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Day 1 :
Arrival in Phnom Pneh
Transfer from
Phnom Penh International Airport to the hotel. Lunch at local
restaurant. Afternoon, Phnom Penh city tour: Visit the Victory
Monument, and the National Museum, also called Musee des
Beaux-Arts. A French archaeologist and painter, Georges Groslier,
designed it in Khmer style in 1917. The museum contains a
collection of Khmer art - notably sculptures - from throughout
the ages. Visit the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866
on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda. Located
within the grounds of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so
named because of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver
tiles. The treasures found inside include a solid gold Buddha
encrusted and weighing 90kilograms and a small 17th century
emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. End your afternoon with the
visit of the Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh's namesake, from where
you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of the city
during sunset. Overnight in Phnom Penh
Day 2:Phnom
Penh - Kampong Cham (B)
By vehicle from
Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham. Journey north through the Mekong
River basin. If time permits, visit the spider merchants at
Skoun. Sightseeing in Kampong Cham , a lively port on the banks
of the Mekong River with some good examples of colonial-era
architecture. Highlights: PHNOM PROS and PHNOM SREI: these two
hills, each with a temple, translate as ''Man hill’ and
''Woman hill'' respectively. The hills offer beautiful views of
this central part of Cambodia. WAT NOKOR: a Buddhist Mahayana
temple, made from sandstone and laterite, that was built in the
11th century. RUBBER PLANTATION: visit a rubber plantation at
Chhup. LOCAL MARKET: an interesting place to see the local
produce and to meet the local people. WAT NOKOR BAYON: located 2
kilometers from the river, this is an 11th century Mahayana
Buddhist shrine made of sandstone and laterite with a large
reclining Buddha and numerous alcoves containing Buddha images.
Overnight in Kampong Cham.
Day
3:Kampong Cham – Kratie (B)
Transfer by
speedboat from Kampong Cham to Kratie. Journey north along the
Mekong River, the 12th longest river in the world, past the
river's many islands and riverside villages. Transfer to the
hotel and sightseeing in Kratie. Highlights: Capital of Kratie
Province, Kratie is a pleasant, small riverside town on the
Mekong River. WAT PHNOM SAMBOK: situated 9 km north of Kratie,
there are two peaks here named Phnom Srey and Phnom Proh. Phnom
Srey has a small pagoda (built in 1938) and a beautiful view of
the Mekong. Local people visit to request better health for
their relatives. Phnom Proh also has a small pagoda with monks
and nuns living around the pagoda. DOLPHIN OBSERVATION PARK: 14
km north of Kratie town is the Irawaddy dolphin observation
park, home to about 50 dolphins. Overnight in Kratie.
Day 4:Kratie
- Stung Treng (B)
Transfer by speedboat from Kratie to Stung Treng. Journey north
along the Mekong River, the 12th longest river in the world with
good views of the many islands, riverside villages and farms.
Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Stung Treng.
Day 5:Stung
Treng - Veun Kham - Khon Island (B)
By longtail
boat from Stung Treng to Veun Kham, Laos. Travel along the
Mekong River through some of Cambodia's most beautiful scenery
towards the Lao border. This trip will cross the border between
Laos and Cambodia and on each side one must report at the
Immigration's Office. A visa is necessary; not possible to get
this upon arrival. VEUN KHAM: the village of Veun Kham is on the
banks of the Mekong River and is in Lao territory.By vehicle to
the Khon Phapheng Falls and on by boat to Khong Island. KHON
PHAPHENG FALLS: south of Don Khon Island the Mekong River has a
13km stretch of powerful rapids with several sets of cascades.
The largest, Khon Phapheng, flows near the eastern shore of the
Mekong River near the village of Ban Thakho. Excursion to see
the Irrawaddy River dolphins by boat. The boat trip on the
Mekong River passes through areas with virtually no population
to one of the last places where you are able to see the
Irrawaddy dolphins. IRRAWADDY DOLPHINS (Orcaella brevirostris):
reach around 2.5m in length and swim in small pods of two to
three individuals. Their bulging foreheads make them resemble
the much larger Beluga Whale. The dolphins are an endangered
species that are found in this southern Mekong region. About a
hundred dolphins are thought to survive and the best times of
day to see them are early morning and late afternoon. Overnight
in Khon Island.
Day 6:Khon
Island - Khong Island (B)
Excursion to
Khon Phapheng Waterfalls. South of Don Khong Island the Mekong
River features a 13km stretch of powerful rapids with several
sets of cascades. The largest, Khon Phapheng, flows close to the
eastern shore of the Mekong River near the village of Ban Thakho.
Overnight in Khong Island.
Day 7:Khong
Island - Champasak – Pakse (B)
By vehicle from
Khong Island to Champasak. Journey north in Champasak Province,
through the Mekong River basin and through the villages of Kheo,
Ban Hangdon and Ban Nongsim. CHAMPASAK DISTRICT: small district
of 38,000 people on the western bank of the Mekong River. The
Angkor-period ruins of Wat Phou Champasak lie 8km south of the
town.. Sightseeing Wat Phou Champasak, a small district of
38,000 people on the western bank of the Mekong River). By
vehicle from Champasak to Pakse. Journey north through Champasak
Province along the Mekong River basin. Overnight in Pakse.
Day 8 : Pakse
– Vientiane
Transfer to the
airport. Flight from Pakse to Vientiane. Transfer to the hotel.
Sightseeing in Vientiane the capital city and seat of government
sitting in a bend of the Mekong River amidst fertile alluvial
plains. Vientiane (pronounced 'Wieng Chan' by the locals) is a
laid-back city with interesting wats and lively markets.
Highlights: PHA THAT LUANG (Great Sacred Reliquary or Great
Stupa): built between the 11th and 13th centuries AD, it is the
most important national monument in Laos, a symbol of both the
Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty. PATUXAI: a large monument
in the style of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the huge arch at
the end of Thanon Lan Xang has a stairway that leads to the top
levels of the monument, providing a good view of the city. HO
PHA KEO: the former royal temple of the Lao monarchy built in
1565 by King Setthathirat and now converted into a museum
containing some of the best examples of Buddhist sculptures
found in Laos. WAT SI SAKET: constructed in 1818 by King
Anouvong in the early Bangkok style, small niches are carved
into its interior walls, containing more than 2,000 silver and
ceramic Buddha images. WAT SI MUANG: this temple is one of the
most popularly used temple grounds in the city, as it contains
the city pillar and acts as the home of Vientiane's guardian
spirits. TALAAT SAO: the Morning Market - actually open all day
'' selling a wide range of fabrics, jewellery and electronic
goods. Overnight in Vientiane.
Day 9
Vientiane – Departure (B)
Morning after
breakfast at the hotel, transfer to airport for flight
departure. End of our service |
