Laos & Vietnam: Trails of Indochina

In an inextricable link between geography and culture, the many bodies of water encountered in Laos and Vietnam serve as a gateway to revealing the beauty and mysteries of this region. The tour begins along the banks of Laos’ massive Mekong River in Luang Prabang, descending from China’s inner mountains, and moves on to Vietnam’s golden Perfume River with its magnificent fortress and temples. A magical centerpiece of the tour is a cruise through awe-inspiring Halong Bay in northern Vietnam, an expanse of deep still waters and coves studded with thousands of seemingly endless limestone karsts that drop into the bay. A magnificent finale, you enjoy the turquoise waters and white sand beaches of the Sea of China off Vietnam’s central coast.
    The towns and cities along these waterways—Luang Prabang, Hanoi, Hue, and Hoi An—with their charming old quarters reveal architecture ranging from ancient sculpted temples and steep-roofed merchants’ houses to rows and walls of pastel-colored French colonial buildings. You are welcomed into these towns and nearby villages, with true hospitality and genuine warmth from your Laotian and Vietnamese hosts.
    From the bounty of the lush landscape, with its sculpted rice paddies and warm waters, comes delightful food, produce of a tropical climate and its waters; the freshest mango, papaya, and pineapple, nutty sticky rice, and seafood, perfectly seasoned and presented with abundant herbs and vegetables, or in Vietnam’s fragrant broths and delicate noodles. Accommodations reflect the refined spirit of the place and its people, from the quiet elegance of a restored royal residence, to a five-star city oasis. You cruise aboard a traditional private junk (a traditional Chinese sail boat) and luxuriate in resorts set in lush countryside or on an inviting sandy beach. The itinerary and accommodations merge perfectly, allowing you to immerse yourself in luxury or simply relax in serene settings with every comfort attended to.
    A pre-tour add-on option to Siem Reap, Cambodia offers a more in-depth travel experience to the fascinating region of Indochina.