Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand & Laos

The hotel for the stay in Hanoi is the Bespoke Trendy Hotel, located in the Old Quarter. After arrival at Noi Bai Airport, settle into the property before the first evening's dinner. This initial meal offers a direct entry into Vietnamese dining, featuring a multi-course Vietnamese menu. The feast includes traditional dishes like sizzling ginger chicken, and concludes with a tableside preparation of traditional Vietnamese egg coffee.

The best way to read Hanoi’s traffic is from the back of a motorbike. Today’s guides are all women from a local organization that provides employment through tourism. The route winds through the city to key sites, including the perimeter of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ba Dinh Square, and the quiet shores of Huu Tiep Lake. Lunch is a requisite bowl of pho at a classic Old Quarter spot.

The afternoon continues on foot with a deep dive into the city's street food culture. You'll navigate the alleyways to find some of the city's best bun cha before the day winds down with a cold beer at Bia Hoi corner, a prime location for watching the city's evening rhythm unfold.

After a private overland journey from Hanoi, you arrive at the coast to board a traditional junk boat for an overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay. The afternoon is spent navigating the calm, steel-grey waters between thousands of limestone karsts that rise vertically from the sea. A catered lunch of local seafood is served on board.

The boat anchors in a quiet cove, providing a base for a guided kayaking excursion through a series of water-level caves, their walls showing fossilized shells. Back on board, you can join the crew to prepare fresh spring rolls or simply watch the sun set over the islands. Dinner is a plentiful spread, served on deck.

Enjoy a final breakfast on the waters of Ha Long Bay before disembarking. The day's travel is a significant overland journey, heading west from the coast into the interior highlands of Pu Luong Nature Reserve. The landscape shifts dramatically from coastal plains to a remote valley of limestone mountains covered in tropical rainforest and sculpted with rice terraces. You'll arrive at Puluong Retreat in the late afternoon, with time to settle into your bungalow before a dinner of regional dishes, including farm-raised pork and mountain snails.

Today is about exploring the Pu Luong valley on foot and by water. The morning starts with a trek along the edges of rice paddies, passing through small villages where daily life unfolds at a gentle pace. The walk leads to Ban Cong, a village where local chefs prepare a BBQ picnic lunch on the riverbank, featuring dishes like pork belly seasoned with local Mac Khen seeds. After the meal, a 45-minute float down the placid river on a traditional bamboo raft offers a different perspective of the valley's quiet beauty before a vehicle returns you to the retreat.

After a final morning in the quiet of Pu Luong, the journey continues with a private drive back to Hanoi to catch a midday flight south to Da Nang. From the airport, it's a short transfer down the coast to the ancient town of Hoi An. You'll arrive in the late afternoon and check into the Little Riverside Hotel. The evening serves as a gentle introduction to the town; a short walk along the river leads to a cooking class at Green Mango restaurant, where you’ll prepare a three-course meal of central Vietnamese dishes for dinner.

The morning is dedicated to a walking tour of Hoi An's well-preserved Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The route takes in the key architectural highlights, from the Ong Pagoda to the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge and the bustling central market. Along the way, you can stop to try what many claim is Vietnam's best banh mi. The afternoon is unstructured, offering free time to relax or join an informal excursion to a local beach. For those seeking more activity, a Jeep tour through the surrounding countryside is a solid option.

Today offers a choice of two distinct half-day excursions. The first option is a guided tour of the My Son Sanctuary, a cluster of abandoned Hindu temples from the Champa Kingdom, slowly being reclaimed by the jungle. The return journey includes a boat ride and a stop at a traditional carpentry village. The second option is a guided kayaking trip through the region's serene coco-palm mangroves, with a stop at a local fishing village for coffee. Both activities conclude in the early afternoon, leaving the rest of the day free.

A morning transfer to Da Nang airport begins the journey to Vietnam's southern metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City. After the flight and a pho lunch, the afternoon is spent getting acquainted with the city from the seat of a cyclo. This pedal-powered tour offers a vantage point just above the frenetic motorbike traffic, navigating past landmarks like the Independence Palace. As evening approaches, the pace slows for a private sunset cruise on the Saigon River, providing a different perspective on the city's skyline as the lights come on.

Today's journey to the Cu Chi Tunnels is an experience in itself. A full-day cycling tour takes you out of the city and into the countryside, pedaling along the Saigon River through fruit gardens and rubber plantations. The ride includes a stop at the Phu Hoa Dong village to see how traditional rice paper is made. Upon arrival at the tunnels, a guide leads you through the Ben Dinh section of the vast underground network, explaining its strategic role during the Vietnam War. The day concludes back in the city with a farewell dinner.

