VIETNAM EXPLORER

Escorted Group Tour Dossier. VE21

Many people have no idea of the stunning visual beauty and traditional culture that Vietnam has to offer. Vietnam is a unique and fascinating land of great physical and rich cultural diversity whose history spans over 4,000 years.

Picture a land of idyllic tree-lined beaches, tranquil bays dotted with the sails of junks and sampans, offshore coral islands, mountains, valleys, primal forests, plains crossed by countless rivers and emerald rice fields enriched with the varied scenes of everyday life. The traditional rural life, embodied in the villagers tilling the land with rudimentary tools under their conical hats in the patchwork paddy fields, and children riding their water buffaloes home from the fields at the end of the day, contrasts dramatically with the sights, sounds and pace of the cities whose busy streets overflow with humanity borne along on a rising tide of bicycles and motor scooters.

The country's long history is an every present companion: sites of ancient battles, ancient civilisations and kingdoms which flourished in this enigmatic land long before the French colonialists, Communism and the tragic war of the more recent past.

In a traditionally agricultural country, new to the concept of tourism that you have to expect the unexpected, you won't be disappointed.

This tour traces the complex history and culture of Vietnam and its people, introducing some of the many different faces and places of this fascinating country. Almost all travel restrictions have been dropped, and can now visit the whole length of the country.

MEKONG TRAVEL - SIGHTSEEING TOUR POLICY
Major sightseeing highlights of Indochina include a huge variety of religious and historic monuments; a rich cultural and artistic heritage; museums and beautiful scenery. Such key elements are naturally include in sightseeing tour itineraries, but Mekong Travel also seeks out the less obvious attractions - interesting local markets, festivals, wherever these coincide with travel plans, traditional handicrafts and industries, plus the opportunity to meet local people in their own environments. Also include are opportunities to try regional cuisine and to see typical or traditional forms of entertainment.

Mekong Travel includes such extra dimensions to make any visit to Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia or Laos a richer, more rewarding and more memorable experience.

GENERAL ADVICE ON TRAVELLING IN INDOCHINA

Never drink tap water - purified, bottled water is available everywhere.

Use an insect repellent against mosquitoes, especially in upcountry and forested areas. A hat and high factor block cream is advisable as protection against the hot tropical sun when sightseeing.

Casual and light clothing is required, preferable natural fiber, year-round, but
a sweater or jacket may be useful in hill areas, particularly during winter months, when evenings can be quite cool. An umbrella or raincoat is essential if visiting during the monsoon months (May-September).

Travellers should take adequate supplies of any prescription medicines they may need, as supplies may not be available locally. A spare pair of eyeglasses, if worn, is also advisable. Useful too, is a flashlight, for exploring caves or details of temple interiors, which are often not properly illuminated

Take plenty of film, as locally available supplies are not always reliable. Photography in airports, railway stations and near any military installation is forbidden. Please use discretion when photographing people, especially with tribal people, who may have superstitions against this. For close-up shots always ask first.

Visitors are required to dress decently within the precincts of religious buildings. Ladies should not wear shorts or bra-less T-shirts in such places. Shoes and socks/stockings must always be removed at pagodas and monasteries. Shoulders and knees should be covered. Disregard of these rules causes serious cultural and religious offence to the devout Asian people. Visitors are advised to ignore touts who may approach them to exchange foreign currency, or to sell gems of dubious quality. Such offers, although apparently attractive, are breaking strict laws.

Begging is widespread in some parts of Indochina but not in others and visitors are requested not to encourage development of this practice by giving money, sweets etc. to children. If travellers wish to contribute to say, a village community, gifts should be directed to the local schoolteacher or headman.
Contributions can also be arranged to recognise local charities two of which we support.

HOTELS

In spite of the building boom that is creating new hotels up to international standards for the first time in key tourist centres, accommodations in Indochina still varies widely in quality and, during high seasons, availability can be limited. Mekong Travel clients will generally receive hotel reservation priority, but Mekong Travel cannot guarantee specific hotel requests and reserves the right to substitute accommodation of the best available alternative standard when a first-choice hotel is not available. Clients are advised that accommodations, especially outside the main locations, may not always be up to international standards.

