Gain an overall understanding of Saigon through landmark architecture that reflects the changing face of the metropolis known as Ho Chi Minh City since 1976. In the lively district of Cholon, you will browse the bustling Binh Tay Market and a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess Mazu. For a more contemporary perspective, you will view Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, a modernistic white building that was home to the president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon presents a glimpse into colonial life, as the French constructed it in the mid-1800s. The ornate Central Post Office is another French-built colonial gem. If not for the large portrait of Ho Chi Minh inside, you might think you were in Paris. Saigon is also known for its artisans, especially those that make lacquerware, a traditional skill that you will observe in a workshop.

Delve into the artistic and cultural sides of Sakata by visiting three museums, each with its own special emphasis. One of the first privately owned art museums Japan, the Honma changes its exhibits every few months, but the real draws are the garden and early 19th-century villa of the prominent Honma family, where the museum was originally housed. Both are wonderfully serene. Almost the entire focus of the Domon Ken Museum is the photography of its namesake, a prolific Sakata-born photojournalist revered for the way he documented the rise of postwar Japan. Don’t miss the outdoor sculptures by Isamu Noguchi, a creative genius that also worked in media ranging from lighting to furniture. The Shonai Rice Museum is more cultural, as it is housed in several 19th-century warehouses. It collection includes farm tools and exhibits detailing the history of rice cultivation. The zelkova trees surrounding the museum have become a symbol of Sakata.

OVERVIEW

Behold the architecture in two isolated villages that UNESCO found so unusual that it deemed them World Heritage sites. The villages of Shirakawago and Gokayama are in the remote Shogawa River Valley surrounded by high rugged mountains, a location that made them difficult to access for centuries. To cope with the abundance of snow that falls there, the residents constructed farmhouses with steeply pitched thatched roofs to reduce the amount of snow that accumulates on them. The roof design also allows for large attics, in which the residents rear silkworms, which they feed leaves from the surrounding mulberry trees. Only one other nearby village boasts this type of architecture known as gassho-zukuri, a style that means “constructed like hands in prayer.” Following free time in both villages, you will watch a demonstration of paper-making in Gokayama. The specialized washi paper is exceptionally colorful and patterned. The fiber for it comes from mulberry trees.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit two villages that UNESCO declared World Heritage sites for their architecture.
• Gain an understanding of why the buildings have such steep roofs.
• Explore the areas of most interest to you during free time in both villages.
• See how durable washi paper used for arts, crafts and writing is made from mulberry bark.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

The dynamic city of Hong Kong is boisterous, bustling, modern, exciting, vibrant, mysterious, entertaining, tempting and above all, enigmatic. This tour introduces you to the secrets of Hong Kong, where ancient traditions flourish side-by-side with an ultramodern city.

Drive to Hong Kong Island where you’ll take the Peak Tram for an exciting ascent to the top. Enjoy magnificent views of the city and harbor from this vantage point.

Your scenic drive heads towards the south end of Hong Kong Island. Pause for photos at, Repulse Bay, one of Hong Kong’s most beautiful and popular beaches. Visit the renowned floating village of Aberdeen for a memorable experience. Even though commercial towers and factories have engulfed this district in recent years, Aberdeen still maintains the characteristics of a traditional fishing village. Here, you’ll take the sampan - a wooden small boat, to zigzag along the small alleys of the village to have a close-look of the boat community.

Stop to visit HK's largest jewelry factory, where artists are at work to create some of the best winning designs using precious & semi-precious stones. Pass chic Wan Chai and the impressive financial district before returning to Kowloon and the ship.

View the landmarks of Hiroshima, some commemorating the atomic bomb blast here in 1945 and others reflecting the city’s celebration of peace. At the poignant Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, you will behold the ruins of some of the few concrete buildings left after the atomic bomb was dropped. One of them, the Atomic Bomb Dome, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and has become a symbol of Hiroshima. You will also browse the Peace Memorial Museum whose exhibits show Hiroshima before and after the bombing and personal artifacts from the victims that humanize the devastating event. The museum encourages visitors to make a vow for universal peace. While the mood there is somber, serenity is the overarching theme at Shukkei-en Garden. Besides being a wonderful respite from the hubbub of the city, the garden is a visual delight, as plants are always in bloom. Although the atomic bomb destroyed the garden, it has been fully restored.

