24-Day Mekong Journey Through Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos

Day 1 – Welcome to Vietnam!

Xin chào and welcome to Vietnam! From the moment you touch down at the airport, you’ll be in the expert hands of your Vietnam driver who is waiting to escort you to your Ho Chi Minh hotel. Take a refreshing 4-star hotel nap or step out into the street to be greeted by the whirlwind of motorbikes, street food waftings, and non-stop energy that tells you you have arrived. 

Just be back in time for dinner, where one by one, your soon-to-be-friends in the Patchie crew gather with your Vietnamese guide to enjoy a first taste of Vietnam – literally – at a local restaurant. Will it be your number-one of countless noodle soups, rich in flavour and warming for the soul? A crunchy spring roll? Something completely new to you that your guide says is a must? As you get to know the Patchies you’ll be travelling with, Vietnam starts to seep into your bloodstream. The adventure begins! 

Accomodation: Alagon D’Antique Hotel (or similar), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Included: Dinner

Day 2 – Exploring Ho Chi Minh City

One benefit of being a Patchie is you’ll always take clever routes that most travellers wouldn’t know about. That’s definitely the case this morning when you avoid the streets and hop on a private speedboat down the Saigon River to reach the Cu Chi tunnels. In this vast network of underground tunnels, the Viet Cong hid and lived to escape enemies. Hear riveting stories about booby traps and breathing mounds, and if you are not faint of heart, try a run through the crushingly narrow tunnels. A slow cruise downstream toward a peaceful lunch may be the exact antidote you need after. 

The rest of the day is dedicated to Saigon as you explore its most distinct spots. Piece together how Chinese, American, and French colonial influences create this dynamic former capital as you explore major buildings and the War Museum. It’s a big full first day in Vietnam, and you’ve only just started! 

Accomodation: Alagon D’Antique Hotel (or similar), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 3 – Can Tho on the Mekong Delta

After breakfast, it’s an easy drive to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta – a drive that is just long enough to get to know your Patchie crew better, before arriving at the wharf and diving in (to see the town, that is!). Anyone can visit a Khmer temple and be wowed by its shining gold and uplifting air of devotion – but you’re a Patchie, so you take it one step further. Sit with a monk to share a moment of blessing and offering, letting the spiritualism of the moment sink into you. 

Then it’s a change of pace to stroll along De Tham Street, but you have to try this street food! Who’s ready to bite into the crunchy exterior and tender, mung bean-and-shrimp filling of a Bánh Cống? When you’ve had your fill of walking, retreat to the wharf for drinks at a cosy café overlooking the wharf,  where riverboats, sculptures and people will keep your eyes busy. 

Accomodation: Victoria Can Tho (or similar), Can Tho, Vietnam
Included: Breakfast

Day 4 – From the Cai Rang Floating Market to the Forest

While this trip mostly explores regions behind-the-scenes, you can’t come to Can Tho without visiting the Cai Rang Floating Markets.  Uncover hidden treats with your guide’s help. Dive into the maze of large boats, piled high with watermelons, pineapples and flowers – or tiny sampans skirting around selling snacks and coffees (yes, please!). Ride up a narrow canal to watch rice noodles be made in a small shop.

Next, it’s a car ride to Chau Doc, then to Tra Su Forest. Upon arrival in Tra Su, switch to your own sampan to glide through the Tra Su Forest, a sanctuary contrast to the market’s cacophony. Under the roof of tall trees, each moment a whiff of florals and a backdrop of birdsong, you may just fall into a trance as your boat cleaves through the carpet of lotus flowers. Did you say peaceful? 

Accomodation: Victoria Chau Doc Hotel (or similar), Chau Doc, Vietnam
Included: Breakfast

Day 5 – Welcome to Cambodia!

Time to pack up your suitcase, snag a breakfast box to go from the hotel, and head to the pier. By now, you’ve gotten the hang of the back roads way to travel, so you casually hop on the speed boat that’ll take you to Phnom Penh and Cambodia. You say sad goodbyes to your trusted Vietnamese guide, but waiting on the other shore is your Cambodian guide, promising new insights and expert guidance. 

