THAILAND

Thailand is a wondrous kingdom, featuring Buddhist temples, exotic wildlife, and spectacular islands. Along with a fascinating history and a unique culture that includes delectable Thai food and massage, Thailand features a modern capital city, and friendly people who epitomize Thailand’s “land of smiles” reputation.

History

Dating back to the Neolithic civilization situated at the modern-day UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ban Chiang, the history of Thailand is long, proud, and fairly well documented.  Over the early centuries of the Common Era, tribes of Mon, Khmer, and Tai peoples established realms within the borders of modern Thailand; the Mon speaking Buddhist civilization of Dvaravati in the first millennium giving way to the Khmer empire of Angkor by the turn of the second millennium.  

However, the history of Thailand as we know it began when the kingdoms of Lan Na (Chiang Rai/Chiang Mai) and Sukhothai, the first truly independent Thai Kingdoms, established highly developed societies in the North and Central regions of Thailand in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Kingdom of Ayutthaya, which was heavily influenced by the Khmer’s of Angkor, eventually conquered neighboring Sukhothai and dominated the region for the next several hundred years of Thai history.  Unfortunately, first Chaing Mai and then Ayutthaya were overrun by Burmese invaders, who occupied the Lan Na capital for several centuries and sacked Ayutthaya, forcing the central Thai kingdom to relocate farther south, establishing a new capital in Thon Buri near Bangkok.  After the short lived Thon Buri Period (1767-1772), the capital was moved across the Chao Phraya River, and the first of the current line of Kings, Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty, established the modern capital of Bangkok to commence the Ratanakosin Period of Thai history.  The adroit diplomatic leadership of Kings Mongkut (Rama IV, 1851-1868) and Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868-1910) were responsible for maintaining a remarkable 700 year Thai history during which the kingdom was never officially colonized by foreign powers; a turbulent 20th century witnessed the transition to a system of constitutional monarchy, currently overseen by Head of State, King Bumibol Adulyadej (1946- present), is King Rama IX of the Chakri Dynasty and a tenuous but functional democracy has existed under the regency of this much beloved king.

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CAMBODIA

PHNOM PENH                                                      
A Buddhist shrine in the 14th century, Cambodia's capital in the 15th and the French colonial center in the 19th , Phnom Penh's heritage is rich and varied. Today visitors find a bustling, multicultural city at the confluence of the historic Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac Rivers. Phnom Penh has many places of exceptional interest for those with time enough to appreciate the city's attractions. Visit the Silver Pagoda of the Royal Palace, the National Museum of Arts has paintings, artifacts and sculpture dating back centuries and Wat Phnom, the temple from which the city takes its name, is a fascinating starting point for the discovery of the city's past.

SIEM REAP (ANGKOR)                                          
(300 km from Phnom Penh)
Siem Reap is the center of Angkor. It is here where the ancient people of Khmer constructed one of the greatest monuments. Angkor Wat. But it is not just the temples that make this town attractive. Visit the Tonle Sap lake with its floating villages, where you can explore the traditional Khmer way of life or the national park of Preak Tuol where you can find unique birds. A one day excursion takes you to Phnom Kulen, where on weekends hundreds of Khmers pilgrim to a temple on the mountain top.

PHNOM CHISOR
(57 km from Phnom Penh)
Visit the temple Suryagiri constructed by Suriavarman I. in the 11th century. Great view over the country side from the top of this hill. Situated in the province of Takeo.

SIHANOUKVILLE
(230 km from Phnom Penh)
The only deep-sea port in Cambodia is in Sihanoukville. The town was constructed by the French as a present for the King. With its sandy beaches it is the perfect place for swimming, scuba diving or just for taking a sunbath. Take a boat to visit one of the many island nearby. Hotels and restaurants serve fresh seafood.

KAMPOT-KEP
(155 km from Phnom Penh)
This pleasant town is the base for some very interesting excursions to some unexplored caves. The Elephant Mountains offer beautiful rainforest and an amazing view over the Gulf of Thailand. Kep, located 30 km from Kampot with its sandy beaches is a favorite holiday spot for the Khmers.

