Young Pioneer Tours
Ultimate South East Asia Adventure
YPT are the experts in having you go off of the beaten track in South East Asia, and have curated a 12 day country collector trip, taking you to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam at a quick pace, while exploring major sites along the way. This is the best South East Asia tour out there.
The group tour starts in Bangkok where you’ll meet the group and head out to sample the nightlife. Following this, you’ll begin to head to Siem Reap, where we ride the Big Wheel and of course visit Angkor Wat.
Our next step takes you to Phnom Penh – for historical sites related to the Khmer Rouge, and head onto Vietnam as we expand. While traveling in Vietnam we make the best of the unique train service by going all the way up from Saigon to Nha Trang, Hue (DMZ), and finally the capital city of Hanoi.
Many said it was impossible to do this trip for such a cheap price, but YPT has made it happen! This is the perfect way to spend a summer while ticking in three of the most beautiful countries in South East Asia.
Note this tour is one of our few that offers single rooms without any need to pay for a single supplement.
Monday July 15th – Bangkok, Thailand
- Arrival in Bangkok at own leisure to begin the the our South-East Asia Tour
- Meet the group and head out for dinner and drinks in the legendary Khao San Area of Bangkok
- Overnight in Bangkok
Tuesday July 16th – Bangkok – Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Board a ~7 hour minivan to the legendary tourist Mecca that is Siem Reap
- Check into our hotel – featuring a pool and located close to the trendy Pub Street part of town – before heading out for a walk around the city
- Head to the famous landmine museum
- On the way back we will ride the Siem Reap big wheel for a great view of the city
- Dinner and drinks in Pub Street inclusive of a drink at Angkor Wat Bar!
- Overnight in Siem Reap
Wednesday July 17th – Angkor Wat – Phnom Penh
- Group get up early for sunrise at the legendary Angkor Wat
- We then spend the whole morning and early afternoon exploring everything that is essential to see making the most of the weather for some great photo opportunities
- Lunch in Siem Reap
- We then board our private bus for the driver to Phnom Penh the capital city of Cambodia
- On arrival check into our centrally located hotel, just next to the Palace and the river
- You and the group then enjoy a relaxed first night by doing and drinking by the riverside
- Overnight Phnom Penh
Thursday July 18th – Phnom Penh
- Breakfast at hotel
- Our first stop is S-21 the framer prison of the Khmer Rouge, one of the most harrowing sites in all Cambodia
- We then head to Cheung Ek Killing fields, another site of immense importance
- Lunch in the city
- We then do a full city tour including the Win-Win monument, independent monument and statue of King Sihanouk
- No trip to Phnom Penh would be worth anything without trying some weird food, you will therefore get a chance to try bugs tarantulas and the like
- Dinner, drinks and overnight in Phnom Penh
Friday July 19th – Phnom Penh – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Breakfast in hotel
- Up super early for our private bus to Saigon, the other capital of Vietnam, with the journey taking about 6 hours
- Lunch in Saigon
- Head straight into history with a walk past South Vietnam’s Presidential Palace, now the Reunification Palace, to the War Remnants Museum, complete with scenes from the French occupation of Indochina, US military equipment from tanks to planes and vivid descriptions of the effects of Agent Orange and other leftovers from the war on Vietnam still today
- Dinner of Vietnamese pho – rice noodles – and other dishes before we grab a cold Saigon beer, a plastic stool and sit on the street for some refreshment and people watching, before seeing where the night takes us!
- Overnight in Saigon
Saturday July 20th – Ho Chi Minh City – Nha Trang
- Head out after breakfast to the Cu Chi Tunnels, where we see and experience the tunnel warfare carried out by the Viet Cong against the US military
- Drive back into the city and into District 1 for some street food, we’re particularly fond of the famous Banh Mi Thit pork sandwich!
- Visit the Ho Chi Minh City Museum
- Head to the former CIA building and see if we can climb up to “that place” where the last evacuations happened, captured on the iconic Saigon photograph!
- Check out the war surplus market. YPT does love a good Soviet market but we’ll make do with looking for Vietnam War trinkets!
- Gather supplies for the train and get a quick dinner
- Jump on the night train to Nha Trang and overnight
Sunday July 21st – Nha Trang
- Early morning arrival in Nha Trang
- After checking in to our hotel and breakfast we will go on a full day tour – starting with the Po Nagar Cham Towers, built in the Cham Civilisation between the 7th and 12th centuries and which is located on a hill with good views
- The tour brings us also to a jungle walk and a dip in a waterfall pool – do you dare to jump?
