Avontuurlijke reis door Vietnam & Cambodja (inclusief Angkor Wat)

Leave Hanoi after breakfast this morning and drive to Chien Village of Muong people for tonight’s homestay. Around 70 families live here, the area has long been the settlement of Muong people and famous for ancient tangerines, honey and other citrus fruits. You'll enjoy hearty home-cooked flavors during your stay here. After lunch head out on a hike through the Vietnamese highlands, visit local villages, meet people from the ethnic Muong tribe along the way and take in the incredible mountains view along the way. In the evening, enjoy a traditional dancing with local villagers.

This morning, take your time to explore of of this peaceful hamlet. Join the local farmers in their fields and help them planting, weeding or nurturing crops like rice, corns or fruit trees. Then visit a local organic farm, pick fresh vegetables that you'll use for cooking later, learn about the wild fruits that you can eat, and then join the locals and prepare your lunch together. Using bamboo for cooking is a local signature known as lam ong nua and your local cooking masters will show you how to do that and you'll also get to taste fresh brewed tea using bamboo tubes too! After a joyful lunch, drive back to Hanoi. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Vietnamese performance - a water puppet show.

This morning, visit the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation – a community project dedicated to helping underprivileged children and victims of trafficking. Then, hop on the bus heading to Cat Ba Island, stopping for a quick break before today’s ferry. Board the boat and spend the rest of the day cruising the breathtaking Lan Ha Bay. Located in the greater Ha Long Bay area, Lan Ha Bay is one of Vietnam’s most scenic places, where limestone islands and caves rise from the emerald waters. Enjoy lunch on board, then get up close and personal with giant karsts in a kayak. Stay overnight on Cat Ba Island and maybe take a dip at one of the beaches (with a cold beer of course!).

Head back to Hanoi this morning. When you arrive, take a city tour to see the city’s diverse past reflected in a mix of Southeast Asian, Chinese and French-influenced architecture. Stop by the aptly named One Pillar Pagoda – the country’s most famous stilt house (former residence of Ho Chi Minh) and the Temple of Literature. Shared hotel rooms will be available if you want to freshen up or organise your luggage for the overnight train tonight. Otherwise, use this time to do some shopping on Hang Gai Street or seek out some delicious street food. Meet back at the hotel lobby at 9 pm where you’ll transfer with the group to the train station.

Arrive in Hue this morning – the hub of Vietnam’s historic past. This former imperial capital is an eclectic mix of busy streets and peaceful beauty. The rest of the morning is free for you to relax or explore at your own pace. Maybe pick up a classic Hue breakfast of bun bo (a popular Vietnamese soup with vermicelli noodles and beef). After lunch, visit the Imperial Citadel – a sprawling complex of temples, pavilions, moats, gates and walls. See the Ngo Mon Gate, Thai Hoa Palace and the Ancestral Altars from the 19th century. In your free time, you might like to visit Dong Ba Market, which offers locally made goods, fresh produce and street food. This is a good place to try the specialties enjoyed by Emperor Nguyen, such as the banh khoai royal rice cake.

Today’s adventure will be taken on the back of a motorbike. You’ll have your own driver who will take you first on a drive around the Imperial Citadel, including the Forbidden Purple City. The latter was almost completely destroyed during the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War, but its humble, foliage-covered ruins remain a testament to its proud history. Here, you'll gain some insight into the horrific damage endured during the war. Next, ride to a special lunch spot at a convent or Buddhist monastery for a vegetarian feast. After lunch, drive to the royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, set on a lake with frangipani bushes and pine trees. This evening, maybe ask your leader for the best place to try Imperial Street specialties.

Travelling by bus, head south through coastal rice paddies before stopping at Lang Co Beach. Traverse the dramatic Hai Van Pass along the way – a sometimes bumpy but incredibly scenic stretch of highway with views back to Lang Co Beach and beyond. The spectacular Marble Mountains will be your backdrop as you arrive in Hoi An. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, Hoi An is being beautifully restored and preserved. Known as Faifo to early Western traders, it was one of Southeast Asia's major international ports from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Today, parts of Hoi An look exactly as they did more than a century ago, and it retains the feel of times past. When you arrive, take a walking tour around the major sites of the Old Town, including a historic house (formerly home to a prominent trader), the Japanese Covered Bridge, a Chinese assembly hall and a museum.

