OVERVIEW
See the highlights in and around HCMC & the Mekong Delta on this specially tailored 6 day & 5 night package. You will be staying in 3 Star accommodation in HCMC’s exciting district one and stay 2 days & 1 night relaxing and enjoying the peaceful beauty of the Mekong Delta.
YOU WILL VISIT
HCMC, Cu Chi, Cao Dai Temple, Cai Be & Floating Markets.
HIGHLIGHTS
Saigon is a city full of contrasts as street vendors selling fruit and vegetables can be seen next to modern businesses and boutiques. In 1859 the city was captured by the French and from 1956 until its demise in April 1975, it was the capital of the US-backed Republic of Vietnam.
Saigon’s history is only 300 years old but today, renamed Ho Chi Minh City at the end of the American war is very much the heart of Vietnamese business. However, the city still retains its connections to the past, particularly in Cholon, Saigon’s Chinatown. Evidence of the French occupation can still be seen in the architecture of many of the buildings such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office.
Even if you have no interest in the war history, the Cu Chi Tunnels complex, 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City, is a must see. The incredible tunnel system, covering nearly 250km is an amazing feat of engineering and it provided shelter to over 16,000 communist guerrillas during the American war. Visitors are able to crawl around in the safer parts of the tunnel system and some tunnels have now been made larger to accommodate the larger size of Western visitors. Low-power lights have been installed in several of the tunnels to make traveling through them easier.
The Cao Dai Temple located near Tay Nihn, 100 km northwest of HCMC is a major centre of pilgrimage for the 2 to 3 million followers of Caodaism. The religion was founded in the south of Vietnam in 1926 by a civil servant named Ngo Van Chieu after receiving instructions from God to combine several popular religions into the one. Caodaism is basically a mixture of Catholicism, Buddhism and Taoism and from a spiritual point of view, Caodaism believes in harmony with all religions, the existence of the spirit world and our inner souls.
The Mekong Delta is often referred to as the rice bowl of Vietnam as it produces three harvests per year. The fertile Mekong Delta is also famous for its tropical fruits and flowers. The Delta area marks the end of the Mekong Rivers 4,500km journey made through six countries to reach the ocean. Traditional transportation in the Delta is by boat along a vast network of canals and channels.
During your 2 day 1 night stay in the Mekong, you will get to explore the lush green jungle and enjoy the rich diversity of vegetation in the Delta region. Get up close to every-day life on the Mekong River and experience the hectic pace, exotic aromas and traditional way of doing business at some of the busiest floating markets. Local merchants will offer you an abundance of fresh fruits which are purchased on the water directly from their boats.
All tours are guided tours with licenced and highly experienced English speaking guides and you can be sure you are in safe hands all the way.
