Indochina Sonata 22 Days

Your tour begins with four days in Laos....

Vientiane is a good place to enter Indochina because it’s a gentle, laid-back place to relax you after your flight. From there you fly to World Heritage Luang Prabang, regarded as the best example of an ancient town in SE Asia. It’s compact, a pleasant place to stroll, and steeped in the magic of the Orient.

Meals: three breakfasts, three lunches and four dinners

Escort/guide: transfer to hotel, ‘Welcome’ dinner and thereafter until transfer to Luang Prabang airport for departure to Cambodia

Three days in Cambodia

What can we say about Angkor Wat that isn’t an understatement? It’s simply unique - beyond hyperbole! Although you’ll have two full days to explore one of the most remarkable cultural sites in the world, you’ll barely scratch the surface. Prepare to be overwhelmed by this miracle in the jungle.

Phnom Penh is a different matter. Once one of the architectural pearls of Indochina, the K’mer Rouge legacy was one of wanton destruction. Fortunately, some of its glory remains. The Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace are splendid and well worth a day’s visit.

Meals: three breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners

Guide: from entry in Siem Reap to departure from Phnom Penh.

Three days to cross the Mekong Delta

Cruising down the Bassac River to Chau Doc is a slower, but more civilised, means of entering Vietnam. The town itself is surprising – a melange of cultures and religions and justifies a day to look around its pagodas.

After that, it’s back on a boat to cross the Mekong Delta by river, canal and road. En-route, you’ll get to know the culture of the Delta people and their complex relationship with the mighty river that sustains them. Finally, after slicing through overgrown channels, visiting orchards, cottage industries and tried your hand at local crafts, you’ll arrive at Vietnam’s commercial metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: three breakfasts, three lunches and two dinners

Guide: all three days.

Two days in Ho Chi Minh City

Still known as Saigon by many of its residents and visitors, the city sprawls over more than 2,000km in the centre of the south of Vietnam. It’s brash, noisy but undeniably exciting. The famous Cu Chi tunnels, the mysteries of Caodaism and the city itself await you.

Meals: two breakfasts and two lunches

Guide: both days

Four days in Vietnam’s Central area

Hue’s imposing Imperial City and Hoi An’s intimate ancient town, two contrasting World Heritage Areas, the remarkable mausoleums of the Nguyen Emperors, ‘garden houses’, and the famous Marble Mountains are some of the Centre’s many attractions. Add in distinctive cuisines, Imperial traditions and the Perfume River, and you’re in for a feast of culture!

Meals: four breakfasts, four lunches and one dinner

Guide: from arrival at Danang airport to departure from Hue Airport

Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, a free day, and your departure day – six days altogether

Elegant Hanoi, the heart of Vietnam, awaits you. It's a city steeped in history: a chronicle of wars and conquest, dominance and subjugation, defeats and victories. Compact and accessible, it’s bursting with variety.

Sleeping in a wooden junk on the amazing Ha Long Bay brings your tour through Indochina to an unforgettable climax. The Ha Long experience is difficult to describe – suffice it to say that most of our customers rate it as their most durable memory. If you’re a seafood fan – you’re in for something special! You’ll have a day and a half on the bay and a night under the stars. If the weather’s good, take the pillows from the cabin, and sleep on the roof – it’s magic, especially if you encounter a clear Ha Long dawn!

Sadly, it’s back to Hanoi on the following afternoon with the next day free for shopping and sightseeing. We’ll treat you to a farewell dinner in the evening before you leave so you can tell us about your adventures!

Meals: six breakfasts, three lunches and two dinners

Guide: transfers and three days

Our prices include:

* Breakfast and accommodation sharing a twin or double room.
* Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary above (Please note: pick-ups will be by a guide and driver or, where a guide is not necessary, a driver only. All unaccompanied drivers will be briefed in advance, and will carry a mobile phone to ensure smooth transfer arrangements)
* Domestic flight tickets in Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City - Danang, Hue - Hanoi, including domestic airport taxes.
* Domestic flight tickets in Laos: Vientiane - Luang Prabang, including domestic airport taxes.
* High speedboat tickets: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh - Chau Doc and Chau Doc - Can Tho.
* Boat cruises as specified in the programme. All Ha Long Bay boats will be fully licensed and comply with current safety regulations.
* • Travel in an appropriate private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced safe driver.
* The services of experienced English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary (please note: guides will be on hand from pick-up until guests' return to their hotel or reaching their destination). Free days or part days will not include the services of a guide unless requested and included in the final itinerary.
* Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the programme.
* Lunches and dinners (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available, and full board on the boat in Ha Long Bay.
* VAT and other taxes