Exploring the Mekong & Angkor Wat

After being welcomed and driven to your hotel upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, you may spend the remainder of the day relaxing.

Explore this city at the intersection of East and West; walk along the broad boulevards dotted with charming colonial buildings before heading into Cholon’s busy Chinatown neighborhood. This afternoon, drive out of Ho Chi Minh City and stop at the famous Cu Chi tunnels. Originally constructed during the French-American Wars, the Viet Cong utilized the network of complex passageways against the Americans with disastrous results.

After leaving the city today, you set off on an overnight cruise through the picturesque and verdant Mekong Delta, where you will discover the workings of the ‘Nine Dragon River’.

This morning, you wake up and have breakfast while floating toward the well-known Cai Rang floating markets. Around lunchtime, disembark and make your way to your hotel in Can Tho, the biggest town in the Delta. You will go on a bike tour of the charming backwater streets once you have settled up.

You will go today to the border town of Chau Doc, which is a charming location along the Mekong River.

Today, depart from Vietnam and travel by speedboat over the Mekong River into Cambodia. Once in Cambodia, you arrive at the vibrant waterfront of the country’s capital, Phnom Penh.

The all-day city trip includes stops at the Grand Palace to learn about Phnom Penh’s ancient past, the Killing Fields, and the notorious S-21 jail to learn about its violent, more recent history. Audley says the Friends restaurant in the city center is an excellent location to stop and have lunch.

Fly north from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, the location of the historic Angkor temples. You’ll watch the grandest temple, Angkor Wat, come to life this afternoon when the sun sets.

Getting an early start today is the only way to ensure you see the breathtaking colors of the Khmer morning surrounded by the crumbling, jungle-covered ruins of Ta Prohm. You’ll have the place to yourself in the morning, and Ta Prohm seems even more gloomy with the mist rising from this ancient ruin. You return to the site later in the day to explore the other temples on the main complex.

Explore the historically significant but often ignored sites of Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre by venturing outside of the main complex.

You depart from Siem Reap today for the enormous Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s biggest lake. The lake is vital to the nation, and thousands of people live in the many floating communities around it. Tonle Sap is also home to some uncommon bird species.

Before your flight, you have the most of the day to yourself to explore as you choose or just unwind at your hotel.