Hue, next, for some time in the Forbidden Purple City and at the Nguyen Tombs, each one unique.
In Da Nang, ride a private sampan along the Perfume River and rediscover romance. Get familiar with the Cham people alongside a professor of culture during a private tour of the Cham Museum. Excavations at My Son round out our understanding of these ancient people.
Learn the subtleties of Vietnamese cuisine during a private cooking lesson, while we're here.
To Ho Chi Minh City (once upon a time, Saigon), having reread your dog-eared copy of Maugham's The Quiet American. The city draws our focus to the future of Vietnam. With an economics professor at the table, spend a meal getting up to speed on Vietnam's economic outlook and emergence in the global marketplace.
On to Cambodia, monument to the mighty Khmers, who moved in during the early ninth century and never left. Phnom Penh first, then a private sunset cruise along the Mekong River. For those who wish, an eye-opening dose of reality at Tuol Sleng Prison and a visit to the haunting Killing Fields. An ex-pat journalist briefs us over lunch at the Foreign Correspondents' Club.
Reach back to a glorious past at Angkor, ancient capital of the empire. Watch dawn creep over this incredible site.
We hope you'll opt to join us on our pre-tour exploration of the Hill Tribes of Vietnam. In the shadow of Mount Fansipan, Southeast Asia's highest peak, a handful of diverse ethnic minorities live in quiet settlements here and there on the terraced slopes and in the neon-green valleys of northeast Vietnam.
Welcome to the Highlands.
We've put together the perfect way to penetrate this rarely-visited region. Land in Hanoi, where we have a day-room waiting for you at the Metropole, a 1911 landmark we adore on the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake. On a cyclo ride through the old quarter of town, get your bearings. (We promise, you'll be back here in a few days for more poking around.)
Tonight after dinner in town, board the Victoria Express Train for an overnight ride into the mountains. We've reserved a superior sleeper cabin for you.
Disembark in Lao Cai for the former French hill station of Sapa, founded in 1922. Explore colorful markets and Hmong and Dzao settlements. Trek to Dao villages tucked into the dramatic Hoang Lien Mountains. Visit tribal members—metalworkers, woodcarvers, embroiderers. Hear about the ancestral worship they practice. Picnic by a river. There are people to meet, lives to examine, traditions to witness.
The Victoria Express takes us back to Hanoi, where we settle back into the Metropole. Time to explore the city your way. Choose what you'd like to see and do. We can suggest lots of alternatives. A tour of the 36 pho. Or Thay and Tay pagodas. Ha Bac, a province in the Red River delta. There's a bit of leisure time in Hanoi before your fellow travelers arrive for the Dream of Indochine Journey.
A
Dream of Indochine. 17 Days.
Departures:January, February, October, November, or throughout the year as a private journey.
Winter/Spring 2008:
| |
Tour per person sharing room from $6,990 |
| |
Internal air per person (estimate) |
from
$360 |
| |
Single supplement |
from
$2,460 |
Autumn 2008:
| |
Tour per person sharing room: |
from
$7,350 |
| |
Internal air per person (estimate) |
from
$390 |
| |
Single supplement |
from
$2,590 |
Hill Tribes of the Vietnam Highlands. 8 Days.
Departures: January, February, October, November, or throughout the year as a private journey
Prices:
| |
Tour per person sharing room: |
from
$1990 |
| |
Single supplement |
from
$690 |
More?
When you're this close to Thailand, it'd be a shame to pass up an opportunity to visit. We have choices to follow up your Indochine journey: a three-day Bangkok Extension; a four-day Laos Extension; a three-day Chiang Mai Extension; and a four-day Chiang Rai Extension. Or—best of all—add two or three or even all four of these journeys to your Indochine visit for a complete swing through Southeast Asia. Your choice. Just let us know what suits you best.Click here for a look at the four extensions.
Been there, done all that? Then consider adding on a trip through Myanmar (you know it as Burma) on The Road to Mandalay. Care to be enchanted by 2,500 years of remarkable history? The "Road" we refer to is the Irrawaddy, historic river of old Burma and its modern alter ego, Myanmar. Our vessel? A floating luxury hotel.
Begin in Yangon—pagodas, tree-lined boulevards, exotic markets, the Strand. Mandalay is next, the last capital of the Burmese Kingdom. There are 730 pagodas, innumerable artisans to occupy our time, monasteries to explore. Sagaing and Bagan, further down the Irrawaddy, boast some of the most awe-inspiring pagodas, temples, and shrines commissioned by Burmese kings.
Need some background on what we're seeing? An on-board lecturer keeps us expertly informed. A few words by Rudyard Kipling help, too. Intrigued?
Contact an R. Crusoe & Son tour specialist at 800.585.8555 (or 312.980.8000, if you are calling from outside the U.S.) for more information.
ungles are secret places (just ask Bogie and Hepburn). They're full of mystery, history, and not a few surprises.