Follow the Mekong - Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam with Beach

Itinerary

• Day 1
  Fly to Thailand - Fly overnight to Bangkok via Singapore. 
• Day 2
  Day at leisure - Arrive in Bangkok, meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel. Spend your afternoon relaxing and enjoying the hotel's facilities, or head out to begin exploring the city under your own steam.
• Day 3
  Included floating markets and Bangkok city tour - Immerse yourself in Thai culture with a full-day sightseeing tour around the colourful national capital. Your first stop will be the floating markets at Damnoen Saduak, where you can watch the locals buy fresh produce from the traders on the boats. Next, head back into Bangkok for a guided tour of the Royal Island. Here, the Grand Palace adjoins the Wat Phra Kaew Temple, with its marvellous Emerald Buddha, as well as the less formal Wat Pho Temple, home to the gigantic Reclining Buddha statue.  This evening, head back to the hotel.
• Day 4
  Day at leisure with optional River Kwai excursion - Enjoy the city or join the optional excursion through a fascinating region of rice fields and sugar-cane plantations, and on into the jungle to explore the part of the world forever associated with WWII, the construction of the infamous ‘Death Railway’ and the 1957 war epic, The Bridge over the River Kwai. 
• Day 5
  Fly to Siem Reap - An early start sees your tour manager collecting you from the hotel before travelling to the airport for a flight to Siem Reap.  On arrival, meet your friendly Cambodian guide, and after immigration formalities are completed, head into Siem Reap town for lunch. Afterwards, check into your inner-city hotel for the rest of the day at leisure.  
• Day 6
  Included visit to the Kok Sangke community - After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the Kok Sangke community to visit the home of a local family who’ll teach you how several traditional Khmer desserts are made.   You’ll then learn about the village’s sustainable farming techniques with a stop at the community centre, which teaches farmers about eco-friendly agricultural practices. While in the village, your guide will show you some of the nearby farms, ahead of an authentic Cambodian lunch.   Later this afternoon, call at Wat Luang Proleung and the village of Kampong Khleang, on the banks of Tonle Sap Lake, where you’ll have time to admire the stilted houses and colourful floating markets. Return to Siem Reap this evening for dinner at the hotel.
• Day 7
  Included Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat excursion - Once you've had breakfast, discover the Bayon, which was built under King Jayavarman VII as the heart of his new capital, Angkor Thom. This grand citadel was the greatest complex of its kind in the Khmer Empire and remains one of Southeast Asia’s most spectacular sights after almost 600 years. Its ruined boulevards and gateways cover a vast area to the north of Siem Reap.   Stop for lunch at a local restaurant, before exploring vast Angkor Wat, the undeniable highlight of the region’s ancient ruins. Ringed by a moat stretching more than five kilometres in length, this iconic landmark is the world's largest religious building, and its five great towers and carved bas-reliefs are a truly spectacular sight. Its silhouette has been represented on Cambodia's national flag since 1875.   After a fascinating day’s exploration, return to the hotel later in the evening.
• Day 8
  Drive to Battambang and included Wat Ek Phnom and Cambodia Peace Gallery visits - Once you've had breakfast, travel by coach to Battambang, a historic city known for its colonial architecture, art scene and agricultural importance.   In the afternoon, visit Wat Ek Phnom, a pre-Angkor period temple on the banks of the Sangker River, and the Cambodia Peace Gallery, where you'll learn about Cambodia's journey from war towards peace and reconciliation.   The rest of the afternoon will be free to spend as you see fit, and dinner will be served at the hotel this evening. 
• Day 9
  Drive to Phnom Penh and afternoon at leisure - Rise early this morning, with breakfast at the hotel, and travel by coach to the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, stopping for lunch on the way.   Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, head to the hotel for check in ahead of an afternoon at leisure. This French-colonial city, nestled on the banks of the River Mekong, is a treasure chest of heritage sites, and you can spend your time as you see fit. Of the city's landmarks, the most impressive are the city’s Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, with its priceless Buddhist artefacts.  However you choose to spend your afternoon, reconvene at the hotel for dinner. 
• Day 10
  Included Tuol Sleng Museum visit and Mekong fast boat journey into Vietnam - Spend a thought-provoking morning at the Tuol Sleng Museum, which chronicles the Pol Pot years and the reign of the Khmer Rouge.   Afterwards, you'll visit the Wat Phnom before you board a fast boat along the River Mekong to feel the wind on your face on a thrilling boat ride into Vietnam.  Arrive in Chau Doc later this evening, where you’ll check into your new hotel and enjoy dinner with your fellow travellers.