Indochina

by Ronald HN Tan

Tours of Indochina will introduce you to the region where French colonial influences mingle with the ancient customs of Cambodia and Vietnam. With startling landscapes and many sites of cultural interest, take a regional tour for Indochina holidays you won’t forget.

Ho Chi Minh City

An example twelve day tour of Indochina is one that explores the colours, sights and aromas of Cambodia and Vietnam, travelling through the Mekong Delta. Beginning in Ho Chi Minh City, the capital of Vietnam (formerly called Saigon), you will get a taste of the vibrant national culture around the landmarks of the Old Post Office building and the Reunification Palace in the bustling city centre. The Vietnamese homage to Notre Dame is one of many examples of the French colonial influences you will see. Many Indochina tours also provide an introduction to the native cuisine in the city with a special demonstration by a local chef.

Chu Chi Tunnels

On a typical itinerary, after Ho Chi Minh City, you will head towards Chu Chi. The Chu Chi Tunnels are a remarkable and unusual attraction for holidays in Indochina. Tourists have the chance to explore a portion of the seventy five miles of underground rat runs that the Viet Cong constructed during the war that spread beyond Vietnam’s borders across Indochina. Tours of the tunnels will comprise an education in guerrilla warfare and an insight into life underground, including getting acquainted with booby traps, squirming through narrow tunnels, and planning strategies in the command centre.

Phnom Penh

A visit to the Sam Mountain in southern Vietnam is next, followed by the bright lights and decorative architecture of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city. Art deco French buildings share the city with Khmer architecture in a vibrant urban atmosphere that you will enjoy exploring on your Indochina holidays. You will certainly want to visit the Royal Palace, a gem of Indochina. Touring the beautiful gardens as you move between the buildings, you will see the pavilions, throne hall, and the Silver pagoda, each with their graceful pillars, complex roofs and sharp pointed spires.

The Angkor Ruins

In Siem Reap you will get a further sense of the mix of French and Eastern cultures, before journeying into the jungle to witness the wonderful Angkor region. Angkor is a UNESCO listed area of Cambodia that contains some of the most historically valuable sites in Indochina. Tours of the ruins will let you explore the moss-covered stone temples and the statues and icons of Angkor Thom. The temples in the Angkor region resemble the setting for an Indiana Jones film; where the jungle has reclaimed the ruins, the roots of trees have grown through the buildings and become part of their structure. The better preserved temples have conical towers and long stone hallways for you to see on your Indochina holidays, and get a sense of what it could have been like to worship there ten centuries ago. In the Banteay Srei temple, you will see ornate and detailed stone carvings that are more than a thousand years old.

Largest flash mob ever held in Vietnam. Sponsored by Oishi. –Setlist– 1. Jump – Southside Rockers 2. Let’s Get It Started – Black Eyed Peas 3. Bad Romance – Lady Gaga 4. Right Now (Na Na Na) – Akon 5. TiK ToK – Ke$ ha 6. Single Ladies – Beyonce 7. Beat It – Michael Jackson 8. Insomnia – Craig David 9. Oishi’s theme song

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