6 days / 5 nights - Phnom Penh to Saigon
Day 1 - Phnom Penh - Chau Doc
In the morning, we board a boat from Phnom
Penh to the Cambodia-Vietnam border at Kaam
Samnor, traveling down the Mekong River.
After crossing, we continue to the Mekong
Delta town of Chau Doc. In the afternoon we
visit the holy Sam Mountain for views across
the delta and Cambodia, and visit the many
shrines located here. Dinner and overnight
in Chau Doc, Vietnam.
Day 2 - Chau Doc – Cantho
Breakfast. In the morning, we take a boat
trip on the Bassac River to a Muslim Cham
village on a nearby island. We also travel
through the many floating villages in this
area before returning to town to visit some
local temples. After lunch we depart for
Cantho, the commercial centre of the delta.
Dinner and ovenight in Cantho.
Day 3 - Cantho – Saigon
Breakfast. This morning we rise early to
visit the Cai Rang Floating Market, near
Cantho. We continue towards Saigon, stopping
for lunch in the riverside town of Mytho.
The tour ends in Saigon.
Day 4 - Saigon
Breakfast at hotel. Head to the airport this
morning for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh
City (former Saigon). Upon arrival, we begin
with an orientation tour of the city. Get
your bearings as we view the colonial
General Post Office (1886), City Hall (now
the HQ of the People’s Committee), and Notre
Dame Cathedral (closed by the Communist
regime after the 1975 takeover, but now
flourishing again, with services each day at
dawn).
After lunch, we visit the Reunification
Palace, once known as the Presidential
Palace. It was toward this building that the
first Communist tanks rolled into Saigon on
the morning of 30 April, 1975. After
crashing through the gate, a soldier ran
into the building and unfurled a VC flag
from the fourth-floor balcony. The rest, as
they say, is history. On to the War Remnants
Museum, which offers a different perspective
on the “American War.” Military equipment
and evidence support allegations of war
atrocities committed by the enemies of
Communism in the 1960s and 1970s.
Accommodation at hotel.
Day 5 - Cu Chi Tunnels
Breakfast. This morning we explore the Cu
Chi Tunnels, just beyond the city limits.
This amazing underground camp served as a
refuge for thousands of Viet Cong during the
war. For years the American military had no
idea that the enemy lived literally beneath
their feet in 125 miles of tunnels, staging
camps, hospitals, operations bunkers, and
more. Today we can climb down into the
tunnels to view their rooms and passageways.
In the afternoon, we visit Thien Hau
Pagoda, one of the most active in all of
Cholon. Cantonese immigrants built it in the
early 1800s and dedicated it to Thien Hau, a
deity who travels on a mat over the oceans
and rides clouds to save people in trouble
on the high seas. Be sure to have a look at
the roof, teeming with figurines. Walk along
the street to visit Binh Tay Market, which
attracts not only visitors but also the
local citizenry, who peruse the seemingly
infinite rows of merchants’ stalls for the
evening’s ingredients, new ceramic dishes
for the house, or a hand-knotted cap. Le
Cong Kieu Street is the heart of the
antiques district in town. Return to hotel
for your accommodation.
Day 6 - Saigon Departure
Morning at leisure until transfer to airport
for your flight back to....
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