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Two great tours, three delicious options and four fascinating countries. |
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Celebrate New Year's on the Mekong!
Join us in the mountainous retreat of Laos, plus Cambodia's ancient temples of Angkor. Then meet us in Vietnam, visiting the former southern capital of Ho Chi Minh/Saigon and the idyllic island of Phu Quoc. |
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We have personally selected restaurants and hotels that specifically focus on training and educating at-risk and disadvantaged local youth. You will be excited to taste the fruits of their efforts, and impressed with the quality of work! There is no stinting on our part -- but you are doubly rewarded knowing your tourism dollars are supporting important projects rewarding local communities. |
| Our December and January tours to Southeast Asia are especially designed for the food lover. Great hotels, delicious foods -- that is the Globetrotting Gourmet winning recipe. |
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PRICE: Please see PDF form
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The following flights are not included, as many of our clients air tickets from their home destinations already include the following:
*Cambodia to Vietnam
*Cambodia to Bangkok
*Vietnam to Bangkok.
Please advise if you require these for a surcharge. |
| Prices include deluxe hotels throughout, guide and private coach, most meals; 2 cooking classes in Laos & Cambodia, 1 class in Vietnam; internal Asian airfares; airport transfers; and personally hosted by cookbook author Robert Carmack and textile authority Morrison Polkinghorne. |
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| DAY BY DAY ITINERARY |
Laos & Cambodia Epicure Dec 29 '08 -Jan 8 '09 |
www.asianfoodtours.com |
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Monday 29 December |
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O/N Bangkok |
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| You are personally met at Souvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok and transferred to the deluxe Sofitel Centara Grand hotel. This hotel is specifically chosen because of its convenience: there is an adjoining shopping mall with connections to the BTS Sky Train and MRT Subway; plus the hotel boasts seven restaurants and is quick driving proximity to Bangkok's two airports. |
| Better yet, if you arrive days prior to the tour, you are close to Bangkok's famous Chatuchak weekend market. Also don't miss nearby Aw Taw Kaw market (open daily). Time magazine lists this fresh food market as one of the 10 great undiscovered sites of Thailand, and we couldn't agree more! |
| Please advise if you require earlier arrival, as we offer a great rate for additional nights in upgraded deluxe rooms, including airport transfers. North American travellers note: as you will be crossing the International Date Line you add an extra day in transit. Typically, departures ex North America on Saturday 27 December arrive on Monday 29 Dec, but exact arrival times depend on your carrier's schedule and connections. |
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Tuesday 30 December |
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O/N Pakse/Paxse, Done Deang Island - Laos |
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| We fly this morning to the southern Laos city of Pakse. Consequently, we've arranged room service breakfasts today, then meet in the lobby for group airport transfer. The city of Pakse is a commercial hub, and its nearby Bolaven Plateau grows Asia's tastiest coffee. Our first stop, the city's best Pho noodle soup -- of Vietnamese extraction, but equally embraced by the Lao -- followed by a thick and strong black coffee reminiscent of French colonial days. Afterwards, visit the Coffee Resarch Centre, to learn about Laos' most lucrative export, then visit a silk weaving plantation famed for its natural dyes, plus Pakse's Central market. Before heading for our hotel, eat an early dinner in Pakse's best river front restaurant. |
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Wednesday 31 December |
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O/N Pakse/Paxse, Done Deang Island - Laos |
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| Just getting to our hotel today is half the fun, and definitely a memorable experience! We boat to the former southern Lao royal capital Champasak, and head to Wat Phou. Dating from between the 7th to 12 centuries, this is one of the oldest Khmer temples remaining, and certainly one of the world's most magnificent. Photos do not accurately convey the grandeur of this setting, so take our word for it -- seeing is believing. Today's temple visit requires rigorous climbing -- some 400 steps in all -- but is do-able for all ages. Afterwards, visit the temple museum, and tour the former royal capital, Champasak. |
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| Lunch of typical southern Lao dishes, but save room for tonight, toasting in the New Year! |
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Thursday 1 January |
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O/N Pakse/Paxse, Done Deang Island - Laos |
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| We first visit the nearby village to taste the local moonshine, known as lao lao, then boat to ancient Tomo temple followed by a delicious lunch -- the fish cannot get any fresher, as its still alive in nets! -- then back to Champasak. In the late afternoon we gather for a cooking preparation of typical southern Lao specialties, plus a Bacci ceremony to bless our journey. Then it's an early dinner especially prepared for our group, and free time to say goodbye to our lovely resort. |
