An Enriching Exploration of Southeast Asia
If there’s a word that defines luxury travel, it might be “meaningful.” Remote Lands are experts at putting together meaningful Asian journeys, and this 20-day exploration of Southeast Asia is just one example. . .
Photo courtesy of Remote Lands
All Poe Travel itineraries are customized, but let this fuel your ideas for your discovery of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.
Days 1-3
Saigon
Begin in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, formerly known as Saigon. Share a simple meal with monks at a temple, walk Saigon’s colonial quarter, and spend an evening on the back of a vintage Vespa, stopping to sample street foods. Take a speedboat to the Cu Chi Tunnels, where soldiers once lived underground, and visit the War Remnants Museum.
Days 4-5
Hoi An & Danang
Fly to central Vietnam and discover My Son, a cluster of ruined Hindu temples hidden in the jungle. Visit Tra Que village to learn from farmers and fishermen. Take a buffalo cart ride along countryside roads and enjoy a grilled seafood lunch on the river. Explore Hoi An’s UNESCO-listed old town and enjoy a lantern-lit dinner in the night market.
Photo courtesy of Remote Lands
Days 6-7
Hanoi
Fly to Hanoi and visit a design studio providing employment to deaf artisans for a workshop. Visit the home of an art curator who has long championed Vietnamese artists. Take tai chi beside a lake and head to the Red River countryside in a Jeep, stopping to explore local communities. Stroll the ancient grounds of Co Loa Citadel and return to Hanoi for an evening tour of the Metropole’s wartime bunker.
Days 8-10
Luang Prabang
Fly to Luang Prabang, Laos, for an historian-guided walk of the city’s spiritual core. Visit Wat Mai monastery for a blessing from the head monk and meet local students at Big Brother Mouse, a literacy project devoted to Lao children. Wake early for a sacred alms-giving ceremony and meet a former monk for a cooking lesson at his home. Spend an afternoon at an ethical elephant sanctuary and explore the rural heart of the Mekong Delta by bike, boat, and on foot, stopping in small villages to meet locals.
Days 11-13
Siem Reap
Fly to Cambodia and meet a family whose clean water has been partially funded by your travels. Rise early to visit Angkor Wat, entering via a little-used gate for a quieter view. Gain private access to Preah Khan and visit APOPO for a live demonstration by their landmine-detecting rats. Take in a bird’s-eye view of the Angkor complex via helicopter and dine with a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime for a firsthand account. Create a unique jewelry piece in an artisan-led workshop and support a non-profit arts school with a private dinner and a performance by the Cambodian Circus.
Days 14-15
Phnom Penh
Fly to Cambodia’s capital city to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, once a school and now a place of remembrance. These sites are difficult but essential. The next day, cross the Mekong to Silk Island to speak to weavers in their homes. Back in the city, visit the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and lively riverfront.
Photo courtesy of Remote Lands
Days 16-20
Bangkok
Fly to Thailand and board a private e-tuk tuk with stops for street food and a cocktail tour with an insider. Sample traditional breakfast dishes at Nang Loeng Market and take a workshop in classical Thai dance and puppetry in a canal-side home. Spend a morning at Bangkok’s largest slum for a cooking class with a local chef on a social mission. Visit the country’s oldest massage school, craft an herbal inhaler using local botanicals, and enjoy a traditional Thai massage. Cruise along the Chao Phraya River at sunset, ending with special-access entry to Wat Pho and a special blessing from the head abbot.
Don’t have 20 days to explore?
Ask your Poe Travel advisor about Remote Lands’ Aman Private Jet Expeditions to explore the best of Southeast Asia at the height of luxury.
For your own bespoke exploration of Southeast Asia, contact us. We will design a customized itinerary to suit all your travel wishes.