ACCOMMODATION. The accommodation on this trip is a mixture of good quality private hotels (mostly 2 to 3- star). We also spend one night on the sleeper train, which is quite comfortable, though despite being first class is still slightly primitive. The hotels have air conditioning and we will normally have twin rooms with private facilities. In general, the hotels we use are of a good standard, and will be clean and comfortable with air-conditioning, private bathrooms, minibar and TV.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

WEATHER. Except for Dalat (and Hanoi between November and February) the weather will be hot and
humid throughout, with temperatures during the day between about 28C and 34C. It is only a little cooler at nights. There is quite a range of seasons between the north and the south: the south has a distinct hot dry season from February to June, and there is a pronounced wet season in the middle of the country in September and October. November to March is a cool season in the north, and there may be some drizzly rain: a jumper or warm jacket may be required. Other than that, rain when it does fall usually comes in short, violent bursts with bright sunshine in between. There is no ideal time to visit Vietnam: it is quite pleasant at any time of year, though due to the shape of the country it is unlikely that the weather will ever be perfect for the entire duration of any trip. In addition flooding does occur from time to time particularly north of Hue though this is unpredictable, as indeed is the weather in Vietnam in general.

VACCINATIONS. No vaccinations are compulsory unless arriving from and infected area, but we recommend vaccination against hepatitis A and typhoid. Malaria prophylaxis is strongly recommended and there has been some chloroquine resistance reported, so please see your Doctor for advice.

FOOD. All breakfasts (e.g. bread, eggs or fruit and tea or coffee) are included as are all Dinners which are taken as a group and arranged in good local restaurants were a variety of Vietnamese dishes can be tried.
Lunches are on a daily kitty of £4.

EXTRA EXPENSES. Food (see above): Visa £40. Departure tax: currently US$7. There are also a number of entry fees not included in the price: as it is hard to say what people would like to visit. There will also be a kitty to cover soft drinks, mineral water and snacks for consumption whilst travelling, though this is unlikely to cost more than about £20.

GROUP, STAFF & SUPPORT. The group size will be between 6 and 16. All groups will be accompanied by an experienced English guide, plus a Vietnamese guide and where applicable a local driver. All your luggage and personal belongings will be carried by the support vehicle.

TRIP PROFILE. Our trip takes us from the capital Hanoi with its faded colonial charm, and to the world heritage site of Halong Bay. It continues to the ancient Imperial city of Hue and the trading town of Hoi An before continuing to the coastal resort of Nha Trang. It then takes you into the mountains of the central highlands and the hill station of Dalat before exploring the rainforests at Nam Ciet Tien. Eventually reaching Ho Chi Minh City. We use a combination of different types of transport, including trains and boats.

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

· Economy class return flights with Thai International airlines (will be booked separately if required, see main box).
· UK Air Passenger Duty Tax
· Accommodation as specified (tax and service charges are also included as is breakfast)
· Services of a Western tour leader throughout
· Local guide throughout
· Private air-conditioned vehicles in each location
· Private (group) transfers to and from airports and train stations
· Entrance fees to museums, etc., permits, etc.
· Breakfasts & Dinners
· The services of our local staff in Vietnam
· Private boat trips in Halong Bay, Hue, Nha Trang, Saigon and the Mekong Delta.
· The services of our local staff in Vietnam


NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE
· Items of a personal nature such as laundry, drinks, tips, etc.
· Visas
· Airport transfers on arrival and departure if you are not arriving on our standard flights (supplement payable).
· Airport taxes payable locally on each departure
· Lunches

DAY 1

Mid-day departure with Thai International Airways from London, Heathrow.

DAY 2

Connecting flight from Bangkok to Hanoi and transfer to the hotel which is located near the old quarter of the city. The afternoon is free to stroll around the small backstreets of the old quarter with their mixture of shops each street specialising in selling particular goods.
In the evening we will watch a performance of Vietnamese water-puppetry before dinner. This art is unique to Vietnam.

DAY 3

All day to explore this beautiful old city with its faded French colonial ambience its lakes, parks and temples. In the morning the tour will include Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and museum. For lunch we will try a small restaurant in the old quarter.
After lunch you can visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake or explore the backstreets of the old quarter.

DAY 4
HALONG BAY

We leave Hanoi and travel to Haiphong ( Vietnam's third largest city ) After lunch we will board our private boat to Cat Ba island. This island contains Vietnam's most beautiful national park and is home to tropical and fresh water swamp forest, lakes and hills covered in tropical forest. It is home to an astonishing range of plant and birdlife as well as to a species of monkey unique to the island. Over night in Cat Ba town.

DAY 5

Early in the morning we board our private boat for a journey around Halong Bay. Fishing junks sail by as we cruise among the 3,000 limestone peaks. Rising directly from the emerald sea this is an essential experience for anyone visiting Vietnam.
After a fresh seafood lunch cooked on board, we return to the main land.

DAY 6

Morning free. After lunch drive back to Hanoi for the Reunification Express in the afternoon for the overnight journey to Hue. We have berths for four people with soft beds, although the train is slow, noisy and generally very basic it is an experience of travel in Vietnam.

DAY 7

We leave in the early morning for a boat trip on the Perfume River stopping to visit the majestic Minh Manh Tomb and then continue to explore the area, visiting the tombs of Khai Dinh and Tu Doc before returning to the city. The afternoon is spent visiting the Imperial City.

The Tomb of King Minh Mang
Built from 1841 to 1843 on Cam Khe Mountain of the left side of the Perfume River, it is 12 km from Hue. With its solemnity, majesty and melancholy surroundings the tomb is considered typical architecture of the Nguyen dynasty.

Tomb of King Tu Duc.
Lying on Van Nien Mountain in Duong Xuan Thuong village it is 7 km from Hue. The work was started in 1864 and completed in 1867.
Tu Duc was a king as well as a poet. He designed his own tomb and supervised himself its construction, as he had no son to take care of it (a long tradition requires that a filial son should build tombs for his parents).
As he stands watching the monument looming against an exquisite scenery the tourist may associate this masterpiece and its surroundings with rhymes in a well-balanced poem.

The tomb of King Khai Dinh
Its construction took a good ten years, from 1920 to 1930, on Chau Ngu Hill, 10 km from Hue. It is a "magnificent monument that blends western and oriental cultures". The art of joining broken pieces of porcelain into hierographic characters and symbolic decorative patterns reached a high degree of workmanship.
Hue is well known for its hundreds of pagodas most typical of which is Thien Mu pagoda on Ha Khe hill on the left bank of the Perfume River, four kilometres southwest of Hue. The Phuoc Duyen tower of the pagoda reflected into the flickering water of Perfume River has stood there for centuries to witness the vicissitudes of this imperial capital.

The Imperial City at Hue is built on the same principles as the Forbidden Palace in Peking (Beijing). It is enclosed by 7-10m thick outer walls (Kinh thank) along with moats, canals and towers. Emperor Gia Long commenced construction in 1804 after geomancers had decreed a suitable location and orientation for the palace. The site enclosed the land of eight villages for which the inhabitants received compensation, and covers 6 square kms; sufficient area to house the emperor and all his family, courtiers, bodyguards and servants. It took 20,000 men to construct the walls alone. Ten gates pierced the walls of the citadel, although many are in poor condition. Not only has the city been damaged by war and incessant conflict, but also by natural disasters such as floods which in the mid 19th century inundated the city to a depth of several meters.

DAY 8
D.M.Z.

