Ha Long Bay in Vietnam
Angkor Wat, Siem Reap Photo: Fee payable on reproduction. No reproduction without consent of 4Corners Images
Telegraph.co.uk
28 Sep 2012
`– Find out more about Luxury
Guided Tours
From the vibrant cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh to remote villages along the
Mekong and the archaeological splendour of Angkor Wat, APT’s 17-day Vietnam &
Cambodia Discovery tour takes you on a fascinating journey of history and
culture.
Combining a luxurious land tour, a night on a romantic junk in Ha Long Bay and
a top-class, seven-night river cruise, you will discover a vibrant, exotic
culture, beautiful scenery and remarkable historical relics – including many
places that are accessible only by water.
Award-winning APT has a wealth of experience in both guided touring and river
cruising, so you can rely on the company to deliver an enlightening,
all-inclusive adventure that combines the very best of both.
Arriving in Hanoi, the sights and sounds of Vietnam immediately unfold in all
their colourful magnificence during your two-night stay at the Sofitel Legend
Metropole Hanoi. Your Freedom of Choice options are carefully plannedto
immerse you in local culture and here these include, atno extra cost, a
visit to a traditional Vietnamese homein Le Mat village, a foot massage or a
walking tourof the 500-year-old village of Bat Trang.
A guided tour of Hanoi includes the must-see sights of Ho Chi Minh’s
Mausoleum,Ba Dinh Square and One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th century by
Emperor Ly Thai Tong. Later, you’ll take a rickshaw ride through the
charming Old Quarter and enjoy premier seating at a traditional puppet show.
Also included is a choice of quality dining – another APT hallmark – so that
you can sample the delicious fusion cuisine of the Ly Club or Nineteen 11,
located in the Hanoi Opera House.
Travelling to World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay, you’ll board a luxurious
wooden junk for a two-day cruise. In contrast to the sounds of the city,
you’ll weave between the tranquil limestone islets which dot the emerald
waters. You’ll spend time on Titop Island with its lovely beach, then
continue to the Bat Cave area and visit its largest floating fishing village.
A short flight takes you next to Ho Chi Minh City where the Sheraton Saigon
Hotel & Towers will be your base for the next two days. This is a
high-octane city in which ancient pagodas, busy markets, temples and
ramshackle shops sit beside sleek skyscrapers, designer malls and gourmet
restaurants. It is a feast for all the senses.
Outside the city, you’ll visit the Long Phuoc Tunnels, part of the incredible
underground network used by Viet Cong guerrillas during theVietnam War as a
hiding spot, communication and supply route, hospital, food and weapons
cache.
Back in Ho Chi Minh, a special degustation dinner with matching wines will be
served, inspired by top Vietnamese chef and APT ambassador Luke Nugyen. The
following day offers a great choice of included activities. Perhaps you’ll
enjoy a tour of the city on foot or by motorbike, or a visit to an artist’s
home to learn about traditional lacquer art? It’s entirely up to you.
Joining RV AmaLotus — one of the most luxurious ships on the Mekong — you can
look forward to a fascinating seven-night river cruise. During the
Vietnamese section, you’ll witness many sides of the intriguing Mekong
Delta, including remote communities and floating villages.
From the deck of your luxurious river ship, you’ll see peaceful scenes
slipping by: lush paddy fields, gleaming pagodas, fishermen casting their nets
from delicate sampans and houses built on stilts haphazardly leaning against
each other.
An excursion takes you toCái Bè, a mysterious river-land town. You’ll visit
the floating markets by boat followed by a shore trip to admire the colonial
buildings, the French Gothic cathedral and delightful flower gardens.
You’ll also explore Sa Dec, the city where the French writer Marguerite Duras
met her Vietnamese lover, Huynh Thuy Le. You’ll inspect his former residence
as well as the beautiful Fujian Temple and Thien Hau Pagoda, the oldest
Chinese pagoda in Vietnam built in 1760.
Further upriver, as AmaLotus crosses into Cambodia, tiny tributaries will give
you a real taste of rural Mekong life, untouched by tourism, with a visit to
floating fish farm anda trip around the town of Tan Chau by rickshaw.
Reaching the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, you’ll enjoy guided tours of the
spectacular Royal Palace,the Silver Pagoda and to the Killing Fields and
Genocide Museum, site of the Khmer Rouge’s notorious security prison,
providing a poignant insight into the most tragic chapter in the country’s
history.
The silk-weaving village of Chong Kah comes next, before reaching Prek K’dam,
where you’ll set off by coach on an afternoon tour of Oudong, the Unesco
World Heritage-listed mountaintop town which, from 1618 until 1866, was home
to a succession of kings and is now famous for its elaborate Buddhist
monastery.
