Want to find out more about this trip visit Kimia in our Maidstone branch or call her on 01622 762141
I was recently invited to join Titan Tours, an escorted touring company, on an incredible trip around Vietnam and Cambodia. This tour was exclusively for travel agents and was an amalgamation of a few of their existing itineraries in order to capture the true essence of both countries with the main highlights that both have to offer. All hotels stayed in were 4*/5*.
Itinerary
2 nights Ho Chi Minh City – 1 night Can Tho – 1 night Chau Doc – 2 nights Phnom Penh – 2 nights Siem Reap – 2 nights Hanoi
Day 1
My journey truly started in style as I was picked up from my home and taken to London Heathrow airport, courtesy of Titan’s home pick-up service. This is always included when booking any of their tours, and you are also taken back home on your return.
– Fun fact: If you have a early morning flight departure, Titan are also able to include in your booking an overnight hotel near the airport. Your chauffeur will pick you up the day/night before to take you to your hotel, and will also take you on to the airport the next morning. This of course comes with a supplement but is truly worth it if you’re not an early riser (like me!)
We boarded our flight with Vietnam Airlines and after 13 hours found ourselves in Ho Chi Minh City! We were met by a lovey local guide on arrival to welcome us to his country and who would be staying with us until we would leave for Cambodia. After such a long flight, we first headed to a restaurant for something to eat and took in the sights of the city from our air-conditioned coach. This was obviously another positive element of being a part of an escorted tour – all of your transfers are not only taken care of, but spacious. In a city like this with approximately 10 million people living in it, I’m glad I wasn’t the one driving and navigating my way!
Our day ended with a walking tour, followed by an evening of private fine dining and a traditional Vietnamese musical performance. The musicians were even kind enough to let a few of the group try their hand at the instruments.
Day 2
After a good night’s rest, today’s adventure took us North-West to the village of Cu Chi to visit the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels, with the journey taking roughly 1 hour 45 minutes from our centrally located hotel. I decided to take up the guide’s offer of venturing underground and followed the footsteps of the Viet Cong soldiers. Now I should disclose that whilst this experience was illuminating and not one that I regret, I would not advise someone who suffers with claustrophobia to take part. Many group members did not go inside the tunnels and found the overground experience just as insightful.
– Fun Fact: During the time of the Vietnam War, the Cu Chi Tunnels served a multitude of purposes. From hiding spots, to communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches, and where necessary, even served as living quarters.
Following the morning’s immersion of history, we had another delicious lunch at a local’s organic farm with 90% of the food we ate being grown at the farm itself. Final stops before the day ended were at Dinh Doc Lap (Reunification Palace), War Remnants Museum and a lovely stroll around Ben Thanh Market.
Day 3
We checked out of our hotel in Ho Chi Min City to head South-West to Can Tho in order to experience the rural Vietnamese countryside and agriculture. Our journey by coach took 2 hours before reaching our boarding point, taking us on a river cruise across the Mekong Delta. We visited the islands of Tan My and Thoi Son stopping off at a honey farm to taste honey tea and honey whiskey, and a further 2 miles on stopping by a family business who grow and sell oyster mushrooms. The family were kind enough to provide various delicacy tasters and explain the process involved in growing and maintaining oyster mushrooms.
Our hotel in Can Tho was beautiful and just a short walk along the river brings you into the heart of the city with an array of bars, restaurants, show boats, and activities to choose from.
– Fun Fact: Can Tho – great for nightlife!
Day 4
Another early start today – everyone was up bright and early at 6am to take the boat over to the Cai Rang floating markets. The experience wasn’t what I expected but amazing nonetheless. We ventured back to the hotel for a quick breakfast before checking out and heading north for our next stop in Chau Doc. The journey from Can Tho to Chau Doc takes approximately three hours so we stopped along the way at a Khmer Buddhist Monastery where our local guide was raised, as well as a local Delta Museum. It was great to hear first-hand experiences and life stories from our guide and it was truly a testament to how dedicated Titan are in providing the most authentic experiences for clients.
Our next hotel was located by the lower river of the Mekong – we again took a local boat across to a floating village for some shopping and visiting the local community. If ever there was a time to wear mosquito repellent, then this was it!! Being located right by the river meant that there were even more mosquitos around than usual, so remember to spray spray spray and cover up where you can.
– Fun Fact: The floating village is home to a larger Muslim community in Vietnam. ‘Floating village’ gets its name due to all the houses being on stilts as the area is prone to flooding.
Day 5
Goodbye Vietnam – Hello Cambodia!
It was farewell to Vietnam (for now) and off to Cambodia today. We left bright and early and journeyed along the Mekong River by speedboat to Phnom Penh. It took us a total of 6 hours with boat stops along the way before reaching the stunning Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh and our gorgeous centrally located hotel. The hotel is in a prime position close enough to the river with an array of places to shop and eat nearby, and the Royal Palace just opposite. This is clearly where the name ‘Palace Gate Hotel’ derives from.
