Vietnam Tour.

THE COST.

(excluding wife's shopping expenses and 'Ba Moi Ba' rest stops.)

South Tour only - $2,955.00 per person twin share, includes airfares airport tax and tours.

South + North Tour - $4,465 per person twin share, includes airfares airport tax and tours.

DEPOSIT REQUIRED BY 6TH DECEMBER 2013 - $350 / PERSON (non refundable).

Deposit - 6th December 2013 ( $350 )

Payment 2 - 7th March 2014 (Airline Tickets plus Airport Taxes)

Payment 3 - 13th June 2014 ( Balance of Payment)

Details are as follows for payments,

ACCOUNT NAME - Graham Brown

BANK - ANZ

BSB - 015045

A/C NUMBER - 261190965

PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS AN 'ONLINE ACCOUNT' AND WILL NOT ACCEPT DIRECT PAYMENTS FROM A BANK TELLER.

This account is set up for the Vietnam Trip and would ask members to add their name in the 'reference box' and to email me once a payment has been made.

 Other details.

Graham (NIG) Brown

128 Wellington Ave 

Sellicks Beach

SA     5174

email; sthn_cross@hotmail.com

The Itinerary is as below.

22 AUGUST 2014 - ARRIVE SAIGON

Departing from Ports ex Australia in August 2014:

On arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) you will be met by a Travel Indochina representative and transferred to your hotel. (GRAND HOTEL)

Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's commercial capital and a city of extraordinary energy. Nowhere is Vietnam's rush to modernise more visible. Despite its rush to modernity, Saigon, as it is still known, is a friendly and welcoming place with many reminders of its turbulent past and a palpable momentum towards the future.

Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

23 AUGUST 2014 - SAIGON ( Breakfast, Dinner)

This morning we travel to the Cu Chi tunnels located in an area known during the Vietnam War as the “Iron Triangle” on account of the strength of its Communist insurgency. The Cu Chi tunnel network was established as a means of waging guerrilla war against superior French and later American fire power. The network stretches over 250km and extends to three levels underground providing a remarkable insight into the method and determination of Communist forces during the Vietnam War.

Returning to Saigon for lunch ( own expense).

This afternoon – begin a walking tour of Saigon‟s famous and historic city landmarks. The tour will take you through the heart of the city along Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), past the Ho Chi Minh Square, Municipal Theatre and Notre Dame Cathedral. Following a tour of the Reunification Palace (formerly the Presidential Palace) and War Remnants Museum.

Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

24 AUGUST 2014 - SAIGON – VUNG TAU (Breakfast)

Today after checking out of our hotel, we will load our luggage on our coach which will depart for Vung Tau by road, while we will travel down the Saigon River by hydrofoil with our guide to the seaside resort town of Vung Tau and the former site of the 1st Australian Logistic Support Group (1 ALSG).

We will be met by our coach in Vung Tau and after checking in to the Palace Hotel for a three night stay (deluxe plus rooms) and freshening up, we will enjoy an orientation tour of the town including the former 1 ALSG base area, and former Peter Badcoe Club site and the "Flags‟ area. We will also visit the Front and Back beach areas and take a dip in the South China Sea (weather permitting).

During this orientation tour a brief will be delivered on the area and its relevance to Australian operations and the role of 9 and 35 Squadron RAAF and the RAN clearance diver teams.

Return to the hotel – evening at leisure. 

25 AUGUST 2014 - VUNG TAU (Breakfast/ Lunch)

Today we will travel to the former area of operations for the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) via Baria and visit the former task force base area at Nui Dat. The former runway at Luscombe Field is now a wide street in the local village and what was the heli-pad is now a soccer field - nothing remains of Luscombe Bowl at all. A kindergarten established by Australian veterans is nearby. The area is still a military reserve in parts and some areas may be restricted to visitors.

We will be given a brief on 1 ATF operations that were conducted from the base and how it was developed and protected. A picnic lunch will be enjoyed in Nui Dat. After lunch, we will drive to the battlefield at Long Tan and conduct a Remembrance Service at the Long Tan Cross Memorial site (NB: We have deliberately avoided Long Tan Memorial Day due to expected large crowds).

Later, drive past the location of the Horseshoe (access not permitted these days due to mining activity). On the way back into Vung Tau, you will see the large antenna that is still visible on "Radar Hill‟ ( this area can be visited by cable car).

Evening at leisure. 

Continue to the village of Long Phuoc which had an extensive system of tunnels which linked the village to the jungle areas to its north east. Like other tunnels systems found in Vietnam they included meeting areas, first aid stations, and fighting pits. American units clearing the area for the establishment of the Australian base sustained heavy casualties when they entered the village and came under fire from the tunnel system's fighting pits.

26 AUGUST 2014 - VUNG TAU (Breakfast)

This morning we will travel along the South China Sea coast to visit the former Minh Dam Secret Zone. We will then climb to the apex of the Long Hai Hills and take in spectacular views of the area and visit the local museum in the former Viet Cong Sanctuary.

Returning to Vung Tau we travel through the former area of operations and visit the site of the Battle of Ap My An near Lang Phuoc Hai that occurred during Operation Bribie in February 1967. Later in the day we arrive back at our hotel.

Evening at leisure. 

27 AUGUST 2014 – VUNG TAU – SAIGON (Breakfast)

After checking out of our hotel, we will visit the scene of the Battle of Binh Ba. After a picnic lunch we will travel north to the area of the Courtenay Rubber Plantation and the scene of the Battle of Nui Le, Australia‟s last major action of the war. We will then return to Saigon and check into the Grand Hotel for an overnight stay, deluxe rooms (luxury wing).

This evening is at leisure. 

28 AUGUST 2014 – SAIGON – MEKONG DELTA

(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner) ( GRAND HOTEL)

This morning you will be met at your hotel by your Travel Indochina driver at 8.00am for the journey south to Cai Be, in the heart of the Mekong Delta. After boarding your boat, enjoy lunch then relax on deck as you cruise through the maze of tributaries and canals that make up this amazing region.

An opportunity to appreciate the way of life and hospitality of the local inhabitants. Stop to visit some of the small villages on the banks of the river before enjoying a cocktail on board as the sun sets. 

ACCOMMODATION ONBOARD THE BASSAC CRUISE

(PRIVATE CHARTER) 

29 AUGUST 2014 – CAN THO – SAIGON (Breakfast)

Enjoy breakfast on deck as you cruise past bustling floating markets and picturesque scenery. Transfer to a smaller sampan and experience first hand the vibrant Cai Rang floating market and nearby gardens before concluding your tour at the Mekong city of Can Tho.

There you will be met by your Travel Indochina driver for the drive back to Saigon, arriving by late afternoon.

ACCOMMODATION IN SAIGON

30 AUGUST 2014 – SAIGON (Breakfast)

Day at leisure to self explore Saigon. 

31 AUGUST 2014 – DEPART SAIGON  FOR HOME (Breakfast)  

Morning at leisure.

Afternoon transfer to the airport for flight home. 

*FOR THOSE DOING FULL TOUR REFER BELOW *

31 AUGUST– SAIGON–HOIAN (Breakfast)  

(SUNRISE RESORT HOI AN)

This morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Danang.

On arrival at Danang, transfer to your hotel in Hoi An with sightseeing enroute. Our first stop is Marble Mountain, a series of large marble outcrops that have acquired mythical significance over the centuries. The caves of Marble Mountains house a number of sacred Buddhist shrines as well as a former communist guerrilla hospital from the Vietnam War.

Travel further south to Hoi An which was Vietnam’s most active trading centre over many centuries and has been largely preserved. The architecture of the city reflects the influence of Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, French and British traders. Hoi An is also the town where French Missionary Alexandre De Rhodes introduced Catholicism to Vietnam as well as the Romanised script that has become the standard Vietnamese script. You will arrive in enchanting Hoi An. Hoi An was Vietnam’s most active trading centre over many centuries and has been largely preserved.

This afternoon we take a walking tour of enchanting Hoi An visiting an old merchant house, the Hoi An Museum, a Chinese assembly hall and the Japanese Covered Bridge.

1 SEPTEMBER – CITY TOUR OF HUE ( Breakfast/ Lunch)

This morning you will drive over the spectacular Hai Van Pass to arrive in Hue. Hue is beautifully located on the banks of the Perfume River. As Vietnam’s capital throughout the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), as a centre of Vietnamese Buddhism and scholarship and finally as the setting for some of the Vietnam War’s most bloody fighting, Hue provides a unique window into Vietnam and its complex past.

Visit the impressive home of the Nguyen Dynasty emperors - the Citadel. Much of the Citadel was destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968 but is gradually being restored. Then travel to the much revered Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s oldest and most beautiful religious monument, and return back to Hoi An through the Hai Van tunnels in the late afternoon.

2 SEPTEMBER– HOIAN(Breakfast)

Day at leisure to self explore Hoi An.

3 SEPTEMBER – HOIAN (Breakfast)

This morning begin with a visit to Hoi An's colourful market and experience its amazing sights, sounds and aromas. As you walk through the market, you will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about some of the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.