Explore a vast underground network of tunnels that hid and protected thousands of Viet Cong troops during the Vietnam War. The section that you will tour lies beneath the Cu Chi district in the countryside north of Ho Chi Minh City. Communist forces began digging the tunnels in the late 1948, when they were fighting the French for independence. As you will discover, the tunnels span thousands of miles and once hid an underground city of sorts with living quarters, smokeless kitchens, hospitals and schools. The tunnels were typically five feet high and not even three feet wide, with air passages to the surface camouflaged to look like natural holes from tree roots or animals. The tunnels that you will traverse have been expanded somewhat for safety and convenience. Digging the tunnels was an incredibly arduous and time-consuming endeavor, as they were often dug by hand. Before abandoning them, the Viet Cong left booby traps for the invading troops.

Discover Tokyo and two of its traditional sights that coexist in stark contrast with tall futuristic skyscrapers and bustling city streets.

A 1-hour drive takes you to the center of Tokyo, a modern city where the 21st century coexists with the spirit of ancient Japan. Along the way, you’ll see many of the city’s landmarks.

Enjoy a visit to Hama Rikyu Garden, an Edo Period Japanese garden surrounded by the Shiodome district’s futuristic skyscrapers; a great example of how Japan is the land of contrasts. The garden was originally built as a feudal lord's Tokyo residence and duck hunting grounds during the Edo Period, but later served as a strolling garden and as an imperial detached palace before eventually being opened to the public in its current form. Hama Rikyu Gardens offer something beautiful at any season, as you’ll find golden foliage during the fall, plum blossoms in late winter and cherry blossoms in spring.

A scenic drive through the city takes you to the Imperial Palace, surrounded by moats and massive stone walls, also in the center of Tokyo. The palace is built on the former site of Edo Castle. It is the residence of Japan’s Imperial Family and is surrounded by a large park area. Although the Palace is not open to the public, from Kokyo Gaien, the large plaza in front of the Imperial Palace, you can view the Nijubashi, two bridges that form an entrance to the inner palace grounds. The stone bridge in front is nicknamed the Eyeglass Bridge for its looks and is one of the most recognized bridges in Japan. You’ll have some free time in the square to explore a bit and take some memorable pictures.

After enjoying the sites in Tokyo, your coach will bring you to Narita International Airport for your flight back home.

OVERVIEW

Spend a carefree day doing at White Beach, a spectacular stretch of sand around four miles long and half a mile wide island in the Southern Philippines. Instead of driving to the beach, you will cruise along the coast in a local boat that will present the tropical beauty of Boracay from a unique water perspective. As White Beach comes into view, you will instantly understand its popularity. The contrast of the brilliant blue sea gently lapping the sugar-white sand with stands of coconut palms in the background is truly breathtaking. You will be dropped off at White Beach, leaving you free to do whatever you please with no schedule to follow other than your own. You might take a refreshing swim, stretch out on a towel in the radiant sun, stroll along the idyllic shoreline or simply relax in the shade. Other options include shopping and dining, all within easy walking distance.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Relax however you wish on White Beach on Boracay’s western shore.
• Swim in the sea, stretch out in the sun and enjoy the setting however else you please.
• Shop and dine in the nearby stores and restaurants if you please.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a swimsuit underneath.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a towel and sunscreen.

