The Mekong and Icons of Southeast Asia: Ha Long Bay, Angkor Wat & Luang Prabang

Check in to your hotel and rest after the long journey to Vietnam. Please note that if you arrive at the program late and miss Orientation, the Group Leader will give you a brief overview the following day. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. In addition to the program theme and logistics, we will review the up-to-date daily schedule and any changes, discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. Please be aware that indicated times are approximate and that program activities and schedules could change due to local circumstances such as weather, traffic conditions, etc. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. During free time, the Group Leader will often be available for informal excursions, activities, or meals not included in the program. You are welcome to join if you wish, with any associated costs at your own expense, or you may explore independently.

Welcome dinner with a welcome drink at a local restaurant, featuring a taste of local food. Bottled water, coffee & tea included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We begin the morning with a presentation on the History of Vietnam, led by a local expert. We board our motorcoach and visit Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh himself read out the Declaration of Independence in 1945. Inside Ba Dinh Square, we wonder at the simplicity of Ho Chi Minh's house. We then visit the Temple of Literature. Constructed in 1070 to honor Confucius, it was the site of Vietnam's first university. Scholars from all over Vietnam come to the Confucian Temple of Literature to pray for success in their studies.

At a local restaurant. Bottled water, coffee & tea included; additional beverages available for purchase.

We board our motorcoach and transfer to the Museum of Ethnology. Here we have an expert-led visit where we learn about the lives and cultures of the 54 ethnic groups that live in Vietnam. The remainder of the afternoon and evening are free for us to explore on our own.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on our own to enjoy what we like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

At leisure.

Buffet at the hotel.

We board our motorcoach and drive to Halong Bay. "Ha Long", which means "Bay of Descending Dragons," is a stunning a site. It is famous for its scenic ocean karst topography and peaceful horizon. En route, we learn about Northern Vietnamese life from our Group Leader. In the late morning we arrive and board the traditional Vietnamese junk on which we will stay tonight.

Aboard the boat. Enjoy characteristic Vietnamese cuisine with appetizer, choice of entrée, and dessert.

Using small rowboats to come ashore, we visit the small fishing village of Vung Vieng. We will also visit Thien Canh Son Cave. The cave is one of the largest in Ha Long Bay and is strewn with stalactites and stalagmites. We return to our vessel and have a presentation on the ecology and environmental issues of Halong Bay.

Aboard the boat. Bottled water, coffee & tea included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

Early morning coffee, tea and pastries.

We enjoy sunrise and a leisurely morning cruising through Halong Bay. We then disembark and board our motorcoach to return to Hanoi.

At own arrangements en route to Hanoi.

After checking back into our hotel, we explore Hanoi's vibrant Old Quarter. We begin with a cyclo ride near Hoam Kiem Lake. We also visit a restored 'tube house' to see how residents in this area once used to live. Remnant of a bygone era, the Old Quarter has the original street layout and architecture of old Hanoi. At the beginning of the 20th century the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the Old Quarter. Each street then had merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewellery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. We then attend a traditional northern Vietnamese “Mua Roi Nuoc” performance -- a water puppet show. Water puppetry is performed in a pool, and typically depicts scenes from rural life and episodes of national history. This uniquely northern Vietnamese art form is a centuries old variation on ancient Asian puppet traditions. Puppets would be put out to watch over crops, and when fields flooded, villagers would entertain themselves with the puppets.

At a local restaurant. Bottled water, coffee & tea included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

Buffet at the hotel.

Luggage out and hotel check-out. We transfer to the airport for our flight to Luang Prabang, Laos.

At own arrangements, although a snack is provided on the flight.

We arrive in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Upon our arrival, we transfer by motorcoach to board the the vessel that will be our home for the next five nights. We have time to settle in before a welcome reception and dinner.

On board the boat.

After dinner, those interested can take a 10 minute walk into town and hike up Phusi Hill. The hike up is approximately 20 minutes along a path with some steps. In front of Phusi Hill is the Hmong Night market. This is where a lot of ethnic minorities, especially the Hmong community, sell handmade items. There are many other items for sale making this market a great place to explore. It is a huge part of the Luang Prabang community in the evening.

Before breakfast, we walk into town to witness a very traditional part of Lao culture, Tak Baht. We observe the devout Buddhists giving alms to monks as they make their daily procession along the streets. Hundreds of monks from different temples will walk through the city in their daily ritual of collecting alms for their meals. We explore the morning market before returning to the vessel for a buffet breakfast.

After breakfast, we embark on a walking discovery of Luang Prabang town. This town is unique as it's dotted with temples and lies on the confluence of the Mekong River and the Nam Khan River. The morning discovery takes you through the town, exploring the architecture and the way of life. We end our walk at Wat Xieng Thong, one of the most important Lao monasteries and a significant monument to the spirit of religion, royalty and traditional art. The temple complex has over twenty structures including a sim, shrines, pavilions and residences. It was built from 1559-1560 by the Lao King Setthathirath and was a royal temple where the Lao kings were crowned until 1975, when the monarchy was dissolved in Laos. The temple is a good representation of typical Lao art and craft.

