Tour Dates: Sept 19 – 27th, 2013
Land Cost: $1399 per person, double occupancy with airfare between Cambodia & Vietnam only
Single Supplement: $319
Deposit: 20% If you would like to reserve a spot on this trip, contact Sherry Kumar at Philadelphia@eurocircle.com

Optional Extension 1: Danang / Hoian (3 Days at the Beach) Land Cost: $299
Optional Extension 2: Laos (3 City/Country Tour) Land Cost: $499

Airfare is extra and may be arranged through Eurocircle or on your own. Airfare between Cambodia & Vietnam is included in the price.

Itinerary:
DAY 1: Arrival into Siem Reap, Cambodia.Transfer to hotel and check-in. Meet rest of Eurocircle travelers. Rest of the day at your leisure.
DAY 2: Full day of Angkor Wat & Angkor Thom sightseeing.
DAY 3: Full day of Ta Prohm & Banteay Srey temple tours
DAY 4: Fly to Saigon, Vietnam
DAY 5: Full day, Saigon city tour
DAY 6: Half Day Cu Chi Tunnels, then transfer by air to Hanoi
DAY 7: Full day Hanoi tour
DAY 8: Halong Bay Cruise
DAY 9: Depart Hanoi, return to USA.

Included:
- Hotels with daily breakfast
- Joint accommodations on Halong cruise
- Private transfers and transportation while on tour
- Sightseeing tickets
- English speaking guide
- Entrance fees
- Boat rides
- Some meals, when specified
- Airfare between Cambodia & Vietnam (REP-SGN / SGN-HAN) with airport tax

Does not include:
- Visas (each traveler must obtain a visa)
- Flights out of and returning to USA
- Optional excursion flights
- Tips & gratuities

Day 1: Siem Reap – Arrival (Flight information to be advised/ Own tickets)
Meals: None
Accommodation: Tara Angkor Hotel/ Deluxe Room
Address: Mondol 3, Khum Slokram Tel: (855-63) 966 661. Fax: (855-63) 964 444 http://www.taraangkorhotel.com

Upon arrival, meet with your guide and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 2: Siem Reap – Full Day Ankgor Wat & Angkor Thom
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Tara Angkor Hotel/ Deluxe Room

Start the day with a transfer to Angkor Wat, one of the modern wonders of the world. Be amazed by the sheer size of the temple and learn how the Khmer Empire prospered between the 9th and 13th centuries, around the time when Angkor Wat was built. Stroll through the intricately carved hallways that show hundreds of fine carvings and discover small shrines still in use today by the local people.

Head back to Siem Reap to rest and to enjoy lunch on your own before continuing to Angkor Thom, the ancient royal city of Khmer Empire with its centre piece; the Bayon temple. As you approach, you will notice the enigmatic faces of former King Jayavarman VII looking into every direction. Your guide will take you to the Terrace of the Elephants, which served as a platform from where the King could welcome back his victorious army and the Terrace of the Leper King, which holds detailed carvings winding along a narrow passage way that leads to the Baphuon complex. In the late afternoon, visit Artisans d’Angkor, an organization focusing on training unschooled rural youth in traditional handicraft skills. Ancient techniques are still practiced here such as wood and stone carving, lacquering, gilding and silk painting. Bid farewell to the artisans and return to your hotel.

Day 3: Siem Reap – Full day Ta Prohm & Banteay Srei
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation : Tara Angkor Hotel/ Deluxe Room

The day is started with a visit to the picturesque Ta Prohm. This temple is considered to be Angkor’s most beautiful structure and is overgrown with fig trees, giving a haunting yet exotic atmosphere. The magnificent roots of the trees have merged itself over the centuries with the temple’s huge stone blocks, emphasizing a ‘forgotten city’ feeling. Return to your hotel, enjoy a rest and depart in the afternoon for the jewel of Khmer art, Banteay Srei temple. Translating to “The Citadel of the Women”, this red sand-stone temple is one of Angkor’s most significant structures as its walls are decorated with elaborate carvings and in an amazing state of preservation. Much of the Angkor civilization can be learned here by studying the remarkable carvings.

