2026 National Travel Study to Vietnam & Cambodia
The 2026 March International Travel Study Seminar to Vietnam with a 3-day Add-On to Cambodia was a great success. We enjoyed 10 days traveling in Vietnam, visiting Hanoi, Halong Bay (one of the new 7 wonders of the world, UNESCO Heritage site), Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong River Delta Region. Followed by 3 days in Cambodia, seeing Siem Riep and the temples of Angkor Wat. We traveled from March 9 – 23, 2026.
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Vietnam: We spent time in Hanoi, the oldest Southeast Asian capital city, seeing original architecture without the influence of modern skyscrapers. We visited temples and pagodas, the John McCain Memorial and Hoa Lo Prison, better known as the “Hanoi Hilton”. We then flew to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We saw the modern influence with skyscrapers alongside ancient buildings. We toured Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the French Quarter. We did a walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City, visiting the wet markets, Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum and Bn Thinh Market. We toured the Cu Chi tunnels of the Vietnam war and even crawled inside of them. We took a rowboat excursion through the rural Mekong Delta region.
Agricultural visits included the local fresh markets, the wholesale fruit & vegetable market, Quang Ba Wholesale Flower Market, the village of Song Phuong to meet with growers and farmers of the local communal farms. We visited the Agricultural Management Center, Vietnam’s first high-tech agricultural park. We saw rubber trees being harvested, and red worm farms. We traveled to the Than Cuu Nghia Vegetable Cooperative and Cong Ty Trihh MTV Mai Tu Hoanh rice storage facility and refining factory. We took a boat ride on the Mekong to see the Cai Rang Floating Markets.
Cambodia: We arrived in Siem Reap Cambodia and began our time touring Tonle Sap Lake & the Floating Village of Chong Khneas. Tonle Sap belongs to the Mekong River system. Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world. It was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1997. We visited Artisans Angkor Silk Farm, seeing the silk products being made by hand. Our time at Angkor Wat, UNESCO World Heritage Site, was breathtaking. Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. We participated in a cooking class by a local chef, purchasing our items from the local market and then being coached on cooking them.
We ended our travels with a day in Bangkok, Thailand before flying back home. We toured the Grand Palace, and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Then took Tuk tuk rides through the streets Bangkok.
This was a wonderful place to travel to, and we had such a great group of travelers!
Agricultural visits included the local fresh markets, the wholesale fruit & vegetable market, Quang Ba Wholesale Flower Market, the village of Song Phuong to meet with growers and farmers of the local communal farms. We visited the Agricultural Management Center, Vietnam’s first high-tech agricultural park. We saw rubber trees being harvested, and red worm farms. We traveled to the Than Cuu Nghia Vegetable Cooperative and Cong Ty Trihh MTV Mai Tu Hoanh rice storage facility and refining factory. We took a boat ride on the Mekong to see the Cai Rang Floating Markets.
Cambodia: We arrived in Siem Reap Cambodia and began our time touring Tonle Sap Lake & the Floating Village of Chong Khneas. Tonle Sap belongs to the Mekong River system. Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world. It was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1997. We visited Artisans Angkor Silk Farm, seeing the silk products being made by hand. Our time at Angkor Wat, UNESCO World Heritage Site, was breathtaking. Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. We participated in a cooking class by a local chef, purchasing our items from the local market and then being coached on cooking them.
We ended our travels with a day in Bangkok, Thailand before flying back home. We toured the Grand Palace, and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Then took Tuk tuk rides through the streets Bangkok.
This was a wonderful place to travel to, and we had such a great group of travelers!
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Upcoming Travels
2026 National Travel Study to the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, plus Niagara Falls. August 13-20th, 2026 we will be traveling to Syracuse NY to visit the Finger Lakes region. We will spend time in Ithaca, Pen Yann, Rochester, Batavia, ending at Niagara Falls. We have many agricultural visits scheduled as well as State Parks and Canal Rides.
2027 International Travel Study – Announcement to be made soon. August 2027. Please watch for this announcement on the Alumni website as well as the Alumni Facebook page.
I hope, in the near future, you will be able to join us on one of the Alumni Travel Study Seminars, be it National or International. What a great group of people to travel with!
Pat HeyenLEAD Alumni National & International Travel Study Coordinator
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
2027 International Travel Study – Announcement to be made soon. August 2027. Please watch for this announcement on the Alumni website as well as the Alumni Facebook page.
I hope, in the near future, you will be able to join us on one of the Alumni Travel Study Seminars, be it National or International. What a great group of people to travel with!
Pat HeyenLEAD Alumni National & International Travel Study Coordinator
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
