Vietnam & Angkor Wat

With a day in Kyongju, Korea

Our expedition begins in Siem Reap, Cambodia with a tour of the jungle-clad ruins of Angkor Wat. In bustling Saigon, board the Clipper Odyssey for a distinctive Vietnam cruise. We trace the 1,000-mile-long coast of Vietnam visiting the World Heritage Sites of Hue, My Son, Hoi An, and exquisite Halong Bay. Shop for hand-woven silks in colorful markets, sample exotic cuisine, photograph terraced rice paddies, cruise down the peaceful Perfume River, and bask in the warm hospitality of the Vietnamese people. The grand finale is a tour of Hanoi and its rich culture and history.

Itinerary:

Day 1-2 - Depart USA
Depart USA for your independent evening flight to Asia. Day lost crossing the International Date Line.

Day 3 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Arrive in Siem Reap in the afternoon. Transfer to the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 - Siem Reap / Angkor
Temples Khmer emperors built enormous temple complexes during the 9th to 15th centuries; these buildings reveal extraordinary sculpted bas-reliefs in Hindu motifs, portraying the lives of deities, Khmer royalty, warriors, and townspeople. After breakfast we visit Ta Prohm Temple built in 1186 at the height of Angkor’s cultural flowering by Jayavarman VII to honor his family. Atmospheric and mystical, many of the temple monuments are enveloped by the sinuous roots of soaring silk cottonwood trees, left as they were when French archaeologists discovered them in the mid-1800s. We continue to Preah Khan Temple, surrounded by a moat and guarded by statues of warrior deities. In the afternoon we explore wondrous Angkor Thom, the 12th-century capital built by Jayavarman VI encompassing the Bayon temple with its enormous mysterious faces, creating an otherworldly scene. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Day 5 - Siem Reap / Angkor Wat & Banteay Srei
We depart early to view the sunrise at the World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat, one of the world’s greatest architectural achievements. After breakfast in a tranquil outdoor setting, we spend the morning exploring its soaring towers, courtyards, and elaborate tiered galleries. After lunch at our hotel we visit Banteay Srei, the Citadel of Women, a temple dedicated to Shiva dating from the 10th century. Perhaps the most beautiful temple in Siem Reap, it is remarkable for its total restoration and its fine pink-sandstone carvings relating episodes from the Ramayana. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Day 6 - Siem Reap / Phnom Penh / Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam / Embark Clipper Odyssey
We transfer to the airport for a morning flight to the bustling city of Phnom Penh where we tour the stunning Presidential Palace complex with its golden roofs. We also visit the Silver Pagoda—more than 5,000 silver tiles cover its floor—housing an extraordinary collection of Khmer artifacts, including dozens of Buddhas. Following lunch we depart for the Tuol Sleng Museum, the infamous S21 Khmer Rouge security prison. We then transfer to the airport for our afternoon flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and enjoy a brief sightseeing tour en route to the Clipper Odyssey. Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 7 - Ho Chi Minh City / Mekong Delta
The drive out of Ho Chi Minh City towards the Mekong Delta takes us through miles of rice fields and along a highway always busy with bicycles, motorcycles, and people heading to or from market. We travel to the My Tho area, famous for its coconut palms and orchards of mangoes, longans, bananas, and citrus fruits. Here we board local sampans to sail along the Mekong River, observing daily river life and the many different types of boats that use the river as a highway. Until the 16th century the Mekong Delta was an area of marsh and forest. Gradually the marshland was reclaimed and a canal network built, facilitating the transport of locally grown rice, soybeans, peanuts, and fish throughout the area. We explore a traditional Mekong island, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the river scenery, and enjoy a sampan ride along narrow, palm-lined canals. After a lunch of local specialties we return to Ho Chi Minh City and overnight on our ship.

Day 8 - Ho Chi Minh City
We continue our exploration of Ho Chi Minh City this morning, driving past Buddhist, Chinese, and Taoist temples on the way to visit the Presidential Palace—the site where the North Vietnamese tank crashed through its gates, signaling the end of the Vietnam War. We also visit the colorful and energetic markets in the Cholon Chinatown district before returning to the ship for lunch and the afternoon on board. We sail down the meandering Saigon River on a 45-mile journey through the fascinating traffic of sampans, cargo junks, and floating fruit markets.

Day 9 - Nha Trang / Van Phong Bay
After sailing north we arrive in Nha Trang with its lovely coastal setting, colorful hillside houses, and brightly painted boats. We travel to nearby islands for snorkeling along the striking coral reefs, or explore the well-preserved Cham Ponagar Temple complex with its impressive towers built between the 7th and 12th centuries. The shores of Van Phong Bay are lined with massive sand dunes and the picturesque fishing village of Port Dayot offers excellent photographic and birding opportunities.

