16 Days 15 Nites - Vietnam and Laos Explorer

Post date: Oct 31, 2011 2:45:02 AM

Day 2: HO CHI MINH CITY - MY THO MEKONG DELTA (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

After breakfast, a two hour drive to My Tho will expose the colorful outskirt life as well as picturesque rice fields along the journey.

Upon arrival, you will go along Mekong River with the natives on boat and stop at Thoi Son islet to taste seasonal fruits, enjoy traditional folk songs. Then, visit the authentic life of the local and challenge your bargaining power at cottage handicraft shops. An adventurous sampan ride in palm shading creeks will be the next experience of the riverside region. Lunch to be served with the Mekong Delta specialty - Deep Fried Elephant ear fish.

Far away Mekong River with poetic emotion to return reality with bustling life of Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon, and visit to China Town and Thien Hau Temple (The Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau). Energized after your exciting day with a sumptuous dinner on the Saigon River Cruise with entertainment show at the end of the day.

Day 3: HO CHI MINH CITY - HUE (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Bid farewell to Ho Chi Minh city today. After breakfast, transfer to airport for departure flight to Hue - Ancient capital of Vietnam. In the morning, our guide will pick you up at the Phu Bai airport and transfer to hotel. We drive to go sightseeing Old Imperial City, King Tu Duc Tomb (Tu Duc is a king but also a poet, so his mausoleum is a poet garden), Khai Dinh Tomb and Thien Mu Pagoda. Then we will take a boat cruise on the Huong River (Huong mean perfume). Overnight in Hue.

Day 4: HUE - HOI AN (FAIFO) (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

After breakfast, our guide will come to meet you at 08:00, take a private car from Hue to Hoi An through Hai Van Pass. Taking many photo on the way and at Lang Co beach as you like. On the way, we'd like to show you the Cham museum is the open air collection of Cham sculpture. Many of the sandstone carvings are breathtaking and Marble Moutains and Da Nang Beach. Arrive in Hoi An in the late afternoon. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 5: HOI AN (FAIFO) (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

After breakfast, we stay in Lang Co beach one more day.

Lunch at beach. We have leisure time to go around town or just stay in beach.

Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 6: HOI AN - HA NOI (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

After breakfast, we visit tourist attractions in Hoi An: Tan Ky Ancient House, Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall, Japanese covered bridge, Ong Pagoda. Transfer you to Da Nang Airport to catch the flight to Ha Noi capital. Upon arrival at Noi Bai international airport, meet by our representative and transfer to hotel for check-in. Dinner at local restaurant.

Day 7: HA NOI CITY DISCOVER (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Breakfast at hotel, we visit Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and traditional stilt house the Ho Chi Minh Meseum, the revered One Pillar Pagoda... and visit to typical Vietnamese places of worship, Vietnam's first university, the thousand year old Temple of Literature.

Lunch at local restaurant, and continue visiting: Army Museum or other Museum, West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda and Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Restored Lake), also a visit the Hanoi city's traditional 36 ancient street and shopping... turning back hotel in the evening.

Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 8: HA NOI - HA LONG BAY (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

After breakfast, we take Ha Noi City tour covering Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and residence, One Pillar Pagoda and Temple of Literature (The 1st University of Vietnam). After lunch, proceed to Ha Long City. Ha Long Bay was recognized by UNESCO as a natural heritage in 1994. Spend four hour to drive will show you the diversity of the North Vietnam villages and rice fields along the journey. Dinner at local restaurant.

Day 9: HA LONG BAY - HA NOI - SAPA (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

After breakfast, half day boat trip in Ha Long Bay to view multi-shaped rocks and visit dramatic caves, grottos such as: Paradise Grotto and Wooden Stakes Cave.

Lunch will be served on boat with fresh seafood. Return to Hanoi in evening.

Dinner at local restaurant then transfer to Le Duan Train Station for overnight train to Lao Cai - Sapa.

Overnight on air-condition soft sleeper, 4 people / 1 train cabin.

Day 10: LAO CAI - SAPA - CAT CAT VILLAGE (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Arrive at Lao Cai Train Station at about 6:30. Take a transfer to Sapa, having breakfast and relax before explore Sapa Town.

In the afternoon, take a 2km short trekking to Cat Cat Village, the home of H'mong Ethic. Meeting, talking and having lunch with locals people to learn more about their daily life.

Overnight at your hotel in Sapa.

Day 11: SAPA - TAPHIN VILLAGE - LAO CAI (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Breakfast at hotel and check out around 9:00-10:00 am. You can consider to take one of the two options below:

Option 1 Soft trek: Pleasant drive to Tafin village (12km from Sapa) of Red Dzao ethic. Touring to the village to visit Tafin handicraft shop and explore the daily life of Red Dzao. Here you have a good choices to buy woven and textile brocades, which is made by ethic people. Visit Tafin Cave and small hamlet of Black H'mong people. Return to Sapa and take a transfer to Lao Cai station for night train to Hanoi.

Option 2 Hard trek: Take a drive to Ta Fin and trek down to a small hamlet of Matra via foot path, where inhabited by Black H'mong ethic. Continue trekking up the village and getting through paddies fields will lead you to an ancient Catholic abbey, built by French colonists. Walk 2 km more to reach Tafin handicraft shops and explore the daily life of Red Dzao. Here you have a good choices to buy woven and textile brocades, which is made by ethic people. Get on your vehicle and transfer to Lao Cai. Have dinner at local restaurant and get on night train back to Hanoi. Overnight at an AC 4 berth soft sleeper train to Hanoi.

Day 12: HANOI – VIENTIANE (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Return to Hanoi, after breakfast we transfer to the airport for depature flight to the charming city of Luang Prabang in Laos.

On arrival in Vientiane Capital, our guide will meet and transfer you to hotel for check-in. After a short rest, we see the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket, the temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image.

We have lunch on route trip at local restaurant.

On the way to Lao's national icon, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop enroute to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane's own Arc de Triumph The Mekong river side is the perfect place to end the day and admire the sunset. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 13: VIENTIANE - LUANG PRABANG - HALF DAY CITY TOUR (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

After breakfast at hotel, we have leisure time until we check-out hotel and take a flight to Luang Prabang.

On arrival at Luang Prabang International airport, our guide will meet and transfer you to hotel for check-in.

Then us half day city tour begins with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts.

After short lunch at local restaurant, we head to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We also have time to visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai.

Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 14: LUANG PRABANG – PAK OU CAVES (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Breakfast at hotel.

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (often in the form of sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the ritual...

We enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city's oldest temples of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside as well as exploring the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by devoted pilgrims. Along the way, we will stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where the local rice wine is produced. On return, we take a short drive to another small village Ban Phanom, which famous for its hand weaving.

Day 15: LUANG PRABANG - BAN CHAN – KHUANG SI WATERFALL (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Breakfast at hotel, we cross the Mekong River by boat, to the picturesque village of Ban Chan, a pottery village. We visit the morning Phousi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, we visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, Ban Ou a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene, a Khmu villages. This takes us to the beautiful Khuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. We return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon.

Lunch at local place in villages where we visit.

Dinner at local restaurant in Luang Prabang. Overnight.

Day 16: LUANG PRABANG - DEPARTURE (Breakfast included)

After breakfast at hotel, we have leisure time until we check-out and transfer to airport for departure flight.