THAILAND, CAMBODIA & THAILAND, CAMBODIA & VIETNAM

11 DAYS Thailand • Cambodia • Vietnam

PROGRAM FEE INCLUDES: ■ 9 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms ■ 3 meals daily ■ Full-time EF Tour Director ■ Select guides and entrances to special attractions as per itinerary

OPTIONAL: ■ Elephant ride

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Bring the Far East closer with this tour of Southeast Asia that showcases the gorgeous extremes of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Bangkok’s skyscrapers balance the quiet beauty of Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. In , admire the opulent Reunification Palace, meander through a floating market, and stroll through history in the city’s streets and realize the breadth of this one-of-a- kind adventure.

Day 1 Flight day with a boat tour through the Chao Phraya Overnight fl ight to Thailand • Spend the night River and klongs (canals) that once gave Bang- fl ying to Bangkok. kok the reputation of the Venice of the East. At one time, Bangkok’s canals outnumbered its Day 2 Bangkok roads. Today they still play an important role Arrival in Bangkok • Touch down in Bangkok. in the life of the city, carrying everything from After clearing customs you are greeted by your rice barges to paddled canoes. Stop to visit the EF Tour Director, who will remain with you Grand Palace, an enormous royal compound throughout your stay. bordered by high walls that once served as a bar- rier between kings and commoners (the palace Day 3 Bangkok is still used by Thailand’s king on certain occa- Guided sightseeing of Bangkok • From the sions). Admire the gilded rooftops and golden gleaming silver skyscrapers that tower over an- spires of this architectural masterpiece, and en- cient jewel-box temples, to the serene Buddhist ter the Royal Chapel (Wat Phra Kaeo) where monasteries that lie just off the bustling streets, the Emerald Buddha, Thailand’s most sacred Thailand seems resolved to straddle two millen- Buddha image, is housed. Tour the compound nia. It is a place where ancient traditions still and see the many palaces used for different oc- govern the behavior of a modern people, where casions: the Reception Hall, the Royal Guest the timeless merges with the contemporary. In House, the Coronation Hall, the Throne Hall Bangkok, known to Thais as Krung Thep (“city and the Funeral Palace. of angels”), you’ll receive your introduction to this enduring and spirited culture. Begin your Bangkokangkkokk (4) SiemS Reapeapap (2)(

Hoo ChiChC Minh City (3)