If you feel like getting active on your free day today, why not hire a bicycle and tour the surrounding countryside – this is one of the best ways to get an insight into rural Vietnam. Maybe take a daytrip to My Son Cham (a UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex that reflects the rich cultural traditions of the Cham civilisation), or cruise along the Thu Bon River. You may like to wander the Central Market and the street stalls selling paintings, woodwork, ceramics and lanterns. Hoi An is also famous for its talented tailors, who can make items to order within a few hours. Bring your favourite piece of clothing or even just a picture, and you'll be able to have it copied!

Geniet vandaag van een mooie rit door Centraal Vietnam naar de kuststad Quy Nhon. Bezoek onderweg het Bich Hoa Tam Thanh dorp, beroemd om zijn muurschilderingen die een andere kant van het Vietnamese plattelandsleven laten zien. Kom vroeg in de middag aan in Quy Nhon en maak een oriëntatiewandeling met je gids. Daarna is de rest van de middag vrij om op eigen gelegenheid te verkennen of om uit te rusten en op te laden. Dit is je perfecte kans om te ontspannen en met je voeten omhoog aan zee te liggen.

This morning, you’ll visit a local family that has practised martial arts for three generations. Meet the master of the family and learn about the secrets of his martial arts practice, learn about the health benefits, watch a demonstration and then try your moves at the master’s guidance. After, continue to the ancient citadel of Do Ban – the last capital of the Champa Kingdom where the Cham Kings lived between the 11th and the 15th centuries. Head back to Quy Nhon, maybe take the chance to freshen up at a hotel room or organise your luggage for the overnight train tonight.

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City early this morning and make use of the shared hotel rooms to refresh up before your day tour. Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is characterised by a fascinating blend of old and new, east and west. The huge number of people rushing about their daily lives in Vietnam's largest city gives it a dynamic atmosphere, and the French influence is evident in the excellent baguettes and coffee on offer. Take a guided tour with your leader to get a feel for the city, going past the GPO, Reunification Palace and the Opera House. Stop in at the War Remnants Museum and the Notre Dame Cathedral. You have a free evening, so maybe drop by Ben Thanh Market. This is the perfect place to pick up any last-minute snacks, cooking utensils or gifts.

Today, you'll travel south to explore the Mekong Delta. When you arrive, board a boat and explore the intricate waterways. Often referred to as ‘the rice bowl’ of Vietnam, the fertile delta is where rice, tropical fruit and flowers are grown for the whole country. Disembark at Ben Tre and visit a local cottage industry to sample the candy that the region is famous for. You’ll have the opportunity to take a tuk-tuk around this remote village and stop to sample tropical fruit, see a honey farm and learn more about rural life. For lunch, go to a restaurant in the heart of the delta and try regional specialities such as the famous elephant-ear fish. After lunch, board sampans (small rowing boats) and paddle along the canals under the shade of lush water coconut trees. Stay overnight at a guesthouse on the river and swap stories with your hosts.

Neem vanochtend afscheid van de Mekongdelta en neem de bus terug naar Ho Chi Minhstad. Geniet van een vrije middag om bezienswaardigheden te bekijken (of lekkernijen te proeven) die je nog niet eerder hebt gezien. Misschien kun je de laatste avond van je Vietnam-avontuur doorbrengen met een kom pho, feestend met je nieuwe vrienden en proostend op een goed gereisde reis.

Geniet van een vrije dag in Ho Chi Minh om erop uit te gaan en de stad op je eigen tempo te ontdekken. Je kunt ook een geschiedenisles over guerrillaoorlogsvoering van dichtbij meemaken tijdens een Urban Adventures tour naar de Cu Chi tunnels. Dit ondergrondse netwerk midden in de jungle werd tijdens de oorlog gebruikt door de Viet Cong. Klim in de tunnels en stel je voor hoe het zou zijn geweest om ondergronds te eten, slapen, werken, koken en zelfs naar school te gaan terwijl boven het conflict woedde. Keer terug naar Ho Chi Minh waar om 18.00 uur een bijeenkomst is om nieuwe reizigers te verwelkomen die zich bij je voegen voor de volgende etappe van je avontuur. Misschien kun je daarna je nieuwe reisgenoten leren kennen tijdens een optioneel groepsdiner.

