Mrs Tu
Thank you for making our 1st trip to North Vietnam a memorable one. We enjoyed ourselves. Thank you for going the extra mile to alert the hotel that I needed a firm mattress for my injured back. I also am thankful for the Mr Tu's care when driving us around. I observed that he slowed down whenever he cross a hump. This reduced the jerk for the passengers. The tour guide, Mr Phuong was personal and witty.
Your prompt responses to our questions were appreciated. I have recommended your company to those around me.
Have a blessed Christmas
Regards
Adeline
PROGRAM DETAIL
Day 01 . Mon 04 December 2017 : Hanoi arrival - street food tour (SQ176 SIN HAN 0920 1140) (-) | Guide and driver
Welcome to Hanoi – Vietnam!
The tour guide & driver will be welcoming you at Noi Bai airport; it takes us 35 minutes driving to the centre of Hanoi then check-in at hotel.
In the afternoon, we start our Hanoi street food tour at the city’s largest covered market, Dong Xuan. Along the perimeter of the market, dozens of street hawkers sell a staggering variety of products from live seafood to exotic fruits and spices. Your expert guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes.
Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dish Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago. Our next two snack stops on our Hanoi street food tour are at outdoor barbeque stalls. We sit down with the Hanoi locals and sample various meat, vegetable, and bread specialties that are flame grilled over hot coals for extra flavour.
Now, it's time for dessert as we venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced and condensed milk – this specialty is one not to be missed! Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi’s best kept secrets, a hidden café with stunning views over the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the city that still serves egg coffee, a scrumptious local delicacy that we will sample whilst admiring the hustle and bustle of the city centre below. Or, if coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits!
Back to your hotel at the end.
Day 02 . Tue 05 December 2017 : Hanoi city tour (B, L) | Guide and driver
You will be picked up at the hotel at 8:00am. Starting the day trip will be a visit of the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which compromises Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (closed on Mondays & Fridays), his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh Museum. We will then visit the Temple of Literature constructed in 1070 to worship Confucius, which served as the first Royal National University in Vietnam. The site also honors 82 Vietnamese doctorates who passed a number of rigid exams in the feudal ages. Their names, birthdays and birthplaces are engraved in 82 headstones perched on stone tortoises. It is widely believed that touching the heads of these tortoises will bring luck. Its peaceful green compound with its neatly maintained lawns, gardens and lotus ponds make it a tranquil hideaway from the city’s bustle and heat. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays, the alternative being the History Museum), which offers informative and well-documented displays of the country’s 54 ethnic groups, including elaborate and colorful hill tribe costumes. The display continues in the museum’s garden with fascinating examples of traditional houses of numerous minority groups, from the Kinhs to the ethnic groups of the Central Highlands. Then back to the Old Quarter & walk around the Hoan Kiem lake. We then head to Ngoc Son Temple set on a tiny island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. Ngoc Son Temple dates back to the 13th century, and the lake itself is the picturesque heart of Hanoi, frequented by tourists and locals alike. Wrap up the day with the traditional water puppet show.
Day 03 . Wed 06 December 2017 : Hanoi- Mai Chau (B, L, D) | Guide and driver
Depart at 08h00 from Hanoi to Mai Chau- a picturesque valley, where the White Thai predominantly inhabit. Arrive in Mai Chau around noon, transfer to hotel then lunch followed by a short break.
In the afternoon, we will take a walking to discover an authentic country really unknown by mass tourism. We will be charmed by the traditional houses on stilts, the smiles of the Thai, friendly acceuils and green rice, vegetable gardens and bamboo forests near our path, crossing the villages: Chieng Sai, Cha, Cha Long, Na Tang, Tong Dau ... Return to the lodge to enjoy its natural surroundings. After dinner, you will enjoy the traditional music show in the evening. Overnight at hotel.
Day 04 . Thu 07 December 2017 : Mai Chau - Ninh Binh (B, L) | Guide and driver
After breakfast, we will drive 170km to Tam Coc also known as «Dry Halong Bay». On the way, you will pass some of the most picturesque scenery in Vietnam. Arrive at Tam Coc, check into hotel and have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we will embark a small rowing boat to discover the outstanding karst waterscape on Ngo Dong River. Tam Coc literally translates to « three caves» and is adorned with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites of all sizes shaped like gemstones. Continuing the cruise along the river, you will see spectacular scenery of rice paddies and limestone peaks reflected in the emerald water. Row back to the harbor from where you will be brought to the hotel. The rest of day we will take the ox-cart along winding roads passing lotus ponds, temples and cottages, typical of Vietnamese countryside to visit Bich Dong Pagoda situated on a hillside. Overnight at hotel in Tam Coc.
Day 05 . Fri 08 December 2017 : Ninh Binh - Halong (B, L, D) | Guide and driver After breakfast depart to Halong Bay via Thai Binh and Nam Dinh, passing a peaceful countryside typical of Red River Delta with endless rice fields and winding rivers. We will arrive at Halong’s tourist wharf around noon and embark an elegant wooden junk. Lunch will be served while the boat gently cruises past numerous islands and limestone structures rising from the emerald water. A fresh seafood dinner will be prepared by an experienced chef and served on deck. A peaceful night on board in your private cabin.
Day 06 . Sat 09 December 2017 : Halong – Hanoi (B) | Guide and driver Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay you have time for an early morning dip while the sun rises, followed by breakfast on board. We will continue to sail through the bay during the morning to explore more secluded areas. The junk will stay close at all times serving as a backup vessel for those that require it. Around midday we will return to the main harbor and return to Hanoi. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi
Day 07 . Sun 10 December 2017 : Hanoi departure (SQ175 HAN SIN 1235 1715) (B) | Guide and driver Freetime before the transfer to the airport at 9AM for your flight off. End of our services!