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Let’s exert your sweat during 14-days trip in both rising stars in Southeast Asia – Vietnam and Cambodia. As the kick-off for the chain of discovery activities, Bavi Eco Tour will bring its new fellows plenty of sweet and “sweat” memories. Joining cycling, tea-leave harvesting, cooking, etc. are sounds hectic but surprisingly comfortable. Then, Mai Chau is awaited for the pioneers-to-be, arranged a table of its dishes such as kayaking, hiking, etc. Then, a tailor-made route will be ready for your next destination, Ninh Binh. Cycle along with the rice fields and rivers Tam Coc – Binh Dong, visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital with some vestige of Vietnamese feudal dynasties. A must-have item in the bucket list of any travelers to Vietnam must be awarded to Halong Bay. You will be proven the reasons for its beauty and attractiveness. Finish your journey in Vietnam, flight to the country of temples, Cambodia, you will meet the symbol of Siem Reap, Angkor Wat with famous series of colossal human faces carved in stone. To continue this flow of stunning architectural masterpieces, discover the mysterious appealing of this area with a Banteay Srei with the delicate beauty of the carvings, a Battambang town with French Colonial architectures and other modern temples. Taste the special steam-sticky rice cooked in bamboo there and walk in a small local market. The trip will end with a pagoda built up with 5000 silver tiles, Royal Palace, the treasure of this country capital, and Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh’s namesake.
Your Vietnam adventure begins with your arrival in Hanoi. Your guide and private driver will meet you at the airport, holding a signboard with your name. They will escort you to your accommodation right in the heart of the city, with the fascinating Old Quarter at your fingertips. You can easily explore the city at your own pace or relax at the hotel after the flight.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Enjoy a hearty breakfast at the hotel then our experienced English-speaking guide escorts you on the trip to Ba Vi, a countryside located on the outskirt of Hanoi.
Arrive at Ri village, enjoy the welcome drink and snacks and meet your first host – Mr. Duoc, who is a Vietnam War veteran and tea-farm owner. Listen to the stories of Mr. Duoc’s life during the war while enjoying the drink and then visit his tea plantation. You will learn how to pick the best tea leaves to make the most wonderful beverage in Vietnam. Carry on with the tea production at his small workshop, where most of the work is manual.
Then have a short drive to Moc village, where you will meet your next host Mrs. Chin, who will teach you how to cook local Vietnamese dishes. Later have the meals you made for lunch in a beautiful tropical garden.
Have a short break after lunch, and join Mrs. Chin for a walk around the village. You will visit some local families to understand the rural lifestyle and learn how tofu, conical hats, and other local products are made. Then have a cycling trip through beautiful paddy fields to meet your last host Mr. Chinh, who will meet you with fresh mint lemon juice. All ingredients are freshly picked from his own garden.
Wrap up your countryside tour with traditional feet soak in warm water with herbs, following the traditional recipes of the Muong ethnic minority. It will relax you (and your feet) after cycling around the village.
Then your driver will transfer you to Mai Chau.
Overnight in Mai Chau.
Today you will have a great opportunity to discover Da River ( Black River) and enjoy the scenic landscapes with limestone islets sprinkled all around. Jump on a kayak and explore the true beauty of nature in Northern Vietnam. Visit the fishing village, where you will meet and talk to the local fishermen to know more about their lifestyle. Paddle through islets and explore the fairy pond.
Have lunch with local meals and spend more time kayaking. Later you will be back at your hotel.
Today we will take you on a cycling trip (about 15 km) around the local villages, where you will learn a lot about the unique Thai culture.
Soak up the tranquil daily life by seeing the farmers working on their lush green paddy fields: growing rice, vegetable, and grazing livestock depending on the seasons. The spectacular landscapes with soaring mountains, green paddy fields, and nice traditional houses on stilts, all together with the unique cultural features of Thai ethnic people, which are less affected by modern life, will bring you unforgettable memories.
Have lunch and get ready for your transfer to another area of Mai Chau.
Overnight in Mai Chau.
Have breakfast at your hotel and get ready to depart to Ninh Binh, known as Halong Bay on Land. Upon arrival, you will visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital to learn more about the time of feudal dynasties in Vietnamese history.
Take a rest for lunch, after which you will depart to the dock for a boat ride in Tam Coc. Admire the beauty of the karst formations on both sides of the river while the boat takes its way along the river.
Then have a cycling trip (around 5 km) through the quiet roads passing by the rice fields and rivers. After the cycling trip, you will be transferred to your hotel to have a rest after a busy day.
Overnight in Tam Coc.
Have a hearty breakfast at the hotel. Today you will make your trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vietnam. We leave the greeny rice fields of Ninh Binh behind, bound for the serenity of Lan Ha Bay, the less touristy area of Tonkin Gulf on the South of Halong Bay.
Upon arrival at Tuan Chau International Marina, you will board the cruise.
Get acquainted with the facilities on board as the boat starts sailing into the bay. Savor your first hours of cruising on the sun deck and let your eyes wander over the breathtaking scenery of Lan Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago. Have lunch on board.
Later the cruise vessel approaches a secret hideaway place with beaches, caves, and coves, where you can see the spectacular natural beauty of about 400 islands. Have a stop here for kayaking and swimming in the clear water of the bay.
Then return to the boat and enjoy the afternoon tea while watching the sunset from the sun deck. Later join the Vietnamese cooking class led by the cruise chef, followed by a delicious dinner.
In the evening, have a relaxing time on the boat or try your luck with squid fishing.
Overnight on cruise.
