The landscape of limestone cliffs and the views of the great rivers with a backdrop of fascinating culture is what makeup Vietnam. Cambodia is home to the capital, Phnom Penh and has a unique history worth exploring. The endless spectacle of the cities of Saigon and Hanoi, along with the perfect intermingling of culture and natural beauty of Cambodia, makes the Vietnam and Cambodia tour a scene out of a movie.

Explore the scenic Halong Bay, enjoy the serenity of the Mekong Delta and experience the remnants of a rich culture and heritage of Hoi An.

The perfect combination of spectacular coastal scenery, amalgamated with evocative war memorials and colonial towns, makes the trip to Cambodia and Vietnam a historically alluring experience.

Visit one of the greatest surviving archaeological beauties of the world, the temple complex of Angkor in Cambodia. This tour explores the best of Vietnam and Cambodia, and in the duration of 9 days, gives a glimpse of the magnificent landscapes and intriguing cultures that both the countries situated in Indochina possess.

Itinerary

  • Day Arrival in Hochiminh City

    Today, we will be arriving in the Hochiminh City in Vietnam. The city is still unofficially referred to as Saigon. With a population of about 8 million, it is the largest city in Vietnam. The eclectic mix of the old and new makes this city a spectacle in itself. Markets and pagodas strewn across the city make the newly discovered entrepreneurial spirit of the city something to look at. After a warm welcome from the tour guide, we will be transferred to the hotel. Afternoon free for relaxation and exploration. Take part on the Saigon River Cruise with traditional music.

    • Overnight at hotel in Hochiminh
    • Dinner included
  • Day Sightseeing around Hochiminh

    This day starts with a visit of the Cu Chi Tunnels, a piece of architecture that showcases the history and the past of this country, the incredible underground tunnel network was created in the long struggle for independence by Vietnamese fighters. The underground bunkers are situated about 40 kilometers northwest to the Ho Chi Minh City and are situated near the Cambodian border. They are 350 kilometers long and about 7 meters deep. During the French occupation of the country, the command base of the Cu Chi tunnels became a command base for more than 10,000 Viet Cong Troops who played an incredible part in the Tet Offensive. They served as a shelter, storage facilities and secret means of communication for the guerilla army. The Cu Chi tunnels were actually the center of the intense fights that took place during the Vietnam War. Much of the structure has fallen pretty to the napalm, carpet bombing and defoliants used upon by American to dislodge the Viet Cong army. The landscape has now returned to its pre-war beauty. The tunnels are low and narrow and can be a nightmare for claustrophobic individuals.

    After visiting the amazing Cu chi tunnels, we continue to visit the sightseeing sites situated in Saigon. The central sights of the city include the National Assembly, Reunification Palace, Hotel de Vile, Notre Dame Cathedral, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Saigon Post Office, War Crimes Museum. Later, we will spend the time shopping around the Ben Thanh Market. The clock tower over the main entrance was formerly known as LesHallesCentrale. It is the symbol of Saigon and was opened up in 1914. The market consists of one-way aisles loaded with people selling cheap goods like aluminum wares, T-shirts, silk; lacquer, bamboo and postcards for loved ones back home.

    • Breakfast included
    • Overnight at hotel in Hochiminh
  • Day Hochiminh to Sa Dec

    The days starts off with a breakfast, followed by departure to Can Tho through a network of quiet roads and narrow riverside dirt tracks. This will be followed by a drive through flat, lush landscape to reach the Mekong Delta.the rich soil of the Mekong River provides a perfect abundance of the harvest of coconut, rice, fruits, and fish, which are all evidently seen in the Mekong Delta.

    Upon arrival in Mekong Delta, we will take a morning local boat trip to Dong HoaHiep Island. we will go ashore at this point to visit the French Gothic Cathedral as well as the colorful port area. The colonial buildings, delightful flower gardens and rice paper industries are sights worth visiting here. Also taste the incredibly tasty coconut candy.