The incongruously named Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the Vietnam War, lies along the Ben Hai River and the better known 17th Parallel. The DMZ was the creation of the 1954 Geneva Peace Accord, which divided the country into two spheres of influence prior to elections that were never held. Like its counterpart in Germany the boundary evolved into a national border separating Communist from Capitalist but unlike its European equivalent it was the triumph of Communism that saw its demise.
Khe Sanh is the site of one of the most famous battles of the War. The battleground lies along Highway 9, which runs W towards Laos, to the N of Hue, and S of Dong Hoi and is 3km from the village of the same name. There is not much to see here, it is of most interest to war veterans. The hardware used and abandoned during the battle still lies among the coffee bushes.
Ho Chi Minh Trail is another popular, but necessarily disappointing sight, given that its whole purpose was to be as inconspicuous as possible. Anything you see was designed to be invisible - from the air at least, rather an artificial 'sight' but a worthier pilgrimage considering the sacrifice of millions of Vietnamese porters and the role it played in the American defeat. A section runs close to Khe Sanh.
The tunnels of Vinh Moc served a similar function to the better known Cu Chi tunnels. They evolved as families in the heavily bombed village dug themselves shelters beneath their houses and then joined up with their neighbours. Later the tunnels developed a more offensive role when Viet Cong soldiers fought from them. Life for ordinary peasants in the battle zone just N of the DMZ was terrifying. Some idea of conditions (for revolutionary peasants at least) can be gained from the 1970 North Vietnamese Film "Vinh Linh Steel Ramparts.
The Rock Pile is a 230m high limestone outcrop just S of the DMZ. It served as a US observation post. An apparently unassailable position, troops, ammunition, Budweiser and prostitutes all had to be helicopter in. The sheer walls of the rock pile were eventually scaled by the VC, but prove more of a challenge to fainthearted tourists. The Hien Luong Bridge on the 17th parallel, which marked the boundary between N and S, is included in most tours.

DAY 9

Today we will drive to Hoi An. The drive is not a particularly long, but it will take up most of the day as there are a number of interesting places to stop. We first drive to Lang Co beach before climbing up into Bach Ma National Park. This park of mountain forests is still home to Asian elephant, leopard, bear and a huge variety of birdlife, some of which is only found in this unique area. Once reaching the old French Hill station descend and continue to Danang and visit the 'Cham Museum', arguable the only reason to stop off in Danang. This is a very impressive museum and we can glean much information about the Cham people, from the many artefacts and statues on show.

Continuing to the Marble Mountain - 19 km from Hoi An. The MM are meant to symbolise the 5 elements (metal, wood, fire, earth and water) contain a number of caves with numerous Buddha's of varying ages and perhaps most interesting an old VC hospital where there is evidence of gunbattles when the US realised there was a VC hospital right under their noses!

Arrive in Hoi An and take an evening stroll through the small streets to a quite restaurant.

THE HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN

DAY 10

We will leave early in the morning to visit My Son; it takes around 2 hours to reach the site. My Son is Vietnam's most important Cham site. The Cham civilisation dominated the area that is now south Vietnam for many centuries. My Son was once the intellectual and religious centre and may have also served as a burial place for Cham monarchs. Sadly the area was involved in heavy fighting during the war and out of the 68 original structures only 20 still stand it is still however a fascinating place to visit . We return to Hoi An for lunch.

Once one of the busiest bustling commercial ports in Southeast Asia.

Hoi An was visited by merchants coming from different regions and countries. Therefore, it still retains the characteristics of many foreign cultures, especially Chinese and Japanese.
Most notable in this complex of historical relics is the hundreds of ancient houses. These are original works of art. All the houses were made of durable wood and consist of one or two storeys, decorated with horizontal lacquered boars and vertical parallel panels engraved with Chinese characters. Pillars are carved with ornate designs. Ancient Chinese and Japanese Pagodas lie among ancient streets. The numerous rivers and canals in Hoi An explains the presence of many bridges with very original architectures.

Hoi An is a very pleasant small town set back from the sea on a river estuary. Despite having one of the highest concentrations of tourists there is a reason for this. The town was one of the major seaports of SE Asia in the 17-19th Centuries and human remains have been found here dating back to 2200 BC. The town has 844 structures of historical significance and is a fascinating place to wander around.
Restaurants and cafes are abundant particularly in Le Loi St.