At a local restaurant. Laos food served family-style.

After lunch we return to the boat and participate in a safety drill before beginning our cruise on the Mekong River. Later in the afternoon, we join the cruise director for a talk on the plight of Asian Elephants.

Captain's Welcome Dinner on the sundeck.

At leisure.

Buffet on board the boat.

This morning the boat cruises further along the Mekong River, passing impressive landscapes and awe-inspiring rock formations.

Buffet on board the boat.

This afternoon we visit a traditional Hmong Hill tribe village. We visit a local village school that is supported by the Mekong River Cruise fleet. Here we meet the local school children and learn a bit about the education system in Laos (school visit subject to holidays and exam schedules). Further along the Mekong, the boat stops at a sandbank for the evening.

On board the boat.

At leisure.

Buffet on board the boat.

The boat continues cruising towards Luang Prabang. We come ashore and continue by tuk-tuk to visit Kuang Si waterfall. Kuang Si is one of Laos' most remarkable waterfalls. Our field trip offers a great opportunity to witness locals enjoying time with their families as we return to our vessel.

Buffet on board the boat.

We cruise the river, relaxing on board and possibly watching local fisherman going about their trade.

BBQ dinner on board the vessel.

At leisure.

Buffet on board the boat.

We board a small local boat up the Mekong River to Pak Ou. We first visit Pak Ou Caves. These caves house thousands of votive Buddha statues left by pilgrims. We take a short walk through the forest to visit a traditional Laotian village. In the village, we see how the villagers make Lao-Lao - a traditional local rice liqueur. As we return to our vessel we may see the elephants at work in the village, if they are not off working elsewhere. We return to our vessel and cruise the river towards Luang Prabang.

Buffet on board the boat.

We arrive back in Luang Prabang with some free time before dinner.

Farewell dinner on board the vessel.

We participate in a traditional Laos Baci Ceremony that serves as a farewell (or welcome) ceremony giving us good wishes for our journey ahead.

Buffet on board the boat.

This morning we disembark the boat and transfer to the airport for our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Light lunch provided on the flight.

Upon arrival in Siem Reap, we transfer to our program hotel. After checking in, we join our local guide for a quick orientation to Siem Reap and Cambodia. Afterwards, we watch a film about Cambodia's history in the hotel meeting room.

At the hotel. Bottled water, coffee & tea included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

We rise early this morning to take in the breathtaking beauty of Angkor Wat at sunrise. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. The best-preserved temple at the site, Angkor Wat is also the only temple to have remained a significant religious center since its construction. It was built to embody the Hindu tradition – specifically dedicated to the god Vishnu – but gradually shifted to become a primarily Buddhist site as the official religion of the Khmer Empire changed. We return to the hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast, we explore Angkor Thom, the last and most-enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire. Established in the late twelfth century by King Jayavarman VII, at the center of the city is the mesmerizing temple of Bayon.

At a local restaurant.

After lunch, we have free time to explore Siem Reap, or simply relax at the hotel. In the late afternoon/early evening, we gather once more in the hotel meeting room to watch the movie, "The Flute Player".

At a local restaurant. Bottled water, coffee & tea included; additional beverages available for purchase.

Enjoy an Apsara Dance performance by a group of local artists that are working to preserve traditional Cambodian classical arts. As evidenced in part by the innumerable apsaras (celestial dancers) that adorn the walls of Angkorian and pre-Angkorian temples, this dance has been a part of Khmer culture for more than a millennium.

At the hotel.

We continue our discovery of the Angkor Temples with a visit to Ta Prohm, the Jungle Temple. Unlike most of the temples of Angkor, Ta Prohm has been largely left to ruins. With its dynamic interaction between nature and man-made art, this atmospheric temple is a favorite for many - some may feel a little like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft (which was filmed here) as they pick through the rubble. We later visit the temple Banteay Srei, the Citadel of Women. This pink sandstone temple was built in the latter half of the 10th century by Rajendravarman II and Jayavaraman V. The carvings of Banteay Srei are among the oldest and most intricate that we will see.

At a local restaurant.

This afternoon we visit the Cambodian Landmine Museum. Afterwards, we take the coach back to our hotel in Siem Reap for some free time to explore on our own.

'Farewell Dinner' at a local restaurant featuring local cuisine with bottled water, coffee & tea included; additional beverages available for purchase.

Say farewell to new Road Scholar friends and pack and prepare for departures tomorrow. The Group Leader will discuss transfers to the airport.

Hotel buffet. Program concludes.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and Instagram feed to share photos of our program. Best wishes for all your journeys!