    We will explore the evergreen islands of Dong HoaHiep and then visit the former Imperial residence, the traditional House. Surviving members of the Kiet family live there and will welcome us with open arms. We will wander around the fruit orchids situated around the house today. The better part of the afternoon will be spent in embarking on the cruise to Sa Dec where we spend the night.

    • Breakfast & lunch included
    • Overnight at hotel in Sa Dec
  • Day Sa Dec to Long Xuyen

    Rise up early morning and visit the Sa Dec local market today. Following the tracks of the French novelist Marguerite Duras, we will e0lxore the local market and sample the products found here.

    We will cycle or walk around the ever blossoming Sa Dec flower village. The local industries found here are equally fascinating to explore. Explore the tiles kilns and bricks created in the bank of the river using earthenware.

    After some exploration around the local market, it is time to return back to the Le Cochinchine boat. The boat now sails through the canals of Lap Vo. The magnificent landscape that you see now is surely worth capturing. Rural walks, nursing farms, fishing and boating people and children smiling and going to schools are sights that will surely remain embedded in the minds for a long time to come. we will also visit the sugar craft factory if time allows.

    Enjoy traditional herbal foot massage on the boat as the boat moves towards Long Xuyen.

    • Breakfast & lunch included
    • Overnight at hotel in Long Xuyen
  • Day Long Xuan to HoaHao

    Today, the day starts off with a visit to the Long Xuyen market, the market is one of the most bustling floating markets in Mekong Delta. The market is full of hundreds of small boats jostling and barking for space. The wonders of the small boats are on a full attempt to sell their goods and the noise and the chaos of the area is almost a perfect tune to the ears.

    We will move on the visit the Ong Ho Island. Explore the scenery of the island and explore villages where farmers, children, and villagers pass along their daily load. The produce of the farmers is sold in the water as has been done from centuries ago. This is a unique opportunity to explore the side of the life in Delta that few travellers have the chance of exploring. We continue on our journey to HoaHao through the waters of Cho Moi. We pass through the floating fish farm village which produces tons of fish. Enjoy the landscape of the village and talk to the warm and friendly locals as we move along on our journey to explore the river life of Vietnam. The sunset with the views of the river are surely a spectacle to explore.

    • Breakfast & lunch included
    • Overnight at hotel in HaoHao
  • Day Chau Doc to Phnom Penh

    Today, we cross from Vietnam to Cambodia by embarking on a boat ride. We depart early morning through the Mekong River today. We move on the boat and cross the Vietnamese city of VinhXuong to the Cambodian city of KaomSamnar.

    The relaxed and fascinating views of the riverside life, business and countryside will fascinate and relax us to the core. We cruise along, to reach the capital of Cambodia at Phnom Penh. We relax sometime in the hotel before embarking on our afternoon tour.

    The capiral is a pleasant city with French colonial buildings dominating the architecture. We tour around the National Museum of Arts, full of impressive Angkor sculptures. We move on to visit the Royal Palace, home to the Silver Pagoda, the pagoda is named because of the presence of 5000 silver tiles that cover its floor. The Wat Phnom, present in the premises of the pagoda is worshiped by locals for good luck. According to legend, the original pagoda was built in the 14th century, to house the four statues of Buddha that had been washed up fr4om somewhere far, to the shores of the Mekong River. It has also been said that the status spectacle by a woman named Penh after whom the city has been named.

    • Breakfast & lunch included
    • Overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh
  • Day Fly from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap

    This morning, we will be transferred to the Phnom Penh airport. We will fly to Siem Reap today. Upon arrival and after being transferred to the hotel, we will embark on a visit to the city.

    We will explore the Floating Village of Tonle Sap Lake. Take a boat ride to explore the daily life of the warm and welcoming inhabitants living in the village. Tonle Sap is a site of natural wonder, which offers an insight into how things worked in the olden days. The natural splendor if the countryside amalgamated with the happy faces of the local inhabitants makes this day experience a soothing one.

