TRAVEL JOURNAL

Explore the bustling cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, be awed by sacred temples in Cambodia and Thailand, trek through spectacular mountain scenery, and take a riverboat cruise from Laos to Thailand. During Term Two of Global High School, you’ll experience fascinating cultures, ancient ceremonies, astounding architecture, and modern city life.

The journey begins in Vietnam’s capital and second-largest city, Hanoi, a bustling metropolis often referred to as the ‘Paris of the East’ due to its large collection of French colonial architecture. The city is hugely popular with tourists and is bursting with arts, culture, museums, shopping, and theatre. Take a walking tour into the city’s French Quarter and be amazed at the beauty of the Hanoi Opera House and the National Museum of Vietnamese History.

Taking a breather from the city life, we’ll board a two-day overnight boat cruise that will wind its way to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to 1600 limestone islands, enormous caves, beaches, and wildlife.

Rested and relaxed, we’ll venture over 1,000km south to the country’s largest metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City. A fast-paced and rapidly evolving city, it is a mix of old and new, with 19th-century buildings side-by-side with sleek modern skyscrapers, temples, and pagodas. Ho Chi Minh city is renowned for its famous night-markets and delicious street food – the perfect place to fill up before heading into the lush jungles of Cambodia.

Step out of the city and into the lush jungles of Cambodia, The centrally-located Siem Reap will be your home base, as you travel to the vast temple complex of Angkor Wat, and surrounding monuments – from Ta Prohm, a temple enveloped in huge tree roots; to Bayon, decorated with huge carved smiling faces. Before you leave the country, take time to visit the Landmine Museum and learn about the horrifying history of the Khmer Rouge.

Dive back into the ancient world in Laos, and the town of Luang Prabang. Tour the most spectacular Buddhist temples, see shrines decorated in gold, covered in intricate carvings and inhabited by orange-clad monks, and get your thrills on a zip line through the jungle and a hike to stunning waterfalls.

Leave the roads behind and take the scenic route to Thailand on a boat cruise along the Mekong River. Start from the top in Chiang Rai Province, where we’ll trek into the surrounding hills to see tribal villages. Further south, you’ll discover the island of Ko Lanta. Spectacular white sand beaches stretch along the west sunset coast. Students will spend their days having class on the sand and snorkelling in the clear blue waters before heading back inland to the breathtaking Ayutthaya, where the ruins of the old city form an archaeological site that contains palaces, Buddhist temples, monasteries and statues, the perfect place to bid farewell to an awesome term two in Asia.

INCLUSIONS

Activities included in your program

* Most hotels have Wi-Fi in common areas. Please note Internet access may not be available in bedrooms.

WHERE WE STAY

Accommodations

Hanoi: La Suite Hotel in Hanoi

Ha Long Bay: Oriental Sail Cruise

Ho Chi Minh City: Dyn Opera Hotel

Siem Reap: Salasara Hotel

Luang Prabang: Sanakeo Boutique Hotel

Chiang Rai: Maryo Resort

Ko Lanta: Southern Lanta Resort

Ayutthaya: Krungsri River Hotel

OPTIONALS

Optional Excursions

*Plus $495 registration fee. Includes group airfare arranged by Blyth Academy and an estimated $1,095.00** in airline and departure taxes, local taxes and fees. All itineraries, excursions, and dates are subject to change.

**Medical insurance is available to Canadian residents only. While Cancellation protection and Medical insurance is optional, we strongly recommend that you purchase both.

***Please visit www.blythpoints.com for more details on funding your program through Aeroplan points.