Taste of Indochina
Hanoi – Ha Long Bay – Luang Prabang – Siem Reap
13 Days / 12 Nights
13 Days / 12 Nights
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Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia - 3 Indochina countries - share the Mekong River. The stream of the river brings fertilizer, water and food to the locals and the places that the river passes by. The locals also follow the river to exchange business, culture and cuisine. You will find many similarities in our cooking style and food ingredients besides the differences. Taste of Indochina will help you understand more about the richness in our nature beauty, the variety in our culture, especially the deliciousness in our food.
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Day 1: Hanoi - Arrival (D)
Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, welcomed by our guide and transferred to your hotel in the city center to check in. Relax after a long-haul flight. In the evening, we welcome you by a dinner with Vietnamese special dishes at an elegant French colonial style restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi - Orientation (B/L)
After breakfast, you will visit the complex dedicated to Ho Chi Minh - the nation’s founder, containing Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, his house-on-stilt and lush green garden. This complex also comprises the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city. Visit Temple of Literature, the Vietnam’s first university. Constructed in 11th century, the gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam's past.
Your lunch will be with Vietnamese single dish – “Bun Cha” – grilled pork served in a broth or dipping sauce, along with rice noodles and fresh herbs at Bun Cha Huong Lien, at 24 Le Van Huu street. This restaurant became famous after U.S. President Barack Obama and Chef Anthony Bourdain had dinner here on his first visit to Vietnam in May, 2016.
In the afternoon, continue visiting the city’s highlights with Hoa Lo Prison, also called “Hanoi Hilton” by American Soldiers during the Vietnam-American war. Later on, we take cyclo ride around 36 streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter which were named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. Stop at Hoan Kiem Lake to learn about legend of the lake, visit the red-painted The Huc bridge and Ngoc Son Temple. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi – Cook Northern Vietnam food (B)
If you enjoy Vietnamese food and are interested in learning the art of Vietnamese Cooking, in the morning, meet our chef at a local restaurant and take a walk to Dong xuan market which is situated in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. You will be captivated by the color, noise and aroma of the market. Stroll around to visit distinct food sections with their variety of herbs, vegetables, meat and seafood which brings you very close to life in Hanoi. It is very interesting to see and to learn how a local woman chooses and buys the best quality of fresh food from numerous food stalls in the market.
With a rattan hand basket, your job is to buy some herbs and spices for the cooking class (herbs and spices are a very important part of authentic Vietnamese food!)
10.15: Back to the restaurant, you can then enjoy a cup of Hanoi coffee, jasmine or lotus tea - (coffee and tea are complimentary). Raw food bought from the market will be thoroughly washed and prepared. Cooking utensils will then be properly placed on each table ready to begin the cooking demonstration.
Cooking Demonstration
The chef will taste and judge the best dish. You will then receive a Vietnamese cooking certificate. Walk back to your hotel or keep strolling around the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 4: Hanoi - Ha Long Bay by car (B/L/D)
After breakfast, you will meet our guide and depart by road to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. Travel through the rich farmlands of the Red River delta and the landscape of rice fields, water buffalo, the daily life of the Vietnamese village. Arrive in Ha Long and board a traditional junk. Lunch on board. The cruise passes by many rocks and islets in many funny shapes. The cruise may stop for a while visiting the Surprise Cave. Later, the junk moves to docking area for overnight in a peaceful bay. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 5: Ha Long Bay - Hanoi by car – Luang Prabang by flight (Brunch)
In the morning, your brunch will be served while doing further cruising to explore the beauties of the Bay before returning to the wharf. Ready for disembarking and our guide will be there to pick you up towards Hanoi. Drive straight to the airport for a flight to Luang Prabang, Laos.
Arrival in Luang Prabang, you will be met by our guide and transferred to your hotel for check-in. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 6: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Cave & City Tour (B)
After breakfast, you board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mystery of Pak Ou Caves, crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. Return to the town by noon time for lunch at your own expense.
In the afternoon, visit the National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a precious collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign. Continue our city tour with the impressive stupa of Wat Mai and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represent the classical architecture of Luang Prabang temple. Then you will climb up to the top of Phousi Mount for an exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a beautiful sunset view of the city and the Mekong River. From there, we explore Street Night Bazaar, where you can find the lovely collections of handmade textiles by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 7: Luang Prabang - Cook Laos food (B)
For early risers, there is a very special dawn visit to watch the monks collecting the alms. As the sun begins to rise, long lines of orange-robed monks leave their pagodas and walk barefoot down the streets collecting offerings from Luang Prabang residents. It is a beautiful, serene ceremony that highlights the spiritualism of the Laos people.
