Indochina holiday adventure

country:	Cambodia, Laos, Thailand
location:	Indochina holidays
departures:	2008: 30 Aug, 26 Sep, 25 Oct, 23 Nov, 15 Dec, 24 Dec 2009: 4 Jan, 6 Feb, 25 Feb, 30 Apr, 2 May, 27 May
price:	From £1990 - £2505 (21 days) including flights from the UK, from £1310 - £1725 excluding flights. Price includes all transport, accommodation & activities specified in itinerary, all meals (except lunch & dinner on days 10 & 18)

Asia overland tours

Golden Triangle holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

We begin our journey in Thailand's infamous Golden Triangle, where the frontiers of Burma, Thailand and the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic meet. From there you'll travel by river and road through the unspoilt mountains and jungles of remote northern Laos to the ancient capital, now World Heritage Site, Luang Prabang. After exploring the beautiful temples and colonial architecture of what is acknowledged to be the best preserved city in SE Asia, the itinerary takes you to the contrasting, contemporary capitals of sleepy Vientiane and bustling Phnom Penh, before a 3 day visit to the fabulous, ancient imperial capital of the Khmer empire - Angkor - one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Highlights include Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle tour, Luang Nam Tha, jungle trek, hill-tribe villages, Nong Khiaw, boat trip on Ou River, temples and colonial architecture of World Heritage Luang Prabang, Ruined Cities of Angkor, Phnom Penh, scenic Cambodian countryside, Sangker River trip, Battambang, local food.

Trip details: Accommodation is in hotels, chalets, eco lodges and guesthouses. Transport is by minibus, boat, local bus, pick-up truck and flight, as per the itinerary. Full board basis, except for lunch & dinner on days 10 & 18. Maximum hiking time is around 5 hrs on day 6.

Travellers not taking up the flight option should join the tour in Chiang Mai on day 2 of the itinerary and leave in Bangkok on day 20. Bangkok to Chiang Mai tickets are included in the price of your tour and will be forwarded to you prior to departure. We offer optional extensions to spend a few days relaxing in Chiang Mai before the tour or a couple of days in Bangkok prior to your departure.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Depart London Heathrow Airport.
Day 2:	Morning arrival in Bangkok and transfer to Chiang Mai, the cultural and historical capital of Northern Thailand. Afternoon free to relax or explore this charming, friendly city and an evening tour of the famous night-bazaar. (For those wishing to arrive a day or two early in Chiang Mai, various options include spa treatments or a Thai cookery class?)
Day 3:	Leisurely morning to recover from your jet-lag by the pool or wander around one of the local markets before an afternoon drive through the mountains to neighbouring Chiang Rai Town, main commercial centre for the infamous ‘Golden Triangle’ region – so called because of it’s former notoriety for warlords and opium cultivation.
Day 4:	Day tour of some of the main sites of this far northern region: beginning at the bustling trading town of Mae Sai on the Burmese Border and on to Sob Ruak where Burma, Laos and Thailand meet, for a visit to the unusual Opium Museum, before following the Mekong River via the historic, ruined city of Chiang Saen to our day’s destination, the scenic riverside town of Chiang Khong.
Day 5:	Time to cross the Mekong into Laos itself where we’ll begin with a visit to a traditional village of the Lanten people led by our host, the local school teacher, before continuing upcountry with a scenic drive though mountains and dense jungle to the remote town of Luang Nam Tha near the Chinese border. Accommodation at a beautifully situated eco lodge on the banks of the Tha River.
Day 6:	Day trip into the surrounding Nam Ha National Protected Area to hike through some of the spectacular scenery and visit some of the local hill-tribe villages to discover the traditional way of life of the area’s ethnic Akha people.
Day 7:	Drive across the mountains of Oudom Xai Province to the picturesque village of Nong Khiaw on the banks of the Ou River. Stop-offs to visit a Hmong village and a hill-tribe market on the way and overnight in traditional Lao style wooden chalets set high on the banks overlooking the river.
Day 8:	Boat ride down the Ou River, winding through mountains, limestone escarpments and pristine forests to the ancient Lao capital of Luang Prabang.
Day 9-10:	Nestled in the mountains, long isolated from the outside world, we’ll discover World Heritage Site, Luang Prabang’s fabulous temples, taste Lao delicacies (and the famous Lao beer!) in riverside cafes and stay in a converted French colonial villa. (Day 9 is a walking tour of the town including the National Museum & former king’s palace, Wat Xiengthong and Phu Si Hill Temple, with day 10 at leisure to explore the handicraft markets, temples or try out the famous herbal saunas.)
Day 11:	Day trip through the surrounding hills to visit the spectacular Kuang Si Waterfalls and to discover the fascinating, traditional village life of some of the local peoples.
Day 12:	Morning flight to the Lao capital of Vientiane and afternoon tour of some of the city’s fascinating sites; markets, temples and museums.
Day 13:	Flight to Phnom Penh and check-in to a small, comfortable, downtown hotel close to the historic riverfront quarter. Afternoon introductory walking tour including the Grand Palace, Silver Pagoda and lively waterfront area.
Day 14:	Day tour of some of the sites of Cambodia’s fascinating capital city; the infamous Killing Fields site and the highly moving Khmer Rouge Genocide Museum at Tuol Sleng, the Russian Market and finishing perhaps with sundowners at the famous Foreign Correspondents Club?
Day 15:	Up country through Cambodia’s scenic countryside to the small provincial town of Siem Reap in Western Cambodia – our base for the next few days and jumping off point for the nearby Angkor Temple complex. Stops on the way at the famous ‘spider village’ of Skuon, (tasting not compulsory), the rarely visited but well preserved 10th century temple of Kuhananokor and lunch by the Tonle Sap Lake. A dusk visit to the atmospheric ruins of Ta Prom completes our day.
Day 16-17:	Angkor – an unforgettable two-day tour of this fabulous site – it’s vast jungle clad temples and mysterious stone carvings: a comprehensive tour of the major sites, plus some lesser known ones, including sunrise and sunset visits. (A detailed itinerary for our Angkor visit is available upon request.)
Day 18:	Free morning in Siem Reap: explore the market, checkout the handicraft school or unusual landmines museum before an afternoon trip to some of the more remote Angkor sites such as Banteay Samre and sunset at the little visited Bakong Temple.
Day 19:	Spectacular boat journey across the Tonle Sap Lake, past the ‘flooded forest’ and Prek Toal bird sanctuary and on down the Sangker River and it’s floating fishing villages to the town of Battambang. Afternoon to check out the town’s French colonial architecture. (If water levels are low in March and April, this journey will be overland.)
Day 20:	Continue on through this little visited region of Cambodia via the hilltop temple of Phnom Sampeu to the Thai border at Pailin -, famed for it’s gemstones and as the Khmer Rouge’s last stronghold - and on to Bangkok for an evening departure for London. (Optional extensions in Bangkok before or after your tour, or a variety of beach and island stays are available.)
Day 21:	Morning arrival at London Heathrow airport.

