Impressions of Vietnam and Angkor Wat - Overview

Vietnam & Cambodia

DATES & COST

October 18 - November 1, 2023
15 Days / 14 Nights
This tour starts in Hanoi, Vietnam and ends in Siem Reap, Cambodia

$6,680 per person/double occupancy
$2,220 single supplement
$340 additional night - single or double room (includes a private airport transfer)
Includes all fees and taxes

The tour may be combined with the Hidden Treasures of Thailand and Laos (November 2 - 15, 2023)

SPACES AVAILABLE

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

14 nights' accommodations in luxury hotels in Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Saigon, and Siem Reap and on a luxury junk in Ha Long Bay
Fine dining: 14 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 12 dinners, including drinks
Professional, English speaking tour guide and Sights and Soul Travels' Tour Director throughout the tour
Private specialist guide when visiting the temples of Angkor Wat (three days)
All transportation in Vietnam and Cambodia: comfortable, air-conditioned bus and 3 flights: Hanoi - Hue, Hoi An - Saigon and Saigon - Siem Reap
Private, chauffeured airport transfers on arrival and on departure
All sightseeing and admission fees for all attractions and boat trips mentioned in the itinerary
Luxury, 3-days / 2-night cruise in Ha Long Bay
Water Puppet performance, a private cooking class, Apsara dancing performance and other cultural activities mentioned in the itinerary
Bottled mineral water throughout the tour
All restaurants', guides' and drivers' gratuities
All fees and taxes

NOT INCLUDED

Visa fee ($25US) on arrival in Vietnam and visa fee ($30US) on arrival in Cambodia, optional single supplement, optional travel insurance, meals and activities not mentioned in the itinerary, any required Covid-19 related testing, optional Tour Director's gratuities, spa services, room service, mini bar, telephone charges, other personal expenses.

The tour cost does not include airfare to and from the tour’s location.

HIGHLIGHTS

Cyclo tour of the French colonial Hanoi
Water puppet theater performance
3 days/2 nights' luxury junk cruise on Ha Long Bay
The imposing imperial capital of Hue
Dining in the home of a Vietnamese royal descendant
The dreamy Lang Co Beach on the South China Sea
The atmospheric royal village of Hoi An
Bicycling through the rice fields
Sunset cruise on Thu Bon River
Private cooking class with a renowned chef
Experiencing Saigon's food on a motorcycle
Full day on the Mekong River Delta
The Angkor Wat temples of the ancient Khmer Empire
Apsara dancers' performance

WHAT MAKES THIS TOUR SPECIAL

A small group of maximum 16 women
Accommodations in upscale, perfectly located hotels
Dining at elegant restaurants, including drinks
Knowledgeable and passionate private guide
Experienced, professional Tour Director
Carefully designed itinerary, including signature Vietnamese experiences
Exclusive experiences, not available to larger groups
Inclusion of two domestic flights in the tour cost
Inclusion of all guides and drivers' gratuities
Inclusion of all fees and taxes
No forced shopping

TESTIMONIALS

I loved every activity in Vietnam! It was my number 1 place I wanted to visit. Our local guide brought so much personal understanding of Vietnam. Very personable and knowledgeable. - Mary from Iowa

As always, S&S has designed yet another remarkable tour. I especially enjoyed the great variety as well as opportunities for physical activity and to experience Vietnamese people and culture. - Lynn from New York

Great tour overall. Very comprehensive for time available. Good mix of activities. Guide in Cambodia was excellent. - Mary Louise from Minnesota

I loved every minute of the tour. From the Cambodian Temples to the beautiful Ha Long Bay boat cruise. S&S really knows how to travel! - Tammy from New Jersey

I really enjoyed the tour and learned a lot. I liked the variety of the experiences offered. I posted everyday on Facebook. All my friends enjoyed the pictures and commented on what a great adventure I was on. - Lynne from Illinois

We had a marvelous trip to Vietnam and Cambodia with Sights and Soul. It was well organized, the hotels were sensational, we hit the highlights and had additional adventures and experiences ie: cooking class, elephant ride, overnight on a luxury boat in Halong Bay. It was a packed itinerary but well planned to not leave us exhausted. I look forward to traveling with Sights and Soul again and have absolutely no reservations about recommending the services of this exceptional company. - Mara from Minnesota

The Vietnam tour exceeded my expectations. The itinerary was excellent, well thought out and executed beautifully. Lunch @ the architect’s home was very special, loved the foodie tour in Saigon, and the setting for lunch on the Mekong was beautiful. - Jane from New York

