Superb Tours for Discerning Gay & Lesbian Travelers Since 1998

“INDOCHINA”
Vietnam & Cambodia with Optional Extension to Laos
February 8-21, 2011
February 21-24, 2011 (Laos Extension)

Angkor Wat, Cambodia	Ha Long Bay, Vietnam	Luang Prabang, Laos
• 14-day trip begins in Hanoi, Vietnam, and ends in Siem Reap, Cambodia • • Deluxe hotels throughout; 1 night aboard a new, traditional-style junk in Ha Long Bay • • 7 lunches, 8 dinners, all breakfasts included • • Venture Out escort along the way plus local guides • • 4 internal flights included • • Optional 3-night extension to Luang Prabang, Laos •

Overview	Itinerary-At-A-Glance	Detailed Itinerary	Pricing	Accommodations
Flights	Visa Information	Climate	Background Information	Medical

OVERVIEW

Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos are filled with romantic images that transport visitors into the past: gold-leafed pagodas glinting in the tropical sun; handsome French colonial architecture under a canopy of frangipani trees; ornate royal capitals; straw-roofed sampans drifting down languid rivers; young monks draped in saffron-colored robes. Our fascinating journey shows us the irresistible treasures of “Indochina” in settings like breathtaking Ha Long Bay with its emerald waters and stunning rock formations; in Hoi An, Vietnam's beautiful 16th-century trading port; at Angkor Wat, Cambodia's surreal, jungle-shrouded city of temples; and in Luang Prabang, the heart of the old Lao kingdom, with its tranquil rural rhythms and dramatic setting on the Mekong River.

These three countries reveal an ancient world of stunning beauty and vibrant traditional cultures. UNESCO World Heritage sites abound in our program:

• Halong Bay
• the old imperial citadel of Hue
• the port city of Hoi An
• My Son, an ancient religious center of the Cham people
• the Temples of Angkor in Cambodia, one of humankind’s most outstanding architectural achievements
• Luang Prabang, Laos’ former royal capital on the Mekong River

ITINERARY-AT-A-GLANCE

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DETAILED ITINERARY

Click here to download the detailed itinerary for this trip in PDF format.

Should you have any trouble downloading the itinerary please let us know and we'll send it to you by mail or email.

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TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION
U.S citizens are required to obtain a tourist visa to enter Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The Vietnam visa must be obtained in advance. You will need just a single-entry, one-month visa for Vietnam unless you are planning to return to Vietnam after the tour, in which case you'll need a double-entry visa. The Cambodia visa (single-entry) can be obtained at the Phnom Penh airport upon arrival on Day 10, however we encourage you to obtain this one also in advance in order to avoid the visa lines at the airport. The Laos visa can be obtained at the Luang Prabang airport upon arrival.

You will need a blank visa page in your passport for each country’s visa.

Click here to go to the Embassy of Vietnam web page regarding visas.

Click here to go to the Embassy of Cambodia web page regarding visas.

Please make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your stay.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Mighty Mekong River
The Mekong River begins in the Tibetan plateau, winding its way through China’s Yunnan province and the rainforests, plains and rice fields of five Southeast Asian countries before meeting the South China Sea. In terms of length, it’s the 12th largest river in the world, but in terms of historic, cultural and ecological richness the Mekong has no equal. The sagas of ancient empires, colonial powers and modern conflicts have unfolded along her banks. And, through it all, the Mekong remains first and foremost a lifeline. Temples, trade routes and fishing villages in the river’s path are today untouched by time, just as the way of life they represent. And nowhere are the river’s riches more apparent than in the neighboring, but distinct, countries of Cambodia and Laos.

A Brief Glimpse at Vietnam
The last country touched by the Mekong, Vietnam’s unique “S” shape includes a broad northern and southern region, a “mid-section” a mere 30 miles wide, plus a 2,000 mile stretch of coastline. Slightly larger than Italy, the country is blessed with natural beauty and a survival instinct that has seen it through a millennium of Chinese rule; a century of French imperialism; an uprising that split the country in two, a prolonged conflict with the U.S., followed by reunification in 1975 and a period of exodus. The U.S. established diplomatic relations during the Clinton Administration, and Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2006.

