Subject to change… but here it is, without further ado:
November 27 — Saigon
After a LONG flight from San Francisco (with a layover in Seoul), we finally arrive in Saigon at 11:20pm local time. We then head to the Grand Hotel to get some sleep!
November 28 — Saigon / Vinh Long / Mekong Delta
Leaving at 7:30am, drive from Saigon to Cai Be. Our 1 day private cruise excursion starts from Cai Be, departing from La Residence de Phu An pier at around 10:00am. The tour will begin with visits to some local home factories such as rice paste making, rice pop corn, coco candies, and longans drying/processing. We will continue by cruising through Cai Be’s colourful floating market among local barges full of fruits and vegetables.
Then, we get back on-board the Cai Be Princess to proceed on an excursion to Dong Hoa Hiep island, a peaceful escape where we will be able to discover the rural life style and daily activities of the delta inhabitants such as roof making with palm tree leaves, a bricks and tiles artisanal factory, and net fishing.
Lunch will await us at an ancient mandarin house, Anh Kiet restaurant.
After lunch, we will return on board the Cai Be Princess for a 1 1/2 hour cruise to discover beautiful landscapes along the river, along 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 remain unknown to many people. Stops on the way can be made at An Binh ancient Church or Tam Ho bonsai garden.
After crossing the Co Chien river, the excursion will end at Vinh Long pier around 3.30pm, and then we will return to Saigon for the night.
November 29 — Saigon
AM: Visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle for independence.
PM: Take a city tour of dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, taking in the former Presidential Palace, War Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Saigon Post Office, and Thien Hau Pagoda in the city’s bustling Chinatown.
November 30 — Saigon
Free time to explore the city and shop.
December 1 — Saigon / Nha Trang
Spend the morning in Saigon, and then fly to Nha Trang in the afternoon. We’ll be staying at the Sofitel Vinpearl resort. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the beach.
December 2 — Nha Trang
Free time (probably scuba diving!!).
December 3 — Nha Trang / Danang / Hoi An
Morning is free in Nha Trang. Then we fly to Danang, and from there drive to Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries whose architecture and relaxed lifestyle has changed little over the years.
We’re staying at the Victoria Hotel in Hoi An.
December 4 — Hoi An
In the morning, we’ll take a cooking class at Red Bridge (Cau Do) restaurant by the river. After a cup of coffee or tea at a local Hoi An café, students at the Red Bridge Cooking School head off to the local market to buy ingredients for the morning’s cooking class. Then it’s a quick boat trip along the Hoi An River to the school, where students are treated to demonstrations of Hoi An specialties such as squid and pineapple salad, grilled eggplant, and banh xeo (pancakes) before being let loose in the kitchen. We’ll enjoy lunch (hopefully!) of the dishes we cook.
Then we’ll return in the afternoon for a walking tour of the ancient town centre to visit the former merchants’ homes, the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, and the colorful market.
December 5 — Hoi An / Danang / Hue
After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart Hoi An for Hue. On the road from Hoi An to Danang, we will visit five sacred hills known as the Marble Mountains containing dozens of Buddhist shrines. En route we will stop in Danang to visit the beautiful Non Nuoc Beach and the Cham Museum containing the finest collection of Cham sculpture in the world. The scenic route passes through the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co before climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds.
After stopping at the Saigon Morin Hotel in Hue to drop off our luggage, we’ll start our afternoon on a city tour to visit the Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 and the Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts. We’ll then continue on to visit the elaborate mausoleums of emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh.
December 6 — Hue
In the morning we’ll take a boat trip on the romantically named Perfume River to visit Hue’s best-known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda, and the mausoleum of former Emperor Minh Mang, in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. We’ll then drive to visit the Dong Ba market.
In the afternoon we’ll enjoy a biking tour of the quiet country lanes and picturesque monuments that make Hue an ideal place for cycling, traveling through bamboo groves and small villages to the Thanh Toan covered bridge. The cycling route leads further on local paths, through rural villages, rice fields, and on to Sam market with interesting daily activities and Thuong Lam pagoda. If we can make it (!!), we’ll bike a total of 23kms around Hue.
December 7 — Hue / Hanoi
In the morning, we fly from Hue to Hanoi. After checking in at the Galaxy Hotel, we’ll take a city tour of Vietnam’s capital. Hanoi is a unique city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes, and oriental temples. The city tour includes such sights as the History museum, One Pillar Pagoda, the Fine Arts Museum, and Vietnam’s first university Temple of Literature.
December 8 — Hanoi
Free time to explore the city and shop. (Optionally, we may also tour artist Thanh Chuong’s palace.)
December 9 — Hanoi / Halong Bay
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll drive to Halong Bay. Upon arrival in Halong, we’ll board the luxurious replica steamer Emeraude for a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Halong Bay. With 37 luxurious air-conditioned cabins, a restaurant, two bars and a sundeck this is the ultimate Halong Bay experience. Lunch is served on board. While cruising on the emerald green waters of the bay, we’ll try a traditional Vietnamese or foot massage. Sea kayaking on the Bay is available late afternoon, or we can join the cooking class on board. A sunset cocktail is served on the sundeck at 6:30pm followed by a buffet dinner between 8pm and 11pm. We’ll drop anchor for the night nearby a remote island.
December 10 — Halong Bay / Hanoi
Wake up to fresh coffee and a wholesome breakfast before cruising back to Tuan Chau quay. Early morning Tai Chi is an optional extra on the sundeck from 6:00 to 7:00 before breakfast. Arrive back at Tuan Chau at 8:30 to disembark and then drive back to Hanoi.
We’ll arrive back in Hanoi in the afternoon for lunch and then drive to visit Hoan Kiem lake with a one hour tour of the 36 streets of the famous Old quarter by cyclo, the Vietnamese version of the rickshaw. In the evening, we’ll enjoy a traditional water puppet show and grab dinner.
December 11 — Hanoi / Phuket
After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll fly to Phuket with a layover in Bangkok. Time to chill for a week on the beach! We’ll be staying at the Holiday Inn Phuket (it looks REALLY nice!) in one of the Busakorn Villa Suite rooms, right on the pool.
December 12-18 — Phuket
Lots of beach time and pool time — with probably a couple days set aside to get out around Phuket and SCUBA dive.
Of course, all good things must come to an end. We’ll be leaving Phuket on December 18th, with layovers in Bangkok and Nagoya before getting back to San Francisco on Tuesday the 19th. Thank goodness for frequent flier miles and business class!
