The Mekong River Discovery All-Inclusive, Luxury River Cruise and Land Programs in Southeast Asia
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COMPLIMENTARY AIR* SPECIAL SAVINGS Pay in Full by December 2, 2014 The Mekong River Discovery All-Inclusive, Luxury River Cruise and Land Programs in Southeast Asia Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City | 15 Nights | March 2-17, 2015 Featuring The Five-Star, All-Suite Mekong Navigator Dear Alumnae/i, Family and Friends, Join us on a comprehensive 15-night journey through the heart of Vietnam and Cambodia featuring a seven-night cruise along the mighty Mekong River. Cruise aboard the brand-new, luxurious Mekong Navigator specially constructed to ply the Mekong River between fabled Siem Reap and cosmopolitan Ho Chi Minh City. Embracing an elegant French-colonial design similar to the many homes that once lined the streets of old Saigon, she boasts spacious suites from 258 square feet up to expansive 584 square feet in size. From here, you will enjoy the wonders the Mekong has to offer in a sophisticated, yet comfortable style. With never more than 22 guests per expert guide, you will enjoy enriching lectures, a comprehensive series of well-planned excursions, most meals and beverages and included air from several U.S. gateways! Also included is a two-night stay in historic Hanoi, a three-night stay in Siem Reap including an in-depth visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat, as well as a two-night stay in bustling Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) featuring five-star centrally located hotels. You also may opt for our two-night Hanoi/Ha Long Bay Optional Pre-Program Extension featuring the famed UNESCO World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay, including an overnight cruise aboard a traditional ‘junk’ boat; and/or a three-night Bangkok Optional Post-Program Extension for those who wish to discover this cultural city with its grand palace and bustling canals. Participants will share this air-inclusive tour with alumnae/i, friends and participants from cosponsoring associations. Space is limited to just 68 guests so please contact the Bryn Mawr Alumnae Association today to secure your place on this exciting tour to Vietnam and Cambodia! Warm wishes, Wendy M. Greenfield Executive Director Bryn Mawr Alumnae Association TOP TO BOTTOM: MONK - ANGKOR WAT; CYCLO RIDE; APSARA DANCER; ROYAL PALACE - PHNOM PENH; FISHER STREET MARKET VENDORS - HANOI PROGRAM ITINERARY DAYS 1-2 at a local Khmer restaurant. Tour the DEPART FROM YOUR HOME CITY city center of Siem Reap by remork HANOI, VIETNAM (motorcycle rickshaw, also known as a Depart from your home city on an tuk-tuk) this afternoon for an introduction overnight flight, arriving at the Hanoi to Siem Reap’s many dining and airport, where you will be greeted by shopping options, and a stop at a a Haimark representative, who traditional artists’ workshop. (B/L) will transfer you to the tranquil Intercontinental Westlake Hanoi. DAY 6 SIEM REAP DAY 3 This morning, you’ll visit Banteay Srey, considered to be the pinnacle of artistic HANOI achievement at Angkor, and Banteay Visit the traditional, stilted home of Samré. In the afternoon, you’ll see the Ho Chi Minh and One Pillar Pagoda, temple of Ta Prohm, which has been within the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum overtaken by the jungle, with tentacle- complex, as well as Hỏa Lò Prison (also known as the “Hanoi Hilton”) during your morning city tour. After an included lunch, step into a cyclo for an exciting tour of the colonial area, ending your afternoon with a traditional water IU Ha Long Bay VIETNAM Hanoi puppet show. This evening, enjoy a Northern Vietnamese Welcome Dinner with complimentary wine at one of Gulf of Hanoi’s most charming establishments, Tonkin while a famous Vietnamese band provides traditional, live music. (B/L/D) DAY 4 HANOI / SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA Enjoy free time in Hanoi before your flight to Siem Reap. On arrival, check into THAILAND the elegant and serene Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa. (B) Bangkok Siem Reap IU Angkor Wat DAY 5 Tonle Sap Lake CAMBODIA Kampong Chhnang SIEM REAP Wat Hanchey You’ll begin your day at Angkor Wat, Tonle Sap River Kampong Cham VIETNAM the most recognizable landmark in Phnom Penh Mekong River Gulf Bassac River Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Cambodia, and the largest religious of Chau Doc Thailand My Tho monument in the world, with the Sa Dec Cai Be longest continuous bas-relief sculpture EAST SEA in existence, before enjoying lunch AIR CRUISE LAND IU UNESCO SITE DAY 8 WAT HANCHEY / KAMPONG CHAM This morning, you visit a local, secondary school, which serves eight surrounding districts. Following a tour of the school and an interesting Q&A opportunity with the principal and students, you walk up the hill to the temple of Wat Hanchey and receive a traditional Buddhist water