Legend of Mekong River

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, built by the Viet Cong outside Saigon during the Vietnam War; they represent an extraordinary example of highly ingenious engineering. Return to Saigon. Free lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, a tour of Saigon: the Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Chinatown district with the Thien Hau Pagoda. Check-in and accommodation at the hotel.

A short distance from Saigon, Cu Chi was the district most heavily devastated, deforested, leveled, bombed, and poisoned with various chemical agents, including Agent Orange, during the Vietnam War. In the 1940s, to escape mandatory conscription, French attacks, and to maintain contact between villages, underground tunnels began to be excavated. In the 1960s, the Viet Cong extended them to more than 250 km, and since then, they became legendary during the “American War.” Structured in several layers up to 5–6 meters deep, the network included dormitories, kitchens, schools, hospitals, and weapons factories. At lower levels, the guerrilla tunnels were often equipped with traps in case adversaries managed to penetrate them. During the excursion, you will visit a section of the tunnels to experience the sensations of underground life. Cu Chi is an excellent example of the spirit and determination of the Vietnamese people.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning journey to Ben Tre, a beautiful region of the Mekong Delta famous for the production of coconut candy. Arrive at the Phong Nam Bridge for a boat trip on the Ben Tre River to discover daily local life. Stop at a brick kiln to observe traditional brick-making. Along the canal, you will visit one of the many coconut processing workshops, where you can taste fresh coconut and see how every single part of this fruit is transformed into its derivative products. Continue your boat trip along a canal to the village of Nhon Thanh. This will be an opportunity to taste fresh fruit. Take a bicycle ride (or Tuk-tuk) along a small path through the villages and enjoy the view of coconut trees, rice paddies, and vegetable gardens.

Free lunch at a local restaurant.

We then head to Jardin du Mekong (Garden of the Mekong), located in a small village near Cho Lach. Free time for some relaxation or to discover the surroundings on your own. Around 6:30 PM, you can participate in a short cooking lesson with the host family to prepare delicious rice crepes.

Dinner included and overnight stay at the Jardin du Mekong homestay.

Breakfast at the homestay.

The day begins with a bicycle ride or a walk to visit the “Cho Lach” Market. Free lunch at the homestay.

In the afternoon, transfer to Can Tho. Check-in at the homestay. Free time to discover the homestay or the surrounding villages (on foot or by bicycle).

Dinner included and overnight stay at the homestay.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to the pier for a boat trip to visit the Cai Rang floating market—the largest and most vibrant in the Mekong Delta. A multitude of colors and scents fill the air, creating a lively atmosphere where hundreds of sampans are filled with goods such as rice, fruit, and handcrafted products that merchants bring to the market at the first light of dawn to sell.

After leaving the market, you will continue the boat trip through the canals and visit a fruit orchard. Stop at the ancient house of Binh Thuy, home to an orchid garden and the filming location for the movie “The Lover.”

Departure for Chau Doc (140km ~ 3.5 hours).

In the afternoon, transfer with a private driver only to the Tra Su Sanctuary, an ecosystem of exceptional biodiversity featuring a typical cajuput forest. This is also a famous bird sanctuary, known for a wide variety of species.

Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Chau Doc.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer with your driver to the port of Chau Doc. After crossing the border into Cambodia, you will travel up the Lower Mekong on a speedboat, which takes about 4 hours to reach Phnom Penh.

Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, you will complete customs formalities to obtain your entry visa. Welcome by your guide. Free lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit the city of Phnom Penh, which only today, after 25 years, is beginning to regain its former beauty. The best-preserved colonial architecture is found around the Victory Monument, where elegant Art Deco villas can be admired along the boulevards laid out by the French. The afternoon visit continues to the National Museum, with its magnificent collection of Khmer sculptures, and the Royal Palace complex, which houses the throne hall, the royal treasury, and the Silver Pagoda with its diamond-studded Buddha statue. If you wish, you can stop at the large Russian Market to purchase local handicrafts.

Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit the Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21) and Choeung Ek (The Killing Fields). These sites are dedicated to the memory of the war crimes committed by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge and serve as a memorial to the darkest period in Cambodian history.

Afterward, transfer by private car or shared bus to Siem Reap. You will head toward Siem Reap along National Road 6 by shared bus (Surcharge for private car transfer or a domestic flight from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is available upon request). As you leave the city, you can witness the bustling activities of the Cambodian people who start their day very early.

Stop for a free lunch at a restaurant in Kompong Thom, then continue along National Road 6, which follows the route of the ancient Khmer “Royal Road.” Here, you can still find the majestic Spean Praptos, a bridge made of laterite and sandstone built by Jayavarman VII eight centuries ago.