Every time I see the photos, I get such a rush of wonderful memories. I am again reminded of what a fabulous tour you gave us and what a wonderful time we had. Thank you so much for being who you are and doing what you do. It really was a trip of a lifetime! - Marcia from California

Tour Director: Kerry Schroeder-Swecker

With its sublime physical beauty, mysteries of ancient cultures, and enduring traditions, Vietnam provides travelers with a wealth of historical insights and visual memories. From the traditional junks on Ha Long Bay, the exotic basket boats on the South China Sea, and the dragon boats on the Perfume River to Hue's imperial treasures and terraced rice fields tended by graceful women in conical straw hats, Vietnam's tangle of sensory experiences is truly mesmerizing. Meanwhile, Angkor Wat, the "City of Kings", is a mystic and magical place which carries a historical revelation for some, a spiritual significance for others, and is a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience for others. This long-lost city, the capital of a fallen ancient empire, which for centuries existed only as a myth, was rediscovered in 1861 by a French naturalist, Henri Mouhot. Its enormous temples, towering spires, giant carved faces, and ornate bas-reliefs, swallowed by the jungle and then rescued, are an eternal tribute to a lost civilization.

During the Impressions of Vietnam and Angkor Wat tour, we'll set out on an exotic, yet luxurious, journey into the heart of Indochina. We'll explore the world of ancient cultural traditions, and experience some of the most mesmerizing scenery in the world: from French-influenced Hanoi to modern Saigon, which has figured so prominently in recent history, and is now a spirited cosmopolitan city, to imperial Hue, once home to emperors and mandarins and the atmospheric royal village of Hoi An which combines Asian and Portuguese influences. We'll see thousands of limestone islands as we sail on Ha Long Bay in a luxury junk, spend a day floating in the Mekong River Delta, study local cuisine during a private cooking class, enjoy a traditional water puppet show, take a cyclo tour through the French colonial architecture of Hanoi, and a motorcycle foodie tour through the streets of Saigon. Afterwards, we'll continue to Angkor Wat to appreciate the artistry, the magic, and the history etched into its ancient walls.

While in Hanoi, we'll tour the city by cyclo, visiting the Old Quarter, the Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Confucian Temple of Literature, and the Women's Museum. We'll also attend the water puppet theater performance.
We'll enjoy a three-day cruise on a traditional luxury junk sailing in Ha Long Bay and in the Red River Delta.
While staying in the regal city of Hue, we'll spend a full day visiting the Imperial Citadel, the Forbidden Purple City, then crossing the Perfume River on a dragon boat to see the Thien Mu Pagoda and the Royal Tombs. We'll also be able to dine in a private house of a Nguyen dynasty descendant.
While we tour the World Heritage site of Hoi An, we'll attend a private cooking class taught by a celebrated Vietnamese chef, bike to Tra Que village, and take a sunset cruise on the Thu Bon River. Back in town, we'll witness the colorful festival of lights with hundreds of candle-lit lanterns floating down the river.
While in Saigon, we'll tour the city, including the Eiffel-designed Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, the Opera House, and the infamous Viet Cong's Cu Chi tunnels. We'll also tour the city on motorcycles during a gourmet foodie tour, and spend a full day exploring the Mekong Delta.
While in Siem Reap, we'll visit the Prasat Kravan and Ta Prohm Temples, the Royal Enclosure, the Phimeanakas, the Elephant's Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King, the Bayon Temple, and the temples of Banyeay Srei (the city of women). We'll also enjoy an Apsara dance performance.
We'll visit the floating village of Choueng Kneas, where we'll take a boat ride to experience the way of life of Cambodian people on the great lake of Tonle Sap.

Throughout the tour, we'll enjoy luxury hotels, fine dining, passionate and knowledgeable guides, and exclusive activities which will allow us to experience this remarkable country on a deep and personal level.

Click on the image to enlarge the map

What the Media Says About Us

Vietnam: A Women's Only Adventure
An All-Women's Trip To Vietnam: Why This Land Is On So Many People's Bucket Lists
When I speak to experienced travelers who have been to many different parts of the world, often one place pops up as a perennial bucket list destination. For many of the most seasoned travelers, Vietnam remains a place they really want to visit. Is it because so many of us baby boomers grew up with the shadow of the Vietnam war playing on the television? Is it the familarness of names like Saigon, Hanoi or the popularity of Vietnamese food in the US? For whatever reason, if you’re one of the many who consider Vietnam a place you want to see before you die, there couldn’t be a better time to go. And for many travelers, an added bonus is to travel to an exotic place in the company of women. Leaving the husband or signficant other behind sometimes is a great idea.