The Treasures of Indochina

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Hoian Ancient town houses, Vietnam

14 nights

$4,695* p.p. Departs Toronto/Vancouver: Nov. 9, 2018

Group size: 24 maximum THE TREASURES OF INDOCHINA Visits to: By land: Ho Chi Minh to Shanghai Ho Chi Minh - Mekong Delta - Danang - Hoi An - Hue - Hanoi - Ha Long Bay - Siem Reap - Angkor Wat - Shanghai

This tour visits key attractions in Vietnam and Cambodia over two weeks, allowing plenty What’s Included: of time to see and experience ‘Indo-China’. We will start the tour in Ho Chi Minh City and visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels which were used as the base from which the Vietnamese * round-trip airfare mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968. We’ll also spend time in UNESCO • Plaza Premium airport lounge pass listed Hoi An, famed for its beautifully preserved old city, tailors, handicrafts markets • domestic flights and nearby beaches. A visit to Vietnam would not be the same without seeing Hanoi and beautiful Ha Long Bay, another UNESCO site. • 14 nights 4 to 5-star hotel accommodation We then travel into Cambodia to Siem Reap, visiting and exploring the temple of Angkor • 14 breakfasts, 11 lunches Wat, the largest religious monument in the world as well as rural villages, markets and a and five dinners lake for a wooden boat ride. From Siem Reap we fly to cosmopolitan and vibrant Shanghai for an overnight of sightseeing and an optional night cruise on the Huangpu River. • sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary Single supplements available! • private motor coach transportation Call your local Merit Travel expert. • local English-speaking tour guide • Merit Travel tour host** • all taxes and gratuities

*CDN$ p.p. dbl. occ., taxes Included. Single supplement: $1,200 p.p. Not included: China Visa fee ($200), Vietnam Visa fee ($150), Cambodia visa fee done on arrival (USD $30). Airfare available from most Canadian airports, please enquire. **Minimum 12 passengers required for a Merit Travel tour host. ON-4499356/4499372 | BC-34799 | QC–7002238 | 111 Peter Street, Suite 200, Toronto, ON. M5V 2H1 | Canadian owned ®Merit Travel is a registered trademark of Merit Travel Group Inc. All rights reserved. DAY 4 | Nov. 12, 2018 | Ho Chi Minh - Mekong Delta (B, L) After breakfast we travel from Saigon to My Tho, for a boat cruise along the Mekong River passing by fishing villages where we will see the locals in their day to day way of life. We'll visit coconut village, a bee farm and a handicraft workshop to enjoy some honey tea. After, we will return back to My Tho by boat and then transfer to our hotel.

DAY 5 | Nov. 13, 2018 | Mekong Delta - Hoi An (B, L) Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and check out. Then transfer to the airport for your morning flight to Danang. Upon arrival we meet our local representative and have lunch together. In the afternoon visit Hoi An for a city tour including the Japanese covered bridge, the Handicraft workshops, Tan Ky old house, Fujian Assembly Hall and the 15th century Chuc Thanh Pagoda. Tonight you have an option to book a dinner cruise on the Thu Bon River for $60 per person. Overnight at Silk Boutique Hotel or similar (2 nights)

APPROPRIATE FOR: DAY 6 | Nov. 14, 2018 | Hoi An (B, L) Travellers who are physically After breakfast we start the day with a visit to My Son sanctuary, a ACTIVITY LEVEL: fit and comfortable with longer UNESCO World Heritage Site and an ancient religious centre of the Sight-seeing days of touring by transport Cham people. and by foot and and do not We return to Hoi An in time for lunch and the rest of your afternoon require mobility aids. is at leisure.

