Journey Through Indochina

(14 days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Saigon, Hoi An, Hanoi, Luang Prabang, Siem Reap

On this exceptional private tour through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, experience the history, culture and natural beauty of Indochina's most evocative places. Accommodation is at the most luxurious hotels and resorts in each location and all touring is with your own private guide and driver.

Begin in Saigon, Vietnam's bustling commercial center. Tour the city's local markets, Chinatown, the best museums and major cultural attractions. One day, take an excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Tay Ninh to watch an eccentric religious ceremony at the main temple of Cao Daism, a unique fusion of world religions.

Continue to central Vietnam and stay at a luxury beach resort in atmospheric Hoi An, a UNESCO-listed riverfront town crammed with hundreds of historic structures. Tour ancient houses, picturesque backstreets, and bustling silk and fish markets. Also enjoy a private cooking class.

Next, fly to leafy Hanoi, Vietnam's cultural and political capital. Stay at the Sofitel Metropole, the city's colonial-era grand dame hotel. Explore the fascinating Old Quarter and its hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquerware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more. Visit Hanoi's main cultural attractions, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, House on Stilts, One Pillar Pagoda, Fine Arts Museum and Temple of Literature. Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, and watch a performance of water puppet theater. Take a cyclo tour around town. Meet with local artists and visit Hanoi's most noted art galleries.

Continue to Luang Prabang, a charming UNESCO World Heritage-listed town along the Mekong River in northern Laos. During private touring, experience the unique blend of traditional Lao and French colonial architecture lining the streets of this former royal capital. Visit major sites such as the National Museum and Wat Xieng Thong, a revered 16th-century temple. Enjoy unique cultural experiences such as interacting with monks at a local temple, participating in a baci ceremony (a traditional Lao celebration) and visiting local hill tribe villages. Tour markets, meet local silk weavers and learn about the fascinating Buddhist culture. One day, enjoy a private boat cruise on the Mekong.

Fly to Siem Reap for a three-day exploration of Angkor—the ruins of the ancient Khmer empire. Visit Angkor Wat, an enormous temple city built as a model of the Hindu universe in stone. Nearby is Angkor Thom, a former capital believed to have once housed a population of approximately one million people around its Bayon, Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. See how the jungle grows over and through Ta Prohm, and stop at the serene Preah Khan, originally a monastery and teaching center. Drive through the countryside to Banteay Srei (“citadel of the women”), a petite temple with elaborate carvings in pinkish sandstone. Observe local students learning traditional Cambodian arts. Also visit lesser known temples and let us arrange special activities according to your interests (options include bike riding, cooking classes, private yoga, visits to orphanages and children's centers, photography excursions, shopping, and village tours). Accommodation is at the exclusive Amansara resort.