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Itinerary
for Vietnam Discovery Tour - April 2012
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| Note: |
Meals
are included in the itinerary as
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner |
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02.04.12
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Sydney
passengers depart at 8.05am on SQ 212, arriving in Singapore at
2.25pm.
Brisbane passengers depart at 9.10am on SQ 256, arriving in Singapore
at 3.20pm.
Melbourne passengers depart at 10.00am on SQ 238, arriving in Singapore
at 3.50pm.
All passengers depart Singapore at 5.35pm
on SQ 186,arriving in Saigon (Ho Chi
Minh
City) at 6.40pm. Upon arrival you will be met and
transferred to your hotel, located right on the main street of downtown
Saigon, convenient for you to wander around.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel
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03.04.12
(B/L/D) |
Saigon
In the morning there is a short walking tour around downtown passing
the Opera House, City Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral
& The Central Post Office. After that you visit
the former Presidential Palace (Reunification Palace), the
War Remnants Museum, China Town with a short walk around Cho Lon, the
biggest wholesale market in Vietnam. Then visit Thien Hau Temple, which
is the oldest Chinese temple dedicated to the Sea Goddess. Pho
(traditional
Vietnamese noodles soup) & spring rolls will be for lunch. The
afternoon is at
leisure. In the evening there will be a dinner cruise on the Saigon
River.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel |
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04.04.12
(B/L/D) |
Saigon
- Cu Chi Tunnels - Cap Dao Temple
A full day tour to
visit Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai
religion in Tay Ninh. Leaving Saigon early morning you visit Cu Chi
Tunnels (65km northwest of Saigon) an amazing complex of underground
tunnels used during the Vietnam War. Continue to Tay Ninh church, which
is the centre of the unusual Cao Dai religion, which combines
Buddhism,
Christianity, Taoism and Confucianism. See this spectacular church with
worshippers attending the noon service in their colourful
tunics. Lunch is at a good restaurant in Tay Ninh. Return to
Saigon in the late afternoon.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel |
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05.04.12
(B/L)
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Saigon
- My Tho (Mekong Delta)
Morning departure from
hotel for coach trip to My Tho
which is a two hour drive from Ho Chi Minh
City. My Tho is a prosperous town of 200,000 inhabitants in the
Mekong Delta. It is famous for its extensive orchards and immense
rice fields. Enjoy a 4-5 hour boat ride on the Mekong River as well as
a horse ride on a cart (traditional transportation). Visit an orchard
on an island, a coconut candy workshop and a bee farm with
lunch at a farmer's house. Return to Saigon late afternoon.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel |
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06.04.12
(B/L/D)
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Saigon
- Dalat
Depart Saigon for
Dalat, a cool mountain resort built by
the French in
the 1920's as a hill station. It's lakes, waterfall,
evergreen
forest and garden makes Dalat one of the most enjoyable places in
Vietnam. We have a beautiful drive through rubber, coffee & tea
plantations, which includes a stopover at La Nga floating village.
Lunch is at Lien Do
restaurant in Bao Loc. Arrive Dalat and check in at
the
hotel. Dinner is at a
local restaurant.
Accommodation: Hoang Anh Resort |
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07.04.12
(B/L/D)
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Dalat
This morning there is a short drive to the Dalat cable car station
for a 15 minute ride overlooking beautiful pine forests, flower
and vegetable gardens. Then
visit the Crazy House and an art centre with beautiful hand silk
embroidery. There is also a short train ride through vegetable
&
flower farms, with lunch at a local restaurant. Leave the hotel in the
late afternoon for Lat Village (12 kms from town) to see K'hor people,
who are the local ethnic minority and the
original people of the area. Enjoy a 1 hour interesting dance
and
Gong show, before having dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Hoang Anh Resort |
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08.04.12
(B/L)
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Dalat
- Nha Trang
Depart Dalat on a scenic four hour drive to Nha
Trang, a very popular beach resort for
both Vietnamese
and foreign tourists. Lunch will be at a local restaurant upon arrival
in Nha Trang. In the afternoon enjoy a very interesting mud bath. (You
soak in the hot mud & mineral water, jet spray shower &
swim in
a mineral water pool).