With a full itinerary ahead of us and not a lot of time to spend in Cambodia, the rest of the day was at leisure which was actually a pleasant break given how jam packed the last few days had been.
– Fun Fact: Odd numbers are lucky in Cambodia. All house numbers are odd numbers.
Day 6
A busy day today touring Phnom Penn with lots of sights seen! A tour of The Royal Palace, The Killing Fields, Tong Sleng Prison, The Genocide Museum, The National Museum, and finished off at Central Market for a leisurely shop to wind down.
After such a busy morning/afternoon, we set back for our hotel to rest and freshen up before a sunset evening cruise on the Mekong and dinner at a riverside restaurant.
It was quite an intense and emotional day learning about the Khmer Rouge regime and the atrocities that took place between 1975 and 1979, but definitely a part of history more people should be aware of. We had the honour of meeting the last two survivors of the Khmer Rouge who briefly talked about their experience from their point of view. Nearly 3 million Cambodians died during the time of the Khmer Rouge
– Fun Fact: There is a tree within the Royal Palace Gardens known as the Buddha Tree. The flower from this evergreen both blooms and falls off in the same day. The fruit that grows cannot be eaten, but can be made into a tea.
Day 7
Phnom Penh – Siem Reap
It was a struggle checking out of the Palace Gate Hotel – definitely the favourite of the trip so far!! We boarded our bus for our 6 hour journey to Siem Reap, luckily there were stops along the way!
Stop 1 – A local man in Cambodia selling Lotus flower plants on the side of the road. We learnt that the Lotus flower pods are edible and offer daily uses such as being used for tea, coffee, makeup, and the outter part of the flower is used to make books. Breaking the stem also shows that lotus silk can be found inside – the most expensive material.
Stop 2 – Further on, we stopped at a spider market – I needed some courage for this one!!! As scary as they look, the coconut spiders don’t bite and were actually quite soft. In Cambodia, they have become a delicacy since the time of the Khmer Rouge as people would eat what they could get their hands on – it wasn’t the worst tasting thing in the world!
Stop 3 – LUNCH
Not long after our lunch stop, we had arrived at Siem Reap and the stunning 5* Borei Angkor Resort & Spa. After a long travelling day, we had the afternoon to ourselves and regrouped for dinner and a circus show put together by Cambodian arts students
Day 8
Now today was a serious bucket list day! We were up at 4am to make our way to Angkor Wat to catch the sunrise and it was definitely worth the early wake up call
After the sun had risen, we had the chance to explore inside the temple and climb all 3 levels to really appreciate the views around us. Next on the list was Ta Phrom (Jungle Temple) – the location used to film Tomb Raider. This was definitely one of my favourites because nature had just completely taken over the ruins and temple in the best way.
In the afternoon we visited the floating villages of Tonle Sap (translated literally means Freshwater Lake) where we also travelled through the flooded mangrove forest by canoe! The day ended with dinner and a variety of traditional Cambodian dance shows. A truly memorable day.
– Fun Fact: The wet season in Siem Reap is May – October
Day 9
We spent our final morning in Cambodia back at the Angkor Temple Complex, visiting the South Gate of Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple, Phimeanakas, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of Leper Kings. After a quick stop at the Siem Reap Royal Garden and another beautiful lunch in a local restaurant, we headed to the airport for a short flight to Hanoi. North Vietnam is quite a contrast to the South already, but we have one full day left to pack in as many sights as we can before flying home to the UK.
Day 10
Our final day was spent in Hanoi and we experienced what can only be described as the very best of the city including the Ho Chi Minh Estate and Mausoleum, a local craft workshop, Train Street, Tran Quoc Pagoda, a rickshaw ride through the old quarter and a traditional Water Puppet Show. Our final farewell meal was spent eating the most delicious Vietnamese dishes and discussing our most favourite memories over the last 10 days.
Our final day happened to fall on a day of celebration for the people of Vietnam known as the Lunar New Year. A few of us took to a local market after dinner to take in the atmosphere and join in with the cheer – it was the perfect way to end the trip.
Day 11
After a long flight from Hanoi to Heathrow, and teary goodbyes from new friends made, we all met our respective chaffeurs to be taken back home and reflect on a truly once in a lifetime experience.
Top Tips:
– Bring small denominations for tipping in both countries
– Both countries accept US Dollar however their own currency is favoured
– If you’re a coffee lover, particularly Starbucks, do not expect to find it when in Vietnam. Due to their own traditional coffee being so popular and unique, only a handful of Starbucks branches exist in the country due to it being much more westernised.
– When purchasing an item, offer half the price of what you are asked to pay and haggle from there. Haggling is a must!!