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Itinerary
for Vietnam Overland Tour - May 2010 |
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| Note: |
Meals are included in the itinerary as
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner |
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| 05.05.10 |
Depart Brisbane at
11.45pm on SQ246, arriving in Singapore at 5.30am the next morning. |
06.05.10
(D)
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Brisbane passengers
depart Singapore at 8.00am on SQ 172, arriving in Saigon at 9.05am.
Sydney passengers depart Sydney at 9.05am on SQ220, arriving in
Singapore at 2.20pm.
Depart Melbourne at 11.20am on SQ238, arriving in Singapore at 4.15pm.
Sydney & Melbourne passengers depart Singapore at 5.40pm on SQ 186
arriving in Saigon at 6.45pm.
Welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel. |
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07.05.10
(B/L) |
Saigon
In the morning there is a half day Saigon tour including a short walk
around downtown to the Opera House, City Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral
& The Central Post Office. Visits to
the former Presidential Palace (Reunification palace), the
War Remnans Museum, China town with a short walk around Cho Lon the
biggest wholesale market in Vietnam & to the Thien Hau Temple which
is the oldest Chinese temple dedicated to the Sea Goddess.
Pho(Traditional Vietnamese Noodles Soup)& spring rolls for lunch.
The rest of the day at leisure.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel. |
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08.05.10
(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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09.05.10
(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 at a local restaurant. The rest
of the day is at leisure.
Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel. |
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10.05.10
(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. It's lakes, waterfall, evergreen
forest and garden make Dalat one of the most beautiful places in
Vietnam. Beautiful drive through rubber, coffee & tea
plantations.
A stopover at La Nga floating village, lunch at Lien Do
restaurant in Bao Loc.Arrive Da Lat, check-in the hotel.. Dinner at a
local restaurant.
Accommodation: Hoang Anh Resort |
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11.05.10
(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 at a nice local restaurant.
Accommodation: Hoang Anh Resort |
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12.05.10
(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 (included). Arrive in Nha Trang mid afternoon.
Accommodation: Nha Trang Lodge Hotel. |
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13.05.10
(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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14.05.10
(B/L/D)
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Nha
Trang - Qui Nhon
A long beautiful drive through prawn, crab farms, sugar
cane & rice paddies. Lunch on the way.
Arrive Qui Nhon mid afternoon. Free time to wander around. Dinner at
the hotel.
Accommodation: Hoang Anh Resort. |
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15.05.10
(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 continuing on to Hoi An. Check-in at the hotel.
Dinner at an excellent café in town "LY".
Accommodation: Hoi An Hotel. |
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16.05.10
(B/D)
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Hoi An
A short walking tour around 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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17.05.10
(B/L/D)
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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. Dinner at a nice local restaurant.
Accommodation: Saigon Morin Hotel. |
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18.05.10
(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, then a boat
trip on the Perfume River 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 at a nice local restaurant.
Accommodation: Saigon Morin Hotel. |
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19.05.10
(B/L/D)
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Hue -
Dong Hoi
Depart
Hue for Dong Hoi, Stopover at Ben Hai river known as DMZ
demarcation line between the North & the South in the Vietnam
War, lunch in Dong Hoi.
After lunch, drive up north to Phong Nha, take a boat trip from a
critical point of the Ho Chi Minh trail to go inside and visit Phong
Nha cave, known as the longest and most beautiful karst cave in the
world. Return to Dong Hoi.
Accommodation: Sun Spa Resort
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20.05.10
(B/L/D)
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Dong
Hoi - Vinh
Leave Dong Hoi for Vinh, a city in the north absolutely
damaged by the American bombing in the Vietnam War which was rebuilt by
East Germany, the homeland of a very famous person in Vietnam
& the world Ho Chi Minh. Arrive Vinh early afternoon, a tour
visit to Ho Chi Minh's (known as Bac Ho = Uncle Ho) born & grown up
village after lunch. Dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation: Saigon Kim Lien Hotel |
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21.05.10
(B/L) |
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 over at Tam Coc known
as Dry Halong Bay.Enjoy a one hour boat ride in a sampan on a small
stream winding between rice fields and limestone cliffs rising
almost vertically out of the paddy fields. A spectacular sight!
Lunch at Dzung restaurant in Tam Coc . Arrive Hanoi early evening.
Accommodation: Galaxy Hotel.
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22.05.10
(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, the unique art of
Vietnamese from the 11th Century. Dinner at a nice local restaurant.
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23.05.10
(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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24.05.10
(B/L/D)
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Hanoi-
Halong Bay
Morning at leisure. Lunch at the hotel.
In the afternoon, leaving Hanoi for Halong Bay. Dinner at a local
restaurant.
Accommodation: Saigon Halong Hotel(Ocean View)
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25.05.10
(B/L/D) |
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 1969 limestones islets rising from
the clear emerald water, many of them containing beautiful grottoes.A
visit to a beautiful cave & an opportunity for a swim during the
cruise.
Farewell dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation: Saigon Halong Hotel (Ocean View) |
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26.05.10
(B) |
Drive back to
Hanoi Airport, departing Hanoi at 1.30pm on SQ 175, arriving in
Singapore at 5.55pm.
Sydney passengers depart Singapore at 8.40pm on SQ221, arriving in
Sydney at 7.35am (27.05.10)
Melbourne passengers depart Singapore at 9.00pm on SQ 227, arriving in
Melbourne at 7.15am (27.05.10)
Brisbane passengers depart Singapore at 9.10pm on SQ235, arriving
in Brisbane at 6.50am (27.05.10) |