Accommodation: Michelia Hotel |
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09.04.12
(B/L)
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Nha
Trang
Enjoy a morning boat trip to visit an offshore fishing village and
aquarium, then enjoy swimming and snorkelling in the South China Sea.
Lunch will be at a local barbeque seafood restaurant. You will have
free
time in the afternoon for more swimming & wandering the
town.
Accommodation: Michelia Hotel |
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10.04.12
(B/L)
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Nha
Trang - Danang - Hoi An
Transfer to the airport
for your early morning flight to
Danang. Upon arrival into Danang, stopover at the five marble
mountains & China Beach, where the Americans came for rest
&
relaxation during the Vietnam war. There is a 40 minute drive
to
Hoi An and then a short walking tour to orient yourself with the town.
Lunch is at
the excellent 'Ly Cafe'. Discover the historical town Hoi An, which was
a prosperous seaport city during the 16th to 18th centuries. Its
community of foreign merchants resulted in a unique architectural style
with Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese & French influences. It is a
very laid back town, and a good place for shopping, especially
tailoring. Hoi An has been known as the tailor capital of Vietnam with
hundreds of
tailor, art and souvenir shops near the hotel and in town. The
rest
of the day is at leisure.
Accommodation: Hoi An Hotel |
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11.04.12
(B/D)
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Hoi An
Free time to shop and wander around Hoi An. In the late afternoon there
is a one hour cruise on the Thu Bon River, before a beautiful
dinner with a cooking
demonstration at "Morning Glory" Restaurant.
Accommodation: Hoi An Hotel |
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12.04.12
(B/L)
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Hoi An
- Hue
Depart
Hoi An for Hue, the homeland of Nguyen dynasty, the last dynasty
of Vietnam which ruled the country from1802 to 1945. We cross
the
Hai Van
Pass (Pass of the Oceans Clouds), passing through many pretty red-tiled
villages with fruit orchards, enjoying spectacular views of sky and
sea. Arrive in Hue and lunch is
at cafe "Mandarin" in town. In the
late afternoon, visit the Citadel which was built from 1804 - 1833,
then to Thien Mu Pagoda, which is famous in Hue and Vietnam. Afterwards
there is a boat trip back to the hotel on the Perfume River.
Accommodation: Saigon Morin Hotel. |
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13.04.12
(B/L/D)
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Hue -
Hanoi
In the morning visit
the tomb of Tu Duc, the 4th
emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty which ruled the country from 1848 to 1883
and the tomb of Khai Dinh, the 12th emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty which
ruled the country from 1916 to 1925, which is a beautiful
mosaic
building. Lunch
is at a local restaurant 'Royal Park'.
In the afternoon, transfer to Hue airport for your flight to Hanoi.
Upon arrival in Hanoi you are transferred to the hotel. Dinner is at a
local restaurant.
Accommodation: Serenade Hotel |
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14.04.12
(B/L/D) |
Hue
- Hanoi
Morning at leisure. In the afternoon there is a visit
to the
Museum of
Ethnology and the Temple of Literature, which is considered the first
university of Vietnam, built in the 11th century. Dinner is at a nice
local restaurant. After dinner transfer to the train station to board
the Livitrans Train to Sapa at 8.30pm. This first class sleeper
carriage has 2 or 4 seats to a compartment, which convert into 2 or 4
sleeping bunks for the overnight portion of the journey. The bunks are
provided with sheets, pillow and a blanket, though some people prefer
to bring their own sleeping sheet. Please note that this train is
considered first class by Vietnam standards but is not first
class
by
Australian standards. It is however the best train available on this
route. For this tour there will be two persons to each cabin.
Note:
Passengers paying
the single supplement will be required to share with another person on
the train.
