Tailor Made Travel: South East Asia

VIETNAM, FROM HANOI TO THE MEKONG DELTA

This amazing Grand Tour of Vietnam, begins in the highly cultured city of Hanoi, in Northern Vietnam and ends in Saigon, down south, in the Mekong Delta.

After visiting Hanoi, you will travel through a picturesque countryside between Hoa Binh, Mai Chau and Hoa Binh, with amazing views of the mountains, valleys, with patchwork quilt of rice paddies, farms and houses-on-stilts, home to many hill tribes

From Hoa Binh, travel to Ninh Binh and visit Tam Coc, often referred to as “Dry Halong Bay”. Enjoy the spectacular scenery during a leisurely boat ride in traditional local sampans to Tam Coc caves, passing the limestone rocks rising from the rice fields and a winding stream. Continue to visit Bich Dong Pagoda.

Proceed to the famous Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. “Dragon descending to the sea“ as it is known in Vietnamese, the picturesque Halong Bay has more than 1,000 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. Enjoy a relaxing 5-hour boat trip with fresh seafood lunch prepared and served on board.

Then fly to Hue, the former Royal City of the 13 ruling Nguyen dynasties. Drive to visit the Imperial Citadel and Tu Duc Tomb. Take a boat trip on the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious worship in Hue. Continue by car to Minh Mang Tomb, then depart to Danang. The scenic 4-hour drive via Hai Van pass offers spectacular views of mountains, the sea, idyllic beaches and villages. Visit Cham Museum, continue to Marble Mountains with its beautiful grottoes and temples, which can be reached by climbing steep steps (please wear appropriate shoes). We continue further south to the charming historic city of Hoi An.

Drive to My Son, the imperial city of the Champa empire of the 4th to 12th centuries, My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious ruins comprising more than 70 architectural remains. Return to Hoi An, 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 famous bridges. Overnight in Hoi An.

Drive to Danang and transfer to airport for flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival, visit the Institute of Oceanography and Po Nagar Cham Tower, a sacred Hindu site dating back to the 2nd century AD. The town was built between the 7th and 12th centuries and is still used today as a place of pilgrimage for the Cham and Vietnamese Buddhists.

Depart Nha Trang for Dalat, a cool mountain resort. Its lakes, waterfall, evergreen forest and gardens make Dalat one of the most enjoyable places in Vietnam. On the way, visit Long Son Pagoda and Po Klong Garai Cham Tower.

Visit the 110-year old Dalat market, then take a 40-minute train ride (the train was used during the French colonial era and is now only used in Dalat). Enjoy the nice scenery of vegetable-, flower-, and fruit gardens along the route. Continue to Linh Phuoc Pagoda. Depart Dalat for Ho Chi Minh City with stopover at Prenn waterfall.

In Ho Chin Minh, drive to Cu Chi. Visit the amazing complex of underground tunnels at Cu Chi. There are more than 200 km of underground tunnels, comprising a main axis system with many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters and other tunnels. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, continue with visits to the War Museum, to Cholon (China town), Thien Hau Pagoda and Ben Thanh market. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Travel to My Tho. Visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda en route and stop by the bank of Tien Giang river. Take a boat trip on Mekong River to Phoenix Island, where local handicrafts and sweets from coconut are being produced. Enjoy fresh seasonal fruits and traditional live music and songs performance. Take a short ride on a horse carriage to a typical local house to taste some homemade honey-tea. Proceed by small sampan boats through the small canals and side arms of the river to observe the daily life along the river banks with a stop and short leisurely walk at the Turtle Island. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant before driving back Ho Chi Minh City

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