VIETNAM & CAMBODIA
Itinerary
Day 1, Tuesday Hanoi
Arrival to Hanoi, meeting, orientation and dinner at the hotel.
Day 2, Wednesday Halong Bay
This morning we’ll leave Hanoi and drive along the Red River toward Halong Bay – according to the locals this is where “the dragon descended into the sea.” A beautiful bay, considered one of the natural wonders of the world. Its still waters are dotted with small islands from where lofty rocks rise out of the water creating a unique and unusual waterscape. We’ll take a relaxing cruise on the bay from where we’ll enjoy a water level view of the lifestyle of the local fishermen. Lunch will be served on board. After the cruise we’ll return to our hotel.
Day 3, Thursday Hanoi
This morning we will return to Hanoi for a day tour of the city. We’ll visit the ancient quarter along Hoan Kiem Lake, which is the focal point of activity in the city, with its narrow streets, lined with the artisans and traders who populate its many shops. We will have an opportunity to meander about and enjoy its unique qualities. The compound housing the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh is one of the most important sites in Hanoi, and indicative of the personality cult that is prevalent here. Ho Chi Minh’s home stands alongside the mausoleum, as well as a lotus-flower-shaped museum dedicated to him. In the compound we also will see Chùa M?t C?t Pagoda, also known as the One Pillar Pagoda, built of wood around a single rock shaft, representing the pristine, sacred stamen of a lotus flower. We’ll see the Nha Hat Lon opera house, the most convincing representation of the French influence on the architecture of Hanoi. After dinner, we’ll take the overnight train toward a colorful tribal area of North Vietnam, near the Chinese border. Overnight will be in compartments for two people on the train.
Day 4, Friday Lao Cai – Sapa
Upon our arrival in Lao Cai we’ll have breakfast. Afterwards we’ll head out to visit the colorful local mountain tribes. We’ll visit a local village such as Ta-Van and the ethnic minority people who live there. In the afternoon we’ll arrive at our hotel to prepare for Shabbat, Shabbat services and dinner.
Day 5, Shabbat Sapa
After Shabbat services and lunch we’ll take a walking tour to Ham Rong Mountain. We’ll see an orchid flower garden and the village of Cat-Cat. We’ll observe the lifestyle of the local population and talk with some of the residents.
Day 6, Sunday Sapa 
and Environs
After breakfast we’ll head for the village of Bac Ha where there’s a colorful Sunday market every week – the largest of its kind in Northwest Vietnam. We’ll be able to enjoy the beauty of it, the exquisitely dressed women of the Flower Hmong in their brilliant embroidered clothes and the items that are for sale such as fruit and vegetables, as well as donkeys and other animals, clothing and local arts and crafts. In the evening after dinner, we’ll take the overnight train from Sapa back to Hanoi.
Day 7, Monday Hanoi – Hue
We arrive in Hanoi at 5:00 a.m. Some hotel rooms will be available to us to shower and freshen up before we go out for breakfast, and head to the airport for our flight to Hue in central Vietnam. Hue was Vietnam’s ancient royal capital. We’ll tour the remains of the very beautiful and unique Forbidden City- fashioned after Chinese forbidden cities, but with a distinct Vietnamese style, and the mausoleums of the emperors, and then cruise down the Perfume river.
Day 8, Tuesday Hue - Hoi An
In the morning we’ll depart Hue for Hoi An. This ancient city, located 45 minutes away from Da Nang, used to be one of the main trading harbors in all of Southeast Asia. Hoi An’s character and past have been splendidly preserved, and we’ll see many temples, pagodas and small stores on our way through the ancient quarter or this most picturesque town. We’ll visit the Japanese Covered Bridge. Designed very solidly due to fear of earthquakes, the bridge has remained a symbol of Japanese design – very different from the ornate local Vietnamese or Chinese themes. The bridge houses a small temple, Chua Cau. It’s protected on one end by statues of monkeys and on the other by statues of dogs – both connected to ancient local mythology.
