The trip was wonderful
Hi Kim,
Yes , we have returned home safely and have been very busy catching up on things at home... sorry for the slow reply! The trip was wonderful. Thank you very much for all your input. Everything went to plan with our arrangements and the guides and drivers did a great job. They were always on time and were willing to change things if requested.
Vietnam was a fascinating country and the people very friendly.....although crossing the road in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh was quite an exercise in courage!! but we became quite experts in the end!! The food was also one of the many highlights and we enjoyed trying many new experiences.
Our favorite place was probably Hoi An where we were able to hire bicycles and do some exploring and shopping on our own. We even managed a cooking class.
The Bassac 3 cruise was very good...... the guide (Tarn) was delightful and made the excursions ashore very enjoyable. There were 2 guides on board ...one spoke english and one spoke french. So we had our own guide for the 6 of us which was excellent. The chef on board prepared wonderful meals and we especially enjoyed the freshly baked croissants for breakfast. It was a very relaxing trip. The boat had 14 guests aboard but could take 24.
Sapa.....the train Fanxipan Express.....was quite comfortable and we even managed to get some sleep.It was good to only have 2 people in the cabin. We really enjoyed visiting the mountain town of Sapa and the local villages even though the locals were at times a bit too insistent about buying their wares !
Bac Ha market was fabulous to attend even though the trip was long......seeing the locals in their tribal dresses and experiencing the marketplace was a highlight.
Haalong Bay......Pelican Cruise...... this boat was a lot bigger than the Bassac 3 .....rooms were comfortable and food good. The trip was also very long to get to the bay but well worth it.
It was a good time to visit Vietnam in the lead up to Tet New Year...we enjoyed seeing all the Peach Blossoms and cumquat trees being taken home on the motorbikes!
Hanoi.....the Diamond Elegance was in a great location and we joined in the early activites around the lake each morning and the staff very friendly and eager to please. The Gourmet Corner restaurant on the 12th Floor was fabulous!
Laos.... We also enjoyed our trip to Laos... Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng were our favourites....
Thank You once again for your help in organising our Vietnam and Laos holiday and we have already recommended you and Vivu travel to our family and friends.
We hope to visit Vietnam again
Helen
TOUR NAME: VIETNAM & LAOS TOUR ON JAN 2014
DESTINATIONS: Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi – Mekong Delta – Danang – Hoi An – Hue – Hanoi – Sapa – Halong Bay – Luang Prabang – Vang Vieng – Vientiane
GUEST’S NAME: MS HELEN OWEN
NUMBER OF PERSON: 06
ITINERARY
11th Jan Ho Chi Minh arrival
Meals: None
+ Guide
Vietnam tops list of the most attractive destinations and tours of Vietnam are diversified. Moreover, your travel in Vietnam organised by Vivutravel, will definitely be the best holiday ever. Arrive at Tan Son Nhat airport, welcome by our private Vietnam tour guide and driver and transfer to you hotel for check in. Ho Chi Minh, the most exciting city of Vietnam, a mecca of commerce, also a city with a chequered history and a rich culture, its pagodas, museums, public buildings, parks and boulevards make it one of the most delightful Vietnam Tours and cities to visit in Vietnam. Free time at leisure. Overnight in a Ho Chi Minh hotel.
Accommodation: Liberty Central / Deluxe
12th Jan Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi by Saigon River Express
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
+ Guide
08:00 Our tour guide & driver will pick you up at your hotel and transfer to the pier for taking private boat to Cu Chi tunnels.
Your English-speaking guide will introduce you to life along the banks of the Saigon River as your boat gracefully slips through knots of floating water hyacinths on this scenic one-hour boat trip. After a short documentary, your guide will lead you through the historic Cu Chi Tunnels, dug by resourceful guerrilla fighters to provide communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters during numerous conflicts. A traditional Vietnamese lunch or dinner of local specialties like lemongrass chicken and caramelized clay pot pork will be served after your visit to the tunnels.
Arrive back to your hotel at around 14:15. Tour length: 5 hours
Accommodation: Liberty Central / Deluxe
13th Jan Ho Chi Minh – Can Tho – Bassac Cruise
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
Pick up at your hotel in the morning and transfer to Can Tho.
