Treasures of Indochina

Fly overnight direct from London Heathrow to Vietnam’s vibrant Ho Chi Minh City.

On arrival, transfer to the 4-star Novotel Saigon Centre (early check-in) for a two-night stay. An afternoon tour of the city views the 19th-century, twin-towered, Notre Dame Cathedral, the flamboyant façade of the Opera House, and the unmistakeably French colonial Central Post Office; and includes a visit to the Reunification (aka Independence) Palace, its chequered past seeing it serve as the seat of colonial government, before it was all but destroyed and replaced by a 1960s reincarnation, briefly the residence and office of South Vietnamese president Nguyen Van Thieu; and to the History Museum, charting the evolution of Vietnam with exhibits from ancient times to the 19th century.
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Drive to Ben Tre for a cruise in the Mekong Delta, where narrow channels are overhung with jungle greenery, storks circle overhead and working water buffalo are in their element. In the evening, enjoy cocktails and appetisers at ‘Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar’, a legendary landmark in the city since 1959.
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Visit the labyrinth of tunnels running beneath the city’s Cu Chi district, dug by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam/American war, to house troops, transport, and supplies. The extensive network here is a just a small part of the thousands of miles of tunnels burrowed between Saigon and the Cambodian border. Fly over that border to Siem Reap, a lively mix of modernity and history, with a cultural scene of theatre and dance, and the gateway to the Angkor temple complex. Three nights at the 4-star Empress Angkor Resort & Spa. 
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Visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom, approached by a causeway across a moat; the astonishing façade of the Bayon Khmer temple; the Royal Enclosure and its Elephant Terrace parade, forming part of the Angkor city wall; and Ta Prohm temple, still tangled in the tree roots of the jungle which has hidden it for so long. In the afternoon, sail on Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in southeast Asia and a UNESCO listed Biosphere Reserve, sprinkled with stilt-house ‘floating villages’; and, this evening, enjoy an Apsara dance theatre show and dinner.
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Visit the temples of Banteay Srei, the intricately engraved ‘Lady Temple’, and the ornate and intimate Banteay Samre; and continue to the star of the show, the 12^th-century Angkor Wat temple complex. Covering 162 hectares with shrines to the Hindu god Vishnu, later re-dedicated to Buddhism, it was abandoned in the 15^th century, yet is still enveloped in haunting mythology.
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Leave Cambodia for Laos, with a flight to Luang Prabang. Cushioned in a landscape of luxuriant mountains and waterfall cascades, the tiny town itself is equally beguiling, with the same gentle pace. Three nights at the 4-star Homm Souvannaphoum Hotel. 
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Begin the day with a visit to the beautiful, three-tiered, Kuang Si Waterfall, with the chance to swim in its pool. Return to town to visit the Arts and Ethnology Centre, a museum of the heritage of diverse ethnic groups; Wat Vixoune, the area’s oldest temple, now a museum of religious artefacts; Wat Xieng Thong, a Buddhist temple where Lao kings were crowned; and That Makmo (‘watermelon stupa’), a nickname that stuck as it is watermelon-shaped, though its actual name is That Pathun, ‘Lotus Stupa’. This evening enjoy a Dinner cruise with a drink included (beer or soft drink) on the Mekong Indigo. 
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Witness the early morning ritual of the Tagbat, when 2,000 monks walk around the old royal capital in a daily ceremony embraced by the local people, who come out to give them food; then cruise on the Mekong to visit the Pak Ou caves, a religious site with hundreds of Buddha statues.  Visit the Royal Palace Museum, the last palace of Laos royalty, housing the country’s most sacred Buddha image; then climb Phousy Hill for fabulous panoramic views; and, back in Luang Prabang, walk through the souvenir and street-food stalls of Hmong market. Later, experience a ‘Baci’ ceremony, a custom to celebrate life events, with traditional music and dance.
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Sail across the Mekong River to visit the pottery village. Fly to Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, its architecture echoing every era from Chinese pagodas to French colonial elegance and, here and there, jolting modernity. Two nights at the 4-star Lapis Hotel.
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Discovery in Hanoi visits Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum; the One Pillar Pagoda, a Buddhist shrine, its 11th-century temple set atop a single pillar, at the centre of a lotus pond; the Temple of Literature, a place of learning for 700years, known as ‘the first university’, and dedicated to philosopher Confucius; and the Ethnological Museum, focused on the 54 recognised ethnic groups in Vietnam. Take a rickshaw ride around Hoan Kiem Lake, the city’s social centre; and in the tight tangle of ‘the 36 streets’ of the city’s Old Quarter. Later, enjoy a Water Puppet show.
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Transfer (3hrs) to Ha Long Bay, its mystical scenery a magnet for visitors, made even more spectacular when colour-washed by sunset skies. Board the stylish Bhaya Classic boat for an overnight cruise of Ha Long Bay. Among its thousand islands, some are little more than limestone pillars crowned with forestry, others have beaches hemming ragged shorelines, or clusters of craggy karst cones soaring skyward from the sea, and one is a National Park with numerous caves.
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Continue cruising this morning, with brunch aboard, before disembarking for the drive back to Hanoi for dinner and freshen up. Transfer to the airport for the return flight.
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Early morning arrival at London Heathrow.