Vietnam with Panache
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Highlights:
- Combine adventure with savoir faire as you take a stylish private journey from Hanoi to Saigon discovering all the gems in between.
- Admire the impressive limestone karsts of Ninh Binh and Halong Bay and then cruise through the Mekong Delta.
- Venture through Saigon’s maze of laneways and dine at Hanoi’s best street stalls with an insightful local guide. Meet friendly locals and discover incredible handicrafts and art. Add luxury hotels into the mix for a Vietnam experience like few others.
SKU:
Explore: Vietnam
Customizable Itinerary - 11 Days (from $4,582 / person)
Day 1: Depart USA
Board your aircraft for the flight to Southeast Asia and the capital of Vietnam
Day 2: Arrival in Hanoi
Upon arrival at Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport you are met by your guide and transferred by private car to your hotel which is the Grande Dame of hotels dating to the time when Vietnam was part of French Indochina
Day 3: An Insider’s Overview of Hanoi
After breakfast you meet your guide for an interesting look at Hanoi both past and present. Drive past Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh, in 1945, proclaimed independence from France. You will next visit the Thang Long Imperial Citadel built in the 11th century. Move to more contemporary sites as you stroll through sewing shops that have been in family hands for multiple generations. Proceed to the 1,000 year old Temple of Literature and discover its role as both a university and a temple. Take a break for lunch, perhaps some selected street food and then head to the Vietnam Women’s Museum followed by a walk through Hanoi’s Old Quarter
Breakfast
Day 4: Ninh Binh province and the village of Tho Ha
Depart this morning for a drive through rural northern Vietnam to Ninh Binh province with its dramatic scenery and historic temples. The rice fields are attractive especially against the backdrop of limestone karsts. You arrive in Tho Ha village where you begin a leisurely biking trip around the area passing by peaceful villages. Continue to Dong Tem hamlet where you get a chance to engage in some farming activities including catching crabs, fishing, transplanting rice and watering vegetables. Enjoy lunch before boarding a sampan for a ride through the paddy fields to the Galaxy caves which you will explore before finishing your day at your resort
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 5: Cruising Lan Ha Bay
Today you drive through the rich farmlands observing everyday life of Vietnamese villagers as they work the rice fields, take pigs to the market on bicycles and plough the fields with their water buffaloes. In the late morning you arrive in Hai Phong City and board a traditional wooden junk for an overnight journey into Lan Ha Bay. Lunch is served on board. Towards the end of the day you anchor for the night. As the sun sets, dinner is served on board
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Hai Phong to Hoi An
As you cruise back to Hanoi your boat weaves through strange-shaped limestone rock formations and you enjoy lunch. Arriving in Hanoi you are transferred to the airport for the short flight to Danang where you are met and taken to your elegant resort on the ocean. Time for a swim before choosing one of the restaurants for dinner
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 7: Hoi An’s International Past
You start the day with a walking trip around Hoi An’s narrow streets and admire the attractions including the Japanese covered bridge and Quang Dong Communal hall. You will then meet a representative from the Conservation Center who will describe the work being undertaken to restore the old trading center of the historic partners including Japan, China, Portugal and France. Have lunch at a local restaurant and then attend a tuong performance where actors wear various masks to convey different emotions. Meet the actors’ backstage and then visit a shop where the tuong masks are created. Under the master’s guidance you will create your own mask.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8 Driving the “Pass of Ocean Clouds” to Hue
Today you head south to Hue the former imperial capital of Vietnam. You will stop in Danang to visit the Cham Museum. The Cham originated in India and ruled portions of Vietnam. You then climb over the Pass of Ocean Clouds so called because of the mist that forms at the peak. This actually marks the split between the colder North and the warmer South. Arrive in Hue for some free time. In the late afternoon you will be picked up at your hotel and will be riding on the back of a vintage Vespa motor scooter For an extended food tour ranging from local bars to food stands set up on the Imperial Citadel ramparts. Finish up with a local dessert before returning to your hotel
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 9: Hue to Saigon
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport in Hue for the short flight to Saigon. You will be met by your guide who will take you to the car. Your driver will hold your luggage while you tour some of the highlights of Old Saigon including the Central Post Office (based on a design by Gustave Eiffel) and the former La Rue Catinat. Stroll through the old central market and enjoy a coffee before passing the Banque de l’indochine (Indochina Bank) on your way to your more modern hotel
Breakfast
Day 10: The Mekong Delta
In the morning, your driver will be waiting to take you to Cai be on the banks of the Mekong. Here you will board a private boat designed as a traditional sampan. Its small size allows you to discover the smaller canals, rivers and tributaries of the region. Large enough, however, to have a crew of four dedicated to your service. You will cruise the floating markets of Cai be and visit Sadec the Mekong town made famous by Marguerite Duras’ semi-autobiographical novel ‘The Lover’ (if you are contemplating this program or something similar we highly recommend either the book or the movie). In the evening enjoy an unforgettable dinner in a 19th Century house and the sights and sounds of this fascinating region. You will also visit the home of Mr. Huyen Thuy Le, a character from the novel. Transfer to Can Tho where your boat is anchored for the evening
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Cai Rang Floating Market and Depart
