28/09/2022
Return to Vietnam 2023 - February 25th to March 14th
Day 0: Feb 25 Arrive Saigon airport:
Pick up and transfer to the hotel if you arrive about the same time as the major group. If you arrive at other times, transfer to the hotel is on your own. Cost is about $20 for a taxi. If you must do this, I’ll give you detailed instructions and a hotel business card to show the taxi driver. Overnight at Paragon Saigon Hotel (https://www.agoda.com/paragon-saigon-hotel/hotel/ho-chi-minh-city-vn.html?cid=1844104).
Day 1: Feb 26 (B, D): Today is on your own:
I will guide those awake and adventuresome to the nearby local market. It’s a good time to buy a wide-brimmed hat for the tour. Welcome cocktails at the hotel followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant. O/n at the same hotel.
Day 2: Feb 27 (B): Saigon city tour:
After breakfast, we explore Chinatown with its Thiên Hậu Pagoda, the Old Quarter, the Chinese “herbs street,” the enormous Binh Tay market and the Giác Lâm Pagoda. Afternoon visit to the old Presidential Palace, the Jade Emperor pagoda, the Bến Thành Market, the Notre Dame church, and the classic French-built Post Office. Dinner is on our own at any one of the excellent local restaurants. O/n at the same hotel.
Day 3: Feb 28 (B, L): Mekong Delta tours: 8:00 am departure from the hotel. You will begin your discovery of southern Vietnam an hour and a half south of Saigon at the Vinh Trang Buddhist temple and meet with a local family at their home in Mỹ Tho to see how rice noodles are made. Continue to Bến Tre to the Hung Vương pier. We will board our boat on the Bến Tre River, one of the major tributaries of the Mekong. We will see lively river traffic and commerce. Along the way we will visit a traditional brickwork factory and a coconut processing workshop. Leaving our boat, on one of the smaller canals, we will sample coconut candy and view local handicrafts. From there, we board motor carts (xe loi) for a short ride through the local communities of the Mekong Delta, followed by a short walk to lunch. After lunch, we board dugout canoes for the trip back to our tour boat. From there, we cruise back to Ben Tre and our bus. We arrive back to the hotel in Saigon late in the afternoon. Dinner on your own. O/n at the same hotel.
Day 4: March 01 (B, L): Tây Ninh – Black Virgin Mountain:
9:30 am departure from hotel and drive to Tây Ninh. Enjoy a scenic drive through the countryside with its thatched hut villages and the people working on their rice paddies along the way. Visit a local village where rice paper is made for use in spring rolls. We drive through the Iron Triangle as we continue to Tây Ninh where we’ll view the colorful noon ceremony at the Cao Dai temple. Lunch at a local restaurant in Tây Ninh and then on to the Núi Bà Đen (the “Black Virgin Mountain”) – a part of Núi Bà cultural complex. The cable car will take us up the mountain to the temple. Have your camara ready for the views from the mountain top! Back to Saigon in the late afternoon. Dinner on your own. O/n at the same hotel.
Day 5: March 02 (B): Saigon – Dalat:
7:30 am departure from the hotel and drive northwest towards the southern Central Highlands of Vietnam. On the way, visit the La Ngà floating village on the Đồng Nai River and a nearby rubber plantation. In Bảo Lộc, visit the silkworm farm where local farmers grow mulberry bushes to cultivate high quality silkworms for Vietnamese silk. Continue to visit a plantation to see where the sweetest jasmine tea of Vietnam is produced. Continue to Dalat by highway 20 (which is better than the old road and will avoid the traffic jams. Arrive in Dalat in the late afternoon. This highland city is almost a mile above sea level with a cool climate all year round. It was established in early 1890s by the French as a hill station resort. Check into hotel & then dinner on your own. Overnight at Ngoc Lan Hotel (https://ngoclan.ttchotels.com/en/).
Day 6: March 03 (B): Dalat:
9:00 am departure from the hotel. We will visit the Flower Park (Dalat is known as the “City of a Thousand Flowers”). We will take a cable car to visit the 60-acre Trúc Lâm monastery on Phoenix Hill. From there, you can see the panoramic view of Tuyen Lam lake and Elephant Mountain in the far distance. We will then take a jeep ride to Lang Biang Mountain (elevation 7100 feet above sea level) with a beautiful view of Dalat and the surrounding countryside. In the afternoon, we will visit Dalat’s railway station and take a short train ride to Trai Mat and a visit to the Linh Phuoc Pagoda. It is a unique structure which is delicately inlaid with thousands of pieces of broken bottles and terracotta. Then visit the hand embroidery workshops of the “XQ garden,” the avant-garde “Crazy House” guest house, Emperor Bao Dai’s Summer Palace, and a visit to the Dalat market. Then return to your hotel and dinner on your own. O/n at the same hotel.
Day 7: March 04 (B): Dalat – Buôn Mê Thuột:
8:00 am departure from the hotel. Drive to Buôn Mê Thuột (the “capital of coffee”). Visit the Dray Sap waterfall, the Tur village and enjoy the “gong performance” at the Ede people’s village. Arrive in Buon Me Thuot and visit the H’Mong people’s Buôn Đôn village and Lak Lake. On the lakeshore is June Village, where people live in thatched-roof houses on stilts. Then, check in to the hotel and dinner on your own. Overnight at Elephants Hotel, (https://www.elephantshotel.com/en).
Day 8: Mar 05 (B): Day trips Buôn Mê Thuột:
Day trips in and around Buôn Mê Thuột for sightseeing. We can talk about what to see there but the elephant sanctuary is quite interesting. A must-visit attraction is the Yok Đôn National Park which is the largest nature reserve in Vietnam. Here visitors can find rare animals and birds, as well as other endangered species. Ethnic tribes such as the Ede and M'nong live here as well, and they are known for domesticating wild elephants. O/n at the same hotel.
Day 9: Mar 06 (B, L): Buôn Mê Thuột – Kon Tum:
7:00 am departure from the hotel. Drive to Kon Tum. Enroute, we will make a brief visit at the entrance to old Camp Enari and see infamous Dragon Mountain. After a brief stop for lunch, continue to the northern part of Kon Tum province via Đắk Tô to view the old runway, then on to the site of the Ben Het Special Forces Camp. We then travel along the Ho Chi Minh Highway (the former Ho Chi Minh Trail) towards Dak Seang, located 40 miles north of Kon Tum and 6 miles from the Laotian border. Dak Seang was established in 1964 by the 5th Special Forces Group. Back to Kon Tum in the late afternoon and check in to the hotel. Overnight at Indochine Hotel (http://indochinehotel.vn/).
Day 10: Mar 07 (B, L): Kon Tum – Pleiku:
After breakfast, visit the Kon Tum wooden church and its orphanage. The church is uniquely designed based on hill tribe architecture and known as a masterpiece of the region. Nearby is the Dak Bla suspension bridge and Konktu, a typical Bana village with their unique and well-preserved culture and lifestyle. We will visit the Konktu tall house, which represents the spirit of the village and used as a communal house by the villagers. Return to the hotel for check-out, and after lunch, depart for Pleiku. Along the way, we will visit the Jarai village, named Plei Phun. There you can have a stroll around the village to learn about their daily activities. Especially interesting are the wooden statues in the graveyard as well as the village water spring. Arrive in Pleiku this afternoon, check in to the hotel, followed by free time (some may be interested in taking a taxi on their own to see the former Camp Holloway airstrip). Overnight at Hoang Anh Gia Lai hotel (https://www.agoda.com/hagl-hotel-gia-lai/hotel/pleiku-gia-lai-vn.html?cid=1844104).
Day 11: Mar 08 (B, L, D): Pleiku:
After breakfast, drive southwest to the Ia Drang Valley and visit former LZ Oasis and Plei Me Special Forces Camp. Back to Pleiku for lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we will drive round the city of Pleiku, visit the market and the orphanage. Later, we will visit another Bahnar village where you will enjoy a folk musical performance by the girls’ dancing group and sample the local “can wine.” (Note: the show should be at real local village.) O/n at the same hotel.
Day 12: Mar 09 (B): Pleiku - Quy Nhơn:
8:00 am departure from the hotel. Drive to Quy Nhon via Highway 19. Stop at Mang Yang pass and on to An Khe pass. Visit former bases at Camp Radcliff (1st Cavalry Division), 1st Bn 7th Cavalry "Garry Owen” Base Camp, the Barrier Line, and the 1st Bn 9th Cavalry area, having lunch on the way. Stop at the memorial site of the Dak Po ambush near the Mang Yang pass (French war, 1954). Check in to the hotel and relax, (or explore the former Lane Army Airfield (also known as Lane Army Heliport or An Son Airfield) – a former United States Army base west of Qui Nhơn. The base is now covered with commercial buildings while the former runway is now the main Nguyễn Tất Thành road. Overnight at Saigon – Quy Nhon Hotel (http://saigonquynhonhotel.com.vn/).