PHNOM DA & ANGKOR BOREI 
(79 km from Phnom Penh)
The temple of Phnom Da (mid 6th century) was the last religious center of the Kingdom of Funan (Baphuon). Another very interesting temple just beside Phnom Da is Asram Maharosei an Indian-style laterite temple. There is a museum in Angkor Borei, showing objects of the Baphuon period. To get there, the visitors enjoy a boat ride along an old water channel from the 6th century.

KOMPONG CHAM
(123 km from Phnom Penh)
The city Kompong Cham is the second largest in Cambodia. The city has a warm French colonial atmosphere. This is why Kompong Cham was once called "The city of gardens". Visit the port and some wats such as Wat Nokhor from the 13th century

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LAOS

Laos is small landlocked and sparsely populated country in the Indochinese peninsula. Laos covers 236.800 square kilometers. It shares borders with china, Vietnam , Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. It is 236,800 sq km in land area and 5 million in population. Comprising of 68 ethnic and classified into tree groups. Lao Theung (upland), Lao Soung (hill tribes) and Lao Lum (low land).
The major part of the country being mountainous and forested.

Buddhism plays an important role in the life of the Lao people and has given them a deserved reputation for friendliness, gentleness, kindness, gaiety and wisdom.

Climate
Tropical climate with two distinct seasons. The rainy season from May to September and dry season from October to April. The best season to travel in Laos is from October to March (18c--.25c).

Language
The official language is Lao. The Lao language is monosyllabic and tonal. The polysyllabic words are occasionally meets particularly in literary writing are of Sanskrit of Pali origins. English and French are widely spoken, but it is very helpful, it one develops some knowledge to the Lao language.

Religion and Culture
Most of Lao people are Buddhism. Buddhism was introduced since 14th century. Laos has a great variety of well preserved architecture and culture monuments.

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PHONG NHA - KE BANG

The forerunner of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park was the Phong Nha Natural Reserve formed in 1992. The Phong Nha Natural Reserve was one largest special use forest with an area of 41,123 ha. Then Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng National Park was established under the Decision No 189/2001/QD-TTg dated December 12, 2001 by the Prime Minister. The National Park was be inscription on the World Heritage List at the meeting 27th of the World Heritage Committee - UNESCO in Paris from June 30th to July 5th 2003 on Criterion (viii) (former Criterion (i)- Earth's history, record of life, landform processes and features).
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is located in the middle of the Annamite Mountain Range, 40km from  Donh Hoi city, 500 km from Hanoi Capital, and close to the Vietnam - Laos border to the west.

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BAC LIEU

Bac Lieu Province situated in the Mekong River Delta. It shares its border with Can Tho City and Soc Trang Province to the north, the East Sea to the south, Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces to the west. Bac Lieu has many large rice paddies and fertile land, which make a good condition for fruit tree planting

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CHAU DOC

Found in Vietnam's southernmost province of An Giang, Chau Doc is a frontier town on the Cambodian Border. Chau Doc is historically referred to as the place of five hills and seven mountains, and as a place of romantic hills. Chau Doc has a reputation for its pickles, dried meat and palm sugar. Chau Doc is a riverside commercial center on the west bank of Hau River at its junction with the Chau Doc River. It also serves as a transit point for overland travel to Cambodia.

Chau Doc with the Lady temple and a yearly pilgrimage attracts thousands of local people. The city was once known for its dugout canoe races. Chau Doc has quite sizeable Chinese, Cham and Khmer communities, each of which has built distinctive temples that are worth a visit

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MEKONG DELTA

The entire culture of the delta’s inhabitants revolves around the behaviour of the river. The myriad drainage channels wend their way around a vast patchwork of tiny islands, and dominate transport throughout the region: boats and barges crisscross the river in every direction. The annual floods inundate the delta with up to three metres of water for several months. Floating markets, colourful and vibrant, sustain the many riverside hamlets. Everything is connected to the mighty Mekong.

