Indochine - Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia Journey

Day 1: Luang Prabang, Laos

Arrive in Luang Prabang, Laos’ ancient Royal capital, where you will be met and escorted to the Villa Santi, a formal royal residence situated in the heart of the old historic town and our accommodation for the next three nights. Located on the Mekong River and encircled by mountains, Luang Prabang is a delightful and regal town of gilded temples, palaces, and French colonialist architecture, now preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area is noted for its outstanding handloom weavings, and there are many fine products available for purchase. In addition, the local market operates as a venue for the Hmong hilltribe communities, with their unique cross-stitch and appliqué work. On arrival at the hotel, the Trip Leader will meet you for a trip briefing, and the remainder of the day is free to stroll in this delightful town. This evening will have an orientation briefing and enjoy a special welcome dinner of royal Laotian cuisine at the Villa Santi...D 

Day 2: Luang Prabang

After breakfast, we enjoy a walking tour through the atmospheric lanes of old Luang Prabang, visiting several temples dating to the 15th century, including the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong (Golden Temple), and getting to know some of the local people and their traditional and unique lifestyle. After lunch, we walk to the former Royal Palace, now a museum housing heirlooms of the former Lao monarchy. The collections include the highly revered Pra Bang Buddha image, claimed to have been cast in Sri Lanka over 2,000 years ago. We can also climb Phu Si Hill, an important site with fine views over the town and the Mekong River at sunset. This evening we enjoy a special private baci ("welcoming") ceremony with villagers, followed by dinner at a local French restaurant...BLD.

Day 3: Luang Prabang / Mekong River Trip

Each day after sunrise, a procession of a hundred or more monks and novices passes directly in front of the Villa Santi on their alms round. This offers us the opportunity to "make merit" by donating food to the monks, while we in turn receive their blessing, and it can be a wonderful photographic opportunity. We then board a local boat for a scenic trip up the Mekong River to Pak Ou Caves, a Buddhist pilgrimage site located above the river. Over the last five centuries, processions of worshipers from kings to peasants have brought Buddha images to the caves, and it is a fascinating site. Following a picnic lunch, we proceed further upriver to a traditional village where we experience the life of rural Lao people at first hand, including visits to a local family and to the simple village school. We return to Luang Prabang, where we can visit a local silk-weaving community village and the local hilltribe market located in the old town. Dinner tonight is at a charming restaurant in town...BLD.

Day 4: Hilltribe Villages / Hanoi, Vietnam

This morning we drive out of town into the surrounding hills to visit a Hmong hilltribe village and a Khamu hilltribe village. About 100 years ago, the Hmong were gradually displaced from their ancestral home in the mountains of southern China and many settled in the hills of Laos. During the Vietnam War, the CIA actively recruited Hmong “warriors” in the CIA’s secret war with the Pathet Lao communists, and many subsequently fled to Thailand (and the US) with the fall of the Royal Lao government in 1975. Hmong villagers still practice ancient animistic rituals including animal sacrifices, and dress in traditional colorful handmade costume and silver jewelry. We have an opportunity to meet with several Hmong families inside their simple bamboo and wood homes, and to experience the fascinating lives of these friendly mountain people. The Khamu were originally an aboriginal group living in the lower mountains of northern Laos and have a very different culture, language, dress, and religion from the Hmong, and we'll also be able to visit a typical Khamu village. A direct afternoon flight brings us to Hanoi, where after going through Immigration and Customs we are met by our Vietnamese guide and escorted to our hotel, the Hanoi Opera Hilton Hotel, located adjacent to the French Colonial Opera House in the heart of Hanoi’s elegant French Quarter. Dinner this evening is on your own...BLD.

