This culture packed tour of Vietnam and Cambodia takes you to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels and into the heart of the Mekong Delta to Can Tho and Chau Doc before crossing into Cambodia via a fascinating Mekong cruise. In Cambodia we explore Phnom Penh, discovering the royal temples and Khmer Rouge history. In Siem Reap, we visit the famous Angkor temples of the ancient Cham civilisations, an elephant camp where we take an elephant ride, a cultural village where we see traditional Apsara dancing, and a floating village. It is a fun filled journey for adults and children alike, with sampan rides, cruises, temples, cycling and an optional Hot Air Balloon ride. A great opportunity to learn about ancient history and foreign cultures.

Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnels. Today we take a half day trip to the Chu Chi tunnels and explore the complex maze of tunnels built during the American-Vietnam war. We drop to our hands and knees and squeeze underground for an insight into life as a tunnel dwelling resistance fighter. As we negotiate a very short stretch of the system, remember that people lived here for months on end. We discover the various mantraps and the remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500 pound bombs dropped by B52 bombers.

The remainder of the day is free for you to explore Saigon at your leisure, or maybe visit the Water Park.  (B)

Mekong Delta, Can Tho - Chau Doc.  Today we will discover the floating markets. We will wake up early to visit the floating market of Cai Rang, one of the most colourful floating markets in South East Asia, where a great variety of fruits and vegetables found in the region are sold. From Can Tho, we travel the colourful road to the bustling river town of Chau Doc. We take a short sightseeing to the Sam Mountain for impressive views over Cambodia and the Mekong Delta. We overnight in Chau Doc.  (B,L)

Phnom Penh - City Tour.  After breakfast at the hotel, we begin our sightseeing tour of Phnom Penh with the Silver Pagoda located in the Royal Palace enclosure and the royal gardens. The Silver Pagoda has a floor, covered with 5,000 silver tiles and is approached up an Italian marble staircase. Inside the pagoda is the Emerald Buddha and a Buddha made of gold covered in thousands of diamonds. Next we view the many carvings, statues, pottery and bronzes on display in the National Museum.

For lunch you may like to visit Friends Restaurant (a tapas restaurant that employs homeless children and provides them with hospitality vocational training).

The remainder of the day is free. You may like to take a trip to Choeung Ek - known throughout the world as the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum. Most people have some idea of Cambodia’s unhappy history but this is where it really hits home. The museum used to be the Tuol Svay Prey High School but under the dictator Pol Pot it was turned into a hideous place of detention and torture. It is now a silent testament to the horrors that Cambodians suffered not so long ago. From the museum you can go the Choeung Ek where 17,000 people were taken from the detention centre and slain. The mass graves were opened in 1980 and 8,000 skulls are now arranged and visible behind glass in the Memorial Stupa. Some graves have been left opened.  (B)

Siem Reap - Angkor Wat Complex.  After an early breakfast, we transfer to Angkor Wat for a half day tour of the temples, starting with the mysterious Royal City of Angkor Thom. 

The Angkor Wat Complex is known as the Eighth Wonder of the World. The temples of Angkor were the imperial centres of Cambodia from the 9th to the 14th centuries at the high point of the ancient Khmer empire. The buildings are set in acres of jungle land and, after Phnom Penh became Cambodia’s capital, sank into oblivion for a number of centuries.

We start exploring the mysterious Royal city Angkor Thom on bicylce. Its 50-tower temple is an awesome sight. At first glance it seems a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals a face, and then another and another until suddenly you are engulfed by the silent, heavy, enigmatic and silent gaze through half-closed eyes, staring out from a primitive and remote time.

In the afternoon we visit the Cambodian Cultural Village, which comprises various traditional shows and exhibitions. There is also traditional Apsara dancing, and miniatures of all the famous historical buildings to be seen.  (B)

Siem Reap.  This morning we have an early tour of Tonle Sap Lake. We take a 2 hour tour by boat on the lake, to discover the fisherman’s floating villages which move according to the currents.