DAY 7 | Nov. 15, 2018 | Hoi An - Hue (B, L) Your Itinerary | Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner = (B, L, D) Today we transfer to Hue, visiting the fascinating Cham Museum and DAY 1 | Nov. 9, 2018 | Toronto/Vancouver - Shanghai the Marble Mountains on the way. We will also cross Hai Van Pass China Eastern flight 208 departs Toronto at 3:25 p.m. arrives where we will have magnificent views of the East sea. Shanghai at 7:10 p.m. the following day (November 10) OR China When we arrive in Hue we check in to our hotel and in the evening we Eastern Airlines flight 582 departs Vancouver at 12:20 p.m. arrives have the option to book a traditional music and dance performance Shanghai at 4:35 p.m. the following day (November 10). with dinner at a local restaurant for $60 per person. Overnight at Indochine Palace Hotel or similar (1 night) DAY 2 | Nov. 10, 2018 | Shanghai - Ho Chi Minh Connecting with China Eastern flight 281 departs Shanghai at 10:15 p.m. DAY 8 | Nov. 16, 2018 | Hue - Hanoi (B, L) arrives Ho Chi Minh 1:25 a.m. the following day (November 11). After breakfast we check out of our hotel. We then join a river boat for Overnight at Silverland Yen Hotel or similar (3 nights) a morning trip on the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda and the Ming Mang Emperor’s mausoleum. DAY 3 | Nov. 11, 2018 | Ho Chi Minh (B, L, D) We have lunch at a local restaurant and in the afternoon visit a nunmber of sites including, the Imperial Citadel, the Flag Tower, Noon Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh, we will be met by our local Gate, Nine Dynasty Urns, Nine Holy Cannons and Thai Hoa Palace. representative and transferred to our hotel for an overnight stay. There will be ample time for shopping in Dong Ba market and then in After breakfast we will drive northwest to the Cu Chi Tunnels which the evening we transfer to the airport for our flight to Hanoi. were used as the base from which the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968. We will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel for check in. We have lunch at a local restaurant and in the afternoon enjoy a city Overnight at The Light Hotel or similar (2 nights) tour of Ho Chi Minh City, including the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office with its French style architecture, DAY 9 | Nov. 17, 2018 | Hanoi (B, L, D) City Hall, and the magnificent Saigon Opera House. After breakfast we drive to the historic complex of Ba Dinh and visit Ba Then we visit the War Remnants Museum, containing exhibits from Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the One Pillar Pagoda. the American phase of the Vietnam War. We then continue with a visit to the Temple of Literature, the first This evening, we relax with a dinner cruise along the Saigon River. Imperial school in Vietnam built in 1070 during the dynasty of King Ly. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple (Jade mountain Temple), and then enjoy a pedicab ride along the busy streets of Hanoi’s old quarter. DAY 15 | Nov. 23, 2018 | Shanghai (B) In the evening, we will be entertained with a special Vietnam traditional We will arrive in Shanghai in the early morning and transfer to our Water Puppet dinner show. hotel. After resting and then breakfast, we will spend time discovering Shanghai, the vibrant metropolis and commercial centre of China. DAY 10 | Nov. 18, 2018 | Hanoi - Ha Long Bay cruise (B, L, D) We will start with a visit to the Shanghai Museum and indulge in Today we depart for Ha Long Bay, one of Vietnam’s most impressive ancient Chinese art, furniture, and jade. We will also visit the Shanghai sights, while passing through the scenic countryside. Upon arrival we Old City God Temple area, a busy shopping centre, great for souvenirs board your overnight cruise and pass by some of the 3,000 limestone and delicious local delicacies. islands rising from the clear emerald water. There will be free time and in the afternoon we can walk along the Along the way we anchor for a leisurely swim in a secluded cove and famous Bund, a mile-long stretch along the Huangpu River. The Bund, visit one of the many hidden grotto's beneath towering cliffs. is lined by the colonialist architecture of Franco-European design and is the best place to capture the western influences of the old days. Overnight onboard the Emeraude Classic cruise or similar (1 night) In the evening we have the option of joining an optional Huangpu River Night Cruise to get a glimpse of the dazzling and charming night DAY 11 | Nov. 19, 2018 | Ha Long Bay cruise - Hanoi (B, L) view of Shanghai for $65 per person. After breakfast we continue cruising around the bay and then take a sampan to visit Luon Cave. DAY 16 | Nov. 24, 2018 | Shanghai - Toronto/Vancouver (B) We return to the boat for lunch before disembarking and transferring After breakfast we will check out and transfer to the airport back to Hanoi to check in to our hotel. for our flight home. Overnight at the Light Hotel or similar (1 night) China Eastern Airlines flight 207 departs Shanghai at 12 :10 p.m. Arrives Toronto at 1:25 p.m. OR China Eastern Airlines flight 581 DAY 12 | Nov. 20, 2018 | Hanoi - Siem Reap (B, D) departs Shanghai at 1:30 p.m. Arrives Vancouver at 8:00 a.m. Your morning is at leisure before we transfer to the airport for our flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival we are met and transferred to our hotel. This evening we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant with a traditional Apsara dance show. Overnight at Empress Residence Resort and Spa or similar (2 nights)

DAY 13 | Nov. 21, 2018 | Siem Reap - Angkor (B, L, D) Early this morning we explore the largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat and visit the jungle-entwined temple, Ta Prohm at dawn. We return to the hotel for breakfast. In the afternoon we continue our journey of discovery by visiting Angkor Thom - the Great City. Our visit seeing the Southern Gate, Bayon Temple, Baphuon Temple, Terrace of Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King and Phimean Akas,“Celestial Palace”, dedicated to Hindu deities. This evening we enjoy a romantic sunset on the hill top of Phnom Bakeng and gather for a final farewell dinner with your group.

DAY 14 | Nov. 22, 2018 | Siem Reap - Shanghai (B, L) Today we drive to the rural village of Pour Krom and take an ox cart ride in the village of Chong Knies before boarding a traditional wooden boat for a ride on the Tonle Sap Lake. Next, we visit Les Artisans D’Angkor for some shopping and afterwards return back to town to explore the Psar Chass, also known as the “Old Market”. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure before our transfer to the airport for our overnight flight to Shanghai. China Eastern Airlines flight MU 514 departs Siem Reap at 10:50 p.m. Arrives Shanghai at 4:00 a.m. the following day (November 23). Overnight at Wyndham Bund East Hotel or similar (2 night) TERMS & CONDITIONS RESPONSIBILITY Merit Travel Group Inc. doing business as Merit Travel, acts solely as agents for the baggage insurance, and various additional insurances are available and Travel Service Suppliers such as hoteliers, airlines, ground service operators, bus HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 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