ITINERARY

Day 1 / Oct 7, 2024 / Depart USA

No services. 

Day 2 / Oct 8, 2024 / Arrival in Bangkok 

Transfer to hotel by hotel shuttle bus. Free time at leisure. 

Day 3 / Oct 9, 2024 / Arrival in Luang Prabang 

Transfer to the airport by hotel shuttle service to board your flight to Luang Prabang. 

Welcome to Indochina!! 

Upon your arrival at Luang Prabang, we’ll be picked up and transferred to our hotel. We’ll have time for lunch before heading out to begin our photography tour. 

We will start the tour from the Central Market. We then visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai, and then we’ll climb to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic view of the city at sunset including views of the Mekong River. 

From there we will explore the Luang Prabang night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textile made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. 

Dinner and overnight stay in Luang Prabang. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver 

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary 

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Luang Prabang 

Day 4: Oct 10, 2024 Luang Prabang - Pak Ou Caves 

Breakfast at the hotel. Then we’ll enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roof sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. 

We then embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside. We then explore the mysterious Pak Ou Caves; two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. 

We stop en route at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. 

On the way back to Luang Prabang we will take a short drive to Ban Phanom, a small village known for its hand weaving. 

Overnight in Luang Prabang. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver 

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary 

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Luang Prabang 

Day 5: Oct 11, 2024 Luang Prabang - Elephant Village - Flight to Hanoi

Note: Riding Elephant is not allowed in Laos 

Pick up by our English speaking guide from your hotel and transfer to the Elephant Village Camp. Welcome greeting by your guide and participate in a short briefing about elephants 

Elephant Feeding: Get up close and personal with elephants 

Explore Elephant Village: Visit our elephant hospital, museum, gallery and dung paper making facility! 

Learn to communicate: Enjoy the impressive experience of being a Mahout and how they communicate. 

Boat trip to the Tad Sae Waterfall: Ride in a traditional Lao long boat to the Tad Sae Waterfall and relax or swim in the clear water. Swimsuit recommended! (note: water levels will vary with seasonal conditions) 

Lunch at our Elephant Camp restaurant. 

Depart the camp, then transfer to the airport for a flight to Hanoi in the afternoon. 

Welcome to Hanoi by our local guide at the airport, and transfer to Hanoi city centre. 

In the afternoon, we’ll shoot the sunset at West Lake before enjoying a show of Water Puppetry, a unique stage art created by the Vietnamese peasants. Overnight in Hanoi. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver 

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary 

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Hanoi 

Day 6: Oct 12, 2024 Hanoi - Sightseeing - Night train to Lao Cai 

After breakfast at the hotel we’ll start our Hanoi city tour from Ba Dinh Square – the biggest square in Hanoi where all the biggest cultural, political events of the cities, especially demonstrations, take place. Visit the Complex of Ho Chi Minh located by this square. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s house-on-stilts, his fish pond and the One-Pillar Pagoda before strolling around the Old Quarter of Hanoi by pedi-cabs. 

In the afternoon we’ll continue to visit the city with stops at Ngoc Son Temple and the Sword Lake which is considered the centre and the soul of Hanoi. Visit the Temple of Literature, the very first High School of Vietnam, and the Fine Art Museum.   

Please note: Ho Chi Minh complex is closed on every Monday & Friday! 

Overnight on an AC train from Hanoi to Lao Cai. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver, Private cabin on train (4 berth/cabin)

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary 

Day 7: Oct 13, 2024 Lao Cai – Sapa – Lao Chai & Ta Van 

Arrive around 6.00 am at Lao Cai Station, a border city that looks over China and is closest to Sapa Hill Resort, then transfer to Sapa. The road is 40km long and very beautiful with terraced paddy fields, small waterfalls and pinewoods. 

We’ll have breakfast at a restaurant in Lao Cai or Sapa (Early check-in at hotel is not available). Have some rest and then we’ll head south to a remarkable area at Lao Chai and walk 3km to Ta Van with short stops at the villages of the tribal people H'mong, Tay and Dzay en route. 

We’ll enjoy lunch in Ta Van. We then head back towards Sapa. Depending on the weather condition (if it is clear and sunny), we will climb up Dragon Peak to see the panorama of Sapa with pine trees, old colonial-styled villas, and numerous hill tribes. 

