Northern Vietnam and Cambodia for Young Families

📍 Noi Bai Airport to your chosen hotel in Hanoi (35km): 50mins

Hanoi, a city of contrasts, defies easy categorization. It's both modern and traditional, chaotic and serene, and always full of surprises. But one thing is for sure: it's a place that’s captivating, to all the senses and a place loved by families to visit. 

Upon arrival at Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport, your private guide and driver will assist on arrival for a  50-minute (35km) transfer to the hotel for check-in.

Rest of the day at leisure. 

Overnight in Hanoi.

Inclusions:

This exploration for families ticks all the boxes, from hands-on activities to educational experiences creating pottery to exploring the fascinating history and culture of a pottery village.

This morning's tour begins at 08:30. After a sumptuous breakfast, drive 30 minutes outside of Hanoi to the historic village of Bat Trang, a traditional porcelain and pottery community. Start exploring the old charms of the village by walking through ancient and narrow alleys.

Step into a local house and learn the intricate steps involved in making ceramic works of art. Next, sleeves will be rolled up and hands sunk into soft clay while creating pottery using the time-tested techniques of the local artisans .
Afterwards, venture deeper into the village to discover a house where locals worship their ancestors. Here, a local elder explains the unique aspects of Vietnamese culture and its spiritual beliefs.

The trip concludes with a tour of the main village market where a huge range of ceramics can be seen. Expected return to the hotel around noon for some rest and relaxation. 
In the afternoon, depart at 14:00 for an afternoon tour of Hanoi’s highlights. A city of contrasts, defies easy categorization, it's both modern and traditional, chaotic and serene, and always full of surprises. 

Dive right in with a visit to the Temple of Literature. In 1076 Quoc Tu Giam - Vietnam's first university, also referred to as Van Mieu, was established within a temple to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite, for an incredible 800-years.   
 
Mid-late afternoon, continue the exploration with a stroll through Hanoi’s Old Quarter. A maze of alleyways and hidden treasures, learn about local life in the ‘36-guilds’ as you weave through the frenetic streets on foot. 

To conclude the day, step back in time to the 11th century and experience the ancient art of water puppetry at the famed Water Puppet Theater. 

Overnight in Hanoi.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Hanoi to Halong Bay (160km): 2 hrs and 30 mins

The perfect way to see the UNESCO World Heritage areas of Halong and Lan Ha Bay is to spend a night aboard a charming boat. The mystical scenery, where thousands of limestone islands jut out of the emerald sea, sculpted into wonderous shapes covered in lush fauna is truly breathtaking.   

Following breakfast leave Hanoi at 09:00 for the 2.5hours drive to Halong City. Arrive at the pier around noon and proceed with check-in formalities. 

After the welcome onboard and checking into the cabin, lunch will be served whilst cruising. In the afternoon, enjoy some visits or activities (depending on the boat’s set itinerary). Towards the end of the afternoon the boat will anchor for the night surrounded by karst formations. 
 
Enjoy sunset on the deck followed by dinner, then retire for the evening. 

Overnight on Halong or Lan Ha Bay.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Halong City - Hanoi Noi Bai Airport (190km): approx. 3 hrs and 30 mins / Danang Airport - Central Hoi An (30 km): 50 mins

Wake up to the fresh morning amidst the islands of the bay for breakfast (brunch on some boats) while enjoying the serene setting of the spectacular rock formations. 

Mid morning, proceed to checkout as the cruise cruises towards port.  Disembark and transfer 3 hours to Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport for the 1.5 hour flight south to Danang City. 

On arrival at Danang airport, the gateway to Hoi An, your private guide and driver will assist with a 50-minute transfer (30km) to the hotel for check-in. 

Hoi An, one of Vietnam’s most picturesque towns and UNESCO-heritage listed, once a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries now draws international visitors to its streets, for both the history and the surrounding scenes.    
Rest of the day is at leisure

Overnight in Hoi An.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Get out of Central Hoi An town to discover the authentic charm of the surrounding area. Bike through rice paddies and organic farms, waving to friendly farmers and dodging lazy water buffalos on the way. Join fishermen as they cast their nets then relax with a cruise through palm-fringed waterways.

Leave the bustling town centre behind at 08:00 and pedal along quiet laneways and country roads, passing rice paddies and lush vegetable farms. This is Vietnam at its best; vibrant and charming. In the event that the children aren’t comfortable cycling, there is the option to upgrade to an electric buggy. 

Greet friendly locals with warm smiles and waves, observe water buffalo lazing through the fields, and capture the breathtaking scenery in your lens.

Arrive at the pier and get on a motorised boat for the next part of your journey: fishing. The boat will take you to a village where you can immerse yourself in the local life of Hoi An's fishermen. Climb into a small, round bamboo basket and drift onto the tranquil waters. These quirky boats are a great opportunity to see the remarkable innovation and skills of the Vietnamese people. Cast a fishing net in the traditional way - a challenging task that the locals will be happy to assist with. 

