The Divine Splendor and Compassion of Vietnam & Angkor Wat, Cambodia Next date to be announced Led by: Dr. Sheri Rosenthal Author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Toltec Wisdom, Banish Mind Spam! & WITH Forgiveness - Are You Ready?

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Vietnam is now a country at peace, a land of serenity, tranquility and harmony. Visitors to Vietnam are fascinated by the remarkable beauty of the country’s natural setting. Its “S” shape, broad in the north and south, and very slender in the center, stretches along the eastern coast of the Indo-Chinese peninsula. It is slightly larger than Italy and a bit smaller than Japan. The gentle mists that shroud her mountain peaks, the glittering water of the lagoons that shower the coastline, the breathtaking sand dunes and the dazzling stretches of uninhabited beaches are havens that arouse and awaken our Divine Nature and perfection.

From a lovely rowboat ride along a narrow but extremely poetic stream to the Perfume Pagoda, to the phenomenal Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the mystery and mystical nature of this glorious expanse of paradise, with its stunning array of fascinating history, will encourage you to delve deeper into the recesses of your own inner beauty. You will be motivated and inspired to shift from a life, complex and involved, to the simplicity and enchantment of living as play.

On this hallowed journey, you will experience a sacred balance between the wonder of the temples and pagodas, and the astonishing splendor of nature. Fall in love with the Lover of all Lovers, as you woo and court yourself among the most holy and heavenly perfection - that of Yourself and of our Mother Nature. Allow the flawless mercy of The Extraordinary to cushion you, as you begin to accept yourself as an expression of Sacred Creation.

As is typical for a Journeys of the Spirit retreat, you will experience class time daily, time for sharing with the group, reflection and meditation time, and one-on-one personal time with your group leader (along with fun and shopping time too of course!). It is our intent that you return home with an open heart and mind along with the tools you need to make the changes in your life you desire.

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Day 1-3: Oct 25th-27th FLY TO VIETNAM (-/-/-) Leave JFK on October 26th Thai Airlines to Bangkok and then onto Hanoi. We need two days to travel to Vietnam since we cross the international date line and lose a day - but we get it back on the way home! You may need an extra day starting on October 25th to make your connections to the JFK flight in New York City depending on where you are flying from. Arrive Noi Bai airport. Over night in Hanoi and then we start our journey fresh in the morning.

Day 4: Oct 28th HANOI ARRIVAL VIETNAM(-/-/D) Greeted by our tourguide in Hanoi. Have a light tour to Hoan Kiem lake and Ngoc Son temple which was built on Ngoc (Jade) Island in the northern part of Hoan Kiem Lake in the 19th century. Dinner and overnight Hanoi.

Day 5: Oct 29th HANOI CITY TOUR (B/L/D) Hanoi still preserves many ancient architectural works including the Old Quater and over 600 pagodas. The most famous pagodas in Hanoi are One Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Su Pagoda. In the morning, start a city tour with visit to Ho Chi Minh complex includes HoChiMinh mausoleum, house-on-stilts, where Ho Chi Minh lived during his last 11 years, One pillar pagoda with a remarkable construction dated back to 1049AD modified the shape of a lotus – the flower of Buddhism – raising from water, Tran Quoc pagoda with nearly thousand years old located on the bank of West Lake; Quan Thanh pagoda, the best reserved Taoist temple in Hanoi. Continue to temple of Literature - was built in 1070 in honour Confucius, the founder and speader of Confucianism's ideology over not only China but also Vietnam, Japan and Korean.

This afternoon you will have a meeting with the monks at Quan Su pagoda. Quan Su pagoda is the official "head quarter" of Buddhism Vietnam. Warm conversation, Informational exchanges and familiar talks will be organized.

An evening show of Water Puppetry, a stage art created by the Vietnamese peasants. A wonderful opportunity to learn about some of Vietnam’s mythology, traditions and current customs. Dinner and O/N in Hanoi.

