish speaking private tour guideEntrance fees & excursions as per tour programHandmade giftsMeals as specified in tour program (B,L,D)Mineral water during excursionsprivate transfer in air conditioned carTrain tickets as described in the programTravel insuranceNot Included
Optional