Day 1: Saigon arrival (D)
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Saigon is a fast growing city, which is changing day by day and recognized by high buildings and big roads. The ongoing changes in economy have given the city a really cosmopolitan and dynamic character. Upon arrival at Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat Airport, our guide and driver will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. You are free to stroll around the city.
In the evening, a special dinner cruise along Saigon River where you can get a beautiful view of the city lights.
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Day 2: Saigon city tour (B, L)
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Our tour starts at 8:30am with a transport ahead to Cholon, a Chinese area in Saigon. A visit at Thien Hau Temple and from here, we enjoy a cyclo ride to lively Binh Tay Market, a commodity store of Mekong delta area in Vietnam. Followed by another visit at a workshop where handicrafts and lacquer wares are made in front of you.
After lunch, we continue to the War Museum and the former Presidential Palace. We will take a walk to major sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City including the Central Post Office, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Opera House and City Hall. Leaving the historical sites, our family can choose to enjoy wonderful ice cream at Fanny’s, a quaint little parlour with a French atmosphere or drink tea at a private and unique area in the European style.
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Day 3: Cao Dai Temple & Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)
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In the morning our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and then depart for Tay Ninh to visit the famous Cao Dai Temple. There you witness a colorful service at noon. After the service you have lunch at a local restaurant. Then you go to Cu Chi Tunnels. Cu Chi Tunnels are an impressive network of tunnels with a length of over 250 km. This strategic place was used by 15,000 Viet Cong fighters during the war. In the afternoon you return to Saigon, approximately at 5pm.
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Day 4: Saigon –Mekong exploration with Cai Be Princess (B, L)
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At 8 o’clock, our guide picks us up at hotel and departs for Cai Be where we will start our great trip with Cai Be Princess. Our private day cruise excursion starts from local pier in front Cai Be ancient church at around 10.00 am.
Upon embarkation on Cai Be Princess boat, you are welcomed with fresh cotton towels. The tour will begin with the visit of Cai Be colorful floating market, cruising among local barges full of fruits and vegetables… The cruise will then bring you to some local home factories to discover traditional rice paste making, rice pop corn, coco candies, and longans drying processing.
We will proceed the excursion to Dong Hoa Hiep island, a peaceful escape where you will be able to visit an ancient mandarin house dating from late 19 century where some green tea will be served to you. Cai Be princess will cruise further to Phu An for lunch at a superb indochine villa, Le Longanier, located in a luxuriant garden by the river. After lunch, we will proceed the cruise to Vinh Long, passing beautiful landscapes along the river, Dong Phu canal, Binh Hoa Phuoc and An Binh.. These evergreen islands among the Mekong River bring about large networks of meandering rivers, criss-crossed with countless arroyos, and remaining unknown to many people. Stops on the way can be made at An Binh ancient Church or Tam Ho bonsais garden.
After crossing the Co Chien large river, the excursion will end at Vinh Long pier around 3.30pm, where our own private transportation vehicle will transfer us to Can Tho City for overnight.
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Day 5: Can Tho –Saigon (B, L)
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Today is another valued moment. We get up early for a wonderful join –in breakfast cruise, followed by a visit to Cai Rang floating market. Here is the chance to become excellent photographer for amazing pictures. Back to the dock in the late morning, a transfer back to Saigon. On the way, we stop at My Tho for a visit at Dong Tam Snake Farm and Vinh Trang Pagoda.
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Day 6: Saigon –Nha Trang (B)
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Today, we take a flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival in Nha Trang, our local guide will welcome you and transfer you to Vin Pearl Resort. Here you and children can enjoy lots of amusing activities (your own expenses) on VinPearl Land such as water sports, merry go round.
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Day 7: Nha Trang (B, L)
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Free day to enjoy the beach
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Day 8: Nha Trang –Hoi An (B)
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Morning flight to Danang. Arriving in Danang, we take another transfer to Hoi An. On the way, we stop over at Marble Mountain. Overnight in Hoi An
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Day 9: Hoi An (B)
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Free at leisure
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Day 10: Hoi An (B, L)
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At 9am, ride a bicycle to a local farm in Tra Que Village. Introduction to the history of the village, the cultivation of the vegetables as well as discovering about the use of vegetables in traditional Vietnamese medicine.
You will take a trip around the vegetable garden and join the farmers in preparing the land and fertilizing it with seaweed from the local lake. Continue doing activities such as: raking, sowing, watering greens, picking greens and many more gardening activities. Then spend the rest of the morning working the land in the time honoured way before break to prepare lunch with a local family. Your lunch will consist of many local delicacies including ‘tam huu' spring roll, Banh xeo or the local pancake of the people from the middle region
After lunch and the exertions of the morning, take an even more traditional Vietnamese post-prandial nap before learning how to harvest and wrap the vegetables.
Around 15.00, bid farewell to your host family before riding back to Hoi An, on the way back stop at Nhat tomb and Ba Le well. The tour finishes at 16h00.
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Day 11: Hoi An –flight to Hanoi (B)
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Today we take a flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, we embark on city tour with Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (outside) and “House on stilt” at the same area with the Presidential Palace and the famous One Pillar Pagoda. We also make a visit to the Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam, which is now dedicated to Confucian worship and “Hanoi Hilton” –a nick name given by US pilots during the war. End of the day, we will enjoy the famous water puppet show.
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Day 12: Cuc Phuong National Park (B, L)
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Pick-up at your hotel at 7am, then transfer 120 km on a good road to Ninh Binh. Our schedule of today is as followings:
Morning:
• Visit the Visitor Center, a good place for information about Cuc Phuong.
• The Endangered Primate Rescue Center, where we will see and learn about many different endangered species.
Lunch will be arranged at the Headquarters’ restaurant.
Afternoon:
• The cave of prehistoric man, now a refuge for bats (0,3km walk)
• 1000 thousand year old tree trail (6km walk on loop trail)
Return Hanoi in the late afternoon.
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Day 13: Hanoi –Halong Bay (L, D)
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In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel and transfer to Halong Bay, about 200 km far from Hanoi. It takes you about 3 hours to reach there. Then you will have a cruise on a traditional Vietnamese wooden Junk on Halong Bay to most caves, have seafood on board for lunch and have pleasure time for swimming and sunbathing. You will have dinner on board as enjoying the sunset; then stay on board for overnight.
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Day 14: Halong Bay –Hanoi (B, L)
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This day you will have further cruise on the bay, visit rock piles and sun bathing before getting back to the wharf in the early afternoon. Our waiting vehicle will transfer you back to Hanoi.
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Day 15: Trip concluded (B)
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A transfer to Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport for your flight home.
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