Travel by public bus across the border, through rural Vietnam and Cambodia to Phnom Penh. Cambodia's capital city is set on a major junction of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers and boasts some fine examples of French-inspired architecture. If you're looking for a tasty beverage when you arrive, head for a mojito on the rooftop. Or if you're in the mood for shopping, stop in at the art-deco Psar Thmei (Central Market) or travel out to Psar Tuol Tom Pong (the Russian Market) for the best range of local souvenirs.

Today, you’ll confront Cambodia's tragic past on a guided tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21) – a former school which served as a Khmer Rouge torture centre. It's estimated that more than 20,000 people were held and tortured here. You’ll also head out to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, where a stupa made up of some 8000 human skulls marks the execution ground for the torture victims of Tuol Sleng. After, you may wish to learn about a brighter period in Cambodian history from an optional visit to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Wat Phnom, shrouded in myth, is equally worth a visit, as is the National Museum with its excellent Khmer collection. Cyclo tours around the city are a great alternative to walking and generally include the Central Market, US Embassy, Wat Phnom, Mekong riverfront, the Independence Monument and Royal Palace.

Travel by private minibus to Battambang today. Break up an otherwise long trip with a visit to the pottery visit in Kampong Chhnang and learn about the craft of pottery making at local workshops. Then continue to Cambodia's second-largest city – a pretty riverside town with French elegance, friendly Khmer people and beautifully preserved colonial architecture, this is a great place to explore on your own. Why not take part in an optional cooking class to learn the secrets of local dishes such as amok, Khmer curry and fried spicy chicken.

Spendeer wat tijd aan een fietstocht over het platteland naar de plattelandsdorpen rond Battambang. Dit is een geweldige kans om van dichtbij te zien wat het plattelandsleven in Cambodja inhoudt. Bezoek lokale families die al generaties lang op traditionele wijze landbouwproducten maken, zoals rijstpapier, gedroogde bananen en kleefrijst van bamboe en stop bij een Khmer-huis om te ontspannen en te genieten van wat kokoswater terwijl je over hun leven praat. De partner van Intrepid voor deze activiteit is een lokale sociale onderneming die lokale jongeren opleidt voor hun toekomstige carrière. Ga 's middags verder met een privé minibus naar Siem Reap, waar je 's avonds aankomt, en ontspan terwijl je je voorbereidt op je langverwachte bezoek aan Angkor morgen. Misschien ga je wel naar de markten voor wat heerlijk eten voor het avondeten.

Make your way to Angkor Wat in the early hours this morning to watch the sunrise over this UNESO World Heritage site. Then, Temple-hop with your local guide through the world-famous complex. The temples, dating back as far as the ninth century, were believed to represent the cosmic world and were set in perfect balance, symmetry and composition. The intricately carved bas-reliefs and architectural designs are mind-blowing and there are spectacular photo opportunities at any time of day. The ruins are scattered over an area of some 160 square km, but the main cluster of temples is close to Siem Reap, so there will be plenty of time to fully appreciate the great archaeological sites of Angkor Wat, Bayon and the jungle-covered Ta Prohm.

Continue your explorations of the Angkor complex this morning. In the afternoon, embark on a private local boat discover the floating villages and local daily lives at Chhong Kneas – a trading port of agricultural products on the edge of Tonle Sap Lake, also known as the Great Lake of Cambodia.

It's a long drive by private minibus from Siem Reap to Bangkok today. Arrive in Thailand's bustling capital and take in this exciting world of tuk tuks, khlong boats and street vendors serving up delicious Thai food. Perhaps head out to sample some local specialties as a final farewell with your fellow travellers.

Your trip comes to an end this morning, with no further activities planned. However, if you have more time, Bangkok is full of things to do, including the Grand Palace, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the fascinating Jim Thompson Museum. Just speak to your booking agent if you'd like to extend your stay.