    Later in the afternoon, we will be visiting the WatThmey or the Killing Field. It consists of unique glass-walled stupas with the bones of the victims of the Khmer Rouge. After this, we will embark on a visit to the Wat Memorial Monument. To cruise around the suburbs of the Siem Reap town, we will now board on TukTuk, a small open-sided taxi which is common in Cambodia.

    The afternoon is free to explore the shops and restaurants situated in this small, bustling town which is the entry point of the spectacle that awaits us, Angkor.

    • Breakfast included
    • Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap
  • Day Sightseeing around Siem Reap

    Siem Reap is home to spectacular creations of the Angkor period. The Angkor period covered around 600 years and lasted from the 9th to the 15th century. We collect our temple passes early in the morning and visit the Angkor Wat to experience the views of the sunrise. Angkor Wat is one of the largest temples in the world and covers the area of 200 hectares. It is known best for its breathtaking sights. It was built originally as a funerary temple for SuryavarmanII. It has a grand and imposing structure with stunning features. Its inner temples, intricately carved manuscripts, galleries and inner temples are extensive.

    We visit BanteaySrei next and then explore Ta Phrom, a collection of towers and courtyards. We will also visit the fortified city of Angkor Thom, decorated monumentally with elephant trunks. The moat surrounding the city is known to have been originally filled with crocodiles and great status.

    Bayon is another temple impressive in its imposing structure, a maze of corridors, gothic style towers, and magical temples, depicting the scenes of the everyday life, this 12th-century structure. We also visit the Angkor Thom, 54 Tower temple, Phimenkas, Elephants Terrace and Royal Enclosure.

    • Breakfast included
    • Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap
  • Day Depart transfer

    After witnessing the delightful natural beauty and history of the incredibly beautiful Vietnam and Cambodian cities it is finally time to bid goodbye to this luxurious, cruise tour. Visit the market of the "Les Artisans d'Angkor - ChantiersEcoles" of Siem Reap before flying back to the own country, with a promise to return for more.

    • Breakfast included

Trip Info

  • Accommodation & meals
    • Pre and post tour accommodation at 4 star hotels in Hochi Minh & Siem Reapaigon.
    • 5nights accommodation in the 4 Star hotels & 3 nights in cruise on twin sharing basis.
    • 8 Breakfasts, 7 lunches & 7 dinners included during the trip as mentioned in the itinerary.

  • Inclusions & Exclusions

    Inclusions

    • Round-trip airport/hotel transfers specified in the itinerary
    • Domestic air ticket (PNH-REP Economy Class)
    • English speaking tour guide
    • Admission fees to sites listed in the itinerary

    Exclusions

    • Round-trip International air ticket
    • Visa fee
    • Travel insurance
    • Meals and drinks (unless specified in the itinerary)
    • Service beyond the itinerary
    • Personal expenses throughout the tour
    • Gratuities (optional, not required)

  • Transportation

    Transports by van, mini-bus, and/or coach

  • Visa & documentation

    Veitnam

    All travelers must have at least 6 months valid passport from return schedule date to travel overseas.

    A Visa required traveling to Vietnam

    US and Canada Citizen require valid passport and Visa to enter the country.
    The tourists Visa allow staying up to 30 day from issuing date.

    • Vietnamese Visa application form
      - Original Signed US or Canada passport
      - One Passport picture 2x2 (Color picture only)
      - Proof of status: Legal status evidence as original document such as US Visa,1-20,H1B approval notice and Green card.

    Cambodia

    All travelers must have at least 6 months valid passport from return schedule date to travel overseas.

    A E-Visa required traveling to Cambodia

    US and Canada Citizen require valid passport and Visa to enter the country.
    The tourists Visa allow staying up to 30 day from issuing date.

    - Scanned copy of US or Canada passport
    - Passport type picture (need upload)
    - Proof of status: Legal status evidence as original document such as US Visa,1-20,H1B approval notice and Green card.

  • Insurance Policy

    We personally don’t recommend or advertise any particular insurance organization but we can help you figure out what kind of insurance company you should make a deal with. We kindly advise our guests that travel insurance is mandatory before any other travel and trek agreements.