If time permits, we’ll drive to take photos of the sunset at Silver Waterfall which is about 15km from Sapa. Overnight in Sapa. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Sapa 

Day 8: Oct 15, 2024 Sapa – Visit the villages – Ma Tra & Ta Phin 

After breakfast at our hotel, our day commences from Sapa on a trail running through the beautiful gardens and lush pine forests. We’ll then pass through the Black Hmong ethnic minority village of Ma Tra, a very small village hidden away from civilization. The walk continues through rice paddy fields and spectacular scenery. During the day we’ll also be able to visit a local school. 

We’ll enjoy lunch before arriving at the Ta Phin village. Here we’ll learn about the cultural life of Black Hmong and Red Dao minorities, 2 of the largest ethnic groups in the area. You may recognize them by their dress. They are both very famous for their handicrafts. We’ll walk among local people and capture some excellent candid shots and portraits. The walk also offers us the opportunity to visit local village houses as well as time to explore the local caves. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Sapa 

Day 9: Oct 15, 2024 Sapa – Colorful Hill Tribe Market – Night train to Hanoi 

Today we’ll drive to a market of the hill tribal people, mainly from Flower H’Mong ethnic group. Depending on the day, we’ll either visit Can Cau, BacHa or Coc Ly. The drive to Bac Ha is about 110km from Sapa. With dozens of tribes living in the surrounding areas, including Flower H’Mong, Chinese, Nhang, Dzao, Nung, Phu La, Thai and King (or Viet), the market is extremely exciting in the morning. We’ll have ample opportunity to photograph hundreds of beautifully clad women from the Flower H’Mong tribe, who are famous for their wonderful crafted hand-made flowering clothes and textile fabrics, or we’ll intermingle with people from Black H’Mong, Dzay, Dzao and other ethnic groups coming to the market. 

After lunch, we can hike around, follow the mountain people to their villages for a visit, or take our car heading to further hamlets in Ban Pho, Trieu Cai, or Na Hoi. If we visit the Coc Ly we may take a boat trip along the Chay River while enjoying marvelous karst limestone peaks along the river and visit a village of H’Mong or Dzay people. 

We’ll head back to Lao Cai Station in the late afternoon for dinner and then take the night train from Lao Cai to Hanoi - Soft sleeper with AC. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver, Private cabin on train (4 berth/cabin) 

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary

Day 10 & 11:Oct 16 – Oct 17, 2024/ Hanoi – Halong Bay (2 nights on board) 

We arrive at Hanoi Station around 5.00 am. Before having breakfast, we can join the Hanoians in their early exercises -- jogging, yoga, sword dance, fan dance, and tai chi. 

After breakfast and a short break at a hotel near the station, we’ll go on to Halong Bay (Pick up time is at 9:30AM). Halong is one of the earliest World Heritages as designated by UNESCO for Vietnam in 1994. Check-in our boat and enjoy a lunch of fresh seafood while the boat sails between the unusual seascape with thousands of picturesque rocks and islets, beaches and hollow islands. We’ll stop to visit some karst grottoes, maybe just go swimming, or stop at a beach and shoot a sunset on the sea. We’ll enjoy dinner and overnight accommodations on the boat. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver, Private cabin on train (4 berth/cabin) 

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary

Accommodation: Your selected cruise option 

Day 12: Oct 18, 2024 Halong Bay - Hanoi

The Vietnamese call the South China Sea the “Eastern Sea,” so you may guess how miraculous seeing the sunrise over the islets of the Bay is. Our boat will continue to cruise in marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name adopting its shape like Sail island, Fisherman’s head rock, Butterfly rock or Turtle islet, etc. 

We’ll enjoy another seafood lunch onboard before we head back to Halong Wharf and take our car to Hanoi. 

In the afternoon, we will visit Hanoi's French Quarter. Lying to the south and east of Hoan Kiem Lake, The French Quarter has grand boulevards and elegant French colonial buildings. These include the stately Opera House (based on the neo-Baroque Paris Opera) complete with gray slate tiles imported from France. One block east of the Opera House is Hanoi's Museum of History, which is an elaborate blend of Vietnamese palace and French villa, a style that came to be called Neo-Vietnamese. Trang Tien, the main artery of the French Quarter, is still a busy shopping street where you'll find bookshops and art galleries as well as cafés and hotels. We’ll also have time to enjoy the night street scenes of Hanoi and capture some fun shots tonight. Overnight in Hanoi. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Hanoi

Day 13: Oct 19, 2024 Hanoi – Ceramic Village – Flight to Ho Chi Minh City 

After breakfast, you will start your day by a journey alongside the Red River on a scenic countryside drive from Hanoi to Bat Trang. Visit Bat Trang Ceramic Village known for producing high-quality ceramics and see how this pottery is made by hand. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in a workshop crafting your own piece or shop for something to take home with you. 