Day 4: Siem Reap – Saigon (By Air – Economy class)
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Liberty Central Hotel/ Deluxe

After breakfast, free at leisure until transfer to airport for the flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, meet with your guide and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Remainder of the day is at leisure

Day 5: Saigon – Full day city tour
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Liberty Central Hotel/ Deluxe

Saigon is the country’s commercial centre and, with over nine million inhabitants and five million motorbikes, a city that never sleeps. Despite the well-documented hustle and bustle, Saigon retains its connections with the past.

A walking tour to admire Saigon’s historic landmarks is a must. Transfer to Dong Khoi street., or Rue Catinat as it was known in the time of the French occupation, to discover some of the beautiful French colonial buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th century. Appreciate the splendidly restored exteriors of the Opera House and the former Hotel de Ville which are still two of the finest buildings in Saigon. Wander up to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires based on the original construction from Paris. (It is only possible to visit inside when no service is being performed) Then head across the square to the Central Post Office, designed by the French architect, Gustav Eiffel, before he had risen to fame for the Eiffel Tower. The former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American war, is a short drive away and reveals the history of Saigon during its turbulent recent past.

Head out of the city centre on a short 6km drive to District 5 to visit Thien Hau temple, built by the Cantonese congregation in the early 19th century to honour the Goddess of the Sea. The temple’s ornate interior courtyard is always full of life as worshippers from the local Chinese community come to offer their prayers. Take time to make a wish, write it on a small card and attach it to one of the incense coils in the local custom. Continue your visit to FITO(closed on Monday), the first museum of traditional medicine in Vietnam, offering an insight into how traditional medicine was used in the past. Return to your hotel.

Day 6: Saigon – Half day Cu Chi Tunnels
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Medallion Hotel/ Deluxe
Address: 11 – 13 Ma May st., Hoan Kiem Dist. Tel: (84-4) 3926 1302. Fax: (84-4) 3926 1306 http://www.medallion-hanoi.com

Saigon – Hanoi (By air – economy class)

Enjoy a two hour drive northwest of Saigon, through urbanized areas and typical lush southern Vietnamese countryside, to the famous Cu Chi tunnels. The 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 the tunnels’ history, the hardship of life in the tunnels and the Vietnamese resilience during combat. Return to Saigon, transfer to airport for flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, meet with your guide and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Remainder of the day is at leisure

Day 7: Hanoi – Full day city tour
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Medallion Hotel/ Deluxe

With ochre-coloured colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and scenic lakes, Hanoi is full of charm.

Start the tour at the historic Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, an imposing monument lavishly built using marble and granite, and where the preserved body of “Uncle Ho” resides. (Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed every Monday & Friday, all afternoons and from late September until December). Behind the Mausoleum, you can see Ho Chi Minh’s House. The simple house where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked is made of wood and enjoyed a tranquil setting, with a view of a lotus pond. Ho Chi Minh’s belongings are on display and you can walk up the steps of his house to see his bedroom. A short walk from the mausoleum is the lotus shaped One Pillar Pagoda – resting on a single stone pillar emerging from the water. Wind your way afterwards to the Temple of Literature, the first University for the sons of mandarins, for an overview about Hanoian culture and appreciation for ancient Vietnamese architecture.

In the afternoon, visit the serene Museum of Ethnology is a 20 minute drive out of town that offers a fascinating insight into Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups. (Museum of Ethnology is closed on Mondays) Drive back to central Hanoi for an hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter to enjoy the bustling local life, then cap off the day with a show at the water puppet theatre – a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes of rural life and episodes of national history.

Day 8: Hanoi – Halong
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation 1: Calypso Cruiser (Join-in boat)/ Deluxe (Private cabin, 2 persons per cabin)
Accommodation 2: Ginger Cruise (Join-in boat)/ Ginger Room (Private cabin, 2 persons per cabin)

Embark on a 3.5 hour drive to Halong Bay with a quick rest stop at Hong Ngoc Center – the best place to stop and stretch your legs en route.