A morning flight takes you from Ho Chi Minh City across the border to Siem Reap, Cambodia. After checking into the hotel, an orientation walk provides a first look at the town. The first dinner in Cambodia is at Spoons, a restaurant that doubles as a vocational training school for underprivileged young adults, providing skills for careers in the hospitality industry.

The day begins with a hands-on Khmer cooking class. A tuk-tuk ride takes you first to a local market to source ingredients, then to a private home in Chreav village for the lesson itself, where you'll prepare three traditional dishes for lunch. In the afternoon, you have a choice of activities. The first is a sunset bike ride through the countryside, passing through small villages and ending with a drink overlooking the rice paddies. The alternative is a boat trip on Tonle Sap lake to Kampong Khleang, one of the area's remarkable floating villages.

An early start is required for one of travel's essential moments: sunrise over Angkor Wat. You'll travel by tuk-tuk in the pre-dawn darkness to secure a position for the main event. After the sun is up, a local guide leads an exploration of the vast temple complex, followed by visits to the walled city of Angkor Thom with its enigmatic stone faces, and Ta Prohm, the temple famously entangled in the jungle's grip. The tour concludes by midday, leaving the afternoon free to relax by the pool or explore Siem Reap independently.

Today involves a journey to one of Southeast Asia’s last great wildernesses. A short flight to Sihanoukville is followed by a multi-hour overland drive west into the Cardamom Mountains. The final leg of the journey is by small boat, a half-hour trip down the Prek Tachan river to Cardamom Tented Camp. This eco-lodge directly supports forest conservation and anti-poaching patrols in the national park. After settling into your safari-style tent, the day ends with a night boat safari along the river to spot nocturnal wildlife.

Waking to the sounds of the jungle, the day is spent exploring the protected forest around the camp. The morning begins with a kayak paddle downriver to an old, disused ranger station. From there, you’ll trek back to camp along former logging trails, crossing small streams and learning about the forest's ecology from local guides. After a Cambodian lunch back at camp, the afternoon is unstructured. You can swim in the river, take a kayak out to explore the narrow tributaries, or simply relax on your tent’s veranda.

After a final morning in the Cardamom Mountains jungle, the journey proceeds back to the coast at Sihanoukville. From the pier, a speedboat makes the crossing to Koh Rong, an island defined by its white-sand beaches and dense rainforest interior. After checking into the You & Me Resort, there is ample time in the afternoon for a walk to get oriented with the main village and the quiet stretches of beach. The day concludes with a fresh seafood barbecue served for dinner right on the sand as the sun sets over the Gulf of Thailand.

Today is a full-day immersion in Koh Rong's natural environments. The morning starts with a trek into the island's tropical jungle interior, following a trail that, in season, leads to a secluded waterfall. After a break for lunch, the exploration continues by water. A professional guide leads a kayaking excursion into the quiet, winding mangrove forests that line parts of the coast, offering a unique perspective on the island's serene, sheltered ecosystems and the wildlife they support. The evening is free to explore the island's restaurants.

The multi-stage journey from island Cambodia to urban Thailand begins with a speedboat from Koh Rong back to the mainland, followed by an overland transfer to Phnom Penh's airport for the flight to Bangkok. After checking into The Standard X Bangkok, the evening transitions to the water. A private rice barge offers sunset dining and drinks along the river, before a tuk-tuk ride leads into the city for dinner. Stop for classic Pad Thai, then head into the vibrant chaos of Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, to explore the street food scene.

Today explores Bangkok's contrasting waterways. The morning begins with a cycle tour through the narrow alleys of Chinatown, then transitions to a longtail boat for a cruise through the city's historic canals, or khlongs. This journey reveals a more traditional side of Bangkok life, with wooden stilt houses and children swimming in the water. After a local lunch, the afternoon is free. In the evening, the group reconvenes for a dinner cruise on the wide Chao Phraya River, offering views of the illuminated temples and modern skyline.

The 130-kilometre journey north from Bangkok leads to Kanchanaburi, a town defined by its WWII history. The day is dedicated to the story of the Thai-Burma Railway, beginning with a visit to the interactive Thai-Burma Railway Centre and the adjacent Allied War Cemetery. A train ride on a historic section of the infamous 'Death Railway' travels over a wooden viaduct clinging to a cliffside. From there, a longtail boat takes you downriver to The Float House River Kwai Resort, where floating villas on the River Kwai serve as your accommodation for two nights.

