Day
1: Welcome to Saigon, Vietnam. (D)
Arrive
at Saigon Airport where you will meet your guide and transfer to
your hotel for check-in. This evening we will have a tour briefing
at your hotel with your guide before we enjoy our dinner at one
of the city's finest restaurant. Overnight in Saigon
Day
2 Saigon - Cu Chi tunnels - Tay Ninh (B, L)
Our
tour today includes visiting the legendary network of underground
combat tunnels in Cu Chi, where our guide will explain how
the Vietcong survived and fought during the Vietnam war.
Later
we travel to the opulent Holy See Temple in Tay Ninh
to see the noon service of Cao dai Sect adherents. Cao dai
is a fascinating Vietnamese religion combining aspects of Christian,
Buddhism, Muslim, Taoism and Confucius into a single religion. We
have a tasty lunch of "Pho" noodle soup in a local restaurant 'Pho
24' upon our return to Saigon and later stroll around Saigon's historic
boulevards, visiting the Saigon colonial Post Office, Reunification
Palace and the Notre Dame Cathedral - the best of Saigon's
architectural landmarks. Overnight in Saigon.
Day
3: Saigon - Mekong Delta (B, L)
Today
we enjoy a day trip to My Tho to sample life on the Mekong River.
My Tho is a prosperous town of 170,000 inhabitants, famous for its
extensive orchards and immense rice fields. We'll ride a local boat
on the criss-crossing waters of the area to the orchards on Phoenix
Island, where local handicrafts and sweets from coconut are being
produced. Enjoy fresh seasonal fruits and traditional live music
and songs performance and relax under the restaurant's garden canopy.
Take a horse cart to a farm to taste some homemade honey-tea
and proceed by Sampan through the small canals and side arms
of the river to observe the daily life along the river banks. Visit
a snake farm before returning to Saigon.
Day
4: Saigon -Danang - Hoian (B, L)
Today
we fly to Danang, the city with the famed China Beach and
tour the Cham Museum, the biggest collection of Cham sculptures
in the world. We also view the caves and shrines on the Marble
Mountains a former base for communist guerrillas during the
war.
We
then proceed to the quaint coastal seaside town of Hoian.
Overnight in Hoian.
Day
5: Hoian (B, L)
This
morning we join the reputed chefs at Red Bridge Restaurant
in a quest for the freshest ingredients in Hoian central market,
then a boat ride to the restaurant for a wonderful cooking
class. We then have lunch with exactly what we prepared for
lunch.
In
the afternoon we further explore Hoian, a charming and wonderfully
preserved merchant town which retains Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese
and European influences from its unique and ancient history. We
will explore its narrow lanes and historic architecture, calling
at the colourful shop-houses for the unexpectedly good bargains
of silk wares. A visit to the riverside display of the most typical
crafts of Vietnam to conclude the day's touring. Overnight in Hoian
Day
6: Hoian (B)
Free
at leisure to explore and relax at this beautiful tropical beach
resort.
Day
7: Hoian - Cham Islands Tropical beaches (B, L)
Todays
excursion is by boat leaving around 8:00am heading for Cu Lao Cham,
a cluster of small but highly charming islands with magnificent
beaches. We can then relax amongst the crystal waters, sugar-white
sand and pristine beaches of the Cham Islands. There is also a chance
to do some fishing or try snorkel to see the hundreds of coral species
under the crystal water. We have lunch on the island then go to
Lang Beach to see Au Thuyen, a shelter for boats in bad weather,
Tay Tang pagoda and Whale temple. The excursion ends around 3:00
PM and we return ashore.
Day
8: Hoian Tropical beach resort (B)
Free
at Leisure to relax and explore this beautiful beach area.
Day
9: Hoian Tropical beach resort (B)
Free
at Leisure to relax and explore this beautiful beach area.
Day
10: Hoian - Hue (B, L)
Today
we travel over the Hai Van Pass, north of Danang Bay and
arrive in Hue City. We will then take a two-hour walking tour to
Minh Mang's Tomb with a stop for lunch at a garden restaurant.
Later we boat along the Perfume River to Thien Mu pagoda,
the best known religious site in Central Vietnam. Next, we explore
the ruins of The Citadel - the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty
in Hue and now declared a world heritage site. Overnight
in Hue.
Day
11: Hue - Hanoi (B, L)
This
morning we board the flight to Hanoi, Vietnam's capital and cultural
centre. Enjoy tasty lunch of "Pho" noodle soup in restaurant "Pho
24". We then start to reveal the charms of Hanoi by rickshaw,
touring the ancient Temple of Literature, the fascinating
museum of Ethnology, which includes full size replicas of
amazing ethnic minority tribal buildings found across Vietnam.
