Travel With Kids Italy Family Adventure Tour: Vietnam and Cambodia
July 18 – August 1, 2018
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This trip can also be booked as a customizable, individual family vacation at any time of year
The colorful markets don’t even begin to outshine the smiles of the warm welcoming people of Vietnam! Begin your tour in the old French colonial capital of Hanoi, where French architecture mixes with ancient practices. Enjoy a tour of the city including Hanoi Hilton, where American prisoners of war were held, and explore the old markets by cyclo rickshaw. Next, head for the UNESCO World Heritage site of Halong Bay, where you will board a traditional Vietnamese junk boat to explore the bays and limestone karst formations: pedal through rice paddies to remote villages, kayak and hike through caves and more. Then, head south by train to Hue, where we will board a dragon boat to visit royal tombs, and then continue on Hoi An, a cultural capital. Here, we will learn to cook Vietnamese food and have lots of free time to explore the colorful markets and relax on beautiful white sand beaches. Continue south to Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City, where we immerse in the history of the Vietnam War (called the American War there) with visits to the War Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels, built by the Viet Cong during the war. Our last stop in Vietnam, the Mekong River Delta, takes travelers into a whole different life along the river. Meander narrow water ways to see how locals live. The next day, board a speed boat for the half day trip to Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. After exploring the city, including a visit to the Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge, we head north to Siem Reap, our base to explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat!
Day 1:
Arrive Hanoi. Hop a group transfer from the airport.
Overnight at Adamas Hanoi Hotel or similar.
Day 2:
Depart hotel at 9:00am for tour of Hanoi including stops at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, One Pillar Pagoda and more. After lunch, visit Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton where prisoners of war, including John McCain, were held during the war. In the evening, explore the colorful market streets by cyclo (three wheeled pedal rickshaw) and catch a water puppet show before returning to your hotel.
Overnight at Adamas Hanoi Hotel or similar. (B, L)
Day 3:
After breakfast, board a transfer to the UNESCO World Heritage site Halong Bay. Enjoy the views across lush rice paddies before arriving at the bay and boarding our home for the next three days, a traditional junk boat, which has been refurbished to a luxury small ship cruise. After exploring a beautiful lagoon and relaxing by the water, get back on board the ship for dinner. At night, try your hand at squid fishing.
Overnight on Bhaya Cruise (or similar). (B,L,D)
Days 4:
Today, we head deeper into Halong Bay, exploring small lagoons, caves, remote villages and more. Wake up your mind and body this morning with Tai Chi classes before kayaking through amazing caves and in the afternoon explore caves on foot. Later, choose to relax on the sundeck or join a Vietnamese cooking demonstration.
Overnight on Bhaya Cruise (or similar). (B,L,D)
Day 5:
After breakfast, explore remote areas of the bay on a hike through lush green jungles. After the hike, enjoy a swim and then indulge in brunch before disembarking and hopping a transfer to Hanoi train station for our overnight train to Hue.
Overnight 1st class cabin on Hanoi-Hue train. (B, L, D)
Day 6:
Upon arriving in Hue, transfer to a hotel to freshen up and enjoy breakfast before boarding a Dragon Boat to explore the city by river with stops at Thien Mu Pagoda and the royal tombs. After lunch, we will continue our journey south to Hoi An ancient town, one of the cultural capitals of Vietnam.
Overnight 4-star beach hotel. (B, L)
Day 7:
Today, we learn to cook Vietnam style! In the morning, visit the markets to stock up for the day’s activities. Learn about the local fruits, vegetables and plants and how they are used, then learn to cook some of Vietnam’s most famous dishes. For lunch, enjoy the food you just cooked! Enjoy the afternoon at leisure, exploring Hoi An’s colorful markets or relaxing at the beach.
Overnight 4-star beach hotel. (B, L)
Day 8:
Spend a free day exploring Hoi An. Options could include having a suit or dress made (Hoi An is famous for its tailoring and silk work), snorkeling or scuba diving, beach side massages and much more!
Overnight 4-star beach hotel. (B)
Day 9:
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a short flight to Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City. In the afternoon, learn about the city’s rich history with stops at the former Presidential Palace from where the South Vietnamese efforts were strategized during the war and the War Remnants Museum, which has tanks and helicopters and offers a Vietnamese perspective on the war.
Overnight Alagon Western Hotel or similar. (B)
Day 10:
In the morning, a transfer will pick you up for a half-day tour of the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. This vast network of tunnels (more than 100 miles of them!) stretched from Saigon to the Cambodia border and was used by the Viet Cong to launch attacks and seek shelter during the war. Today, tourists can climb through the tunnels and learn about the rural war efforts. Optionally, visitors can fire a AK47 or MK16, the weapons carried by the soldiers during the war, at a nearby rifle range. Return to Saigon for an afternoon at leisure to explore the city, peruse the markets or just relax.
Overnight Alagon Western Hotel or similar. (B)
Day 11:
After breakfast, we will head to the water world of the Mekong Delta where we will explore narrow waterways by boat visiting local markets and witnessing traditional life in the Mekong. Taste fresh tropical fruits in the orchards, enjoy honey tea from bee hives and attend local music shows. After lunch, we continue our journey to the town of Can Tho where you will have the afternoon to explore on your own before enjoying a traditional dinner.
Overnight 4-star hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 12:
Depart Can Tho for a five-hour trip up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This route takes you through some of Vietnam’s most famous and beautiful lush jungles and rural villages. If you wish, join an afternoon tour of Phnom Penh with visits to the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda and the National Museum. Optionally, stop for a drink and sunset over the Mekong River at the Foreign Press Club, where many reporters hung out (and some still do) during the war.
Overnight Frangipani Fine Art Hotel or similar. (B)
Day 13:
After breakfast, we head to the famous Killing Fields where Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, executed more than 17,000 people in the 1970s. Visit S21, a high school that was used by a prison by the Pol Pot regime. Next, head north to Siem Reap, home to the famous Angkor Archeological Complex.
Overnight Frangipani Villa Hotel or similar. (B, L)
Day 14:
After breakfast, head out for a tour of the Angkor Archeological Complex, an UNESCO World Heritage site, dating back to the 12th century. Visit the ancient capital of Ankor Thom, Bayon Temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces, and the most famous of all Ankor Wat, where you may see Buddhist monks meditating and monkeys making mischief. After watching sunset over the temples, return to town for a farewell dinner and traditional Khmer dance show.
Overnight Frangipani Villa Hotel or similar. (B, L, D)
Day 15:
After breakfast, it’s time to pack up and transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
Join the fun on this 15-day family tour of Vietnam and Cambodia exploring the rich history, culture , and nature of this beautiful land! Escorted group tour departs on July 18, 2018 or book it as a family vacation on your own anytime. For more information, please fill out this Interest Form or email us at simmons (at) travelwithkids.tv.
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Other 2018 escorted Travel With Kids Family Adventure Tours:
TWK Family Italy
TWK Family Adventure Tour South Africa
TWK Family Adventure Tour Vietnam & Cambodia
OTHER TWK FAMILY ADVENTURE TRIPS
– TWK Family Adventure Thailand
– TWK Family Adventure Peru
– TWK Family Adventure Ireland
– TWK Family Adventure Cruise in Fiji
– Travel With Kids Family Adventure Tour to Costa Rica
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