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Tuesday, November 18, Day 1: Individuals Arrive into Ho Chi Minh City
Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s largest city and its economic center. The streets, where much of the city's life takes place, have myriad shops, stalls, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares from blankets on sidewalks. Within this teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture.
Wednesday, Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City
Program briefing: Discuss the political and cultural diversity of Vietnam and receive further information on the delegation
Professional Overview: Status and delivery of educational leadership in Vietnam
Professional program focusing on:
- Building leadership capacity in schools, districts, and systems
- Sustaining leaders and leadership in rapidly changing economic and cultural contexts
Guest program:
Hear the story of life in the Cu Chi Tunnels during the conflict in Vietnam. Guests will hear the story of life underground as told by the people who experienced it. One of the few remaining monuments to the war, the cave system once contained nearly 100 miles of elaborate tunnels.
Thursday, Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City
Delegates and guests will have a unique opportunity to explore the Mekong River by boat and gain a real perspective of the delta. The Mekong Delta sprawls across the southernmost region of Vietnam, formed by sediment deposited by the Mekong River. The area is known as Vietnam's Bread Basket and produces enough rice to feed the entire country. Visit Dragon and Phoenix Islands to see traditional handcrafts, bee farms and coconut candy production.
Friday, Day 4: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Arrive in Siem Reap, Cambodia today. Nestled between rice paddies and stretched along the Siem Reap River, the small provincial capital of Siem Reap Town serves as the gateway to the millennium-old temple ruins of the Khmer Empire. Siem Reap is home to dozens of temple ruins.
Delegates and guests can venture through a few of the unique architectural monuments of Khmer civilization including the famous Bayon Temple, Phumeanakas Temple, Baphuon Temple, the Terrace of Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King.
See the beautiful decorations within the enchanting Banteay Srei temple. You can also visit Banteay Samre which features elaborate architecture and exceptional carvings.
Explore the Royal City of Preah Khan, which features fabulous carved stone lanterns and impressive sculptures and makes for a fantastic experience.
Spend some time at Ta Prohm, a former monastery with massive trees growing around and through the remains of the complex, to round out the day.
Saturday, Day 5: Siem Reap
Visit Angkor Wat, one of the most breathtaking architectural masterpieces to be found in the world today. Built in the 12th century, the Lost City of Angkor remained undiscovered by archeologists until the late 19th century. Angkor Wat is a legacy of the might that was once the Khmer Empire, a detailed history of which has been carved into the many walls of this fortified temple. Delegates and guests will enjoy exploring the many galleries containing columns, libraries, pavilions, courtyards and pools.
Sunday, Day 6: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh
Fly to Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh, the capital city, is a very lively place. Charming streets lined with many French-style buildings dating back to the country’s days as a French colony are mixed with traditional Asian architecture. In its heyday, the city was considered one of the most picturesque in Southeast Asia. Since gaining independence from France in 1953, decades of political turmoil have constantly transformed Phnom Penh, and the city moves on today in its recovery from years of war and conflict.
Delegates and guests will visit the National Museum this afternoon with its world-renowned collection of Khmer archeological, religious and artistic artifacts. The Royal Palace, built by the French in 1866 and Silver Pagoda, whose magnificent floor comprises more than 5,000 solid silver tiles, are also fascinating to view.
Monday, Day 7: Phnom Penh
Professional program focusing on:
- Exploring community-based support for education and schools
- Implications of thinking globally and acting locally in education
Guest program:
Enjoy a visit to Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh's namesake, from where you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of the city during sunset. The original pagoda was built in 1373 to house four Buddha statues said to have been deposited by the waters of the Mekong.
Explore the Tonle Sap Riverfront, the hub for Phnom Penh resident’s leisure activities. Here, you’ll gain an insight into the everyday life of Cambodians.
Tuesday, Day 8 Phnom Penh
Professional program focusing on:
- Analysing leadership from the cultural contexts of Cambodia and Vietnam
- Identifying educational implications for Australia and New Zealand of the rapid development of our neighbouring countries of Cambodia and Vietnam
Guest program:
Visit the notorious Tuol Sleng Museum where in 1975 Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). The museum displays include room after room of floor-to-ceiling photographs of men, women and children. Virtually all the people pictured were later killed.
Delegates and guests will visit the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, a concentration camp from the era of Pol Pot that has 129 communal graves, 43 of which have been left untouched. Between 1975 and 1978 about 17,000 men, women, children and infants (including nine westerners) detained and tortured at the S-21 prison were transported to the extermination camp of Choeung Ek. Take some time to contemplate these atrocities, why they happened, and what can be done to prevent them in the future.
Share your memories and experiences with fellow delegates at your farewell banquet.
Wednesday, November 26, Day 9: Depart from Phnom Penh
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