V I E T N A M , L AO S , A N D C A M B O D I A : A N C I E N T T E M P L E S A N D N AT U R A L W O N D E R S
• Explore Angkor with an archaeologist, and see Khmer artifacts off limits to the public. • Cruise among the floating markets of the Mekong Delta and the karst cliffs of Ninh Binh. • Hear about National Geographic-funded pangolin research in Cuc Phoung National Park.
the Vietnam War. Meet with a Viet Cong veteran to hear tales of the war. Hôtel des Art Saigon | Meals: 2B, 2L, 1D
DAYS 1–3 I HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) and transfer to our hotel. On a guided tour, visit the War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace, admire the French colonial architecture of the Central Post Office and City Hall, and delve into bustling Ben Thanh market. Descend into the Cu Chi tunnels, a vast network of underground passageways used by the Viet Cong during
DAYS 4–6 I CAI BE /CAN THO/ HUE Travel to the Mekong Delta and explore the market town of Cai Be by sampan boat. On Tan Phong island, ride a bike through villages and orchards and visit family-owned industries. Travel to Can Tho and check in to our resort. Board local boats for an early morning excursion to the colorful Cai Rang floating market. Fly to Da Nang and transfer to the imperial capital of Hue. Set off down the Perfume River aboard a dragon boat, cruising past the imperial city to Thien Mu Pagoda. Explore the lavish tombs of emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh, and venture into the Purple Forbidden City. Azerai Can Tho Resort and Azerai La Residence Hue | Meals: 3B, 2L, 3D DAYS 7–8 I HANOI Fly to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Stroll tree-lined boulevards past serene lakes and pagodas, see Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, and soak up the lively ambiance of the Old Quarter. Tour Ngoc Son Temple, set in the middle of an emerald-green lake; and see the Gothic St. Joseph’s Cathedral and the colonial-era
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prison known as the Hanoi Hilton. Visit the 11th-century Temple of Literature and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Meals: 2B, 1L, 1D DAYS 9–10 I NINH BINH/CUC PHUONG NATIONAL PARK Travel to Ninh Binh, a spectacular karst landscape in the Red River Delta. Meet with wildlife biologist and National Geographic Explorer Le Khac Quyet, and glide in a sampan past lush paddies and limestone cliffs. Then watch for birds and langurs on a boat ride in the wetlands of Van Long Nature Reserve. During a day in Cuc Phuong National Park, meet the staff for an exclusive tour of the Endangered Primate Rescue Center, and learn about National Geographic Explorer Tan Van Nguyen’s efforts to reduce pangolin trafficking at a rescue center run by Save Vietnam’s Wildlife. Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh | Meals: 2B, 2L, 2D DAYS 11–13 I NINH BINH/LUANG PRABANG, LAOS Cruise by sampan through the stunning landscapes of Tam Coc, and visit cave temples and pagodas. Then fly to Luang Prabang,
Clockwise from above: More than 1,000 buildings make up the Khmer temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia; a Vietnamese woman sells fruit from her boat in a floating market on the Mekong; a busy waterway curves through the karst landscape of Ninh Binh; a rescued pangolin recuperates at Save Vietnam’s Wildlife.
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