Hoi An is an excellent place for silk and the tailors are very cheap, you will also find many art shops selling a wide range of fabulous paintings.
The Beach - Cao Dai beach is 5 km away, (leave town on the Cua Dai St). The beach is several miles long and palm fringed though is nothing like as nice as Nha Trang, there are canopy umbrellas on part of the beach, which you have to pay to use. The swimming season is March to September and even then you are meant to swim between the red flags, apparently outside these dates swimming is dangerous and is a fineable offence.
China Beach Keep on going past the MM site entrance and you come to the beach - this is meant to be where the Americans took their R&R but the beach is little nicer than Cao Dai (in fact it is the same), again swimming can be dangerous.

DAY 11

We depart Hoi An for the long drive south to Nha Trang. The road takes you along the coast and through paddy fields past Vietnamese going about their daily routines. Although the journey will take all day it gives you time to observe the small Vietnamese villages and markets and day to day life in this beautiful country.

NHA TRANG

DAY 12

Nha trang has a six kilometre main beach and has dozens of reportedly pristine diving and snorkelling locations amongst its 71 islands and a cultural backdrop that features relics of the ancient Cham Kingdom of central Vietnam.

Morning is spent exploring the main sights. The afternoon is free to relax on the beach.

Massages are available on the beach $5 waste no time. Look out for the bright fluorescent pink dragon fruit they are delicious and unique to Nha Trang.
Diving is available through the Blue Diving Club in the Coconut Resort the equipment is new and the instructor is French with B.S.A.C. - C.M.A.S. - P.A.D.I. qualifications - daily departures @ 8am - 4pm @ $60 with 2 dives and lunch. 1 initiation dive for the unqualified is $50 or 2 for $90. Please note the centre is closed from c.20 Nov to 10 Jan., as it is low season.
The beach is quite nice and about 2.5km long flanked at either end by mountains and with two islands off the southern end, (which is where the boat trips go). The sea is a great temperature and unlike most of Vietnam's coast the tide is not too dangerous though watch out for the "dumper" waves which have quite a strong rip.

WHAT TO SEE:-

Po Nagar Cham Towers (7th - 12th Century) Only four of the original eight Cham Towers of Po Nagar (The Lady of the City) are now standing, but they are among the finest examples of cham architecture in central Vietnam. The towers are a few km north of Nha Trang on Highway one and though you will pass them when cycling out of town if you leave early to avoid the heat you will not be able to look around as the sight will be closed.

Long Son Pagoda This far more contemporary relic, built in the late nineteenth century, lies in the shadow of a towering white Buddha seated on a lotus west of the city centre on 23 Thang 10 Street. The temple's most distinctive feature is mosaic dragons, which adorn its entrance and roof.

Nha Trang Cathedral Located on Thai Nguyen Street, which is the eastern extension of 23 Thang 10 Street, this Gothic structure with its stained glass windows looks medieval but is even more contemporary - completed in 1933.

Oceanographic Institute Just about every example of Marine and birdlife in Nha Trang's waters have been brought to this aquarium and exhibition hall - the sea creatures displayed in groundfloor tanks and the birds stuffed and put on show in the hall behind. The institute is six kilometres south of Nha Trang City of Cau Da.

DAY 13

The day can be spent exploring some of the islands by boat. A fresh sea food lunch is served on board as we drift through clear turquoise seas among the small islands. There is also plenty of time for swimming and snorkelling.