Accommodation: Livitrans Train |
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15.04.12
(B/L/D) |
Lao
Cai - Bac Ha Sunday Market - Sapa
Arrive at Lao Cai
station at 5am. Have breakfast at a
local restaurant before heading off to Bac Ha Market, a regular market
held every Sunday for ethnic minorities. You'll see the gathering of
thousands of people of H'Mong, Phu La, Dao, Tien and Tay ethnic
minorities wearing their colourful traditional costumes. It is a riot
of colour and fun. There is time to explore the colourful market and
meet the local tribal people to appreciate their culture &
tradition. Lunch is in Bac Ha, before heading off to Sapa. On the way
stop at Lao Cai town for an opportunity to take photos at the border
gate between Vietnam & China. Arrive in Sapa late in the
afternoon.
Dinner is at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Chau Long Hotel (Mountain View) |
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16.04.12
(B/L/D)
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Sapa
Sapa is a hill station built in 1922. The whole area is
spectacular, as Sapa lies in a valley surrounded by paddy fields in a
variety of shades of green, but is overlooked by Vietnam's highest
mountain, Mount Fansipan. You will see the local minority groups, the
H'mong and the Dzao people, the largest and the most colourful ethnic
groups in the region. After breakfast, take a 4 kilometre drive to the
rim of a deep valley. Along the road you'll see H'Mong, Dzay
and
Dzao minority
people dressed in their traditional costumes. There is a
two hour
walk at a gentle pace around Ta
Van and Lao Chai, home to all three minorities. Observe their daily
lives for a rare glimpse into their culture and costumes. Lunch is at a
local restaurant. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner is at a local
restaurant. In the evening, transfer to the train station for the train
trip back to Hanoi.
Accommodation: Livitrans Train
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17.04.12
(B/L/D) |
Hanoi
- Halong
Bay
Arrive Hanoi in the early morning and then have a four hour drive to
Halong Bay, with breakfast on the way. Halong Bay is one of the seven
natural wonders of the world and listed as a world heritage site. It is
an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is known in Vietnamese as
'Dragon descending into the Sea'. Picturesque Halong Bay has more than
1,969 limestone islets rising from the clear emerald water. Many of
them contain beautiful grottoes. Upon arrival in Halong Bay, we board
the Bai Tho Junk, with lunch on board. In the afternoon there is a
fantastic cruise on Halong Bay with a visit to Sung Sot Cave and a swim
at Titov Beach. Enjoy dinner on board while watching the sunset,
depending on the weather.
Accommodation: Bai Tho Junk |
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18.04.12
(B/L/D) |
Halong Bay - Hanoi
We have a few more hours on the junk, before heading back to Hanoi. In
this time we will have a morning cruise to visit Man's Head Island,
Tortoise Island, visit Luon Cave by a small bamboo boat, Bai Tu Long
Bay, Toad Island and Bai Tho Mountain. Early lunch is on board before
disembarking. We then make our way back
to Hanoi. Upon arrival in Hanoi, enjoy a one hour cyclo ride around the
Old & the French quarter. Dinner is at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Serenade Hotel
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19.04.12
(B/L/D) |
Hanoi
Enjoy a city tour of Hanoi, with visits to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and
residence and the One Pillar Pagoda. Lunch is at KOTO, whose
owner
employs and
trains disadvantaged Vietnamese in the hospitality industry. In the
evening enjoy the water puppet show, the unique art of the Vietnamese
from the 11th Century, before dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Serenade Hotel |
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20.04.12
(B/D) |
Hanoi
Today is at leisure. In the evening there is a farewell dinner at a
nice restaurant. |
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21.04.12
(B) |
Hanoi
- Singapore - Australia
Morning free in Hanoi. Depart Hanoi at 1.15pm on SQ 175, arriving in
Singapore at 5.40pm.
Sydney passengers depart Singapore at 8.10pm on SQ 221, arriving in
Sydney at 5.55am (22.04.12).
Melbourne passengers depart Singapore at 9.15pm on SQ 227, arriving in
Melbourne at 6.35am (22.04.12)
Brisbane passengers depart Singapore at 9.15pm on SQ 235, arriving in
Brisbane at 6.55am (22.04.12) |
