Combireis Vietnam & Cambodja

About the destination: Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and also its second largest city, is one of the most charming cities in Asia with a unique character. Years of foreign occupation have left a mark on this city as it is shown in the interesting museums, the historical buildings, the pagodas, the mausoleum, and its own French quarter give the city a very distinctive atmosphere. The best way to get to know Hanoi is to walk around. The historical center is not very extensive, many places to visit are there or in the immediate surroundings, and walking is the best way to have some contact with the friendly people of Hanoi. Hanoi is known as a city of lakes as there are many lakes and trees all around the city, the biggest being the West Lake, Ho Tay, and the most famous in the city center being the Lake of the Restored Sword, Ho Hoan Kiem. The beautiful thing about Hanoi is the interesting contrasts of architecture, ranging from the traditional old buildings of the Old Quarter to the European style huge buildings of the French Quarter to the Communist monuments at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and surrounding areas, not to mention the beautiful traditional architecture of its temples such as the Quan Su Pagoda. Hanoi is a peaceful and hectic city, buzzing with street life and exotic markets yet serene around the tranquil pagodas and temples. The City of the Soaring Dragon is the place to be in Vietnam.

About the destination: Tam Cốc-Bích Động is a popular tourist destination in northern Vietnam and is part of the Tràng An Landscape Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Litralmete translates to "the three caves" and is located in the province of Ninh Binh, near the town of Tam Cốc. The closest city is Ninh Binh. It consists of two different attractions: Tam Cốc, a karst system of flooded caves; and Bích Động, a series of mountain pagodas. Tam Coc is popularly known for the natural landscapes it offers, making it one of the best options in Vietnam for nature lovers.

About the destination: Hạ Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular travel destination, in Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam. Hạ Long Bay is a center of a larger zone which includes Bái Tử Long bay to the northeast, and Cát Bà islands to the southwest. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - Ban Sen, a thickly forested, almost uninhabited island reachable by ferries to Quan Lan from Cai Rong. - Cat Ba, the home of the endangered cat: Ba langur, a national park, numerous caves and the most popular destination in Ha Long Bay for tourists. - Quan Lạn, a historically significant outlying island with the beginnings of some tourism infrastructure and some beautiful beaches. - Van Don, a large island that is well inhabited, little visited by tourists and connected by road to the mainland near Cửa Ông. - Dau Be Island. This is a very popular swimming and diving spot because of its rich coral and deep grottoes with three inland lakes. - Bo Hon Island. The Virgin Cave (Hang Trinh Nu) is one of the most famous caves in Halong Bay. It is probably best known for its shrine. There are two chambers in the cave with a square-shaped outer chamber and a ceiling about 30 metres high. The inner chamber formations look like sentries conversing with one another and another formation, resembling a general surveying his troops, lies in the middle of the chamber. The moving light reflected from the water outside seems to bring these formations to life.

About the destination: Huế Northern accent is the capital city of Thừa Thiên–Huế Province, Vietnam. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - Ho Chi Minh Museum. Contains photos and information on Ho Chi Minh as well as the history of Hue in photographs. - Imperial Citadel. The former imperial seat of government and Hue's prime attraction, this is a great sprawling complex of temples, pavilions, moats, walls, gates, shops, museums and galleries, featuring art and costumes from various periods of Vietnamese history. - Thien Mu Pagoda. Perched on a bluff over the river and housing some very fine gold and silver Buddha images. The Thien Mu Pagoda overlooks the Perfume River and is the official symbol of the city of Hue. - Tombs of the Emperors. Another of Hue's great attractions are the Tombs of the Emperors, on the Perfume River south of the city.

About the destination: Hội An is a city in Vietnam, located on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast region, in the Quảng Nam Province. Hội An is recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The city possessed the largest harbour in south-east Asia in the 1st century and was known as Lâm Ấp Phố MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - Japanese Covered Bridge's Pagoda. The Bridge is located on the west end of Tran Phu Street, but the ticket is ONLY required to access the annexed pagoda on one side of the bridge's interior; the bridge itself is free for crossing. - Quan Cong Temple. - Phung Hung House - Quan Thang House. - Tan Ky House.

About the destination: Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam. It is a modern, lively and bustling city. It is economically active, filled with lively markets and it is unequivocally the nation’s commercial center. Though the country’s most modern city by far, it retains a unique Vietnamese flavor and you can still see evidences of an illustrious Colonial past of this former pearl of the orient. In the core area, which locals still affectionately refer to as Saigon, you’ll find some of the city’s main attractions such as the Opera house, railway station, Notre Dame cathedral, Reunification Palace, the Saigon river and the Markets. To take a break from the city, you can take a tour to the Mekong Delta or to Da Lat, if you have more time. Da Lat, located in the highlands approximately 300km from the city is worth the trip as there is plenty to see and do including waterfalls, gardens, the old French Quarter and the local restaurants which served magnificent local food. The commercial and financial hub of Vietnam is an exciting and interesting sprawling metropolis that does its best to preserve the way of life and culture of this magnificent county.

About the destination: The epicentre of the Mekong Delta, Can Tho is the largest city in the region and feels like a metropolis after a few days exploring the backwaters. As the political, economic, cultural and transportation centre of the Mekong Delta, it’s a buzzing town with a lively waterfront lined with sculpted gardens, an appealing blend of narrow backstreets and wide boulevards, and perhaps the greatest concentration of foreigners in the Delta. It is also the perfect base for nearby floating markets, the major draw for tourists who come here to boat along the many canals and rivers leading out of town.

About the destination: A village and district of the Vietnamese province of An Giang, the town is bordered by Cambodia in the Mekong River Delta. In 2003 the district had a population of 112,155. The district occupies an area of 100 km2. The village is located on the Bassac River and the Vinh Te Canal.

About the destination: Phnom Penh, located at the confluence of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap rivers, is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. There is a very strong French influence in Cambodia, particularly Phnom Penh, so much so that the city was once known as the Paris of the East. The French developed the canal system, ports, roads and buildings. Even though most of the city’s French flair has disappeared, there are a few beautiful French colonial buildings remaining. The Riverside district with its charming river walk, is full of hotels, restaurants and bars looking over the river and is very handy for visiting the main tourist sites. The main tourist attractions in Phnom Penh are Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the Killing Fields, the National Museum, the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda and the temple Wat Phnom. Today, Phnom Penh is one of the fast growing cities in Southeast Asia and you can find upmarket cuisine, a very good arts scene and a vast array of markets. Phnom Penh is a worthwhile destination and a convenient base to explore the rest of the country.

About the destination: Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. It is a popular resort town and a gateway to the Angkor region. Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market. In the city, there are museums, traditional Apsara dance performances, a Cambodian cultural village, souvenir and handycraft shops, silk farms, rice-paddies in the countryside, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary near the Tonle Sap Lake. Siem Reap today—being a popular tourist destination—has a large number of hotels, resorts, restaurants and businesses closely related to tourism. This is much owed to its proximity to the Angkor temples, the most popular tourist attraction in Cambodia.