Ultimate South East Asia Adventure

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Young Pioneer Tours are the experts in getting you off of the beaten track in South Asia, so we have decided to put together the ultimate 10-day country collector top, taking in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam at a quick pace, while seeing off the major sites.

This is nth best southeast Asian tour out there.

You will start the trip in Bangkok where we will meet the group and head out to sample the nightlife.

Following this, you will join the group for the short ride to Siem Reap, where we will try out the Big Wheel and of course Angkor Wat. Our next step takes you to Phnom Penh for historical sites related to the Khmer Rouge, but we head to Vietnam as we expand.

While traveling in Vietnam we make the best of the awesome 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 3 of the most beautiful countries in South-East Asia.

For us, this is the best value and most encapsulating southeast Asian tour there.

Note this tour is one of our few that offers single owithout any need to pay for a single supplement.

We are currently working on a Laos and Vietnam extension to this tour, so keep watching as we expand our Southeast Asian adventure.

ITINERARY

Monday July 17th – Bangkok

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 18th – Bangkok – Siem Reap

Board a 6 hour bus to the legendary tourist Mecca that is Siem Reap
Check into our hotel in the trendy Pub Street part of town before headingg out for a walking tour of the city
Head to the famous landmine museum
On the way back we and the group 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 Angkot Wat Bar!
Overnight

Wednesday July 19th – 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, complete with a swimming pool
You and the group then enjoy a relaxed first night by doing and drinking by the riverside
Overnight Phnom Penh

Thursday July 20th – 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 21st – Phnom Penh – Saigon

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 22nd – Ho Chi Minh – 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 Museum
Head to the old American Embassy and see if we can climb up to “that place” where the last evacuations happened!
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 on the train
Overnight on train

Sunday July 28th – Njha Trang

Morning arrival in Nha Trang
After checking in to our hotel and breakfast, we go through a walk through the backstreets of Nha Trang – the best place to see the real city far from its beachfront – up to 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
Walk back through a traditional Vietnamese fishing village, and remind ourselves that fish definitely does smell like fish
After lunch walk past Nha Trang Cathedral and visit the Thanh Dien Khanh Fortress, an old citadel designed by a French officer in the late 18th century
Dinner and drinks — we might just head to Crazy Kim bar, because we like the place and the name!
Overnight in Nha Trang

Monday July 29th – Nha Trang – Hue

After a relatively late rise, we will 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.
Stop on the way for a jungle walk and a dip in a waterfall pool
Swim in the sea or relax on the beach with a cocktail or two
Head back to Nha Trang, grab supplies and dinner
Take the night train from Nha Trang to Hue and overnight

Tuesday July 30th

Morning 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
After lunch we head out for a slice of more modern history, hiring motorbikes and heading to Phu Bai Airport, built and garrisoned by the Americans in this key part of former South Vietnam
Grab our motorbikes again for some countryside exploration. It just wouldn’t be Vietnam without motorbikes and rice fields, and the countryside around Hue is some of the most beautiful in the country, and its people the most welcoming
Head back in Hue and go for dinner before seeing what goes for a Friday night in Central Vietnam!
Overnight in Hue

Monday July 31st – Hue – Hue to 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
See Khe Sanh Combat Base, Camp Carroll, and The Rockpile, former US military bases and outposts
Head back into Hue, grab supplies and dinner
Overnight train Hanoi

Tuesday August 1st – Hanoi

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 Sunday afternoon
Dinner and drinks in the Old Quarter, our last Vietnamese night out!
Overnight in Hanoi

Wednesday August 2nd – Hanoi

End of tour, or continue with YPT onto Laos

GALLERY

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