In Vietnam and Cambodia – In the footsteps of Marguerite Duras
In Vietnam and Cambodia – In the footsteps of Marguerite Duras
Overview
Marguerite Duras, author of The Lover, and screenwriter of Hiroshima mon amour, was born in Saigon, Indochina, in 1914. She spent her childhood and adolescence in this region, which corresponds to present-day Vietnam and Cambodia. Her stay in Indochina between the wars left an indelible mark on her work.
In HoChiMinh City (formerly Saigon), Sadec, Phnom Penh and Kampot, you’ll find many remnants of this colonial era, now definitively over. The tour will take you to some of the mythical places that influenced and shaped Marguerite Duras’s unique genius: Saigon’s Chinatown, Cholon, where she secretly met her Chinese lover; her high school, in HoChiMinh City, where she passed her baccalaureate; the lover’s house in Sadec, in the Mekong Delta; the Kampot region of Cambodia, chronicled in The Sea Wall.
This tour will let you feel the old-fashioned charm of Indochina while experiencing the fever of contemporary Vietnam and Cambodia, two South-East Asian countries in the throes of change.
Highlights
- Discover the key places in Indochina where Marguerite Duras lived in the 1920s and 1930s
- Romantic 3-day cruise on the Mekong aboard the Jahan, a 1920s-style cruise ship
- The temples of Angkor in Cambodia
- Colonial architecture in Indochina
- Boutique hotels chosen for their “Indochine 1920” style
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Additional information
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- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Adult pricing applies to all travelers. Ages 3 and under are free
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation policy
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For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
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If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
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Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
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Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
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What's Included
- Guide
- Lunch
- Transportation (car/van)
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- Insurance
What's Included
- Guide
- Lunch
- Transportation (car/van)
- Insurance
Activities
- City Tours
Schedule Details
Day 1: HO CHI MINH CITY
Visit to some centers of interest: Central Post Office with art deco architecture, cathedral, City Hall, colonial architecture. Sites frequented by Marguerite Duras.
Caravelle Hotel / Deluxe
Day 2: HO CHI MINH CITY
The Chinese district of Cholon: the market, the pagodas, the typical small streets as described in the film The Lover
Day 3: HO CHI MINH VILLE – MY THO – CAI BE
Lunch aboard. Cruise the Mekong up to Cai Be. Dinner and night aboard.
Day 4: CAI BE – SA DEC – CHAU DOC – TAN CHAU
Tonle Sap Restarant
Day 5: TAN CHAU – PHNOM PENH
After breakfast, disembark Jahan and depart to the Cambodian border by speed boat, go through the customs formalities and continue your cruise to Phnom Penh arriving by early afternoon. Check in hotel.
Day 6: PHNOM PENH
Visit of the Royal Palace, Art Déco central market, observation of a training session of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. National Museum of Cambodia
Day 7: KOH DACH – RIVER CRUISE (Dinner)
Visit to the Silk Island (Koh Dach) on the Mekong, Toul Tom Poung Market in Phnom Penh. River dinner cruise on the Bassac in front of Phnom Penh
Day 8: PHNOM PENH – KAMPOT – BOKOR
The city of Kampot with its many buildings dating from the colonial era, the governor’s palace. Reach the Bokor Hill Station about 40km west of Kampot which refers to a collection of French colonial buildings constructed as a temperate mountain luxury resort and retreat for colonial residents in the early 1920s
Day 9: BOKOR – PREY NUP – SIHANOUKVILLE
From Bokor, excursion to Prey Nup where Marguerite Duras’ mother had a concession (polder) by the sea. Remains of their house in a Cham village near Ream. Continue to Sihanoukville. Beach.
Day 10: SIHANOUKVILLE – SIEM REAP
Flight from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap. City tour of Siem Reap and old market
Day 11: SIEM REAP
Visit the main temples of the Angkor Wat complex. Visit to the Banteay Srei temple.
Day 12: SIEM REAP
One-day tour from Siem Reap: Beng Mealea temple and Kampong Khleang fishing village.
Day 13: SIEM REAP
Departure from Siem Reap International Airport.
Get Enquiry
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
- Reserve Now and Pay Later - Secure your spot while staying flexible