Thai Indochina Explorer

The day is free to recover from the flight. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is an exciting, absorbing city where bicycles battle with lorries and temples stand alongside modern developments. Devastated by the Vietnam War, HCMC is now a bustling free-market city, where anything goes. The Ben Thanh Market and Notre Dame Cathedral are highly recommended. There will be a welcome briefing with your leader this evening followed by an optional group dinner at a local restaurant. Stay: Huong Sen Hotel (or similar).

This morning, we leave the city behind and head west to the Cu Chi tunnels. Used by the Viet Cong during the war, this network covers three levels and approximately 150mi (240km) of tunnels. Traditionally, these were very narrow but some areas have been widened to allow tourists to explore the system. People with claustrophobia may prefer to stay outside in the sunshine. In the afternoon, we return to Ho Chi Minh City for a tour, which includes visits to the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum where there is an interesting record of the Vietnam/American War. Please note, some of the images are graphic. Stay: Huong Sen Hotel (or similar) (B).

We drive to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta, visiting a temple used by devotees of Cao Dai, an indigenous religion that fuses all the major religions of the east and west. En route, we pass magnificent countryside and stop at small cottage industries. The Mekong is locally known as the rice bowl of Vietnam and produces much of the country's fruit, sugar cane and coconuts. Cai Be floating market is becoming less crowded and smaller as fruit trading is mostly now done by trucks; however, this is still a great opportunity to see a local market and trade conducted traditionally. We take a relaxing sampan cruise in the afternoon and arrive at our accommodation. The evening is tranquil as we have dinner on an island and enjoy Delta hospitality. We spend the night sleeping at a simple homestay guesthouse built in the style of a local house. Bedding, a mosquito net and a small towel are provided. Stay: Mekong homestay guesthouse (B/D).

This morning, we take a short walk around the surrounding village to learn about the daily lives of the people. We board our boats once again and cross the main channel to Vinh Long where we rejoin our vehicle for a drive further into the Mekong Delta to the small border town of Chau Doc. After checking into the hotel, we enjoy a sunset visit to the top of the holy Sam Mountain, which has views stretching into Cambodia. The evening is free to wander around this town on the banks of the Mekong River. Stay: Chau Pho Hotel (or similar) (B).

After driving approximately one hour to the Tinh Bien/Phnom Den land border, we bid Vietnam farewell and cross into Cambodia. Our drive then takes us via the La Plantation Pepper farm, to enjoy lunch and an introduction to the Kampot Pepper farm. After, we transfer to Kampot town, which sits on a picturesque river.

Upon arrival, we check into our centrally located hotel, our base for the next two nights, before boarding a local boat for a sunset cruise on the Kampot River. This waterway runs through the centre of town and can flow in both directions as it is closely connected to the sea. Stay: Boutique Kampot Hotel (or similar) (B/L).

Today, we jump on a local boat for the short trip to Koh Tonsai (Rabbit Island). Palm tree-fringed with a small beach, this is the perfect place to swim in warm water or relax and soak up the tropical surroundings. Stay: Boutique Kampot Hotel (or similar) (B).

There may be the chance to rise early and do an optional walking tour with your leader to visit the Kampot fish market before returning to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we depart Kampot and transfer to Phnom Penh, where we spend the next two nights. During our time in the Cambodian capital, take the chance to wander among the traditional buildings, or shop at either the impressive Central Market or the sprawling Russian Market, a souvenir hunter's paradise. Stay: Ohana Hotel (or similar) (B).

We visit the beautiful Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda inside the palace complex, so named for the solid-silver tiles that make up the floor. Similar in style and scale to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the Royal Palace has significantly fewer visitors and there is plenty of time to wander among the traditional buildings. We also visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as S21), which graphically displays the horrors of the four years when Pol Pot ordered the murder of between 2m and 3m Cambodians. Tuol Sleng was originally a school but was used as a torture and interrogation centre between 1975 and 1979. It is a sobering but enlightening place to visit.

We complete our day with a late afternoon visit to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. A football field-sized area surrounded by farmland, the Killing Fields contain mass graves for perhaps 20,000 Cambodians, many of whom were tortured before being killed. Phnom Penh is a city in transition and, despite its horrific recent history, is now starting to find its feet. Some of its former French colonial buildings have been restored and there is a small but lively restaurant and bar scene developing along the riverfront. Stay: Ohana Hotel (or similar) (B).

Today, we have a long drive to Siem Reap (approximately eight hours). En route, we stop at the town of Skuon, famous for its local delicacy – fried spiders. We also stop at Sambor Prei Kuk, the most impressive group of pre-Angkorian monuments in Cambodia and some of the oldest structures in the country. We'll also pause for a traditional Khmer lunch at a community restaurant before continuing our journey to Siem Reap. Stay: Angkor Holiday Hotel (or similar) (B/L).

We spend a full day exploring the temple complex at Angkor, which French explorer Henri Mouchot described as 'grander than anything of Greece or Rome'. This Unesco World Heritage site stands alongside Chichen Itza and Machu Picchu as one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world. A truly magical experience and a photographer's paradise. One evening, we will watch the sun set over this magnificent scene. We visit the incredible Angkor Wat and the many temples inside the royal city of Angkor Thom, including the magnificent Bayon, which comprises 54 intricately carved towers in one temple. The Bayon certainly left an impression on a traveller in 1925 who stated 'we stand before it stunned. It is like nothing else in the land. ' We also see less-visited outlying temples. Particularly impressive are Banteay Kdei and Ta Prohm, the latter still covered in jungle as it was first found. Stay: Angkor Holiday Hotel (or similar) (B).

This morning, we continue our exploration of the Angkor complex with a visit to the small but charming temple of Banteay Srei (22mi/35km from Siem Reap town). Our route takes us past paddy fields and through pretty villages. Banteay Srei was built in the 10th century and contains some of the finest examples of Khmer sculpture. Although much smaller than the later temples, all of the buildings are covered in exquisite carvings. The afternoon is free for you to independently explore the temples, wander around Siem Reap town or visit a floating fishing village and enjoy a boat trip on the Tonle Sap Lake (optional). Stay: Angkor Holiday Hotel (or similar) (B).

We have an early start and bid farewell to Cambodia, embarking on a longer journey from Siem Reap to Bangkok. The journey to the border can take up to three hours. After the border crossing (which usually takes up to an hour), we meet our Thai tour leader and have our first taste of Thai food at a local restaurant before continuing onto the capital of Bangkok. Famous for tuk tuks, khlong boats and incredible street food, Bangkok is an assault on the senses and provides a real contrast to sleepy Cambodia. Stay: Rembrandt Bangkok Hotel (or similar) (B).

We board a long-tail boat for a tour of the canals. Please note, there may be a possibility of larger groups being accommodated in a bigger boat. Bangkok was once known as the Venice of the East because of its intricate canal network. We get a glimpse of daily life as we pass local people selling wares by the river. We also visit the home of the Thai royal family at the Royal Palace complex followed by Wat Phra Kaew, home to the Emerald Buddha, one of the most venerated images in Thailand. Another highlight is Wat Po, the largest temple in Bangkok, housing a 151ft (46m) long, 49ft (15m) high gold-plated reclining Buddha. Please note, when visiting the Royal Palace, clothes covering your shoulders and knees are a requirement for entry. Stay: Rembrandt Bangkok Hotel (or similar) (B).

The tour ends this morning in Bangkok after breakfast. Catch your free transfer to the airport to begin your journey home (B).