Arrival in Siem Reap in the late afternoon and check-in at the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel in Siem Reap.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Begin the excursion with a visit to the Angkor area, where we will spend an entire day exploring wonderful ancient ruins such as the South Gate of Angkor Thom, famous for its series of colossal human faces carved in stone, the impressive Bayon Temple, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King, and the largest and most complete temple, Angkor Wat. This architectural masterpiece was built in the 12th century and covers an area of approximately 210 hectares.

Free lunch at a local restaurant.

Stroll around this massive building, admiring the numerous colonnaded galleries, libraries, pavilions, courtyards, and ponds filled with water reflecting the towering temple. The jungle-covered Ta Prohm temple is a sight of rare beauty; enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers embracing the stone foundations of the structure give the impression of man’s creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature.

In the late afternoon, you will have the opportunity to admire the sunset from Bakheng Hill.

Free dinner at a local restaurant and overnight stay in Siem Reap.

Optional Activity: A short Tuk Tuk ride with the opportunity to participate in a Buddhist ceremony, where you will be blessed by monks wishing you happiness and prosperity for your holiday (Surcharge of $10 USD per person).

Meet our guide at the hotel reception at 08:30 AM.

Leaving the city, we set off along a newly paved road to the temple of Banteay Srei (10th century), considered the crown jewel of classic Khmer art. Then, continue your visit to Banteay Samre, built in the third quarter of the 12th century. It consists of a central temple with four wings preceded by a hall and accompanied by two libraries; the southern example is remarkably well-preserved.

Free lunch at a local restaurant.

Proceed to Tonle Sap (50km ~ 1 hour), the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and an ecologically critical site, declared a UNESCO “Biosphere Reserve” in 1997. The name means “Great River of Fresh Waters,” but it is more commonly translated as “Great Lake.” Head toward the floating village of Kompong Phluk, located about an hour’s drive from Siem Reap and visited by thousands of tourists each year. Kompong Phluk is one of the most impressive villages due to the height and size of its stilt houses.

Return to the hotel. Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Siem Reap.

Please note:

• Rainy Season (Aug – Jan): Take a boat to explore the village and continue toward Tonle Sap Lake (walking inside the villages is not possible).
• Dry Season (Feb – Aug): Take a car to the village, then a walking tour within the village. Afterward, you will board a local boat to travel through the canals toward the Great Lake, where inhabitants move their houses according to the water levels.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for your flight to Pakse.

Arrival in Pakse. Welcome and transfer to Saravanh. Enjoy a rest along the road toward the Bolaven Plateau to observe the local people and daily life. The Bolaven region is known for its cool temperatures and impressive rivers. Stop at the Tad Fane waterfalls to see the spectacular twin falls plunging into a deep gorge surrounded by lush vegetation. A visit to the plateau offers a refreshing break from the heat and allows you to see how coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas, and other crops are grown. This leg of the journey is off the beaten path and allows you to discover some of the lesser-known areas of Laos.

Upon arrival at Tad Lo, we will visit several ethnic minority villages belonging to the Alak, Nge, and Katu people.

Overnight stay in Tad Lo.

Breakfast at the hotel.

We head toward Khong Island. Along the way, stop to visit the Pha Suam waterfalls and for a walk around the Lao Teung ethnic minority village.

We continue to the UNESCO-protected pre-Angkorean ruins of Wat Phou. These have been perched at the base of Mount Phu Kao since the 5th century.

Free lunch at a local restaurant.

Continuation toward Don Khong Island, the largest of the 4,000 islands on the Mekong River.

Overnight stay in Don Khong.

The 4,000 Islands, known as Si Phan Don, are one of the most famous and beloved destinations for tourists traveling to Laos. Located in Southern Laos, on the border with Cambodia, this area is characterized by a complex of islands of various sizes nestled on the Mekong. Here, the river flows through perhaps one of the wildest stretches of its entire journey, immersed in thick vegetation rich in flora and fauna.

Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning, visit the surrounding countryside before boarding a boat to enjoy a cruise around the Don Khone area. Visit the old French architecture and the Li Phi waterfall, known as “the Devil’s Corridor.”

Disembark at the fishing village of Ban Nakasung, then head south to visit Khone Phapheng—the largest waterfall by water volume in Southeast Asia. it offers an impressive spectacle within a sublime natural environment teeming with wildlife.

Return to and overnight stay in Pakse.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free time before your transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Conclusion of your Mekong River Excursion with Amo Travel.

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