A personal driver will take the group to the hotel and then it’s choose-your-own adventure for your first afternoon in town. Steps away from the river promenade, will you go for a short stroll? Bring back your discoveries to dinner, where you and the group gather over rich fish curries or bright beef salad before getting ready for a big day tomorrow. 

Accomodation: Frangipani Royal Palace (or similar), Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 6 – Phnom Penh, Street Level

It’s a full day today, so lace up your joggers for a see-it-all, do-it-all city tour! Step one, fill up on energy at Phnom Penh’s oldest market (and the best place for local delights). Bite into a chewy, smoky Lort Cha noodle or follow your nose to grilled BBQ skewers. A couple of lightly crunchy Nom krok coconut pancakes are perfect on the go as you wander. 

You’re busy peeling back Cambodia’s layers of architectural history, when suddenly the bright yellow arms of Psah Thmey market pull you in. Between tables full of freshly-caught fish, produce and keepsakes, you find a traditional Cambodian fortune teller. Are you ready to hear what’s in store for you?

After such a busy day, the evening’s activity is the perfect reset. You step onto a boat as the sun sets, gliding down the river for a new perspective on Phnom Penh, passing the quiet countryside, traditional floating houses and markets along the banks. 

Accommodation: Frangipani Royal Palace (or similar), Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Included: Breakfast

Day 7 – Cambodia History and Future

As beautiful as it is, Cambodia also carries scars from the reign of the Khmer Rouge. Gain a deeper appreciation for this recent past at Tuol Sleng Prison and Choeng Ek, also known as the “killing fields” outside the city. It can be tough to walk around the barren prison halls of the prison and the quiet mass graves, but nothing will give you a more real sense of what this country has gone through.

It all takes a bright turn at lunch, when you meet the promise of Cambodia’s future. In a local restaurant, street children and at-risk youth are given the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the hospitality business, serving you delicious traditional and modern dishes. A palate cleanser, in more ways than one – and the afternoon has one more heart-delighting visit in store, before you are set free on your own this evening, picking up the last few impressions of Phnom Penh before tomorrow’s departure.

Accommodation: Frangipani Royal Palace (or similar), Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 8 – Rural Kampong Thom

Today, you head deep into Cambodia in your private minibus to Kampong Thom to meet rural Cambodia and its people. First up: a roadside stop to try local specialties. Fried spiders or crickets, anyone? Then, on a red dirt road under a leafy canopy, the driver stops. Around you, a network of paths lead into the forest, each one taking you to ancient temple ruins hidden among the trees. Covered in carvings and vegetation, these 7th-century marvels may have you feeling like a part of an Indiana Jones movie. 

Curious about the people who live in the region today? Hop on a bike to see the villages of the Isanborei community and meet the people who live here. It’s easy to make fast friends with people who are this welcoming. Bring back all you’ve learned to the hotel, where you and the crew dig into dinner before collapsing on a soft pillow for some good sleep. 

Accommodation: Glorious Hotel (or similar), Krong Stueng Saen, Cambodia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9 – Siem Reap in your Sights

Well over a week into your adventure, doesn’t this feel like a good day for a bit of a break? Linger over breakfast at the hotel before it’s time to board your private minibus to Siem Reap. You’ve got about four hours here to do nothing but gaze out at the countryside and rural villages darting by, comparing snapshots with your Patchies, or getting some inside insight from your guide. Once you arrive, take your time and relax. Maybe you’ll be allured by the blue of your hotel’s pool until dinner, when the group comes together at a local restaurant. The pro tip tonight? Don’t make it a late one! Tomorrow’s adventure starts before the crack of dawn. 

Accommodation: Tara Angkor (or similar), Siem Reap, Cambodia
Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 10 – Angkor Wat

This is a big one! Today’s destination is certainly on the tourist map, but thanks to a side entrance you’ll sneak into Angkor Wat far from the crowds. As the sunrise bathes the temple stones in golden light, you meet this holy site in revered silence. Stare at its details in awe, but don’t miss the is-this-real photo op of its grandeur. You may need a breather, so head back to the hotel for a late breakfast before returning to take in the rest of the Angkor temples. 

