TRAVEL SERVICE & RESERVATION – Amanda Melkert – 511211H

Day 1 – 21 Nov: Hanoi (Arrival)

Please be ready around 3 to 3.5 hours at the airport in Perth to check – in your flight.

Arrive in Hanoi at 17:35PM (SQ194), our driver welcomes and transfers you to hotel for your stay.

• Overnight at Hanoi Calista Hotel in Hanoi.
• N/A

Day 2 – 22 Nov: Hanoi → Halong bay

Breakfast at your hotel then check out your hotel, you can leave big luggage at hotel (please note to hotel staff to keep for you) and bring small bag for Halong bay trip as you will be back to this hotel to stay more.

8:00 – 8:10AM , our bus Pick you up at your hotel and go to Halong bay on a shuttle bus.

11: 45- 12: 00 Welcome at waiting room 26 Tuan Chau harbour in Halong Bay

12:00 . You will be taken on our tender from the wharf and make your way out onto the bay to board our luxurious craft, Sapphire Cruise. You will be welcome aboard and greeted with a complimentary drink. Our Crew will conduct a compulsory safety procedures session and then you are free to check into your cabin and freshen up. Take some time to have a look around the vessel or watch the magical landscape go by.

13:15  While our boat starts to cruise ,  enjoy the special lunch of fresh  seafood and vietnamese food  cooked by one of the best Chef in halong bay

15:00  After cruising for nearly 2 hours to explore the tranquil Bay , passing by thousands of islands and islets , the boat reaches the best area to do kayaking to see a lot of amazing limestone karst landscapes . Our boat will not bring you to the crowded and tiny beach for swimming . Our boat will stop in the middle of the Bay so that you can have chance to jump into water , take a backflip or somersault ..

16:30  Keep cruising to admire the stunning beauty of the Bay from our Sundeck where you can capture great  photos

17:00  Attend the cooking class opened right on the Sundeck , our guide will show you how to prepare and make our vietnamese traditional dish that is spring roll

17:45  Join the Sunset party , enjoy fresh fruit , making friends with other members in the group , listening to soft and light music.

19:00  Enjoy the special Dinner with fusion food prepared by the excellent skills of decoration of our Chef .

20: 30  Your free time

• Stay overnight on Sapphire Cruise.
• B,L,D

Day 3 – 23 Nov: Halong bay → Hanoi (Street food tour)

05:45 – The nicest time of the day on Lan Ha Bay is the morning. Head to the upper deck to participate in our daily Tai Chi sessions. Relax with an early morning cup of tea, coffee or juice anywhere you wish on the boat and watch the never-ending miraculous scenery unfold before you.

06:30 – Light breakfast will be served in our restaurant (pastries, tea, coffee)

7:00 – 8:15 – Enjoy the last stage of your trip to Dark & Bright cave and islets by local rowing boats which is a wild and mysterious beauty in the middle of the World Heritage. Back to our main board afterward.

09:15-9:30 – Check out of your cabin as we draw closer to the mainland.

09:45 Enjoy your brunch on the boat.

11:00 you will board our tender and head back to the wharf where you will be met by your return trip vehicle to transfer you to Hanoi.

11:45 Tour ends at TuanChau habour in Halong

Get on bus to go back to Hanoi. Arrival in Hanoi around 4:30pm.

Afternoon, around 18:00PM, our guide will see you at the hotel and start your walkie foodie night with Hanoi Street Food Tour.

We will take you inside Hanoi Old Quarter and discover some of the lesser-known dishes of locals. From Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle), Banh Cuon (Steamed rice rolls), “Banh Mi” (Vietnamese Baguette), etc.

Finish the tour with unique Ca Phe Trung (Egg Coffee) or Draft beer at beer corner, which will perfectly round off our Hanoi street food discovery.

• Overnight at Hanoi Calista Hotel in Hanoi.
• B,L,D

Day 4 – 24 Nov: Hanoi (city tour) → Hoi An

Breakfast at your hotel then check out your hotel, you can leave big luggage at hotel (please note to hotel staff to keep for you) and bring small bag for Hanoi city tour as you will be back to this hotel to go to the airport from your hotel.

