Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand

Meet your Tour Director and check into hotel.

Enjoy a jungle cruise along the Mekong River with a visit to Thoi Son Island.

An elegant city built on marshland, the economic center of Vietnam, a metropolis of heavy Soviet architecture and sprawling American-style hotels. Ho Chi Minh City (still often called by its former name of Saigon) comfortably (and profitably) combines Vietnam's competing colonial influences. Take a trip around town to see Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, Reunification Palace, and Saigon Central Post Office.

Visit this vast underground network of tunnels hidden beneath the region and created for guerrilla warfare.

Discover artifacts from the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War.

Explore the culture of Vietnam through the country’s writing style.

LEAP Activity | Vietnamese Calligraphy

Explore the culture of Vietnam through the country’s writing style, an ancient art form strongly influenced by Chinese calligraphy. Discover the meaning behind each letter, which defines an aspect of Vietnam’s identity.

The Angkor complex is one of the most important archaeological sites in southeast Asia. Stretching over 4000 square feet, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the glorious remains of the capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. Angkor Wat was built in the first half of the 12th century (113-5 B.C.) and is the largest religious monument in the world. It is estimated that it took 30 years for construction to be completed. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the center of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences. The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.

Take in the mesmerizing moves of a classical Cambodian ballet. Apsaras dancing finds its roots in 7th century Hindu and Buddhist mythology and is so complex that dancers begin training as children. Apsaras costumes feature colorful silk garments, bejeweled headdresses and a variety of bold necklaces, earrings and bracelets.

Bangkok grew up from rather watery beginnings—while the original temples and royal palaces were on dry ground, ordinary residences were on bamboo rafts on the river—into a modern sprawling city. Old secrets and traditions still run deep within the city, however. The sacred Emerald Buddha, for instance, a tiny figure carved from glowing jade and considered to have miraculous powers, is a bit of a clothes horse. Thailand's kings have amassed a full wardrobe for the figure, including gold shawls for the winter and monastic robes for the rainy season. You can peek into his closet in the Grand Palace complex, which is a bit of a dandy itself—one of the buildings is called "the foreigner with the Thai hat" because of its classical Western design topped by three-tiered Thai tower. A heartier Buddha resides at Wat Po, whose sacred image is 150 feet long (the Buddha's smile alone is 15 feet long). The picturesque spire of the Temple of the Dawn rises across the river. The colorful flower mosaics on the temple were created using bits of pottery donated by residents.

Prepare, eat, and enjoy a traditional Thai meal.

LEAP Activity | Taste of Thai

Blend elements of centuries old Southeast Asian cuisine and Western influences to create a dish that is uniquely Thai.

During World War II, the Japanese invaders forced Allied prisoners of war to build a railway bridge connecting Thailand to Burma. The conditions and treatment of the prisoners were so harsh that thousands died during the project. Allied bombs destroyed the bridge, but a new bridge is still in operation. The history of the project is chronicled at the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, and the seven thousand dead are honored at the War Cemetery. Buddhism entered Thailand at Nakhon Pathom, Thailand's oldest town. The Phra Phathom Chedi (a stupa, or type of temple) commemorates the Buddha's stay here, and is therefore one of the most holy temples in the country. Shaped like an inverted bowl, the temple's spire reaches 400 feet into the air.

Thailand's kings used to make annual processions down the Chao Phraya River, surrounded by an elaborate 51-boat entourage. The king's own boat was 150 feet long, carved from a single tree into the shape of a swan and covered with gold and glass mosaics, and required 54 men to row. We can't promise you such luxurious accommodations, but we can guarantee a beautiful ride down Bangkok's main river. Enjoy a Traditional Thai-style buffet dinner along the way. Thailand's celebrated cooking combines fresh vegetables, spicy chilies, sweet coconut milk, and splashes of lemon and lime to create outstanding noodle and rice dishes. Sample some of the best here!

Board your flight back to the U.S. and reflect on the incredible memories you’ve created!