Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos Tour, 14 Days from Istanbul

The journey to Indochina starts at Istanbul Airport. We gather at the appointed meeting time and complete check-in and passport formalities. The Turkish Airlines flight lifts off for Saigon. The crossing takes around 10 hours and tonight is spent in the air. Flight details: TK 162 Istanbul (IST) 15:00, Ho Chi Minh (SGN) 04:55 the following day. Accommodation: Overnight on the plane.

We land in Saigon with the first light of morning and transfer to the hotel by private vehicle, with a short rest on arrival. Lunch is at a local restaurant, a first taste of Vietnamese cooking. In the afternoon we walk along Dong Khoi Street and the blocks around it, known for their French colonial architecture. Free time follows by the Saigon River, a good window in which to try the city's coffee culture. Lunch: Served at a local restaurant. Accommodation: Liberty Central Saigon Centre Hotel, 4-star or similar.

After breakfast we set out on a full-day city tour. Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office directly opposite come first, the two most visible pieces of French colonial architecture in the city. The War Remnants Museum follows, holding the documents and military hardware of the Vietnam War side by side. Reunification Palace closes this part of the tour. After lunch there is free time at Ben Thanh Market and the streets around it, the stretch set aside for shopping and for the ordinary energy of the city. Lunch: Served at a local restaurant. Accommodation: Liberty Central Saigon Centre Hotel, 4-star or similar.

After breakfast we drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels. This underground network is among the best known examples of guerrilla warfare anywhere. We then move on to the Mekong Delta, the artery of the region. Traditional boats take us through narrow palm-lined channels, so the delta is seen from water level. Along the way you can taste the fresh tropical fruit offered by local growers and watch handicraft workshops at close range. Dinner: Served at a local restaurant. Accommodation: Liberty Central Saigon Centre Hotel, 4-star or similar.

After breakfast we begin the overland run into Cambodia. The road passes through rural Vietnam and its village life. At the Moc Bai border post we complete passport and crossing formalities and enter Cambodia on the Bavet side. On arrival in Phnom Penh we check into the hotel and take a short rest. In the evening a boat tour runs on the Mekong River. Dinner is served on board, with the riverside skyline and the sunset alongside. Border crossing: Moc Bai (Vietnam) to Bavet (Cambodia), road crossing. Dinner: Served on the boat on the Mekong River. Accommodation: Sun & Moon Riverside Hotel Phnom Penh, 4-star or similar.

After breakfast we begin the capital tour. Today sets the grand and the grave sides of Cambodian history next to each other. The Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda in its courtyard come first, among the finest surviving pieces of traditional Khmer architecture. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum follows. The building was turned into a prison under the Khmer Rouge and is the central stop for understanding the country's recent past. After lunch we walk around Wat Phnom and the Independence Monument by the river, where the tour closes. Lunch: Served at a local restaurant. Accommodation: Sun & Moon Riverside Hotel Phnom Penh, 4-star or similar.

After breakfast we leave Phnom Penh and head north towards Siem Reap. We break the drive at Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. On the boat tour we pass through floating villages built entirely on the water, houses, schools and shops included. The road continues and brings us into Siem Reap in the evening. The town is the gateway to the Angkor temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dinner is at an authentic local restaurant. Dinner: Served at a local restaurant. Accommodation: Somadevi Angkor Boutique & Resort, 4-star or similar.

After breakfast we set out for the ancient city of Angkor. This is the archaeological centrepiece of the trip. Angkor Wat comes first. Built in the 12th century, it is the largest religious complex in the world and the high point of Khmer architecture. We take in its sacred pools and the reliefs cut into its stone. We then cross into Angkor Thom, the former capital of the Khmer Empire. The Bayon temple with its carved faces, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Baphuon temple fill the rest of the day. Lunch: Served at a local restaurant. Accommodation: Somadevi Angkor Boutique & Resort, 4-star or similar.

The morning is free in Siem Reap, for a short walk through town or a slower start at the hotel. In the afternoon we transfer to the airport. A short flight brings us to Luang Prabang, the cultural heart of Laos. After passport formalities a private vehicle takes us to our hotel in the town centre. Laos runs at a noticeably slower pace than Cambodia. Dinner on this first evening is at a restaurant serving traditional Lao cooking. Flight details: Vietnam Airlines, Siem Reap (SAI) 17:05, Luang Prabang (LPQ) 18:30. Dinner: Served at a local restaurant. Accommodation: Villa Santi Hotel Luang Prabang, 4-star or similar.

The day opens with Luang Prabang itself, a UNESCO World Heritage town. Wat Xieng Thong is the first stop, the best preserved example of traditional Lao architecture with its gilded walls and low sweeping roof. The Royal Palace Museum follows, telling the story of the town's royal past. In the afternoon the route turns to nature. A walk through the forest brings us to the tiered Kuang Si Waterfalls, with time to cool off in the turquoise pools. Lunch: Served at a local restaurant. Accommodation: Villa Santi Hotel Luang Prabang, 4-star or similar.

We climb Phousi Hill in the morning for the panoramic view over Luang Prabang. Coming back down we look through traditional crafts at the Morning Market. After lunch there is a short rest, and in the evening we transfer to the airport. An hour or so in the air brings us to Hanoi, the historic capital of Vietnam, where we check into our hotel. Flight details: Vietnam Airlines, Luang Prabang (LPQ) 19:15, Hanoi (HAN) 20:15. Lunch: Served at a local restaurant. Accommodation: The Q Hotel Hanoi, 4-star or similar.

Today we travel to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The road from Hanoi brings us to the harbour, where a traditionally styled boat is waiting. The bay is known for the limestone stacks that rise straight out of turquoise water. The boat threads between caves and floating villages, with Sung Sot, the Surprise Cave, as the main stop. Lunch is served on board with the bay in view. We return to Hanoi in the evening. Lunch: A seafood menu served on the boat. Accommodation: The Q Hotel Hanoi, 4-star or similar.

After our last breakfast we continue exploring Hanoi, a capital a thousand years old. The day begins with a panoramic view of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. We then visit the Temple of Literature, the oldest university in the country. A walk follows around Hoan Kiem Lake in the centre of the city and the Ngoc Son temple that sits on it. After lunch there is free time for shopping, then the transfer to the airport and the Turkish Airlines flight back to Istanbul. Flight details: TK 165 Hanoi (HAN) 22:55, Istanbul (IST) 05:45 the following day. Lunch: Served at a local restaurant. Accommodation: Overnight on the plane.

We land at Istanbul Airport in the early morning. The 14-day route that brought Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos together comes to an end here.