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Itinerary
for Vietnam Overland Tour - July 2010 |
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| Note: |
Meals are included in the itinerary as
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner |
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| 28.07.10 |
Depart Brisbane at
11.45pm on SQ 246, arriving in Singapore at 5.50am the next morning. |
29.07.10
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Brisbane passengers
depart Singapore at 7.50am on SQ 172, arriving in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh
City) at 8.55am.
Sydney passengers depart at 8.05am on SQ 220, arriving in
Singapore at 2.20pm.
Depart Melbourne at 10.10am on SQ 238, arriving in Singapore at 4.05pm.
Sydney & Melbourne passengers depart Singapore at 5.40pm on SQ 186
arriving in Saigon at 6.45pm. Upon arrival you will be met and
transferred to your hotel.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel. |
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30.07.10
(B/L) |
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 Remnans Museum, China Town to visit Binh Tay, the
biggest wholesale market in Vietnam, then to Thien Hau Temple
which
is the oldest Chinese temple dedicated to the Sea Goddess.
Lunch is at Pho 2000 Restaurant where you will have Pho a traditional
Vietnamese Noodles Soup & spring rolls. The rest of the day at
leisure.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel. |
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31.07.10
(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 and
visit an orchard on an island, coconut candy workshop, bee farm with
lunch on the way. Return to Saigon late afternoon.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel. |
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01.08.10
(B/L)
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Saigon
- Cu Chi Tunnels
A half day tour to a fascinating tunnel network built by
the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War. Lunch is at a local restaurant. The
rest
of the day is at leisure.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel. |
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02.08.10
(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. With lakes, waterfall,
evergreen
forest and garden makes Dalat one of the most enjoyable places in
Vietnam. Beautiful drive through rubber, coffee & tea
plantations.
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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03.08.10
(B/D)
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Dalat
Morning Dalat city orientation tour with
visits to the Crazy House, Bao Dai's Summer Palace, the Valley of
Love and an embroidery workshop. In the afternoon enjoy a train
ride through vegetable gardens to Trai Mat then visit Long Phuoc
Pagoda, a famous beer bottle and ceramic fragments pagoda in town.
Dinner is at a nice local restaurant.
Accommodation: Hoang Anh Resort |
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04.08.10
(B/L)
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Dalat
- Nha Trang
Depart Dalat for
Nha Trang, a very popular beach resort to Vietnamese
and foreign tourists. On the way stop at Dalat cable car station
for a 15 minute ride overlooking beautiful pine forest, flower
and vegetable gardens and then Poklongiarai Cham Tower before a picnic
lunch. Arrive in Nha Trang mid afternoon and check in to your
hotel.
Accommodation: Nha Trang Lodge Hotel. |
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05.08.10
(B/L)
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Nha
Trang
Enjoy a morning boat trip to visit Tri Nguyen Aquarium and Mieu Island
then Mun island for swimming and snorkelling. Lunch will be at Bao
Dai's
Summer Palace.
Afternoon at leisure for own exploration of Nha Trang.
Accommodation: Nha Trang Lodge Hotel. |
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06.08.10
(B/L/D)
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Nha
Trang - Qui Nhon
A long beautiful drive through prawn, crab farms, sugar
cane & rice paddies. Lunch is on the way. Arrive at Qui Nhon mid
afternoon. Free time to wander around. Dinner is at
the hotel.
Accommodation: Hoang Anh Resort. |
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07.08.10
(B/L/D)
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Qui
Nhon - Hoi An
A long drive to My Lai Memorial, where 504 villagers were
killed by the American soldiers in 1968, six weeks after Tet Offensive.
Picnic lunch then continue on to Hoi An. Check in at the
hotel.
Dinner is at an excellent café in town "LY".
Accommodation: Hoi An Hotel. |
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08.08.10
(B/D)
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Hoi An
A short walking tour around the town. Discover the
historical town of
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 and French
influences.
Hoi An is a good place for
shopping, especially tailoring, very laid back and only 4kms to the
beach, a good place to relax.
One hour cruise on Thu Bon river before a beautiful dinner with a
cooking class in a nice local restaurant.