After breakfast, you will meet your chef and start with a visit to the most important local market in the city. Your chef will explain what the different exotic ingredients are and what they are used for in the different Laos dishes. Fresh ingredients are central to Laos cuisine, with some intriguing and unfamiliar flavors to those unaccustomed to Southeast Asian food. Then gather at a local restaurant to learn how to cook Laos food and learn about the habits and customs at the heart of Laos dishes. After the class you will bring home some unique recipes to treat and surprise your friends during special occasions.
You will be free for the remainder of the day to visit more old temples or unwind at a coffee shop by Mekong river banks and watch local daily life.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 8: Luang Prabang – free (B)
A free day at leisure in this peaceful town or book a half day excursion to Kuangsi waterfall where you can swim in blue lagoons, or visit an elephant village, meet giant friends and experience an elephant ride through the jungle! If you want to know more about Lao food, you can walk around the town after sunset and try some street food at the night market. We also suggest you to try a traditional Lao massage – either foot or body massage. Similar to Thai and Khmer massage, Lao traditional massage is strong that comprise powerful pressures on special points on your body – oil is only applied if you requested.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 9: Luang Prabang – Siem Reap by flight (B)
In the morning, enjoy breakfast at your hotel and drive to the airport for a flight to Siem Reap.
Arrive in Siem Reap, treasures of the Kingdom of Cambodia, where you’re warmly greeted by our guide and check in to your hotel.
Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 10: Siem Reap - Misty Angkor Temples (B)
After breakfast, we start a very special and busy day as you will explore some of Angkor’s most beautiful temples. You will visit Angkor Thom from its West Gate – less discovered by mass tourists. The complex is inclusive of the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century), the South Gate, Bayon Temple - unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, Baphuon Temple: lying just to the north of Bayon, a pyramidal representation of mythical Mont Meru, The Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, The Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.
We continue to visit the fabulous Ta Prohm embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. Ta Prohm was built in the 12th century. It’s a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of King Jayavarman VII. Next, visit Banteay Kdei, located south of Ta Promh and was built in middle of the 12th century to the beginning of the 13th century by king Jayavarman II in Mahaya Buddhism. At least two different art styles of Angkor Wat and Bayon are discernible at Banteay Kdei.
After lunch time, visit the famous temple: Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a World Heritage Site since 1992, famous for its beauty and splendor. Angkor Wat features the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls and narrates stories from Hindu mythology.
Late afternoon, hike up to Pre Rup temple for sunset. This temple is known as the best place for sunset in Angkor complex. Your evening is free for a foot massage or shopping at the Angkor Night Market. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 11: Siem Reap – Cooking Khmer Cuisine (B/L)
After breakfast, you will be driven to the countryside village (20km, 30-40 minutes from town) where the ox & water buffalo cart await you for a ride through sandy and muddy fields in the authentic villages. Your camera should be on while on the cart as you will find a lot of shots to take! The adventure will offer you an opportunity to interact with the humble locals to better understand their way of life.
Later, you will meet the Khmer Chef, who will walk with you to a family and garden to see the ingredients growing and give you the story of Cambodian cuisine. The chef will recommend to you the best 3 dishes to choose and enjoy learning to make your own food in the private area of the Khmer House.
Return to the town and to your hotel after an interesting morning and be free at leisure. Our suggestion is to stretch your legs with foot massage or unravel tension with a body massage. Khmer traditional massage is also strong and requires skillful technique. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 12: Siem Reap – Tonle Sap Great Lake & Street food by scooter (B)
After breakfast, you will explore other interesting highlights of the town, not temples. Take half an hour drive out of Siem Reap to the pier, board an wooden motorboat for one house cruising on Tonle Sap Lake, visit a floating village and experience daily life of fisherman. People live on this lake for hundreds of years and earn their living from fishing, planting rice on the lake.
Return to your hotel after 3 hours of sightseeing and be free for lunch and refreshment at your hotel.
After dark, meet our motorbike drivers and explore Siem Reap by night and its hidden food surprises.