Continuing to Kampong Tralach and the Wat Kampong pagoda, with its array of
Buddha statues, there is still so much to see. An ox-cart ride through lush
rice fields past bemused locals to rejoinRV AmaLotus on the Tonle River is
just one highlight.
The following day, after a boat excursion into the wetlands near Kampong
Chhnang, your river ship heads towards the lake of Tonle Sap where you can
absorb the tranquillity and scenic beauty of the region’s floating villages.
Reaching Siem Reap, your base for the next two nights is the Sofitel Angkor.
There is a generous amount of time to explore the incredible Angkor
Archaeological Park.
Your tour includes Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire, with its
imposing Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. You’ll also
see Ta Prohm, the temple famous for its intertwined trees, and be introduced
to the human story of the area, too, with a visit to a grass-roots
orphanage.
APT’s Freedom of Choice touring really comes into its own here, with options
including a visit to the Wat Preah Phrom Rath Templefor a Buddhist blessing,
atuk-tuk ride to Les Artisans d’Angkor workshop, a tethered balloon ride to
view the temples from above, an elephant ride to Bayon, a quad-bike
adventure or some relaxing spa treatments.
At the end of your journey, you will have experienced so many highlights of
this most intriguing part of South East Asia – all the while enjoying the
luxurious comfort, high standards of service and safety of an APT tour.
• APT’s 17-day Vietnam & Cambodia Discovery river cruise and
tour costs from £4,295per person, twin share. Departures from June 2013 to
April 2014. The fully inclusive price includes return flights from London,
all guided excursions, seven-night luxury river cruise, complimentary drinks
on board, top-class hotels, 38 meals, all tipping, taxes, port charges and
overseas transfers. Find
out more
See a world of wonders on a slow float through China
APT’s luxurious 14-day Best of China tour takes you from Beijing to Shanghai.
Along the way, you’ll visit the Great Wall of China, enjoy a four-night
cruise along the Yangtze River through the Three Gorges, meet giant pandas
and see the incredible Terracotta Army in Xian.
As its name implies, this really does show you the verybest of this
intriguing, ancient land.
During your three-night stay at The Peninsula Beijing hotel, highlights of
your tour include Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City — the largest
surviving palace complex on Earth — and the beautiful Unesco World
Heritage-listed Summer Palace.
You will also visit one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall of China
– the Mutianyu section – and take a cable-car ride for fantastic views.
Then, travelling via the Sacred Way of the Ming Dynasty Tombs, back in Beijing
your Freedom of Choice options include a Peking Opera show at Qianmen Liyuan
Theatre or a kung fu show at Red Theatre.
A rickshaw ride through Old Beijing’s hutongs (narrow alleys) is included, as
is a visit to the home of a local family before you fly to Yichang to board
the luxurious river ship Sanctuary MS Yangzi Explorer, which will take you
through the spectacular Ziling, Yellow Ox and Wu Gorges.
Signature Experiences include visiting Chongqing Zoo, home of the loveable
pandas, and the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, where you’ll
receive a book on the Terracotta Army signed by one of the farmers who
discovered it.
You’ll also enjoy a Tang Dynasty show, a dumpling feast and a visit to the
magnificent five-storey Giant Wild Goose Pagoda built in AD652.
Reaching Shanghai, highlights include the Shanghai Art Museum, a cruise on the
Huangpu River through the heart of the city, Yu Garden, premium seating at
an acrobatic show and a walking tour of Jinxi to see the many ancient
bridges.
This fascinating tour ends with a special farewell dinner in The Cathay Room
on the ninth floor of the lavish Fairmont Peace Hotel, with fantastic views
of the Bund and the Huangpu River. As you feast upon gastronomic delights,
the betting is that you will now have many tales to tell.
APT’s 14-day Best of China river cruise and tour costs from £3,345 per
person, twin share including a £500 per couple saving when booked by October
31, 2012. Departures from March to November 2013. The fully inclusive price
includes return flights from London, all guided excursions, luxury four-night
cruise with drinks at lunch and dinner, outstanding hotels, 32 delicious
meals, tipping, taxes, port charges and overseas transfers. Find
out more
Tour highlights
• Enjoy a two-day cruise on the mesmerising Ha Long Bay on board a luxurious
junk.
• Visit the fascinating and historic Long Phuoc Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City.
• Indulge in a special degustation dinner in Ho Chi Minh City.
• Explore remote villages only accessible by water on a luxurious seven-night
Mekong cruise.
• In Siem Reap, watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat and explore its historic
ruins.
– Holiday prize draw: Win
a luxury river cruise in France
– For more information on this or other great APT holidays in the Far
East, call 0845 304 7130, visit www.aptouring.co.uk
or request
a brochure.
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