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Friday 2 January |
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O/N Siem Reap - Cambodia |
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| FT636 Pkz-Rep 10:30-11:15 |
| This morning we say goodbye to Laos and hello Cambodia, capital of the mighty Khmer Empire, and home to the largest assembly of ancient temples in Southeast Asia. Siem Reap airport is notorious for its delays, so we have paid for expedited immigration for our group. However, your visa must be approved prior to arrival -- so either arrange your Cambodian visa now, or send us details so we can prepare on your behalf. We'll go straight from the airport to lunch at Sala Bai, a restaurant and hotel NGO training program for Khmer youth. (Note: we encourage you to order a bottle of wine, as this is the only opportunity its students have to learn how to use a cork screw! Wine prices here are consequently priced with little mark up.) |
| Our designated hotel is a charming 3.5 star, centrally located, reflecting the colonial courtyards of old France. After check in and freshen up, we head for a Cambodian Buddhist water blessing, followed by the floating villages on Tonle Sap. Here, catch a view of Cambodia's most famous lake by dusk. We will be seeing the lake at mid level, just a few months after the rainy season. Contrary to all laws of nature, the mighty Mekong annually flows backward into the great lake, increasing its size by some four times, and enriching the locals with a bounty of fish and irrigation water. As this has been a long day, we have kept tonight free (dinner not included) but we will host a short walking tour of Siem Reap tonight to help you navigate the town, and decide on a dinner venue of your own. (see our Guide to Siem Reap). |
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Saturday 3 January |
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O/N Siem Reap - Cambodia |
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| What more can we say about the vast spectacle of Angkor Wat, except that it is truly an awe-inspiring, breathtaking experience. This is the largest temple in the world, as tall as Notre Dame cathedral, and its stone volume equals Cheops' Great Pyramid in Egypt. Uniquely, it faces West (where our group will exit, against the tides of tourists), and was constructed in the 12th century. (Its symmetrical towers are stylised on the modern Cambodian flag.) Conceived by Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat took an estimated 30 years to build, and is debatably a funeral temple for the king. Intricate bas reliefs surround its four sides, each telling a story. The most celebrated of these is the "Churning of the Ocean of Milk" on its east wing. Note that the highest third tower is now closed to public, due to waring of the stones from constant tourism. |
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| After lunch and a short rest, drive to Roluos for sunset. These three Roluos temples precede Angkor as capital, and are both architecturally and historically significant. (Pre-Khmer history not-withstanding, the naturally-fortified Kulen plateau was the first Khmer capital, followed by Roluos in the 9th century, then for a relatively short 20 year term in Koh Ker, about 3 hours drive. It's believed Koh Ker was abandoned not only because of drought, but also as its founding king was an usurper to the throne. Conversely, too much water -- the annual flooding of Tonle Sap -- caused Roluos later abandonment. By the mid 10th century, the capital returned to Angkor.) We then return to Siem Reap for a dinner extravaganza at the new restaurant from celebrity chef Didier Corlou. Didier is Hanoi-based, but his fame has grown in the region, plus his world-wide jaunts at food festivals and seminars. Afterwards, we walk back to the hotel, with a brief orientation through the town's night market. |
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Sunday 4 January |
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O/N Siem Reap - Cambodia |
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We depart early this morning to experience the jungle at its awakening. We begin at Ta Phrom from the West, also known as "Trees" as the overgrowth on this temple has been retained to show visitors how the temples appeared before French exploration in the late 19th century. Surrounded by jungle, its labyrinth of stone hallways is overgrown with the roots and limbs of massive silk-cotton and fig trees, which envelop the stones like tentacles. This is one of the largest temples at Angkor, dedicated in 1186. Historians have noted its mystical charm:
Entering the court yards one comes into a new kind of vegetable world; not one of the branches and leaves with which one is familiar, but that of roots. Ta Prohm is an exhibition of the mysterious subterranean life of plants, of which it offers an infinite variety of cross sections. Huge trees have seeded themselves on the roofs of the squat towers and their soaring trunks are obscured from sight; but here one can study in comfort the drama of those secret and conspirational activities that labour to support their titanic growth. Norman Lewis -- A Dragon Apparent 1951. |
| We then walk through the West Gate of Banteay Kdei to regroup at the royal baray or reservoir, Srah Srang. This has retained its water for 900 years, and often referred to as the "royal bath." Then coach to the ancient walled city of Angkor Thom, literally "Great City." Built in the 12th century by Jayavarman VII, the first sight of Angkor Thom complex is its magnificent South Gate. All five gates are similar, but the south gate has been extensively restored, and the most impressive. To give you a contrast, we also visit Angkor Thom's West gate, seldom visited and largely overgrown. It still retains its original paving stones, but most heads are missing. Central to Angkor Thom is Bayon, a state temple built between the late 12-13th centuries. This is certainly one of the most impressive edifices in all of Angkor, and one which you will recognize from its giant heads. Our guide will help translate the reliefs depicting everyday life and food gathering. |
