Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia
The Mekong and Icons of Southeast Asia: Ha Long Bay, Angkor Wat & Luang Prabang
Program No. 22630RJ
Immerse yourself in the beauty and culture of Southeast Asia on the beautiful Mekong River, in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay and in the historic temples of Laos and Cambodia.
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15 days
14 nights
30 meals
12B 8L 10D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
2
En Route
In Flight
7
Fly to Laos, Board Riverboat, Explore Night Market
Luang Prabang
10
Kuang Si Waterfall
Luang Prabang
15
Program Concludes, Departures Home
In Flight
At a Glance
Discover a land of mystical beauty in Southeast Asia, where brilliant waterways cut through exotic jungles, centuries-old monasteries still serve as religious monuments and the “Descending Dragon Bay” lives up to its name. On this journey by riverboat and on foot, float down the mesmerizing Mekong River in Laos to explore traditional villages and learn about their cultural heritage. Elsewhere, experience three unbelievable UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In Vietnam, explore the emerald waters and limestone pillars of Ha Long Bay. In Laos, learn about the graceful monasteries of Luang Prabang. And in Cambodia, bask in the brilliance of Angkor Wat and its extraordinary temples.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking 1-2 miles on uneven terrain and climbing in and out of small boats.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Experience the ethereal beauty of Ha Long Bay on a one-night voyage aboard a private traditional Vietnamese junk.
- Explore the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat with an expert temple instructor.
- Go ashore in traditional villages along the beautiful Mekong River to discover their cultural heritage and learn their way of life.
Suggested Reading List
(27 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Mekong and Icons of Southeast Asia: Ha Long Bay, Angkor Wat & Luang Prabang
Program Number: 22630
Art & Architecture of Cambodia
In the World of Art series illustrated overview of Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei and lesser-known recent discoveries in the surrounding jungle.
Communion, A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam
Fay recounts in savory detail a five-week journey with two friends from Hanoi to Saigon in search of the traditions, rituals and pleasures of food from local markets and street foods to haute cuisine.
Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & the Greater Mekong
This compact practical guide covers the entire Mekong from the heights of Yunnan to Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
Eyewitness Guide Vietnam and Angkor Wat
Featuring innovative site diagrams, local maps and hundreds of color photographs, this handy companion introduces the culture, history and attractions of Vietnam.
Angkor: An Introduction to the Temples
Rooney’s Angkor is one of the most important and easy to understand guidebooks to the temples of Angkor. For those looking to gain some insight on the temples before they go, use the maps and legends to help them explore the temples’ features while in the park, or read after returning home to increase their understanding, this is the book to buy.
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia Map
A convenient, double-sided map of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam at a scale of 1:1,500,000, with city maps of Hanoi, Vientiane, Ho Chi Minh City, Luang Prabang, and Phnom Penh. Includes the eastern portion of Thailand and Bangkok.
A Dragon Apparent, Travels in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
A classic account of travels and adventure during the last years of French Indochina, strong on atmosphere and including wonderfully detailed descriptions of local cultures and archaeological treasures. First published in 1951.
Vietnam Journeys
Photographer and traveler Charles Fields portrays the cultures and landscapes of Vietnam from the World Heritage Site of Hue and the Phung Hiep floating market to its forests and coastline in stunning color photographs.
The Gods Drink Whiskey
Asma writes with verve and wit in this eye-opening account of his yearlong stint teaching at the Buddhist Institute in Phnom Penh. His account is both an overview of Theravada Buddhism and a down-to-earth portrait of contemporary Cambodia.
The River's Tale, A Year on the Mekong
A personal, probing chronicle of a 3,000 mile journey on the river from its source in China through Tibet, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.
Vietnam, Rising Dragon
The veteran BBC newsman covers the tangled politics, rapidly changing economy, culture, history and people of Vietnam with great insight in this timely portrait of a nation in transition.
A Traveller's History of Southeast Asia
A compact history of the region, including the Khmer and the various ancient kingdoms that produced Borobudur, Angkor and other architectural marvels.
The Mekong, Turbulent Past, Uncertain Future
A cultural history of the great river from prehistory to European exploration, colonial tensions and modern challenges. It's an engaging introduction to the history of Southeast Asia.
Vietnam, A Traveler's Literary Companion
From rain forest and rural countryside to the cities, these 17 stories from Vietnam's finest writers explore its landscapes, myths and changing traditions.
Fire in the Lake
A classic historical, political and cultural portrait of the Vietnam War, seen through the eyes of the Vietnamese. Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, FitzGerald, a staff writer at the New Yorker and a reporter in Vietnam, presents a vivid image of a revolution and a clear-sighted case for why the U.S offensive was doomed from the start.
Cambodia's Curse, The Modern History of a Troubled Land
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Joel Brinkley returns to Cambodia a generation after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime to report on the country's continuing struggle to recover from its past.
Angkor and the Khmer Civilization
The author presents a concise but complete picture of Khmer cultural history from the Stone Age until the establishment of the French Protectorate in 1863, and is lavishly illustrated with maps, plans, drawings, and photographs.
Birds of Southeast Asia
This authoritative, masterfully illustrated guide, featuring 140 color plates covering 1,270 species throughout the region, also includes Malaysia, Burma, Borneo and Indonesia.
A Cambodian Prison Portrait
There are many myths about the Khmer Rouge's bloodthirstiness and brutality, but there was at least one place where they all were real: Security Prison 21, the secret police's killing machine. Of the 14,000 or so prisoners who were brought there for questioning, only a handful survived. One of them were the artist Vann Nath (1946-2011). In this thin little book, he describes his horrifying year behind the barbed wired walls of S-21. This book ranks among the most important and strongest witness-stories of world literature.
A History of Cambodia
An excellent, scholarly history from early civilization through the rise of Angkor, French colonial period, Vietnamization of Cambodia, Khmer Rouge and Coup de Force of 1997.
To Cambodia With Love
In this insightful guide of works of 50 writers on the history, culture and attractions of Cambodia, including Khmer specialist Dawn Rooney (Odyssey Guide Angkor) and memoirist Loung Ung (First They Killed My Father).
The Quiet American
A classic, this is the most famous Western work of fiction on Vietnam. Greene writes of a love triangle between a war correspondent, his Vietnamese consort and an optimistic young American during the last days of French rule.
The Road of Lost Innocence
Sold into servitude by her grandfather, Mam recounts the experiences of her early life, her awakening as an activist -- and work to rescue thousands of women and children in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
Arts of Southeast Asia
A handsome guide to the art, architecture, textiles and crafts of Southeast Asia.
Temples of Cambodia, The Heart of Angkor
Jessup (Art and Architecture of Cambodia) provides the accompanying essays to this oversized portfolio of dazzling color images by Barry Brukoff, who has been photographing the monuments of Cambodia since 1963.
The Eaves of Heaven, A Life in Three Wars
Pham recounts the story of his father's life during the French occupation, Japanese invasion and the American War, weaving such momentous events with anecdotes from his childhood and details of family, friends, food and daily life.
Golden Bones, An Extraordinary Journey from Hell in Cambodia to a New Life in America
Full of determination and hope, this is a gripping memoir about author's family and idyllic childhood in Pochentong, and also, terrors of the Khmer Rouge and escape to freedom in America.