- Boarding at Can Tho at Ninh Kieu pier. Welcome drink, introduction to the ship and crew, check into the cabins. Departure downstream of the Hau river. Lunch on board while en route.
- Tour near Tra On floating market.
- Turning into Nicolai canal, towards the Mang Thit and Co Chien rivers. Rest on the upper deck in a scenery of rice fields, sugar cane, woods on the near banks.
- By mid-afternoon, the Bassac casts anchor for a visit on shore: past the first tree line, quiet discovery of the peaceful life in the delta's countryside, of rice fields, fruit trees and the welcoming inhabitants.
- Boarding back, complimentary drink as a welcome back on board. Rest on the deck or around the bar enjoying the sunset.
- The crew will serve dinner while the Bassac is cruising Mang Thit river towards her anchorage point for the night.
- The Bassac sets anchor for the night on river Mang Thit.
Accommodation: Bassac Cruise I
14th Jan Cai Rang floating market - Flight to Danang – Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
- 06:30 Departure towards Cai Be. The passengers take their breakfast while enjoying the scenery on the banks.
- The Bassac crosses Co Chien river then branches into Cho Lach canal for 30 minutes through the traffic of sand and rice barges, in a scenery of fruit drying facilities and wooden ship building yards.
- Arrival in Cai Be, check-out and transfer on a local boat through the floating market for a visit of Cai Be's handicraft.
- End of services by mid-morning on shore at Cái Bè.
Please note you will leave the Bassac for good upon boarding the small boat for the last visit, typically about 8:30.
Then, transfer back to Saigon airport for your flight to Danang with Vietnam airlines (VN 1320 15:55 17:05).
Pick up upon your arrival at Danang airport and transfer to Hoi An - a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries with a relaxed lifestyle that has changed little over the years. Check in and free at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.
Accommodation: Vinh Hung Emerald Resort / Deluxe Pool View
15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Jan Hoi An free days
Meals: Breakfast
Hoi An Ancient Town - highlight of any tour to Vietnam that no Vietnam Tours maker would skip, is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a
South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.
Day free to cycle through rice paddies in the countryside of Hoi An ancient town, shop for souvenirs among the antique shops and art galleries, or just sit at sidewalk cafes and soak up the atmosphere of this quaint town. Or relax on the white sandy beach of the famous Danang Beach. Overnight in a Hoi An hotel.
Accommodation: Vinh Hung Emerald Resort / Deluxe Pool View
19th Jan Hoi An – Drive to Hue
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
After breakfast, leave Hoi An for Hue, the last imperial capital of Vietnam, well-known for magnific architecture, pagodas and royal tombs laid in small villages and surrounding hills and one of the most popular cities for all the Vietnam Tours. En route have a look at the famous Danang Beach and visit Cham Museum which contains the finest collection of Cham sculpture in the world. Upon arrival in Hue, check in and free at leisure. Overnight in a Hue hotel.
Accommodation: Imperial Hotel / Deluxe City View
20th Jan Hue city tour
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
Hue is one of places, which has many cultural heritages. Up to now, there is no place like Hue remaining a lot of originally historical vestiges as in this ancient Hue TourCapital City and favorite destination for all Vietnam Tours. After breakfast, our tour starts with the visit to Imperial Citadel before taking the beautiful boat trip on the romantic Perfume River and visit Hue's best-known religious site-Thien Mu Pagoda and the Mausoleum of former emperor Minh Mang in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. Return to the hotel. Free at leisure. Overnight in a Hue hotel.
Accommodation: Imperial Hotel / Deluxe City View
21st Jan Hue – Flight to Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
After breakfast, our Vietnam tour guide and driver in Hue will transfer you to the airport for the morning flight with Vietnam airlines to Hanoi (VN 1542 13:20 14:30). Upon arrival, our private Vietnam Tour guide and driver will welcome your Vietnam Holiday, pick up and transfer to the hotel for check in. Hanoi, a city where the exotic chic of old Asia blends with the dynamic face of new Asia. Where the medieval and modern co-exist. A city with a blend of Parisian grace and Asian pace, an architectural museum piece evolving in harmony with its history, rather than bulldozing through like many of the region’s capitals. Hanoi is where imagination becomes reality. Free at leisure. Overnight in a Hanoi hotel.
