Starting at $3299
19 days • 40 mealsExplorations rewards travelers with new perspectives. These are the personal adventures that today's cultural explorers dream of. (12-28 passengers)
Itinerary
Three Kingdoms of Indochina:
Viewing itinerary for:
February 06, 2014, $3299
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
19 days • 40 meals
Price This Tour or call 800.340.5158
| Before your Tour Options: | Add an additional night to your stay |
- Hotel: New World Hotel Saigon
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Extension: Hong Kong Extension Land Portion (Kingdoms of Indochina)
Day 1: Overnight Flight
Your tour begins with an overnight flight to Hong Kong • Skip a day ahead en route as you cross the International Dateline.
Day 2: Hong Kong - Extension Begins
Today you arrive in Hong Kong, one of Asia's most cosmopolitan and dynamic cities • You will stay in Kowloon, located in the heart of Hong Kong's bustling shopping district • The remainder of your day is at leisure • Hong Kong is noted for fabulous savings on jewelry, silk and leather products.
Day 3: Hong Kong - Hong Kong Island
Cross the harbor and enjoy a comprehensive tour of Hong Kong Island, home to the city’s most popular sites • Visit Stanley Market and stroll around its famous seaside village bazaar • Learn about the lifestyle of Hong Kong’s fishermen with a visit to Aberdeen Fishing Village where you will have the opportunity to take an optional traditional sampan ride in the typhoon shelter • Your tour will also take you past Repulse Bay Beach, an important strategic location during World War II and the longest beach on the island • Complete your tour with a panoramic ride up Victoria Peak for spectacular views of the city and harbor below • The remainder of your day is at leisure.
Today breakfast will be included.Day 4: Hong Kong - Ho Chi Minh City
You will board your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
Today breakfast will be included.
On Tour Options
to see a complete list of options that will be available on your tour.
Day 1: Overnight Flight
Begin with an overnight flight to Vietnam.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - Tour Begins
Arrive in historic Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon.
View AccommodationDay 3: Ho Chi Minh City
Tour the city’s colonial landmarks including the Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and Opera House • Visit the Reunification Palace where the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon • Learn more about the lasting effects of this struggle at the War Remnants Museum • Join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner at a rooftop garden that was a popular hangout for American military officials and war correspondents.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City
Travel to the Mekong Delta and embark on a cruise along the bustling river • See floating markets, fruit orchards and the Mekong River islands • Enjoy a leisurely lunch in a lush tropical garden and explore local villages • Visit Cao Dai Temple and its unique architectural style • Experience the region’s multifaceted culinary heritage with an optional dinner at a French restaurant.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and lunch will be included.Day 5: Ho Chi Minh City - Hoi An
Fly to Da Nang • Stop at China Beach where American troops landed during the war • Venture to Hoi An, an ancient merchant trading port and a UNESCO World Heritage site • Enjoy a cyclo tour of the preserved town • See the Tan Ky Old House, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, Chua Ong Pagoda and a 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge • Take advantage of the option to have a suit or dress made by one of Hoi An’s world-famous tailors.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 6: Hoi An
Today’s cooking class begins at a local market • Interact with vendors and learn about traditional ingredients • Follow the Thu Bon river to the cooking school and observe local life along the way • Visit the school’s herb garden • Discover the art of plate decorating and prepare five traditional Vietnamese dishes.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and lunch will be included.Day 7: Hoi An - Hue
Take an optional sunrise photography class and observe fishermen bringing in their catch in the dawn light • Travel to Hue, the Imperial capital city, via the panoramic Hai Van Pass • En route, savor a seafood lunch at Lang Co fishing village • Arrive in Hue, home of the Nguyen dynasty and a UNESCO World Heritage site • Visit the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc • Tonight, enjoy a lavish royal feast.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 8: Hue - Hanoi
Cruise on the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda • Visit the Imperial Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City • Enjoy a vegetarian lunch at a local monastery and converse with monks to learn about their daily life • Later, fly to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam • Enjoy dinner in an environment reminiscent of local markets.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 9: Hanoi
Explore the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university • Enjoy lunch at a non-profit restaurant that empowers underprivileged children, training them with new skills • Continue to Hoa Lo Prison (aka the Hanoi Hilton), where American POWs were detained • Stroll along Hoan Kiem Lake and through the craft guild streets in the nearby old quarter • Enjoy a traditional Water Puppet performance.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and lunch will be included.Day 10: Hanoi
Visit the mausoleum that holds the preserved body of Ho Chi Minh • Discover Minh’s simple house on stilts • Admire the lotus-shaped One Pillar Pagoda resting on a single stone pillar emerging from the water • For lunch, you have the option of embarking on a street food tour of Hanoi that delves into authentic culinary delights such as pho noodles.