You will ride through the streets of Siem Reap on the back of our scooter. You are invited to see and taste exotic foods and brews in authentic Khmer places that you never imagined existed in Siem Reap.
Start off at a chic bar for some cocktails or beer, then head off to the local hustle and bustle of street vendors, sights, aromas, and sounds that all blend together into the one feeling that embodies Cambodia. In the most unlikely surroundings and strictly among local clientele, real Khmer cuisine is served. Taste Khmer delicacies (some of which are only for the bold) while standing at street stalls or sitting picnic-style at a secret spot. Also, discover flavorful Cambodian rice wine, which is enriched by bouquets of local herbs and spices.
Although food is a priority, also here in Siem Reap it is a ‘must’ to exclude eventualities in our often precarious lives. Therefore, you will join the locals at a special evening shrine for making wishes concerning the essential matters in life such as wealth & health, marriage and the future generation. Be sure to prepare for your wish!
You are now well prepared to immerse yourself in the stimulating night market for the Siem Reap locals with bountiful Southeast Asian fruits, vegetables, bugs (yes, bugs!) and more. Free flowing drinks are provided and all the food you can eat, so come with an empty stomach!
Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 13: Siem Reap – Departure (B)
Be free in Siem Reap until being transferred to the airport your departure flight.
:>> Our prices include:
> Breakfast and accommodation sharing a twin or double room
> Travel in an appropriate private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced safe driver
> The services of an experienced English-speaking guide throughout the tour (please note: guides will be on hand from pick-up until guests’ return to their hotel or reaching their destination)
> In-tour flights Hanoi to Luang Prabang & Luang Prabang to Siem Reap, including airport taxes (Vietnam Airlines, economy class)
> Where necessary, entry fees and permission to enter border areas for all visits mentioned in the program
> Lunches and dinners (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available
> Joined cooking class in Hanoi and Market visit
> Joined Siem Reap street food at night by scooter with free flow of drinks and food
> Private cooking class in Luang Prabang and Siem Reap
> VAT and other taxes
:>> Our prices do not include:
> International flight tickets and airport tax
> Visa handling and stamp fee
> Dinners, except as specified above
> Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses
> Camera fees (if any)
> Insurance
Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, welcomed by our guide and transferred to your hotel in the city center to check in. Relax after a long-haul flight. In the evening, we welcome you by a dinner with Vietnamese special dishes at an elegant French colonial style restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi - Orientation (B/L)
After breakfast, you will visit the complex dedicated to Ho Chi Minh - the nation’s founder, containing Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, his house-on-stilt and lush green garden. This complex also comprises the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city. Visit Temple of Literature, the Vietnam’s first university. Constructed in 11th century, the gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam's past.
Your lunch will be with Vietnamese single dish – “Bun Cha” – grilled pork served in a broth or dipping sauce, along with rice noodles and fresh herbs at Bun Cha Huong Lien, at 24 Le Van Huu street. This restaurant became famous after U.S. President Barack Obama and Chef Anthony Bourdain had dinner here on his first visit to Vietnam in May, 2016.
In the afternoon, continue visiting the city’s highlights with Hoa Lo Prison, also called “Hanoi Hilton” by American Soldiers during the Vietnam-American war. Later on, we take cyclo ride around 36 streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter which were named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. Stop at Hoan Kiem Lake to learn about legend of the lake, visit the red-painted The Huc bridge and Ngoc Son Temple. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi – Cook Northern Vietnam food (B)
If you enjoy Vietnamese food and are interested in learning the art of Vietnamese Cooking, in the morning, meet our chef at a local restaurant and take a walk to Dong xuan market which is situated in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. You will be captivated by the color, noise and aroma of the market. Stroll around to visit distinct food sections with their variety of herbs, vegetables, meat and seafood which brings you very close to life in Hanoi. It is very interesting to see and to learn how a local woman chooses and buys the best quality of fresh food from numerous food stalls in the market.
With a rattan hand basket, your job is to buy some herbs and spices for the cooking class (herbs and spices are a very important part of authentic Vietnamese food!)
10.15: Back to the restaurant, you can then enjoy a cup of Hanoi coffee, jasmine or lotus tea - (coffee and tea are complimentary). Raw food bought from the market will be thoroughly washed and prepared. Cooking utensils will then be properly placed on each table ready to begin the cooking demonstration.
