ROUSING MEKONG TOUR OF BANGKOK-ANGKOR- SAIGON

11 DAYS / 10 NIGHTS

(An intimate itinerary for a rousing reconnaissance of three neighbouring Mekong River countries.)

DAY 1: ARRIVE IN BANGKOK

Arrive in Bangkok airport meet and transfer to hotel for check-in. 

Have an orientation walk-about in the vicinity of your hotel which is in the city centre to see for yourself what makes this eclectic city throb with vibrancy of life, traffic, smells of pungent foods and roasting meats and contrast this hurly-burly world with the serenity of its temples where time seems rooted within their walls. Find out what Thai health and foot massage is, drink coffee in a coffee café and watch the human stream flow pass, walk the lively streets to come at close quarters with the Thai living and working in their city environment.

Overnight at Tawana Ramada Hotel (4-star) or hotel of your choice (see list below), Bangkok. 

DAY 2: BANGKOK – FLOATING MARKET & ROSE GARDEN (B, L) 

Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Rise early to take a trip to Bangkok’s largest and most authentic floating market 80km southwest of the city where a flotilla of sampans loaded with local produce glide among boats of shoppers buying their daily sustenance in a large canal that is the marketplace. The sight of so many sampans and rowboats milling around is startlingly picturesque. We will row right up next to these sampans and you can buy a comb of bananas or a papaya or a bowl of hot steaming noodles. And as the sampans and other boats glide away for home, we too leave the floating market to go and see a folk show and an elephant show in the well-landscaped Rose Garden at Samphran. Lunch at the Rose Garden restaurant. It would be about 5.30pm before we arrive back in the comfort of your hotel for a dip in the pool. In the evening as the hundreds of stalls selling all kinds of Thai and imported products lit up and open for business, stroll in the Patpong night market near your hotel.

Overnight at Tawana Ramada Hotel (4-star) or similar, in Bangkok. 

DAY 3: BANGKOK – CANAL & TEMPLE TOUR (B, L)

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning tour of the canals of the Chao Phraya River and Thonburi to see life in the maze of canals. Visit Wat Sai to make a brief stop for refreshments and toilet before gliding off to feed the giant catfish in the klong to gain merit. We then visit the Temple of the Dawn that was built by King Taksin on the Thonburi side before Bangkok was founded (in 1782). Cross the river to the Bangkok side to visit the Emerald Buddha Temple and the adjacent Grand Palace. Both built and used by the Chakri kings until recently. Foreign ambassadors and Heads of States are received in the throne hall of the Grand Palace today.

Buffet lunch in the Emerald Hotel restaurant before returning to our hotel and be free at leisure for the rest of the day.

Overnight at Tawana Ramada Hotel (4-star) or similar, in Bangkok.

DAY 4: BANGKOK – SIEM REAP – ROLOUS TEMPLES (B, L, D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Siem Reap, the heritage site of Cambodia that has thrilled the world since its discovery in the mid-19^th century. We take an orientation tour of the city to get to know it, visiting the Old Market where Khmer handicrafts and souvenirs can be bargained for, the royal residence of the present King Sihanouk, Siem Reap River, Psar Thmei and other sights including a look at Khmer artisans working away on stone and wood to produce the artwork for sale in the showroom of Les Chantiers Ecoles Artisans d’Angkor. Lunch at Jasmine Angkor Restaurant. Tour to the Rolous group temples of Lolei, Bakong and Preah Ko all built in the pre-Angkor period (850-893) to see the precedents of the great Angkor period temples. These temples will establish in your mind the chronology of temple architecture in Angkor as temple building developed and declined over a period of 600 years. Dinner at Sampheap Restaurant.

Overnight at hotel, Siem Reap.