GINGER/ JASMINES CRUISE’S ITINERARY: (CRUISE SHIP IS TO BE DETERMINED)
12:30 – Welcome on board and set sail through Ha Long Bay. Rest your eyes on the azure waters of this magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth, passing picturesque area like Mat Quy islet and Am islet.
13:15 – Lunch is served
15:15 – We will go to the Tien Ong Cave by Tender. The Cave is about 2.000 sqm large with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, the visit will last about 25 Mins (we highly recommend travelers refraining from coming on excursion with high heel shoes). We will then visit the Cua Van Fishing Village, the biggest and oldest Fishing Village in Ha Long Bay and you will enjoy a pleasant bamboo boat row (up to 4 persons per Boat) through the village with a school among the floating houses.
17:00 – Get back on-board, enjoy the Cooking demonstration. In the meantime, our Boat will be cruising deep in the Bay, passing suggestiv and picturesque area to overnight place.
19:00 – Halong Bay’s Presentation in the Restaurant.
19:30 – Enjoy Dinner.

CALYPSO CRUISER’ S ITINERARY:
12h00 – 12h30 Embark on Calypso Cruiser followed by cruise briefing
13h00 – 15h30 Savor a sumptuous lunch as Calypso Cruiser cruise further along the limestone islands of Fighting Cock, Dog Rock and Incense Burner…
15h30 – 17h30 Visit Amazing Cave
17h30 – 19h00 Enjoy drinks on Sundeck, snap photos the overview of Halong Bay, go swimming or just relax as the sun starts to set. Those who like some experience in cooking Vietnamese dishes can join in our brief Vietnamese cooking course on board while having some free wine.
19h00 Dinner is served. Socialize with other guests or just laze around.
Overnight on board in a tranquil area. (Evening activities available: night squid fishing, karaoke, dancing…)

Day 9: Halong – Hanoi
Meals: Brunch

Hanoi – Departure (Flight information to be advised/ Own tickets)

GINGER/ JASMINES CRUISE’S ITINERARY:
06:30 – Complimentary tea, coffee and pastries for the early risers are available in the Restaurant.
07:00 – Enjoy our Tai Chi Class on Top Deck with an opportunity to admire the magnificent scenery of Sunrise over the Bay.
07:45 – Go to Soisim Beach, there is stair case with more than 200 steps up to the top of Island for you to joy the view of Halong Bay, and please bring a swimming costume if you want to swim.
09:00 – Check-out time. We kindly ask you to pack your bags and leave them along the corridor.
09:30 – Enjoy our Buffet Brunch while we are cruising back to the shore.
09:30 – 10:30 All bills will be checked and paid at Bar counter
11:00 – Say goodbye to our crew and disembark via tender to the Royal Park Pier.

CALYPSO CRUISER’ S ITINERARY:
06h00 – 07h00 Start your day with Tai Chi exercise on sundeck.
07h00 – 11h00 Have breakfast at sunrise. Get your hand on some kayaking, visiting Luon cave, swimming.
Option: For those who do not fancy kayaking can visit Titop Island to enjoy the panorama view of Halong Bay or just relax, swim at the beach. Head back to the Harbor. Arrive at the jetty late morning and transfer back to Hanoi with light snack provided en route. Opt to visit a traditional pottery workshop en route.
Transfer straightly to airport for your departure flight.

*** Note: the itinerary is subject to change due to seasons, weather, water tide conditions with or without prior notice.
End of Tour!

The tour includes
- Accommodation with daily breakfast
- 2D1N on Halong cruise (Join-in boat, 2 persons per cabin)
- Water puppet show in Hanoi
- Cyclo in Hanoi
- Private transfers and transportation on tour
- Sightseeing with Local English speaking guides (one guide in each city)
- Entrance fees and private boat rides
- Meals as specified (meals only, no drinks/water)
- Airfares: REP-SGN/ SGN-HAN (Economy class with airport tax)
- Special visit & interaction arrangement
- Cold towels and water on sightseeing days
- Welcome pack

Non-inclusive of:
- Airport Assistance Service
- Cambodia Visa
- Vietnam visa
- Other meals where not mentioned in the program
- Drinks/water at included lunches and dinners
- Other flights
- Hotel early check in / Late check out
- Overweight luggage
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Tips & gratuities
- Separate luggage truck
- Other services not listed in inclusive column