Vietnam Diaries

Arrival at Hochiminh Arrive at Tan Son Nhat airport, tour guide pick up and transfer to downtown. Then visit the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of April 1975, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Sai Gon Post Office, a neo-Romanesque cathedral constructed between 1877 and 1883 using bricks from Marseilles and stained-glass windows from Chartres; Stop at Ben Thanh market for shopping. Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Hochiminh.

Hochiminh – Mekong Delta (MY THO) Today we take an excursion to My Tho. We will be traveling past miles of flat rice fields, along a bustling High Way. On arrival at My Tho, we board a Mekong cruise boat to Thoi Son Island where we will be entertained with traditional music. We will then change to a paddle boat to cruise through the narrow canals and visit homegrown industries like coconut candy and rice-wine making. We next travel by motorized boat to another Mekong island to visit a bee farm try tea with fresh honey from the beehives and enjoy fresh seasonal fruits. As we return to My Tho there will be a visit to the Vinh Trang Pagoda. Back to Ho Chi Minh City and relax. Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Hochiminh.

Hochiminh – Cu Chi Tunnels Morning, we will visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, The Vietnamese are proud of their resolve in their prolonged history of struggle against invading armies, and the story of the people of Cu Chi is indicative of that spirit. The residents of Cu Chi then took their war underground, literally, developing a network of tunnels that, at its height, stretched as far as Cambodia and included meeting rooms, kitchens, and triage areas. Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Hochiminh.

Hochiminh – Hanoi – City Tour Morning, transfer to the airport for flight to Ha Noi. Arrive at Noi Bai airport, tour guide pick you up and transfer you downtown, visit Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (closed on Monday, Friday, and through October - November), and the rural-style house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages, and outstanding Vietnamese scholars. Afternoon, go to Hoan Kiem Lake, the center point of Hanoi whose name “The Return Sword Lake” originated from a legend of a sacred sword and home to a rare endangered giant turtle species, and visit Ngoc Son Temple on the lake. Next, take a one-hour cycle tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi with its ancient streets representing traditional trades from the past. Finish the tour at the Thang Long Opera Theatre with a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show. Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Ha Noi

Hanoi – Halong (OVERNIGHT ON CRUISE) Morning, tour guide pick up and direct transfer to Ha Long Bay, which is about 160 km or 2.5-hour drive away. Stop halfway to visit a handicraft workshop of fine clothes and embroidered paintings. Arrive in Ha Long City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk right after the welcome drink is served. Start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view. Ha Long Bay means Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from the sky. The bay cruise will continue with an up-close sighting of Dinh Huong Island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island, Sail Island, a visit to Sung Sot Cave, and a swimming stop at Titov Beach. Relax to enjoy the bay view at sunset, have dinner after, go fishing, and spend a night on board.

Halong – Hanoi – Departure Wake up in the morning and refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck. Tai Chi is an ancient internal martial art often practiced in soft and gracefully slow moves to enhance internal harmony and vitality. Have tea and coffee onboard before proceeding to Titov Islet or SoiSim Island to trek and swim. Check out early in the morning, and have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore. Disembark in the morning to transfer Hanoi airport for the departure flight.