VIETNAM

Met and Greeted by your Tour Guide, and Vietnamese ladies in traditional costume with fresh flowers upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi then transfer to your Hotel in City Center. Next day Start your day by visiting Ho Chi Minh complex where you could visit the Mausoleum (view from outside on Mondays, Fridays and every afternoon only) and his Residential Area including House on Stilts. Continue with your first pagoda visit in Hanoi – One Pillar Pagoda which its origins dates back to the city establishment. After lunch, take a walk in Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature and the First National University in Vietnam) where its 11th century architecture and gardens offer an ambient glimpse into its past. You might would like to experience Hanoi Old Quarter traffic by taking a cyclo or a electric buggy of which you would have chance to visit streets named after once sold specific products, and Hoan Kiem Lake – where Hanoi story begins. Your day ends with a Water Puppet Performance – a unique art form with puppets from Nothern Vietnam depicting rural life scenes, national history episodes or country legends.

Depart from your Hotel for a three hour and a half transfer to Ha Long Bay – UNESCO World Natural Heritage – where thousands of spectacular limestone islets and grottoes rising from the clear emerald Gulf of Tonkin. Upon arrival, welcome drink on board prior to your check-in. Lunch with fresh sea food will be served while boat is cruising through many stone islets, floating villages, small beaches. Visit a floating fishing village, talk and meet with local villagers prior to your swimming or free time at your own on the sundeck. Dinner would be ready at the time the boat anchors off at a quiet designated overnight area.

T’ai chi Class in the early morning. Of course if you would like to commence a day by stretching your body a bit before having your breakfast served while boat continues cruising around Ha Long Bay. She would lead you through many islets named by its shapes such as Dog, Incense Urn, Fighting Cock, Finger … and so on. Follow your boat staff to explore one of the most magnificent cave, then return to your boat to cruise towards wharf.  Direct transfer from Ha Long to Airport in Hanoi for a domestic flight to Da Nang where you will be met and greeted by your tour guide.

It is a light excursion to go around tiny town of Hoi An: 400 years old Japanese Bridge, 300 years old Chinese temple, 200 years old Vietnamese former merchants’ house. Arriving at Hai Scout Café in early afternoon, having an introduction and greet by your chef, going along with him to the local authentic market to grab some ingredients in preparation for your later cooking lesson. After the market visit, take boat cruise on Thu Bon river to the Red Bridge Cooking School. On arrival, remember to know and understand your herbs and vegetables by visiting the spice garden. If you have done it, it is about time learning some of well known dishes from Hoi An in particular and Vietnam in general. In your next two hours, the chef will demonstrate how to prepare and cook for each dishes, then it is your turn to practice it under his instruction and guidance. Last but not least, you would also need to learn quick tips to decorate these dishes in Vietnamese authentic way. Finally, sit down and enjoy your work.

The optional half day excursion My Son Holy Land by Jeep cars is recommended for those who love outdoor activities and cultural exploration. Our Jeeps pick you up your resort, and take you to My Son Holy Land by driving through green countryside with several stops for you to have closer look at local life and photograph. You might stop at a local market on the way. Upon arrival, you will have a brief introduction of the history, culture and Indian Hinduism influence on the Champa Kingdom, then take a walk to visit the remains of the carefully-crafted red brick temples with monuments and epitaphs which are considered unique and without equal in South East Asia (as cited from the UNESCO).

Take a domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Welcomed by our guide at Tan Son Nhat Airport and depart for a city tour including visit the Reunification Palace, Cho Lon area, Jade Temple, Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Centre Post Office. If you would like to, your tour guide could drop you off at Ben Thanh Market for shopping.

Depart from your hotel, it takes only 2 hours pleasant drive to Ben Tre province. On arrival in Hung Vuong Pier, hop on a motorized boat on Ben Tre River – one of tributaries of Mekong river while sight-seeing lively activities along river as fishing, water transferring. Our first stop is at brick kiln to see how to make bricks traditionally by printing and baking. Continue to visit one of plenty of coconut processing workshops located along canal. Return to the boat and go through natural scissors creeks to a village and see some local houses making sleeping mats and enjoying some fruits. Take a motorized cart (tuk tuk) or bicycle on shady paths, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on real life and find out about tropical culture from peasants. Have lunch at local a riverside restaurant. After lunch, we take a rowing-boat along beautiful water palm creek before meeting up the motorized boat and transfer you back to the pier for your transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Leave the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, cruise along the Saigon River with a speedboat, and head to a historic place. It’s sure to be an adventurous learning experience.
Served as the shelter and base of operations of the Vietnamese soldiers during the war, the man-made Cu Chi Tunnels offer lots of interesting stories. Watch an informative video presentation and then, let the guide take you to the underground network’s most essential sections. The Vietnam War was a dark time, but learning about it will make you admire the present much more. A truly memorable trip.

This Saigon night tour is part night excursion, part street food adventure. Experience Saigon nightlife the way locals do, all from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter. Guests ride pillion behind our drivers.

Vespa drivers pick up guests at hotel and first stop is to Café zoom to “watch the world goes by” (quoted by The Lonely Planet) and enjoy cocktail and appetizer (inclusive) before adventuring into favorite local eating spot. Guests experience the nightlife of Saigon the way locals do, all from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter. The tour will start with a ride to part Chinatown and then heading to District 4 through busy streets and alleys to see the night life of locals and enjoy street sea- food and cold drinks, places that foreigner won’t be found. Leaving district 4 to district 3 the tour pass through downtown district 1 to take in the sights on the way to Banh Xeo, specialty of Saigon, and southern food with the locals. Then the tour will continue to a hidden Vietnamese-style coffee shop to have a taste of Vietnamese music (live) as a local. After this the tour will bring guest to a lively bar to enjoy the drinks with live music.