The awe continues as you visit Ta Prohm, a temple where giant tree roots push up around huge stone blocks in a haunting embrace. Here, too, you arrive when the crowds are sparse, soaking in the afternoon light dripping through the trees, before catching one last temple at sunset. It’s a non-stop cavalcade of wow-worthy spots today – it’s hard to believe this place wasn’t created with magic! 

Accommodation: Tara Angkor (or similar), Siem Reap, Cambodia
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 11 – Cambodian Village Life

After yesterday’s monumental day, today’s rural pace may help you unwind. In a sea of rice fields, you’ll find the village of Khmer Kna Por. As you wander through the village, friendly locals open their doors, eager to invite you in and show you their trades, maybe teaching you how to make sweet sra sor rice wine or intricately patterned mats using ancient methods. Chatting with the locals, you learn not just about their work, but what life is like in the village. 

A stunner of a location, you can’t miss the views either, taking in scenes of children playing, water buffalo in the fields, slow palm fronds waving from around the rice fields from the comfort of a remork (the powerful country cousin of the tuktuk!). Lunch at a local restaurant is just the cherry on top of this heart-warming day, before returning to Siem Reap. Anyone fancy a cheeky drink by the pool? 

Accommodation: Tara Angkor (or similar), Siem Reap, Cambodia
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 12 – Conservation in the Jungle

Can you believe you are already halfway through your adventure? Time to load up the next memory card to your camera! You’ll want it today as you venture deep into the jungle to uncover the “River of a Thousand Lingams” – what it means we’ll leave as a surprise. Then it’s conversations at the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity. If you were hoping to see adorable baby animals and meet devoted wildlife-rescuers, this is for you! 

Welcome to the Banteay Srei, the “Citadel of Women.” Cross the quiet moat to enter this small, pinkish temple space and notice how the clear and detailed carvings stand out at every turn. The statue guards seem to be smirking at you. Are we sure this temple was built over a thousand years ago? Or will it, just like in a fairytale, suddenly come alive? 

Accommodation: Tara Angkor (or similar), Siem Reap, Cambodia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 13 – Hello, Laos!

After a few days with Siem Reap as home base, it’s time to pack up your bag and check out. Laos awaits! 

It’s an early morning departure for this travel day, but you can make up for any lost sleep on the seven-hour drive to the border. After getting your paperwork in order – and saying goodbye to your Cambodian guide – it’s a short walk across the border and welcome to Laos and your new local guide! 

While the day may have started out as a humdrum travel day, you’ll meet Laos’s unique style head-on as you travel by boat to your dreamy, laid-back, river-island vibes of Khone. Settle into your remote new home where the riverviews and the kindness of your hosts make this stay special. Dinner is as you please – this may be just the night for ordering an extra drink or two and staying up chatting with some of your fellow Patchies. 

Accommodation: Sengahloune Resort (or similar), Khone Island, Laos
Included: Breakfast

Day 14 – Mekong Island Life

An archipelago of 4000 islands, Si Phan Don is a treasure chest of discovery, where each island has its own charm and energy. Today, uncover these secrets of Laos outside the guidebook – all with the help of your own guide linking you and the people of the region. 

On one island, a local expert helps you make a traditional farmer’s hat from palm leaves. On another, a family invites you to lunch, where a spread of fresh catches from the river, drippingly sweet fruits, and rustic dishes deep with herby flavour give you a taste of island life. Hop back onto your boat to delve deeper into island mosaic, stepping off at Don Thorlathy island, where the name of the game is bamboo weaving. Here, you’ll try to keep up as skilled craftspeople create bamboo baskets, fishing nets, and traps with impressive dexterity. After such an enriching day, it’s a blissful return to your no-rush island of Don Khone. 

Accomodation: Sengahloune Resort (or similar), Khone Island, Laos
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 15 – The Slow Road to Paradise

It’s another day of eye-glazing scenic routes where your mind can wander. A short boat ride brings you back to the mainland, where your driver is ready to take you north. As you pull up to Wat Tomo – jungle canopy rising around you, moss-covered temple ruins ahead and only the sound of a light breeze through the forest – you may well feel like you’re lost in time. 

