Escorted Tours 2020 & 2021 - 2nd Edition - Mercury Holidays

42 SOUTH EAST ASIA MEAL PLAN: 16 breakfasts, 1 brunch, 13 lunches & 15 dinners ACCOMMODATION Hanoi 2 nights 4 ★ Muong Thanh Central Hotel Halong Bay 2 nights Victory Cruise Hanoi to Hue 1 night Sleeper train Hue 1 night 4 ★ Huong Giang Hoi An 2 nights 4 ★ Hoi An Central Boutique Hotel and Spa Nha Trang 1 night 4 ★ Rosaka Hotel Nha Trang to Saigon 1 night Sleeper train* Saigon 2 nights 4 ★ Golden Central Can Tho 3 nights 4 ★ Mekong Eyes Cruise Phnom Penh 1 night 4 ★ Sunway Siem Reap 2 nights 4 ★ Tara Angkor DAY 1: UK TO HANOI Depart London on your overnight flight to Hanoi. DAY 2: HANOI D You will be met on arrival by your guide who’ll take you to your hotel. After some time to relax, enjoy dinner and a traditional Water Puppet Performance. DAY 3: HANOI B/L/D Today begins with the Ho Chi Minh Complex where the father of modern-day Vietnam declared the nation’s independence. Visit sites including the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s House of Stilts and One Pillar Pagoda. After lunch, learn about Vietnam’s ethnic groups in the Museum of Ethnology. Later, return to the Old Quarter to explore this commercial centre on cyclo, a two-person cycle carriage. DAY 4: HANOI TO HALONG BAY B/L/D This memorable day marks the start of your two-night cruise around Halong Bay. Begin with a boat trip to the floating settlement of Vung Vieng fishing village. After lunch, there’ll be some time to swim and relax on Ban Chan beach before continuing to Cong Do where the boat will anchor overnight. Finish your day with a local cookery demonstration before enjoying a delicious set dinner. DAY 5: HALONG BAY B/L/D Begin your day with some calming Tai Chi on the boat’s deck or watch the sun rise from your cabin before setting off for a more active day on the water. Cruise to some of the bay’s more untouched areas, making stops for swimming and sightseeing. Perhaps spend the evening relaxing on board with a spa treatment (at a fee). DAY 6: HALONG BAY TO HUE BR/D Rise early for your final water excursion - a trip to explore the well-hidden and prehistoric Thien Canh Son cave before a farewell brunch and arrival on the mainland. Enjoy an early dinner back in Hanoi before boarding a sleeper train for an overnight journey to Hue. DAY 7: HUE L/D The first visit of the day is to the Citadel of Hue, a fortress built in the 18th century. Continue to the partially ruined Dien Tho Residence before visiting Thai Hoa Palace ,Thien Mu pagoda and the imperial tomb of Emperor Minh Mang. DAY 8: HUE TO HOI AN B/D Board your train for a trip along the Reunification Railway that links Hanoi to Saigon. The train runs along the South China Sea, via the picturesque Hai Van Pass, snaking between jungle covered cliffs and white beaches, before reaching Danang. Relax at your hotel or explore the area before reconvening for dinner. DAY 9: HOI AN B/L Your morning in Hoi An will begin with a walking tour of the town and will finish at the Pagoda Bridge. After lunch, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the myriad of silk and tailor shops or waterside cafés. DAY 10: HOI AN TO NHA TRANG B Following breakfast, it’s time to board the train for the day-long journey to the coastal city of Nha Trang, home to one of the most beautiful bays in the word. DAY 11: NHA TRANG B/L/D Today, enjoy a day of island hopping, starting with a trip to Mun Island, the premium spot for snorkelling in Nha Trang. Enjoy lunch on Con Se Tre island before returning to your hotel to refresh, have dinner, then board the overnight train to Saigon.* DAY 12: SAIGON B/L/D The train arrives into Saigon early so you’ll be transferred straight to your hotel with time to enjoy breakfast. Spend the afternoon touring Saigon’s highlights with a visit to the Reunification Palace and nearby Notre Dame Cathedral. Next, travel to the French-style Saigon Post Office then finish at the colourful stalls of Ben Thanh Market. DAY 13: SAIGON B/L Travel to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an impressive network Travel like a local on this enthralling itinerary from the mountainous and humid north of Vietnam through to the wealthier colonial south then along the sultry Mekong Delta to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Cambodian Monks VIETNAM & CAMBODIA ODYSSEY 21 days from £2,339pp TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ✔ Two-night cruise around the limestone karsts of Halong Bay ✔ Four train journeys through Vietnam ✔ City tours of Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Saigon and Phnom Penh ✔ Cruise along the Mekong Delta ✔ Island hopping in Nha Trang ✔ Explore the Cu Chi Tunnel network ✔ Discover the temple complexes of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom ✔ Delve into Cambodia’s past at the Killing Fields and Prison Museum ✔ Hanoi’s Old Quarter on a bicycle taxi ✔ Ancient Japanese merchant houses and the Pagoda Bridge in Hoi An To book or for further information visit your local travel agent or call us FREE on 0800 408 0556 RAIL & CRUISE PACE: