VIETNAM OFF THE BEATEN TRACK 27 DAYS

Day 1: Ha Noi – Arrival (B) – Overnight in Ha Noi

You driver will meet you at the Hanoi airport and transfer you to your hotel in the Old Quarter of Hanoi .

Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: Ha Noi City Tour (B/L) – Overnight in ha Noi

0800h: Your English speaking guide will meet you at your hotel & you will depart to visit:

Ho Chi Minh Complex: Completed in 1975 the complex contains Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, his former stilt house residence, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh museum.

Next stop is a visit to the Temple of Literature: Originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070. Inside are the stone steles used for ceremonies and mounted on the backs of turtles and inscribed with the names of the university’s graduates.

1200h: A delicious set menu lunch will be provided for you in a local restaurant.

1300h: Your tour recommences with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology which is widely acknowledged as the best in Vietnam and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples.

Then it is on to the Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake

The Old Quarter, also known as the 36 streets, is a bustling area of narrow streets home to literally thousands of small businesses and street vendors, selling a wide variety of goods. Originally each of the 36 streets names’ were related to the products being sold there. Hence you can walk from Fish Street to Tin Street to Bamboo Street and you will enjoy exploring the area while riding in a traditional cyclo.

1630h: Back to your hotel

Overnight in Hanoi

Day 3: Ha Noi – Mai Chau (B/L) – Overnight in Mai Chau

0730h: Depart by private air conditioned vehicle from your hotel and travel towards Hoa Binh province. After weaving your way through the busy Hanoi traffic, you will soon be out of town and able to admire the scenic Vietnamese countryside. Traverse a region of spectacular limestone mountains, passes and valleys, as you wind your way downhill to Mai Chau Valley of the Thai people. Spend the afternoon strolling around one of their picturesque villages learning more about the Thai and experiencing their renowned hospitality. Enjoy a sumptuous dinner whilst watching traditional local dancing and don’t miss the opportunity to sample the local rice wine.

Overnight in Mai Chau.

Day 4: Mai Chau – Moc Chau – Son La (160 km) (B/L) – Overnight in Son La

The driver and your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel and together you will travel by road to Son La, passing many fruit orchards, tea plantations and towering mountains along the way. En route, you will have the chance to meet and talk to peoples of the black Thai, white Thai, Hmong and Muong hill tribe people as they journey to work or the local markets. In the afternoon, visit the Prison Museum in Son La, which presents one perspective on the former French colonial rule.

Overnight in Son La

DAY 5: SON LA – DIEN BIEN PHU (170 KM) (B/L) – Overnight in Dien Bien Phu

Starting early in the morning, on the drive to Dien Bien Phu you will stop along the way to visit some of the small villages and take photos.

Lunch will be in a local restaurant on the way.

The highlight of todays ride would be the impressive pass of Pha Din Pass, at 32Kms long, it is the longest pass in Vietnam. At 1,000m above seal level, climbing and descending the slopes with their many bends and deep gorges is a really an unforgettable scenic experience.

Arrive Dien Bien Phu in the afternoon and there will be time to explore the town before dinner.

Overnight in Dien Bien Phu

DAY 6: DIEN BIEN PHU – LAI CHAU – TAM DUONG (B/L) – Overnight in Tam Duong

After breakfast it will be time to start off on your drive to Tam Duong which is located between Lai Chau and Sapa. Depending on conditions, the drive will take approximately 6 to 7 hours to complete. Along the way you will see many photo opportunities as you enjoy the breath taking and dramatic scenery of the Lai Chau valley. Hugging the rice terraced mountain sides, the road can be steep and often rugged and you ford turbulent rivers that cross your path. In addition to the visual spectacle, you’ll have a chance to meet some of the most beautiful and friendly hill tribe people in North Vietnam, such as the Hmong, Black Thai, Black Dzao and Pazi.

Over night in Tam Duong

DAY 7: TAM DUONG – SAPA (90KM) (B/L) – Overnight in Sapa

Once you have enjoyed your breakfast, take a short walk around the peaceful town and the market before hitting the road once again.

As you wind your way through Tram Ton Pass (Heavens Gate) which is the highest mountain pass in Viet Nam, you will be rewarded by truly magnificent views of the majestic mountains and valleys.

Tram Ton Pass is the dividing line between two weather fronts, with Lau Chau side being the warmer of the two. As you approach Sapa you will notice a sometimes dramatic change of climate dramatic change of climate as Sapa is known as the coldest place in Vietnam.

Sapa which was not opened to International visitors until 1993, is now a busy market town for the regional minority groups and the town is encircled by towering peaks, often shrouded in cloud, and the air is cool and crisp. After checking into a comfortable hotel, you are free to explore this picturesque town until time for dinner.

Overnight in Sapa

DAY 8: SAPA – LAO CAI TREKKING – TRAIN TO HA NOI (B/L)

0800h: After breakfast and leaving your main luggage at the hotel, you will walk from Sapa towards Muong Hoa valley. There you will discover the wonderful scenery of the Hoang Lien Mountain Range and meet people of the Black H’mong tribes before Trekking through terraced rice paddies and minority villages along the Muong Hoa River.

You will then meet your transport and travel back to Sapa where there will be time to take shower in the hotel and have dinner.

Transfer to Lao Cai train where you will board the night train back to Hanoi at 2215h.

Overnight in shared 4 berth soft sleeper cabin on board the train.

DAY 9: LAO CAI – HANOI – HA LONG BAY (B/L/D)

0500h: Arrive at Hanoi train station and transfer to the hotel where you can have a shower and enjoy breakfast.

0745h-0830h: Your transport will pick you up at your hotel and you will depart for |Ha Long Bay. You will stop for a short break at the Humanity center situated approximately half way to Ha Long and have time to stretch your legs or purchase some of the local specialties.

1200h: Arrive to Ha Long Bay and transfer by tender to your luxury Junk where the captain will welcome you on board the boat.

A delicious lunch will be served for you as the boat passes through many of the thousands of islands and islets within Ha Long Bay.

1530h: You will have the opportunity to explore what is commonly thought to be the biggest and most amazing cave in Halong Bay, the Surprise Cave.

1700h: Kayaking for an hour around the fishing village and observe the daily life of the local community there. Then back to boat for Sunset Party.

1930h: Enjoy a dinner of local or western food and spend a romantic night on board the Junk.

Overnight on cruise

DAY 10: HA LONG BAY (B/L/D)

0730h: Enjoy your breakfast while complimentary tea and coffee is served.

After breakfast the boat will stop at Van Gia fishing village for you to take photos. Then after a short trip on the smaller day boat to Viet Hai harbor, you will ride 30 minutes by bicycle to Viet Hai village, which is part of Cat ba National Park. Once you have taken a short break it will on to get a brief look into the lifestyle of the local villagers.

Please Note: Bicycle ride is optional and others will take the boat directly to Monkey Island.

1300h: Lunch is served on day boat while cruising to Monkey Island to observe the monkeys and weather permitting; you will have the opportunity to go swimming.

1900h: Dinner will be provided on board the boat with time after to enjoysome drinks from the bar or try and catch some squid for breakfast.

Overnight on Boat

DAY 11: HALONG BAY – HANOI – TRAIN TO DONG HOI (B/L)

0630h: Your new day will starts with joining the Taichi class, a quick early morning swim or simply enjoy the scenery. For those wishing to do Tai Chi, please let the guide know the night before.

0830h: After you finish your lovely breakfast, it will be time to pack up your belongings, pay your bar bill and get ready for check out.

The boat will begin to cruise slowly past the magnificent scenery of the bay. You will pass several points of interest that your guide will point out to you and cruise past Ba Hang Fishing Village.

1100h: Time to join the cooking class in the on board restaurant and enjoy what you have cooked for lunch.

1200h: Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi. 1600h – Arrive in Hanoi and time to gather your main luggage and have a quick dinner before checking out.

1900h: Transfer to train station and board your overnight train to Dong Hoi.

Overnight is softer sleeper 4 berth cabin in private company carriage.

DAY 12: DONG HOI – PHONG NHA CAVES (B/L)

0500h: Arrive in Dong Hoi where your guide and driver will meet you & take you to have breakfast before you start towards to Phong Nha caves in a private air conditioned 16 seat vehicle.

Phong Nha cave itself which lends its name to the whole system is probably the most beautiful of all, containing many fascinating rock formations, enchanting visitors with evocative names such as Lion, Fairy Caves, Royal Court and Buddha.

Phong Nha means Cave of teeth; unfortunately the ‘teeth’ (or stalagmites) that were by the entrance are no longer there. Once you get further into the cave, it’s mostly unspoiled. In 1990 a British expedition explored 35km of the cave and made the first reliable map of the underground (and underwater) passageways. They discovered that the main cavern is nearly 8km long, with 14 other caves nearby.

Lunch will be in local restaurant and after lunch you will drive to Ke Bang National Park.

Ke Bang National Park has restricted encroachment into the limestone areas and as a result, the limestone karsts are almost entirely forested, apart from steep cliff faces. The only clearing of forest has been in flat valleys within the limestone massif, and in lowland areas bordering it. Natural forest covers the majority of the national park and the most widespread forest type is limestone forest but there are also significant areas of lowland evergreen forest. The reserve is largely covered in tropical forest with a high level of biodiversity and endemic species. Lack of research means the true significance of the biodiversity and geology of the area has not been fully assessed.

1800h: Return to your hotel in Dong Hoi

Over night in Dong Hoi

DAY 13: DONG HOI – DMZ – KHE SANH – HUE (B/L)

0730h: Deapart from the hotel and start your drive to Hue by the way of the former Demilitarized zone (DMZ). You will visit the Ben Hai River which was the demarcation line between Northern and Southern Vietnam. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) spanned five kilometers north and south from the Ben Hai River which is located a small distance south of the 17th parallel. However, it is worth noting the Southern area of the DMZ was one of the bloodiest battlefields during the American war. The tour to the DMZ will take you to some of the famous war sites, including the Ben Hai River, Hien Luong Bridge, Vinh Moc Tunnels, Khe Sanh military base and Dong Ha Town.

Enjoy lunch at a simple restaurant in Vinh Moc or Dong Que. Stop at the Ancient Citadel of Quang Tri which was built in 1824, during the 4th year of the reign of Minh Mang and located approximately 60 km north of Hue.

1700h: Arrival to Hue

Overnight in Hue

DAY 14: HUE CITY TOUR (B/L)

0800h: Your day of discovering the wonders of Hue will begin when your English speaking meets you at the Hotel.

As part of your Hue city tour you will visit the impressive complex of the Imperial Citadel. Built in the 19th Century and surrounded by high stone walls and moat, the Citadel was once the exclusive home of the Nguyen Imperial Family. It is similar to the famous Forbidden City in Beijing and is not to be missed.

1200h: A delicious set menu lunch will be served at a local restaurant and after lunch you will take a cruise on the famous Perfume River and visit Tu Duc and Minh Mang tombs.

Tu Duc Tomb is one of the most beautifully designed tombs of the Nguyen dynasty. Embedded in a lush pine forest, the tomb is the final resting place of Emperor Tu Duc (1848-83) who had the longest reign of all emperors of the Nguyen dynasty.

Overnight in Hue

DAY 15: HUE – HAI VAN PASS – DA NANG – MARBLE MOUNTAINS – HOI AN (B/L/D)

0830h: Your guide will meet you at the hotel and travel with you in an air conditioned private vehicle from Hue to Hoi An driving over Hai Van pass. The scenery from the top of Hai Van pass is spectacular and offers some great photo opportunities.

The pass, which once formed the boundary between the kingdoms of Dai Viet and Champa, also forms a boundary between the climates of northern and southern Vietnam, sheltering the city of Da Nang from the winds that blow in from the northwest.

You will arrive in Da Nang at approximately 1130h and after having lunch at a local restaurant you will visit the Cham Sculpture Museum. Next stop will be at the Marble Mountains and Non Nuoc village where you will ride the new twin glass elevators to the main area for a visit before continuing onto Hoi An.

1600h: After checking into your hotel and having a short rest, your guide will meet you and take you on a short introduction tour of some tailor and shoe shops in Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 16: HOI AN – MY SON TOUR (B/L)

0800h: Your day starts when your English speaking guide & driver meet you at your hotel and travel through the country side by air conditioned private car to My Son Holy Land 50 km southwest of Hoi An.

My Son was a major religious site for the people of the ancient Champa Kingdom which flourished between the 4th and 13th centuries The Champa people ruled Central Vietnam until it was finally annexed by the Vietnamese in the 19th Century. The Champa King lived in the political capital of Tra Kieu (whose commercial capital was the port of Hoi An) and so the My Son complex became the most important temples of the Champa Kingdom. Bricks were used to build the temples without the aid of mortar and sculptures of gods, priests, animals, and scenes of mythical battles adorned the walls. The temples were places of worship to the Hindu God Vishnu.

The return trip to Hoi An will be via road for a short while and then you will board a boat for the remainder of the trip to Hoi An.. On the way back to Hoi An, the boat will cruise the Thu Bon River and stop for a short visit at a handicraft village and a fishing village along the way.

Overnight in Hoi An

DAY 17: HOI AN – KHAM DUC – KON TUM (B/L)

0800h: Your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and you will start off on your exciting journey to Kon Tom traveling on the Ho Chi Minh Highway (AH17)

After leaving Hoi An and making your way out into the country, you will stop at several small villages along the HCM trail to view how the locals make incense, rice paper, ceramics and have the opportunity to enjoy a fresh pineapple.

There will also be an opportunity to stop at some of the places like Charlie Hill that were made famous during the American war.

Arrive Kon Tum and check into your hotel.

Overnight in Kon Tum

DAY 18: KON TUM TO PLEIKU (B/L/D)

After breakfast it will be time to get on the road again and journey towards Pleiku which is situated 600km from Saigon and 200km from Buon Me Thuot.

You will spend a pleasant day on gentle rolling hills passing numerous small villages and rubber plantations and making several short stops to visit some places of interest along the way.

Some of the places you may visit are: an old wooden church, Vinh Son Orphanage, Bana Minority village and a traditional Rong house (communal house).

Lunch will be at a local restaurant along the way.

6 Km from Pleiku you will stop at Sea Lake which is considered the Eyes of Pleiku. The lake is a flooded crater of a long extinct Volcano formed millions of years ago. There are spectacular mountain views and many photo opportunities in the area that will leave a lasting impression.

Overnight in Pleiku.

DAY 19: PLEIKU TO BUON ME THUOT (B/L/D)

0730h: An early start to begin the drive to Buon Me Thuot and enjoy the scenery of the lush jungle and passing by rubber, coffee and black pepper plantations.

Time permitting, there will be an opportunity to stop at the Trung Nguyen coffee showroom and the Draysap and Gia long waterfalls.

Arrive Buon Me Thuot and check into your hotel.

Overnight in Buon Me Thuot.

DAY 20: BUON ME THUOT TO DA LAT (B/L)

Leaving early, to start your 200km journey to Da Lat, there will be little traffic and even though the road is narrow, it is quite good and offers some nice views of vast coffee and rubber plantations that grow well in the fertile red soil.

After traveling approximately 60 km heading south from Buon Ma Thuot, you will have the opportunity to visit Lak Lake which is the home to a wide variety of wading birds. The former summer residence of Emperor Bao Dại is located over looking the lake and has interestingly been transferred into a hotel.

Surrounding the lake is Jun Village, home of the Jun people. The villagers are known for their odd fishing method using metal rods attached to a car battery. The rods are then moved through the water stunning the fish that are then collected and kept in a tank at the village until they are needed.

Overnight in Dream hotel Da Lat.

DAY 21: DA LAT CITY TOUR – ELEPHANT RIDING (B/L)

0800h: Your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel and travel with you to Prenn Water Fall at the base of Prenn Pass. The falls were named after the former village of Prenn which was located up stream of the 9m high and 20m falls.

You will then visit Datanla Falls which are often said to be the most beautiful and spectacular of the falls in the Da Lat area. Datanla means “water under the leaves” and 3 different legends have been put forward to explain the name. The most common refers to how ancient enemy invaders sank into the waters as they tried to cross as it was hidden beneath the leaves.

Please note: entry fee into the near by adventure park is not included.

The waters from Datanla Falls flow into Tuyen Lam Lake (also known as Paradise Lake) which will be your next stop. Waters of the lake stretch over a large area of approximately 350 hectres. Its clean green waters flow from the beautiful Tia Spring and from the Da Tam River, which flows down Elephant Mountain. Tuyen Lam is known as the lake where rivers, springs and forests meet. The lake was enlarged by damming the rivers in the late 1980’s to form a reservoir and as a result, it is one of the largest and most beautiful lakes in town.

Once there you will find many photo opportunities and have the opportunity to go riding on an elephant.

After a short drive, you will arrive at the Truc Lam Zen Monastery – one of most beautiful pagodas in the south of Vietnam. While making your way up the winding road to the temple, the bell tower is clearly visible from afar and the tiled roof of the pagoda is also easily seen contrasting against the pine forests that surround it.

