Indochina Honeymoon Trip 17 Days

Upon your arrival in Hanoi, the first destination on your Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos honeymoon tour! Being renown as the capital and cultural city of Vietnam, Hanoi offers plentiful experiences and exciting activities. 

Upon arriving, you will be greeted by your local tour guide and travel to hotel in Hanoi for check-in. Balance of the day is at leisure to get over jet lag.

This morning will be free and easy on your own. In the afternoon, you will visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, dating back to the 6th century. The pagoda is situated peacefully on a peninsula in West Lake, the largest lake in Hanoi, receiving a nice breeze from the lake and the shade of large Buddha trees. Next, you will meander along the elegant Thanh Nien road, lined with green trees, until reaching the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the body of Ho Chi Minh, the President, is preserved. The Vietnamese government went against his will to burn and scatter his bone ash in three regions of Vietnam; instead, it asked for the help of the Soviet Union, sharing the embalming technique. Besides, you will have a chance to see the Presidential Palace and One Pillar Pagoda, which looks like a lotus flower on the pond.

Lately, you will visit Hanoi Old Quarter, enjoy a Hanoi street food walking tour venturing around narrow streets, and sample sumptuous dishes of Vietnam like Vietnamese Bread, Noodle soup, steamed cakes stuffed with minced pork and ear mushroom, etc., and have a local drink of either local beer or a Vietnamese coffee or both.

In the morning, you will meet with the host, who will escort you to the local market in Hanoi, where you can select fresh ingredients for cooking. Back at the cooking venue, when you get ready, you will jump into preparing some Vietnamese dishes, mixing perfectly balanced dipping sauces, and creating simple food decorations. Then enjoy lunch on all the dishes you just finished. Farewell with your host, you will get back to your hotel. The rest of the day will be at your own leisure. 

In the morning, travel 170km (105 miles) east of Hanoi to Halong Bay, renowned as the place of descending dragons. Arriving at noon, you will embark on the Halong Bay overnight cruise and sail to its center, passing by thousands of big and small karst islands. Enjoy lunch with a breeze from the ocean, verdant emerald waters, and picturesque scenes of Halong Bay. The top deck is the ideal place for you to capture the idyllic landscape of Halong Bay. Following the boat’s itinerary, you will discover the dried cave with a hike, then the water lagoons by kayaking or a traditional wooden boat. You also have a chance to swim on Halong Bay from a small island with a sandy beach. After your cozy dinner, you can try your luck with squid fishing and chill on the boat. 

Early in the morning, when the sun just comes up, you are invited to wake up and join a Tai Chi exercise with the instructor on a boat. After breakfast, the boat will continue sailing so you can enjoy the beautiful islands of Halong Bay even more. At noon, you will travel back to the mainland and disembark. Head to the airport for your late afternoon flight to Da Nang. When you arrive, you will meet your local tour guide and take a private transfer from Da Nang airport to Hoi An.

In the morning, you will hop on a bicycle and explore the atmospheric and cultural town of Hoi An. Call in at Hoi An Old Town, close to the old seaport town for commercial trade. This UNESCO Heritage Site is intriguing with the blend of Chinese and Japanese architecture and culture. There are relics of old houses, a pottery and silk museum, the Fujian communal house, and a Japanese bridge. After wandering through the corners of Hoi An Ancient Town, you will pedal through the tranquil countryside of Hoi An to Tra Que Village. Take part in farming work such as watering plants, plowing the land, or sowing seeds. Next, you will try cooking Vietnamese Banh Xeo, or sizzling pancake. After lunch, you will have a break, enjoy a foot massage, and then return to the hotel in Hoi An mid-afternoon.

Late evening, travel to a nicely set restaurant for a romantic dinner on a private bamboo raft on the river with a lavish dinner with flowers and candles. 

Enjoy a free and easy time on your own to chill out at the hotel or get around Hoi An Town. There are many exciting activities that you might be interested in, such as tasting local cuisine, buying handicrafts, leather bags, and shoes, or high-quality suits. Or else, you might get to the beach in Hoi An for relaxation. 

This morning, you will check out and have a private transfer from your Hoi An to Da Nang Airport for the flight to the next destination of your Indochina honeymoon tour - Ho Chi Minh City. This city is a vibrant, developed place with plenty of fun activities and romantic spots for honeymooners to hang out. 

Upon your arrival at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City, you will see your local tour guide and travel to the hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Today you will have a full day exploring places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City. Travel by land from Ho Chi Minh City to the Cu Chi Tunnels and learn about Vietnamese history. Before coming down to probe the tunnels, you can watch the documentaries for a brief history of wartime. The Cu Chi Tunnels were dug by Viet Minh Troops during the war against the French Colonial authorities, and the work was later expanded during the Vietnam War, making the tunnels' total length 200km (124 miles) and their depth around 3 to 4 meters. Besides bunkers, you also find the main amenities, such as a sleeping room, a meeting room, a weapons closet, a kitchen, clinics, etc.

In the afternoon, set off to visit iconic attractions of Ho Chi Minh City: Nortre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office, Dong Khoi Walking Street, and then chill out at a bar on the Bitexco Tower (drinks will be at your own cost for flexibility).

