Day 1 Flight Helsinki – Doha
We fly with Qatar Airways from Helsinki to Doha between 16.25 and 23.20.
Day 2 Flight Doha – Ho Chi Minh (L, I)
Onward connection to Ho Chi Minh from 02.15 to 13.30. Arrival in Ho Chi Minh, met by a Finnish-speaking guide and transfer to the hotel. Rooms are available from 14.00.
Free meals. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 3 Ho Chi Minh (A,L)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, walking tour around the old French Quarter. See the distinctive colonial buildings of the quarter.
We visit the Postal House in the city centre, designed by Gustav Eiffel’s workshop. Next, we visit Notre Dame Cathedral, built in 1880. The walk continues to the ex-Catinat street, the town house, the city theatre and the historic “Continental” hotel.
We board the “Water Bus” and take a short cruise on the Saigon River. The cruise is a great way to observe the differences in the city’s demographics. We start in the city centre in the richest neighbourhoods and slowly move towards the more traditional popular neighbourhoods. We disembark at Thanh Da Island, where we take a short walking tour of the local quarter, away from the tourists. Transfer to the more remote island, where the traditional country atmosphere still prevails.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Trip back to the city centre by bus. We stop along the way at the Jade Emperor Pagoda, one of the oldest and most famous in the city.
Dinner free and overnight at hotel.
Day 4 Ho Chi Minh – Buon Ma Thuot (340 km – 7 h 30 min) (A, L, I)
Breakfast at hotel. Drive towards Buon Ma Thuot along a spectacular road through rubber, coffee, tea and pepper plantations. Lunch at a local restaurant.
Visit to the Dray Sap waterfalls. The name means ‘mist waterfalls’ and they are the most famous waterfalls in the region. Arrival at Buon Ma Thuot. The town is famous for its coffee all over the country.
Accommodation in a hotel. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 5 Buon Ma Thuot (A,L,I)
Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, we will visit Lak Lake, inhabited by the ethnic Mnong group and surrounded by mountains. Pirogue trip on the lake, pirogue is the traditional means of transport for the locals.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
A leisurely stroll through the village, visiting a house built on poles where locals perform a traditional gong song. You’ll also get to try their rice wine, an important part of the ethnic Mnong group’s ceremonies.
Return to the city and visit the Museum of Ethnic Minorities. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight in a hotel.
Day 6 Buon Ma Thuot – Pleiku- Kontum (230 km – 5 h) (A, L, I)
Breakfast at the hotel. The journey towards Pleiku, in the deeper plateaus, passing through mountains and farms. Visit to Minh Thanh pagoda, the finest in the city.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Continue towards Kontum, stopping along the way at the “Sea Lake”, formed in a former volcanic crater. The scenery is very reminiscent of Finland. A short walk to the ethnic minority Jarai village of Pleikep, one of the main villages in the area. The village has amazing communal tombs, statues and traditional houses.
Arrival in Kontum, where you can enjoy a cup of coffee in the Indochina café designed by the famous architect. The café is located next to the hotel, where you will be accommodated.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 7 Kontum (A, L, I)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning visit to Kon Hngor Ktu village where the ethnic minority Bahnar live, known for its high society houses (Rong house). Continue walking and admire Thua Sai house, wooden church and Vinh Son 1 orphanage.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
After lunch we continue towards the village of Kon Ktu and on the way we stop at the Kon Klor bridge with excellent views of the Konklor community centre and the river.
Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 8 Kontum – Ratanakiri (250 km – 4 h 30 min) (A,L,I)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning sightseeing in Kontum town: the local market and the town’s fine wooden church. The church has inscriptions in the three main languages of the region.
Let’s continue our journey towards Cambodia and stop at a small tea factory where you will learn how the famous leaves are processed. You will also see the stunning tea-growing landscapes.
Lunch at a local restaurant followed by border formalities and time to say goodbye to our Vietnamese guide.