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| After lunch return to the hotel, then in the afternoon we've scheduled a break from the temples. We'll meet in the nearby Old Market, where our chef will purchase victuals for tonight's dinner, followed by a cooking class of Khmer dishes. The school is hosted in a training hotel for at-risk youth, and you will have a chance to ask about its other charity activities. Early dinner, then we walk back to our hotel via Siem Reap's night market. The remaining evening is free for you to explore this small town |
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Monday 5 January |
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O/N Siem Reap - Cambodia |
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| Today we travel outside of the Grand Circuit to explore outstanding temples and Khmer sacred sites less frequented. It is a full day of travel, and we do not return until sunset. Our first stop, Banteay Samre, a fine example of small scale Angkor-style architecture. Its size permits you to closely appreciate the intricacies that are often dwarfed by the immense size of larger temples. Seldom visited, you can peacefully wander through at your own pace. We then drive to the source of Angkor's spiritualism, the stream of Kbal Spien. Water was sacred to the ancient Khmers, as witnessed by their vast reservoirs or baray, as well as the ubiquitous moats around their temples. The riverbeds of Kbal Spien are carved with hundreds of phallic linguas to bless the waters before they flow down to the lowlands. This is a fascinating site, and the 45-minute jungle trail up to the mountain stream is equally captivating. The walk is brisk and strenuous, but for those preferring to wait below, there is an interesting organic farming station to visit. (Alternatively, if you wish to visit more sites within the Angkor Circuits , we can help you arrange a private remok/tuktuk to ferry you around; your ticket allows you unrestricted access today.) |
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| Lunch is in a nearby restaurant -- refreshingly clean and delicious in the middle of the Cambodian countryside -- then we tour some of the finest carved lintels, and uniquely in pink stone. Banteay Sprei/Srei is often called the "Citadel of Women (or "beauty)" and unlike other buildings, it was not constructed as a royal temple. On the way back to Angkor, we'll stop at local villages to watch the manufacture of palm sugar, and also to purchase local weaving crafts. Before sunset, visit East Mebon -- formerly an island temple in the now-depleted vast Eastern Baray reservoir. Constructed in 953, it is renowned for its magnificent elephant statues, the best preserved still standing on the SE corner of the second level. Time permitting, we'll also stop at Pre Rup briefly for sunset, or alternatively again to Srah Srang reservoir to view its small baray at dusk. Despite most tourists doing otherwise, the magic of Angkor sunsets is not standing from the top looking out, rather, viewing from ground level the golden rays bathing the temples and waters. |
| As it's been a long day, and as your last night in Siem Reap, we've kept tonight free, and dinner is not included. Our hotel's location is central in town, and there are numerous restaurants to try on your own. Or ask us about booking a dinner theatre; there are plenty in town! |
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Tuesday 6 January |
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O/N Phnom Penh- Cambodia |
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FT 991 Rep-Pnh 08:10-09:00
Cambodian departure tax (domestic) of $5 is payable in cash, Mastercharge or Visa. |
| We begin at the National Palace, followed by local crafts and shopping street highlights in Phnom Penh, including its domed Phsar Thmei Central Market, a deco treat constructed in 1935. |
| Although looted during the dark days of Khmer Rouge mis-rule, Cambodia's National Museum is a treasure trove of unexpected delights. Most surprising is the number of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman figurines and artefacts in the collection -- attesting to this region's early trade routes. We also stop by Kurata, pioneer promoter of prized Meric peppercorns from Kampot, and travel to Pour un Sourire d'Enfant ("for the smile of a child"), and its restaurant Lotus blanc. This training program is especially important, as it rescues children from a bleak future of sorting through the Stung Meanchey garbage dump. |
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| After hotel check in and time to freshen up, we head to Romdeng, a restaurant-training school for disadvantaged street kids. Earlier this year Romdeng re-located to a charming French colonial pavilion location, which we know you will enjoy. (The menu tonight is adventurous, but spider kebabs are not on the menu.) Here, you can also purchase the restaurant's new cookbook "from Spiders to Water Lilies." |
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Wednesday 7 January |
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O/N Phnom Penh- Cambodia |
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After breakfast we have a tour of historic Phnom Penh, and its wealth of colonial and Art Deco buildings. We've then scheduled an early lunch -- today featuring traditional Khmer "breakfast" dishes, such as Vietnamese-influenced Pho noodle soup and rice noodle soups. It's all delicious, and filling.