The morning is a somber but important visit to Hellfire Pass, a rock cutting excavated by Allied POWs using hand tools. After spending time in the interpretive centre, you can walk a section of the original rail bed through the Hintok Cutting. The mood shifts for the return journey; a flat-bottomed bamboo raft provides a lazy float down the River Kwai, a peaceful way to cool off and absorb the scenery. The raft delivers you directly back to the floating resort, with the rest of the afternoon free.

The journey from central Thailand to the country's northernmost province begins with a 222-kilometre drive south to Bangkok's airport, followed by a flight to Chiang Rai. After checking into the Riva Vista Riverfront Chiang Rai Hotel, the evening introduces the distinct cuisine of the Lanna region. A walk through the city’s night markets and food stalls offers the chance to sample local specialties. Focus on regional staples, including the famous northern sausage, sai oua, and the various chili dips known as nam prik.

Today presents a choice between two full-day guided excursions. The first option is a cycling tour of the Golden Triangle area, where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. The ride passes through pineapple and cassava fields and includes a visit to the Hall of Opium museum. The second, less active option is a 'Tea Journey' to Doi Tung. This area, once dominated by the opium trade, has been transformed into a landscape of thriving tea plantations. The tour includes learning about tea blending, a tasting, and a picnic lunch.

After a drive to the border town of Chiang Khong, you'll cross the Friendship Bridge into Laos. The journey continues from the port of Huay Xai aboard a private chartered slow boat for a full-day cruise down the Mekong River. This is a day for relaxation, watching the unhurried life on the riverbanks pass by from the comfort of the boat. A delicious lunch is served on board. In the late afternoon, the boat docks at the small riverside town of Pak Beng, where you'll stay overnight in a comfortable lodge overlooking the river.

The Mekong River cruise continues this morning with a few hours on the slow boat. Before disembarking, the boat stops at the sacred Pak Ou Caves, a dramatic limestone cliffside filled with thousands of gold-lacquered Buddha statues. From here, the route transitions to a 130-kilometre overland transfer to Nong Khiaw, a town set amidst karst peaks that remains relatively new to international tourism. Accommodation is at Nong Kiau Riverside, leaving time for an optional sunset hike to the Som Nang viewpoint for a panoramic view.

Today is a deep dive into the local culture around Nong Khiaw. The morning is spent in Nayangtai Village for an immersion with the Tai Lue community. You'll participate in a traditional Baci Sou Kwan ceremony for good fortune and learn about local crafts like pottery and bamboo weaving. In the afternoon, a traditional boat takes you upstream to the Khmu village of Ban Sopkhong. From there, a short trek through rice paddies leads to the Tad Mok Waterfall, where you can take a refreshing swim before returning downriver.

For early risers, the day begins with an optional pre-dawn hike to the summit of Pha Daeng Peak. It's a moderately challenging climb, but the reward is an incredible sunrise view over the entire Nong Khiaw valley. After breakfast, the journey continues overland to Nam Kat Yorla Pa, a protected forestry area built around the Nam Kat river. After a stop at the Muang Xai market, you'll arrive at the resort, your base for the next two nights in the heart of the Laotian forest.

The day is spent exploring the protected forest of Nam Kat. A guided morning trek follows a unique trail that crosses a series of 13 hanging bridges, offering a bird's-eye view of the jungle canopy. The path leads to a secluded waterfall with a natural pool perfect for a swim. The afternoon is at leisure, with options for more hiking or an adrenaline-pumping zipline course through the trees. In the evening, the group comes together for a hands-on cooking class to learn the secrets of Laotian cuisine.

After a final morning enjoying the tranquility of the forest, the journey south to Luang Prabang is made via Laos's modern high-speed train, a comfortable and efficient way to cover the distance. Upon arrival in the UNESCO-listed city, you'll check into the Victoria Xiengthong Palace. The afternoon is free to explore at your own pace before a brief orientation walk through the famous night market as it sets up for the evening.

An optional early start provides the opportunity to witness the daily alms-giving ceremony, a silent, solemn procession of saffron-robed monks through the streets. Afterwards, a walk through the morning market reveals an array of unusual local produce. The rest of the day is free, with a popular option being an excursion to the beautiful Kuang Si waterfall. The final evening is a special farewell dinner with a local family. It begins with a traditional Baci ceremony for blessing your onward travels, followed by a hands-on session making lemongrass stuffed with pork.

Your month-long immersion in Southeast Asia concludes this morning in Luang Prabang. After a final breakfast at the hotel, you are free to depart at any time. The final transition of the journey is the travel to Luang Prabang's international airport for your flight. You can coordinate your departure from the hotel to the airport to match your flight schedule, ensuring a direct and efficient end to your travels.