Today, the country remains one of the most intriguing and dynamic in all of Asia. The busy capital of Hanoi offers a unique combination of East and West – ancient and modern, existing side by side. Renowned for its graceful colonial architecture, frenetic streets clogged with motorbike traffic, verdant parks, tranquil lakes and ancient temples, Hanoi offers a range of historic and cultural landmarks. Highlights include the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ba Dinh Square, One-pillar Pagoda (Buddhist Temple) and The Temple of Literature (Confucius Temple). The city’s famous Old Quarter is a haven for the senses.

One hundred miles northeast of Hanoi lies one of Vietnam’s most treasured landmarks: the spectacular Ha Long Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin. Known as the "Bay of the Descending Dragon," this UNESCO World Heritage Site is famous for its dramatic limestone cliffs, thousands of islands and islets and groups of “floating villages.” Frequently shrouded by mist, the Bay’s tranquil waters and majestic caves provide a relaxing backdrop for taking in a centuries-old way of life. Multiple generations live and work aboard small wooden junks dotting the bay; fishermen cast their nets and tend to pearl farms; women tend to giant woks and curious children hang over boat railings to greet new faces.

Venturing south, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is a teeming metropolis; the commercial and economic center of Vietnam. Once known as the “Paris of the Orient,” the former capital of South Vietnam is known for its historic French colonial buildings, wide boulevards and eclectic mixture of influences. Stately pagodas stand beside gleaming skyscrapers, trendy sidewalk cafés and centuries-old traditional market stalls. Historic hotels date back to the French colonial era, and prominent buildings include the former Presidential Palace, Central Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral, as well as the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, Museum of Vietnamese History and the War Remnants Museum.

A Brief Glimpse at Cambodia
Sharing a border with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia holds its own distinct riches. While its neighbor, Vietnam, bore a millennium of Chinese occupation, Cambodia fell under India’s spell. Robust trade with India brought with it the influences of Buddhism and Hinduism, along with Sanskrit, all of which helped shaped Cambodia’s Khmer language and culture. The Khmer people have inhabited the region that is now Cambodia since the dawn of recorded time and, at one point, controlled the largest city in the pre-industrial world. Cambodia today is primarily agrarian, and in recovery, still, from the cruel fortune that befell it in modern times. The Khmer Rouge era in the 1970’s saw nearly two million killed and the national psyche devastated as the world looked on. A generation later, Cambodia is a resurgent nation, drawing international visitors eager to explore its wealth of treasures as the seat of a great ancient empire.

If Cambodia is a treasure trove, its jewel box is Angkor. Angkor (a Khmer term derived from the Sanskrit word for “city”) served as the capital of the great Khmer Empire (802-1431 A.D.). At one point, the capital stretched into what is now Thailand and Northern Vietnam, boasting more than one million inhabitants and one thousand temples. Today, UNESCO has designated a particularly rich concentration of temples near the city of Siem Reap as the “Angkor Archeological Park.” Nearly two million visitors each year visit this World Heritage Site, renowned for its spectacular temple remnants and rebuilt structures. The most legendary is the immense Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. The astonishing Wats (a Khmer word derived from the Sanskrit term for “temple”) in the region are a tremendous source of pride in Cambodia, and have become synonymous with the country itself. In fact, an image of Angkor Wat appears on the Cambodian flag. Additional temple complexes and edifices in the Siem Reap vicinity are both majestic and enchanting, and include Angkor Thom, the Bayon, Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King, as well as Ta Prohm and Banteay Srei. Also, near the Siem Reap area is one of Cambodia’s most famous bodies of water. The Tonle Sap Lake (“the Great Lake”) and river system — which empty into the Mekong River in an amazing yearly ebb and flow — is a designated UNESCO Biosphere.

The Mekong winds through the heart of Cambodia, joining the Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers in the capital of Phnom Penh. Glamorous and exciting during French colonial times, the city was nearly deserted during the Khmer Rouge era. Today, Phnom Penh has come back to life, as evidenced by the throngs of international visitors along its bustling riverfront. The largest city in Cambodia, and by far its economic center, Phnom Penh is known for its French colonial and Khmer-influenced architecture and impressive Wats. But, its signature landmark is the elaborate Royal Palace, with its spectacular Silver Pagoda, a rich repository of Khmer artifacts. The National Museum, built in the late 19th century, holds an extensive collection of Khmer antiquities. The Independence Monument was built to emulate ancient Khmer architecture. Numerous monuments to the Khmer Rouge era genocide of the 1970’s are also located in the Phnom Penh environs, the most famous of which are the infamous Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s grim Tuol Sleng or S21 detention center (Genocide Museum).

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