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Day 4 Ayutthaya • Bangkok Day 6 Bangkok • Siem Reap Angkor Thom and Bayon • The site of Angkor Visit to Ayutthaya • Arrive in Ayutthaya. As Flight to Siem Reap • Board your flight to Thom rivals ancient Rome in size. Pass through the capital of Thailand for 400 years, Ayut- Siem Reap. The name means “Victory over its walled enclosure and over the moat (said to thaya was once one of the most impressive the Thais” and refers to the Khmer kingdom’s have once been swarming with crocodiles) to cities in the Orient, until the Burmese sacked victory in the 16th century. Once a rural town, admire the elaborate stone carvings of both hu- it in 1767. Explore the summer palace of King Siem Reap is now the gateway to the ruins of mans and mythological creatures. At the heart Rama IV with its mixture of Thai, Chinese and Angkor Wat. of Angkor Thom sits the Bayon temple. Built Gothic architecture. Admire the extensive canal Visit to Ton Le Sap Lake • Get a glimpse of in the 12th century, it is surrounded by massive network which helped Ayutthaya prosper before agricultural life in Cambodia, when you visit towers carved with more than 200 huge stone boarding your riverboat for the return jour- Cambodia’s Great Lake, the largest freshwater faces. Who the faces represent is the subject of ney to Bangkok. As you travel down the Chao lake in Southeast Asia and a UNESCO World fierce debate. Just as impressive are the outer Phaya River, watch the daily life of Thailand as Heritage Site. The Tonle Sap River, which feeds walls, which depict scenes of everyday life in the it passes you by. the lake, is unique because the direction of the empire. Search the walls for scenes of harvest- water flow changes biannually and thus, greatly ing, games and battle. Day 5 Bangkok affects the size of the lake, causing it to expand Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Visit to the Ancient City • See many of Thai- dramatically during the rainy season. The lake is Leper King • Visit two stages for important land’s most iconic sites when you visit the An- also home to a wide variety of fish and provides public events and ceremonies. Bordering the cient City—known in Thai as Muang Boran—a 75 percent of the fish consumed annually in royal palace, the Terrace of the Elephants once theme park that features smaller versions of Cambodia. topped 1,100 feet in length. Admire its many some of the country’s most popular attractions. Cultural Show • This evening, enjoy a presen- elephant and bird-man carvings. The Terrace Some of the buildings are originals that were tation of dance and song accompanied by tradi- of the Leper King is a huge stone platform brought here from other parts of the country, tional musical instruments. carved with mythological beings. The origin of while others are replicas of places that no longer its name is shrouded in mystery; the terrace is exist. You can also see how Thai architecture Day 7 Siem Reap crowned with a small statue that is believed to has changed over time, admire the throne hall Angkor Wat • Visit the temple dedicated to be either a former king or a representation of from Ayutthaya (Thailand’s old capital) and the Hindu god Vishnu, and, later, watch as the Yama, the god of death. visit a replica of a floating village. sun sets over this massive structure representing Free time • Enjoy some free time to discover the Hindu concept of the universe. The exterior Day 8 Siem Reap • Ho Chi Minh City Bangkok on your own. You may wish to explore walls are covered in nearly 2,000 bas reliefs de- Ta Prohm • Built in the 12th century, Ta one of the many wats (temples) throughout the picting Hindu mythology and historical wars. Prohm is in the same state as when it was first city. The large Reclining Buddha, located in The excessive use of resources that such an discovered in the 19th century by French Wat Po, should not be missed. Then stroll extravagant feat of architecture demanded may explorers. Wander the dark corridors, where along Khao San Road, a great place to pick have led to the ruin of this empire. Marvel at tree roots have sprung through the stone up a souvenir or try a tasty snack from a street the towering, lotus bud-shaped inner sanctum walls, and into the open plazas, where parrots vendor. See who can find the most unique as you try to imagine how an ancient society fly overhead. treat! Alternatively, check out the house of Jim could have constructed a temple that remains Preah Khan • This huge complex, whose Thompson, an American businessman known an architectural wonder even today. name means “sacred sword,” originally served for reviving the Thai silk industry. His house as a Buddhist school and monastery. A build- features beautiful silks, as well as an impressive ing west of the main temple is adorned with collection of Asian antiques. For great views of one of the only examples of round columns the city, climb the Golden Mount and visit Wat in this area. Saket, known for its golden roof. Flight to Ho Chi Minh City • Board an after- noon flight to Ho Chi Minh City. This largest city in Vietnam is the industrial, commercial, and cultural center of the country. Day 9 Ho Chi Minh City Visit to the War Remnants Museum • When Day 11 Home Chu Chi Tunnel Tour • Chu Chi is famous it opened in 1975, the museum was originally Return home • Your tour director assists with for its 124-mile network of underground called “The House for Displaying War Crimes the transfer to the airport, where you’ll check in tunnels built and used by the Viet Cong dur- of American Imperialism and the Puppet Gov- for your return fl ight home. ing the French Indochina War and the ernment.” As such, it provides an interesting . From the mid-1940s on- perspective on the United States’ involvement wards, the Viet Cong constructed secret meet- in the Vietnam War. Visitors will see a “Huey” For complete fi nancial and registration details, ing rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, hospitals helicopter, M48 Patton tank and F-5A fighter, please refer to the Booking Conditions. and printing presses 40 feet underground. The among other war memorabilia. There’s also a tunnels rarely reached a width of two feet or reproduction of the tiger cages, where political a height of five feet and had thick roofs prisoners were once kept, and a guillotine, once capable of withstanding the weight of tanks used to execute prisoners. or the impact of bombs. Your visit includes a historical description of the tunnel system, Day 10 Cai Be • Ho Chi Minh City followed by the opportunity to crawl through Boat trip to the floating market • This is parts of the maze. truly a unique shopping experience. Board a Transfer to Ben Duoc • See the tunnel system traditional Asian longboat and float through the of the Viet Cong and learn about their art of winding maze of shops, known as the floating warfare at the Ben Duoc Monument. market. The floating market is a collection of Visit to the Reunification Palace • See the stores located on boats or stilts over the river. tank that broke through the gates, thus signal- If you see something you like, your boat can ing the victory of the Communist Party in Viet- dock alongside the vendor while the transaction nam. The Reunification Palace was the home is made. Stock up on Vietnamese handicrafts of the president of during the and trinkets, or try a traditional snack, like Vietnam War. After the Fall of Saigon on April coconut water. Whatever you fancy, don’t 30, 1975, power was officially handed over at forget to bargain! the Reunification Palace.

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ITN0108TCVA Itinerary subject to change. 2010/Spring