small group family holiday

This is a 'small group adventure' - you will be sharing your experiences with like minded people. Group sizes are limited to a maximum of 9 persons, a genuinely small group. Experience has taught us that smaller groups are less intrusive to local cultures and environments whilst allowing more interaction with local people. Furthermore it means greater flexibility on a day to day basis and on a social level it proves to be fun. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends/family its good value, and a great way to meet new people! The intention is to travel as a group of friends rather than a typical tour group, so don't expect stick-on name badges or any following the umbrella.

how this holiday makes a difference

We instigated the visits to a Lanten tribal village close to Huay Xai in N.W. Laos with the assistance of the local schoolteacher who has since set up a small village co-operative stall where local handicrafts can be sold as souvenirs. This has led to an increase of interest amongst the villagers in traditional handicrafts as well as the locally produced mulberry paper the production of which had almost disappeared.

Depending on local conditions, this trip sometimes includes a home stay in the Hmong village of Loung Lao near Luang Prabang. As well as educating our passenger to the ways of life of another lesser-known people of the region, it provides income directly to the owners of the houses in which we stay as well as indirectly for other members of the village. Passengers are encouraged to make purchases from the village shops and from individual crafts-people. Thus completely cutting out 'the middle man' and providing fair trade opportunities for both the vendor and the buyer. On these visits we also take supplies to the village such as equipment for the school and vegetable seeds.

Our passengers are issued with a Staying Healthy in Cambodia leaflet, which was produced by an English doctor who works with The Cambodia Trust. In payment for her time and knowledge in compiling the leaflet we made a donation to the trust, whose aim is to help people with disability regain their mobility, dignity and self-sufficiency, so they can lead full and productive lives as part of the community. We encourage our passengers to make contribution to the rust at www.cambodiatrust.org.uk.

Passengers are taken to a family home just outside Siem Reap to enjoy traditional Khmer food which we purchase then enjoy with the family. This provides a unique insight into the everyday lives of the Cambodian people as well as fostering deeper understanding of the people themselves. It shows our passengers that there is more to Cambodia than stunning temples and a tragic history.

Through regular visits to their sites (and if present souvenir shops) we help sustain local businesses and enterprises, such as the handicraft school for handicapped persons in Siem Reap, to the 'land-mine museum' in Siem Reap where we help support the organizer's mine clearance operations through donations.

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