PROPOSAL FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA PERFORMANCE TOUR 9-Day Ho Chi Minh City & Siem Reap
Destination Information HO CHI MINH CITY SIEM REAP HO CHI MINH CITY Ho Chi Minh City, formerly named Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam. It was once known as Prey Nokor, an important Khmer sea port prior to annexation by the Vietnamese in the 17th century. Under the name Saigon, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina and later of the independent republic of South Vietnam from 1955 75. South Vietnam was a capitalist and anti-communist state which fought against the communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, with the assistance of the United States and other countries. On 30 April 1975, Saigon fell and the war ended with a Communist victory. On 2 July 1976, Saigon merged with the surrounding Gia Định Province and was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City after Hồ Chí Minh. The metropolitan area, which consists of the Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area, Thủ Dầu Một, Dĩ An, Biên Hòa and surrounding towns, is populated by more than 9,000,000 people, making it the most populous metropolitan area[4] in Vietnam. The city's population is expected to grow to 13.9 million in 2025. The Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area, a metropolitan area covering most parts of the Southeast region plus Tiền Giang Province and Long An Province under planning, will have an area of 30,000 square kilometres (12,000 sq mi) with a population of 20 million inhabitants by 2020. According to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Economist Intelligence Unit and ECA International, Ho Chi Minh City is ranked 132 on the list of world's most expensive cities for expatriate employees.
SIEM REAP Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia, and a popular resort town as the gateway to 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, Cambodian cultural village, souvenir and handycraft shops, silk farms, rice-paddy 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 Angkor temples, the most popular tourist attraction in Cambodia. Angkor Wat (Wat temple) is the central feature of the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site containing the magnificent remains of the Khmer civilization. Angkor Wat's rising series of five towers culminates in an impressive central tower that symbolizes mythical Mount Meru. Thousands of feet of wall space are covered with intricate carving depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. In 2014, Siem Reap was ranked as the world's fourth best city for tourists by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards.
Suggested Itinerary Time Service DAY 1 ARRIVE HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM (-) TBD Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. You will be met and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to begin exploring Ho Chi Minh City s bustling streets, shops, and restaurants. DAY 2 HO CHI MINH CITY (B/L) Discover the colorful side of Ho Chi Minh City; visit Jade Emperor Pagoda and the History Museum (close Monday) Taste of Vietnamese cuisine. Visit the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, drive through the busy city center. Photo stop at the famous Central Post Office which is now the city center and the Notre Dame Cathedral. DAY 3 HO CHI MINH CITY (B) Rehearsal at the hotel. Suggest to finish the rehearsal at 11:00 in order to tour the Mekong Delta. Lunch on your own. Take a 2 hour coach trip to My Tho, a prosperous town of 170,000 inhabitants of the Mekong Delta. It is known a s the cradle of civilization of Indo China. Enjoy a boat ride to see the life of the local people with to visit to Vinh Trang Pagoda and a ancient house. DAY 4 HO CHI MINH CITY (B/D) Cu Chi Tunnel. Guerrilla hat and scarves included for the group. DAY 5 Buddhism, christianity, Taoism and Confucianism. Attend the ceremony at Tay Ninh church at noon. This is unique in Vietnam mainly. After lunch return to the city. Rehearsal at the hotel. Goodwill /Outreach Concert possibly with choir groups of local university or HCM Conservatory of Music Great exchange experience with the local groups. Dinner box. HO CHI MINH CITY (B/R) Attend a Vietnamese cooking class with tour of Market. It's fun to learn 2 types of Vietnamese cooking. You will also learn about the herbs and some local tropical fruits and vegetables. Of course, you get to taste it! Lunch on own. Rehearsal at the hotel. Performance at the HCM Opera house. Music played by Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra. Built in 1897 by French architect Eugene Ferretat the Opera de Saigon, the 800 seat building was used as home of the Lower House Assembly of South Vietnam after 1956. It was restored in 1955 again. It is one of the most popular performance venue in Vietnam. DAY 6 Afterglow Reception at hotel. 1 hr. reception with wine, local beer, soft drinks, mineral water, juice with canapes. HO CHI MINH CITY to SIEM REAP, CAMBOIDA(B/D) Check out of hotel. Depart for the Ho Chi Minh City Airport to catch a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
DAY 7 DAY 8 DAY 9 Approx. 1hr 30 mins flying hr. Suggest to take late afternoon flight. Most likely, we will fly with 2 flights. Arrive in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Landing visa to be arranged with express service and staff inside custom area to assist. Load waiting motor coaches & Enjoy a Panoramic Tour en route to lunch. Dinner at a local restaurant. SIEM REAP (B/L) Excursion to Angkor Wat: explore Angkor Wat temple, the Cambodia's ancient temple city is one of the wonders of the oriental world. Masterpieces of decorative details as well as of architectural style, its awe-inspiring ruins survive as testament to the spectacular achievements of Southeast Asia's greatest civilization. Group lunch. A community outreach program. Lunch arranged at Non Profit restaurants which train the local kids to be able to be independent. Your comment will be useful for the students who learn there. Friendship Concert with choir from the Art and Music school. SIEM REAP (B/D) Early morning optional visit: Sunrise at Angkor Wat. Visit Temples of Prasat Kraven, Ta Prohm & Preah Khan by Tuk Tuk. 2 pax per tuk tuk. Tuk Tuk a a local vehicle widely used in South East Asian. It is like a motor bike with cover. It is a great experience to ride as the local people. Return to the hotel. Outreach program to the local musical communities. A joint program with a local NGO group to provide free music learning for Khmer children to learn music. They need many support of used musical instruments, music teaching. Our group is able to support through music and donation. simple stage set up, standard sound system, chairs, donation, government fee. Farewell dinner at the hotel pool side. Apsara cultural performance included. Enjoy a coloful Khmer cultural performance. You can join and dance together. DEPART SIEM REAP (B) Check out of hotel Transfer to Siem Reap Airport for return flight to USA