Accommodation: Not included
22nd Jan Hanoi city tour
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
Hanoi without a doubt is a beautiful stop for your Vietnam Travel. Today, we enjoy a full day city tour of this charming capital city including the mausoleum of the nation's founder Ho Chi Minh (close on Monday & Friday), the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh's house on stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the impressive Ethnologic Museum (or Museum of Fine Arts, Army Museum, History Museum, Woman Museum, Hoa Lo Prison), the beautiful West Lake, the Tran Vu Pagoda, the peaceful lake of the Restored Sword.
Accommodation: Elegance Diamond / Deluxe
23rd Jan Hanoi free day
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
Free days at leisure to discover the city by yourselves.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Accommodation: Elegance Diamond / Deluxe
24th Jan Cyclo & Water Puppet - Night train to Sapa
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
The late check-out is included and you can relax before the late afternoon we take a cyclo tour for a short excursion through the bustling old quarter streets named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. Enjoy a glass of "Bia Hoi - draught beer - included" at Ta Hien Street before we enjoy a fantastic traditional water puppet show. This evening, we will transfer you to the train station to experience a Vietnam train ride to Lao Cai.
Accommodation: Fanxipan / Private superior cabins
25th Jan Sapa – Lao Chai & Ta Van hill tribe villages – Sapa
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
Arrive in the early morning in the border town of Lao Cai where it's a short transfer to Sapa (Vietnam's recommended tour). In the terraced hills and mountains of this area, the monotony of the expansive green landscape is enlivened by the colours of its hill tribe population. It is here you will find hands stained with colour from fabric dyes and shades of blue, red and green intricately embroidered and stitched into jackets, waistcoats, pants, skirts, caps, purses and leggings.
Sapa - The Queen of the Mountains, overlooking a beautiful valley, lofty mountains towering over the town on all sides, Sapa Tour is gateway to another world of mysterious minority cultures and luscious landscapes and great choice for Vietnam Tours maker to arrange Vietnam Culture Tours, Vietnam Trekking Tours, Vietnam Homestay Tours... After breakfast, we will do one of the most beautiful Sapa Tours by driving to visit Lao Chai and Ta Van village of the Black H'mong and the Day people where you can enjoy fresh air, amazing scenery of the imposing mountain range, trek down world's most beautiful terraced rice fields, visit some local family on the way and learn unique culture and life of these ethnic groups. Back to Sapa by private car, free at leisure for the rest of the day. Overnight in a Sapa hotel.
Accommodation: Sapa View Hotel / Superior
26th Jan Bac Ha ethnic market - Night train back to Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
The markets in the Northern Vietnam are always the colorful meeting places for the hill tribes, spotlight for any Sapa Tours and of course, your unique Vietnam Tours experience. Minority people come down from the mountains to sell their products, or just for catching up on the latest news, gossip, drinking away troubles or seeking for lover. In the morning, drive to visit one of the areas weekly markets – Bac Ha ethnic market only opens on Sundays.
In the late afternoon, your Sapa tour guide and driver transfer you back to Lao Cai to catch the night train back to Hanoi. We hope that you have enjoyed your Sapa Tours with us. We say goodbye with sincere thanks and looking forward to welcoming you again for your coming Vietnam Tours and Sap Tours.
Overnight on the train.
Accommodation: Fanxipan / Private superior cabins
NOTE: From 27th Dec to 03rd Feb, the tour is prepared for 4 persons only. All services for Mr & Mrs Wilson are finished in the morning of 27th Dec.
27th Jan Hanoi - Halong bay - Overnight on board
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
+ Guide
Pick up from the train station, this morning, we have already arranged a room in a mini hotel for you to have shower and breakfast. We start at 8.00 A.M for the 3 hour drive (170 km) through the Red River Delta, which offers plenty of chances for taking photos of Vietnamese farmers tilling the vast green paddy fields. At half way, we'll have a visit to a handicraft workshop with fine clothes, embroidered paintings, stone statuettes and all kinds of gems mined in Vietnam such as star rubies or sapphires... Our destination is the World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay. The bay offers some 3000 mountain islands and islets towering in the Gulf of Tonkin in the East Vietnam Sea.