Cooking Demonstration
- Step 1: Recommended utensils in a Hanoi kitchen: Wok, chicken wire barbecue, clay pot, knife, chopping board, scoop and charcoal oven
- Step 2: Wash hands with a clean towel, wear an apron and plastic gloves
- Step 3: Cook and enjoy. You will then prepare and cook by yourself under the instruction of the chef. From start to finish, learning how to marinate and to add spices to the ingredients is very important. To the lesson, you will also enjoy decorating dishes with carrot flowers, lemongrass, tomato rose flower and curved chili. The authentic sauce mixed from fish sauce, water, sugar, lime, chili, garlic and herbs is very easy to make.
The chef will taste and judge the best dish. You will then receive a Vietnamese cooking certificate. Walk back to your hotel or keep strolling around the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 4: Hanoi - Ha Long Bay by car (B/L/D)
After breakfast, you will meet our guide and depart by road to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. Travel through the rich farmlands of the Red River delta and the landscape of rice fields, water buffalo, the daily life of the Vietnamese village. Arrive in Ha Long and board a traditional junk. Lunch on board. The cruise passes by many rocks and islets in many funny shapes. The cruise may stop for a while visiting the Surprise Cave. Later, the junk moves to docking area for overnight in a peaceful bay. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 5: Ha Long Bay - Hanoi by car – Luang Prabang by flight (Brunch)
In the morning, your brunch will be served while doing further cruising to explore the beauties of the Bay before returning to the wharf. Ready for disembarking and our guide will be there to pick you up towards Hanoi. Drive straight to the airport for a flight to Luang Prabang, Laos.
Arrival in Luang Prabang, you will be met by our guide and transferred to your hotel for check-in. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 6: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Cave & City Tour (B)
After breakfast, you board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mystery of Pak Ou Caves, crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. Return to the town by noon time for lunch at your own expense.
In the afternoon, visit the National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a precious collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign. Continue our city tour with the impressive stupa of Wat Mai and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represent the classical architecture of Luang Prabang temple. Then you will climb up to the top of Phousi Mount for an exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a beautiful sunset view of the city and the Mekong River. From there, we explore Street Night Bazaar, where you can find the lovely collections of handmade textiles by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 7: Luang Prabang - Cook Laos food (B)
For early risers, there is a very special dawn visit to watch the monks collecting the alms. As the sun begins to rise, long lines of orange-robed monks leave their pagodas and walk barefoot down the streets collecting offerings from Luang Prabang residents. It is a beautiful, serene ceremony that highlights the spiritualism of the Laos people.
After breakfast, you will meet your chef and start with a visit to the most important local market in the city. Your chef will explain what the different exotic ingredients are and what they are used for in the different Laos dishes. Fresh ingredients are central to Laos cuisine, with some intriguing and unfamiliar flavors to those unaccustomed to Southeast Asian food. Then gather at a local restaurant to learn how to cook Laos food and learn about the habits and customs at the heart of Laos dishes. After the class you will bring home some unique recipes to treat and surprise your friends during special occasions.
You will be free for the remainder of the day to visit more old temples or unwind at a coffee shop by Mekong river banks and watch local daily life.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 8: Luang Prabang – free (B)
A free day at leisure in this peaceful town or book a half day excursion to Kuangsi waterfall where you can swim in blue lagoons, or visit an elephant village, meet giant friends and experience an elephant ride through the jungle! If you want to know more about Lao food, you can walk around the town after sunset and try some street food at the night market. We also suggest you to try a traditional Lao massage – either foot or body massage. Similar to Thai and Khmer massage, Lao traditional massage is strong that comprise powerful pressures on special points on your body – oil is only applied if you requested.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 9: Luang Prabang – Siem Reap by flight (B)
In the morning, enjoy breakfast at your hotel and drive to the airport for a flight to Siem Reap.
Arrive in Siem Reap, treasures of the Kingdom of Cambodia, where you’re warmly greeted by our guide and check in to your hotel.
Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 10: Siem Reap - Misty Angkor Temples (B)
After breakfast, we start a very special and busy day as you will explore some of Angkor’s most beautiful temples. You will visit Angkor Thom from its West Gate – less discovered by mass tourists. The complex is inclusive of the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century), the South Gate, Bayon Temple - unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, Baphuon Temple: lying just to the north of Bayon, a pyramidal representation of mythical Mont Meru, The Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, The Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.
