Tours by Country: Cambodia & South Vietnam
* January 6-22, 2012 (17 days/16 nights)
* $6,975.00
* Single Supplement $1,100.00
* This trip is ALL-INCLUSIVE: lodging, meals, gratuities, taxes & all in-country transportation.
* Only the international airfare from your home to & from Asia is additional.
* Tour Leader - Steve Murray
Services included:
* Accommodation based on sharing a double room.
* Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
* Entrance fees
* Domestic flights
* English Speaking guide
* All transfers, sightseeing and excursion by private air conditioned van with driver
* Private boats
* Tipping to porters, drivers, waiters and guides
Services excluded are:
* Alcoholic Drinks & Personal expenses – massage or spa services, laundry, phone calls & etc.
* International Airport Departure Tax
* Airfare to and from Cambodia and your home.
* Any services not mentioned above
The Temples of Angkor Wat and South Vietnamvia the Mekong River
Full day of travel from the USA and we also lose a day crossing the International Date Line which we will get back on the return.
Day 1 Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville
Arrive at Phnom Penh then drive to the coastal village of Sihanoukville. This afternoon rest and relax on the beach. We will have a nice welcome dinner this evening.
Day 2 Sihanoukville
Entire day is at this fine beach resort. Swim, nap, have a massage… Rest up for Angkor... You are going to need it!
Day 3 Sihanoukville – Phnom Penh – Siem Reap
Check-out and drive back to Phnom Penh Airport for the short flight to Siem Reap. Check into our hotel, then go to Angkor Wat for the afternoon. Shoot until dusk.
Days 4-7 Temples of the Angkor Archaeological Park
We have four full days to explore the magnificent temples. We will visit the main temples including Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Preah Khanh, Banteay Srei as well as some of the lesser known, but still interesting temples. We will begin each day at dawn and shoot until approx. 10:30am at the temples, before returning to the hotel for lunch and to relax in the heat of the day. At 2pm we will return to the temples, shooting until dusk. On January 13th we will do an early morning boat trip on the Lake Tonle Sap from 6am until noon to see a floating village and to break up the temples a bit.
Day 8 Siem Reap – Phnom Penh
This morning we will do some last minute temple shooting before the flight back to Phnom Penh. This afternoon we will take in the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda along with exploring the city.
Day 9 Phnom Penh
Today we visit the National Museum and Toul Sleng Genocide Museum plus the Russian Market, Independence Monument, and the riverfront.
Day 10 Depart Phnom Penh – To Chau Doc (Vietnam)
This morning continue exploring this fascinating city. Return to your hotel to check-out before noon and then board the Blue Cruiser speedboat to Chau Doc.
Day 11 Chau Doc to Can Tho
Early this morning we visit the Chau Doc floating market by boat, and then take a rowing boat trip through the floating village where the fish are farmed underneath hundreds of shelters. After a late breakfast we will drive to Can Tho (3 hours). Can Tho is the main city of the Mekong Delta. It is the transportation center for the region connected to the other towns of the Mekong Delta by an extensive system of rivers and canals. One of the most interesting sights in the Delta are the floating markets and associated river life. Mid-afternoon, depart from Can Tho to the Cai Son canal by shuttle boat. A sunset ride will offer a vision of the Mekong Delta in bygone days.
Day 12 Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Depart 6am to see the Cai Rang Floating Market -- one of the largest floating markets in the Mekong Delta. If time permits we may also visit the Phong Dien Floating Market. Drive to Saigon (4.5 hours). Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon has a population of more than 5 million, and a booming free-market economy. Saigon today is a city of amazing contrasts; elegant international hotels, exclusive restaurants and trendy bars side-by-side with roadside noodle stalls, street children and vociferous cyclo drivers. Bustling, booming, crowded, noisy - all words that barely scratch the surface of the addictive and often mesmerizing chaos that is Saigon. Tour until sunset.
Days 13 & 14 Saigon - City Sightseeing
Visit Saigon’s photogenic Chinatown area, Cholon. Then the impressive Thien Hau Temple dedicated to the goddess of the seas, who is said to protect fishermen and sailors. Visit Binh Tay market and the surrounding area, which bustles with local life and trading activity. Continue city sightseeing and visit the Ben Thanh Markets located in the centre of the city.
Day 15 Depart Saigon
Early check-out and transfer to Saigon Airport for the flight home.
email for more info
Our workshop/tours are NON-smoking. We travel together in a van and when out in nature we like to enjoy the fresh air.
All tours have tentative itineraries that we try to follow as weather and schedules allow. We plan to be out shooting as much as possible, early and late, and will have "plan B" scenarios if conditions alter our planned activity. Flexibility is often a necessity when dealing with the weather and travel.
Tours are designed for physically able adults, capable of hiking/walking with their own photography equipment. Most of our trips are not overly strenuous, but may have difficult elements at any point depending on the location/terrain, elevation, weather and fitness level of the participant. If you have any concerns or questions about the physical demands of the trip, please contact us. Sherpa/assistants are available to help you carry & setup your gear at an additional fee -- email for more info.