Day 1 Arrival Hanoi
Day 2 Hanoi
Day 3 Hanoi - Halong Bay
Day 4 Cruise Halong Bay to Hanoi

Traditionally Hanoi has been the political and historical capital of a united Vietnam, but it seems in comparison to Ho Chi Minh, a provincial town. In the center of the city, since the fifties, little has changed and its character is well preserved. You can stroll around at your leisure during the day to enjoy the atmosphere of this cozy city. In the center is the Hoan Kiem Lake with the other side being the modern center, de Ville  with the French department stores, embassies and hotels. 

The streets in the old Chinese quarter are a haven for souvenir hunters: hand-painted cards, Chinese embroidered flags, paint and carvings, antiques, silk and hundreds of fun articles. The Dong Xuan Market is located in the old neighborhood.
In the east of the city you will find the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the One-pillar pagoda from the 11th century, the rustic Literature Temple and the Ngoc Son Temple.  You will also find the "Hanoi Hilton" where the American prisoners were held. 
The flat landscape en route to Halong Bay is characterized by endless rice fields, with numerous rivers. In the course of the afternoon we reach the unique natural environment of Halong Bay. A thousand vegetated rocky limestone islands rise from the Gulf of Tonkin. 

We take a boat trip in Halong Bay where you can enjoy the view from the deck and the unprecedented natural beauty of this picturesque water. 

Occasionally from the beach we can explore one of the numerous caves. Lunch is prepared and served with fish, shrimp and crab. Between the islands you sometimes see a  traditional sailing junk, with its characteristic large red-brown sails. In the early evening we drive back to Hanoi.

Hue
Day 5 Hanoi, flight to Hue
Day 6 Hue, boat trip

Between 1802 and 1945 Hue was the political capital of Vietnam and residence of the thirteen consecutive emperors of the Nguyen dynasty. This is where the broad Huong Giang (Perfume River) is located. The city traditionally enjoys a reputation as a cultural, religious and educational center of Vietnam. The city is dominated by the well built citadel, whose construction in 1804 was started by order of the emperor. Inside was a beautiful palace complex, which was only accessible to the imperial family. Unfortunately, this part, the so-called Forbidden Purple City, was destroyed during the Tet offensive in 1968. The gateway and some reception halls have been reconstructed. 

You can imagine the pomp and circumstance of the imperial family and the emperors Tu Duc, Khai Dinh and Minh mang. These complexes are located far outside Hue amid the rice paddies. Walking around in the idyllic surroundings with impressive sculptures, wooden pavilion kits, ponds, flowering trees, it seems old Vietnam back to life to come. 

By boat we travel along a piece of the Huong Giang River, on the way to the Thien Mu pagoda and one of the graves.

Hoi An

Day 7 Hue - Hoi An
Day 8 Hoi An
Day 9 Hoi An

On the road to Hoi An to visit the Cham Museum in Da Nang is a must. Here you will find the largest collection of Cham-sculptures in the world. Then you see the flat landscape suddenly transform into the five, rugged Marble Mountains. The caves are Buddhist shrines and this place is a popular pilgrimage site. From the top you have a fantastic view, especially on the long China Beach where American soldiers enjoyed R & R during the war.  At the beginning of the 16th century the Portuguese discovered the coast of Hoi An, soon followed by the first western traders and the Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, English and French. Some 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 fell into a sleepy town. For hours you can now wander through the city center. Hundreds of temples, communities, houses, and shops adorn the streets of the old Japanese and Chinese Quarter. The Japanese, pink, covered bridge is eye-catching. Nearby are magnificent homes of wealthy Chinese merchants now, opened to the public by their heirs. If you go to the Tan Ky house get a tour of the residence. The houses are often decorated with dark wood columns and gilded woodwork, bonsai trees and various old Chinese items. 

It is certainly worth it to rent a bicycle or motorbike to go to the beach. Typical Asian rural scenery is a feast for the eyes;  endless bright green rice paddies, children in the afternoon on the backs of  buffalo and the busy traffic of wooden boats on the river. 


Qui Nhon, Nha Trang

Day 10 Hoi An - My Lai - Qui Nhon
Day 11 Qui Nhon - Nha Trang
Day 12 Nha Trang

To break up the great distance between Hoi An and Nha Trang we stay in Qui Nhon. After leaving Hoi An we stop during the long journey to visit the war-affected town of My Lai. When we settle at our hotel, you can choose to spend your time in Qui Nhon near the beach, go to the Thap Doi Cham Towers or to the large Long Khanh Pagoda. The next day we travel, well- equipped to Nha Trang, the ideal place for beach lover.You will find a kilometer long white beach, turquoise sea, shade of palm trees and restaurants with a huge selection of seafood. Fishing trips are organized to several islands or you can swim and snorkel to your heart's content. Rent a bike to visit the Oceanographic Institute, the Pasteur Institute, the 14-meter-high white Buddha at Long Son Pagoda, or the port where you will see dozens of fishing boats. Note the huge round bamboo baskets, which the fishermen paddle from one boat to another . Near the port on a rock is the the red brick Po Nagar towers.  From the 7th to 12th century, this was a Hindu ceremonial place. Our comfortable hotel, with swimming pool, is a stone's throw from the beach.

