Mekong River

Arrive in Hanoi and transfer to our hotel for an afternoon, dinner and evening at leisure.

This morning we explore Vietnam’s capital with a visit to the Fine Arts Museum; Ba Dinh Square, the locale of Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum; and, nearby, his spartan wartime residence. Continue to the Confucian Academy, known as the Temple of Literature and considered Vietnam’s first university. We attend a traditional water puppet performance and enjoy a welcome dinner with fellow travelers this evening.

Today visit the Hoa Loa Prison and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Museum, which focuses on the lifestyle, traditions and culture of the 53 ethnic minority groups that make up Vietnam. Later this afternoon, take a tour of the Guild District, with its numerous narrow lanes, each lane devoted to the practice of a single handicraft. Dine independently tonight at one of the many fine restaurants in Hanoi.

This morning we board a private coach and drive to beautiful Ha Long Bay. Board our cruising vessel and, throughout the afternoon and into the evening, enjoy drifting amid the dramatic limestone islets of the bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stay overnight aboard our ship, floating on the peaceful waters of Ha Long Bay.

Spend the morning seeking local wildlife, hidden in river grottoes. After brunch, disembark our vessel and return to Hanoi where we board a late afternoon flight to Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of the Lanexang kingdom, the center of religious life in Laos today and a UNESCO World Heritage city. Enjoy dinner at our hotel upon arrival.

Following breakfast, take an excursion upstream on the Mekong River to visit the Pak Ou Caves located in a limestone cliff opposite the confluence of the Mekong and Ou Rivers. The two large caves are repositories for thousands of Buddha images, which range from a half-inch to six and a half feet in height. As we travel along the river, view typical local villages tucked amid the lush greenery and canoes bobbing by the shore. Stop at the village of Ban Muang Keo, well known for traditional Lao rice whisky. At our hotel this evening before dinner, experience a traditional Baci ritual blessing.

Observe the early-morning processions through the streets of Luang Prabang of monks collecting alms. Visit the Wat Xieng Thong, the 16th-century temple that epitomizes the grace elegance of Luang Prabang-style architecture. Also visit the Royal Palace featuring rooms decorated in traditional Lao style and housing historic relics of the ancient Lao kingdom, including the historic Prabang figure, a pure gold Buddha image after which the town is named. This afternoon, take an excursion to a nearby handicraft village and later enjoy dinner at our hotel.

This morning board our flight bound for Cambodia. Upon arrival in Siem Reap, transfer to our historic hotel, where we enjoy dinner this evening.

This morning visit the crumbling ancient capital of the powerful Khmer kingdom, Angkor, which flourished from the 10th to the 15th century and comprises some 400 sandstone, brick and laterite temples, walls, tombs and other structures surrounded and invaded by jungle. Begin our exploration at Angkor Wat before continuing to Angkor Thom. This royal city of the 12th-century god-king, Jayavarman VII, includes the Bayon with its 54 intricately carved symmetric towers topped by giant stone faces and the Terrace of the Leper King. After dinner this evening, enjoy a Khmer folk and classical dance performance.

This morning explore one of Angkor’s earliest and most prized sites, Banteay Srei. This temple, situated in a small, out-of-the-way location, displays the most beautifully preserved carvings remaining at Angkor. Also visit the temple ruins of Ta Prohm. Visit the Angkor National Museum after lunch, before heading to the port at Tonle Sap Lake to embark our luxury river vessel, the Aqua Mekong.

Set off by skiff for the Prek Toal Core Bird Reserve, a 54,000-acre, seasonally inundated swamp forest and last refuge in Southeast Asia for large water birds such as the spot-billed pelican, milky stork, black-headed ibis and the elusive masked finfoot. After lunch, visit the floating village of Moat Khla, accessible only by water, and attend a Buddhist blessing ceremony in this isolated community.

Explore remote villages around Tonle Sap Lake, designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997. In Chhnok Tru, “slide” into an ice factory and learn from locals what it’s like to live in a town where schools, churches, pagodas, and even the karaoke bar and police station are all afloat. Learn all about Khmer riverside life in Kampong Chhnang, the “Clay Pot Port” famous for its skilled potters who sell their wares throughout Cambodia.

Visit Udong, the royal capital from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and learn about a uniquely challenging Buddhist practice at the Vipassana Dhura Mandala, a meditation center. In the afternoon, set off for Koh Chen, one of the Mekong’s “silk islands” where renowned weavers allow us to wander freely to admire their intricate craftsmanship. Biking is optional for those who wish to explore more of the island. Toast our journey this evening at a festive farewell reception and dinner on board our ship.

Disembark our ship and experience the Cambodian capital by motorized tuk-tuk, viewing the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda and stopping at the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world’s largest collection of Khmer art. Enjoy free time this afternoon or opt to visit the moving Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide.

Depart on flights bound for the U.S., arriving home the same day.