blessing from the monastery’s resident monks. After a peaceful walk around the monastery, we descend the massive, concrete stairway, surrounded by the incredible view of the Mekong River RIVER LIFE - KAMPONG CHHNANG below. You return to the ship for lunch. like tree roots spilling over centuries-old Following lunch, you enjoy a drive walls and roofs, enveloping much of the through the city of Kampong Cham to structure. After your afternoon at leisure, visit the hills of Phnom Pros (man hill) and guests will enjoy a private dinner with Phnom Srei (woman hill), the incredible Apsara show at a local venue. (B/D) Stupa, the 10-meter long reclining Buddha, and the 13-meter tall preaching DAY 7 Buddha. Today’s final visit is to the 12th SIEM REAP / KAMPONG CHAM / century, Angkorian-period complex of EMBARKATION Wat Nokor Bachey, which features several Today’s expedition encompasses the original statues of Buddha and stone south gate of Angkor Thom, once the inscriptions. You then return to the ship capital of the Khmer empire, and the and begin sailing downstream. (B/L/D) pyramid temple of Bayon with its iconic carved heads, rumored to be faces of DAY 9 King Jayavarman VII. The morning ends TONLE SAP RIVER CRUISE / with a walk around Baphuon Temple, KAMPONG CHHNANG the Terrace of the Elephants, and the You will enjoy a full day of sailing on the moss-encrusted Terrace of the Leper scenic Tonle Sap River. This very narrow King. After returning to the hotel to winding river provides a rare, up-close refresh and check out, you will travel glimpse of rural river life in Cambodia. to Kampong Cham, where you will After lunch, you board a private excursion board the intimate Mekong Navigator. boat and experience a panoramic cruise In the evening, indulge in a special of the floating villages at Kampong Cambodian Themed Dinner. Chhnang. Here you observe the very (B/L/Welcome Reception/Theme Dinner) friendly locals living, working, and even shopping on the river. Upon our return to the ship, we sail back downstream on the Tonle Sap, enjoying the beautiful sunset, while local children on the riverbanks bid us farewell as we make our way back to the mighty Mekong. (B/L/D) DAY 10 PHNOM PENH / OVERNIGHT After breakfast on board this morning, you will meet your cyclo driver for an exciting morning city tour of Phnom Penh. You are transported by your driver along the riverfront to the Royal Palace complex. Here you’ll enjoy a leisurely walk through the grounds viewing Throne Hall and Moonlight Pavilion, before visiting the famous Silver Pagoda, home of Cambodia’s Emerald Buddha and Maitreya Buddha encrusted with more than 9,000 diamonds. You return to your cyclo for the short ride to the NATIONAL MUSEUM - PHNOM PENH National Museum, ending the morning DAY 11 with a comprehensive tour of the many Angkorian and pre-Angkorian period PHNOM PENH After a scenic 45-minute drive, you artifacts excavated at the Angkor Temple arrive at the Cheoung Ek Killing Fields, complex at Siem Reap. where you have the opportunity to walk During you free afternoon in Phnom through the fields and visit the small Penh, you may choose one of our Memorial Stupa. You may also wish to optional excursions or simply enjoy take time to visit the small Genocidal your time exploring Phnom Penh Center museum and learn more about independently—shopping, or relaxing the atrocities committed during the in one of the city’s many wonderful Khmer Rouge Regime. On your return restaurants or pubs. to the ship, you will stop at Tuol Sleng, a Before dinner, children entertain former school converted into the Khmer you on the Sun Deck with a cultural Rouge’s infamous prison and torture performance including Apsara, center known as S-21. Cambodia’s national dance, as well as You’ll enjoy one last free afternoon local traditional folk dances. in Phnom Penh, before setting sail this (B/L/D/Cultural Performance) evening to cross the border of Cambodia ANGKOR WAT - SIEM REAP and Vietnam. (B/L/D) HAIMARK CARES Our core value is to positively impact the destinations where we operate through collaborations with reputable organizations that have proven themselves through hard work and visible success stories. The Future of Khmer Children Organization is a Cambodian-registered NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) led by Ms. Chantheany Leng (known to us, fondly, as Ms. Theany), in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Ms. Theany has collaborated with Haimark staff for a number of years, facilitating almost 100 fresh-water wells for families in need, in the rural areas around Siem Reap. You will often find her venturing into the countryside, meeting families, distributing rice and medical supplies, and ensuring families without clean water are placed on her priority list for wells. When not working on the fresh- water well program, she is administering the local school owned and operated by FKC, teaching critical English, computer, and sewing skills to the children.