A rarely-visited temple ruin, Wat Tomo is   the perfect setting for a picnic lunch! Simple, local dishes laid out in a shady corner of the stone walls, ready for you to share more than a meal with your Patchie friends – you’re sharing a never-forget-this moment. With such a serenity-soaking afternoon in the books, stepping down to the river’s edge for a cruise to your riverside lodge seems a fitting conclusion, doesn’t it?

Accomodation: La Folie Lodge (or similar), Champasak, Laos
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 16 – Champasak Dreams

Most of today is a free-wheeling, follow-your-tingles kind of day, but you’ll set the tone with an excursion together at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wat Phou. If you thought Angkor Wat was impressively ancient, this temple complex has it beat – with a fraction of the visitors! With the mountain rising behind you and Champasak countryside spreading out before you, wander around South East Asia’s oldest place of worship to admire intricate carvings, peaceful lotus flower ponds, and – if you manage the climb – a reservoir of holy water ready to bring you good fortune. 

Once back at the resort, take the chance at some real leisure – watch the sun set over the river from a sand bank, take a dip in the pool, or borrow a hotel bicycle to explore the island, riding through rice fields and meeting villagers on a pinch-me day that will linger with you long after you’re tucked into bed for the night. 

Accommodation: La Folie Lodge (or similar), Champasak, Laos
Included: Breakfast

Day 17 – Laos Coffee Region

Have you gotten your fill of breath-catching nature yet? We didn’t think so! So head up into the mountains to explore the Bolaven Plateau, where each turn is more scenic than the next. Watch one waterfall plunge into the jungle – or bring your swimmers for a dip at the bottom of another. Is it a perfect spot for a picnic lunch? Of course it is, we’ve got you sorted! 

Then it’s time for a pick-me-up with the help of Ms. Souk at a family-owned coffee farm. You’re in the heart of Laos’ coffee region and you’ll see it all, learning each step of the coffee production process from cherry to cup, before getting the chance (of course!) to savour a freshly brewed cup of your own. There’s only one spot left to see this day, but “only” doesn’t do it justice – pull out your camera again and get ready. 

Accommodation: Athena Hotel (or similar), Pakse, Laos
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 18 – Meeting Vientiane

The Mekong runs like a thread through your whole South East Asia adventure, and today you’ll encounter it further north. A short morning flight brings you to Vientiane, and then you’re back on the river, stepping off on Don Xin Xu island, where time stands still. You’ll get to see what life on this island is like with the help of its classic vehicle, the tuktuk! It’s a belly-laugh of a ride, bumping down, down the road to Mr. York’s farm. His beaming face welcomes you, and you’ll no doubt hang on every one of his stories about life on the island. Eventually you’ll have to pull yourself away, so you can be back on your longboat in time to enjoy a sundowner in the golden light reflecting on the river. Does it get any better than this?

Accommodation: Mintra Hotel (or similar), Vientiane, Laos
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 19 – Discovering the City

Today’ theme is urban exploration, as you dive into Vientiane. Along the capital’s main boulevard, Lane Xang, you’ll find all its big monuments, historic wats, and a very Lao take on Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. At Wat That Luang, Laos’s most sacred structure, it’s sunnies-on so you don’t get blinded by all the goldleaf gleaming in the sunlight. A short excursion outside of town may have you equal parts amused and amazed, but what a pumpkin has to do with heaven and hell we’ll let you figure out when you get there! 

If you’ve been eyeing the noodle dish Kao Piak Sen on restaurant menus and hankering for a slurp of this comforting soup, this is your moment. With the help of a local you’ll learn how to make the traditional dish, from hand-cutting the noodles to layering the rich flavours, all before you get to dig into your creation (and take the recipe home with you, of course!). 

Accommodation: Mintra Hotel (or similar), Vientiane, Laos
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 20 – Pak Ou Caves and Village Weavers

You’ve travelled by river, you’ve travelled by road, and now it’s time to travel through Laos by rail! Lucky for you, the new high-speed trains take this trip down from 10 hours to two, the perfect amount of time to see the countryside fly by and get to Luang Prabang in time for lunch at a local favourite restaurant. 

