Exotic Vietnam & Angkor Wat Cruise Aboard Le Lapérouse

Depart the U.S./ Cross the International Date Line

Hanoi

The undeniable charm of this enigmatic capital city resides in its time‑honored rituals and compelling fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese and French‑colonial influences. Wide leafy boulevards, modeled after the Champs‑Élysées in Paris, are lined with stately Neoclassical mansions and palaces. A red wooden bridge leads you to the Ngoc Son Pagoda, a jewel box on the mystical Hoan Kiem Lake. In Ba Dinh Square, the revered father of the nation lies in state in the granite Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Starkly juxtaposed against the Beaux Arts‑style
Presidential Palace and facing a pristine lake, Ho Chi Minh’s modest two‑room stilt house—where he lived from 1958 until his death in 1969—was built to reinforce the revolutionary leader’s image as a “man of the people.” Nearby, the 11th‑century One Pillar Pagoda is one of Vietnam’s most iconic temples, designed to resemble a lotus blossom. Tour the Temple of Literature, a Confucian sanctuary and learning center since A.D. 1070 and a paradigm of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Visit the Hoa Lo Prison Museum, or “Hanoi Hilton,”
where American pilots, including the late Senator John McCain, were held as prisoners during the Vietnam War. In the 13th-century Old Quarter, stroll its 36 Streets, named after guilds formed in the Middle Ages by resident craftspeople.

Hanoi/Haiphong/Embark Le Lapérouse

Ha Long Bay/Gulf of Tonkin

Board a traditional Vietnamese junk for a private cruise and experience the ethereal beauty of Ha Long Bay, the “Bay of the Descending Dragon.” This UNESCO World Heritage Site is characterized by a seascape of over 1,600 emerald green pinnacles that soar from the bay’s tranquil waters. Cruise between limestone islands with wave‑eroded caves and coves, and walk among the tapering stalactites and stalagmites in the natural grottoes of Thien Cung, the Heavenly Palace Cave.

Cruising the South China Sea

Chan May for Hue

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hue, located on the banks of the Perfume River, was the Imperial City of the Nguyen kings from 1601 to 1945. Explore its Imperial Citadel and the massive ramparts and moat dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Tour the Imperial Enclosure of the emperor’s residence, palaces, temples and state buildings and the Forbidden Purple City— a citadel within a citadel formerly reserved for the royalty of the Nguyen Dynasty. Visit the 17th‑century Thien Mu (Heavenly Lady) Pagoda and the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, built and designed by the emperor himself during the Nguyen dynasty.

Da Nang/Hoi An

Encircled by the Marble Mountains and clear‑blue waters, coastal Da Nang is known for its exquisite Museum of Cham Sculpture, exhibiting the world’s largest collection of indigenous Cham sandstone art and statues dating from the fifth to 15th centuries.

Cruising the South China Sea

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Prior to the 14th century, ancient Hoi An was the commercial capital of the Cham Empire and a strategic global port for the spice trade. This captivating UNESCO World Heritage Site preserves more than 800 buildings from the 15th to 19th centuries that emanate a timeless, mystical aura. Learn about the city’s heritage at the Hoi An Museum of History and Culture housed inside the 17th‑century Quan Am Pagoda. Visit the grand temple of Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, a masterpiece of Fujian artistry. Stroll the city’s famed handicraft workshops and colorful riverside market and admire the graceful arc of the Lai Vien Keiu Bridge, originally built in 1590.

Saigon/Disembark ship/Fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia

Saigon remains a vibrant convergence of Vietnamese heritage and French panache. Women still don the traditional áo dài, a silk tunic worn over pantaloons. Here, see the neo‑Romanesque‑style Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saigon Opera House, a stunning counterpart to the Petit Palais in Paris, recalling the city’s French‑colonial history. Visit the European‑style Central Post Office; the imposing Reunification Hall Palace, the former South Vietnamese presidential palace; and the War Remnants Museum, which offers a Vietnamese perspective on the Vietnam War. Explore the Ben Thanh Market, an authentic symbol of Saigon, where merchants offer aromatic spiced cuisine, traditional Chinese medicines and handcrafted wares and textiles. Outside Saigon, explore the Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground complex and an engineering marvel built by the Viet Cong, stretching over 150 miles from Saigon to the Cambodian border.

Siem Reap for Angkor Wat and Banteay Srei

Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was once the capital of the Khmer Empire. Located in the lush jungles of northern Cambodia, today it is one of the world’s most important archaeological sites. Near Siem Reap, the Temple of Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure in the world, built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II to honor the Hindu god Vishnu. Angkor Wat stands in testament to the centuries‑long grandeur of the prosperous Khmer Empire. The astounding Banteay Srei Citadel of the Women is considered the ultimate expression of Khmer genius. Constructed in the 10th century from rose‑pink sandstone, the temple is believed to have been built by women based on the intricacy of the elaborate three-dimensional carvings and filigree relief work that adorn its peaked buildings. On the banks of the Siem Reap River, the monumental walled city of Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Khmer Empire. The towers of its Bayon Temple have approximately 200 stone faces and bas‑relief sculptures depicting historical scenes from everyday life of the Angkorian Khmer while interior artwork depicts scenes from Hindu mythology. The area surrounding the complex includes the ruins of the 11th‑century Baphuon “temple‑mountain” and the intricately carved Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King and Royal Palace. Nearby, fascinating Ta Prohm, a 12th‑century Buddhist temple, remains largely untouched, leaving encroaching jungle fig, banyan and kapok trees to grow out of the ruins. Here, the dynamic lifecycle between nature and humanity provides the basis for Ta Prohm’s legendary “lost city” tales. Visit a local workshop which provides training for thousands of Cambodians to perpetuate the creation of their traditional, cultural handcrafts.

Siem Reap for Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm

Siem Reap/Depart for the U.S. / Cross the International Date Line / Arrive in the U.S.