Around 08:00 – 8:30AM, Get picked up by our friendly guide and start to explore Hanoi City.

08.45: Arrive at Tran Quoc Pagoda located on Golden Fish IsLand in West Lake

It is the oldest pagoda in Ha Noi built in the 6th century.

09.30: Visit Ho Chi Minh complex, you have a chance to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh then walk around the garden to see 2 houses where he lived & worked from 1954 to 1969. Then visit One Pillar Pagoda where worships the Godess of Mercy – It is the most unique padoga in the world

• Should dress modestly by covering from shoulders to knees when visiting Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, temples, pagodas…

• Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays.

• Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed at least 2 months (15thJune -15thAugust) for the annual maintaining but still can take picture Mausoleum and visit around that area

11.15: Visit Vietnam Ethnology Museum to learn about the culture of 54 ethnic groups living in the whole country of Vietnam.

Special Note: we will visit Women Museum instead of Ethnology Museum closed on Mondays

12.45: Have lunch at our restaurant. You have an opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine with 8 delicious dishes.

14.00 – 14.15 : Continue to visit Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam, established in the 11 century.

15.15: Leave for Hoa Lo Prison Museum which originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the “Hanoi Hilton”

After tour, drop you off at hotel.

At 17:30PM, our driver transfer you to airport for flight to Danang. (depart at 20:00PM – VN199)

Arrival airport in Danang at 21:25PM. Our driver welcomes and transfer you to Hoi An for your night stay.

• Overnight at Silkotel Hoi An in Hoi An.
• B,L

Day 5 – 25 Nov: Hoian (Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary)

Breakfast at hotel.

Around 07:00 – 07:30AM, Our guide picks you up at hotel and leave Hoi An for visiting My Son Holly Land – the ruins of Cham people and was an imperial city during Cham dynasty. Here you can have more chance to explore and understand of technique of Old Cham people in making red bricks to build Tower which still now a secret to everyone, you can see a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 65 architectural works. It also surprises for those who are curious with architectural art. In 1999, UNESCO labeled the Cham architecture in My Son as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

Have lunch at our restaurant.

Afternoon, you free time in Hoi An.

• Overnight at Silkotel Hoi An in Hoi An.
• B,L

Day 6 – 26 Nov: Hoian (Leisure time)

Breakfast at hotel.

You’re free at leisure in Hoi An for walking around to explore the ancient town on your own and shopping.

• Overnight at Silkotel Hoi An in Hoi An.
• B

Day 7 – 27 Nov: Hoian → Danang

Breakfast at hotel. You’re free at leisure in Hoi An for walking around to explore the ancient town on your own and shopping.

At 12:00, we transfer you Danang. Rest of the day is your leisure time at beach in Danang

• Overnight at Paracel Beach Hotel Danang in Danang.
• B

Day 8 – 28 Nov: Danang (Leisure time)

Breakfast at hotel. Spend your leisure time at beach in Da Nang.

• Overnight at Paracel Beach Hotel Danang in Danang.
• B

Day 9 – 29 Nov: Danang (Leisure time)

Breakfast at hotel. Spend your leisure time at beach in Da Nang one more da

• Overnight at Paracel Beach Hotel Danang in Danang.
• B

Day 10 – 30 Nov: Danang → Hue

Breakfast at hotel. Spend your leisure time at beach in Da Nang

At 12:00, we transfer you to Hue. Rest of the day is your leisure time in the city.

• Overnight at Cherish Hue Hotel in Hue.
• B

Day 11 – 01 Dec: Hue (City tour)

Breakfast at hotel.

At 08:00 – 08:30AM, our driver and guide pick you up and start the tour. Get on the dragon boat , go along the Huong river to enjoy the fresh atmosphere and peaceful beauty of Hue on the way to Thien Mu pagoda, the oldest pagoda here.

After visiting Thien Mu, we get on the car and go to the Citadel to see the living, working, worshiping and relaxing areas of Nguyen Kings’family, the last royal family in Viet Nam.

The last stop in the morning is Dong Ba market, before we head to the restaurant for lunch. Lunch time at My Home restaurant is a great time to savour the best Hue traditional foods and some royal tea while having your feet relax in herbal water after the meal.