Our Cambodian guide will meet us on the other side of the border where we continue to the small town of Banlung Ratanakiri, through cashew nut and rubber plantations.
Stop en route in a small Kroeung minority village, known for its single houses.
A final stop at the zircon mines of Bokeo, the area’s many cavities make it look like Swiss cheese.
Accommodation and free time for a walk around the town’s small lake.
Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Note: If the mines are not accessible, the visit will be replaced by a short walk in a local village.
A day at 9 Ratanakiri (A, L, I)
Breakfast at the hotel. Travel northeast through bamboo forests and villages before arriving at the village of Kacho on the banks of the Sé San River. Boat ride on the river towards the village of Koh Peak. Here the atmosphere is very tropical as the river runs through the rainforest. Along the way, we stop in local villages to learn about the lifestyles of the various minorities.
Arrival in Koh Peak village, famous for its totems, which are an important part of the local culture. A walk around the village where we can admire the traditional houses, the village cemetery and its large rice fields. Picnic lunch. Return to the boat for your transfer back to the bus and transfer to the hotel. Some free time at the hotel.
For those who wish, transfer to Lake Yakloam, a lake surrounded by dense rainforest, formed in a former volcanic crater. Possibility to swim in the clean waters of the lake.
Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 10 Ratanakiri – Preah Vihear (400 km – 6 h) (A, L, I)
Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning we explore the local Banlung market before continuing our journey towards Preah Vihear on the Thai border. Along the way we stop at Preah Rumkel village and the banks of the Mekong River where it is possible to see Irrawaddy dolphins.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Continue the journey and stop at Sopheak Mitt. Arrive in Preah Vihear and check into hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 11 Preah Vihear – Siem Reap(250 km – 4 h) (A, L)
Breakfast at hotel. Visit to Preah Vihear temple on Dangrek mountain overlooking the Cambodian countryside and across to Thailand. Thailand and Cambodia have fought over this temple, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area has a special atmosphere as soldiers are always present.
Journey towards Siem Reap, lunch en route.
We stop at the Tamok House, which was the home of a former Red Sea general between 1979 and 1997. Today, the house is a museum where his belongings are kept.
Arrival in Siem Reap and accommodation.
Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel.
Day 12 Siem Reap (A, L)
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we explore the temples of Angkor by tuk-tuk! We start at Angkor Wat, a masterpiece of Khmer art that became the symbol of Cambodia. We then continue towards Angkor Thom, where we explore the magnificent Bayon – the temple of many faces. The temple tour ends at the terraces of the Elephant and Plague King.
Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon free. Dinner free.
Overnight in a hotel.
A day at 13 Siem Reap (A, L)
Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, visit the Banteay Samre temple, also known as the “Women’s Temple”. The temple is one of the oldest in the region and is pink in colour. Afterwards, stop to explore the palm sugar production and the butterfly garden where you can admire hundreds of different species. Lunch at a local restaurant.
A trip to Tonle Sap Lake, one of the wonders of Asia. A boat cruise towards a floating village where you will see fishermen and also the villagers’ livestock, a colourful experience.
Return to Siem Reap and free evening. Dinner free and overnight at hotel.
Day 14 Siem Reap departure home (A)
The morning is yours to spend as you wish. After lunch we transfer to the airport. Flight in three parts; 20.30-21.50 Siem Reap – Bangkok and the next day 02.10 – 05.30 Bangkok – Doha
Day 15 Welcome home!
Flight Doha – Helsinki 08.30 – 14.25.
HOTELS
Ho Chi Minh – http://www.orchidshotelsaigon.com/en/
Buon Ma Thuot – http://www.saigonbanmehotel.com.vn/
Contum – http://indochinehotel.vn/
Ratanakiri – https://ratanakiri-lodge.com/en/home/
Preah Vihear – http://www.preahvihearhotels.com/
Siem Reap – http://www.somadeviangkor.com/