Day 6: Oct 30th HANOI - PERFUME PAGODA (B/L/D) Depart southwest for Ha Tay province in the morning, to visit Chua Huong (Perfume Pagoda), one of the most beautiful and ancient pagodas in Vietnam with the most beautiful caves, mountains and rivers. This creates a wonderful landcape hamony with pagodas and natural spots. From the Wharf, you will cruise along Yen river and enjoy the rural hamlets, rice fields and mountains with many strange shapes. First, you will start at Trinh Temple to enjoy the marvelous views of natural sites. Then, we will visit Thien Tru pagoda with the harmoneous architecture. We then climb up to Huong Tich cave - the first one of the most beautiful caves in Vietnam. On the way up there, you'll meet Tien Son pagoda and Giai Oan Pagoda with many beautiful buddhist statues and well of water clarify to wash the body with their pure soul.

Perfume Pagoda is the name of a collection of Buddhist temples which are very sacred to Vietnamese people of Buddhist faith. Among all the sacred temples and pagodas in Northern Vietnam, Chua Huong is even more attractive and mysterious not only for its spectacular scenery (located on the limestone rocks of Huong Son Mountain in beautiful and mystical surroundings) but for the trip by row boat along a narrow but extremely poetic stream. You pass by rowing boats and climb a challenging road to reach to main pagoda on the top. After the trip you will understand why the monk, Le Chinh Hoa (1680-1705) chose this site to to build up Huong Son Temple on his way to search for enlightenment. In the afternoon, return to Thien Tru wharf and cruising to Duc wharf. Back to Hanoi late afternoon for dinner and O/N.

Day 7: Oct 31st HANOI - HALONG (B/L/D) Morning depart from Hanoi to Halong. It will take you 3 hours driving and you can stopover en route to sightsee the Red River delta with ploughing buffaloes, peasants scooping water or harvesting on the paddy fields, as well as visit factories producing embroidered, stone-carving or ceramic products. Arrive Halong at noon time, your private wooden boat is waiting for you at the Wharf of Halong. Take your boat to cruise the bay to visit spectacular seascape of Halong with odd-shaped islands, numerous limestone grottoes, or for swimming at sandy beaches on the islands. A lunch of fresh seafood will be served on board. Return to Hanoi in the afternoon. Dinner and O/N Hanoi.

Day 8: Nov 1st HANOI - NHA TRANG (B/-/-) Free at leisure until being transfer to the airport to take flight to Nha Trang (flight 11.30-13.20). Upon arrival, welcome and being transferred to the hotel for check-in. Afternoon, depart for a tour with stopovers at Thap Cham Po Nagar and Long Son Pagoda.

This group of Cham towers is located on top of a low marble mountain that was formerly surrounded by the sea. Construction of the tower began in the 18th century and finished in the 12th century; those considered as the most beautiful ones were built in 813 and 817. Unfortunately, time and environmental factors destroyed most of the towers. Only four of the towers remain.

One of the four towers is dedicated to Shiva, one of the three Hindu gods. Another is dedicated to Genesha, whose human body is attached to a elepahnt head. The biggest tower (23m) is dedicated to lady Po Nagar or Goddess Uma, the wife of Shiva. The four-sided tower, built in 817 with baked bricks, has a pyramid-shaped apex. On top of the entrance is a statue of Shiva with four arms sitting at the back of a bull. The exterior of tower is a masterpiece with chiselled carvings of fairy dancers and scenes of hunting, boat racing and pounding rice in a mortar.

The interior of the tower is reserved for the worshipping of Goddess Po nagar, who taught people how to plant rice. it is believed that this was where villagers held offering rituals. Dinner and O/N Nha Trang.

Day 9: Nov 2nd NHA TRANG (B/L/D) At your leisure for relaxing or swimming at Nha Trang Beach. Lunch and dinner at your own. O/N Nha Trang.

Day 10: Nov 3rd NHA TRANG – SAIGON (B/L/D) Free at leisure until being transferred to the airport for the flight to Saigon (flight 12.40-13.40)
Welcomed by our tour guide in Saigon and check-in hotel. After lunch of delicious Vietnamese foods, start the tour with a short meeting with monks in Vinh Nghiem pagoda, the most important one in Saigon, the tour continue with a visit to Thien Hau pagoda in the bustling China Town. Dinner and overnight Saigon.

