Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam
ASIA & SOUTH PACIFIC
Tonle Sap Lake , Cambodia Paper-making , Laos
ITINERARY
DAY 1 • Depart U . S . Fly to Bangkok , Thailand .
DAY 2 • Bangkok , Thailand Arrive in Bangkok , Thailand , and transfer to our hotel . You ’ ll be joined by travelers who took our optional pretrip extension to Thailand : Chiang Mai , Chiang Rai & the River Kwai .
Bizotel Premier Hotel or similar
DAY 3 • Discover Bangkok • Exclusive cooking lesson & lunch
Enjoy a hands-on cooking lesson . Afterward , embark on an orientation walk , stopping to sample traditional street food .
Meals : B , L | Bizotel Premier Hotel or similar
DAY 4 • Bangkok • Grand Palace • Conversation about freedom of expression • Dinner cruise
Step into the Grand Palace of Thailand to witness the Emerald Buddha . Then , visit Thammasart University for a conversation about freedom of expression in Thailand . After , cruise the Chaophraya River and enjoy a Welcome Dinner onboard .
Meals : B , L , D | Bizotel Premier Hotel or similar
DAY 6 • Bangkok • Fly to Luang Prabang , Laos Fly to Luang Prabang , the royal capital of Laos . Meals : B , L , D | Sada Hotel Luang Prabang or similar
DAY 7 • Mekong River cruise • Pak Ou Cave Cruise to rural Muangkham Village and learn to prepare a traditional snack before cruising to Pak Ou Cave , filled with thousands of Buddha icons . After , journey by jumbo , the local mode of transportation , back to Luang Prabang .
Meals : B , L , D | Sada Hotel Luang Prabang or similar
DAY 8 • Alms-giving ceremony • A Day in the Life of a local village • GCF visit : Village school
Partake in Buddhist alms-giving to local monks . Then , experience A Day in the Life of a local village . We ’ ll also meet students at a school supported in part by Grand Circle Foundation . After , meet the nearby Hmong hill tribe community .
Meals : B , L | Sada Hotel Luang Prabang or similar
DAY 9 • Transfer to Vientiane • Home- Hosted Dinner
Board a train for Vientiane , Laos ’ capital . Later , a local family will invite us into their home for a Home- Hosted Dinner .
Meals : B , D | Sabaidee @ Lao Hotel or similar
DAY 11 • Fly to Phnom Penh , Cambodia • Champey Academy of Arts
Fly to Phnom Penh , Cambodia . Later , witness a children ’ s dance performance at the Champey Academy of Arts .
Meals : B , D | Phnom Penh Katari Hotel or similar
DAY 12 • Phnom Penh • Killing Fields & Prison Museum • Controversial Topic : Khmer Rouge tribunal
Visit the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek and the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum — both grim reminders of the Khmer Rouge . After , meet with a genocide survivor to discuss a
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
DAY 5 • Ayutthaya • Boat ride on Pa Sak river Visit the ancient city of Ayutthaya , a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the capital of Siam from 1353 to 1767 . After , learn how to make a local delicacy before enjoying a boat ride on Pa Sak river .
Meals : B , L | Bizotel Premier Hotel or similar
DAY 10 • Vientiane • Visit Monastery • C . O . P . E . Center • Conversation about unexploded bombs
Explore Wat Sisaket monastery and meet a local monk . Then , visit the C . O . P . E . Center to meet a victim of unexploded bombs buried in Laos after the Vietnam War .
Meals : B , L | Sabaidee @ Lao Hotel or similar
On Day 8 , witness a quintessential part of Laotian culture when you give alms to Buddhist monks
Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www . oattravel . com / lvc 71