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Day 1 : Arrival Ho
Chi Minh city (Dinner included)
Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport our guide will
accompany you to your hotel and assist you with your
checking-in. Whilst there are no activities planned
for today, your guide will be on hand to offer any
advice and assistance regarding your free time. This
evening, your guide will take you out to dinner at one
of Hanoi's superb restaurants.
Day 2 : Ho Chi Minh
city tour (Breakfast included)
After breakfast, we embark on a tour of the city
including Cholon, the War Remnants museum and the
Reunification Palace.
CHOLON
is home to
Saigon's substantial Chinese population and also is
the site for the largest market in Vietnam, the Binh
Tay market.
THE
WAR REMENANTS MUSEUM
has a wealth of images from the wars, the most moving
being a gallery entitled Requiem which is dedicated to
Vietnamese and foreign journalists and photographers
that perished during the French and American
conflicts.
THE
REUNIFICATION PLACE was the former residence of the President of
South Vietnam until April 30th 1975 when the North
Vietnamese tanks came crashing through the front
gates, bringing the American War to a dramatic end.
Close to the Palace some of the best examples of
French colonial architecture are represented in the
forms of Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post
Office. The ornate Notre Dame Cathedral dominates the
business centre of town. Built by the French between
1877 and 1883, the stone used to create it was
exported in its entirety from France. Next to the
cathedral stands the Central Post Office, finished in
1891. For all its French colonial history, Ho Chi Minh
City is by far and away Vietnam's most modern city. It
has numerous shopping malls, cinemas, discotheques and
a bewildering number of bars and this evening we will
have the opportunity to see just what the city has to
offer at nighttime!
Day 3 : Cu Chi
Tunnels & Cao Dai Temple (Breakfast included)
In the morning we have an excursion to the famous Cu
Chi tunnels. This network of tunnels, which stretched
for over 200km, became legendary during the 1960's.
The Cu Chi tunnels played a vital part in the American
war in that they allowed the Viet Cong to control a
large rural area only 30 to 40 km from Saigon. At its
height, the tunnel system stretched from Saigon to the
Cambodian border. The network, parts of which were
several levels deep, included innumerable trap doors,
specially constructed living areas, storage
facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals,
command centres and kitchens. Today the remaining
tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving
the visitor a unique experience and feel of what
underground life in the American War must have been
like. The tunnels have been widened for our benefit
(otherwise we would not be able to enter them!) For
those interested there's even the opportunity to fire
off a few rounds from an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby
rifle range.
From Cu Chi we drive to
Tay Ninh, the headquarters of the Cao Dai Sect, whose
patron saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and
Winston Churchill. The religion is an eclectic mix of
Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism. The temple's
exterior is decorated with multi-colored dragons of
all shapes and sizes. Above the main entrance is the
all-seeing holy eye, the symbol of the Cao Dai sect.
The interior is just as engaging as statues of Jesus
Christ, Buddha and the Hindu god, Brahma, stand side
by side. This evening we dine Saigon style for the
"Last Supper."
Day 4 : Ho Chi Minh
City - Hoi An (Breakfast included) (
Flight )
Transferring back to the airport this morning for
another flight, you will be greeted on your arrival at
Danang and driven to Hoi An around 33 km away. There
will be a stop to visit the Marble Mountains along the
way. It is said that it's five peaks represent each of
the five elements of the universe (Water, Wood, Fire,
Metal and Earth).
From here we make our
way to China Beach for lunch before continuing on to
Hoi An. You will have the remainder of the day free to
explore some of the many tailor shops or cycle to Cua
Dai Beach six kilometers from the town.
Day 5 : Hoi An
(Breakfast & Dinner included)
Hoi An is a charming, small town which can be easily
explored on foot. Between the 17th and 19th centuries
Hoi An was a thriving international trading port with
a large Chinese and Japanese population. Then in the
second half of the 19th century the harbor began to
silt up and most of the town' s commercial interests
moved to nearby Danang.
More than any other
place in Vietnam, Hoi An retains the feeling of
centuries past and is a favorite with all travelers.
You can spend your time walking around the historic
town soaking up the atmosphere, exploring the many
Chinese assembly halls and fascinating ancestral
homes, some of which have been occupied by the same
family for fifteen generations.
One of the most
spectacular Assembly Halls is the Phuoc Kien Assembly
Hall, built in 1690. The pagoda inside contains
intricate statues and artwork, in part dedicated to
Thien Hau Thanh Mau, the Goddess of the Sea and
protector of fishermen.
The unofficial emblem
of the town is the Japanese Covered Bridge, which is
over 400 years old. It is thought that it was
constructed in order to link the two communities. The
town is also famous for it's shops, in particular it's
large number of tailors. If you wanted, you could have
a whole new wardrobe made for you here! The riverside
market is always a hive of activity, especially in the
early morning when the day's catch arrives. You might
like to take a boat ride with one of the local women
across the Thu Bon River. Perhaps you would like to
hire a bicycle and head off on a scenic ride to Cua
Dai beach, about 4 km away, stopping along the way at
some of the neighboring villages. There's even the
chance to improve your culinary skills with a
Vietnamese cooking lesson! One thing is for sure -
there is no shortage of things to do in this town!
Day 6 : Hoi An - Hue
(Breakfast included)
Today we continue north by road to Hue. The scenery en
route is beautiful as we hug the coastline of the
South China Sea before winding our way up the
spectacular Hai Van pas. Here we will stop to admire
the stunning views north, to Lang Co beach and north
to Hue city. This afternoon we embark on a cycling
tour of Hue and the surrounding area.
We start with a visit
to the Citadel, containing the Imperial City and
the Forbidden Purple City, the Emperor's private
residence. Both were almost totally destroyed during
the Tet Offensive of 1968, when the Communists took
the city from the South and held it for 3 weeks. The
battlements of the Citadel bear witness to the
terrible fighting that went on within its walls and
are riddled with shrapnel and bullet holes. Now thanks
to UNESCO funding, much of the City is being
faithfully restored to its former glory. The Imperial
City, created in the 19th century and modeled on the
Forbidden City in Beijing, has many beautiful palaces
and temples inside. We also visit the Imperial Museum
and the vibrant Dong Ba riverside markets. This
evening we will have time to stroll around the streets
of Hue.
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