Day 11: Nov 4th SAIGON - TAY NINH - CU CHI - SAI GON (B/L/D) Enjoy a morning drive through typical southern Vietnamese countryside to Tay Ninh Province, the birthplace of CAO DAI, a local sect of Buddhism, and join a memorable noon daily ceremony of the Caodai followers.

The central Cao Dai Temple is 4 km from Tay Ninh in the village of Long Hoa. Surrounded by a series of schools and administrative buildings, the temple contains an awesome array of colors and symbolism unlike anything else you will see in Vietnam. Built entirely with donations from its parishioners, the temple is built on nine levels and the inside is lined with a series of pillars with ornate colored dragons curling up them. The ceiling of the temple is painted sky blue and adorned with white fluffy clouds, said to represent the heavens. In fact, almost everything within the temple holds some symbolic value. At the far end of the great hallway is a large brightly colored globe upon which is a large eye. This is the divine "all seeing eye:, believed to represent the creator of the universe and similar eyes can be seen lining both sides of the building within its lattice windows. The temple always looks like it has just had a new coat of paint and is extremely photogenic.

Masses are held at 6 am, midday, 6 PM and midnight. It is worth timing your visit to the temple for one of these ceremonies as they are quite spectacular to witness. Men enter from and pray on the right side of the temple whereas women enter from and pray left. During festivals, all the worshippers are dressed from head to toe in white to add a bit more formality to the scene. The three colors you will see are those of red, yellow and blue which represent Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism respectively.

After lunchtime back to a historic site of the Vietnam War to visit Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground network constructed by the local people and guerillas to survive the war against the American explosive attacks. Back for dinner and overnight in Saigon.

Day 12: Nov 5th SAIGON – SIEM REAP CAMBODIA (B/L/D) At leisure until your guide arrives to accompany us to Tan Son Nhat Airport to fly from Saigon to Siemreap in Cambodia. Welcomed in Siem Reap and transfer to hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon depart to visit the ancient city of Angkor Thom: the Bayon temple, the Baphuan, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Have talk with monks on Phnom Bakheng peak below the shadow of lovely sunset. Dinner with Apsara traditional dance and overnight Siemreap.

Day 13: Nov 6th SIEMREAP (B/L/D) After breakfast, visit the Ta Prohm temple which is a wonderful combination of human genius and natural beauty. Giant trees have grown there for centuries. Visit Ta keo, "Jewel of Crystal" is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva and was erected at the end of the 10th century. Continue to visit the Thommanon, the Chau Say temples and the natural lake of Sras Srang. Lunch. Visit Angkor Wat; The founder was Suryavarman II who reigned Cambodia from 1113 to 1152 and built the five towers in the 12th century and dedicated them to the Hindu God Vishnu. The plan of the pyramidal conception of the temple combined with spaces, alleys, ditches is an ancient masterpiece of architectural design and construction. Dinner and overnight Siemreap.

Day 14: Nov 7th SIEM REAP - BENG MEALEA - SIEM REAP (B/L/D) After breakfast, take 4-wheel-drive vehicles to the unspoiled countryside of rice paddies and forests. En route we will pass through Phnom Kulen and visit the Temple of Beng Mealea which is situated about 60 km in the north of Siem Reap. This temple was erected at the end of 10th century and is rarely visited by tourists. Picnic lunch. During the afternoon you will discover more joys of nature in rural Cambodia as we visit the "galleries", the "library" and pools of an unspoiled jungle. Return to Siem Reap for dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 15: Nov 8th SIEM REAP - BANTEAY SREY - SIEM REAP -DEPARTURE (B/L/D) After breakfast, spend the entire morning in one of the jewels of Angkor, the Banteay Srey Temple which means "Citadel of Women". This temple is built of pink sandstone and presents the most graceful carvings in stone you might ever seen in your life. The temple is dedicated to the god Shiva. After a picnic lunch near the site, continue to Kbal Spean, the river of thousand Lingas, the phallic symbol of the God Shiva. Arrival near the site, walk for an hour through the forest to arrive at Kbal Spean. Return to Siem Reap for dinner and to the airport to catch our flight from Siem Reap to Bangkok.