Come afternoon, you venture out to nearby villages. Watch ancient silk-weaving techniques and Sa paper production before continuing on to the Pak Ou Caves. As you step off the riverbank and into the dim light of the limestone caves, your eyes adjust to find hundreds, no, thousands, of Buddha statues and cave paintings, a testament to the devotion of the locals. Return to homebase as you’ve become accustomed, sipping a refreshing drink, eating Lao snacks, and gabbing with your fellow Patchies about the day on a river boat, gliding down your trusted Mekong. 

Accommodation: Parasol Blanc Hotel (or similar), Luang Prabang, Laos
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 21 – Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage City, and today you’ll understand why. Step across the threshold to ancient temples, where you could easily lose yourself in the 500 years of stunning gold accents, and turn down quaint side streets where traditional architecture meets French colonial fusion. Even better, your guide will help you chat with locals and soon you’ll understand why Laos’ culture is affectionately called PDR – Please Don’t Rush. 

Your PDR morning eventually leads you to the foot of Phousi Mountain. It’s said that if you haven’t climbed the 328 steps to the top to see the whole town, the winding river, and billowing mountains beyond, you haven’t truly experienced the city. A riverside lunch rewards your efforts, before the afternoon introduces you to a  Luang Prabang Heritage Insider, whose insights will trickle to you in the calm of a garden situated in one of the oldest aristocratic mansions of Luang Prabang. Now that’s an inside scoop! 

Accommodation: Parasol Blanc Hotel (or similar), Luang Prabang, Laos
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 22 – Elephant Adventures

Did you know that you are in the Land of a Million Elephants? Today there’s no doubt. The excitement builds on your ride out of town, then cross the river, and there they are: real, live elephants, in a sanctuary where they roam freely, on their own terms.  Begin by gently connecting with snacks – a simple way to build respect. Before setting out on a two-hour trek deep into the Laos jungle, following them as they move through the forest, travelling to their own beat.  The unscripted moments will get right to your heart and saying goodbye won’t be easy. 

The only way to come down from this? Step on a river cruise and watch the sun set over the Mekong, as you chat about the day with your Patchie friends over dinner. Did someone say Please Don’t Rush? Hadn’t even crossed your mind. 

Accommodation: Parasol Blanc Hotel (or similar), Luang Prabang, Laos
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Ethical elephanting 

Despite being the Land of a Million Elephants where the animals are held in high regard, elephant mistreatment has long been an issue in Laos. Tourism has created an industry where riding the elephants or training them to do tricks became the norm – going against the animals’ welfare and abilities to live healthy, happy lives. 

At MandaLao Elephant Conservation, the aim is the opposite. The elephants here have been rescued from logging and tourism industries. While they can’t be fully rewilded, they are given space to live as naturally as possible, with dedicated mahouts caring for their wellbeing. Visitors are observers, participating on the elephants’ terms.

Day 23 – Baci Ceremony in Vientiane

Pack your bags – it’s time to take the train back to Laos’s big smoke (if you can call it that – Vientiane is more like a country town than a capital). On your evening on this adventure, you’re going out with cultural fireworks, as you cap off your  journey with a traditional Baci Ceremony. 

In a small village near Vientiane, you’re welcomed into the private home of a local family. The cotton strings tied to your wrist, connect you all to the spirit of luck, friendship, and good health. Follow the family’s lead as they take you through the ceremony, which calls back protective spirits to the body and brings good fortune and strength to loved ones. 

With your soul protected and your fortunes gleaming, there’s only one thing left to do: share a farewell Patchie dinner to knock your socks off! Over regional favourites and belly-laughs, reminisce about your favourite moments on the trip (impossible to pick just one!) and try your best not to make new plans immediately – or do! 

Accommodation: Mintra Hotel (or similar), Vientiane , Laos
Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 24 – Farewell, Friends! 

You’ve been up and down the Mekong Delta – seen floating markets, elephants, and met the real people who live here. You’ve stepped into reverent temples and seen hundreds of years worth of architecture, and eaten dishes it took you longer to learn how to pronounce than to fall in love with. And best of all? You’ve done it with other adventurous travellers like yourself – strangers who fast became friends. 

As you pack up the last of your souvenirs, swap one last Whatsapp detail and take that final group selfie before catching your ride to the airport, you’ll know that you are forever changed by the people, places and experiences that appear when you look beyond the guidebooks and bucket lists. La Kon, Patchie, stay well! 

Included: Breakfast