DAY 14

Departing Nha Trang we leave the low-lying coastal plain and clime into the hills. Stopping on route we visit a Cham tower, one of the finest in
Vietnam before continuing on to Dalat.
Lying 1,475 m (4,800 ft) above sea-level in the southern Central Highlands, Dalat was developed by the French as a cool, high-country retreat from the obsessive summer heat of Saigon and the Mekong Delta. They built elaborate villas there, most of them attempting to recapture the familiar architecture of Normandy and Brittany as much as to provide summer relief. They also turned part of the city, now known as the French District, into a complete replica of a provincial home town, and when you stroll through it even today you'll consider they didn't do a bad job. Much of this essentially hilly city surrounds the huge Central Market, with hotels and surviving French villas set on ridges and hillocks around it. The most spectacular hotel, the Palace, looks over Dalat's key feature, Xuan Huong Lake, which is actually a reservoir created in 1919. The north of the lake, a sweeping low-rise hill leads to Dalat's Mecca for honeymooning Vietnamese, the Valley of Love.
The market is interesting offering the best selection of vegetables in Vietnam as well as most other things. Other than that you can cycle round the main part of the town in 30 mins. and things like the Valley of Love are very touristy however, it can be funny if you want to see Vietnamese dressed up as cowboys. A similarly funny sight are the extremely naff Swan boats on the lake, which is beneath the market.
The best sight is the Ankroet falls, which though smaller than those seen on the way up are more spectacular. However, to reach them you have to go down a 12km dirt road (built by the French in 1940) and it is impassable by car.

DAY 15

The morning is spent driving around the old French quarter with its colonial villas and flower gardens before the drive to Nam Cat Tien National Park. We descend passing through pine forest, which gives way to coffee, tea and mango plantations and then large stands of rubber plantations. Late afternoon trek into the park. This park covers 36,500 Hectares of lowland forest and swamp and is home to numerous birds and mammals including the Javan Rhinoceros, tiger and Asian elephant. Over night in air-conditioned park lodge. Dinner and over night in the park lodge. Evening tour of the forest track using lamps looking for nocturnal wildlife.

DAY 16

Morning trek along forest trails with plenty of opportunities to see many varieties of bird life and if we are lucky the chance of a larger mammal. Afternoon travel by road to Ho Chi Minh City ( formally Saigon ) is a complete contrast to Hanoi the capital. It is a city with a vibrant atmosphere and fast changing skyline. Colourful markets, street cafes and shops selling just about everything you can imagine are open from early morning. This is a great town just to stroll around, taking in the atmosphere and visiting the many museums, markets and pagodas.

DAY 17

CU CHI TUNNELS & TAY NINH
Forty kilometres from Saigon, are the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels. We drive out of Saigon towards Cu Chi and the Cambodian border in the morning. At the tunnels we take a guided tour to see how the guerrillas fought and lived in the incredibly harsh and cramped conditions. After lunch we travel to Tay Ninh and the Cao Dai temple.
The Cao Dai is a religious sect founded in 1926 which embraces all religions - mixing Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism and even Taoism into its creed and featuring a priesthood and structure based on the Roman Catholic Church. Its most revered symbol is the "divine Eye", which may or may not have been borrowed from Middle Eastern Islam and is found on all Cao Dai temples in Tay Ninh province and the Mekong Delta. The eye is the focal point of the sect's spectacular Great Temple at Long Hoa, four kilometres from Tay Ninh City, where extravagantly costumed services are held four times a day, beginning at 6am.

DAY 18

Drive out of Ho Chi Minh City and towards Can Tho. A full day is spent touring the delta, exploring Coconut island, honey and snake farms and by boat around the canals. Over night in local hotel.

DAY 19:

Morning to visit Munisangsyaram
Pagoda then drive to Long Xuyen
stopping on route to visit the Bonsai
village. Return to Ho Chi Minh city and
transfer to the Hotel.

We will take a evening cruise on the Saigon River and take dinner.

DAY 20

The morning is available for alittle last minute shopping before departure. Change flights in Bangkok.

DAY 21

Arrive early morning at London, Heathrow airport.

DEPARTURE DATES AND PRICES

For currency conversions, click here: XE.com Personal Currency Assistant

We will arrange twin share accommodation for single travellers, the supplement is for those requesting for their own rooms.

The information in this dossier has been given in good faith and covers the average range of conditions to be found on the trip. Vietnam is a poor country where services are not up to international standards consequently unexpected changes sometimes occur.

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