Back to Macleay Valley Travel Homepage

15 Day Conducted 
       
Vietnam Explorer Tour

For only $2,525
per person twin share

This price includes airport taxes & levies

Tour departs Australia October 17 and returns October 31, 2012
This tour is incredible value as it covers all of the following:
  • Return air fares from Sydney, Brisbane & Melbourne into Saigon and out of Hanoi with Singapore Airlines, plus two flights within Vietnam with Vietnam Airlines.
  • There will be four nights in bustling Saigon; four nights in historic Hoi An, four nights in beautiful Hanoi, the "Paris of the East" and one night in Halong Bay. 
  • Good three to four star accommodation. The hotel rooms are all air conditioned and have their own bathroom and toilet. 
  • Breakfast daily, plus three lunches and two dinners. 
  • All transfers between the airport and hotels. 
  • City tours in Saigon and Hanoi.   
  • Service of a Vietnamese tour guide and if there are 12 or more passengers there will be an Australian tour leader.  
  • A full day boat cruise of amazing Halong Bay, one of Vietnam's spectacular World Heritage Sites.
There will also be a full program of optional half-day and full day tours.

If you don't have a travel partner but wish to travel at twin share rates, we will do our best to match you up with another person. If you wish to have a single room, there will be an additional charge of $590 for the basic tour.

Note: There is an optional 3 day extension to Angkor Wat available for an additional $835 per person twin share and $930 single room. 