After breakfast at the hotel, you will have a full-day excursion to the Mekong Delta today. Meet up with your tour guide and have a land drive for around 2 hours to Cai Be, one of the main towns of the Mekong Delta situated along the Mekong River and its estuaries. Board a local boat and sail from Cai Be to the pristine, authentic region of Vinh Long. The boat trip will reveal the green land of fruit orchards and plantations, offering plenty of opportunities to interact with villagers, eat tropical fruits from their gardens, and learn more about local lifestyles.

Have lunch at a local house with yummy local delicacies; you will then travel back to Cai Be by boat and return to Ho Chi Minh City. The rest of the day will be free and easy. 

At leisure till transfer to the Airport in Ho Chi Minh City for your flight to Siem Reap, the most highlighted and a must-see province of Cambodia. Siem Reap offers a gateway to the timeless Angkor temples, the gigantic Tonle Sap Lake, the challenging peak of Kulen Mountain, and dozens of species of wildlife.

Your local tour guide will welcome you at Siem Reap Airport and take you to the hotel for check-in.

Today you will explore one of the most outstanding places on your Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos tour package: the mysterious Angkor Temples. Travel on the shadowy roads of ancient trees and head to Angkor archeological park, which houses the unique Angkor Temples. Start with Ta Prohm Temple, which is almost embraced by the massive roots of a hundred-year-old big trees. This temple is also featured in the movie “The Tomb Raider,” starring actress Angela Jolie. Then move to Angkor Wat, the largest and most significant temple of all. Against the normal construction, Angkor Wat’s entrance is from the West. Far from apart, you will see Angkor Wat Temple with 3 sharp, rising towers. Indeed, there are five towers, the tallest of which is the middle one at 65 meters. This iconic temple will treat you to an awe-inspiring gallery of Khmer and pre-Angkorian sculptures, carvings of sacred religious figures, rich cultural heritage, and legendary historical stories, and so on.

In the afternoon, visit the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper Kings, from where you will enter the jungle and unveil more temples. Visit the Baphuon temple ruin, dating back to the 11th century; then the Bayon Temple, with its emerging towers like chaos, mysterious smiling faces everywhere. There are 54 huge towers with 4 facets each, each bearing Buddha faces facing the four directions, and the guardian at Angkor Thom. Coming out at the south gate, which is the best preserved one, you finish the exploration of the best Angkor Temples; meet your driver and travel back to the hotel in Siem Reap.

This morning, travel around 30 km (19 miles) out of the downtown, and you will catch sight of rural villages of Siem Reap province with sugar palm parks, rice fields, and the amicable countryside. Arriving at Bong Thom Village, you can intermingle with the hospitable locals and participate in making the local breakfast, traditional sticky rice snacks, and bamboo sticky rice. You also visit the village where there are sugar palm stalls to behold the processing of palm sugar; making handicrafts from the leaf of sugar palm.

After lunch of local cuisine, you will travel to Banteay Srei, a unique pink sandstone temple with sophisticated carving and ornate patterns. Afterward, head back to the Siem Reap center and relax on your own.

Today, you will fly to Luang Prabang, an exotic and appealing town in northern Laos. As the country's ancient capital, Luang Prabang showcases Laotian culture, architecture, religion, cuisine, and handicrafts. 

Upon your arrival, you will meet your local tour guide in Luang Prabang and take a private transfer from the airport to your hotel in town.

Getting to the UNESCO Heritage town of Luang Prabang this morning, you will visit Wat Mai, a royal shrine. This is one of the most beautifully decorated temples in Luang Prabang, with black-and-red lacquer and shiny golden decorative patterns. From Wat Mai, walk along the streets of colonial-style houses to reach the Royal Palace, which was the royal family’s residence, constructed with both cultural and colonial architectures. Following the monarchy's deposition in Laos in 1975, the royal palace was no longer the home of the King and the royal family; it was then used as the National Museum. The museum houses some of the finest art from Laos, exhibitions on royal life, the sacred Buddha statue, precious items, and dozens of presents from other nations.

Make another pleasant walk along the mighty Mekong River, and you will reach Wat Xieng Thong, the most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang. On the large premises, this spiritual monastery comprises chapels and some wats, all adorned with fine sculptures and carvings, especially the colorful mosaics renowned as the Tree of Life. This afternoon, you will board a local boat and sail to Pak Ou Cave, also known as the Thousand Buddha Cave, home to Buddha statues brought by religious devotees. You can hike to the lower Tham Ting and upper Tham Theung caves to admire this religious pilgrimage destination and gaze at the confluence of the Ou River and the Mekong River. Lately, cruise back to Luang Prabang town, where you will visit a local family and attend the Baci blessing ceremony, a local cultural practice for special events such as births and weddings. 

Woke up early this morning and came to a local pagoda to observe the holy rites of Almsgiving. After chanting, monks will walk through different streets of Luang Prabang and collect the food from local devotees. In this way, the monk grants merits to the locals. You then travel back to the hotel to relax and have breakfast.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of Kuangsi Waterfalls, a stunning, fantastical place of cascading pools with crystal-clear turquoise water. The waterfalls nestle in the thick jungle, an ultimate masterpiece of Luang Prabang. Walking up the trails along layers of water pools, you will reach the highest peak, and then you can swim. The rest of the day is free and easy on your own account.

It's the last day of your Indochina honeymoon journey in 17 days. After breakfast at the hotel, you will have leisure time until the transfer to Luang Prabang Airport, then fly to your next destination.