View Accommodation Today breakfast will be included.Day 11: Hanoi - Halong Bay
Drive to Halong Bay for your overnight cruise on a luxury junk boat • Marvel at the thousands of limestone islands that dot these waters • Transfer to a sampan and visit a floating fishing village • Watch the sunset before sharing a seafood feast.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 12: Halong Bay - Luang Prabang, Laos
Join a sunrise tai chi class on deck as the fog lifts, revealing the morning light • Explore an ancient cave on a nearby island • Enjoy brunch on board and cruise back to the harbor • From Hanoi, fly to Luang Prabang • Tonight, enjoy a tasting menu sampling local Laotian delicacies.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 13: Luang Prabang
Visit an elephant village nestled in a jungle valley on the banks of a river • Learn how mahouts train their elephants • Opt to take an elephant ride • Proceed to the three-tiered Kuang Si waterfall and have a picnic lunch • Stop at a local village to learn the traditions of ethnic minorities • Attend a traditional Baci ceremony, a “calling of the soul” reserved for special events • Share a communal dinner with your fellow well-wishers.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 14: Luang Prabang
Wake before dawn and participate in the offering of alms to hundreds of saffron-robed monks • Stroll the local market and watch the town come to life • Cruise the Mekong River to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, home to thousands of Buddha statues left by pilgrims • Stop at Ban Xang Hai, famous for its rice wine, and Ban Xang Khong, known for silk weaving • Return to Luang Prabang for a guided tour of the National Museum, the former Royal Palace • Visit the sacred temples of Wat Aham, Wat Visoun and Wat Xieng Thong • Climb to the top of Mount Phousi to watch the sunset.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and lunch will be included.Day 15: Luang Prabang - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Fly to Siem Reap and visit Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious building and the symbol of Cambodia • Stand before the stone carvings and bas-reliefs that decorate this 12th century complex • Perhaps choose to remain at Angkor Wat until sunset when the golden light creates an awe-inspiring sight • Enjoy a traditional Apsara show with dinner.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 16: Siem Reap
Explore the ancient ruins of Angkor Thom, famous for the Bayon temple and its colossal stone-carved faces • Continue to the haunting Ta Prohm temple, overgrown by creeping jungle • Enjoy a Khmer lunch set in a traditional wooden house • Meet local school children at the JWOC Community Center* • Visit Artisans d’Angkor which teaches young Cambodians ancient traditions like stone carving.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and lunch will be included.Day 17: Siem Reap
Sail on Tonle Sap – the Great Lake of Cambodia • Explore Kompong Phluk, a floating village • Visit the Roluos Group and take an ox cart ride to the Roluos Pagoda where monks celebrate a private blessing ceremony • Enjoy lunch at a local home • You may choose to visit the Landmine Museum and the Banteay Srei complex.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and lunch will be included.Day 18: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh
Travel to Phnom Penh and enjoy lunch at a non-profit restaurant that trains and employs former Cambodian street children • Visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, housed in a notorious Khmer Rouge prison • Continue to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda • Savor a farewell dinner at a highly-acclaimed restaurant.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 19: Phnom Penh - Tour Ends
Fly home with a wealth of incredible memories.
Today breakfast will be included.| Available After Tour Extensions: | Extend your vacation |
- Hotel: Landscape Hotel
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Extension: Bangkok Post Extension
Day 1: Phnom Penh - Bangkok
Board a short flight from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand <B>•</B> A feast for the senses, this bustling city on the banks of the Chao Phraya River blends cosmopolitan sophistication with a strong sense of history and tradition <B>•</B> Marvel at ancient monuments, explore local culinary treasures, shop for unique souvenirs, or just soak in the energy of the city - there is a reason Bangkok has always been one of the most popular destinations in Asia <B>•</B> Begin by boarding a long-tail boat and explore Bangkok’s network of canals called klongs <B>•</B> Drift past local houses and learn about daily life along the waterways <B>•</B> Stop at the iconic Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn.
Day 2: Bangkok
Visit the Golden Buddha, one of the world’s largest solid gold statues <B>•</B> Learn how it was originally covered in plaster to conceal it from invaders <B>•</B> Proceed to Wat Po, temple of the Reclining Buddha <B>•</B> Gasp at the scale of this 140-foot long gold-leaf-covered monument and its mother-of-pearl inlaid feet <B>•</B> Explore the grounds of the Grand Palace and marvel at the grandeur of this royal residence <B>•</B> Stop at Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha and Thailand’s most sacred temple <B>•</B> Continue with a visit to the Jim Thompson House, home of the American entrepreneur who revitalized the Thai silk industry before his mysterious disappearance <B>•</B> Tonight, you have the option of a candlelight dinner cruise aboard a luxury rice barge on the Chao Phraya River.
Today breakfast and lunch will be included.Day 3: Bangkok
Travel south of Bangkok to the amazing Mae Klong Market along the railroad tracks <B>•</B> Visit the Damnoen Saduak floating market where hundreds of vendors sell fruits and vegetables from their boats. Your afternoon is at leisure.
Today breakfast will be included.Day 4: Bangkok - Extension Ends
Board your flight home and cross the International Dateline en route.
Today breakfast will be included.
- The internal flights on this program are not included in the land price. All air including internal flights can be purchased through us.
- PLEASE NOTE: Not all vendors accept credit cards or travellers checks; therefore, it is recommended you bring small amounts of US dollars which are widely accepted for personal use.
- To complete your vacation, we include roundtrip airport-to-hotel transfers when purchasing Explorations airfare with your tour. If you have arranged for your own air, we are pleased to provide you the option of purchasing these transfers. Please note that all transfers will leave at pre-scheduled times.
- Museum visits and shopping may be affected with observance of religious or local holidays. Single accommodations are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis.
- *In Cambodia, the Collette Foundation is supporting Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC). JWOC works to improve the lives of community members in Siem Reap through educational programs, microloans, and water projects. The foundation partnered with JWOC in 2009. In 2010, the foundation assisted in building a library for the center. You will have an opportunity to visit the library during your tour. Many past travelers have inquired about in-kind donations. The Collette Foundation does not accept in-kind donations directly; however, if you wish to bring items to the children, the following is a list of suggestions: crayons, craft materials, children’s books, markers, coloring books.
- It is recommended that you bring an overnight bag (rather than your large luggage) on the overnight Halong Bay cruise. This will afford you more room to move about your cruise cabin. Your large luggage will be stored on the bus in a secure location.