We've left the afternoon free for personal exploration, and shopping. Optionally, we can help you arrange a private tuktuk to take you to the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields (payable directly to the driver), or elsewhere around town. Highly recommended viewing, giving eyewitness testimony to the horrors of Khmer Rouge rule in Cambodia. Both are a sobering experience, and one we presume you should revere in solitude, and not with a group |
| Re-group in the evening for our send off gala dinner. Tonight's hotel is a very special treat -- the city's newest, and certainly its most stylist in modern minimalism. |
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Thursday 8 January |
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O/N Phnom Penh- Cambodia |
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| For those continuing with us to Vietnam, your tour package includes this morning's airfare from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon. |
| For those finishing the journey today, your tour package does NOT include return passage to Bangkok. (If you are flying home directly from Cambodia, please let us know your return flight details. Airport transfers are provided today.) Please advise if you require a return flight to Thailand, as we are holding group reserved seats on Bangkok Air, departing in the morning at 09:40 from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, which we can supply for a surcharge. |
| If you plan to stay longer in Bangkok, ask us to arrange additional hotel nights there and transfers at the Sofitel Centara Grand in Chatuchak, plus private day guide services in Bangkok. |
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| DAY BY DAY ITINERARY |
Vietnam Delta Epicure Jan 8-13 '09 |
www.asianfoodtours.com |
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Thursday 8 January |
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O/N Saigon - Vietnam |
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VN 841 Pnh-Sgn 12:40-13:25
Our guides in Vietnam: Huy (Saigon); Chung (Phu Quoc)
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| Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, and the country's largest city. You will be personally met at the airport, then transported to your hotel, centrally located and convenient for independent sight-seeing. The tour officially begins in the afternoon, with the arrival of those continuing from our Laos & Cambodia tour. |
| Ho Chi Minh City, or the former Saigon, is home to nearly 7 million persons, and traffic is heavy. Please read our road safety caution on the next page. After check in and freshen up, we've organized a walking orientation tour of the city center, followed by dinner at one of our favorite restaurants: it is designed to reflect the street food cultures of Vietnam's regions, with working "food stalls" designed around the courtyard. It is a great -- and delicious -- introduction to the specialities of Vietnam! We then walk back to the hotel (about 20 minutes) pointing out some of the city's top night spots, and other sites. |
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Friday 9 January |
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O/N Saigon - Vietnam |
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| Breakfast at the hotel, then weather permitting, it is off to Pham Van Hai market shopping for provisions for today's cooking class. We're heading to where Vietnam's next generation learn the art of cooking and hospitality, the School of Hotel and Tourism. Madame Van and her staff have arranged a hands on class of modern takes on classic southern Vietnamese dishes, wrap and rolls, followed by lunch. The rest of the afternoon and evening is free (use our Guide to HCM) for great shopping and eating, independent sight-seeing, or just to relax indulging yourself. There is so much to choose from in HCM, from boisterous seafood eateries to ultra chic fine dining restaurants. This is truly the country's best city for fine dining options. And if you are confused about where to go, we'll point you in the direction of the city's most celebrated street fare dish: Banh xeo, or sizzling rice crepes. |
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Saturday 10 January |
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O/N My Tho- Vietnam |
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| Following breakfast we check out, and drive to the Mekong Delta region. En route we'll stop for a delicious bowl of Pho noodle soup (included) then continue further afield to My Tho, gateway to the Delta. Tonight's accommodation is the most luxurious in town (3 star) with a magnificent river setting, and all rooms overlooking the Mekong. We'll drop off our bags and arrange a simple lunch of delicious banh mi thit sandwiches, plus coffee, then boat around the Upper Mekong via floating markets, visiting island fruit orchards, and tasting the local specialty coconut candy. In Xe Loi take a horse cart to a bee farm for honey tea, and ride on a sampan boat along the local canals. (Small gratuities expected.) Dinner is a spread of Delta specialties, including famed local elephant-ear fish. |
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Sunday 11 January |