Tour Itinerary

Angkor Wat Extension

Terms and Conditions

Booking Form

Top of Page


 Itinerary for Vietnam Explorer Tour October 2012  
Included meals are indicated as B = Breakfast, L =Lunch, D = Dinner
17.10.12
 Depart Sydney at 9.05am on SQ 212, arriving in Singapore at 2.25pm.
Depart Brisbane at 9.10am on SQ 256, arriving in Singapore at 3.20pm.
Depart Melbourne at 11.20am on SQ 238, arriving in Singapore at 4.10pm
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 your hotel in central Saigon for your 4 night stay. 
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel
18.10.12
(B/L)		 Saigon
There will be an included morning city tour of Saigon. A short walking tour around Saigon downtown passing the Opera House, City Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. This is followed by visits to the former Presidential Palace (Reunification Palace), the War Museum, Chinatown and Thien Hau Temple.
Lunch is at Pho 2000 where you will have Pho (traditional Vietnamese noodle soup) and spring rolls. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel
19.10.12
(B)		 Saigon
Optional full day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Tay Ninh with lunch.
The Cu Chi Tunnels (70km north west of Saigon) are 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, Taosim and Confucianism. See this spectacular church with worshipers attending the noon service in their colourful tunics. The included lunch is at a good restaurant in Tay Ninh. Price: $52.00
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel
20.10.12
(B)		 Saigon
Optional full day Mekong Delta tour including lunch. An unforgettable day trip into the Mekong Delta. First there is a coach trip to My Tho. Then enjoy a boat trip on the Mekong River, stopping at an island to visit fruit orchards and taste some fruit. Continue on small sampans through the canals to see more local life, including a horse carriage ride which is the traditional transportation of the local people. Visit a coconut candy workshop and a bee keeping farm. Lunch is at a farmer's house. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon. Price: $50.00
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel
21.10.12
(B)		 Saigon - Danang - Hoi An
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Danang. Upon arrival in Danang you have a 40 minute drive to Hoi An where you will check into your hotel for a 4 night stay.
Optional cooking class at a nice local restaurant in town.
Price: $22.00 including dinner.
Accommodation: Hoi An Hotel
22.10.12
(B)		 Hoi An
Optional full day sightseeing tours in Danang and Hoi An. We drive to Danang city and stop at Marble Mountains with its beautiful grottoes and temples, which can be reached by climbing steep steps (please wear appropriate shoes). Also stop at China Beach, where the Americans came for Rest & Relaxation during the Vietnam War. Then visit Cham Museum. Lunch is at a nice local restaurant "LY" in Hoi An.
After lunch there is a short boat trip across the river, which brings you to a boat builder's yard and woodcarvers as well as a pottery and brick making village. After that discover the Hoi An ancient town, known to early Western merchants. Hoi An was one of the major trading centres of Southeast Asia in the 16th century. Hoi An has a distinctive Chinese atmosphere with low tiled roof houses and narrow streets. The original structure of some of these streets is still virtually intact. Many of the houses were constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels engraved with Chinese characters and pillars carved with ornamental designs. During a leisurely discovery tour on foot you will visit some of the historic merchant and community houses, places of worship and a famous bridge. Return to the hotel. Price: $48.00
Accommodation: Hoi An Hotel
23.10.12
(B)		 Hoi An
Optional tour to My Son, the imperial city of the Champa Empire from the 4th to 12th centuries. My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious ruins comprising of more than 70 architectural remains. UNESCO recognised the Cham Architecture in My Son as a Cultural Heritage site in 1999. Price: $40.00
Accommodation: Hoi An Hotel
24.10.12
(B)		 Hoi An
Optional full day tour from Hoi An to Hue. Depart Hoi An at 7.30am. Hue is the homeland of Nguyen dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam which ruled the country from 1802 to 1945. Drive across 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. Upon arrival in Hue you will visit the ancient Citadel, which was built by Nguyen Emperors from 1804 to 1833. Then we have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon enjoy a boat trip on the Perfume River and then visit the Thien Mu Pagoda and the Tomb of Khai Dinh, the 12th Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty which ruled the country from 1916 to 1925, a beautiful mosaic building. On the way back you go through the longest tunnel through a mountain in South East Asia, arriving in Hoi An in the early evening. Price: $68.00
Accommodation: Hoi An Hotel
25.10.12
(B/D)		 Hoi An - Danang - Halong Bay
Transfer to Danang Airport for your flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival you will take a 3 hour journey east to Bai Chay, the gateway to Halong Bay. En-route pass fields of busy workers farming their rice using traditional methods of cultivation. Halong Bay has been compared with the magical landscape of limestone islets at Guilin in China and Krabi in southern Thailand. These tiny islands are dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes created by the wind and waves. Arrive in Halong Bay late afternoon and enjoy the view of the bay from your room's balcony or swim in the pool. Dinner is at the hotel.
Accommodation: Saigon Halong (ocean view room).
26.10.12
(B/L)		 Halong Bay - Hanoi
Leave the hotel and board the Bai Tho Junk for a 6 hour cruise on magnificent Halong Bay with its 1,969 islands rising from the clear emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, one of the natural marvels of Vietnam.
This province shares a common border with China in the north and harbours some of the most stunning scenery in Vietnam. Bizarre rock sculptures jut dramatically from the sea and numerous grottoes have created an enchanted timeless world. The sails of junks and sampans add further to the beauty of the scene. Halong Bay was made famous to westerners in the French film 'Indochine'. You will have the opportunity to stop at one of the many grottoes and have a swim on a beach before returning to port. A seafood lunch is included onboard. After the cruise we drive back to Hanoi, arriving in the early evening.
Accommodation: Galaxy Hotel
27.10.12
(B/L)		 Hanoi
Today there is an included half day city tour of Hanoi. Visit Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, residence and One Pillar Pagoda. Then Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of Literature, which is considered Vietnam's first university. The tour finishes with a good lunch at KOTO, whose owner employs and trains disadvantaged Vietnamese in the hospitality industry.
In the evening there is an optional tour to see the Water Puppet show and dinner at a good local restaurant. Price: $26.00
Accommodation: Galaxy Hotel 
28.10.12
(B)		 Hanoi
Optional morning XICH LO (Pedicab) city tour around the Old & the French Quarter of Hanoi. Then there is a visit to the excellent Ethnology Museum. Price: $25.00
The rest of the day is at leisure to discover this interesting city, named by the French 'Paris in the East'.
Accommodation: Galaxy Hotel
29.10.12
(B/D)		 Hanoi
Optional full day tour to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc (Dry Halong Bay).
Drive 110km south to visit Tam Coc Caves famous as the so called Dry Halong Bay. During a two hour boat ride in a sampan enjoy the serene limestone rocks towering over the rice fields. After lunch continue to see the Temples of the Dinh and Ly dynasties, with spectacular scenery on the way. Lunch is at an excellent restaurant in Tam Coc. Price: $55.00
Tonight there is an included farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Galaxy Hotel
30.10.12
(B)		 Hanoi - Singapore - Australia
Mid morning departure from the hotel to Hanoi airport for your flight to Singapore. Depart Hanoi at 1.00pm on SQ 175, arriving in Singapore at 5.30pm.
Sydney passengers depart Singapore at 8.35pm on SQ 221, arriving in Sydney at 7.40am (31.10.12).
Melbourne passengers depart Singapore at 9.15pm on SQ 227, arriving in Melbourne at 7.50am (31.10.12).
Brisbane passengers depart Singapore at 9.15pm on SQ 235, arriving in Brisbane at 7.25am (31.10.12).
Top of Page


