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Day 1: Arrival - Ho Chi Minh
On arrival at Tan San Nhat Airport, you are met by our guide and transferred to hotel. The bustling Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, is a center of commerce, finance, culture and tourism in Vietnam. This metropolis ,contradiction of its northern counterpart, is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, excited by numerous shopping areas and sidewalk cafes. ( If time permits) we stroll around the down town to explore the different local ways of life. O/N in Ho Chi Minh.
Day 2 : Ho Chi Minh - Cu Chi - Ho Chi Minh
The incredible underground network in Cu Chi stretched over 200 kilometres and became legendary during the American war. The extensive tunnels have been specially constructed with living areas, storage facilities, weapon factories, filed hospitals, command centres, plus accommodation. Today we have an excursion to Cu Chi Tunnels to visit an exposition hall and a widened section of the tunnels to get a feel of the underground life. There are also possibilities to fire off rounds from an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range. The following programme is a sightseeing of major sights in Ho Chi Minh City. We drive past many lively streets on our way to the Reunification Palace. This mansion was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975. Close to the palace are some striking French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Sai Gon Post Office. We see these before going to the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War remnant exhibit. The final stop is Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is for sale!. O/N in Ho Chi Minh. (B)
Day 3 : Ho Chi Minh - Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh
Heading out of town, we travel by roads to the Mekong Delta. This plain region boasts the largest rice bowl of Vietnam. On arrival in My Tho we board a boat navigating around the intricate small canals, which is a great way to observe the local lifestyle close-up and catch a view dotted by many islands. The exciting river trip will pass by the lush green vegetation towards the famous Unicorn Island where we have a chance to stroll around an orchard, taste many seasonal fruits and see farmers at work. We navigate some narrower canals using small rowing boats to Ben Tre Province for an interesting visit to some local industries. The extra enjoyment is a lunch at one of the famous local eating spots. We drive back to Ho Chi Minh, stopping off en route to see the beautiful Ving Trang Pagoda and the Saigon's Chinatown, locally named Cho Lon. This bustling area is crammed with sacred temples and mysterious, narrow lanes. O/N in Ho Chi Minh. (B,L)
Day 4: Ho Chi Minh - Da Lat
The journey northwards begins as we depart Ho Chi Minh and pass through the many tea and coffee plantations to the hill station of Da Lat, sometimes known as the " City of Eternal Spring". The drive is long but views are fantastic all along the way. Once arriving in Da Lat we can soak up the cool climate as much as we want by spending our time to wander around and catch our first glimpse of this town. The influence of the French is evident in local culture and architecture since Da Lat was founded as a hill retreat for the colonials to escape the oppressive heat in the coastal plains and the chaos of Saigon. This charming town is set around a lake and surrounded by forests, waterfalls and rolling countryside. O/N in Da Lat. (B)
Day 5: Da Lat - Nha Trang
Today we enjoy a drive through the charming pine hill to the summer residence of Vietnam’s last Emperor Bao Dai. He was forced to abdicate in 1945, shortly after the end of the World War II. This mansion displays a lovely collection of Vietnam treasures. We follow it with a trip to the sacred Lam Ty Ni Pagoda and the Hang Nga Guesthouse. This construction is well known as the Crazy House because of its bizarre architecture. The lively central market and the old rail station are also visited before we travel by roads passing through the undulating terrains to the picturesque coastal town of Nha Trang. En route we make stopover at the scenic Ngoan Muc Pass and the Po Klong Jarai Cham Towers. These amazing structures represent an interesting culture and a colorful history of the Cham people in central coast areas. O/N in Nha Trang. (B)
Day 6: Nha Trang
The turquoise water surrounding a string of islands and the white sandy beach stretching the whole length of Nha Trang City make it one of Vietnam's premier beach resorts. We board a boat to explore the coastal islands. The aquarium lake is our first stop before we head out to Hon Mun Island. Today we have plenty of time to enjoy swimming and snorkeling on the blue and clear water or simply lazing on a beach. The thrilling boat trip continues towards Hon Tam Island, giving us a choice of various water sports and good restaurant for lunch. By mid afternoon we cruise back to Nha Trang Pier and complete our day with a short city tour. The impressive Ponagar Cham Towers overlooking the colourful fishing port, and the famous Long Son Pagoda are a major part of our sightseeing. O/N in Nha Trang. (B,L)
Day 7: Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh
The last swimming on beach is a perfect way to end up your beach vacation. Upon leaving Nha Trang Town we begin a long but scenic drive on very goods roads which link Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh. A part of the pleasure of travelling through this region is the simple joy of seeing the charming countryside and the smiling faces of the people. Along the way we can make stop as we please, to visit some roadside villages, stretch our legs and catch wonderful photographs. The drive will deliver us to Ho Chi Minh City by mid or late afternoon depending on traffic conditions. O/N in Ho Chi Minh. (B)
Day 8: Ho Chi Minh - departure
There is a free time to relax or further explore Ho Chi Minh City. The tour ends after your transfer to Tan San Nhat Airport for departure. (B)
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