Elegant Vietnam & Laos & Cambodia with Turkish Airlines for 9 Nights (FLY110)

1st Day ISTANBUL – HANOI We meet at Istanbul Airport international departures terminal three hours before the flight. (one calendar day before the departure flight date) We complete our baggage, ticket, and boarding procedures. 2nd Day HANOI Our flight to Saigon begins with Turkish Airlines scheduled service. We spend the night on the plane. Upon arrival at Hanoi Noi Bai Airport, we transfer to our private coach waiting for us at the airport and go to the local restaurant where we will have dinner. After tasting the flavors of Vietnamese cuisine, transfer to our hotel in Hanoi and free time to rest. Accommodation at our hotel in Hanoi. 3rd Day HANOI After breakfast, we begin our Hanoi city tour. First in Hanoi, we visit the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s national hero. Right next to the mausoleum, we see the Palace built by the French during the colonial period in the Indochina Peninsula, the houses where Ho Chi Minh lived, and the One Pillar Pagoda, which has stood since 1049. Then, the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university shaped by the teachings of Confucius, Hoan Kiem Lake in the very center of Hanoi, founded in 1010, and Ngoc Son Temple will be our next stops. Afterwards, we go to the restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we take a Rickshaw tour through Hanoi’s Old Quarter by electric bicycles. We watch the Water Puppet Theater, an important part of the Red River Delta culture in Hanoi, and have our dinner. After our night tour in the old city center by a local means of transport, rickshaws, we go to our restaurant for dinner and then head to our hotel. Accommodation at our hotel in Hanoi. 4th Day HANOI – HALONG BAY (CRUISE ACCOMMODATION) After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and today a visual feast of nature awaits us. We set out on a journey through the lush Red River Delta to reach Ha Long Bay. In this region, considered one of the world’s 7 natural wonders, we board our ship and settle into our rooms. While having lunch, our cruise moves deeper into the bay with the scenery of Ha Long Bay. Our ship continues among dozens of steep-sided rocks and islets, large and small, and anchors in the depths of Ha Long Bay in the late afternoon, where we spend the night in the tranquility and peace of the sea. We have dinner again on the cruise. Accommodation on the cruise. 5th Day HALONG BAY – HANOI – LUANG PRABANG We wake up early in the morning and have our breakfast with tea, coffee, fruit, and cake. With our boats, we paddle through the secluded corners of Ha Long Bay on calm waters accompanied by the sound of oars. After returning to our ship, we have a meal like brunch and then head to Hanoi. After a short break on the way, we arrive at Hanoi Airport and fly to Luang Prabang. After about a 1-hour flight, we arrive in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Laos, complete visa and baggage procedures, then go to our hotel, have dinner, and settle into our hotel in Luang Prabang. 6th Day LUANG PRABANG After breakfast, we start the day by visiting the Morning Market, where local vegetables, fruits, and foods with interesting products are sold. After the market visit, we begin our Luang Prabang city tour. During our tour, we visit Vat Xieng Temple, known as one of the finest examples of Classic Lao Architecture, and the National Museum, which was previously used as the Royal Palace and is located right next to the temple. In the museum, we will see items belonging to the Lao royal family. Then we go to see Vat Visoun, Luang Prabang’s oldest temple, distinguished by its large stupa in the garden. Afterwards, we have lunch at a local restaurant. Around noon, we head to Kuangsi Waterfall. We admire this turquoise waterfall flowing between lush green trees. We can swim in the pools where the water collects and take a nature walk in the forest. On the way back to Luang Prabang, we visit a small village belonging to the Hmong tribe. After dinner, we visit the large Night Market, where handmade textile products made by local tribes living around Luang Prabang are sold, and then return to our hotel. Accommodation at our hotel in Luang Prabang. 7th Day LUANG PRABANG – SIEM REAP After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and, at the time indicated by our guide, transfer to the airport to go to Siem Reap. We fly to Siem Reap and after about a 1.5-hour flight, arrive at Siem Reap Airport and set foot in Cambodia. We transfer to our hotel with the vehicle waiting for us and settle in. After a short rest, we go to our restaurant for dinner. After dinner, we can visit Siem Reap’s night market. Accommodation at our hotel in Siem Reap. 8th Day SIEM REAP After breakfast, for our full-day Angkor Wat tour, we set off toward Angkor Thom, the capital of the Khmer Empire. Covering an area of about 9 km² within the Angkor archaeological site, this city is the last capital of the Khmer Empire. We begin our tour by entering through the well-preserved southern gate. Then we visit Bayon Temple in the center of the ancient city and see the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of the Elephants. Ta Prohm Temple, one of the most beautiful temples in the region, is our next stop. Also used in the famous Tomb Raider films, this temple has been preserved since its discovery. This mysterious temple, with trees growing throughout it, creates a visual feast. We have lunch at a local restaurant. Afterwards, we head to perhaps the most impressive part of our tour, Angkor Wat Temple, one of the wonders of the world. The temple complex is built on a larger area than the Imperial Palace in Beijing (81 hectares). Its 5 towers are featured on the Cambodian flag. After Angkor Wat, we have dinner at a local restaurant accompanied by an Apsara dance performance. We stay in Siem Reap tonight. 9th Day SIEM REAP – SAIGON After breakfast, we check out of the hotel. Today, we first see the famous floating village of Choeung Kneas. It is a settlement made up of floating schools, restaurants, hospitals, and many other buildings on Tonle Sap Lake. We see life on the water and, after this different experience, head toward the Old Quarter in the city center. At the designated time, we transfer to the airport and fly to Saigon. After about a 1.5-hour flight, we arrive in Vietnam’s Saigon, also known as Ho Chi Minh City, transfer to our hotel with the vehicle waiting for us, and rest after dinner. We stay overnight in Saigon. 10th Day SAIGON After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for our Mekong Delta tour with lunch included, famous for its vast river network and fertile lands. Our first stop on the tour is the Cao Dai Temple in the Ben Luc region. A religious structure and tourist attraction noteworthy for both its architecture and philosophy, the temple is one of the most important temples of the Cao Dai faith, a religion found only in Vietnam. The symbol of the religion is a magnificent eye, and this symbol is located at the entrance of the temple and is believed to be God’s left eye. Afterwards, we begin our tour with the boats we will board from My Tho pier. During our boat tour, we will see Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise islands in order. During the tour, we will have the chance to visit the Chuong Duong Fruit Gardens. In this area, we will have the opportunity to taste tropical fruits and Vietnam’s beautiful green tea accompanied by local Vietnamese music. Afterwards, we will visit a coconut products workshop. Here, we will see how coconut products are made and receive information about them. At the end of our tour, we have lunch at a local restaurant and return to Saigon. After our dinner in Saigon, transfer to our hotel in Saigon. Accommodation at our hotel. 11th Day SAIGON – ISTANBUL After breakfast at the hotel, we check out and head for our Cu Chi Tunnels tour with lunch included. On our last day in this remote and little-known geography, we first visit the War Museum to better understand Vietnam’s recent history. Then we go to the Cu Chi region, about an hour and a half from Saigon, and learn about and walk through the 220-kilometer underground tunnel network in the Cu Chi Forests, known by the Vietnamese people as a region of heroism because of its role during the American War. We have lunch at a local restaurant during the tour. Afterwards, we return to the city center. Upon our return to Saigon, we tour the city. After seeing the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Post Office, we depart for the airport at the designated time. Upon arrival at Saigon Tan Son Nhat Airport, we fly to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines’ scheduled service. 12th Day ISTANBUL With our arrival in Istanbul, our tour and services come to an end.