The tour ends after our visit to Tonle Sap Lake mid to late morning.  (B)

Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours. All clients MUST be insured to cover personal accident, medical expenses, cancellation, curtailment, repatriation, etc. Also, be aware that many activities such as trekking, bungy jumping or white water rafting may not be covered on your insurance policy. If you plan on doing any of these activities please purchase additional insurance. We recommend that you have a photocopy of this document, which you keep separate from the original. If you have not already arranged your own travel insurance then Kumuka can do this for you. Please visit http://www.kumuka.com/Travel-Insurance.aspx  for more details or contact your nearest Kumuka office.

Please Note: You will not be permitted to join a Kumuka Tour without travel insurance.

It is important that you obtain the appropriate visas before you embark on your Asia trip. Country entry regulations change daily, www.kumuka.com provides up-to-date visa information. Please consult your relevant embassy for all details such as opening hours or costs. Certain visas cannot be obtained once you have started your tour, and during the peak summer months it can take longer than normal to get visas, please allow extra time to do this.

EACH CLIENT IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING ALL NECESSARY VISAS BEFORE JOINING A TOUR.

Kumuka does not accept responsibility for changes in regulations or requirements for visas. The information provided is given in good faith.

Vaccinations:

No vaccinations are compulsory in Asia, but we do recommend you are covered for *diphtheria & TB, hepatitis A, *hepatitis B, *malaria, typhoid, polio and tetanus.

NB* A Yellow fever certificate is required if arriving from infected areas. Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure.

You may need additional inoculations so please contact your G.P or a travel medical centre for further information. Please consult your doctor for up-to-date information and prescriptions for vaccinations, anti-malarial requirements and any reasonably foreseeable illnesses whilst travelling in Asia.

We also recommend:

- A dental check-up prior to travelling.
- That you know your blood group in case of emergency.
- That if you have any pre-existing medical conditions which might affect you on tour, you make these known to your tour leader and your agent/Kumuka at the time of your booking.

You can also visit www.kumuka.com for further details.

Medical Supplies:

We advise that all passengers bring along their own personal first aid kit. Below is a list of some recommended items:

Band Aids/Bandages, Laxatives, Upset stomach remedy, Anti-diarrhoea remedy, Panadol/Aspirin, Rehydration remedy, Antiseptic cream/powder, Sterile dressing, Any relevant course of medication such as contraceptive pills.

A complete Travellers Medical Pack can be purchased for approximately US$25 at most Vaccination Centres, Chemists and outdoor travel shops.

We suggest passengers budget for between US$15-30 per day for personal expenses, souvenirs, evenings out, alcoholic drinks etc. Be aware that some countries are more expensive than others and that if you are travelling through several your expenses will vary enormously. Similarly there will be some days when you spend nothing at all and others when you exceed your budget.

For security you are advised to carry most of your money in Traveller’s cheques - small denominations are preferable.

It is often a good idea to have a small amount of the currency of the country you are visiting prior to arrival. This will cover you for any initial expenses at or from the airport.

Banks are generally open Monday to Friday and some are open on Saturday morning. In the main cities travellers’ cheques can be exchanged at banks and some exchange bureaux, but this can be very difficult in small towns.

Some Hotels will also change money.

How much should I take?

• Please bring lightweight walking shoes or sandals, and a day sac. Pack essentially for hot conditions: days are hot and humid. Lightweight rain gear is essential at all times.
• Because of limited luggage space on transport, we must limit each passenger to ONE main suitcase or frameless backpack and one day bag. Your main bag must not weigh more than 20 kg’s.
• A frameless or internally framed backpack is the best way to carry your belongings since it is easy to lift on and off vehicles.
• A small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions. We also recommend that you keep your passport, credit cards travellers checks etc. on you at all times, preferably in a money belt worn under your clothes.