Day 9, Wednesday Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
This morning we’ll fly to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. Upon arrival we’ll start our tour of the city. This is the largest city in Vietnam, the heart and soul of the country. It’s a dynamic, bustling city - the country’s commercial, industrial and cultural center. The streets are filled with stores and stalls and caravans selling all kinds of goods and wares – all on the sidewalks. Despite it all, here in the metropolis you can still find islands of ancient culture. On our tour we’ll see the Notre-Dame Cathedral, built in the 19th century, the Post Office and the Municipal headquarters at the end of Nguyen Hue Road. We’ll see the presidential palace and the many markets spread all over the city. Saigon’s beauty is in its special authenticity, its Vietnamese-ness. It’s visible everywhere and felt throughout the narrow, crowded streets, crammed buildings, multiple marketplaces and hundreds of restaurants.
Day 10, Thursday Vin Long – Mekong Delta
Today we’ll leave Ho Chi Minh City for a day tour of the Mekong delta. We’ll stop along the
way to see how the rice paddies 
are farmed. Upon arrival to Kai Beh; we’ll start off by sailing
to the local unique, authentic floating market. We’ll watch the locals trading goods, fruits
and various wares as they sail in their small boats. We’ll stop in one of the villages to visit the
tropical fruit plantations. We’ll continue sailing through the narrow canals and enjoy the
view of the upper Mekong delta. We’ll visit some home-factories that produce coconut
candies and puffed rice snacks. When we arrive at the village of Vin Long – the emerald of
the area – we’ll be able to feel how life and nature blend together. We’ll enjoy a
performance of Vietnamese music in a bonsai garden. In the late afternoon we’ll return to
Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 11, Friday Cu Chi Tunnels
The 75 miles of the Cu Chi Tunnels are our main destinations today. Cu Chi means The Land of Flowering Gardens – but it’s not indicative of where we’ll be. We’ll travel southeast from Ho Chi Minh City to visit the hidden paradise of the Vietcong guerillas and the local villagers among whom they hid. It’s considered one of the main battlefields of the Vietnam War and has been transformed into a major area of tourist interest. Painful, but fascinating! In the afternoon we’ll return to Ho Chi Minh City to prepare for Shabbat, Shabbat services and dinner.
Day 12, Shabbat Ho Chi Minh City
After Shabbat services and lunch, we’ll take a walking tour of the area around the hotel.
Day 13, Sunday Siem Reap, Angkor
We bid a sad farewell to Vietnam – but we’re headed for a place that’s even more amazing. We’ll fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Upon arrival we’ll go to our hotel for orientation and then head out for our first visit. The next three days will be devoted to the city and the temples of Angkor. This is the ancient Khmer capital that was swallowed up by the jungle over 750 years ago. The temples, built between 879-1191 when the Khmer empire was at its peak represent one of the most impressive architectural creations of the human race. From the enormous Angkor Palace, the Khmer emperors ruled over an expansive area, stretching from southern Vietnam to Yunan province in China, and as far as the Bay of Bengal in the west. The buildings that stand today in Angkor – more than 100 temples in all – are the remnants of religious buildings of an immense social and administrative society, the other buildings of which – palaces, public buildings and private homes – were built of wood and have completely eroded over the ages. Angkor is a UNESCO heritage site. We’ll visit many of the temples and the main parts of the city, and take in a sunset to remember forever. After dinner we’ll enjoy a traditional dance show.
Day 14 Monday Siem Reap
Breakfast at hotel. Morning visit Baksei Chamkrong, the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon,
Bapoun, Phimean Akas, Elephant Terrace and Terrace of Leper King. Afternoon, visit to Gate
of the Death, Spean Thma, T Keo, Terrace of Srang, and Prasat Kravan.
Dinner at hotel.
Accommodation at hotel in Siem Reap.
Day 15, Tuesday Siem Reap
Breakfast at hotel. Visit Banteay Srey and Banteay Samre Temples. In the afternoon, visit Rolous Group include Peah Kom Lolei and Bakong Temples. Relax with traditional Khmer Foot Massage for one hour in the city. Dinner and overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 16, Wednesday Siem Reap – Home Gateway
This morning we’ll visit the floating village, a half-hour drive away along Cambodia’s typical rickety roads. Most the houses are built of stilts in the Tonle Sap River. After the visit we’ll return to our hotel and prepare for departure to the airport. After dinner we’ll fly back to our home gateway.
Price Includes
- Flights Hanoi-Hue-Ho Chi Minh City / Ho Chi Minh City – Seam Reap(there may be changes)
- Overnight return train to Sapa in compartments for 2 people with communal toilets
- First Class Tourist Hotels
- Entrance fees as per the itinerary
- Comfortable air conditioned touring coach
- Half board kosher food daily & supplies for making sandwiches for lunch
- Professional experienced English-speaking Israeli guide
- Local English-speaking Guide as required
Price Excludes
- Cambodian & Vietnamese Visas
- Double train compartment surcharge - $75 (not guaranteed – requires confirmation from local agent upon arrival)
- Travel & Health Insurance
- Personal expenses and evening entertainment not included in the itinerary
- Tips for local service providers $120 (to be collected in cash abroad)
- Shows and evening entertainment not included in the itinerary
- Tip for our Tour Guide (Recommended: $3 per person per day)
- Miscellaneous expenses such as departure fees, visas, security surcharges etc. where applicable.
Important To Know
There may be changes to the order of places visited. We will make every effort to
visit every place mentioned in the itinerary.
The tour organizers have no control over airline services such as seating, special
meal requests, changes in departure times or delays. These remain the sole
responsibility of the airline company.
Kosher food is provided to our travelers on all our tours. We work with the local Rabbinate to provide Hashgacha for all local ingredients and fresh meat and poultry. In some cases, we fly in kosher food from Israel and other sources, depending on the destination of the tour. We do not guarantee Pat Israel and Chalav Israel for all destinations. In many destinations we have our own crockery and cutlery. Where we don't, we provide disposables at the meals. When we cook in Hotel kitchens, we ensure proper Kashering and we use our own kitchenware on kashered and covered surfaces. All this is done under the strict supervision of our trained staff/guides who function as our Mashgichim. Our travelers enjoy gourmet meals prepared by our team including fresh local fish, fruit, and vegetables. This is an integral part of Jewish travel. We make great efforts to assure that our travelers will experience local foods first-hand, while maintaining stringent observance of Kashrut laws on all occasions.
Rabbi Menahem Fogel
A native of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Menahem Fogel served as a pulpit rabbi in South Africa and Canada before returning to Israel in 1984 to take up the position of spokesman of Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem, a position he held for six years. Since that time he has held senior positions in both the public and private sectors developing interactive computer systems for museums around the world. He also lived and worked in the USA, Netherlands, Austria, UK and India. A lifelong yearning for travel led to his becoming a Tour Manager in 2000 and developed expertise tourism to Japan & China, Alaska, Canadian Rockies and Africa. Recently he took on the added role of Rav Hamachshir for The Kosher Travel Club to ensure the highest standards of Kashrut are implemented on all our Kosher Tours. For any questions about Kashrut please feel free to email menahemf@netvision.net.il
Flights
If you are joining us for the Land Tour package only (from outside Israel) you can get an obligation free quote for your flights from Shelley@eddiestravel.com
Insurance
Travel insurance encompassing both cancellation and medical insurance is very important
and we cannot stress that enough. We strongly recommend that our clients are adequately
insured when travelling. It is crucial to purchase the travel insurance within 14 days from the
1st payment that you make for this trip (flights/cruise/tour etc). Your payment is made
directly to the insurance company. We highly recommend the 'cancel for any reason'
upgrade option. Our preferred policies are Travel Safe (USA & Canadian residents), Travel
Select (USA residents) and Global Trip Protection Elite (All other Nationalities).
Date And Prices
Tour code |
Start date |
End Date |
Price Land Only |
Price with flights Ex Tel Aviv |
Single supplement |
Pre/Post Hotel Night |
| EVTC3011 | November 30, 2010 | December 17, 2010 | $3340 | $4090 | $820 | $65 per person sharing $110 per single |
| EVTC1508 | August 16, 2011 | September 1, 2011 | $3340 | $4090 | $820 | $65 per person sharing $110 per single |
EVTC1311 |
November 14, 2011 |
November 30, 2011 |
$3340 |
$4090 |
$820 |
$65 per person sharing |
Deposit, Cancellation Fees & Policy:
A $500 USD Deposit per person must be received at the time of booking in order to confirm
your reservation. Payment in full is due 90 days before departure. A minimum number of
participants are required to operate tour dates. If a minimum number has not been reached
prior to tour departure and the tour is cancelled you will receive a FULL refund.
- 90 days before departure bookings are refundable less a $100 administration fee
- 60-90 days prior to departure: $500 + $100 per passenger
- 30-60 days prior to departure: $1,000 + $100 per passenger
- Less than 30 working days prior to departure: 100% of total - no refund
- We strongly recommend purchasing Travel Insurance.