Thailand, Cambodia and the Mighty Mekong

Day 1 - Bangkok

Join your tour group at the hotel.

Day 2 - Bangkok

Experience the chaotic charm of Bangkok on this morning’s included tour. First off, we’ll admire some of the country’s finest Thai-Buddhist architecture amongst the gilded spires and intricately carved temples of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, home to the treasured Emerald Buddha. After that it’s a short walk to Wat Pho, which has the biggest collection of Buddha images in Thailand (over 1,000) as well as its largest Reclining Buddha; all 46 metres of it wrapped in gleaming, gold-leaf.

Day 3 - Kanchanaburi

We journey by road from the urban sprawl of Bangkok to the peaceful province of Kanchanaburi. Here, we’ll explore the harrowing stories and history behind the Burma Railway, known as the ‘Death Railway’, which was built using forced POW labour during WWII. We’ll visit the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre and Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, resting place for almost 7,000 British and Allied soldiers, and see the Bridge over the River Kwai - heavy with history and made famous in film. After lunch, we’ll witness the infamous engineering feat of the Hellfire Pass and its Memorial Museum, followed by a ride on the train before we return to Bangkok.

Day 4 - Battambang

It's on to Cambodia today, crossing the Phsar Prom Border on foot to meet our Cambodian guide. After passing through immigration, we’re on the road to laid-back Battambang, with the rest of the day free to relax.

Day 5 - Battambang - Siem Reap

This morning’s walking tour takes us over the Sangker River to see some of the architectural surprises in this historic small town, like the art deco-inspired Central Market and Sangker Cinema with its white modernist façade. We’ll visit Ek Phnom, a beautiful 11th-century temple, offering a glimpse into Cambodia’s rich cultural past. A short drive takes us to nearby Wat Kor to see heritage Khmer homes built over a century ago and get our first taste of Khmer village life. After that we’ll ride on the famous Battambang Bamboo Train. Sitting on straw mats laid across a simple bamboo flatbed, this rickety and sometimes bumpy ride is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience! This afternoon we’ll continue our journey to Siem Reap, gateway to the temples of Angkor, and tonight we’ll take our seats for a traditional Apsara Dance show - a memorable end to a memorable day.

Day 6 - Siem Reap

The first stop on today’s temple tour is 12th-century Bayon, known as the ‘face temple’ thanks to the 216 smiling Avalokiteshvara faces carved into its façade. Next it’s Ta Prohm, whose crumbling walls have been swallowed by root systems from the surrounding jungle - an atmospheric testament to its age. Finally, we come to Angkor Wat, the most exquisite and complete structure in the whole complex, where we’ll hear about its myths, stories and religious history from an expert local guide. After lunch at a local restaurant, the rest of the day is free to explore at your leisure.

Day 7 - Siem Reap

Today we turn our focus to the water, specifically the stilted Khmer villages on Tonlé Sap Lake, which farm fish and vegetables on floating platforms. Boarding a local boat we’ll sail out through mangrove forests, keeping a look out for birds and wildlife, to visit one of these fascinating floating communities. We’ll get hands on in the art of broom making with a local family, and help with village chores - farming, fishing or taking care of animals - during a guided walk. After a simple Khmer lunch, there’s time to see or try more activities, or just chat with the villagers about life on the lake. Heading back to Siem Reap, we’ll stop at a Buddhist temple to receive a blessing from the monks and this evening we’ve arranged a visit to the Big Top of Phare, whose young circus performers enthral audiences with their acrobatics and stories about Cambodian history and folklore.

Day 8 - Phnom Penh

We leave Siem Reap behind and make our way through the scenic Cambodia countryside to Phnom Penh. The evening is at leisure to relax and enjoy the beautiful Palace Gate Hotel.

Day 12 - Phnom Penh

This morning we’ll lean into the history of Cambodia and Phnom Penh. Starting at the Royal Palace with its ornate roof and curlicue spires, we’ll gaze at the Silver Pagoda with its silver-tiled floor before our morning takes a darker turn with a visit to the Tuol Sleng Museum which documents the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge against the Cambodian people. After an afternoon at leisure, this evening we’ll cruise the Mekong River and watch the sun set over the spires and skyscrapers on the Phnom Penh skyline.

Day 9 - Phnom Penh - Chau Doc

This morning we head to the landmark art deco Central Market, a noisy hubbub where you’ll find everything from Buddhas to bandanas. Next, we head to a local restaurant for lunch. We’ll up the tempo as we board a speedboat for the next leg of our Mekong River tour. Enjoy the views as we pass the rice fields and grassy meadows of the Mekong Delta, and perhaps the occasional water buffalo. It’s a thrilling way to arrive in Vietnam.

Day 10 - Chau Doc - Can Tho

This morning’s walking tour of Chau Doc reveals a bustling town of winding streets and stilted river houses. Bang in the middle we find Chau Doc market where, surrounded by fragrant and vividly coloured fruit, vegetables, fish and fish sauce, we’ll learn about the role of agriculture in the region. Later we’ll see a different side to life in rural Vietnam as we take a small boat downriver to a Muslim Cham village, whose mosques and stilted houses have a distinct architectural style. Back on board we’ll cruise to Sam Mountain, the highest peak in the Mekong Delta and a Buddhist pilgrimage site, for spiritual temples and spectacular views over the surrounding paddy fields.

Day 11 - My Tho - Ho Chi Minh City

We’re on the water again today as we head to My Tho, to board a motorised wooden sampan and head out across the Mekong Delta past the floating farms around Tan My and Tho Son islands. We’ll then swap our sampan for a rowboat to scull the little canals shaded by water coconut trees. Next, it’s on by bicycle to learn about other local cottage industries like mushroom cultivation, beekeeping and a weaver who makes straw hats and baskets. After tucking into Mekong delicacies for lunch, eaten al fresco in a family’s garden, we head back to the sampan to return to the mainland, and drive back to Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon.

Day 13 - Ho Chi Minh City

This morning we’ll delve deeper into Vietnamese history as we go underground at the Cu Chi Tunnels. We’ll watch a video about life for the Viet Cong soldiers who lived there, and see the rooms and passageways where they hid, housed troops, transported supplies and made their resistance plans. Today, the Cu Chi Tunnels are seen as a testament to the spirit and resilience of the Vietnamese people. This afternoon, we head out on a tour of the city once known as Saigon. Ho Chi Minh City is as fast and furious as it is timeless and serene. Today’s tour shows us both sides of the city, starting at Vinh Nghiem, the first traditional Vietnamese pagoda in Vietnam to be constructed in concrete. We’ll see history first-hand at the War Remnants Museum and at Reunification Palace, which witnessed the end of the Vietnamese War in 1975. And we’ll visit the Central Post Office which was designed by the French architect Gustav Eiffel. Our tour finishes at the Saigon Opera House. Tonight we’ll toast the end of our tour with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 14 - Ho Chi Minh City

Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.