Continue to a region teeming with water palms and coconut trees, learning about the rich history of this part of Hoi An.

Back to the main boat and enjoy a fresh seafood lunch on board before returning to the hotel at 15:00 via the nearest pier. 

Rest at the hotel before taking a vespa experience at 17:30.

Get acquainted with the driver and the motorbike before making the first stop of the evening, at a rooftop bar with views over the Thu Bon River for a welcome briefing. 

Then, hop on the back of a Vespa and zip off to the lesser-known part of Hoi An, Cam Nam Island. This charming island is home to a vibrant local community and the perfect place to enjoy a fresh seafood feast at a local riverside restaurant.

After dinner, head back to the centre of Hoi An to learn how to make two of the city's iconic dishes: white rose dumplings and fried wontons. Under the guidance of local experts, you'll master the art of these delicious and delicate dishes.

Once you've finished cooking, enjoy the fruits of your labour! Then, continue your adventure with a short ride to another snack stop: bánh căn, a type of rice cake with quail eggs, served with Vietnamese pork roll, green papaya, vegetables, and fish sauce.
Back on the bikes, it's time to move to the last stop of the evening: a popular, modern-style Vietnamese restaurant nestled amid the rice paddies. This is the perfect way to end your fun and exciting night out.
The Vespa adventure ends at around 21:00, enjoy the final ride back to your hotel.

Note:
- The morning tour is operated on a join in basis. Private option available on request.
- Bikes are suitable for children from 7 years old. Child seats are also available for children under 5 years old.
- Motorbikes in Vietnam ride slowly and safely, plus helmets are always provided. During the tour , the child will sit between one parent and the driver.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

Free day at leisure

Overnight in Hoi An.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Central Hoi An - Danang Airport (30km): 50 mins / Siem Reap Angkor International Airport - Siem Reap (52 km): 1 hr

Enjoy this morning at leisure before transferring approx. 50 mins (30km) from hotel to Danang airport in the comfort of a private, air conditioned vehicle with a private driver and a guide for the next destination.

Welcome to Siem Reap, the charming gateway to the famed temples of Angkor. You will be greeted by your local English speaking guide who will accompany you to your hotel for check-in. 

Take a rest from your flight or discover Siem Reap town on your own. 

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap - Temple Complex (6 km): 10 mins

This morning, embark on an adventure unlike any other! Starting at 08:00, meet your guide at the hotel lobby and head to the ancient city of Angkor Thom for a photography scavenger hunt. Upon arrival, receive a map and a set of clues. Armed with these items and a camera, set off into the sprawling complex in a quest to capture a dozen unique pictures. 

Start with a visit to the South Gate, where remarkable statues depicting mythological demons and gods line the fifty-metre walkway. Start unlocking the answers to the clues, being led past other smaller monuments and into the heart of Angkor Thom.

During the game, discover interesting facts about sites such as the historic Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. Explore ancient Bayon Temple and admire the enigmatic faces that cover the temple’s 52 towers. Finish with an exploration of the forested temple complex of Preah Pithu in search of hidden statues, carvings, and chambers!

After collecting all the photos, meet up with the guide. Discuss the answers to the quiz and share the picture clues with the group of participants, receiving a magnificent prize for completing the scavenger hunt successfully. 

In the afternoon, travel by ramork (a local form of transportation) to the APOPO visitor’s center for an exclusive tour of this fascinating and life-saving organisation. Welcome to APOPO Center’s guide and spend up to an hour learning about the devastating impact of explosives that lie buried in the Cambodian countryside and get first-hand experience about this creative solution to the problem. 

In a simulated minefield built for training purposes, help guide the rats as they sniff their way along the ground in search of explosive material. Visit the room where the rats live and pose for a photo with the furry rodents and their handlers. Watch an informative video and take the opportunity to learn more about landmines, Cambodia, APOPO, and the HeroRATs through a Q&A session. Every guided tour is led by a mine action professional with real-life experience of humanitarian demining. 
Then continue to a restaurant, which uses a business model that directs their profits to various not for profit organisations. You may order any drink from the menu (they make some special cocktails and fruit mix using local ingredients) and any one appetiser (try different ones and share with each other) while exploring the large selection of second-hand books donated by their supporters in the UK.
Next, enjoy Khmer classic dishes at a restaurant which is another social enterprise restaurant providing disadvantaged youths, and underprivileged adults, professional training and employment in the hospitality industry. Learn about its efforts while dining.
After dinner, go to a tropical garden restaurant run by an organisation that operates a hospitality training school where all the restaurant workers learned (or are currently learning) their trade. Learn about how the program runs and its achievements while enjoying a creative cocktail, a glass of wine, beer, or coffee.  This stop will mark the end of your tour and your driver will bring you safely to your hotel or, at your choice, drop you off at Pub Street or in the city centre of Siem Reap.

Overnight in Siem Reap.
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

Today’s tour starts at 08:00. Meet the guide in the lobby of your hotel and drive to the outskirts of Siem Reap, past expansive rice fields and through local villages where rice and fish can frequently be spotted drying alongside the road. 

