VIETNAM OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

   If you are looking for a tour which enables you to experience Vietnam in a different way, then this off-the-beaten-track trip is designed exactly for you. During 14 days, you will still visit the most popular destinations from the North to the South of Vietnam, but you’ll visit them in other “paths”. You will be introduced to another Hanoi, Halong, Hoi An and Mekong Delta which all will appear new

Hanoi – Bac Ninh - Ha Long – Duong Lam – Hue – Da Nang - Hoi An – Tra Que – Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi – My Tho – Vinh Long

Itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D, G)

On arrival in Hanoi we will be met at the airport by our guide and transferred to our hotel. The rest of the day is spent relaxing after our long flights. Our guide will be on hand to brief us about the tour ahead and some of us may choose to take a short walking tour to stretch our legs and explore the surrounding area.

Day 2: Handicraft villages (B, L, G)

After an early breakfast, we’ll take 2,5hr. drive out of Hanoi to visit Smoked Bamboo village in Xuan lai – Bac Ninh.
Back to Hanoi for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will visit Van Phuc Silk Village – 8km southwest of Hanoi’s center. The village has been much well known for its traditional sericulture, weaving, and silk products. You will be lured by various beautiful shirts, crafts, ties, dresses and many other things made of silk available in the village. The silk is made by very simple looms, which is the genuinely traditional Vietnamese way of making silk. Back to your hotel for relaxing and overnight. 

 Day 3: Hanoi – Ha Long (B, L, D, G)

Pick up at your hotel in Hanoi by shuttle bus. Upon arrival at Hon Gai harbour, you ‘ll check-in and enjoy a welcoming drink and cruise briefing. Have lunch while cruising in the magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay, admiring the fascinating rock formations in the bay. You’ll then enjoy swimming in the crystal clear water before exploring the secluded Thien Canh Son Cave. Short cruise to Hon Co Island where you can relax on a white sandy beach, swim or kayak. In the late afternoon, you’ll cruise back to the junk for relaxation. Have dinner and stay overnight on board.

Day 4: Halong - Hanoi (B, L, G)

Enjoy the bay’s morning landscape with a cup of tea or coffee. Have breakfast in the open air. Visit Vung Vieng fishing village in a rustic rowing-boat, meet the local people and pass through the floating school and fish farms.
09.30 More leisure time for swimming in the middle of the bay. Cruise back to the harbour while an a la carte lunch is served. You’ll then disembark and have a transfer back to Hanoi. Enjoy a water puppet show which is unique in Vietnam. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 5: Duong Lam village (B, L, G)

Duong Lam village has been known as a museum of laterite with ancient houses aged up to 400 years old. It is also well -known for the birthplace of the two kings Phung Hung and Ngo Quyen, the two heroes led resistance wars against China's Sung and Southern Han troops to recover national independence.
Depart your hotel at 0830 and travel west of Hanoi to Duong Lam village, a purely agricultural village of the Northern Red River Delta which still preserves many hundred-year-old houses. Visit Mong Phu temple in Mong Phu commune - the only hamlet whose original village entrance remains intact. Continue on through the narrow alleys to see the old laterite houses which make up this charming village. Enjoy a picnic lunch en-route.
After your lunch, continue driving to Mia Pagoda (another hamlet of Duong Lam), built in the 15th century, some 287 statues of all sizes can be seen here, among with are famous sculptures such as the statue of Buddha and the statues of the "Eight Vajra Deities".
On the way back to Hanoi stop at Tay Phuong Pagoda. The pagoda offers beautiful architecture and ancient and unique sculptures. It was one of the first pagodas built in Vietnam and has magnificent dragons and demons carved into the wooden roof. From here continue back to Hanoi, a 45-minute drive.

Day 6: Hanoi – Hue (B, D, G)

It is your free time in Hanoi before transferring to the airport for a noon flight to Hue. Arrival in Hue, you will be met by our guide and transferred to check in your hotel.
In the afternoon, you will visit the city with a cruise along the Perfume River to visit to the Thien Mu Pagoda. From there, we continue to visit the Imperial Citadel and the Forbiden City. Have dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Hue.

Day 7: Hue – Danang – Hoi An (B, G)

Free monring in Hue for shopping or taking a photo.
After lunch, we’ll drive to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass, we’ll visit Cham Museum in Danang, and Marble Mountain and stone curving Non Nuoc before getting to Hoi An.

Day 8: Tra Que vegetable village (B, L, G)

The tour will start by bicycling from hotel to a local farm in Tra Que village.
A short stroll will take you around the vegetable garden and then you can join the farmers in preparing the land and fertilizing it with seaweed from thelocal lake. following steps are raking the ground, sowing, watering, picking vegetables and many other gardening activities. after all these activities, you will take a short rest and enjoy foot bath before getting to preparing lunch with a local family. Your lunch will consist of many local delicacies including ‘tam huu’ spring roll, Banh xeo or local pancake of people in vietnam middle region. you can join the cooking with the chef on these meals. After your morning excurtions and your lunch, you will take a vietnamese traditional post-prandial nap before learning how to harvest and wrap the vegetables.
Around 14.00:  bid farewell to your host family before riding back to Hoi An. Visit the town on your own. Walking over the tile-roofed Japanese Bridge, we’ll visit the ancient town, taciturn Chinese Assembly Halls and Trading Houses, pagodas and stroll into the market located by Thu Bon river. Hoi An is a wonderful town to shop for silk and clothes that can be tailored and made within a day. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An free time (B)

Free time in Hoi An. Overnight in Hoi An

Day 10: Hoi An- Da Nang - HCMC (B, G)

After a relaxing morning, transfer to Da Nang to take an internal flight to HCMC in the morning. Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport, you’ll be picked up by our driver and transferred to your hotel.
In the afternoon, we visit to the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975. We then take a photo stop at some striking French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Sai Gon Post Office before continuing to the War Museum and then Ben Thanh market for shopping.

Day 11: Cu chi tunnels (B, L, G)

We spend today learning more of the history and culture of Vietnam. Our tour of the city starts with a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground network of around 200km of tunnels constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the long struggle for independence. The tunnels contained hospitals, accommodation and schools, and were used as a military base for the Vietcong in the American War.
Free afternoon in HCMC. 

Day 12: HCM - My tho- Vinh Long – Overnight at a Lodge (B, L, D, G)

Today we leave Ho Chi Minh City and travel about 70km to My Tho in Tien Giang Province. Along the way we visit Tan Hiep weaving basket producers. Then transfer to My Tho for lunch. We’ll then drive to Vinh Long to visit Cottage industry villages: See how to make Pop-rice, Coconut candy, Rice-paper and also local activities. We’ll be overnight at local family’s house on the island. Alternatively, we can join the family in cooking and preparing the food for dinner.

 Day 13: Vinh Long - Cai Be- HCMC (B, L, G)

In the morning, a boat cruise along the Mekong Delta will take you to a bonsai garden, and local houses making confectionery, Soya sauce, fish sauce and other products. We’ll also meander through the Cai Be floating market. We’ll then be driven back to Ho Chi Minh City with a lunch stop at a local restaurant, and have the rest of the evening for our leisure. 

Day 14: HCMC departure (B, G)

This morning is free to enjoy our last time in Vietnam before we depart for the airport and our flights home.

  SPECIAL OFFER: DISCOUNT OF 5% AND FREE VISA ON ARRIVAL 

( Applied for all booking made by Dec 31st, 2011)