Indochina: the Full Story Angkor Wat Angkor
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TRAVEL WITH FRIENDS IN 2014 Indochina: the Full Story Angkor Wat Angkor CAMBODIA – LAOS – VIETNAM with Christopher Hartney Optional 01–22 February 2014 (22 days) pre-tour to Ho Chi Minh City Tour Indochina: the Full Story leader From the Mekong River to Halong Bay and from Angkor Wat to Luang Prabang, discover the wonders of Indochina by river, land and sea. As different as they are similar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam provide a fascinating mélange of cultures, religions, cuisines and peoples. With Christopher Hartney, learn about Indochina’s complex history from ancient times to the present, its tapestry of ethnic groups, the overriding influence ofB uddhism on daily life and the impact of outside powers such as China, Europe and America. Dr Christopher Hartney is a lecturer in the Department of Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney where he teaches Art and Religion, The Politics of Terror in the Twentieth Century and East Asian Philosophy. At a glance Christopher has written • Enjoy a 4-night Mekong river cruise on the intimate ‘Mekong Pandaw’ from Phnom Penh numerous papers on popular to Siem Reap culture in the West and is • Discover the mesmerising temples of Angkor Wat, the epicentre of Khmer civilisation currently preparing a book on • Explore the World Heritage city of Luang Prabang the Australian sculptor Ken • Experience the former French colonial cities of Phnom Penh, Vientiane and Hanoi Unsworth. He is also a visiting lecturer at the Art Gallery of • Optional pre-tour to Ho Chi Minh City New South Wales. VIETNAM Hanoi LAOS Halong Bay Luang Prabang Vientiane Fly Mekong River Cruise Optional Pre-Tour THAILAND Map is a guide only VIETNAM Siem Reap CAMBODIA Phnom Penh Ho Chi Minh City Optional pre-tour to Ho Chi Minh City Wed 29 Jan 2014 Depart Sydney – Arrive Ho Chi Minh City Continue to Cao Dai Great Temple in Tay Ninh, arriving in time for Late morning departure from Sydney on Vietnam Airlines direct midday worship. Cao Dai followers worship Jesus Christ, Confucius, flight to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving late afternoon. Transfer to your Taoism and Buddha. Witness the solemn ceremony of the unique hotel on arrival. religion – Caodaism – at Cao Dai Holy See at its prayer service with followers dressed in red, blue, yellow and white robes. Late After check-in, join Christopher Hartney and fellow travellers for a afternoon return to Ho Chi Minh City. Tonight, why not attend the welcome drink at the hotel. colourful Tet celebrations in the streets of Ho Chi Minh City? B L Thu 30 Jan Ho Chi Minh City Sat 1 Feb Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh Ho Chi Minh City – formerly named Saigon – is the country’s Following a morning at leisure, transfer to the airport for an commercial centre and, with over nine million inhabitants and five afternoon flight to Phnom Penh. Transfer to your hotel on arrival. B million motorbikes, a city that never sleeps. On a walking tour starting at Dong Khoi street – or Rue Catinat – discover some of the beautiful French colonial buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th century such as the splendidly restored exteriors of the Opera Tet Festival, Vietnam House, the former Hotel de Ville, the Notre Dame Cathedral, a Your stay in Ho Chi Minh City coincides with Tet – red brick edifice with twin spires based on the original construction Vietnamese New Year, on 31 January. This event marks the from Paris, and the Central Post Office, designed by the French beginning of the lunar new year and is the most important architect, Gustav Eiffel. The former Presidential Palace, the festival of the Vietnamese calendar. headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American war, reveals the history of Saigon during its turbulent recent past. Festivities occur throughout the country and most locals return to their home towns or villages to spend time After lunch at a local restaurant drive to District 5 to visit Thien with loved ones. The official holiday lasts three days, but th Hau temple, built by the Cantonese congregation in the early 19 celebrations continue for at least the first week of the century to honour the Goddess of the Sea. The temple’s ornate new year. interior courtyard is always full of life as worshippers from the local Chinese community come to offer their prayers. Continue with a In major cities, Tet celebrations are more similar to visit to FITO, the first museum of traditional medicine in Vietnam. new year celebrations in western countries. Stores and B L neighbourhoods are decorated with coloured lights and banners. Fireworks are set off to scare away the evil spirit. Fri 31 Jan Ho Chi Minh City Many businesses close down for the entire week of Tet celebrations and you