In this section you will find a short description of the daily possibilities. The tour leader will offer a program on almost every day but the program is informal and by no means obligatory leaving lots of room for your own initiative. Your guides will organize and accompany some activities and will also make suggestions so that you are free to dine or explore on your own.
Day 1 Depart USA
Day 2 In transit
Day 3 Arrival Hanoi
We fly into Hanoi. Old Hanoi is the political and historic capital of the unified Vietnam, but it seems a small provincial town in comparison to Ho Chi Minh City. Since the fifties little has changed in the city center and the authentic character has been well preserved. It is a pleasant town to walk around at your own pace. The streets in the Chinese quarter are a paradise for souvenir hunters. Hand-painted cards, embroidered Chinese flags, lacquer work and woodcarvings, antiques, silk garments and hundreds more nice articles. The Dong Xuan Market is situated in the old part of town. Here plants and live animals, like monkeys and parrots are sold and lots of western items that were in fashion years ago at bargain prices. Many Americans remember the “Hanoi Hilton” as the infamous prison. The central Hoan Kiem Lake separates the old part of town from the new with the “Ville de France”, department stores, embassies and hotels. Close to our hotel you will find the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the One-pillar Pagoda from the eleventh century, the Literature Temple and the Ngoc Son Temple.
Day 4 Hanoi – Lao Cai (night train)
Day 5 Arrival Lao Cai - Sa Pa
Day 6 Sa Pa – Hanoi (night train)
We travel by night train to Sa Pa via Lao Cai. Sa Pa is lush, hill country. This popular stop is the ideal base for jeep outings or walking trips. You can explore the small primitive villages of the Hmong, Tay and Dao minority tribes, or visit the Orchard Garden or the 150-foot high Thac Bac waterfall. We return to Hanoi by way of a night train.
Day 7 Hanoi - Halong Bay (optional day trip) - Hanoi
We depart very early in the morning to Halong Bay. In the flat country we will see endless rice paddies and countless rivers. We will reach the unique nature reserve of Halong Bay early in the afternoon. About a thousand small limestone rock islands rise up from the Gulf of Tonkin. Occasionally we will stop at a beach or at one of the many caves. For lunch the crew will prepare a tasty meal of crabs, shrimps and fish. Between the islands you will see the traditional “sampans” with their traditionally red-brown sails. After we return from Halong Bay to Hanoi, the rest of the afternoon is free. If you would like you can take a ferry or a train back from Halong Bay. We arrive back in Hanoi late in the evening.
Day 8 Hanoi – Hue (flight)
Between 1802 and 1945 Hué was the political capital of Vietnam and the residence of thirteen consecutive emperors of the Nguyen dynasty. The city is located on the wide Perfume River and has a reputation of being a cultural, religious and educational center of Vietnam. The city center is dominated by the spacious citadel, which the emperor ordered to be built in 1804. Within the citadel is a wonderful palace, in which only the emperor’s family was allowed. Unfortunately, the part called “the Forbidden City”, was destroyed in the Tet offensive. Extensive reparations are being made to restore the palace to its former grandeur. The Imperial pomp and glory can also be found at the tombs of Tu Duc, Khai Dinh and Minh Mang, now situated among the rice paddies. Walking amidst the idyllic surroundings with impressive woodcarvings, wooden pavilions, ponds and blooming trees, ancient Vietnam seems revived. By boat we can sail downstream, passing and stopping at the Um Pagoda, the Hon Chen Temple and several other tombs. If you like to go by bike or scooter of course you are free to do so.
Day 9 Hue - Hoi An
Day 10 Hoi An
On the way from Hue to Hoi An all of a sudden you will see the freakishly sculptured five Marble Mountains from the flat surface. Underneath the mountains in caves are Buddhist shrines, a favorite place among pilgrims. The top of the mountains offers a terrific wide view of China beach where U.S. soldiers enjoyed time off in the war. It has the greatest collection of Cham sculptures in the world. After this the bus will climb the winding roads of the Hai Van pass, which is often covered in mist. On top of the pass we hope to see the wonderful lagoon of Lang Co Beach, a fine place for a lunch of fresh fish and a refreshing dip in the sea.
On the way from Hue to Hoi An all of a sudden you will see the freakishly sculptured five Marble Mountains from the flat surface. Underneath the mountains in caves are Buddhist shrines, a favorite place among pilgrims. The top of the mountains offers a terrific wide view of China beach where U.S. soldiers enjoyed time off in the war. It has the greatest collection of Cham sculptures in the world. After this the bus will climb the winding roads of the Hai Van pass, which is often covered in mist. On top of the pass we hope to see the wonderful lagoon of Lang Co Beach, a fine place for a lunch of fresh fish and a refreshing dip in the sea.
This on the banks of the Thu Bon river town located was formerly a thriving port and a meeting point of western and oriental culture. At the beginning of the 16th century the Portuguese discovered the coast near Hoi An, soon followed by the first Western traders and then the Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, English and French. A few centuries Hoi An was both an extremely flourishing port city as a leading cultural center. Around 1900 changed the social and natural environment drastically and Hoi An lapsed into a sleepy town.
You can stroll for hours through the city center. Thanks in part to restorations by UNESCO, hundreds of temples, stables, houses, adorn the streets of the ancient Japanese and Chinese district. An eye-catcher is the covered Japanese pink bridge Nearby you will find the magnificent homes of wealthy Chinese merchants which are now open to the public. You can tour the Tan Ky house the home of a respected, long established family. The houses are often decorated with dark columns and gilded carvings, bonsai tress, flowers and old Chinese articfacts.