Next, continuing to Bat Trang Pottery Museum, a real head-turner with its extraordinary appearance. It consists of 7 funnel-shaped buildings intertwined together, their outer walls carved into multi-layered patterns. The design is said to have been inspired by pottery wheels – the signature tool of potters. 

Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch with many dishes and original flavor passed down many generations. The dishes show the character of Bat Trang people, especially in the meticulous and elaborate cooking method. 

Then we’ll transfer to the airport to take the flight to Saigon. We’ll be warmly greeted at the Tan Son Nhat airport and transferred to our city center hotel. 

We’ll start this afternoon here from the Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1877 and 1883. Opposite this famous site is a remarkable building -- The Reunification Palace that once was the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam and is now a Museum and a grand hall for receptions. 

From there we’ll drop by the Thien Hau Pagoda, one of the most famous temples in this district. Tonight will be a fun time to explore some night markets and continue our street photography. Overnight in Saigon. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Saigon

Day 14: Oct 20, 2024 Saigon – Tay Ninh Holy See – Flight to Siem Reap

After an early breakfast at the hotel we’ll go to Tay Ninh Holy See, the centre of Caodaism which is a local sect of Buddhism founded by Vietnamese peasants in the early 20th century. Arriving before noon we’ll have the chance to wander the Temple before joining/photographing the daily solemn ceremony at Noon. 

We’ll head back to Saigon for lunch before transferring to the airport for the flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. 

We’ll be met at the airport and transfer to our hotel. 

We’ll have time to wander Siem Reap to get a lay of the land and continue to work our street photography and prepare for the highlights to come! Overnight in Siem Reap. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Siem Reap

Day 15: Oct 21, 2024 Siem Reap – Angkor Wat – Angkor Thom 

Our day begins with a sunrise shoot at Angkor Wat then we'll visit the ancient city of Angkor Thom, which is 7km from Siem Reap. We’ll visit the Bayon temple, the Baphuan, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

In the afternoon we’ll photograph Angkor Wat again before viewing the sunset over the Angkor complex from the top of Phnom Bakheng mountain. Tonight, along with dinner we’ll enjoy a traditional Apsara dance show. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Siem Reap

Day 16: Oct 22, 2024 Ta Prohm – Banteay Srei

Early morning we'll start with a shoot of the Ta Prohm temple which is a wonderful combination of human construction genius and natural beauty of giant trees, which have grown here for centuries.

Then on to visit Ta Keo, dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva which was built at the end of the 10th century.

After an afternoon break, we'll head Banteay Srei (one of the jewels of Angkor), and the Banteay Srei Temple which means "Citadel of Women". This temple is made of pink sandstone and presents the most graceful carvings in stone we might ever see in our life.   

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Siem Reap

Day 17: Oct 23 2024 Siem Reap – Floating Community 

Early morning we'll start with a shoot of the Floating Villages on Tonle Sap Lake.

Drive to Kampong Phluk is a permanent settlement on the Tonle Sap Lake with a small land based village attached to it. Its remarkable mangrove forest is unique in the Siem Reap area. 



You will board a local boat and cruise the waterways observing the authentic and diverse lifestyle of the local floating community. After the floating villages we’ll have free time before dinner and to prepare for travel home.   

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Entrance Fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary

Accommodation: Your selected hotel option in Siem Reap

Day 18: Oct 24 2024 Siem Reap – Departure

Transfer to airport to board your flight back home. 

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast 

Day 19: Oct 25 2024 Arriving Home

Arrive home depending on flights.

4 Star Hotels 



Bangkok: Vismaya Suvarnabhumi Hotel  

http://thevismaya.com 

Luang Prabang Le Bel Air Resort 

https://www.lebelair-resort.com 

Hanoi Aira Boutique Hanoi Hotel & Spa 

https://airaboutiquehanoi.com 

Sapa Aliana Boutique Sapa Hotel & Spa 

https://alianaboutiquesapa.com 

Halong Bay Orchid Trendy Cruise 

https://www.orchidcruises.com/ship/orchid-trendy/ 

Ho Chi Minh City EdenStar Saigon Hotel 

https://www.edenstarsaigonhotel.com 

Siem Reap Tara Angkor 

https://taraangkorhotel.com 

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