Day 5: Hanoi

Hanoi lies in the mighty Red River Delta and has a turbulent history going back over a thousand years. It is a charming city, and despite being the capital of Vietnam, it is decidedly slower-paced than bustling Saigon. The city is developing rapidly however, and now has many tasteful new restaurants, cafes, and hotels. Hanoi is graced by many parks and lakes, and the Old Quarter still features some magnificent French colonial architecture. We start our visit to Hanoi this morning with an exploration of some of Hanoi's ancient sights, including the Confucian Temple of Literature. This university for Mandarins was founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong to honor scholars and men of administrative and military accomplishment, and is now an island of tranquility in a busy city. We also visit Quan Thanh Taoist Temple, established in the 12th century and dedicated to Tran Vo (the “God of the North”), and Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the oldest Buddhist pagodas in Vietnam and still in active use. After a lunch of cha ca, Hanoi's famous fish and noodle specialty, we continue our exploration of Hanoi with a visit to the Hanoi's excellent Museum of Ethnology. Designed with the help of the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, it features a fascinating collection of art and artifacts gathered from throughout Vietnam and its diverse tribal people. Hanoi is also the undisputed art capital of Vietnam, and there are numerous artists of international caliber who reside and work in the city. This afternoon we visit the studio of one of Hanoi's more renowned artists in lacquerware painting, an art form unique to Vietnam, and this evening we enjoy dinner in one of Hanoi's fine restaurants specializing in Vietnamese cuisine...BLD 

Day 6: Uncle Ho / Hanoi Old Quarter

Our first visit is to "Uncle Ho" in his final resting place deep within the impressive Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It can be a chilling or an emotional experience, but one that is not easily forgotten. (Please note that Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum may be closed for periodic maintenance in November.) We walk via the beautiful Presidential Palace, formerly the Palace of the Governor of French Indochina, to visit Uncle Ho's simple Stilt House, where he lived off and on between 1958 to 1969. Next we tour the Army Museum, with its excellent displays from both the "French" and the "American" wars in Vietnam. Finally this morning, we enter the notorious "Hanoi Hilton" prison (formally the French Maison Centrale), now a museum. Inmates here included Senator John McCain and Pete Peterson, who became the first post-war US Ambassador to Vietnam in 1995. In the afternoon, we take a break from the recent past when we explore Hanoi's Old Quarter by cyclo (bicycle rickshaw) and on foot. In the 13th century, Hanoi's 36 guilds established themselves here, each taking a different street. The streets still remain today. There is Silversmiths Street, Incense Street, Buddhist Altars and Statues Street, Coffins Street, Fish Street, etc., as well as streets selling lacquerware, silk, paintings, and others commodities. It's a fascinating kaleidoscope of activity and lots of fun to browse around. Tonight we attend a performance of Hanoi's famous national Water Puppets...BLD.

Day 7: Halong Bay / Overnight Cruise aboard a Chinese Junk

This morning after breakfast we drive out of Hanoi to Halong Bay, where we board our own private junk for an overnight trip around this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the natural marvels of Vietnam. Covering an area of 1,500 square kilometers, Halong Bay is a magical setting of thousands of sheer limestone islands jutting out of a jade-green sea. Its numerous tiny islands with sparsely forested slopes are dotted with beaches and grottoes created by wind and waves. Halong means “where the dragon descended into the sea,” and local legend has it that dragons created these islands to protect people from invasion by sea. We enjoy a delicious seafood lunch on board and sail around this immense bay for the entire afternoon, stopping to visit some stunning rock formations and beautifully illuminated caves. Our overnight aboard our private junk is a unique opportunity to capture the evening and early morning vistas in this magnificent setting...BLD 

Day 8: Hue

After a full morning cruise with brunch served on board, we’ll have an early dinner before heading to the airport for our evening flight to Hue, Vietnam's cultural and religious capital. Hue was Vietnam’s political capital from 1802 to 1945 under the reign of 13 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty, and was also the site of some of the bloodiest battles of the 1968 Tet Offensive. In Hue, our accommodation is the elegant Hotel Saigon Morin, an early 19th century French hotel that has recently been restored....B(Brunch)D.