Rise early today to view the dawn at the Wonder of the Nature World with breakfast served in the dining room. A Tai Chi class on the sun deck will awake your mind and muscles.
Then head off in a bamboo boat to explore Dark and Bright Cave, a stunning limestone structure of two caves, which you can access only by boat.
Then return to the boat to check out and enjoy the brunch while the cruise is sailing back to the harbor. Later you will be transferred to Hanoi airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh. Upon arrival at Ho Chi Minh airport, you will be escorted to your hotel.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.
Today you will explore the most remarkable places of Ho Chi Minh city in military-style by Jeep.
Have breakfast at your hotel before your guide and driver pick you up to begin your Jeep adventure. Drive through Saigon streets towards the Independence Palace/ the Reunification Palace. The palace is a symbolic destination of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, when the North Vietnamese Army tank number 843 crashed through the gates of what was the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam.
Next, you will admire the Museum of American War Crimes/ the War Remnants Museum is the most popular museum in Ho Chi Minh City. It gathers a collection of the machinery, weapons, photos, and documentation of Vietnam’s wars.
After the Museum, you will see Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post Office, which are the best highlights of old Saigon architecture and are located next to each other right in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City.
And then, Jeep will take you for a drive along famous roads in Saigon as Dong Khoi street, and Nguyen Hue street, and head to Ben Thanh Market, a lively market in District 1, where your guide can help you barter for goods. And then, Jeep goes to Bui Vien street and back to your hotel.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Relish the remaining moment in Ho Chi Minh before your private driver escorts you to the airport to take the international flight to Siem Reap. When you arrive at Siem Reap airport, your driver will pick you up and transfer you to your accommodation. The rest of the time is free at leisure.
Overnight in Siem Reap.
Have breakfast at the hotel and start your sightseeing tour of the Angkor area. Start your exploration with the wondrous ancient ruins with the South Gate of Angkor Thom, which is famous for its series of colossal human faces carved in stone. Continue your sightseeing to the impressive Bayon Temple, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King, and the largest as well as the most complete temple of Angkor Wat. This architectural masterpiece was constructed in the 12th century and covers an area of about 210 hectares. We will stroll around this massive edifice, seeing the many galleries with columns, libraries, pavilions, courtyards, and ponds full of water reflecting the towering temple. Then visit the famous jungle-covered temple of Ta Prohm. Here the enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers embrace themselves in the stone foundations of the structure giving the impression of man’s creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature.
Overnight in Siem Reap.
Have breakfast at the hotel and get ready for your next adventure. Today you will visit Banteay Srei. This complex of temples was constructed in the late 10th century by a Brahmin counselor under the powerful king Rajendarvarman. This temple is wrongly known as the citadel of the woman, however, the modern appellation refers to the dedicated beauty of the carvings. En route, we will stop at Pre Rub (turn the body) temple, constructed in the late 10th century and dedicated to Hindu gods. It reflects the common belief among Cambodians and is used to conduct funerals.
Then visit Preah Khan temple, built by King Jayavarman VII and dedicated to his father. It is a huge and highly exportable monastic complex, which is served as a Buddhist monastery and school, engaging over 1000 monks. Continue to Neak Pean, a small island temple located in the middle of the last Baray, constructed by a Khmer king in the Angkor area.
In the evening we will take a Tuk Tuk, a small open-sided taxi, to cruise around the suburb of Siem Reap town for a blessing ceremony by Buddhist monks for happiness, prosperity, and safety for your journey.
Overnight in Siem Reap.
Have breakfast at the hotel and get ready for your trip to Battambang. Upon arrival in Battambang town and check-in at your hotel, we will drive along the picturesque Sangker River to Wat Slaket Pagoda, the former residence of the provincial Buddhist patriarch.
Continue your exploration by visiting Ek Phnom Temple, which is an 11th-century Angkorian-era ruin built as a Hindu temple under Suryavarman I. The temple consists of prasats on a platform with carvings in pretty good condition and a modern pagoda that sits next to the ruin. The river road you take to drive to Ek Phnom from Battambang passes through small villages and rice paddies.
After temple exploration, you will visit a market where Prahoc, the Cambodian fish paste is made, and steam-sticky rice is cooked in bamboo. Return to town for a short walk to the local market.
Overnight at the hotel in Battambang.
Have breakfast at the hotel and take some rest until our guide and driver will take you to more sightseeing and drive you to Phnom Penh. Visit Ksach Puoy village, located on the banks of the Sangker River. It is home to many well-preserved traditional Khmer wooden stilted homes. This area also grows a variety of tropical fruits and, after the rainy season, farmers plant all kinds of vegetables along the fertile river banks. Here you will learn about traditional agriculture and taste juicy oranges, sweet pineapples, and many other fruits.
Not far from Ksach Puoy is Cambodia’s first vineyard – Prasat Phnom Banan Vineyard – you can pop in if you like, learn about producing wine in the tropics, and enjoy a spot of wine tasting! After a few kilometers further, you will arrive at the well-preserved 11th-century mountaintop Angkorian temple of Phnom Banan. After climbing the 350+ steps, you will be treated to a wonderfully peaceful setting with superb views across the surrounding countryside. Observe the small villages dotting the endless rice paddies and sugar palm trees. Then continue the trip to Phnom Penh.
Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Have breakfast at the hotel, and we will visit the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, which is named because of its floor made up of 5000 silver tiles. The treasures found inside include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90 kg. and a small 17th-century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. Later, visit Wat Phnom Temple, a famous landmark of Phnom Penh. Then our driver will take you to the Phnom Penh International Airport for your flight back home.