 Itinerary for Angkor Wat Extension 
Included meals are indicated as B = Breakfast, L =Lunch, D = Dinner
30.10.12
(D)		 Hanoi - Siem Reap
Transfer to Hanoi Airport. Depart Hanoi at 3.25pm on VN837, arriving in Siem Reap at 5.05pm. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to the hotel. Dinner tonight is at the hotel. 
Accommodation: Royal Bay Inn Resort
31.10.12
(B/L/D)		 After breakfast, visit the unique brick sculptures of Prasat Kravan, the mountain temple  of Pre Rup, Mebon Oriental, Ta Som, Neak Pean, a fountain (built in the middle of a pool and representing the paradisiacal Himalayan mountain-lake). Then visit Preah Khan temple, which was built by King Jayavarman VII. Preah Khan is a place of towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors. Lunch is at the hotel.
In the afternoon drive through the typical Khmer countryside to visit Banteay Srei Temple (10th century), regarded as the jewel in the crown of classical Khmer art. Stop at a local village to visit families who are producing palm sugar. Also visit Takeo, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda and Srah Srang ('The Royal Baths'), undoubtedly used in the past for ritual bathing. Dinner will be at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Royal Bay Inn Resort
01.11.12
(B/L/D)		 Breakfast at the hotel. This morning visit the South Gate, with its huge statues depicting the the churning of the ocean of milk, the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century). Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), Baphuon (recently re-opened after years of restoration)  the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Lunch is at the hotel.
In the afternoon visit Ta Prohm, one of the area's most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Its appeal lies in the fact that, unlike other monuments of Angkor, it was abandoned and swallowed by the jungle, looking very much the way most of the Angkor temples appeared when European explorers first stumbled upon them.
Then visit the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor, Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat's five towers symbolize Meru's five peaks - the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world, the surrounding moat and the ocean beyond. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Royal Bay Inn Resort
02.11.12
(B/L)		 After breakfast, visit a floating village and take an excursion in a traditional wooden boat on the Tonle Sap Lake, the 'Great Lake' of Cambodia and one of the largest in Asia. Visit Senteurs D'Angkor and experience the authentic scents and tastes of Cambodia through a range of traditional handmade products that help create jobs and incomes for impoverished rural communities. Delicatessen delights include spices, traditional teas, highland coffees and local rice liquors. There are also medical balms and natural massage oils as well as perfumed candles and incense.
Lunch is at the hotel. After lunch visit 'Les Artisans d'Angkor - Chantiers Ecoles'. This centre works with young artisans. The team create, produce and market a unique collection of ornamental sculpture, lacquer ware, silk weaving and silk painting. The company promotes fair, sustainable development in order to provide benefits to the rural communities. If time permits we will have some time at leisure at the local market. Afterwards transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for your departure flight.
Depart Siem Reap at 6.35pm on Silk Air flight MI617, arriving in Singapore at 9.55pm.
03.11.12 Sydney passengers depart Singapore at 12.45am on SQ231, arriving in Sydney at 11.50am. 
Cost: The cost for the Angkor Wat extension is $835 per person twin share and $930 for a single room. For Brisbane & Melbourne passengers, it should be possible to arrange a similar flight from Singapore to Brisbane and Melbourne. Please inquire with our office for further details.    
Top of Page