It is certainly worth renting a bike or moped to go to the beach. It is a wonderful waty to see the beautiful terrain with endless, vibrant green rice paddies, children herding buffalo back home in the afternoon and the strained noises from the wooden boats on the river.
Day 11 Hoi An - Qui Nhon
Day 12 Qui Nhon - Nha Trang
Day 13 Nha Trang
Day 14 Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh (flight)
To break the long distance between Hoi An and Nha Trang we spend a night at Qui Nhon. Once we arrive there in the afternoon you can make a choice to spend your time at the beach, the Thap Doi Cham Towers, the big Long Khanh Pagoda or in the small zoo. The next day we will travel on to Nha Trang On this long day we will definitely stop at the former Champa capital of Cha Ban, a little north of Qui Nhon and the famous war monument of My Al Hoi’an which is undoubtedly a highlight of the tour. There is plenty to see on the day we spend here. The city is located on the banks of the Thu Bon River and was a thriving harbor and meeting point between western and eastern culture. At the beginning of the sixteenth century the Portuguese discovered the coast at Hoi’an, quickly followed by pioneering western traders and later the Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, French and English. For several centuries Hoi’an was a very prosperous harbor as well as trend setting cultural center. At the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century the social and natural surroundings changed drastically and Hoi’an became a sleepy little town. It is possible to walk for hours through the center. Hundreds of temples, community houses, residences and shops, often supported by UNESCO programs, adorn the Japanese and Chinese quarter. A highlight is the covered Japanese pink bridge. Close to the bridge are the Tan Ky house and the Diep Nguyen house, beautiful houses of rich Chinese merchants, which are opened to the public by their heirs. If you wake up early, walk up to the river where the market will be very busy. If you rent a bike to go looking for some of the wonderful beaches, you will pass typical Asian rural scenes: bright green rice paddies, children herding the buffalo at the end of the afternoon, and the busy traffic of wooden boats on the river. We take a flight from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 15 Ho Chi Minh City (Cu Chi - included) Tay Ninh (overnight)
Day 16 Ho Chi Minh City (Mekong Delta – optional excursion)
Day 17 Depart Ho Chi Minh City - Phnom Penh (flight)
Day 18 Phnom Penh
Ho Chi Minh or Saigon is a metropolis with an important harbor. It is the country’s center for industry, trade and international communication. After the division of the country in two parts Saigon became the capital of the Republic of Vietnam until the fall of the northern communist party in May 1975. The revolutionary authorities renamed the city Ho Chi Minh, but most inhabitants still call the city Saigon. One of the first things you will notice after the arrival is the endless stream of bikes, cyclos and scooters filling the tree-lined streets. When the French and Americans brought western culture the Vietnamese balanced this by building pagodas and temples everywhere. To best explore the city you can hire a cyclo, rent a bike or walk. Nice examples of French architecture are the post office, the “Hotel de Ville” or town hall and the cathedral. Also visit the Museum of the Revolution, the historic museum of Ho Chi Minh and wander through the Chinese quarter for a few hours. Do not miss the fascinating Benh Tanh market, where everything a Vietnamese eats, wears or uses can be bought. Cu Chi and Tay Ninh are the centers of one of the most intriguing sects of Vietnam, the Cao Dai sect. The cathedral is a very conspicuous building and exists somewhere between an extravagant rococo church and a fantasy building from Disneyland. We will arrive there around noon, which will enable us to witness the daily, impressive ceremony in the church. A “must” on the way back to Saigon is a stop at Cu Chi, the massive network of tunnels that served as a base of resistance for the Vietcong in the sixties and now is a museum. Those who would like to on Day 16 may take an optional excursion to Mekong Delta.
Day 19 Phnom Penh - Siem Reap (boat)
Your tour leader from Vietnam will not accompany you on this part of the trip, however, a local guide will be available who will meet you at the airport and will assist you from there. Phnom Penh is lovely with charming cafes and a riverfront area, which has been developed. There are several wats worth visiting including Wat Ounalom, Wat Phnom (located on a hilltop and inspiration for the city’s name. The Silver Pagoda boasts riches from the wealthy Khmer culture, which were preserved by the Khmer Rouge. For local crafts, you may wish to visit the National Museum. The boat ride is long. Be sure to pack something to eat for your journey, as you cannot get food on the boat.
The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek are a haunting reminder of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. A memorial Stupa erected in 1988 displays 8000 skulls, accounting for only about one third of the people killed here. The Tuol Sleng Museum is a harsh reminder of the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge.
Day 20 Siem Reap
Day 21 Siem Reap
Day 22 Siem Reap - Phnom Penh - depart for USA (West Coast flights arrive)
Day 23 Arrival USA (East Coast flights arrive)
In Siem Reap you will visit the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. On the first day, you can visit the South Gate of the fortified city, Angkor Thom, once protected by a crocodile-filled moat. Or you may make a visit to Bayon, with its 54 towers. It is known for its bas relief, which are wonderful representations of the ancient lifestyle. During the Khmer Empire, the Terrace of the Elephants was the ceremonial gathering place for the kings' colorful celebrations. You may also see the Terrace of the Leper King and Baksei Chamkrong, an intricate temple that ascends to a tiered pyramid and a dramatic sunset at Phnom Bakheng. Preah Khan, is a temple which was dedicated to 515 divinities and has seen numerous festivals over the years. You may also want to visit Preah Neak Pean, an ancient pool complex. The markets offer fine silks, traditional shadow puppet shows and plenty of delicious foods to sample. On Day 22, you will depart for the States, flying through Phnom Penh on your way home. If you live on the West Coast your flight will arrive the same day as your departure, if you live on the East Coast your flight will arrive the following day.