DAY 5:  ANGKOR THOM & TA PROHM (B, L, D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning tour of Angkor Thom, the great city located next to Angkor Wat. Angkor Thom was the greatest achievement of King Jayavarman VII. Built in the 12th century, it extends almost 4 square miles and is enclosed by a wall 26 feet high, 7.5 miles long and surrounded by an originally crocodile-infested moat. This great city contains many structures built to honor the Buddha and amenities for the king and people to enjoy. The area is surrounded by five monumental gates more than 65 feet high, each dominated by 4 huge carved faces of the king himself represented as the Buddha Avalokitesvara, facing north, south, east and west. In front of the south gate are giant statues of 54 gods on the left, 54 demons on the right. In the centre is the Bayon, a massive cluster of towers carved with 216 faces of the king. More great carvings are found on the 4000 feet of interior walls that are covered with bas-reliefs showing 11,000 figures engaged in battles, ceremonial pageants and everyday life of 12th century Angkor. Visit Phimeanakas, a 10th century temple built by Jayavarman V; the Elephant Terrace, a viewing platform from which the kings of Angkor watched military processions; the Terrace of the Leper King, supposedly named after the builder of Angkor Thom whom legend says was afflicted with leprosy. Visit also Preah Khan dedicated to Buddhism and Neak Pean, both built by Jayavarman VII, the latter a healing place. Lunch at Jasmine Angkor restaurant. Afternoon sightseeing of Ta Prohm which is not restored and left to the elements with giant trees embracing its stone works, giving Ta Prohm its unique character. We are able to visualize and perhaps feel how Henri Mouhot the Frenchman who discovered Angkor must have experienced when he stumbled upon
the jungle covered ruins of Angkor in the mid-19^thcentury. If there is still time we visit also Ta Keo, an 11^thcentury sandstone temple dedicated to Shiva, Prasat Kravan, Banteay Kldei, and others. Return to your hotel to refresh yourself. 

Dinner at New Bayon Restaurant. 

Overnight at hotel, Siem Reap. 

DAY 6: BANTEAY SREI – KBAL SPEAN - ANGKOR WAT (B, L, D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning departure at 8.30am to tour Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean in the Kulen Mountains. The temple of Banteay Srei, 38 km from Siem Reap, is the only pink sandstone temple exquisitely carved dated before Angkor Wat. Its apsaras on the walls are regarded as the best in the whole Angkor temple complex. Venture out farther into the Kulen Mountain area to Kbal Spean, which was the first capital of the pre-Angkor Khmer period. There are over 20 ruined temples here, but the marvellous carvings are of huge Hindu gods and the hundreds of carved lingas in the riverbed that you get to with a half-hour trek along a shady jungle path. Stick to the well-trodden paths as there are still unexploded mines lying around. Return to Siem Reap to lunch at Sampheap Restaurant. In the afternoon we visit Angkor Wat, the great temple built before Angkor Thom. Angkor Wat represents the spiritual and mystical grandeur of the Khmer people. The kingdom was founded in the early 9th century by King Suryavarman II as a microcosm of the mythical world in which he identified himself with the god Vishnu. At the heart of the city was a mountain temple - traditional home of the Hindu gods and also the centre of an earthly kingdom in which the king was regarded as sacred. The temple also served as a mausoleum for the dead kings and was in use until 1431 when the Siamese eliminated the kingdom. The lost city was re-discovered by western archaeologists in the late 19th century. The temple complex of Angkor covers 200 acres, enclosed by a massive rectangular-shaped wall and surrounded by a moat. The wall contains gates on all four sides, with the main entrance richly decorated with carvings and sculptures. The temple comprises five distinctive towers with 72 major monuments and an irrigation system, which together portrayed the harmonization of Indian roots in a Cambodian context – which was the very foundation of Khmer art and architecture. This place is probably the largest religious monument ever built on earth, and is considered one of the most inspiring. Angkor Wat was declared a world heritage site by the United Nations, and is regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. As the sun lowers itself beneath the horizon, climb up to the Bakheng Temple ruins to see the sunset on Angkor Wat. Dinner at Tonle Sap Restaurant with cultural show.

Overnight in hotel, Siem Reap. 

DAY 7:  SIEM REAP - SAIGON (HCMC) (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Free until time to transfer to the airport for your departure flight from Siem Reap to Saigon. Your guide will assist you at checking-in at the airport. Upon arrival in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) Tan Son Nhat airport, meet your guide who will welcome you and transfer you to your city hotel. Ho Chi Minh City is a center of commerce, finance, culture and tourism in Vietnam. This bustling metropolis is a stark contrast with its northern counterpart, Hanoi. It is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, exciting shopping areas and sidewalk cafés. (If time permits we stroll around the downtown to explore the different local ways of life).

