Highlights of Vietnam

After breakfast, you'll leave Hanoi and head to Lan Ha Bay, a stunning dreamscape littered with thousands of jungle-capped limestone karsts which dot the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Arriving at noon, you will board a beautiful Vietnamese junk for an overnight cruise with an excellent menu of fresh seafood. Lunch and dinner are served on board.


Accommodation:
Deluxe Category: Heritage Line – Ginger Cruise.
Superior Category: Orchid Trendy Cruise.

The flat and tranquil roads around Hoi An’s countryside are perfect for exploring with a traditional buffalo cart, an authentic and oft-glimpsed mode of transport in Vietnam’s rural corners. Across Vietnam, farmers and buffalo working the verdant fields have become a symbol of rural life, with buffalo being a farmer’s most prized possession. During your scenic ride, you’ll glimpse stunning vistas of the Vietnamese countryside, which consists of mist-shrouded rice paddies, shrimp farms and vegetable farms. Reaching a dock, you will board a local river boat and embark on a cruise down the scenic Hoi An River, stopping along the way to try your hand at casting a traditional fishing net, a common fishing method still practiced today. You can then learn the art of paddling Vietnam’s unique round basket boats before returning to your river boat to sit down for a sumptuous selection of light seafood dishes and a refreshing drink as you head back upriver and return to town.

Between the 15th and 19th centuries Hoi An (then known as “Faifo”) was a prosperous trading port which attracted Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish merchant ships. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose immaculately preserved Ancient Town is renowned for its quaint architecture, pedestrian streets and distinctive local cuisine, enabling visitors a glimpse into Hoi An’s illustrious past. The city’s narrow lanes are ideal for a guided walking tour of its numerous atmospheric sites, which include old merchant houses varying between Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture; the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, built in the 1590s; the Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation with its intricate woodcarvings; and the colourful local market with stalls that brim with local specialties including silk.


Accommodation
Deluxe Category: Anantara Hoi An Resort (or alternative hotel of equal standard).
Superior Category: Boutique Hoi An Resort (or alternative hotel of equal standard).

In the morning, you will be driven to the coastal city of Da Nang for a half-day city tour that begins with a visit to the Museum of Cham Sculpture. The museum houses the world’s largest collection of artefacts from the Kingdom of Champa, which ruled Central Vietnam from the 2nd to 13th century and whose intricate Hindu architectural relics dot the surrounding landscapes. Following this, you will venture to the dramatic Marble Mountains, which consist of five marble hillocks that were once islands. Thuy Son, the largest of the mountains, houses a number of ancient Buddhist sanctuaries. From here you can enjoy stunning panoramic views over the East Sea and bordering beaches.

After your tour, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight south to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. Once you land in Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll be met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel.


Accommodation:
Deluxe Category: Hotel des Artes Saigon – MGallery (or alternative hotel of equal standard).
Superior Category: Liberty Central Saigon CityPoint Hotel (or alternative hotel of equal standard).

From Ho Chi Minh City, you will venture 1.5 hours to Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta, notable for its tropical fruit gardens and traditional products made from coconuts. Here you can visit a brick factory and learn about how bricks are made by hand following centuries-old traditional methods before boarding a private local boat for a cruise along the scenic waterways of the Mekong Delta, observing snippets of local life as you drift gently along. Enjoy shore excursions to a coconut workshop and a family-run mat shop and visit the home of a local fruit farmer by either tuk-tuk or bicycle. After lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll board a rowing sampan to enjoy close-up views of the palm-lined waterways of the Delta before returning back to Ho Chi Minh City.


Accommodation:
Deluxe Category: Hotel des Artes Saigon – MGallery (or alternative hotel of equal standard).
Superior Category: Liberty Central Saigon CityPoint Hotel (or alternative hotel of equal standard).