Day 16: Nov 9th: BANGKOK TO HOME (-/-/-) After midnight on November 9th we catch our flight from Bangkok back to JFK airport in the USA arriving Nov 9th. We cross the international date-line again gaining our day back again.

This schedule is tentative! Due the remote areas we are traveling to, weather, bad roads and other unseen obstacles may cause us to make changes in the schedule or to visit different sites. We understand that if this happens we were not meant to be where we were going!

Also please note we need appoximately two-three days to fly to Vietnam and one to two days to fly home. Make sure you account for these days in your scheduling of this journey.

If you take the Thai Airlines flight on October 26th from JFK, New York City direct to Bangkok leaving at 12:00noon you will arrive in Bangkok on October 27th at 4:10pm. You will then catch the Thai Airlines flight to Hanoi, Vietnam at 5:50pm landing in Hanoi at 7:40pm the evening of the 27th. We overnight in Hanoi and begin our journey fresh in the morning on the 28th. Flying home you will catch Bangkok airlines flight on November 8th leaving Siem Reap at 7:40pm arriving in Bangkok at 8:40pm. You will catch the Thai Airlines flight at 12:40am to JFK arriving in the USA at 6:30am on November 10th (you get your day back here). This set of flights is currently pricing at $1036.00 round trip on Thai Airlines (including the flight to Hanoi on October 27th) and $150.00 for the one-way ticket from Siem Reap to Bankok. Some of you may not be taking this set of flights due your location or that you are using frequent flyer mileage. You will be responsible for letting us know your information so we can make sure you make the flight to Vietnam. The trip does include a room in Hanoi the night of October 27th when we arrive.

Most breakfast, lunches and dinners are included in this program. Included and non-included meals are noted next to each day and are in parentheses.

Non-included lunches and dinners during your trip in Vietnam/Cambodia may need to be paid for in cash so plan accordingly. All spiritual teachings, admission fees to the ruins and sites are included along with your internal airfares. Other non-included items would be travel insurance, excess baggage charges & airport taxes, beverages (alcohol, water, soda), personal items and souvenir shopping! All tips for the drivers, guides, maids and bell boys are included. All ground transportation is included on this journey; our buses and boats. Your one-way air flight from Vietnam to Cambodia is included, and your one way flight from Hanoi to Nha Trang are included in the cost of the journey, but not your flight from Cambodia back to Bangkok.

The actual schedule of spiritual teachings and what we will be doing day to day is not published. This is because we teach by channeling spirit which comes in the moment. Every day will be a magical experience for all of us, teachers included! Keep you heart and mind open to the experience life brings us.

Some websites to explore:
Threeland Travel
Lonely Planet Vietnam
Information Vietnam & Cambodia

2005 trip cost was $3125.00 if you register after August 15th. A deposit of $500.00 is preferred by: August 15th. Final payment is due: September 15th. Any cancellation made in writing from: August 15th-September 15th will result in a cancellation fee of $200.00. Any cancellation made after: September 15th up to the date of departure will result in total loss of deposit. Trip cancellation insurance is recommended to cover such issues. We reserve the right to cancel the trip if it is not meeting the trip minimum.

Please know that I am happy to create a monthly payment plan for you - if that works better! Just email me and we can charge a specific amount monthly to your credit card.

You may print each form separately, or download all 7 forms at the same time and then print them from your computer. All the documents are in Adobe PDF format. If you don't have Acrobat Reader in your computer (most people do), please go to CLICK HERE to download it. Forms will be posted soon!
You will find all the information regarding this journey that you could possibly want on these forms. Enjoy!

Dear Spiritual Traveler
Don't Forget Me List!
Statement of Health
Trip Application
Limitation of Liability
Release of Liability
Terms & Conditions
Download ALL forms

These are a few books that I feel will help you prepare for your upcoming journey. Please enjoy these recommendations. If you have any of your own, let me know and I will consider posting them! If you click on the book itself it will link you to Amazon.com.

Having experienced many Spiritual Journeys, it is nice to have all the information you might need before you go! I have included a list of online resources that will prove to be useful as you plan and prepare for your next Spiritual Journey. Simply choose a link from the drop down menu below and the corresponding website will open in its own window making it easy for you to return to this site and continue your explorations.