Day 13: Mar 10 (B) Quy Nhơn: day trip to B**g Son:
Today we will visit a Cham temple on our drive north to visit Bon Son and LZ English. Lunch at a local restaurant then return to Quy Nhơn. Happy Hour at the local beach bar. There are wonderful seafood restaurants a short walk from the hotel. O/n at the same hotel.
Day 14: Mar 11 (B): Quy Nhơn – Nha Trang:
7:30 am departure from the hotel. Drive to Nha Trang (5 hrs) with a stop at the “L***r Hospital,” the site of a beautiful beach. Arrive in Nha Trang in the early afternoon and relax on the beach upon arrival. Tonight, we will have dinner at the fabulous Nha Trang Sailing Club on the beach (your own expense). Overnight at Novotel Nha Trang (https://www.novotelnhatrang.com/).
Day 15: Mar 12 (B, D): Nha Trang tours:
Visit Ponagar Cham tower, Long Son Pagoda & the Hon Chong promontory, then free time to relax on the beach. This evening, our farewell dinner will be at the “Ancient Restaurant” (your own expense) in Nha Trang. O/n at the same hotel.
Day 16: Mar 13 (B): Nha Trang – Saigon:
The morning is free to relax on the beach until our afternoon transfer to the airport for your flight back to Saigon on VN1347@17:15 – 18:15. Those on the Angkor Wat extension will be leaving the group and flying to Siem Reap. On arrival, pick up and transfer to the hotel. Then, free to relax & shopping on your own. Overnight at Paragon Saigon Hotel.
Day 17: Mar 14, 2023 (B): Saigon.
Today is free to relax on your own until transfer to the airport for your flight back home (One time for the large group and others will take taxis on own).
The trip includes:
• Transportation with private air-conditioned bus.
• Meals for group per the program (B: breakfast, L: lunch & D: dinner)
• Boat trips per the program
• English speaking guide (Mr. Truc & local guides in the Central Highland where necessary)
• Entrance fees
• Hotel accommodations with breakfast per the program
• Air tickets: Nha Trang – Saigon in Economy Class
• Permits to visit minority villages
• Traditional music with gong performances in Buon Me Thuot & Pleiku
Excludes:
• International flight to and from Vietnam
• Vietnam visa & travel insurance
• Meals not mentioned & all beverages
• Personal expenses
• Tips for guides & driver
Price is $3,100 per person, double occupancy, Single supplement is $800.
For information and booking:
Contact George DeSerres
540-220-9266
[email protected]
Angkor Wat/Siem Reap Extension
The Angkor Wat/Siem Reap extension will begin on Day 16 (March 13th) with our noon flight from Nha Trang to Siem Reap. On arrival in Siem Reap, we will be met by our tour guide and taken directly to our hotel. After an evening dinner on Pub Street, we will retire for the night. The next morning, we will go to the welcome center. There we will ger our passes to the temples and area. Surprise, surprise. There is an area to buy hats and t-shirts. Also, an ATM to get local money or US Dollars. I’ll probably bring a pack of $1 bills from home. After lunch, we will visit the National Museum.
There are somewhere around 73 major temples and lots of minor ones. The tour operator wants to show you as many as possible and that maybe fine if we were a lot younger. I’ve done this tour a few times before and the pace the operator give use is too fast. We will see the major temples and the best of the smaller ones. We will take the heat of the day back at the hotel and enjoy the restaurants and pubs on Pub Street in the evening. And we will take a boat ride to a city in the middle of Lake Ton Le Sap.
We will leave Siem Reap on March 18th. I plan to fly back to Saigon for one night before flying home. You can also fly to Bangkok for your return flight. We can buy the airline tickets on our own and save some money. Flight to and from Siem Reap are $420 per person. We can save some money by getting those tickets ourselves. Right now, it is $275 per person. I will have to get this information early enough to get up all on the same flight.