Conditions for Macleay Valley Travel's Vietnam Explorer Tour

Deposits and Payments - A non-refundable deposit of $200.00 per person is payable within 7 days of booking. This deposit is not refundable should you later cancel. The balance is payable in full 8 weeks prior to departure.

Refunds and Cancellations - Cancellations after final payment will result in a refund limited to whatever we can recoup from the airline.

Insurance - Adequate travel insurance is essential. We can arrange this for you if desired.

Passports - All travellers require a current passport with at least 6 months left on it at the end of the tour. Non-Australian passport holders require a re-entry visa for Australia.  Visas are required for all passport holders to Vietnam. Visa fee for an Australian passport holder is $72.00 and we charge $30.00 for processing.  If you are doing the Cambodian extension, the Cambodian visa fee is $45.00 and we charge $30 for processing.  Please note: Visa fees are subject to any increases imposed by the Vietnamese and Cambodian Consulates. 

Basic Tour Price and Taxes - Air taxes and Fuel Levies are included in the basic tour price if the tour is paid in full on or before the due date on the final invoice. Macleay Valley Travel reserves the right to charge for any increase in Air taxes and Fuel Levies if the tour is not paid in full by the due date.

Not  Included in the Cost -  Travel insurance, visas and all items of a personal nature such as telephone calls, drinks, excess baggage, tips, meals (except those specified in the itinerary), etc. are not included in the cost.
Similarly, credit card payments can only be accepted if 2% is added to the price to help defray the heavy merchant fees charged to us by the credit card companies.

Breakaway Fee - All fully inclusive prices are based on group travel and any deviation from the set itinerary will incur a breakaway fee. The breakaway fee for most deviations including a post-tour extension on this tour is $55 per person. Please inquire with our office for prices on any pre-tour extensions. 

Booking through other Agents - As we keep the cost of our tours as low as possible, there is insufficient margin for us to be able to pay commission to other travel agents, so some bookings can only be accepted if the client pays the other agent's commission. 
Macleay Valley Travel is a fully licensed travel agent and as such any monies paid to us are fully insured by the Travel Compensation Fund. We are happy for any prospective traveller with us to check us out with your local Consumer Affairs (fair trading) department.

Health and Fitness -Macleay Valley Travel recommends that the passenger is reasonably healthy and/or fit to participate in this tour.  Persons with a disability requiring special assistance must be accompanied by a companion. Macleay Valley Travel and their representatives cannot provide this service.  Macleay Valley Travel reserves the right to accept/decline or terminate a passenger's participation in the tour under certain circumstances.

Limitation of Liability - As Macleay Valley Travel acts only as agent for the Airlines, Hotels, Coach Companies etc., providing accommodation, transportation and other services, Macleay Valley Travel shall not be liable or responsible for death or injury to any person or loss or damage to any property including baggage arising out of or connection with any transportation, accommodation or other services, or resulting directly or indirectly from acts of God, fire, breakdown in machinery or equipment, acts of Government or other authorities, de jure or defacto wars, whether declared or not, hostilities, civil disturbances, strikes, riots, thefts, epidemics, quarantines, medical or customs regulations, delays or cancellations caused by changes in schedules or itinerary, or over bookings or defaults or for any causes beyond Macleay Valley Travel's control or any loss or damage resulting from improper or insufficient passports, visas or other documents and neither Macleay Valley Travel, and its servants or employees shall be or become liable or responsible for any additional expenses or liability sustained or incurred by the tour member as a result of the foregoing causes.
Macleay Valley Travel reserves the right to modify the itinerary or the accommodation if circumstances make this necessary, provided that the amended itinerary is of equal value or greater value than that of the original program.
Top of Page