Dalat

Day 13 Nha Trang - Dalat
Day 14 Dalat

We travel inland to the high Dalat. Flying to the south, we take a break in the beautiful Po Klong Garai towers from the Champeriode. The coolness of the upper Dalat is for many a welcome change after the warm sea air along the coast. This beautiful hilly area is ideal for a walk or bike ride. Here you can enjoy nature, but it is also an area of coffee and tea plantations, as well as flower and fruit production. Vietnamese like to come here on their honeymoons. Interestingly, the special structure referred to as the "Crazy House" was designed by the daughter of a Vietnamese president.

Ho Chi Minh City
Day 15 Dalat - Ho Chi Minh City
Day 16 Ho Chi Minh City
Day 17 Ho Chi Minh City,

visit Tay Ninh and Cu Chi Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, has one million residents and is an important port and center for industry, trade and international communication. After the partition of the country in 1954, Saigon was named the capital of the Republic of Vietnam. After the entry of the Northern armies in April 1975, the revolutionary authorities renamed the city  Ho Chi Minh City, but most residents still call it "Saigon". 

On the way to the hotel, blooming trees flank the streets that are filled with an endless flow of bicycles, mopeds and cyclos. Along with the pagodas and temples, in the architecture you will see signs of western influence from the French, and later, the Americans. 

The best way to see the city is to rent a bike or cyclo. Some fine examples of French architecture are the post office, the Hotel de Ville 'or town hall and the cathedral. Visit the Museum of the Revolution, the historical museum or the Ho Chi Minh museum and devote a couple of hours for the lively Chinese Quarter and the fascinating Ben Thanh market. There you can find and buy everything that the average Vietnamese eats or uses.  

The next day we make an excursion outside the city. First we stop at a museum as part of the tunnel network of Cu Chi. In the sixties, this was the location of  a large opposition stronghold of the Vietcong in the province. Next we drive to Tay Ninh, the center of one of the most intriguing sects in Vietnam, the Cao Dai sect. The cathedral is a striking building, which lies between an extravagant, fairy-tale like rococo church and building right out of a fantasy.. We arrive there at noon, and you will have time to experience one of the daily ceremonies.

Mekong Delta
Day 18 Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho
Day 19 Can Tho - Chau Doc

With our own bus we drive a few hours to the southern delta, the most prosperous and densely populated part of Vietnam. Many branches of the Mekong River makes this plain very fruitful. Wherever you drive, you see lush green rice fields and farms where pineapple, coconut, peanuts and tobacco are grown. The products are usually transported by boat to the markets, where fruit, vegetables and fish are abundant. We stay overnight in Can Tho, some 170 km from Saigon is. Renting a boat is a fun way to observe the daily life of people who live in simple homes on stilts along the river. Women sitting on their porches are preparing food. Children getting their first swimming lessons greet you with loud enthusiasm. Restaurants in the port offer local delicacies of the region: frog, turtle and snake.

Cambodia
Phnom Penh
Day 20 Chau Doc, boat to Phnom Penh
Day 21 Phnom Penh

After a night in Chau Doc we travel by boat to Cambodia. This takes several hours (depending on the water level) and on the necessary documents. Ultimately, we cover the last piece of the journey to the capital of Cambodia,  with a van. Phnom Penh offers many opportunities, such as a visit to the Royal Palace with the silver pagoda and the national museum with its many valuable archaeological finds from the Khmer Time. Furthermore, a walk will give a  good impression of the old part of town. You come along the Phnom, in the former "European" part of town, China Town is around the central market with the predominantly Khmer History around the Royal Palace. It is then good to walk through the newer neighborhood west of Achar Mean Boulevard. Impressive and eerie at the same time, are the Tuol Sleng Holocaust Museum and the "Killing Fields". Not uplifting but an important visit, nonetheless. 

Siem Reap
Day 22 Siem Reap bus ride
Day 23 Siem Reap
Day 24 Siem Reap
Day 25 Departure from Siem Reap

We leave early to the bus, which brings us to Siem Reap. During the bus ride you can see the countryside of Cambodia where you can see everyday life passing by. Siem Reap is the base for one of the highlights of this trip: Angkor Wat, the famous temples of the Khmer classical style from the 12th century. You have two days to explore this vast and complex environment. For a daily fee, a drive with a motorbike can bring you to Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng, Baksei Cahmkrong, Angkor Tom and all the other highlights in this area. The countryside in the environment, farmers markets and villages are worth a visit. The next day our land program ends in Siem Reap.