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O/N Phu Quoc- Vietnam |
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| After breakfast, we drive back to HCM's airport, then fly to the far southern island of Phu Quoc. Just in case the airline doesn't offer lunch, we'll stop briefly to pick up one of the city's best Vietnamese banh mi thit sandwiches from Saigon's most famous bakery chain, (and a delicious comparison with yesterdays!). |
| Phu Quoc was once part of Cambodia, before the island was bestowed on the Vietnamese emperor as a bridal dowry. In the French colonial period it served as a penal colony, but now for its famed vine-ripened peppercorns and the country's best fish sauce. This is truly an idyllic paradise, and our accommodation is the island's newest and best! Better yet, its on this year's Travel + leisure HOT LIST. |
| After arrival, check in and freshen up, we regroup for a cooking demonstration of local foodstuffs and light tastings. Later we walk down the beach for a delicious beach-side barbecue of simply grilled dishes served with simple yet delicious mui tio chanh sauce. We are literally 5 minutes walk back to our hotel, so return whenever you like. |
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Monday 12 January |
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O/N Phu Quoc- Vietnam |
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Early mornings are best to discover how Vietnamese shop for food, so we depart early today for a tour of picturesque Duong Dong market, accompanied by the hotel's chef to explain and identify ingredients. After returning to the hotel for a quick fresh up, we re-gather at 11 for our island tour. First stops, fish sauce and peppercorns, Phu Quoc's most famous food exports. Stock up on the pepper, as it is a fraction of the cost of nearby Kampot in Cambodia, and in our opinion, equally good if not better. Unfortunately, fish sauce/nuoc mam cannot be transported on flights off the island. This applies to both checked and carry on baggage. Fortunately, select fish sauce brands are available in the airport after check in and security search, or upon arrival at the airport in Saigon. Locals contend their long-jawed anchovy makes the country's best table sauce, equivalent to a fine soy.
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| Bring your swimming togs for lunch, as we're travelling to the island's Southeast at beautiful Sao Bao beach. The setting is humble, the food delicious, the beach pure white and the water turquoise. It's one of the most picturesque we've ever discovered. |
| Then we drive to colourful Can An Thoi on the island's southern tip, and enroute back to the hotel traverse the island's sceneic west-coast highway. Time permitting, we'll see local pearl cultivation. As this is our final evening of the tour, the hotel is preparing a special gala dinner for our group. |
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Tuesday 13 January |
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| We depart our lovely resort late morning, leaving us time for a late and leisurely breakfast, plus some last minute swimming at the resort. If you are flying home directly from Vietnam today, please ensure sufficient time for your connection. Walking between Saigon's domestic and international terminals is easy. You will need a minimum of 3 hours connecting, or an evening departure, to do so. Consequently, if you require an additional night in HCM/Saigon, plus airport transfers, please specify this on the order form. |
| If you would like to continue your travels in Vietnam, ask us about tour extensions to other locations, with private guide. |
| For those returning home via Bangkok, we've reserved guaranteed seating to Thailand in the late afternoon today, leaving you time to connect with night departures home; surcharges apply. If you require additional nights in Bangkok, ask us about accommodation and transfers to the Sofitel Centara Grand, plus private day guide services in Bangkok |
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 To those with a passion for great food and good company, this is your opportunity to join Mekong Epicure, our next food tour to Southeast Asia. Globetrotting Gourmet® has scheduled two itineraries back-to-back, to offer you a delicious entry to Asia. Fly with us to the Laos capital Vientiane to usher in the New Year, travel to Pakse in southern Laos, then the grandeur of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. |
In Vietnam tour the mighty Mekong delta, then fly to idyllic Phu Quoc island, the country's most southernly extremity. It is famed for its peppercorns and also production of the country's finest grade fish sauce. Daily breakfast, most meals, private coach throughout, all hosted personally by cookbook author Robert Carmack and textile designer Morrison Polkinghorne. Delicious food, great company, sumptuous hotels. That's our Globetrotting Gourmet(r) winning recipe. |
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Tour price includes airport transfers, deluxe hotel accommodation, internal transportation, daily breakfast and most meals, cooking demonstrations and market tours. Exclusive of airfares to and from Asia. |
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| www.asianfoodtours.com |
