Highlights of Vietnam & Cambodia

Welcome to Hanoi, the vibrant capital of Vietnam. A true east-meets-west city, Hanoi is a cacophony of motorbikes, street stalls, temples, pagodas and skyscrapers. Explore the elegant Temple of Literature as well as Ngoc Son Temple, which extends out into Hoan Kiem Lake, which itself is a lovely peaceful spot away from the frenetic streets. In the evening, join your guide for a culinary adventure, sampling the street food and local beer from Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Set off for the coast and the gorgeous karst landscape of Halong Bay. Here, you’ll join a two-day cruise across the green waters on board L’Azalee wooden junkboat, calling in at fishing villages, kayaking to coves and, if you fancy, swimming in the sea. The following morning, you’ll wake up on the water and can join a morning Tai Chi session on board before visiting a pearl farm and then cruising back to shore. Return to Hanoi and take the overnight train to Danang.

On arrival in Danang, transfer to Hoi An, a lovely riverside town with plenty of pretty architecture to admire, and some great restaurants too. While you’re here, you’ll take part in a boat and bike tour, where you’ll weave through the backstreets to the countryside, visiting some of the region’s villages, talking to the locals and learning about rural life among the rice paddies. Later, you’ll take a boat down the Thu Bon River and explore the fishing villages from the water.

Fly on to Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. Here, there’s a plethora of historical sights to explore, including the Reunification Palace, the former presidential palace, which has been left as it was the day Saigon fell to the North. While staying in the city, you’ll take a tour of the Mekong Delta. Often referred to as the rice bowl of Vietnam, the Mekong is a vast network of canals and channels which you will explore by boat. Take a look around floating markets, taste the local food and see how the local crafts are made.

Board your flight to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, found at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. With must-see sights including the Royal Palace, the National Museum and Wat Phnom temple, there’s plenty to do here, and your Journey includes a visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. It’s a sobering place, and now a memorial site where you can pay your respects to those who died here during the reign of the Khmer Rouge.

Continue to Siem Reap, the gateway to the world-famous Angkor Archaeological Park. You’ll join your guide for a tour of the temples, starting with sunrise over Angkor Wat. Later, pay a visit to Angkor Thom and the faces of Bayon, followed by Angkor Wat itself in the afternoon. This enormous temple complex, one of the largest in the world, took 30 years to build and is covered in intricate carvings. Make sure you take time to look around Siem Reap itself while you’re here as it is home to various temples and museums and has plenty of good restaurants to try.