Upon arrival, you'll be welcomed on board our luxury junk and treated with wine and fresh local seafood. As our junk gliding further into the tranquility of Ha Long Bay amid the towering mountain cliffs and on the emerald green water, you'll have relaxing time combining the fine tastes of the wine and the freshness of Ha Long Bay. During the cruise, we'll stop some times for visiting the amazing Sung Sot cave and the Ti Top white sand beach before anchoring for the night. Overnight on board the junk in the wild of Halong Bay.
Accommodation: Pelican Cruise / Deluxe
28th Jan Halong bay - Hanoi - Flight to Luang Prabang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
+ Guide
It is said that your Vietnam Tours will not be complete without a tour to Halong Bay and spending one night on romantic Halong Cruise. People describe Halong Bay as majestic and mysterious, inspiring and imperious and words alone cannot do justice to the natural wonder that is Halong Bay, a priceless collection of unfinished sculptures hewn from the hand of nature.
After breakfast, we'll take a little sampan to visit a secret lagoon of Ha Long Bay while the surrounding mountains are just waking up. After that our cruise takes us further into the Bay of Bai Tu Long traveling past the Human Head Island, the Turtle Island, and the Duck Islet... to the studio site where the famous Indochine film was shot. Around noon, our junk travels back to the harbor, pick up and drive back to Hanoi airport for flight to Luang Prabang (VN 2905 18:50 19:50).
Luang Prabang, the first stop for your Indochina tours is Unesco Heritage listed city. Upon your arrival, pick up and transfer to your
Accommodation: Sada Hotel / Deluxe
29th Jan Luang Prabang free day
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
Free at leisure to discover the city by yourselves.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Accommodation: Sada Hotel / Deluxe
30th Jan Luang Prabang - PaK Ou Cave - Khuang Si Waterfall - Luang Prabang
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession
AM: After breakfast, we then board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a panaromic view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at the small village of Ban Xanghai, where the local rice wine is distilled. We return to Luang Prabang in the afternoon.
PM: We continue our excursion toward Khouangsi Waterfall, en route, we visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, Hmong Village, Ban Ou, Laoloum Village and Ban Thapene, Khmu Village, then drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can splash around in the turquoise pools or walk along the forest trails. The Khouangsi Waterfall setting really illustrates paradise. We return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Accommodation: Sada Hotel / Deluxe
31st Jan Luang Prabang - Vang Vieng
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
Today, we travel by roads to Vang Vieng. Our intrepid journey will be strenuous as we drive along one of the most scenic but also one of the roughest routes in Asia. In the afternoon we arrive in Vang Vieng, a small and tranquil town, which is nestled on a bend of the Nam Song River. Its stunning scenery with a mixture of quiet water and limestone outcrops remains unspoiled, despite recent developments with the advent of tourism. We will embark on a boat for a well-paced trip along the Nam Song River, exploring the breathtaking mountain landscape. Overnight in Vang Vieng.
Accommodation: Riverside Boutique & Resort / Deluxe
01st Feb Vang Vieng - Vientiane
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
After your breakfast, we have a short visit Tham Chang Cave and then drive to Vientiane; we make our way to Nam Ngum Lake, a huge reservoir created by damming the Nam Ngum River. On arrival at the lake we have lunch at local rest on the river bank, after that we embark on a long tail boat visiting fisherman villages in varied islets. We visit some beautiful islets and take a short walk to explore the lifestyle of the local fish men. On return, we stopping over at Ban Keun, which is famous for its salt extraction plant and we arrived in Vientiane late afternoon, overnight in Vientiane
Accommodation: Lao Orchid Hotel / Deluxe
02nd Feb Vientiane free day
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
Free at leisure to discover the city by yourselves.
Overnight in Vientiane.
Accommodation: Lao Orchid Hotel / Deluxe
03rd Feb Vientiane departure
Meals: Breakfast
+ Guide
Free at leisure until we pick you up and transfer to the airport for your international flight back home.
END OF SERVICES!
SERVICES INCLUSIVE:
- 3 Economy flight tickets: Ho Chi Minh – Danang, Hue – Hanoi, Hanoi – Luang Prabang
- Private transportation as program
- All entrance fees & boat trips to indicated sights
- English speaking guides (Except for free days)
- Meals as mentioned
- Visa on arrival to Vietnam (Except for $45 usd per person as stamping fee at the airport)
SERVICES EXCLUSIVE:
- Tips
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
- Insurance
