Exploratory

Dates January 28–February 17, 2005
Leader James Martin and local guide
Fee $4,895 from Luang Prabang, returning from Saigon.
Includes internal airfare
Deposit $400
Limit 16
Terms and Conditions
Laos shows few signs of modernity and offers a glimpse into traditional ways of life. We will visit Luang Prabang with its hundreds of historic residences and 500-year-old Buddhist temples, now protected as an UNESCO World Heritage site. This former royal capital is situated on a peninsula in the Mekong River. Expect to see members of diverse hill tribes selling their fruits, vegetables or crafts. We will explore verdant hills running with waterfalls and punctuated with sacred caves.

The Plain of Jars remains one of the great mysteries—an Asian Easter Island. Hundreds of giant stone jars litter open fields. Most jars weigh between 1,000 and 2,000 pounds, and a few exceed three tons. While theories abound, no one knows their age or original purpose.

From the Chinese border to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam possesses an unmatched variety of tropical scenery. In the north, limestone cliffs and towers evoke Thailand’s Krabi coastline. Dozens of sea stacks and uninhabited islands ringed with empty beaches dot the waters of Halong Bay. South of Hanoi, lazy rivers wind through narrow valleys green with rice paddies and bracketed by towers and vertical stone walls. Rare wildlife finds refuge in mountainous jungle parkland. Village life follows the rhythms of centuries. Farmers sell their wares in floating markets, cultivate their land or tend to livestock. The cities exude pure energy, a chaos of rapid development only moderately restrained by the authoritarian regime.

In southern Vietnam the hills give way to flat land and the delta. The largest tracts of mangrove swamps outside the Amazon are found in the delta not far from Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. We will visit the secret Cu Chi tunnels, a 120-mile-long underground network that sheltered the Viet Cong during the American War. Ho Chi Minh City itself is an amalgam of ancient, colonial and modern architecture. We will sample the sites, wander the markets and reserve some time for individual explorations.

From Saigon, we travel by car and boat to the Mekong Delta where the people devote their lives to agriculture and fishing. We will visit the largest floating market and enjoy the unique landscape before returning to Saigon and then home.




Day 1
Depart home.

Day 2
Travel day. (D)

Day 3
Arrive in Luang Prabang, ancient capital city in the mountains of north central Laos. (BLD)

Days 4–6
We photograph beautiful monasteries and temples built as early as the sixteenth century. Hmong markets and Buddhist images in caves along the Mekong River will also attract our interest. (BLD)

Day 7
Fly to Xieng Khuang and drive to Phonsavanh. (BLD)

Day 8
Explore the Plain of Jars to create images of these mysterious artifacts. (BLD)

Day 9
Drive to Xieng Khuang and fly to Vientiane. (BLD)

Day 10
Photograph the former royal temple of the Lao monarchy and the Great Stupa, built in the twelfth century, as well as the busy marketplace. (BLD)

Day 11
Fly to Hanoi. (BLD)

Day 12
Excursions by road and boat to photograph the Perfume Pagoda—a complex of pagodas and shrines built into the limestone cliffs of Huong Tich Mountain. Drive to Ninh Binh. (BLD)

Day 13
Travel by boat to photograph the Kewh Ga floating village. (BLD)

Day 14
Drive north and east along the coast with good views of Halong Bay and its islands. (BLD)

Day 15
A private boat will take us to several of the islands and huge, many-chambered caves. (BLD)

Day 16
Drive to Hanoi and fly to Saigon. (BLD)

Day 17
Explore the city. (BLD)

Day 18
Travel to the Mekong Delta towns of Vinh Long and Can Tho, with photography at Cai Rang, the biggest floating market in the Delta. (BLD)

Day 19
Return to Saigon. (BLD)

Day 20
Morning free for shopping, depart for home. (B)

Day 21
Arrive home.





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