Romantic Vietnamese Break

Your guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. From here enjoy an evening meal and spend the rest of your evening wandering through the atmospheric evenings of Hanoi or relax in your hotel anticipated for tomorrow.

On your second day in Hanoi be prepared to understand the intricacies of Vietnamese cuisine through a series of flavour filled activities. Start this half-day culinary journey at a local market, browsing through the colourful and fresh produce on offer. Learn more about the way locals prepare food and explore the different ingredients that make this cuisine so unique.

Next, take a short walk arriving at a traditional Vietnamese house, the home of a local family who will lead an intimate cooking class. Enjoy a warm welcome and get to know the hosts over a cup of local tea before putting on an apron and getting ready to chop, stir and cook. Under the guidance of the friendly family, learn how to make a tasty bowl of beef noodles, before savouring this delicious creation alongside the family.

In the afternoon, begin with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and learn about the man who led Vietnam’s campaign for independence from French colonial rule. After dedicating his life to the liberation of his country from foreign rule, Ho Chi Minh died in 1969 and his body was preserved for posterity. Wander the grounds of the mausoleum to view the one pillar pagoda and presidential palace, before visiting the 11th century relic, known as the Temple of Literature, which was built in homage to the Chinese scholar Confucius.  Bring the tour to a conclusion with an environmentally friendly electric car ride around the West lake, one of the biggest and most beautiful lakes in all of Hanoi.

Spend the rest of the evening at your own leisure.

Highlights

• Take a more intimate look at local life while socialising in Hanoi’s food market
• Meet a Hanoian family and learn the secret recipe to cook authentic Vietnamese dishes
• Challenge your cooking skills before tasting a delicious homemade meal
• Visit must see highlights of Hanoi, including the Ho Chi Minh complex and Temple of Literature
• Explore another scenic side of Hanoi in an environmentally friendly electric car

From central Hanoi, depart the city bound for Mai Chau, a scenic town approximately a five-hour drive away. The route passes some of northern Vietnam’s most picturesque scenery, with mountain roads carving through lush foliage and overlooking stunning panoramas. Arriving at Pung Village in Mai Chau meet your host, who will greet you with a complimentary lunch prepared by a local chef.

From Pung Village, follow a route pass through the Dan Tien, Phay and Bao villages, experiencing a more personal connection with these local communities throughout the region. On your journey witness community projects, including a local school and newly-paved roads that your sustainable tourism directly contributes towards.

Once back at Pung Village, follow the lead of one of the villagers who will teach you how to weave baskets. Express gratitude and farewell to your hosts before heading back to your hotel in Mai Chau.

Highlights

• Explore picturesque Mai Chau and connecting communities
• Interact and learn about the local culture throughout this region
• Travel responsibly as part of this tour fee supports the local communities around Mai Chau

Enjoy breakfast at the Mai Chau Ecolodge as you prepare for the morning Valley biking tour. Ride through many villages, across lush rice paddies and into the countryside, enriching your knowledge in the culture of the local hill tribe people. During this is a unique experience, explore the homes of the tribe as you witness their traditional farming methods from a more intimate perspective. Return to Hanoi by the late afternoon.

Additionally please ensure you have sturdy and comfortable walking shoes as mountain trails can become slippery in wet weather

Highlights

• Bike rides in the lush green Mai Chau valley
• Explore country life as you meet and talk with the locals

In the morning, transfer from your hotel in Hanoi to Ha Long City, approximately a three-hour journey with a refreshment break en-route. On arrival in Ha Long, explore the far-most corners of the UNESCO heritage bay on an overnight cruise. Delight in a lunch onboard as you cruise out into the bay, stopping to anchor for an afternoon of activities. End the day on deck, watching the sunset over the bay before experiencing a freshly prepared dinner. Relax before you retire to your cabin for the night.

Note: Itinerary subject to change or cancellation due to weather conditions.

Highlights

• Sail through UNESCO Heritage Ha Long Bay’s limestone karst and island caves
• Spend the night checking out the stars on an overnight cruise
• Visit the beautiful Sung Sot cave meaning Surprise Cave on the bay

Spend your last morning soaking up the scenery of the emerald watered Ha Long Bay, before being transferred to the airport for flight to Hoi An. Head to your hotel preparing for a full day of experiences in Hoi An.

After morning breakfast, transfer from your hotel to meet an aromatherapy expert and begin the journey towards exploring and healing the inner self.

As a chemist and qualified aromatherapist, the expert will share with you the story of aromatherapy, essential oils and the method attributed to these alternate forms of medicine. Explore how each smell and essential oil has a different use and effect on the mind and body. Immerse in the peaceful atmosphere of this cozy and lovely workshop, creating a personal mix of oils just for you.

The remainder of your day is to be filled at your own leisure.

Highlights

• Explore the world of aromatherapy and learn how to use it as method to benefit your body

The following day hop onto a bicycle for a picturesque half day tour of the countryside surrounding Hoi An. Pass rows of serene rice paddy fields en route to Cam Thanh village where you’ll experience a taste of local life. Once utilised as a shelter for soldiers during the war, the village is now famous for its thatched roof cottages, woven from the water coconut leaves of the region.

Spend some time with a local family and learn about the villagers’ culture. Board a bamboo basket boat, as fishing experts teach you how to catch native sea life. Take a well-earned rest, savouring the refreshing flavour of fresh coconut water before cycling on to Ha Linh lantern workshop. Learn how to make these delicate creations in a hands-on master class with an opportunity to take home one as a memento of your travels through the Hoi An region. Embrace the charming scenery as you cycle back to Hoi An.

