Vietnamese Emotion

To have a glimpse of Hanoi’s Old Quarter and the Hoan Kiem lake vicinity, you will climb into a traditional cyclo (pedicab) for a tour around the streets of the Old Quarter and the Colonial part of the city. You will find your-self in the middle of the chaotic traffic of motobikes, cars, bicycles and walkers coming from all directions. The Old Quarter’s residents consist mainly of merchants and  craftmen. Each street is specialized in a kind of trade or craft: the silver smith street, the traditional medecine street, the paper street, the silk street...The cyclo will also take you to the shady streets of the French Quarter, where many colonial buildings still retain much of the old charm.

Your half-day visit of Vietnam’s capital will start with Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, followed by a stroll in the green park and the traditional stilt house where he used to live. Then we will  take you to the 1000-year-old Temple of Literature – also known as the first university of Vietnam, where you  will  learn about the educational system in ancient Vietnam and its importance  in defining the country’s culture and values. In the afternoon, visit the Ethnology Museum to get an idea of the richness and diversity of Vietnam 54 ethnic groups.

Then, leave for Ha Long on a new highway that passes through the large rice fields of the Red River Delta.  Arrive in Ha Long in the late afternoon 

 

Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the pier and embark on a traditional wooden junk for a five-hour cruise to discover Ha Long Bay. Lunch onboard with an excellent menu of fresh seafood. Return to Hanoi, enjoying the beautiful natural landscape  as well as scenes of daily life along the way. Transfer directly to the airport for a flight to Danang, where you will be welcomed and transported to Hoi An.

In the morning, take a walk and tour Hoi An town, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site because of its unusually well-preserved ancient streets and homes. Set out to explore the quaint cobblestone streets of the town with more than 2-century-old Chinese houses. The atmosphere of the town is a combination of Chinese, Japanese and local culture. The people in Hoi An are among the most friendly of the country. Sites include the Japanese Bridge, the Chinese Temple, and Phung Hung Chinese-style trading house. Return to Hoi An. Free time in the afternoon for shopping.

You’ll depart in the morning for Hue via the scenic Hai Van Pass. Enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramas in Vietnam as you look out over the central coastline. Make a shortstop en route to visit Cham museum in Danang city. You will also pass the quiet, white sandy beach of Lang Co along the way. This route along mountains, rice fields and a long lagoon is particularly beautiful. Arrive in Hue towards the end of the morning. Take a tour of the citadel city and enjoy the refined and distinct atmosphere of the town. Visit the Imperial Citadel where you will learn about the history of the Nguyen Dynasty and appreciate the remains of what has been splendid constructions not too long ago.

At around 8 a.m., take a bicycle ride  alongside graceful students in their immaculate white, long uniform on their way to school. Continue on through a winding path along Perfume River to visit the Thien Mu pagoda. On the way, visit a typical garden house of Hue city, which was built according to precise rules of geomancy and experience the serene and pleasant feelings it will bring you. After exploring the pagoda, board a boat trip to visit Minh Mang tomb, a place of serenity and harmony. In the afternoon, discover the Tu Duc tomb where you will learn further about the history of the French invasion and its effects on the survival of the Nguyen Dynasty. At the end of the day, spend some quiet moments at Tu Hieu pagoda, which allows you to have a glimpse into the life of an active community of Buddhist monks. 

 

In the morning, fly to Saigon, Vietnam’s biggest city with 7 millions inhabitants and 2,5 millions motobikes. As soon as you get out of the airport, you will be struck by the bursting energie of youth in the flow of motobikes, ready to start at all traffic lights. Visit historic landmarks including the  Saigon Post Office, Notre-Dame Cathedral and Dong Khoi street, all dating back to the French colonial time. You will also visit the War Museum, where tanks and aircraft wreckage still breathe the destruction of the war, while the final message as we go through it is one of peace. In the afternoon, visit the Chinese district of Cho Lon with the bustling Binh Tay market and Thien Hau Temple, where you can admire the ceramic basreliefs dating from 17th century depicting social scenes and traditions in old China. Then, it is free time for shopping

Departure for My Tho for a visit to the Mekong Delta, its luxurious nature and warm-hearted inhabitants. Take a boat cruise on the fabled Mekong River to Ben Tre. Enjoy the quiet byways, then stop for a visit at a local orchard to taste exotic seasonal fruit and view a (delicious) coconut candy workshop. Continue with a ride on a horse cart and then a sampan cruise along My Tho canals. The experience is as exotic as it can get. Arrive to a stilt restaurant on Turtle Island, one of the of the four islands formed by alluvial deposits on the Mekong river over centuries, which are named after a set of fabulous animals. Enjoy lunch and back to Saigon late in the afternoon.

The morning is free until transfer to the Saigon airport for departure. Your room is available until noon.