Accommodation: Hoi An Hotel. |
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09.08.10
(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, across the Hai Van
Pass (Pass of the Oceans Clouds), passing through many pretty re-tiled
villages with fruit orchards, enjoying spectacular views of sky and
sea. Stop over at the 5 marble mountains and China Beach where
the Americans came for R & R during the Vietnam War. Lunch is
at a nice cafe in Hue "Mandarin". One hour cyclo ride
around this
interesting city.
Accommodation: Saigon Morin Hotel. |
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10.08.10
(B/D)
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Hue
Morning tour visiting the Citadel which was built from
1804 - 1833 then
to Thien Mu Pagoda, a famous pagoda in Hue and Vietnam. Take a boat
trip on the Perfume River and then back to the hotel.
Mid afternoon there will be a tour to 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, a beautiful mosaic building.
Dinner is at a nice local restaurant.
Accommodation: Saigon Morin Hotel. |
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11.08.10
(B/L/D)
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Hue -
Dong Hoi
Depart
Hue for Dong Hoi, stopover at the Ben Hai river know as DMZ demarcation
line between the North & the South in the Vietnam War
Lunch in Dong Hoi.
Accommodation: Sun Spa Resort |
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12.08.10
(B/L/D) |
Dong Hoi - Vinh
Leave Dong Hoi for Ninh, a city in the North absolutely damaged in the
Vietnam War by bombs. Vinh is the Homeland of Ho Chi Minh (called
by the
people Bac Ho, Uncle Ho). In the afternoon a tour to Ho Chi Minh
village where he was born and grew up.
Accommodation: Saigon Kim Lien Hotel
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13.08.10
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Vinh - Hanoi
Depart Vinh for Hanoi, the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
, a very strong French influenced city in Vietnam which is one of the
10 most beautiful cities in Asia. On the way stop at Tam Coc -
Bich Dong known as Dry Halong Bay. Enjoy a one hour boat ride in a
sampan on a small steam windind between rice fields and limestone
cliffs raising almost vertically out of the paddy fields. Lunch is at
Dzung restaurant in Tam Coc. Arrive
Hanoi early in the evening.
Accommodation: Galaxy Hotel |
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14.08.10
(B/L/D) |
Hanoi
Enjoy a full day city tour of Hanoi with visits
to Ho Chi
Minh's Mausoleum, Museum and Residence, One Pillar Pagoda. Lunch is at
KOTO, after lunch visit to the Temple of Literature built in
the 11th
century, which is known as Vietnam's first university. In the evening
enjoy the Water Puppet
Show. Dinner is at a nice local restaurant.
Accommodation: Galaxy Hotel. |
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15.08.10
(B/L)
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Hanoi
A very interesting cyclo tour around the Old & French
quarter of Hanoi then visit to the excellent Ethnology
museum a short
walking tour around the old quarter before lunch at "Little
Hanoi" Restaurant. The rest of the day at leisure.
Accommodation: Galaxy Hotel .
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16.08.10
(B/L/D)
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Hanoi-
Halong Bay
Morning at leisure. Lunch is at the hotel. In the afternoon you leave
Hanoi for Halong Bay. Dinner is at a local
restaurant.
Accommodation: Saigon Halong Hotel (Ocean view room).
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17.08.10
(B/L/D) |
Halong
Bay
A
7 hour cruise on Halong Bay with seafood lunch on board.
Halong Bay is
listed as world heritage, the area of outstanding beauty.
"Dragon descending on the sea", as it is known in Vietnamese,
picturesque Halong Bay has around 1,969 limestones islets rising from
the clear emerald water, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. A
visit to a beautiful cave and an opportunity for a swim during the
cruise.
Farewell dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation: Saigon Halong Hotel (Ocean view room) |
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18.08.10
(B) |
Halong Bay - Hanoi - Singapore
Leave Halong Bay for your drive back to
Hanoi Airport.
Departing Hanoi at 1.30pm on SQ 175, arriving in
Singapore at 5.55pm.
Sydney passengers depart Singapore at 8.35pm on SQ 221, arriving in
Sydney at 5.55am (19.08.10)
Melbourne passengers depart Singapore at 9.00pm on SQ 227, arriving in
Melbourne at 6.10am (19.08.10)
Brisbane passengers depart Singapore at 9.10pm on SQ 235,
arriving
in Brisbane at 6.40am (19.08.10) |