Meet the Neighbours

Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand may be neighbours, but each tells a distinct story – revealed moment by moment, from lantern-lit streets and golden temples to misty mountains and riverside sanctuaries.

Vietnam

In Vietnam, history isn’t confined to museums. It lives in the quiet streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, the imperial citadel of Hue, and the colourful lanterns of Hoi An, where tailors still hand-stitch garments according to tradition.

This is a place of vibrant contrasts, where serene landscapes meet buzzing cities, and daily life hums (typically on two wheels, since Vietnam is home to more than 37 million motorbikes).

Beyond the cities, towering limestone karsts rise from the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, while the Mekong Delta offers floating markets, lush rice paddies, and a gentle pace. On our journeys, we stop at villages and family kitchens to sample the local lifestyle and try our hand at authentic calligraphy, or learn to make fragrant traditional dishes.

Cambodia

As we follow the Mekong river into Cambodia, the tempo slows and history emerges from the jungle in golden tones and ancient silhouettes. Here, light dances on gilded rooftops and ancient monuments, from the regal symmetry of Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace to the vast, timeworn beauty of Angkor Wat. Once the heart of a mighty empire, Angkor remains an extraordinary feat of devotion and design, its temples adorned with apsaras – celestial dancers still frozen mid-movement in stone carvings. Sprawling over 402 hectares, the world’s largest religious monument must be seen to be believed. Elsewhere on our Cambodian travels, from Phnom Penh’s colonial boulevards to the floating villages of Tonlé Sap, we’ll see daily life unfold with warmth and resilience – even in the face of a difficult past.

Laos

Spiritual and serene Laos. Perhaps sometimes overshadowed by its well-known neighbours, it doesn’t shout for attention but gently invites us in. The memories you carry from Laos may not be loud, but they may linger the longest.

In Luang Prabang, monks glide barefoot through earlymorning mist, collecting alms in a ritual unchanged for centuries. Incense wafts from golden temples tucked between jungle hills and faded French mansions.

Away from the city, nature takes over. Waterfalls (including Southeast Asia’s largest) plunge through leafy wilderness, and the river winds its way toward Pakbeng’s Mekong Elephant Park. Here, we encounter these rescued giants up close; not for rides or tricks, but on their own terms, in a setting that honours their place in the landscape.

Thailand

On our Mekong River Explorer tour, as well as spending 10 nights travelling along the Mekong River through Laos, we also explore Northern Thailand on our final four nights. We will weave through misty hills and tea-lined paths to Chiang Rai, where the White Temple glows in the morning light. Further north, the Golden Triangle emerges – a meeting place of three nations and many stories. Here, amid mountain air and quiet trails, we fi nd a region shaped by time, tradition, and gentle hospitality