| This
is an example of one of our classic tailor-made holidays
in Vietnam - we'll be pleased to design similar Vietnam
vacations with dates and itinerary customised to your
personal preferences. |
Highlights
of our Vietnam holidays:
Our tailor-made Vietnam vacations include Hanoi,
Hue, tropical beaches, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese culture,
four World Heritage areas, natural scenery, boat cruises,
floating markets, and Cu Chi tunnels.
Our
Vietnam holidays begin with ...
... two days
in Hanoi. When you arrive at Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport, one of
our staff will be waiting to greet you and whisk you off to
relax in your hotel. A 'Welcome' dinner at a good restaurant
in a colonial building awaits you, and in the evening, you’ll
have tickets for a performance of traditional Water
Puppetry.
Your
guide will arrive in the morning to show you the sights of Hanoi
- the Van Mieu Temple of Literature, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum,
Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ngoc Son temple, and Hanoi’s Old Quarter
How
you get around is up to you. You can be driven, walk, ride in
a cyclo,
or sightsee from the back of a motorbike – the list is ranked
in order of adrenalin output.
Meals:
one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner
Escort/guide:
transfer from airport to hotel and evening, and the following
daytime
Twenty-four
hours on Ha Long Bay and another night in Hanoi
It’s about a three-hour drive to Ha Long
Bay, but a comfortable car and a guide to explain the rural
life of the Red River
Delta makes the time fly past.
Your ‘floating hotel’ will be a traditional-style wooden
junk or the Emeraude,
a luxury replica of the paddle steamers that once plied the
Bay during in colonial times.
A
junk will take you to the islands and caves with time for swimming,
fishing, taking spectacular pictures, or venturing into some
of the sea level grottoes in a small sampan,
all weather permitting, of course.
The
Emeraude is a classic cruise boat that pauses only for a couple
of hours to swim or visit a cave - the rest of the time is spent
gently meandering through the Bay's remarkable seascape. Both
serve Ha Long's famous seafood plucked fresh from the Bay -
it's a revelation!
Meals:
two breakfasts, two lunches and one dinner
Guide:
fully escorted
Two
nights in Hue
After your noon flight to Hue, a car and
our guide will be waiting to drive you to the Imperial City
of Hue. The Citadel, Dong Ba market, the Royal Tombs and the
unique ‘garden houses’ are just some of its attractions. You’ll
have dinner in one of the garden houses on your second evening
– the owner will be cook, waiter and interpreter of the distinctive
characteristics of classic Hue
cuisine.
Meals:
two breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner
Guide:
transfer to Hanoi airport, fully escorted thereafter
Two
nights in Hoi An then off to Ho Chi Minh City
You’ll enjoy the road journey to Danang.
On the way you'll cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van -
the splendid views of Lang Co beach, village and lagoon, and
later on, Da Nang itself, makes the extra distance worthwhile
- better than driving through the shorter, but boring, Hai Van
Tunnel.
Your
programme includes visits to Danang’s Cham Museum, the Ancient
Town of Hoi An and the mysterious My Son Sanctuary.
Meals:
two breakfasts and one lunch
Guide: daytime
on the first day, and the morning of the second day
Four
nights in Ho Chi Minh City and one on the Mekong Delta
An afternoon flight takes you to bustling
Ho Chi Minh City, and from there to your hotel in the heart
of the city in the midst of the shops and nightlife.
You’ll
tour some of the main attractions - the History Museum, the
Museum of War Remnants, Ben Thanh market, the Jade Emperor Temple,
and a workshop making high quality lacquerware
furniture and articles.
The
drive to the Mekong involves battling with Ho Chi Minh City's
notorious traffic jams, but your nerves should be soothed by
peaceful Vinh Long.
There,
you’ll cruise the Mekong River to visit the Cai Be floating
market, fruit orchards, traditional family-run brick kilns,
and wide range of varied cottage industries. A workshop making
the huge coffins unique to the Mekong is particularly interesting.
You’ll spend that night in Can Tho, the ‘capital’ of the Mekong.
Back
in Ho Chi Minh City, a morning drive will take you to Tay Ninh
in time to watch the mid-day ceremony at the Cao Dai Holy See
followed by a visit to the famous Cu Chi tunnels.
Meals:
five breakfasts, four lunches and one dinner
Guide: daytime
on the first and last day, and fully escorted on the Mekong
Delta
Time
to leave!
You’ll end your tour with a free day until
your car arrives to take you to Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat
airport.
Meals:
one breakfast
Prices
(person in US dollars):
The prices below
are based on the hotels on the Vietnam Sonata 'Accommodation'
page. If you would prefer a different hotel, or hotels, choose
your preference on the relevant 'Hotels'
page, tell us, and we'll send you a modified price within 24
hrs at the latest.
| Number
in group |
2 |
3-4 |
5-8 |
9-12 |
13-16 |
*Supplement
for single hotel room occupancy |
Mid-range
|
1,564 |
1,406 |
1,214 |
1,130 |
1,082 |
468 |
Superior
|
1,957 |
1,799 |
1,607 |
1,523 |
1,475 |
862 |
Deluxe |
2,445 |
2,287 |
2,095 |
2,012 |
1,963 |
1,345 |
First
Class |
3,509 |
3,351 |
3,159 |
3,076 |
3,027 |
2,414 |
These prices are valid until
October 31, 2008. Please note: bank transfer fees are not included.
*
‘Single room occupancy’ refers to the accommodation
element of the programme only, and applies to someone who is
travelling with others but requires an additional room for him
or herself. Single traveller prices are available on request.
Our
prices include:
- Breakfast and accommodation
sharing a twin or double room.
- Pick-ups and transfers by private
air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary above
(Please note: pick-ups will be by a guide and driver or, where
a guide is not necessary, a driver only. All unaccompanied
drivers will be briefed in advance, and will carry a mobile
phone to ensure smooth transfer arrangements)
- Domestic flight tickets: Hanoi
– Hue and Danang – Ho Chi Minh City , including domestic airport
taxes.
- Boat cruises as specified in
the programme. All Ha Long Bay boats will be fully licensed
and comply with current safety regulations.
- Travel in an appropriate private
air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced safe driver.
- The services of experienced
English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary (please
note: guides will be on hand from pick-up until guests' return
to their hotel or reaching their destination). Free days or
part days will not include the services of a guide unless
requested and included in the final itinerary.
- Where necessary, entry fees
for all visits as mentioned in the programme.
- Lunches and dinners (as specified
in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics
where no suitable restaurant is available, and full board
on the boat in Ha Long Bay. There are thirteen
breakfasts, nine lunches and four dinners
- VAT and other taxes
Our
prices do not include:
- International flight tickets
and airport tax.
- Visas
- Dinners, except as specified
above.
- Drinks, gratuities and personal
expenses.
- Camera fees (if any)
- Insurance.