Free to spend the afternoon at your own leisure, be ready to delight in a romantic evening dinner in a small bamboo house, constructed on the rice field next to the Co Co River bank. Presenting you a private and romantic atmosphere while you reflect on the experiences you have gained during your travels. You have the choice of fresh sea food caught daily from the surrounding river complimented with fresh vegetables collected from the organic garden nearby.

Highlights

• Get into the countryside surrounding Hoi An by bike
• Explore the local village life and experience a bamboo basket boat trip
• Try your hand at crab-fishing and lantern making
• Enjoy a romantic dinner on a special venue

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, you are picked up and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is at your own leisure.

After breakfast, get off of the tourist track to experience the local life of the bustling Ho Chi Minh City. Learn about Vietnamese and Chinese communities as you travel to Cho Lon, one of the world’s largest and oldest Chinatowns. Start with a visit to the iconic Binh Tay Market, famed for its warren of food stands and grand Sino-French architecture. Learn about the everyday life of the fruit and vegetable sellers before stopping for a glass of traditional Café Sua Da, a Vietnamese iced coffee, as well as trying some of Vietnam’s exotic fruits. Afterwards, hop on a cyclo and pass through the excitingly chaotic market backstreets where everything from spare motorbike parts to religious artifacts are frantically traded! Stop at the historic Cha Tam church, where President Diem was seized during the 1963 coup and hear about the city’s turbulent past. Wander through the oldest streets of Cho Lon, as you visit a traditional Chinese medicine shop and see how herbal tea is prepared. Then arrive at the Minh Huong communal house, home to one of Cho Lon’s oldest Chinese communities. Hear the stories of the families that moved from China over three centuries ago and learn how Vietnamese and Chinese culture has blended throughout the years. End your exploration in District One with a three-course lunch in a stylish Vietnamese restaurant.

Explore the streets of Saigon or head back to your hotel as the rest of you evening is free time

Special note – Minh Huong Communal House is open from 8am to 12pm. Black out date – Lunar New Year period The rest of day is your free time at leisure

Highlights

• Get far off of the tourist track with a unique walking excursion by foot through Cho Lon District (Chinatown)
• Explore the vivid and distinct charm of this little-explored corner of the city
• Cyclo through the district
• Visit local communities as you learn the mixture of cultures in this area

Optional Tours

Cu Chi Tunnels Private Tour

Begin your journey to the Cu Chi Tunnels by departing at around 8am from your hotel and travel through the countryside which was once a stronghold of the Viet Cong. Upon arrival, watch a short video about what life was like for soldiers who lived there during the war. The cramped tunnels were central to a few of the war’s strategic operations, including the famous 1968 Tet Offensive. These tunnels didn’t escape the collateral damages of war, as American B52 bombers dropped hundreds of missiles leaving huge tell-tale craters behind. The tunnels served not only as living quarters, but as supply routes and hospitals for thousands of guerilla fighters.

Many died here from malaria and other diseases, as well as a few records of births and marriages in the tunnel. Today they are viewed by some as a testimony to the Vietnamese people’s resiliency. The tour will return to Ho Chi Minh City around 1:00pm.

Highlights

• Learn about the Cu Chi tunnel system and a part of Vietnam’s history in war time
• Enjoy the peaceful scenery surrounding Ho Chi Minh city
• Estimated pick-up time: 8.00AM or 01.30PM – Estimated duration: five hours

Departing your hotel around 8:00am, drive for two hours from Saigon to the township of Cai Be where you will board the Cai Be Princess. Crew welcome you aboard with cold towels and a refreshing drink, as the Cai Be Princess Sampan sets off for its leisurely cruise on the busy waterways of the Mekong Delta.

All sorts of boats float upon the river, from small fishing boats to cargo barges loaded with fruit and vegetables. Observe a glimpse of river life as it plays out on the banks, noting the stunning landscapes, while your attentive crew serves you tea and seasonal fruit. At Tan Phong Islet board a little rowing boat to explore the canal’s hidden mangroves from a closer perspective. Return to the sampan boat to visit an ancient house built in the 19th century. Stopping along the way provides sights of regional cottage industries, including factories for the production of coconut candy and puffed rice, Vietnam’s equivalent of popcorn. These products provide a living for the communities seen along the river.

Your cruise concludes at Le Longanier Restaurant, as lunch is served in this exquisite colonial-style villa. Set among lush tropical gardens by the river, the villa is surrounded by fruit trees, giving you a sense of life during the Indochina period. After lunch, take a short wander along a small canal, towards the Ba Bon Bridge where your personal vehicle awaits to drive you to your destination of Can Tho.

Highlights

• Explore the canal’s hidden mangroves and the busy waterways of the Mekong Delta
• Take a glimpse of local life and local production of coconut candy and puffed rice
• Enjoy tasty meal in the exquisite colonial-style restaurant

In the early morning, aboard a boat visiting the Cai Rang floating market and fruit garden in Can Tho. After witnessing this slice of local culture, transfer back to the hotel for breakfast and some free time until you are eventually transferred back to Saigon for the evening.

Highlights

• Explore the unique floating market Cai Rang
• Encounter the village and enjoy fresh tropical fruits

On this day, you will be driven from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne. Although the trip will take an approximate five hours, the beaches along Mui Ne are worth any wait. After checking into your hotel, you only have to relax and bathe in the crystal waters and white washed sandy beaches for the next few days. Ending your experiences of Vietnam in paradise

Highlights

• Enjoy the beach break in a beautiful beach Mui Ne
• Free to do at your own leisure

On your final day transfer to the airport to fly to Saigon where you will connect with your onward flight home.