You then board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Thu Bon River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. On arrival, explore the cooking school's herb and vegetable garden, before learning about some of Hoi An's and Vietnam's well-known dishes. The cooking class is an interesting and fun way to learn about the local cuisine - it runs for about an hour and 15 minutes, and includes demonstrations from the school's chefs as well as the chance for you to help prepare some dishes.

Included in the demonstration is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). Enjoy some of your creations as well as the highlights of Red Bridge afterwards

4 SEPTEMBER-HOIAN–HANOI (Breakfast)

(SILK PATH HOTEL)

This morning transfer to the airport for flight to Hanoi. On arrival you will be transferred to your hotel.

Hanoi is a charming and richly historic city of lakes, shaded boulevards and verdant public parks with a population of about four million. It is the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and some have called it the Paris of the Orient. Its centre is an architectural museum piece, its blocks of ochre buildings retaining the air of a provincial French town of the 1930s. It is also home to a frenetic Old Quarter of trading streets where traditional and modern goods are traded from centuries old “tunnel houses” and narrow streets buzz with colour and activity.

Afternoon cyclo tour of Hanoi and Hoan Kiem Lake (no longer permitted to ride through the Old Quarter)

This evening you will be met at your hotel by a Travel Indochina guide and transferred to the Water Puppet theatre in downtown Hanoi. Over 10 centuries old, the art of water puppetry first appeared in the Ly dynasty between 1010 and 1225. It originated in the Red River Delta area and originally depicted the daily life of villagers including farming, fishing, romance and children playing. The performance runs for approximately 50 minutes, after which you will be met by your guide and transferred back to your hotel.

ACCOMMODATION IN HANOI

5 SEPTEMBER- HANOI (Breakfast/Lunch)

This morning we continue our look at Hanoi by visiting the Ho Chi Minh Quarter. We begin at the Old Citadel, walking along beautiful tree-lined boulevards until we get to Ba Dinh Square, site of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and where Ho Chi Minh first declared independence from French rule in 1945.

Ho Chi Minh is without question one of the great figures of twentieth century history and this morning we’ll take time to visit the ‘Ho Chi Minh Quarter’ for a look at the life of the father of modern Vietnam. We visit the humble house on stilts from which ‘Uncle Ho’, as he is affectionately known, ruled Vietnam until his death in 1969. Continue on to the intriguing Ho Chi Minh Museum, an amazingly surreal exhibition of the life of Ho Chi Minh, set in the context of major events of the twentieth century and Vietnam’s struggle for independence. We’ll also view the Presidential Palace and One Pillar Pagoda.

Drive across the city to Hanoi’s first university - the Temple of Literature - dating back to 1070. This historical centre of learning is now dedicated to Confucian worship

Lunch at KOTO Restaurant.

After lunch visit the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” – Hanoi’s former central prison made famous first for the incarceration of the leaders of Vietnam’s National Liberation movement and later US Air force pilots shot down over North Vi etnam. The site of the prison was recently developed, however one wing has been retained as a museum.

ACCOMMODATION IN HANOI

6 SEPTEMBER - HANOI – HALONG BAY

(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner )

This morning we journey east (approximately 170km or 3 hours) to Hon Gai, the gateway to Halong Bay. En route we pass fields of busy workers farming their rice using traditional methods of cultivation. Ha long Bay achieved international fame as a key location in the French film ‘Indochine’ starring Catherine Deneuve. The bay has assumed an important position in Vietnamese legend for many centuries however and continues to capture the imagination of visitors. On arrival transfer to the port and board your boat for the cruise out to the Bay, enjoying a fresh seafood lunch on board along the way. Considered Vietnam’s greatest natural wonder, Halong Bay boasts over 3,000 islands that jut out of the sea to provide a spectacular natural environment. We visit some of the beautiful cave and islets around the bay, then enjoy a sumptuous dinner on board before retiring to bed.

ACCOMMODATION ONBOARD WHITE DOLPHIN JUNK ON HALONG BAY

7 SEPTEMBER – HALONG BAY – HANOI

(Brunch / Dinner) (WHITE DOLPHINS CRUISE)

We rise early to make the most of Halong Bay’s stunning scenery. After breakfast, we visit more of the spectacular islets and caves that make this area so unique, then head back to Hanoi.

This evening join the group for a farewell dinner to celebrate the end of a fascinating journey through Vietnam’s culture and people.

ACCOMMODATION IN HANOI

8 SEPTEMBER– DEPART HANOI (Breakfast)

Morning at leisure.

Afternoon transfer to the airport for flight home.