- After having a local lunch we will visit a traditional Vietnamese fishing village, and remind ourselves that fish definitely does smell like fish
- On the way back we will see the Big Buddha statue of the Long Son Pagoda and also visit the Nha Trang Cathedral in the heart of the city
- Dinner and drinks (and pool?) — then we might just head to Crazy Kim bar, because we like the place and the name!
- Overnight in Nha Trang
Monday July 22nd – Nha Trang – Hue
- After a relatively late rise, we will rent motorbikes and head out on a short drive to Bai Dai beach, getting away from the city and into one of the best coastal areas of Vietnam.
- Swim in the sea or relax on the beach with a cocktail or two – this is your day off.
- Head back to Nha Trang, grab supplies and dinner
- Take the night train from Nha Trang to Hue and overnight
Tuesday July 23rd – Hue
- Noon arrival in Hue, the old imperial capital of Vietnam
- After a bite to eat we head to Hue’s main attraction – the Imperial Citadel. It’s huge, and we’ll wander around the rooms and gardens for a few hours taking in different parts of ancient Vietnamese history
- Back in the Hue downtown we will go for dinner and check the vibe of the iconic DMZ bar, before seeing what goes for a night out in Central Vietnam!
- Overnight in Hue
Wednesday July 24th – Hue – Hanoi
- Visit the Hien Luong Bridge that was the official border crossing for much of the war, and then the Vinh Moc Tunnels and museum. If the stars are right we will even be joined by one of the old Vietnamese war veterans
- See Khe Sanh Combat Base, Camp Carroll, and The Rockpile, former US military bases and outposts
- Head back into Hue, grab supplies for train and dinner
- Overnight train to Hanoi
Thursday July 25th – Hanoi
- Late morning arrival in Hanoi
- Transfer to hotel and a super quick transfer to the highlight of our trip to Vietnam, by joining the hordes of people that line up daily to see the father of the nation, Ho Chi Minh, lying in state. People still take this very seriously, and it is a big deal
- Head straight to the Ho Chi Minh Museum for an in-depth look at his life
- Lunch of pho
- Visit the Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution, detailing history going right back to the struggle against the French
- We head to Lenin Park, complete with statue, before some people-watching on a lazy afternoon
- Dinner and drinks in the Old Quarter, our last Vietnamese night out!
- Overnight in Hanoi
Friday July 26th – Hanoi
- Tour concludes. YPT can advise on flights or further travel.
- You can also join us on our Luang Prabang extension!
10 Most Epic Train Journeys in the World
At YPT we truly love a train journey, but it would be true to say that not all are created equal. We have therefore put together our 10 most epic train journeys in the world, at least in our opinion. How to pick the most epic train journeys in the wor …
Read MoreWhat is it like to take the train in Vietnam?
At Young Pioneer Tours we love a truly good train journey, from Mauritania to the Trans-Siberian. Some are obviously better than others, so what is it like to take the train in Vietnam? To read about best guide to worldwide train travel click here. The …
Read MoreKhao San Road – The Original Backpacker Mecca
When it come to so called “bcakpacking” there are few places that bring up as much controversy as Khao San Road. Known as the original backpacker mecca, some deride it as being part of everything that is bad about travel, while other love it. So, which …
Read MoreRemembering the Trump – Kim Summit in Hanoi
Over the last few weeks the world has gone from the grip of election fever to frankly election fatigue! Yes, it does appear that Biden has beaten Trump, although with both still claiming victory and the courts still to come, who actually knows what wil …
Read MoreWhat Is It Like to Visit S-21?
Introduction Whether you live in or visit Cambodia, the shadow of the Khmer Rouge is never too far away. The vast excesses of the regime dominated the latter half of the 20th century, and it was only within the last 15 years that trails began to take p …
Read MoreThe last Khmer Rouge State
The red dots represent the location of the main camps of the last Khmer rouge State Cambodia has been heavily shaped by its past, particularly the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge which lasted between 1975 and 1979 under what was known as Democratic Kamp …
Read MoreAnniversary of the death of Pol Pot
Today (April 15th) marks the anniversary of the death of Pol Pot one of the most feared and ruthless leaders of the 20th century. Table of Contents Biography of Pol PotDemocratic KampucheaWhy did the Khmer Rouge lose power?Khmer Rouge Insurgency Pol Po …
Read MoreMausoleums and trains: exploring Vietnam
There’s a few things that we really quite like at YPT. Some are more obvious than others, such as travel and communism. We also quite like trains and dead communist leaders. But how to combine all of these things we like? Obviously with our Ultimate Le …
Read MoreTour Extensions
Want to extend your YPT adventure? Join one of our great tour extensions
