HO CHI MINH CITY EXPLORING

Transcription

1 + HO CHI MINH CITY EXPLORING Fasten your seatbelts as Ho Chi Minh City is a metropolis on the move and we re not just talking about the motorbikes that throng the streets. Saigon, as it s known to all but city officials, is Vietnam at its most dizzying: a high- octane city of commerce and culture that has driven the whole country forward with its limitless energy. It is a living organism that breathes life and vitality into all who settle here, and visitors cannot help but be hauled along for the ride. Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) is a name so evocative that it conjures up a thousand jumbled images. Wander through timeless alleys to ancient pagodas or teeming markets, past ramshackle wooden shops selling silk, spices and baskets, before fast- forwarding into the future beneath sleek skyscrapers or at designer malls, gourmet restaurants and minimalist bars. The ghosts of the past live on in the churches, temples, former GI hotels and government buildings that one generation ago witnessed a city in turmoil, but the real beauty of Saigon s urban collage is that these two worlds blend so seamlessly into one.

2 Saigon City Trip - Full Day Depart at to explore the ancient Saigon. Have a visit to Ben Thanh market for a panorama of the fresh foods that go into making Vietnam s fabulous cuisine. Opportunity to brows and shop in this very busy market. Further sightseeing including Chinatown and the City Theater, where the film The Quiet American was shot, followed by the city s most famous examples of French Colonial architecture, including the Central Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral. After lunch visit the former Presidential Palace and the War Remnant Museum where you can linger to view the deeply moving photo exhibit Requiem - a collection of wartime photographs taken by 135 war photographers who lost their lives during the Vietnam War (called the American War in Vietnam). Tours end at 05.00pm. Price per person (USD) Meals: L=Lunch

3 + SAIGON - MEKONG BIKING 1 DAY Departure for My Tho, on arrival we cross Rach Mieu bridge and start cycling back country road, feeling lost on winding road under the green coconut canopy that make BenTre famous in Vietnam. On arrival in BenTre at noontime, we cruise down the busy branches of Mekong and into a peaceful canal. Visit an island orchard, lunch break with traditional meal, see the daily life of farmers and try exotic seasonal fruits unique to the region. Hammock siesta, then we cycle to explore this quiet area, call on coconut- candy workshop and other handicraft workshop (if time permitting) before coming back to our bus. Return to Saigon at 06.00pm. Price per person (USD) Meals: L=Lunch (typical Vietnamese food cooked by farmer) Boat in My Tho Bicycle (Mountain bike or hybrid bike) What s to bring: Sunny class, hat, camera

4 SAIGON - CU CHI 1 DAY Depart hotel at 7:30 am. Drive 100 km (~57 miles) to Tay Ninh to visit the great Cao Dai Temple. Learn about this unique blend of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity. See the Noon Mass at this extraordinary temple. Lunch break in Tay Ninh. In the afternoon visit Cu Chi and experience the life of the guerillas living and fighting underground during the war. A crawl through 50 m of the 200 km (120 miles) tunnel system is never to be forgotten. Back to Saigon in the late afternoon. Price per person (USD) Meals: L=Lunch What s to bring: Long dresses, sunny class, hat, and cameras.

5 SAIGON - MEKONG 2 DAYS DAY 1: SAIGON - CANTHO (B, L) After breakfast, depart by car to the "rice basket" of Vietnam - the Mekong Delta where the mighty Mekong River ends its journey from mountain of China to the South China Sea, splitting into seven major branches as it traverses the soggy delta, a fertile area of almost 50,000 square kilometers. The delta is a region of extraordinary energy and market commerce, with burgeoning markets, floating markets, fruit orchards, and more coconuts than you'd want to contemplate. The delta is a relaxing place, with good food, pleasant river trips, cheap boats, and friendly people. One is never far from water in the delta, and boats in some districts are the main mode of transportation. Intriguing in the backwaters are the floating markets, which have disappeared in other parts of Asia. We'll be sightseeing by sampan, cruising along the quiet back- roads and canals of the Delta, stopping for lunch of tropical fruits and seafood. After lunch, continued exploration of the waterfront villages through the vast rice field landscapes and the home of a local farming family DAY 2: MEKONG - SAIGON (B, L) Early morning sampan cruise to Cai Rang floating market, through the waterways, and for a short walk to a rice husking mill and a chance at crossing one of the many bamboo monkey bridges along the canals. Lunch featuring specialties of the Mekong. Afternoon return to Hochiminh City. Ends of the services. Accommodation 4* (Victoria Can Tho Resort **** (Superior room)) SGL Price per person (USD) Accommodation 3* (Kim Tho hotel*** or similar (Deluxe)) SGL Price per person (USD)

6 SAIGON - CAN THO - CHAU DOC 3 DAYS Day 1: SAIGON - MEKONG DELTA (CAN THO CITY) After breakfast, depart by car to the "rice basket" of Vietnam - the Mekong Delta where the mighty Mekong River ends its journey from mountain of China to the South China Sea, splitting into seven major branches as it traverses the soggy delta, a fertile area of almost 50,000 square kilometers. The delta is a region of extraordinary energy and market commerce, with burgeoning markets, floating markets, fruit orchards, and more coconuts than you'd want to contemplate. The delta is a relaxing place, with good food, pleasant river trips, cheap boats, and friendly people. One is never far from water in the delta, and boats in some districts are the main mode of transportation. Intriguing in the backwaters are the floating markets, which have disappeared in other parts of Asia. We'll be sightseeing by sampan, cruising along the quiet back- roads and canals of the Delta, stopping for lunch of tropical fruits and seafood. After lunch, continued exploration of the waterfront villages through the vast rice field landscapes and the home of a local farming family. Day 2: CAN THO CITY - CHAU DOC Early morning, boat to visit the Cai Rang floating market with visit to a noodle- making factory. You can even try passing one of the many fragile monkey bridges along the canals. Then drive to Soc Trang, enjoying the beautiful Delta scenery and meeting the locals, visit the Khmer Temple and the Khmer Museum (if open), the Bat and Clay Pagoda. After that, continue to visit the famous stork sanctuary in Thot Not - Bang Lang, a unique and protected area in the Mekong River. Upon arrival, we start to trek into the peaceful shady village green with bamboo trees along the path. Drive to Chau Doc for the night. Accommodation in Chau Doc. (B, L) Day 3: CHAU DOC - DEPART Head to Saigon. Up early for a cruise through the amazing riverside market with all its bustling activity and smorgasbord of sounds, colours and smells. We also cruise through the floating village with tons and tons of fish farmed underneath hundreds of shelters. Discover the ethnic Cham village with its famous Mubarak Mosque and watch the locals go about their traditional weaving. After visiting the famous Lady Chua Xu Temple (1820) we walk up the sacred Sam Mountain with its panoramic view over the vast plains into Cambodia. Back to Hochiminh city. To Phnom Penh: Early departure from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh, Cambodia by speedboat en route clearing immigration and customs (about one hour). Scenic cruise up the Mekong, rural villages and farms lining the river. Arrive Phnom Penh dock about noon. Quotation for 4* hotel (Victoria Can Tho Resort **** (Superior room) Quotation for 3* hotel (Kim Tho hotel*** or similar (Deluxe) SGL Deluxe (4star) (USD) Superior (3star) (USD) Accommodation: Shared Double/Twin room with break fast. Meals: B = Breakfast, L=Lunch as mentioned in the itinerary Boat in Can Tho Speed boat Chau Doc Phnom Penh What to bring: Sun glasses, hat, camera.