Next, board a private wooden vessel for a boat trip along a canal that leads to the Tonle Sap Lake. 

Cruise along the canal with houses on either side: depending on the time of the visit, the houses will either have immediate access to the water or stand perched on stilts high above the ground, a phenomena caused by the annual rising and receding waters of the Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia’s largest lake. Pass by the boats and nets used by local fishermen, some of whom will be fishing in the waters through which the boat passes. Nearing the lake, see floating houses that move location with the annual ebb and flow of the lake’s waters. 

Then return to Siem Reap.

You will have some free time at leisure in the hotel before attending a performance of ‘Phare, the Cambodian Circus’. Your transport will be waiting at the hotel lobby at 19:30 for a transfer to see the professional artists of Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS), performing an inspiring show suitable for people of all ages.  Set up in Battambang in 1994 by young returnee Cambodians from the refugee camps who learned to use art as a means of coping with trauma, PPS has played an influential role in promoting and developing Khmer culture over the years after the Khmer Rouge genocide. The hour-long show mixes traditional and modern theatre, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling and contortion performed in stories about Cambodian lives and society. 

Note:
- Due to low water levels during the dry season, the boat trip is generally only possible from August to January, although water levels vary year-on-year. However an alternative floating village at Chong Kneas can be arranged instead or the stilted village can be visited by foot.
- You can either choose to have dinner before or after the show on your own account.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap – Ta Brak Village (20 km): 30 min / Siem Reap - Temple Complex (6 km): 10 mins

Starting a bit earlier today at 07:30, embark on an authentic rural Cambodia tour to learn about life in a typical village. Meet friendly locals and discover traditional village customs and cultures.

Like most villages in Asia, Ta Brak is busiest in the morning hours. Sit down with a local family and enjoy breakfast (take-away from the hotel) while observing the activities of the village.

By foot, visit the local market. Explore the colourful displays of vegetables, herbs and other locally-grown produce, and mingle with the shoppers who come every morning to buy the fresh ingredients. 
Continue through the village, providing ample opportunities to stop and chat with locals and to observe their activities. Depending on the time of year, they may be planting rice, weaving thatch coverings for their roofs, harvesting vegetables, or other similar tasks.

Before leaving the village, head to the Khmer smokehouse and meet a welcoming family. Learn the process of smoking fish, discover Cambodian rural life through stories shared amidst fragrant smoke. Over a fresh coconut juice, get to know the family, engage in discussions, and gain a better understanding of the countryside lifestyle in Cambodia.

To conclude the morning, partake in a special Buddhist tradition. Local monks will impart wishes of good luck and success in a solemn, age-old ceremony.

In the afternoon around 13:30 discover WAT Chocolate, Cambodia's first bean-to-bar factory. Learn the fascinating journey of cocoa, from bean to bar, and savour delicious chocolate. You'll even leave with a chocolate treat of your choice! This experience is perfect for families and promotes ethically sourced Cambodian cacao from Mondulkiri.

Then continue to explore the apotheosis of Khmer temple development: Angkor Wat. Arriving in the late afternoon avoids the heat of midday and also provides a more intimate experience, as this time sees fewer visitors. Furthermore, as the only west-facing temple, Angkor Wat is best to visit (and photograph) in the late afternoon, enjoying the uppermost platform around 17:00, and walking out as the guards begin corralling visitors out of the complex. Exiting the temple with the setting sun shining on the Vishnu image discovered beneath the temple’s central sanctuary is a magical sight to behold and a fitting end to your exploration of the temple built by King Suryavarman, whose name translates to “Protected by the Sun”.

After this detailed look at Angkor Wat, get a different – yet equally impressive – perspective. Take a 10 minute ride in a tethered helium balloon, ascending up to 120 metres, floating for a while, and then descending back to Earth. Be amazed by the sheer enormity of Angkor Wat and impressed by the size of the overall temple area.
Following the balloon ride, take one last look at Angkor Wat and return to Siem Reap town.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap – Kulen Elephant Forest (40 km): 55 min

Depart from the hotel at 07:00 for a one-hour drive to the plains surrounding Kulen Mountain, the birth-place of the Angkorian civilization. After an introductory briefing, head down to the pond for a meet and greet with the elephants. The program at the Kulen Elephant Forest will join in with other guests (not private).

After feeding the elephants some treats (and posing for selfies with them), follow the elephants as they wander around the area, snacking on leaves from nearby trees. Gradually the elephants will wander down a shady forest path where a guide will explain how indigenous flora is used by the local population as you walk along with the elephants.

After the trek (~2km), prepare some additional snacks in the shade as the elephants splash around in the pond. At noon, retire to base camp and enjoy a traditional Khmer meal, family-style.
In the afternoon, return back to Siem Reap town and free at your leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap Hotel - Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (52 km): 1 hr

Enjoy some time at leisure until the transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

EXTENSION - SIHANOUKVILLE BEACH BREAK 4 Days/3 Nights
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast