Ship: Odyssey (ZE)
Itinerary: Vietnam & Angor Wat
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Monk in Temple Courtyard during an Asia vacation
cabins & deck plans | additional itineraries | cancellation policy | Testimonials
| Day 1 : | Bangkok, Thailand / Siem Reap, Cambodia |
|---|---|
| Day 2 : | Siem Reap / Angkor |
| Day 3 : | Siem Reap / Angkor |
| Day 4 : | Siem Reap / Phnom Penh / Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam / Embark Clipper Odyssey |
| Day 5 : | Ho Chi Minh City / Mekong Delta |
| Day 6 : | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Day 7 : | Nha Trang / Van Phong Bay |
| Day 8 : | Qui Nhon |
| Day 9 : | Da Nang / My Son / Hoi An |
| Day 10 : | Hue |
| Day 11 : | Vinh Moc |
| Day 12 : | Halong Bay |
| Day 13 : | Disembark Clipper Odyssey / Haiphong / Hanoi |
| Day 14 : | Hanoi |
| Day 15 : | Hanoi / Hong Kong, China / Home |
| Click for full itinerary |
| Days | Dates | Deck + Cabin Type | ||||||
| Category 1/ A-Deck | Category 2/ Main | Category 3/ Main | Category 4/ Lido | Category 5/ Bridge | Category 6/ Balcony Suite | Owners Suite | ||
| 15 | Mar 29, 2010 | $8,980 | $9,480 | $9,980 | $10,680 | $11,480 | $12,380 | $14,980 |
| Destinations : Asia, Vietnam |
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- All rates are quoted in USD and are based on double occupancy. Single rates may be available at 1.7 times the share rate.
Day 1 : Bangkok, Thailand / Siem Reap, Cambodia
Arrive in Bangkok midmorning and connect with your independent flight to Cambodia, arriving in Siem Reap in the afternoon. Group transfer to the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor for dinner and overnight.
Day 2 : Siem Reap / Angkor
We depart early to view the sunrise at the World Heritage Site of Angkor, one of the world's greatest architectural achievements. Khmer emperors built enormous temple complexes during the 9th to 15th centuries; these buildings reveal extraordinary sculpted bas-reliefs in Hindu motifs, portraying the lives of deities, Khmer royalty, warriors, and townspeople. After breakfast in a tranquil outdoor setting, we spend the morning exploring Angkor Wat, its soaring towers evoking the culmination of ancient Khmer architecture. We marvel at the elaborate tiered galleries where the legends of mythology are sculpted in superbly detailed carvings. We return to our hotel for lunch.
This afternoon we visit Banteay Srei, the Citadel of Women, a temple dedicated to Shiva dating from the 10th century. Perhaps the most beautiful temple in Siem Reap, it is remarkable for its total restoration and its fine pink-sandstone carvings relating episodes from the Ramayana. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
Day 3 : Siem Reap / Angkor
This morning, after breakfast at our hotel, we visit Ta Prohm Temple, a monument built at the height of Angkor’s cultural flowering, as well as the 12th-century Preah Khan temple. In the afternoon we explore wondrous Angkor Thom, the 12th-century capital built by Jayavarman VI. Here we explore the Bayon temple with its enormous mysterious faces, as well as the sculpted royal elephants and mythical Garuda, the half-man, half-bird deity of the Elephant Terrace. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
Day 4 : Siem Reap / Phnom Penh / Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam / Embark Clipper Odyssey
We transfer to the airport for a morning flight to Phnom Penh. Upon arrival we tour the comprehensive National Museum, studying its many exhibits and increasing our knowledge of Cambodian history and culture. Then we visit the Silver Pagoda with its extraordinary collection of Khmer's finest artifacts, including dozens of Buddhas. The Silver Pagoda gets its name from the more than 5,000 silver tiles that cover its floor. Along its walls stretches a mural depicting events from the Ramayana.
Following lunch we depart for the Tuol Sleng Museum, a former Khmer Rouge prison. The Cambodian government maintains the site to document the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge and to honor their victims. Time permitting, we enjoy a leisurely stroll along the Mekong River before transferring to the airport for a late-afternoon flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We enjoy a brief sightseeing tour of the bustling city en route to the Clipper Odyssey. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 5 : Ho Chi Minh City / Mekong Delta
The drive out of Ho Chi Minh City towards the Mekong Delta takes us through miles of rice fields and along a highway always busy with bicycles and people heading to or from market. We travel to the My Tho area, famous for its coconut palms and orchards of mangoes, longans, bananas, and citrus fruits. Here we board local sampans to sail along the Mekong River, observing the daily river life and the many different types of boats that use the river as a highway—a truly unforgettable experience.
Until the 16th century the Mekong Delta was an area of marshland and forest. Gradually the marshland was reclaimed and a canal network built, facilitating the transport of locally grown rice, soybeans, peanuts, and fish throughout the area. We stop at a Mekong island to visit a traditional farmer’s home and fruit orchards, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the river scenery. We return to Ho Chi Minh City and reboard our ship.
Day 6 : Ho Chi Minh City
We have breakfast on board before continuing our exploration of Ho Chi Minh City. Passing by Buddhist, Chinese, and Taoist temples, we explore the Presidential Palace, now named Reunification Hall. The History Museum provides perspectives on all epochs of Vietnam’s past. If time allows, we visit the Thien Hau Pagoda and the markets in the Cholon Chinatown district. Return to the vessel for lunch and then spend the afternoon on board as the ship sails down the meandering Saigon River on a fascinating 45-mile journey through the colorful traffic of sampans, cargo junks, and floating fruit markets.
Day 7 : Nha Trang / Van Phong Bay
We arrive in Nha Trang this morning where we disembark to stroll along the exquisite beach that stretches for nearly four miles. We travel to nearby islands for snorkeling along the striking coral reefs, or explore the well-preserved Cham Ponagar Temple complex with its impressive towers built between the 7th and 12th centuries. The shores of fascinating Van Phong Bay offer massive sand dunes and a small fishing village with excellent photographic and birding opportunities.
Day 8 : Qui Nhon
This seldom-visited provincial capital of Binh Dinh province hosts a large and colorful coastal fishing fleet. We explore the area, visiting the spectacular twin Cham Towers, dating from the 11th century, as well as four other historic towers perched serenely on a hilltop adjacent to a Buddhist monastery. We also witness a martial arts demonstration at the Quang Trung Museum.
Day 9 : Da Nang / My Son / Hoi An
This morning select between two options. Explore Da Nang?s excellent Cham Museum, a repository of magnificent sandstone carvings reflecting the Hindu styles of Champa, a powerful 4th – 15th-century empire of central Vietnam. Alternatively, visit My Son, the site of extensive outdoor Cham ruins and a World Heritage Site. Once a stronghold of the Viet Cong, today's placid My Son offers a walk across bamboo bridges to the jungle-surrounded brick ruins.
We savor lunch at the small town of Hoi An, followed by a walking tour of this well-preserved architectural treasure. Historic homes of the 18th and 19th centuries, a Japanese bridge, a Chinese temple, and small museums illustrating Hoi An's cultural riches grace the winding lanes of this World Heritage Site.
Day 10 : Hue
Today we enjoy a full day excursion to the city of Hue, another World Heritage Site on our itinerary. Highlights include a visit to the picturesque Dong Ba Market, the moat-rimmed citadel, the Imperial City, and the Thien Mu Pagoda—monuments of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) which united the northern and southern areas of Vietnam. Lunch is served aboard local "dragon boats" as we cruise up the Perfume River. We visit the royal mausoleums of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh, their guardian-horse statuary reflecting Chinese-inspired architectural styles.
Day 11 : Vinh Moc
Zodiacs take us ashore to visit the once-notorious demilitarized zone (DMZ) at the 17th parallel, an arbitrary strip of land that demarcated North and South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975. We view a bridge over the Ben Hai River and a labyrinth of extraordinary tunnels at nearby Vinh Moc which served both as a refuge for the villagers while the area was bombarded and as a Viet Cong supply route.
Day 12 : Halong Bay
A World Heritage Site, Halong Bay is one of nature's finest creations—a dreamscape archipelago of thousands of islets and rocky outcroppings. Our ship anchors amid dramatic limestone formations that rise straight from the seabed. We board our Zodiacs to explore these craggy monoliths where gnarled trees cling precariously to narrow clefts.
Day 13 : Disembark Clipper Odyssey / Haiphong / Hanoi
After breakfast on board, we disembark the Clipper Odyssey one final time and drive from Haiphong to Hanoi. Here we enjoy a visit to the Water Puppet Theater and witness a unique Vietnamese performing art. In the afternoon we visit the Tay Phuong Pagoda whose carvings illustrate Buddhist stories, with the option of further exploring Hanoi’s countryside by bicycle. Or, continue by bus to the 11th-century Thay Pagoda. Built in 1794, the pagoda is famous for its vast display of finely carved wooden statues of former monks. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
Day 14 : Hanoi
After breakfast we continue our exploration of fascinating Hanoi with a visit to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, Vietnam’s most highly revered monument; the Presidential Palace; the charming One Pillar Pagoda; and the history museum before returning to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon the Museum of Ethnology provides a comprehensive introduction to the 54 minority groups populating Vietnam. We stroll the narrow streets of Hanoi’s old quarter which teem with small shops, pho noodle vendors, and patisseries.
This evening flaming torches line the entrance to the Co Loa Citadel, and colored lanterns light the courtyard during our farewell dinner at this quintessentially Vietnamese locale. We are entertained by music and dance performances from around Vietnam. Overnight at our hotel.
Day 15 : Hanoi / Hong Kong, China / Home
After breakfast, group transfer to the airport for your flight to Hong Kong and connect with your flight homeward. Or, continue on our optional post-voyage extension to Laos.
Ship Description: Odyssey (ZE)
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Odyssey
The Odyssey was built in 1989 in Tsu, Japan, by Japanese craftsmen to the design of a master Dutch yacht designer, Studio Acht, and is eminently suited for the year-round itineraries in the Pacific. These range from as far south as New Zealand and Australia's Great Barrier Reef, to as far north as Japan, the Kuril Islands, and the Russian Far East, including the Kamchatka Peninsula.
The Odyssey measures 340 feet long, 51 feet wide, and has a draft of 14 feet. Staterooms are all outside and average a generous 186 square feet in size, and are furnished with either twin or queen-size beds and a sitting area with a sofa. Each cabin features a spacious bathroom with tub baths and shower, individually controlled air-conditioning, in-room music system, ample wardrobe space, three-sided mirrors, personal safe, refrigerator, and television.
A fleet of Zodiac landing craft can be launched in minutes to take passengers ashore in places where no infrastructure exists. The vessel is equipped with state-of-the-art satellite navigation and communication equipment including telephone, fax, and email.
An outdoor swimming pool, dedicated jogging track, and two sun decks offer ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. Inside, the spacious public areas of the ship include two lounges, a small library, and a single seating dining room.
An experienced cruise staff, physician, and onboard lecturers accompany all voyages to enhance the passengers’ enjoyment of the places visited.
All meals are prepared to order on board. The ship's chefs, graduates of the finest American culinary schools, combine the highest quality American ingredients with the influences and spices of the places the Odyssey visits. The resulting "fusion cuisine" provides a taste of the destinations visited.
Category 1/ A-DeckA Deck, Outside Double Cabin with sitting area, portholes. Approx. 185 sqft |
Category 2/ MainForward Main Deck, Outside Double Cabin with sitting area and a window. Approx. 175 sqft |
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Category 3/ Main Main Deck, Outside Double Cabin with sitting area and a window. Approx. 175 sqft |
Category 4/ Lido Lido Deck, Outside Double Cabin with sitting area and a window. Approx. 175 sqft |
Category 5/ BridgeBridge Deck, Outside Double Cabin with sitting area and a window. Approx. 230 sqft |
Category 6/ Balcony SuiteBridge Deck, Outside Suite with private veranda. Approx. 230 sqft |
Owners SuiteBridge Deck, Outside Suite with separate bedroom and private veranda. Approx. 310 sqft |