We then travel to the lively Colonial Old Quarter. The
rickshaw tour ends at Hanoi's famed Water Puppet theatre
for an evening show. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day
12: Hanoi-Halong (B, L, D)
After
breakfast we journey east to Vietnam's greatest natural wonder,
Halong Bay. We board our beautiful traditional wooden
junk and spend a full day and night cruising the bay's 3000
magnificent limestone islets. In the evening when the boat is anchored
in the middle of the stunning lagoon, we enjoy a wonderful seafood
meal and later there is opportunity for an evening swim from
the side of the boat. Kayaks are also available if specified
at time of booking. Overnight on luxurious boat.
Day
13: Halong - Hanoi (B, L, D)
Wake
up to fresh coffee and take a small boat to a nearby sandy cove
beach for an opportunity to relax and have a morning swim.
For a great photo opportunity it is well worth walking up to the
hill top pagoda which overlooks the entire Halong bay. Afterwards
we return for a wholesome breakfast before cruising back to Halong
City. En route the junk weaves through strange-shaped rock formations
that invite comparisons from fighting cocks to mystical dragons!
Disembark
and transfer back to Hanoi with a stop at the 500 year old Bat Trang
Pottery Village along the way. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day
14: Hanoi - Departure home. (B)
Free
until your transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Small
Group Departure Dates & Price
Ref
|
Weekly
Departures - 4 Star hotels
|
Departure
Dates
|
Twin
share (£)
|
EVB
|
Sept
2011 -31st March 2012
|
Weekly
|
1320
|
EVB
|
May
1st - 30th Sept 2012
|
Weekly
|
1325
|
EVB
|
Oct
2012 -30th April 2013
|
Weekly
|
1380
|
Prices
are based upon a small group tour excluding international flights
from UK. As an agent for airline consolidators, we can obtain your
international flights at a competitive rate to suit your preferred
departure date. Contact
us to discuss your requirements.
Hotel
upgrade to 5-Star is available and private tailor-made tours can
also be arranged.
Buy
your flight tickets Now
and save £££s
on your holiday!
|
Price
Includes (The
prices shown are 'per person')
- All
flights within Vietnam including airport tax.
- All
airport/hotel transfers where specified (private transfer).
- Selections
of superior/deluxe hotels (generally 4 star)
- Sightseeing
tours including entrance fee by professional English-speaking
tour guide.
- Meals
as specified in the itinerary.
-
Air conditioned transportation and bottle water on coach.
Price
Does Not Include
- International
flights.
- Visa
letter of ariival fee (please contact us for
details).
- Visa
stamping fees at Airports
- Travel
Insurance.
- Tip
for driver and Guide.
Flights:
We
can obtain international flights in various seat class's
with
many reputable airlines. We can also provide flights from
many UK regional airports. Depending upon availability and route
we will
try to arrange direct flights when possible, however allocation
can be limited. If you wish to be booked on a particular airline,
please specify at the time of booking (supplement may apply). Alternatively,
for
the cheapest deal we recommend you book your international flights
at time of booking, as this can save you £££s
off your final holiday price.
Accommodation:
We take a great deal of time and effort to source our hotel selection
in each city for our travellers enjoyment. We can arrange hotels
in all standards depending upon your requirements, however the standard
hotels are superior 4 star. We also monitor our established
hotel selection continually based upon each of our customers feedback
received over the years. Please visit our
Hotel
page
for
full accommodation details.
Meals:
As stated in itinerary, B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D= Dinner
Other
operation fact: Our
tour is arranged on a small group basis average 8 people per group,
as we feel this gives our travellers more flexibility and enjoyment.
By reducing the group size our experienced local guides are able
to get to know you all individually and show you the true beauty
of Indochina. Also
unlike many companies we do not cancel tours and Guaranteed Departure
based upon minimum 2 people.
The itinerary
is designed according to the most updated information of the flight
available, although occasionally the sequence in which cities are
visited and duration of time spent in each city can change due to
local conditions which are out of our control. The above itinerary
highlights the main attractions that are to be visited each day.
Further places of interest may be visited during your stay, which
will provide unique ethnic and cultural handcraft shopping opportunities.
We reserve the right to change, amend or alter the itinerary, although
we will act in your best interests to handle any amendments. Please
refer to the booking form for detailed terms & conditions.
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