The Mekong Delta buzzes with life, both human and natural: only in the remotest densely-packed mangrove areas are the narrow tributaries eerily quiet.

The main routes to the Mekong are by road or water. Fast boats travel between Ho Chi Minh City and the towns of Vinh Long, My Tho, and Can Tho: one of the hotels in Can Tho has a private service for its clients.

Most visitors travel by road. The first part of the journey is a long and tedious escape from the sprawling suburbs of Viet Nam"s largest city, but becomes more interesting as the road passes My Tho and begins to cross the delta.

My Tho is the destination of many of the Mekong tours from Ho Chi Minh City. It is very ‘touristy’, so we by-pass it to head for lesser-known, out-of-the-way places that lack the relative sophistication of the tourist areas.

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PHU QUOC

Phu Quoc has a monsoon sub-equatorial climate. There are two seasons in the year: the rainy season (October only) and the dry season (November to September). The average annual rainfall is 2,879 m and the average temperature is 27oC. Trips to Phu Quoc can be made all year round, but the best time is dry season when the sky is always sunny, clear and blue.

Phu Quoc is also called the Emerald Island because of its natural treasures and infinite tourism potential. The island is well known for its high-quality fish sauce; Phu Quoc fish sauce smells particularly good since it is made from a small fish, ca com, with a high level of protein. The island produces 6 million liters of fish sauce every year.

Phu Quoc Island has many harbors such as An Thoi and Hon Thom where international and domestic ships anchor. Also, there are several historical sites on the island: National Hero Nguyen Trung Truc"s military base, King Gia Long relics from the time he spent on the island, and Phu Quoc Prison.

Off the coast of the island emerges a group of 105 islands of all sizes. Some of them are densely inhabited such as Hon Tre and Kien Hai, 25km from Rach Gia. Visitors can spend time on the beach or hike while observing the wild animals.
It is possible to reach the island by either plane or boat from Rach Gia, Ho Chi Minh City ( 1 hour by plane), Rach Gia (2,5 hours by hydrofoil).

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MUI NE

Mui Ne (Phan Thiet) has long been considered the "Hawaii" of our Vietnam. It boasts shady roads under coconut trees, a beautiful beach and cliffs battered by the waves of the sea. The typical scenery of Mui Ne lies in the moving lines of golden sand caused by the wind and when they are seen from afar they look like moving waves. The scenery looks more fascinating at dawn, when young Cham girls in green dresses go to work. That"s why no photographer fails to visit this area. Mui Ne is an ideal place for rest and relaxation. Visitors can certainly enjoy swimming in the blue water of the sea, climbing the sand dunes or relaxing by a swimming pool. In fact this oasis entertainment people of all ages, and further more, provides an endless inspiration to the creation of the artists.

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CAT TIEN

The park suffered historically during the Vietnam War when it was extensively sprayed with pesticides like the defoliant Agent Orange. To this day these areas have extensive bamboo and grassland cover and trees have not yet grown back.

About 50% of Cat Tien National Park is evergreen forest, dominated by Dipterocarpaceae, 40% of the park comprises of bamboo woodland, the remaining 10% is farmland, wetlands and grassland. The park fauna is impressive, if highly threatened, comprising of such impressive megafauna as Javan Rhinos (only one of two populations in the world), Asian Elephants, Gaur, Sun Bears and, possibly, Banteng, and wild Water Buffalo. Some accounts also list tigers, Leopards, Clouded Leopards, Dholes and Asiatic black bears, however a recent series of surveys did not confirm this. The park also holds hosts of smaller mammal species, including Yellow-cheeked Gibbons, Silvered Langurs, Crab-eating Macaques, Lesser Slow Loris, as well as civets, mouse deer, and tree shrews.

The park also has impressive bird species including White-winged Ducks, Siamese Firebacks, Great Hornbills and lack Eagles

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