    Ways of triggering your insurance:

    • There are actually two ways that your insurance fund can be triggered and brought into action. The first type is where you will have to use your own money if any injuries occurs or any medical attention is needed. Then the insurance company will pay you later when you return home and show them the documentation of insurance as proof.
    • Another type is where if any medical attention is needed and your insurance needs to be triggered the insurance company will cover all the cost up front and you won’t have to spend a single penny that is not meant for such incident.

    Personally we recommend you to pick an insurance company who are willing to pay you while you need medical attention in Nepal during the time of evacuation and other medical emergencies and not after you return from Nepal.

     

    Main conditions to look for in an insurance policy:

    General insurance only offers medical evacuation up to 4000m but we will attain maximum height of more than this, so we advise our clients to search for a company that provides medical insurance and evacuation plans up to 6000m. If you are planning to climb any peak along with trekking please make sure your policy also pays for “Climbing” as an option.

    You will need to find a policy where your insurance is activated only for the days that you are trekking. If you suffer from altitude sickness and have to be evacuated in an instant you will have to trigger your insurance. These insurance can cost up to $5000. Although these kinds of evacuations are very rare we still need to be prepared for it. So to make any insurance claim you firstly need to get a medical report from a hospital of Nepal as proof before triggering your insurance claim. You will be charged about $150 as a medical fee by the hospital to get your medical reports and documentations before claiming your travel insurance. Some insurance also cover for minor interference and obstacles like flight cancellations to Lukla or even from Kathmandu to your home.

    As mentioned before, please look for an insurance policy that pays you during the time of emergency while trekking and not after you get back to your country.

    What you need to know:

    We inform you that any kind of medical fees that your insurance does not cover will be your responsibility. So we want you to have a very good and thorough look at the insurance policy before applying for it. We do not take any kind of responsibilities for insurance related payments and fiscal managements but we will help you get required documentations and reports for the insurance.

     

    Examples of insurance companies:

    Bigcattravelinsurance.com, WorldNomads, travelguard.com, Squaremouth.com

     

    Important highlights to remember:

    1. Makalu travels do not hold any kind of insurance related financial management work but we will help you acquire important documentations needed for processing your insurance policies.
    2. Choose an insurance policy where you don’t have to pay your own money while trekking in Nepal while in need of medical attention. In other words look for a policy where your insurance company will cover all the money related process if you need any kind of medical attention.
    3. Choose policy with evacuation plan up to 6000m and with an option “climbing” if you are climbing any peak as well as trekking.
    4. Some companies like WorldNomads have a policy where clients have to pay their own money while trekking if they need any kind of medical attention and you will be payed once you return home. So please make sure you have a very good understanding of what type of insurance policy you are agreeing to.

     

  • Cancellation & Changes

    There are two ways to deal with modification in travel plans. First is you can cancel the trip completely and second is you can postpone the date. But for any of these change to take effect we need to be informed 6 weeks before your booked trip date before cancelling or postponing the trip.

    Important note: In case of natural disasters and national political issues our hands are tied so we cannot undertake any kind of activities which we will take full responsibility of and make sure our clients get the flexibility of making decisions to either postpone or cancel the trip they initially advocated for. There will be no extra fees or cost for rescheduling but if you decide to cancel the trip volunterily our cancellation fees apply which is listed and described below.

     

    Cancellation fees rules:

    These are our specific rules for trip cancellations and refund fees involved:

    1. If we are informed by our clients at least 43 days before the travel date then the full deposit amount will be refunded after deducting 4% bank surcharge on total deposit amount.
    2. If we are informed by our clients 6 weeks before the travel date then we can refund complete deposit by just deducting $195 per person.
    3. If cancellation is done between 4 and 6 weeks of travel date then we can refund your deposit after deducting $395 per person. This is because we will have to pay to the hotels, guides and other personals involved to make this trip possible to recover their financial plans.
    4. If we are not informed between 4 and 6 weeks of travel date there will be no refund as there are many other workers and organizations that needs to be paid by us for planning your trip. Losing you as a customer means losing their employment opportunity which will harm involved worker’s financial status.