Day 9: Hue / The Royal Tombs / The Citadel

This morning we venture into the countryside to visit two Royal Tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty: the majestic and serene tomb of Emperor Tu Duc is exquisite, set amid lovely gardens and pine groves; in contrast, the gaudy and grandiose concrete tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh represents the later decline of the Vietnamese monarchy under French colonialism. We return to Hue city for lunch. In the afternoon we take a private “dragon boat” up the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the most famous structures in all Vietnam and a symbol of Buddhism and nationalism during the 1960s. A number of monks are resident here and we may have the opportunity to discuss Buddhism with one of them over a cup of Vietnamese tea. Returning to Hue, we visit the moated Citadel, which formally housed the Royal Palace, including the Forbidden Purple City. Much of the complex was damaged in the Tet Offensive, but ghosts of the past still lurk around its massive walls. Major restoration projects within the Citadel are ongoing under UNESCO, with excellent results. Dinner tonight is inside the Citadel in the family home of a former mandarin now operating as a fine restaurant...BLD.

Day 10: Coastal Drive to Danang / Hoi An

Morning is a fantastic time to visit the vibrant Dong Ba Central Market, where all manner of goods are on display, including exotic fruits and vegetables, traditional Hue clothing, and the famous Vietnamese conical hats. We then head out on a beautiful and scenic drive along the magnificent coastal route from Hue to Danang, central Vietnam's major port city. En route, we visit a local rice farming and fishing village and enjoy a seafood lunch overlooking the South China Sea. Our route takes us over Hai Van ("Sea Cloud") Pass with spectacular views. In Danang, we visit the Marble Mountains, five hills representing the five elements of the universe: water, wood, fire, metal, and earth. We climb Thuy Son (the “water mountain”) and explore its natural caves and Buddhist sanctuaries, and we can also visit a marble sculpture center nearby. We arrive in Hoi An in the late afternoon and stay for two nights at the Hoi An Hotel, conveniently located in the old town. Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant featuring Western and Vietnamese cuisine...BLD.

Day 11: Hoi An

Hoi An, a picturesque riverside town located south of Danang, is one of Asia's most enchanting places with a real sense of history on its streets. Known as Faifo to early European traders, it developed into a major international port between the 15th and 19th centuries, during which time many splendid houses and other buildings were built by prosperous European, Japanese, and Chinese merchants. When the Cai Thu Bon River silted up, the port was moved to Danang and Hoi An was virtually abandoned to a legacy of its glorious past. Today, Hoi An contains numerous ancient buildings and lanes and is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. We spend the day strolling around this charming town and visit several houses, temples, and the old Japanese Covered Bridge. We also visit the lively market on the quay and see fishermen bringing their catch to market in small boats. For lunch, we sample delicious cao lau noodles, unique to Hoi An. In the afternoon, we take an interesting river trip and see how local fishermen employ gigantic nets to catch fish. Hoi An is fast developing into something of an artists’ colony and there are a number of studios and galleries, and excellent tailor-made silk clothing is available. Dinner tonight is on your own...BLD.

Day 12: Saigon

We leave Hoi An and drive to Danang where we visit China Beach, the notorious R&R stop for American troops during the war, and after that the Cham Museum, housing an exquisite display of Champa sculpture. The Indianized kingdom of Champa flourished from the 2nd to the 15th centuries, even conquering the mighty Angkor empire in 1178 (scenes from this battle are sculpted in bas-relief at the Bayon Temple in Angkor). After lunch we proceed to the airport for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City, still known to the locals as Saigon, where we take a brief sightseeing trip around this big, bustling city and transfer to the Caravelle Hotel, situated adjacent to the French Colonial Opera House in the heart of Saigon’s lively downtown…BLD.