Overnight in hotel, Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 8: HO CHI MINH CITY (B, L)

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we spend a half day seeing some major sights of the city. We pass the now-demolished wartime American Embassy before we visit the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975, and some French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the old Sai Gon Post Office. After seeing the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnant Museum, we continue our trip to the bustling Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is for sale. Lunch in a restaurant before returning to the hotel, and be free at leisure.

Overnight in hotel, Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 9:  HCMC – TAY NINH - CU CHI TUNNEL (B, L)

Breakfast at the hotel. The headquarters of the Cao Dai sect is located in Tay Ninh. This religious group was founded in 1923 and now numbers over 2 million members. It is a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and superstition. After breakfast we travel by road to Tay Ninh to see the ornate Cao Dai temple and attend the fantastic mid-day service when the followers fill the hall wearing coloured robes, a symbol of the curious combination of the marks of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Afterwards we continue to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which are an incredible underground network constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the long struggle for independence. The tunnels contained hospitals, accommodation, schools and other useful construction. They were used as a military base for the Vietcong in the American War. Lunch in a restaurant before returning to HCMC.

Overnight in hotel, Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 10: HCMC – MEKONG DELTA (B, L)

Breakfast at the hotel. Heading out of town, we travel by road to the Mekong delta, Vietnam's largest rice bowl. On arrival in My Tho we embark on a boat navigating around the intricate small canals in the delta region, which is a great way to observe the local lifestyle close-up and catch a view dotted by many islands. The exciting excursion will pass the lush green vegetation before arriving at the famous Unicorn Island. Here we have opportunities to stroll about in an orchard, taste many seasonal fruits and enjoy wonderful traditional music. The next stop of our trip is Ben Tre province to visit some fascinating local industries. After lunch we return to Ho Chi Minh City, stopping off along the way to see the beautiful Ving Trang Pagoda and Cholon, Saigon’s Chinatown, which is crammed with sacred temples and mysterious, narrow lanes. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.

Overnight in hotel, Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 11: SAIGON - DEPARTURE (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Free until time to transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

End of Rousing Mekong Tour

INCLUSIONS:

- 10 nights hotel accommodation with daily breakfast.

-  3 dinners (one with show) and 8 lunches.

- All transfers and transportation in air-conditioned car/van/coach.

- Tours as stated in the program.

- Boat fees in Bangkok.

- All entrance fees when on tours including that to the Angkor Temple Complex, tolls and parking charges.

- English speaking guide services.

EXCLUSIONS:

- Domestic and regional airfares and their airport taxes: BKK-REP-SGN and departure flight from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

- Visa fee in Cambodia (US$25) – visa-upon-arrival. Vietnam visa from embassy.

- Drinks at meals other than what is served at table.

- Expenses of a personal nature like massage, use of hotel mini bar, laundry, phone calls, room service and the like.

HOTELS:

SUPERIOR (3-Star).

IN BANGKOK: Mandarin, Royal Hotel.

IN SIEM REAP: Star Royal, Royal Crown, Angkor President.

IN SAIGON: Oscar Saigon hotel (superior room), Continental, Windsor Saigon

 (superior room), Kim Do–Royal hotel.

FIRST CLASS (4-Star).

IN BANGKOK: Tawana Ramada, Montien, Silom Serene (boutique)

IN SIEM REAP: Day Inn Resort & Spa, Angkor Star, Princess Hotel.

IN SAIGON: Rex, Amara, Majestic, Garden Plaza, Grand hotel.

DELUXE (5-Star).

IN BANGKOK: Royal Orcid Sheraton, Sofitel Silom.

IN SIEM REAP: Angkor Palace Resort & Spa, Sofitel Royal Angkor.

IN SAIGON: New World Saigon (deluxe room), Renaissance Riverside

 (city view room), Equatorial hotel (deluxe room).