Lanterns, Limestone and Lost Kingdoms: Vietnam & Cambodia Remembered

A first breath of Hanoi

The journey began, as the most memorable journeys often do, in the hush between leaving and arriving. Guests departed London on 7 February 2025 bound for Hanoi, crossing time zones towards a country where mornings rise on the scent of coffee, incense and street-side broth.

After the overnight flight, Hanoi offered an immediate change in tempo. Citibond’s local representative met the group on arrival, with transfers arranged and early check-in prepared so everyone could recover gently from the long journey. Light refreshments and breakfast helped soften the landing before the city began to reveal itself.

The first day in Vietnam was not rushed; it unfolded in layers. There was an orientation drive through the capital, an outside view of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and a visit to the distinctive One-Pillar Pagoda. In the Old Quarter, a rickshaw ride carried guests through narrow streets animated by motorbikes, market stalls and the everyday choreography of Hanoi life. Later, the traditional Water Puppet Show offered a glimpse into Vietnam’s storytelling heritage — wooden figures gliding across water, music rising, folklore made vivid through movement. Dinner at a local restaurant closed the day with warmth and anticipation.

Limestone, emerald water and a quiet deck at sunset

From Hanoi, the road led east to Halong Bay, where land and sea appear to have negotiated their own dreamlike arrangement. Guests boarded Peony Cruises around midday, settling into the rhythm of life on the water as lunch was served on board. Outside, limestone islands rose from emerald-coloured water in shapes softened by distance and haze.

The cruise became one of the defining passages of the tour. In the unspoilt Tra Bau area, guests took to kayaks, moving close to the waterline and into a quieter register of travel. The scale of Halong Bay is best understood slowly: the drip of paddles, the shadow of cliffs, the way the light shifts over stone.

Evening brought a cooking demonstration, with guests learning to make Vietnamese spring rolls — hands busy, conversation easy, the pleasure of food as both craft and welcome. As the sun lowered, the deck became a natural gathering place. Some enjoyed the ship’s comforts, others tried squid fishing, while many simply remained outside beneath the darkening sky, watching the bay take on the deep blue of evening.

The following morning began with Tai Chi on board, a quiet ceremony of breath and balance before the day’s exploration of Cat Ba Biosphere and Trung Trang Cave. Returning to Hanoi after disembarkation, the group continued to the Temple of Literature, a place of learning and elegant courtyards that offered a contemplative contrast to the grandeur of the bay.

Caves, frontiers and imperial Hue

A short flight carried the journey south to Dong Hoi, gateway to some of Vietnam’s most extraordinary underground landscapes. At Paradise Cave, guests entered one of the world’s largest cave complexes, where rock formations appeared almost architectural: columns, folds and chambers shaped by deep geological time.

From natural history, the route turned towards human history. Travelling through the former Demilitarised Zone, the group crossed the Hien Luong Bridge and visited sites including Quang Tri Citadel and, as recalled in the source memories, the Vinh Moc Tunnels. These places resist easy summary. They ask visitors to pause, to consider the endurance of communities, and to recognise how landscape can hold the weight of conflict long after silence has returned.

Hue brought another kind of memory: imperial, ceremonial, composed. The UNESCO-listed Imperial City introduced guests to the former seat of the Nguyen emperors, with walls, gates and courtyards speaking of power and refinement. At Thien Mu Pagoda — also known as the Celestial Lady Pagoda — the mood shifted towards serenity, while the Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang revealed a landscape of water, pavilions and carefully balanced design. Hue is a city where history seems to move at river speed, reflective and measured.

Over the pass to Hoi An’s lantern glow

The drive from Hue to Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass offered one of Vietnam’s most scenic transitions. Mountain road, sea views and the distant outline of Da Nang accompanied the group southwards, before Hoi An appeared with its low rooftops, old trading houses and soft evening light.

In the UNESCO-listed Old Quarter, guests wandered through streets shaped by centuries of exchange. Hoi An has a rare intimacy: it is a historic port that still feels lived in, its beauty found as much in small details as in grand heritage. A lantern-making workshop gave the group a hands-on connection to the craft most closely associated with the town. Fabric, bamboo, colour and concentration came together; each lantern became a small souvenir of patience and place.

The following day brought My Son Sanctuary, where Hindu temples stand amid the green of central Vietnam. Weathered towers and carved remnants spoke of the Cham civilisation and of spiritual traditions that once flourished across the region. Back in Hoi An, free time allowed guests to move at their own pace — a welcome pause in a journey rich with encounters.

In the mountains above Da Nang

Ba Na Hills provided a dramatic change in altitude and perspective. Guests ascended by cable car, an impressive ride through mountain scenery towards one of Vietnam’s most photographed modern landmarks: the Golden Bridge. Held aloft by giant stone-like hands, the bridge offered sweeping views over the lush landscape and towards Da Nang.

The visit also included Linh Ung Pagoda and, as remembered by guests, the French Wine Cellar. It was an unexpected combination of mountain air, architectural theatre and panoramic views — a high point in both the literal and emotional sense.

Marble Mountain followed on another day, with its limestone peaks, caves, pagodas and viewpoints adding yet another texture to central Vietnam’s landscape. By then, the journey had gathered many forms of wonder: natural, sacred, historic, handmade.

South to Saigon, the Mekong and Cambodia’s ancient stones

From Hoi An, the group flew to Ho Chi Minh City, still often called Saigon, where modern energy and wartime memory exist side by side. At the Cu Chi Tunnels, guests stepped into the story of an underground network used during the Vietnam War — a sobering and intricate testament to resilience. The city tour later included the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral and Reunification Hall, each place adding context to Vietnam’s complex twentieth century.

The itinerary also carried guests into the Mekong Delta, where river life forms its own world of movement, trade and waterborne routine, before the journey crossed into Cambodia by flight to Siem Reap.

There, the final chapters unfolded among the temples of Angkor. At Angkor Thom, the South Gate led towards Bayon Temple, with its serene stone faces, and the Terrace of the Elephants. Ta Prohm offered another kind of awe, where roots and ruins appear locked in an ancient embrace. In the afternoon, Angkor Wat stood before the group: vast, balanced, intricately carved and still capable of quieting a crowd.

Further explorations included Srah Srang, Ta Keo, Preah Khan and Banteay Srei, along with a local handicraft village. On the final day, a boat journey on Tonle Sap Lake to Kampong Phluk revealed stilt houses, floating schools and the vivid realities of lake life before the homeward flight.

By the time guests arrived back in London on Day 18, the journey had become more than a sequence of destinations. It was the memory of Halong Bay at sunset, a lantern taking shape by hand, the solemn spaces of Hue and the carved stones of Angkor holding the afternoon light.