Day 10 - Qui Nhon
The seldom-visited provincial capital of Binh Dinh province hosts a large and colorful coastal fishing fleet. We explore the area, visiting the spectacular twin Cham Towers, dating from the 11th century, as well as four other historic towers perched serenely on a hilltop adjacent to a Buddhist monastery. At the Quang Trung Museum members of Vietnamese hill tribes perform superb martial arts demonstrations with music and dance—named an “intangible treasure” by UNESCO.

Day 11 - Da Nang / My Son / Hoi An
This morning choose from two options: Explore Da Nang’s excellent Cham Museum, a repository of magnificent sandstone carvings reflecting the Hindu styles of Champa, a powerful 4th – 15th-century empire of central Vietnam, or alternatively, visit My Son, the site of extensive outdoor Cham ruins and a World Heritage Site. Once a stronghold of the Viet Cong, today’s placid My Son offers a walk across bamboo bridges to the jungle-surrounded brick ruins.

We savor lunch in the small town of Hoi An, followed by a walking tour of this architectural gem. Historic 18th and 19th century homes, a Japanese bridge, a Chinese temple, silk shops, and small museums illustrating Hoi An’s cultural riches grace the winding lanes of this World Heritage Site.

Day 12 - Hue
Today we enjoy a full-day excursion to the city of Hue, another World Heritage Site on our itinerary. Highlights include a visit to the picturesque Dong Ba Market, and the vast moat-rimmed citadel, the Imperial City of the Nguyen Emperors, built between 1802 and 1945. After lunch we cruise up the Perfume River aboard local “dragon boats” and visit the stupendous royal mausoleums of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh reflecting Chinese-inspired architectural styles.

Day 13 - Vinh Moc
Zodiacs take us ashore to visit the once-notorious demilitarized zone (DMZ) at the 17th parallel, an arbitrary strip of land that demarcated North and South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975. We view a bridge over the Ben Hai River and a labyrinth of extraordinary tunnels at nearby Vinh Moc which served both as a refuge for the villagers while the area was bombarded and as a Viet Cong supply route.

Day 14 - Halong Bay
A World Heritage Site, Halong Bay is a dreamscape archipelago of thousands of limestone islets and rocky outcroppings. Our ship anchors amid the dramatic formations that rise straight from the seabed. We board beautiful wooden vessels to explore these craggy monoliths where gnarled trees cling precariously to narrow clefts; by Zodiac we may choose to go ashore to swim in secluded coves of adjacent Vinh Lan Ha Bay.

Day 15 - Haiphong / Disembark Clipper Odyssey / Hanoi
After breakfast on board, we disembark the Clipper Odyssey and drive from Haiphong to Hanoi. At the downtown Water Puppet Theater we witness a unique, and utterly charming, Vietnamese performing art. In the afternoon we visit the Tay Phuong Pagoda whose carvings illustrate Buddhist stories, with the option of further exploring Hanoi’s countryside by bicycle. Or, continue by motorcoach to the 11th-century Thay Pagoda, famous for its vast display of finely carved wooden statues of former monks. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Day 16 - Hanoi
After breakfast we visit Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, Vietnam’s most highly revered monument; the Presidential Palace; the charming One Pillar Pagoda; and the history museum before returning to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon the Museum of Ethnology offers a comprehensive introduction to the 54 minority groups populating Vietnam. We stroll the narrow streets of Hanoi’s old quarter which teem with small shops, noodle vendors, and patisseries. This evening flaming torches line the entrance to the ancient Co Loa Citadel, and colored lanterns illuminate the courtyard during our farewell dinner at this quintessentially Vietnamese locale. We are entertained by music and dance performances from around Vietnam. Overnight at our hotel.

Day 17 - Hanoi / Homeward
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your independent flight to Hong Kong and connecting flights homeward.

Included

Accommodations in our hotels and on board Clipper Odyssey as outlined in the itinerary; all onboard meals; all group meals on land; group transfers; services of the expedition staff, including lectures, briefings, slide/film shows; all group activities and excursions; landing and port fees; all gratuities. Pre-voyage extension includes all of the above.

Not Included

All air transportation; excess baggage charges; airport arrival and departure taxes; transfers for independent arrivals and departures; passport and/or visa fees; travel insurance; items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar charges, alcoholic beverages, e-mail/fax/telephone charges.

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