Express Highlights of Cambodia and Vietnam

During your time in Siem Reap we can arrange privately guided specialist tours to show you the best of city, Angkor Wat and the Khmer temples in the region.

Travel by road to the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom. You have the choice of either walking along the path along the city wall to the Death Gate or continuing around by road. En route to the Terrace of the Leper King, you'll stop briefly to see an imposing statue found in Bayon which is now displayed at Vihear Prampeilveng. Begin again at the atmospheric Preah Palilay and walk through the shaded parkland behind the terraces, past Phimeanakas with its beautiful lakes, and the imposing Baphuon to finally reach Jayavarman’s state temple of Bayon at the centre of the city. Explore this important temple with its many captivating giant stone faces. Your guide will point out the most interesting of the detailed bas reliefs illustrating everyday life in the Angkorian era.

Enjoy sunset drinks at Angkor Thom whilst sailing on the complex's vast moat.

Visit Angkor Wat, one of the modern wonders of the world, and watch the sun rise behind this ornate temple. Be amazed by the sheer size of the temple and learn how the Khmer Empire prospered between the 9th and 13th centuries, around the time when Angkor Wat was built. Stroll through the intricately carved hallways that show hundreds of fine carvings and discover small shrines still in use today by the local people.

Enjoy a spectacular helicopter flight over over Angkor Wat and gain sense of scale of the vast ancient city of Angkor.

Explore Siem Reap's rural landscape beyond its temples, which has changed little since the days of Jayavarman VII. After a short drive from Siem Reap, visit a colourful contemporary pagoda to understand more of the importance of Buddhism in these rural communities and seek a blessing from the monks. Buy seasonal fruits straight from the tree, speak to families who have been baking sticky rice in bamboo for over 30 years and gain hands-on experience of the essential rural skills of the rice harvest, thatching, fishing, or even making a simple meal over an open fire.

Then, take an ox-cart ride through typical villages followed by an easy 20-minute walk to bring you to the vast Western Baray. An impressive engineering feat, this man-made reservoir was once integral to the complex Angkorian rice irrigation system which you will voyage by boat (depending on water level). This will be both an education and an adventure from a slower, more romantic era of travel. Then reach the villa, surrounded by rice paddies, across a stream to the north of a village where tourists are rarely seen and the greetings for visitors are warm and generous. This is a wonderful spot to relax in the quiet of the countryside and enjoy sunset drinks. While the chef prepares your dinner, wander across the levees of the rice paddies, look for fish traps, or walk a short distance to a viewpoint over the ancient reservoir, whilst listening to the elegance of traditional Khmer music played by local musicians, before enjoying your evening meal.

Travel by road to Srah Srang and then continue to Ta Prohm, pausing to collect your entry passes at the Archaeological Park Entrance. Take your time to walk through the temple from the West entrance to the East entrance where you will rejoin our driver. From the Northwest of Ta Prohm, walk 15 minutes through the forest to the seldom visited temple of Ta Nei. There is a reasonable chance of having this beautiful Angkor temple all to yourself. Pause for a light breakfast around this peaceful area before exploring further. End the morning at Ta Keo temple, known as the 'mountain with bronze peaks', and admire its five-tiered pyramid structure.

Relax on a beautiful beach and soak up the atmosphere in the pretty town of Hoi An. We can arrange private guides for specialist excursions and ensure reservations at our favourite restaurants.

Stroll through the narrow lanes of Hoi An and soak up the heritage of this old-world town. Highly prosperous between the 17th and 19th centuries, this world-heritage listed area boasts well-preserved buildings, pedestrianised streets and unique cuisine, allowing visitors a glimpse into its illustrious past. On this walking tour there is plenty to visit, including the old merchants' houses with influences from Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture; the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge; the Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation with outstanding wood carvings; and the colourful market with stalls brimming with local specialities including silk, which can be turned into fashionable garments within a day or two.

Surrounded by peaceful villages, rivers and lush coconut palms, Can Thanh is a small port town that supplies seafood, vegetables and rice for the area. Take a short drive down to the Co Co River where a basket boat with take you to a floating stationary bamboo raft where you’ll enjoy a relaxing BBQ lunch.

Make sure you're hungry as you set off on this morning tour with a culinary expert and immerse yourself in the tantalising sights, smells and flavours of Hoi An's street food and fresh produce. Firstly, take a walking tour of the markets, streets and zigzagging alleys of this historic town, meeting the producers and tasting their food. Then visit the private home of Neville Dean, a long-term expatriate with a real passion for local food, and enjoy a private tasting of even more delicacies.

Enjoy Ho Chi Minh, with its pretty streets, buzzy atmosphere and rich history. We can arrange private guides and specialist excursions, restaurant recommendations and suggest the best places to go to simply watch the world go by.

Today's trip to Cu Chi gives an insight into not only its history, but also how local people cultivate this rough land today. The tunnels, built during the war and used for getting around the areas unseen, also served as communication routes, storage facilities for food and weapons, and hospitals and living quarters for guerrilla fighters. A visit to the underground villages will provide a better understanding of the tunnels’ history, the hardship of life and the Vietnamese resilience during combat. After the tunnel tour, visit a local family to enjoy a home cooked meal. The owner of the house was a Viet Cong soldier who starting working as a farmer once the war ended. Walk with him through the garden and listen to his fascinating stories of being a VC and his life today.

The darker the night gets, the more vivid Saigon becomes. Get ready for a fascinating ride, as a passenger to your drive guide, by vintage Vespa to discover busy Saigon after dark, together with delightful local food tasting in the most authentic local restaurants. It’s such a great chance for you to experience the Southern Vietnam specialities. You'll then continue to zig-zag through the hustle and bustle of the streets, before ending your night at a cosy speakeasy bar to taste some signature cocktails (or mocktails for your children) and have a chat with people here. Get back to your hotel and call it a night. Note: each Vespa accommodates two people, a driver guide and passenger.

Get off the tourist trail into local neighbourhoods to explore the city’s hidden history and culture, interacting with locals to get an insight of their daily lives behind the hustle and bustle.

Start with a visit of the shrine outside of the US Consulate before continuing to the former CIA building (outside visit only), where helicopters evacuated the remaining US citizens in 1975. Next, drive to a secret weapon chamber which the Viet Cong used as a place to hide and store weapons during the Vietnam War. Weave through tiny back alleys and meet with the locals, then chill out at a coffee shop tucked away in an old French colonial apartment block. Meander across a local market to meet a street artist who has spent half of his life making souvenir carvings. Later, you may like to visit a hidden restaurant where you'll take an antique elevator to reach the top.

The art tour begins with a visit to the ochre-coloured Fine Arts Museum, an elegant 1929 colonial-era building which houses the city’s finest collection of art, to learn more about the past, present and future of the arts in Vietnam. Then, visit the Apricot Gallery, showcasing works from leading artists from Vietnam’s 'master generation' to up-and-coming stars specialising in oils and silk paintings.

Finally, head to Saigon Salon, a new contemporary art space housed in a lovingly restored French colonial building. Saigon Salon aims to showcase Vietnamese contemporary art while nurturing local talent, cooperating with foreign institutions and attracting important artists from around the world.