Day 13: Saigon / Fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia

On our last morning in Vietnam, we visit the historic Reunification Palace (formally the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam), where the ornate and spacious chambers are in sharp contrast to Uncle Ho's Stilt House in Hanoi. Diem, Thieu, war rooms, underground telecommunications centers, pictures of VC tanks crashing through wrought iron palace gates—the history of America’s war in Vietnam is all here. We also visit the French Notre Dame Cathedral and Eiffel’s distinctive Art Deco Post Office before lunch and our afternoon flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. On arrival in Siem Reap we transfer to our hotel, the beautiful Sofitel Royal Angkor Resort, our home for the last three nights of the trip. Dinner tonight will be on the Royal Court Terrace of the hotel accompanied by a classical Khmer dance performance…BLD.

Day 14: The Temples of Angkor / Angkor Wat / Angkor Thom and the Bayon

We begin our explorations of the glorious temples of Angkor with a visit to Angkor's grandest and most inspiring temple complex: Angkor Wat. This architectural masterpiece was constructed in the 12th century and covers an area of over 500 acres. We explore its many galleries with columns, libraries, pavilions, courtyards, and ponds full of water reflecting the temple. Intricately carved bas-reliefs extend the length of the outer walls and corridors, depicting mythological scenes of Hindu epics and day-to-day life at the time of Angkor's construction. We also visit the “Great City” of Angkor Thom, which was larger and more splendid than any city in Europe of the late 12th century. We will see the South Gate with its impressive causeway flanked by gods and demons, the Elephant Terrace, Phimeanakas Temple within the Royal Palace Enclosure, Preah Palilay Temple, and the Leper King Terrace, all within Angkor Thom (ancient city). After a delicious Khmer-French lunch we will explore some less-touristed sites in Angkor Thom: From Spean Thmor, an original 12th century bridge with trees growing on top of it, we drive past Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda Temples to Victory Gate, where we climb atop the massive ancient city wall and walk to the obscure Death Gate (about 500 yards). Both gates have magnificent giant Bodhisattva heads towering above them. From here we drive along a deserted track directly to the East Entrance of the magnificent Bayon Temple, noted for its gigantic Boddhisattva sculptures and its remarkable bas-reliefs—some of the best at Angkor. Dinner tonight is on your own. There are many excellent restaurants to choose from; your Trip Leader will assist you in your selection...BL 

Day 15: The Temples of Angkor / Banteay Srei / Beng Mealea / Rolous Group

Today we drive out into the Cambodian countryside to experience some very special Khmer sites. Beyond the main Angkor complex, we discover the enchanting 10th century Banteay Srei Temple. It appears that the temple was designed to leave no space undecorated, and its extraordinary fine carvings in pink sandstone are quite unique. From here we drive through rural Cambodia to the 12th century “jungle” temple of Beng Mealea, described as “a spectacular sight to behold…one of the most mysterious temples at Angkor, as nature has well and truly run riot here”. For many years off limits, Beng Mealea has only recently opened up to a few intrepid travelers. After a picnic lunch we will visit a local Cambodian village, and then drive back to Siem Reap by a different route via the 9th century Rolous Group of temples—the earliest at Angkor. We return through Siem Reap, where we have an opportunity to visit “Les Artisans d’Angkor,” a school promoting the arts and crafts of Cambodia, much of which were temporarily lost under the Pol Pot regime. Tonight we celebrate our farewell dinner at Mahout’s Dream Restaurant in the Sofitel Royal Angkor Resort Hotel...BLD.

Day 16: The Temples of Angkor / Ta Promh / Preah Khan / Depart

On our last day in Angkor we visit two special temples. Ta Promh is a favorite with visitors because of the way in which huge fig, banyan, and kapok trees have grown throughout the temple monuments, their giant roots often splitting open ancient Buddha sculptures with surreal effect. We also visit Preah Khan, the “Sacred Sword,” a magnificent structure dedicated to the Buddhist religion by King Jayavarman VII. This huge temple complex is also largely overgrown with great trees and smothering roots still clinging to the sandstone and laterite walls, and is presently under loving restoration by the World Monuments Fund of NYC. We return to our hotel for lunch, then transfer to the airport for late afternoon homeward-bound flights...BLD.