A set menu lunch will be provided at the Nhat Ly Restaurant in Da Lat.

After your lunch you will be taken to visit the Art Deco style Da Lat train station with it’s fascinating roof design and arching ceiling, old French Villas and the Da Lat Embroidery centre before returning to your hotel at approx 1630h.

Overnight in Da Lat

DAY 22: DA LAT – CAT TIEN (B/L/D)

0830h: Leave Da Lat to make your way to the Co Ho Minority Village (also known as Chicken Village) where you will have the opportunity to view the life of local people as you walk around the village. It is known as the chicken village due to the giant concrete chicken which stands at the entrance of the village to scare away predators from the real chickens.

Moving on you will visit the 40m high Pongua Water Fall which is the largest and most powerful water fall in the area approximately 50Km from Da Lat.

Located at 1,000m above sea level, the village of Di Linh will be your next stop where you will visit a coffee plantation and enjoy a lunch break.

After lunch you will take a walk through the deep jungle to view one of the largest surviving trees in Vietnam. In the evening you will get to take an long night safari in the park which is great way to finish off your day.

Overnight in Green Bamboo Lodge.

DAY 23: CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK – HO CHI MINH (B/L)

Cat Tien originally consisted of 2 areas that were protected in 1978. Later in 1992 a third area was protected as Rhinoceros reserve after a small colony of Vietnamese Javan Rhinoceros was discovered and brought the made the area known to the world. However, it wasn’t until 1998 that the 3 areas were combined and designated a National Park. Covering an area of approximately 71,900 Hectares, Cat Tien is one of Vietnam’s largest and most important National Parks.

0800h: After breakfast you will be driven to visit Rubber, Pepper and Cashew plantations on your way to HCMC. You will also visit fish farms at the La Nga fishing village and view how the locals manufacture rice paper before arriving in HCMC at approximately 1630h.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

DAY 24: HCMC – VINH LONG – CAN THO (B/L)

0800h: Once again your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel in HCMC and you will depart to Cai Be by air conditioned private vehicle. Along the way you will see how the locals live as you pass through the city and small villages along the way. The driver will stop near Tan An town for a quick break and to allow you to enjoy the scenic view of the rice fields

On arriving in Cai Be, you will transfer to a motor boat to visit the famous Cai Be floating market where you can observe the locals going about their daily business of selling fruit and many other interesting food items from on board their boats.

Next is a visit to a nearby small village to take a walk through a tropical fruit orchard and have a talk to the locals. Cruise toward Vinh Long through some of many small winding canals where you will enjoy the lush green scenery of the Delta.

In Vinh Long you will visit a small family business to see how the local specialties of coconut candy and crispy rice popcorn are made. Then it’s on to Binh Hoa Phuoc village which is often referred to as the green pearl of Vinh Long town.

A delicious lunch of fresh river food will be served in a tropical garden while listening to traditional southern Vietnamese folk music. After lunch there will be time to enjoy a peaceful walk through the bonsai garden before leaving for your hotel in Can Tho.

Overnight in Kim Tho hotel in Can Tho

DAY 25: CAN THO – CAI RANG FLOATING MARKET – CHAU DOC (B/L)

0530h-0600h: Driver will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to the wharf where you will board a motor boat for a leisurely trip through the tributaries of the lower Mekong to visit Cai Rang floating market.

Cai Rang is one of the 3 biggest floating markets in the delta region and you will see hundreds of boats, packed with local mangoes, bananas, papaya and pineapple as well as many other items for sale.

Then take a ride in the motor boat along small leafy creeks to a village where you can walk around and meet with the friendly locals. For the brave visitors, you can learn how to cross a Monkey bridge which is built by using bamboo and ropes.

1200h: Visit an orchard garden where you will stop for lunch.

After a delicious lunch you will proceed along the scenic canals and calm waters to visit Tra Su Bird Sanctuary before arriving in Chau Doc.

If time permitting on the way to Chau Doc, you may also visit Sam Mountain which is the highest mountain in the Mekong.

1730h: Overnight in Chau Pho hotel Chau Doc

DAY 26: CHAU DOC – HO CHI MINH (B/L)

After breakfast it will be time to check out of the hotel and start the trip back to Ho Chi Minh

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

DAY 27: HO CHI MINH – DEPARTURE (B)

The driver will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to HCMC airport for your flight home and unfortunately your time touring with us will come to an end.