will have the city to yourself, with E arly morning drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels – the location of several streets easy to cross. Nguyen Hue, the main street, is military campaigns during the Vietnam War and the Viet Cong’s transformed into Nguyen Hue Flower Street and decorated base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968. The tunnels are with magnificent floral displays. Outdoor shows and between 0.4 to 1 metre wide, however parts of the tunnels have concerts are also held throughout the city. been modified to accommodate visitors. Notre-Dame Basilica, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Street vendor, Vietnam Itinerary Sat 01 Feb 2014 Depart Sydney – Arrive Phnom Penh Wed 05 Feb Tonle River – Kampong Chhnang M orning departure from Sydney on Singapore Airlines flights via E xcursion up the amazingly narrow and meandering Tonle Sap Singapore, arriving Phnom Penh late afternoon. Transfer to your River, passing through villages, woodland and hills, to Kampong hotel on arrival. Chhnang, Cambodia’s ‘waterworld’ where everything is on stilts balanced on water rich soil. This section of the river journey will no After check-in, join Chris Hartney and fellow travellers for a doubt be a highlight of the cruise. welcome drink at the hotel. Beyond Kampong Chhnang travel by speed boat to discover the Sun 02 Feb Phnom Penh vast wetlands around the mouth of the river, where many fish traps Join Christopher for a comprehensive lecture on Cambodia’s may be seen. B L D history, before starting your exploration of the dynamic Cambodian capital. Once the ‘Paris of the East’, Phnom Penh has retained a lot Thu 06 Feb Kampong Cham of its rustic charm and elegance despite its rapid development, and E njoy a morning at leisure in the silk-weaving village of Chong has managed to preserve huge slices of its French colonial allure. Koh. Return to the ship and cruise past the Mekong’s tranquil Visit the dazzling white and gold edifice of the Royal Palace and the villages, exhilarating river life and sun-hardened fishermen on their Silver Pagoda. makeshift boats. After lunch, admire beautiful Khmer art at the National Museum, In the afternoon, see Khmer village life at first hand in Peam Chi wander around the Russian Market, and finish the day with a visit to Kang. Visit the school and the large temple-monastery; the long the temple of Wat Phnom, which offers great views over the tree- shed on its grounds contain the village’s racing boats. B L D lined avenues of Phnom Penh. B L Fri 07 Feb Kampong Cham – Wat Hanchey Mon 03 Feb Phnom Penh E mbark on a journey to the pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. T his morning you may choose to join Christopher for a visit to the Located at the top of a hill overlooking the Mekong River, the Genocide Museum, a former high school which was used as the temple offers one of the most breathtaking views in Cambodia. notorious Security Prison S-21 by the Khmer Rouge regime from its Built in the 8th century, this large working monastic complex was an rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979, followed by the Killing Fields, important centre of worship during the Chenla period. It features a a stark reminder of the genocide that transpired during that time. number of contemporary Buddhist structures. Others may choose to join a local guide instead for further Afternoon excursion by coach to the Twin Holy Mountains of sightseeing in and around Phnom Penh. Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey, or Man and Woman Hill, followed by a visit to the ecotourism village of Choeungkok, supported by the Free afternoon. B D French-Cambodian NGO Amica. B L D Tue 04 Feb Phnom Penh – Embarkation Sat 08 Feb Disembarkation – Siem Reap M orning at leisure. E arly morning disembarkation in Kampong Cham and transfer by Afternoon transfer to the Mekong Pandaw for embarkation. Dinner coach to Siem Reap, the city of the fabled Angkor temple complex. on board. B D Mid-afternoon arrival. Dinner at a local restaurant. B L D Silver Pagoda, Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Stone carvings in Angkor Wat, Cambodia Sun 09 Feb Siem Reap Thu 13 Feb Luang Prabang T his morning bring candles and incense sticks to Wat Damnak, S tart your discovery of Luang Prabang with a visit to the former one of the most beautiful Buddhist pagodas of Siem Reap with Royal Palace, now the National Museum housing possessions of French colonial architecture, and participate in a good luck blessing the former royal family. Discover the Buddhist temples of Wat ceremony performed by a monk. Following this special experience, Visoun, a 16th-century temple which serves as a small museum visit Angkor Thom, the ancient royal city of Khmer Empire with its for religious artifacts, and Wat That Luang (monastery of the big centrepiece, the Bayon temple.