The price is $775 per person, double occupancy. There are 72 major temples and a lot of minor ones in the Siem Reap area. We will see the major temples and the most unique. I have paced this tour for those of us who are no longer in our teens. And we will adjust, as necessary. Along with some of the greatest and most fabled temples in the world, we will have some fine dining and local market opportunities.
Day 16, March 13: Nha Trang – Siem Reap:
Today, those not on the Angkor Wat extension will return to Saigon for the last night before heading home. We will take a 12:15 flight from Nha Trang to Siem Reap, arriving about 5:30 PM. After clearing airport formalities, we will check into the Tara Angkor. http://www.taraangkorhotel.com/.
Day 17, March 14:
After breakfast, we will be picked up by our guide and driver. First stop will be the Welcome Center where we will pick up our passes. Next to the monuments of Roluos, which served as the capital of Indravarman I (reigned 877-89), are among the earliest large, permanent temples built by the Khmers and mark the beginning of Khmer classical art. Preah Ko erected by Indravarman I in the late 9th century dedicated by the King to his ancestors in 880. Bakong the largest and most interesting of the Roluos group temples. We will have light day and return to the hotel after lunch. Cocktails and dinner are available at the hotel, but I recommend taking a tuk-tuk to Pub Street for dinner.
Overnight at Tara Angkor. http://www.taraangkorhotel.com/
Day 18: Mar 15: Siem Reap – Angkor Thom
In the morning, we visit the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century) entering via the South Gate with its huge statues, then to the Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the L***r King.
Following lunch, we will proceed to Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. This is the temple with the big trees growing in the buildings. Then back to the hotel. This evening, enjoy the Apsara Dance show with dinner. Overnight at the same hotel in Siem Reap.
Day 19: Mar 16: Siem Reap – Eastern Temples
After breakfast, we will continue our temple tour at Pre Rup, a mid-10th century temple. Here, for those who wish, we can climb to the top of the temple and see the countryside. Next is East Mebon (guarded at its corners by stone figures of harnessed elephants, some of which are still in a reasonable state of preservation), Then on to Neak Pean Temple across a wooden walkway. Lots of shopping opportunities near the parking lot.
After lunch, we can take a tuk-tuk ride through the temple area back to the hotel or ride the bus. Afternoon at leisure. I will plan on dinner at one of the great restaurants on Pub Street. Overnight at the same hotel in Siem Reap.
Day 20: Mar 17: Siem Reap – Angkor Wat, Lake Tonle Sap
The Equinox sunrise over Angkor Wat is a spectacular event. We will be able to see the sunrise just 3 days before the Equinox. It will be remarkably close to that perfect alignment. The bus will pick us up in time for us to reach the viewing point by 30 minutes before sunrise. Be sure to have your camera ready. After sunrise, we will return to the hotel for breakfast.
After breakfast, we will return to Angkor Wat for a morning tour of this massive archeological site. Next, we will drive to Lake Tonle Sap for a boat ride to a town in the middle of the lake. After lunch at a restaurant on the lake, we will return to our hotel in mid-afternoon. I recommend we proceed to Pub Street for a farewell dinner. Overnight at the same hotel in Siem Reap.
Day 21, March 18: Siem Reap – Saigon
This morning, transfer back to Siem Reap Airport for departure flight back to Saigon on Angkor Air 824 at 1:40 PM arriving 3:10 PM. End services.
The extension includes:
4-Star accommodations based on sharing twin/double room, with breakfast included
Temple entrance fees for 4 days, as mentioned
English speaking guides
Full land transportation by private air-conditioned van with driver
Tickets for Lake Tonle Sap boat ride
Dinner at the Apsara Theater restaurant
Cold beverages on board
Tuk-Tuk fees
Excludes:
Cambodian visa $20
Meals not mentioned & all beverages
International air tickets
Personal expenses & other services not mentioned in the itinerary
My plan is to book one more night at the Paragon Saigon hotel and fly home on March 19th. I will travel very light to Siem Reap with hand carry only so I will leave a suitcase at the Paragon Saigon Hotel.
Price is $790 per person, double occupancy. Deposit is $770 per person and includes roundtrip airfare (approximately $375 per person). Your final payment w
Tara Angkor Hotel is the 4-Star Luxury Hotel built in the mystical land of Angkor. The hotel is ideally and conveniently located in Siem Reap town.