    So, we request our respectful guests to inform us about any kind of modification plans (postpone or cancellations) at least before 43 days of travel date. This will help us to refund your designated deposit and also maintain financial status of every worker and organization involved.

  • Payments & Deposits

    Makalu Travels offers easy & reliable online payment through credit/debit card, & Paypal. All online payments are processed through the our highly secured online payment partner Authorize.net Please kinldy be informed that all online payments are subject to additional 4% bank surcharge & processing fee. 

    If you would like to avoid the 4% transaction fee then you also have an option to deposit the money into Makalu Travels' bank account in Wells Fargo Bank, USA. The bank details will be provided on request. You will receive a notice from us after a successful deposit or any kind of financial transaction. We will make sure that your transfer amount has arrived to us before sending you any type of confirmation invoice or notification

  • Hotel & Room Bookings

    The hotel we will accommodate you to is Hotel Le Himalaya pre and post trek in Kathmandu. We will book the hotel rooms for you as per your request with a good pricing than that of online booking. We will transfer all your luggage while being transferred from one accommodation center to another. In Kathmandu we will have a very standard hotel but while trekking we won’t have such luxury so we will have to spend our nights in tea houses. These tea houses are fairly of good standard, you can’t be too picky in the Himalayas! You can contact us if there is any specific query you have about the accommodation structure.

     

    In Kathmandu

    Rooms are very spacious and have private bathrooms and toilets. You will not have to compromise even a bit while your stay at Kathmandu. Hotel Le HImalaya is where you will be before and after the trek as we will have pre booked everything for our respected guests. In case of extending your vacation in Nepal we can help you book rooms for extra nights but we will need to be pre informed. If it is a peak season it will be difficult to manage room in same hotel but we will make an utmost effort to accommodate you in the hotel of same caliber.

    Note: Our guests will not have to pay for the nights that they don’t spend in a hotel room in Kathmandu. We can always come to an agreement if there are certain flight delays or cancellations. During these kind of situations we will accommodate our guests fitting best to their requirements.

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The Advantages of Booking with Makalu Travels

Access to Local Expertize

We take pride in our carefully selected well-trained, experienced tour guides and leaders who have an insider access that is certain to enhance your experience.Their knowledge of meticulous details of all the local places without exaggeration is what will make a world of difference to your travel experience.

Quality Assured

Each of our trips are monitored and regulated by our office in USA because we want to maintain the highest standards of service at all times. At our destination, you will always be hosted with seamless service, the best of hospitality with clean hygienic rooms and tasty and healthy variety of foods.

No Middleman to
Meddle In

With the help of our extended network of travel partners, we directly connect with the local service providers giving you a cost advantage rightaway. We assure you that you will only have to pay for the services you take with no middleman squeezing in your bill.

Guaranteed Departure Dates

If you have signed up and made a payment for our fixed departure packages, the tour departure is automatically guaranteed. When you book our fixed departure trips, you can be assured that the tour will surely operate on the day it is scheduled and will not be cancelled.

Your Safety,
Our priority

It goes without saying that your safety is our topmost priority. The difference in climate, altitudes and geography can cause a certain level of distress for some, which is why our tour guides and leaders are trained and well-equipped for first aid services throughout the trip. Our super tour guides and leaders will ensure your safety at all times.

Transperency and
Honesty

Makalu Travels maintains a strong ethics of business. We therefore assure you there are no hidden charges applied in our packages. Unless you opt for additional activities other than those mentioned in the pre-booked itinerary, even in cases of unforeseen circumstances, the extra costs would be ours to bear.

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Support

Round the clock support, operations and monitoring. Our services are available round the clock, 7 days a week. If you have any queries regarding the destination, itinerary, safety or duration among others, you can call us or send us an email any time. We are a travel agency that never sleeps.

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With Makalu Travels your online payments are secure and simplified with the best transaction & data security methods applied . We offer you flexible and transaction fee free options to pay for your trip. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and Paypal with no additional transacation fee.

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