OVERVIEW

Settle into an outrigger canoe and follow an underground river deep into a cave, where you will behold a spectacular display of rock formations and cathedral-like chambers. Although you will only travel about two miles into the cave, the river is much longer and its water rises and falls with the tides as it empties into the ocean. UNESCO has declared the surrounding Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park a World Heritage site for its magnificent biodiversity. The park is located within the St. Paul Mountain Range and features a karst landscape that you will undoubtedly find extraordinary. As you cruise through the cave, you will behold seemingly endless stalactites and stalagmites, all illuminated for added effect. There are also a number of small waterfalls within the cave and all sorts of marine creatures that have adapted to living in darkness most of their lives.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise along one of the world’s lengthiest underground rivers in an outrigger canoe.
• Behold miles of bizarrely shaped, eerily illuminated rock formations within the cave.
• Marvel at the biodiversity in the surrounding national park, which is a World Heritage site.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing. Wear a swimsuit under your clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

This tour highlights what Balinese are so proud of – their beautiful rice field, which are mostly found in the mid-western part of the island. For the majority of Balinese, agriculture is their livelihood. Villages are mainly found centered around or near the rice fields and every farmer who owns one or more rice plots or sawahs, is compelled to join a subak, an agricultural association that controls the distribution of irrigation water to its members. As you travel through these farming communities, you'll no doubt agree that theses cascading terraces are the most striking features of the landscape. Starting off from the pier, a leisurely drive takes you into the countryside to Baha Village, which is a traditional farming community, with rice fields. The uniformity of the typical entrance gates of the family compounds combined with the traditional housing structure present a charming appearance. This Balinese house compound is often viewed as a living organism. Much like a human being, it has a head (the ancestral shrine), arms (the sleeping quarters and living room) and legs and feet (the kitchen and rice granaries.) This up-close gives you a glimpse into conventional Balinese life. You’ll proceed to Bedugul, which enjoys mild mountain weather due to its location at an altitude of about 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) above the sea level. Major sites here include the Ulun Danu Temple, a major Shivaite and water temple in Bali. Water temples serve the entire region in the outflow area - downstream there are many smaller water temples that are specific to each irrigation association. Lake Bratan is known as the Lake of Holy Mountain due to the fertility of this area. Last stop before driving back to the pier a coffee break will be served at the Secret Garden Village.

Witness the breathtaking scenery from the decks of an iron boat. Gliding through the gin-clear waters of the bay, absorb one of the most magnificent natural splendors of the Far East. Arriving to the pier in Ha long city, begin your fascinating cruise through Ha Long Bay, one of the world's outstanding natural wonders, resembling a geographic work of art with thousands of limestone islets soaring dramatically from the clear emerald waters. This densely concentrated zone of kharst islands, world famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See tiny islands dotted with rock arches, sheer cliffs, innumerable white sand beaches and peaceful coves. Like sculpted cartoon characters, these limestone islands have fanciful names: Heavenly Gate, Tortoise Rock, Man Head Rock, The Isle of Wonders, Tea Pot Rock and Devil's Face. A stop is made at impressive Thien Cung Cave, with a chance to climb up. Continue to enjoy this relaxing cruise through the stunning landscape.

Discover the gracious spirit of Old Japan on this full-day tour to three of Kyoto's most alluring sites. The imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years, Kyoto is the cultural and artistic heart of the nation, best known for its Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, beautiful gardens and historically priceless buildings.

Following an approximately 90-minute scenic drive to Kyoto, you arrive at the magnificent Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), Kyoto's world-renowned and most photographed temple and garden. Built in 1394, the original Kinkakuji was a retirement villa for a former Shogun. The three-story Chinese-influenced Golden Pavilion has delicately curving roofs, with the walls and eaves of the second and third stories covered in shimmering gold leaf.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you'll visit Nijo Castle, with its immense walls and moat. Completed in 1603, the castle is famous for its nightingale floors, designed to detect the footsteps of ninja assassins and warn the residents of invaders. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nijo Castle is one of the world's great historical buildings.

Another stop in your tour is Sanjusangendo, famous for its 1,001 12th-century statues of the Buddhist deity Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. Sanjusangendo translates to hall with 33 bays and the 33 alcoves display 1,000 awe-inspiring statues and a single gigantic sitting image of Kannon. Carved from Japanese cypress and painted with gold leaf, each of the multi-armed figures stands five and a half feet tall, and has subtle differences in expression and accoutrements, testimony to the skill and originality of the Momoyama wood carvers.