We continue to visit the fabulous Ta Prohm embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. Ta Prohm was built in the 12th century. It’s a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of King Jayavarman VII. Next, visit Banteay Kdei, located south of Ta Promh and was built in middle of the 12th century to the beginning of the 13th century by king Jayavarman II in Mahaya Buddhism. At least two different art styles of Angkor Wat and Bayon are discernible at Banteay Kdei.
After lunch time, visit the famous temple: Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a World Heritage Site since 1992, famous for its beauty and splendor. Angkor Wat features the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls and narrates stories from Hindu mythology.
Late afternoon, hike up to Pre Rup temple for sunset. This temple is known as the best place for sunset in Angkor complex. Your evening is free for a foot massage or shopping at the Angkor Night Market. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 11: Siem Reap – Cooking Khmer Cuisine (B/L)
After breakfast, you will be driven to the countryside village (20km, 30-40 minutes from town) where the ox & water buffalo cart await you for a ride through sandy and muddy fields in the authentic villages. Your camera should be on while on the cart as you will find a lot of shots to take! The adventure will offer you an opportunity to interact with the humble locals to better understand their way of life.
Later, you will meet the Khmer Chef, who will walk with you to a family and garden to see the ingredients growing and give you the story of Cambodian cuisine. The chef will recommend to you the best 3 dishes to choose and enjoy learning to make your own food in the private area of the Khmer House.
Return to the town and to your hotel after an interesting morning and be free at leisure. Our suggestion is to stretch your legs with foot massage or unravel tension with a body massage. Khmer traditional massage is also strong and requires skillful technique. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 12: Siem Reap – Tonle Sap Great Lake & Street food by scooter (B)
After breakfast, you will explore other interesting highlights of the town, not temples. Take half an hour drive out of Siem Reap to the pier, board an wooden motorboat for one house cruising on Tonle Sap Lake, visit a floating village and experience daily life of fisherman. People live on this lake for hundreds of years and earn their living from fishing, planting rice on the lake.
Return to your hotel after 3 hours of sightseeing and be free for lunch and refreshment at your hotel.
After dark, meet our motorbike drivers and explore Siem Reap by night and its hidden food surprises.
You will ride through the streets of Siem Reap on the back of our scooter. You are invited to see and taste exotic foods and brews in authentic Khmer places that you never imagined existed in Siem Reap.
Start off at a chic bar for some cocktails or beer, then head off to the local hustle and bustle of street vendors, sights, aromas, and sounds that all blend together into the one feeling that embodies Cambodia. In the most unlikely surroundings and strictly among local clientele, real Khmer cuisine is served. Taste Khmer delicacies (some of which are only for the bold) while standing at street stalls or sitting picnic-style at a secret spot. Also, discover flavorful Cambodian rice wine, which is enriched by bouquets of local herbs and spices.
Although food is a priority, also here in Siem Reap it is a ‘must’ to exclude eventualities in our often precarious lives. Therefore, you will join the locals at a special evening shrine for making wishes concerning the essential matters in life such as wealth & health, marriage and the future generation. Be sure to prepare for your wish!
You are now well prepared to immerse yourself in the stimulating night market for the Siem Reap locals with bountiful Southeast Asian fruits, vegetables, bugs (yes, bugs!) and more. Free flowing drinks are provided and all the food you can eat, so come with an empty stomach!
Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 13: Siem Reap – Departure (B)
Be free in Siem Reap until being transferred to the airport your departure flight.
:>> Our prices include:
> Breakfast and accommodation sharing a twin or double room
> Travel in an appropriate private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced safe driver
> The services of an experienced English-speaking guide throughout the tour (please note: guides will be on hand from pick-up until guests’ return to their hotel or reaching their destination)
> In-tour flights Hanoi to Luang Prabang & Luang Prabang to Siem Reap, including airport taxes (Vietnam Airlines, economy class)
> Where necessary, entry fees and permission to enter border areas for all visits mentioned in the program
> Lunches and dinners (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available
> Joined cooking class in Hanoi and Market visit
> Joined Siem Reap street food at night by scooter with free flow of drinks and food
> Private cooking class in Luang Prabang and Siem Reap
> VAT and other taxes
:>> Our prices do not include:
> International flight tickets and airport tax
> Visa handling and stamp fee
> Dinners, except as specified above
> Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses
> Camera fees (if any)
> Insurance
