Discover Thailand & Vietnam

A free day. Wander the lanes of the walled Old City from one temple to the next, book a Thai massage for two, browse the craft shops and cafes around Nimmanhaemin Road, or stay by the pool. If you are here at the weekend, the walking street markets are worth an evening.

Spend the morning at an ethical elephant sanctuary in the hills outside the city, where the elephants are cared for rather than ridden. Help prepare their food, walk with them through the forest, then join them in the river for their bath. Lunch is served at the camp before you head back to Chiang Mai for your last evening in Thailand.

Today you cross into Vietnam. After breakfast you transfer to Chiang Mai Airport for your flight to Da Nang, usually with a change of plane in Bangkok, and a driver meets you on arrival for the drive south to Hoi An. River Town Hoi An, on the banks of the Thu Bon River, is home for the next four nights. Walk into the old town after dark, when its silk lanterns are lit.

Today is a taste of village life. You cycle out of town to Tra Que, where families still grow basil, mint and lettuce in neat raised beds for the kitchens of Hoi An. Put on a farmer's hat and help with the watering, then cook a lunch of Vietnamese dishes together and eat what you made. A foot massage rounds off the visit before the ride back.

A free day in Hoi An. The old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a grid of yellow merchant houses, assembly halls and the Japanese Covered Bridge. Have something made by one of the town's tailors, who can usually fit you within a day or two, take a boat out on the river at dusk, or spend the day by the pool.

Ride out along quiet lanes to An Bang, an easy-going beach a few kilometres from town, with loungers under thatched umbrellas and seafood grilled to order. Swim, read and stay for lunch, then cycle back as the afternoon cools for a last evening in the old town.

A driver takes you to Da Nang this morning for the flight south to Phu Quoc, an island in the Gulf of Thailand off the Cambodian coast. La Veranda, a resort in the French colonial style on Long Beach, is yours for three nights. Your Ocean Villa has a terrace facing the sea, and on this side of the island the sun sets straight into the water.

A boat takes you out to the small islands off the south of Phu Quoc: Hon Xuong, Gam Ghi and May Rut Trong. Snorkel over the coral, swim from quiet beaches and stop for lunch along the way, then head back to La Veranda in time for sunset.

Nothing is planned today. Stay on the beach, book a spa treatment for two, or ride the cable car from the south of the island across the sea to Hon Thom, one of the longest sea-crossing cable cars in the world. In the evening, wander the pastel streets of Sunset Town as the light goes.

A last slow morning by the sea before the short flight to Ho Chi Minh City. From the airport you are driven to An Lam Retreats Saigon River, a peaceful hideaway of villas and gardens on the banks of the Saigon River, away from the traffic of the centre. Your suite looks out over the water.

A free day for the city once called Saigon. See the old French post office, Ben Thanh Market and the War Remnants Museum, or head out on a street-food evening among the scooters. If you would rather leave the city, the Cu Chi Tunnels or a day on the Mekong Delta can be added as extras. Or stay by the river and let the city wait.

After breakfast, check out and transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight home, with the temples of Chiang Mai, the lanterns of Hoi An and the beaches of Phu Quoc behind you.