After breakfast on board you cruise through canals past rice barges, wooden ship building yards and fruit drying along the Mekong’s banks before arriving at Cai Rang Floating Market which you explore. You are ten returned to Saigon where a car is waiting to take you to the airport for the return flight to the USA
Breakfast
Board your aircraft for the flight to Southeast Asia and the capital of Vietnam
Day 2: Arrival in Hanoi
Upon arrival at Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport you are met by your guide and transferred by private car to your hotel which is the Grande Dame of hotels dating to the time when Vietnam was part of French Indochina
Day 3: An Insider’s Overview of Hanoi
After breakfast you meet your guide for an interesting look at Hanoi both past and present. Drive past Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh, in 1945, proclaimed independence from France. You will next visit the Thang Long Imperial Citadel built in the 11th century. Move to more contemporary sites as you stroll through sewing shops that have been in family hands for multiple generations. Proceed to the 1,000 year old Temple of Literature and discover its role as both a university and a temple. Take a break for lunch, perhaps some selected street food and then head to the Vietnam Women’s Museum followed by a walk through Hanoi’s Old Quarter
Breakfast
Day 4: Ninh Binh province and the village of Tho Ha
Depart this morning for a drive through rural northern Vietnam to Ninh Binh province with its dramatic scenery and historic temples. The rice fields are attractive especially against the backdrop of limestone karsts. You arrive in Tho Ha village where you begin a leisurely biking trip around the area passing by peaceful villages. Continue to Dong Tem hamlet where you get a chance to engage in some farming activities including catching crabs, fishing, transplanting rice and watering vegetables. Enjoy lunch before boarding a sampan for a ride through the paddy fields to the Galaxy caves which you will explore before finishing your day at your resort
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 5: Cruising Lan Ha Bay
Today you drive through the rich farmlands observing everyday life of Vietnamese villagers as they work the rice fields, take pigs to the market on bicycles and plough the fields with their water buffaloes. In the late morning you arrive in Hai Phong City and board a traditional wooden junk for an overnight journey into Lan Ha Bay. Lunch is served on board. Towards the end of the day you anchor for the night. As the sun sets, dinner is served on board
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Hai Phong to Hoi An
As you cruise back to Hanoi your boat weaves through strange-shaped limestone rock formations and you enjoy lunch. Arriving in Hanoi you are transferred to the airport for the short flight to Danang where you are met and taken to your elegant resort on the ocean. Time for a swim before choosing one of the restaurants for dinner
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 7: Hoi An’s International Past
You start the day with a walking trip around Hoi An’s narrow streets and admire the attractions including the Japanese covered bridge and Quang Dong Communal hall. You will then meet a representative from the Conservation Center who will describe the work being undertaken to restore the old trading center of the historic partners including Japan, China, Portugal and France. Have lunch at a local restaurant and then attend a tuong performance where actors wear various masks to convey different emotions. Meet the actors’ backstage and then visit a shop where the tuong masks are created. Under the master’s guidance you will create your own mask.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8 Driving the “Pass of Ocean Clouds” to Hue
Today you head south to Hue the former imperial capital of Vietnam. You will stop in Danang to visit the Cham Museum. The Cham originated in India and ruled portions of Vietnam. You then climb over the Pass of Ocean Clouds so called because of the mist that forms at the peak. This actually marks the split between the colder North and the warmer South. Arrive in Hue for some free time. In the late afternoon you will be picked up at your hotel and will be riding on the back of a vintage Vespa motor scooter For an extended food tour ranging from local bars to food stands set up on the Imperial Citadel ramparts. Finish up with a local dessert before returning to your hotel
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 9: Hue to Saigon
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport in Hue for the short flight to Saigon. You will be met by your guide who will take you to the car. Your driver will hold your luggage while you tour some of the highlights of Old Saigon including the Central Post Office (based on a design by Gustave Eiffel) and the former La Rue Catinat. Stroll through the old central market and enjoy a coffee before passing the Banque de l’indochine (Indochina Bank) on your way to your more modern hotel
Breakfast
Day 10: The Mekong Delta
In the morning, your driver will be waiting to take you to Cai be on the banks of the Mekong. Here you will board a private boat designed as a traditional sampan. Its small size allows you to discover the smaller canals, rivers and tributaries of the region. Large enough, however, to have a crew of four dedicated to your service. You will cruise the floating markets of Cai be and visit Sadec the Mekong town made famous by Marguerite Duras’ semi-autobiographical novel ‘The Lover’ (if you are contemplating this program or something similar we highly recommend either the book or the movie). In the evening enjoy an unforgettable dinner in a 19th Century house and the sights and sounds of this fascinating region. You will also visit the home of Mr. Huyen Thuy Le, a character from the novel. Transfer to Can Tho where your boat is anchored for the evening
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Cai Rang Floating Market and Depart
After breakfast on board you cruise through canals past rice barges, wooden ship building yards and fruit drying along the Mekong’s banks before arriving at Cai Rang Floating Market which you explore. You are ten returned to Saigon where a car is waiting to take you to the airport for the return flight to the USA
Breakfast