TRAVEL TIP: You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Please use your discretion and be sensitive to cultural differences in the countries that you visit, in particular visits to religious buildings and when taking photographs. Your Tour Leader will advise you of any specific customs to observe. Dress discretely, especially if you are visiting religious sites. For women this means skirts or long pants with T-shirt. For men, this means long shorts or trousers with a T-shirt. Always take your shoes off when entering temples or any religious site.

Care should be taken to respect the conventions of Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and other religious and ethnic groups, particularly in respect of clothing and footwear.

You might like to read up on the destinations that you are about to visit as these cities all have interesting sites and histories. We recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, The Rough Guide and Insight Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the countries you visit.

Food is one of the highlights of any trip. As in many South East Asian countries, rice is the staple food diet. This usually served with dried, salted fish, chicken, beef or pork. Fish is often fresh from Tonle Sap Lake and is eaten with a spicy peanut sauce called Tuk trey. Popular dishes include a noodle dish called Khao Phonne; sam chruk, a roll of sticky rice stuffed with soya bean and copped pork; and amok, boneless fish cooked in coconut and spices. In more upmarket restaurants you can find dishes like barbecued shrimps and other seafood, roasted sunflower seeds, and duck eggs. If you are really adventurous may also like to try some more exotic delicacies like chong roet-crunchy cicadas!

Vegetarians or those with special dietary needs can also be catered for however in some countries the type of food may be limited. Please let the Reservations team know your special requirements as soon as possible so we can do all possible to assist your needs.

The variety of food will differ, as you will be visiting a number of different countries. We try to ensure that you get the most experience from your Kumuka trip and one of the ways to do this is by trying local cuisine.

We have put a lot of thought and effort into locating the most appropriate type of accommodation for each tour. It will always be clean, comfortable and of a very high standard. All accommodation is in comfortable tourist class accommodation. Depending on the tour, this ranges from overnight sleeper train or cruise boat through to delightful lodges and excellent hotels (generally 3 star or above).

If you wish to spend a few additional days in your start city before the departure of your tour, then we can arrange accommodation for you. If you would like to book accommodation to stay additional nights after the tour ends, we will be more than happy to arrange this for you as well. All our accommodation is carefully chosen, conveniently located, clean and comfortable.

In most of the hotels in Asia you may be required to deposit your passport at Reception. This is a perfectly normal practice and nothing to be concerned about. Just make sure that you retrieve it when you check out of the hotel.

Under no circumstances are any illegal drugs allowed on any part of the trip. Anyone discovered in possession of any such drugs, will be asked to leave the tour immediately without question or refund.

Whilst on tour you will probably want to stay in touch with family and friends. There are several ways of doing this:

Mobile Phone – Before departing your home country check with your phone supplier to see if it compatible with the mobile phone networks in the countries that you are traveling to, and how much will it cost to use abroad.

Email – Internet Cafes are very cheap and popular, and you are sure to come across several during your tour. If you haven’t done so already, set up a free Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account which you can then access from any computer. Internet Cafes will charge a nominal fee for using their computers. Within Europe some hotels charge a wifi connection fee and we cannot guarantee a wifi connection at all hotels we use.

Twitter – A method of communication that is rapidly gaining in popularity on the Internet especially amongst travelers. Twitter allows you to send short messages and update your friends and family with where you are on tour and what you are doing. Create your free account at http://twitter.com. Visit Kumuka’s page on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kumuka

Facebook – Very popular website that allows you to upload stories, get in touch with fellow travellers before and after your Kumuka tour, upload photos and videos to share with other travellers, your family and friends. To create a free account, go to www.facebook.com and then become a fan of Kumuka’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kumuka-Worldwide/26617121087?ref=ts

Postcards – The good ol’ fashioned postcard. But you will probably get home before the postcard does!

KUMUKA WORLDWIDE

UK OFFICE

Hillswood Business Park
3000 Hillswood Drive Chertsey KT16 0RS
Tel: 020 7937 8855 Fax: 020 7937 6664
Email: sales@kumuka.com
www.kumuka.com

AUSTRALIAN OFFICE