In the afternoon, we will visit two royal tombs Minh Mang and Khai Dinh with traditional architecture and French-influenced style, respectively.
We will take a 10-min trip on car to Thuy Xuan conical hat village to visit a local family who produce the traditional hat and incent.

You can have many photos taken with creative decoration from colorful incent sticks made by people here.

16:30pm. tour is finished and we get on car, come back to the hotel.

• Overnight at Cherish Hue Hotel in Hue.
• B,L

Day 12 – 02 Dec: Hue → Ho Chi Minh city

Breakfast at hotel.

Your leisure time in the city until 09:20AM, our driver transfer you to Phu Bai airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh. (depart at 11:50AM – VJ307)

Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh at 13:15PM, our driver tranfers to hotel for check-in.

• Overnight at Adora Mira Hotel in Ho Chi Minh.
• B

Day 13 – 03 Dec: Ho Chi Minh (explore city tour & Cu Chi tunnels)

Breakfast at hotel.

Around 7.30 – 7:45AM, our guide picks you up to visit Ho Chi Minh city. Take the morning trip to visit Independence Palace, also known at the Reunification palace, was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace. The Independence palace is a widely known landmark of Ho Chi Minh City and was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu. Continue seeing the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office. Followed by the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum the museum has a vast display of the both the Indochina wars.

Have lunch at local restaurant.

Depart for Cu Chi tunnel, the trip will take approximately one and a half hours bus driving. Upon arrival, before exploring the tunnels, you will have some short introduction followed by introductory video about how the tunnels were constructed and how the people survived in the harsh conditions of the war time. Then, spend your time to explore the remaining area and tunnel systems which included the special constructed living areas with kitchens, bedrooms side by side with other martial facilities like storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers helping whoever lives inside the tunnels meet their basic needs. Besides, there are also many hidden trap doors and dangerous traps within the maze-like tunnels for security purpose during the war. Afterward, special tea and cassava (guerilla’s food during the war) will be served.

Break time for relax or time for those who want to try the real shooting gun.

Return to Ho Chi Minh.

• Overnight at Adora Mira Hotel in Ho Chi Minh.
• B,L

Day 14 – 04 Dec: Ho Chi Minh city → Mekong Delta

Breakfast at your hotel then check out your hotel, you can leave big luggage at hotel (please note to hotel staff to keep for you) and bring small bag for Mekong trip as you will be back to this hotel to stay more.

At 7.30 – 7:45AM, our guide pick up at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh city and start the trip to My Tho. Upon arrival, visit Vinh Trang pagoda which sated back to the late 19th century. Then boarding the sampan and cruising down the river around the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands.

Stop over at Unicorn Island, go walking in the village paths to contemplate orchards, enjoy tropical fruits, and Vietnamese folk music performed by the local people. Visit the fruit plantation. Be rowed in a small sampan through the Thoi Son canal and treat yourself to the beauty of the countryside, visit the family business & bee-keeping farm, enjoy honey tea and coconut candy workshop. 

Have lunch at the local restaurant. Break time.

The afternoon is time for cycling around the Tan Thach village, meeting the local people to experience their daily life in the Mekong delta. Relaxing on hammocks to enjoy the cool breeze is for those do not want to join the cycling trip. Proceed to Can Tho City.

• Overnight at TTC Can Tho Hotel in Can Tho
• B,L

Day 15 – 05 Dec: Mekong Delta → Ho Chi Minh city

Have breakfast at hotel.

You can take a leisurely boat ride to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong River (Bassac River), then visit Cai Rang Floating Market, the most vibrant floating market in the area. Walking tour of the local noodle factory. Visit Munir Ansay Pagoda – Khmer temple, famous for its unique structure.

Have lunch and return to Ho Chi Minh city.

• Overnight at Adora Mira Hotel in Ho Chi Minh.
• B,L

Day 16 – 06 Dec: Ho Chi Minh (Departure)

Breakfast at the hotel. Your leisure time in the city.

Check- out your hotel at 12:00 then free time till 16:20PM, our driver transfers you to airport for departure flight. (depart at 19:50PM – SQ185)

• N/A
• B

End of service!