Southern Vietnam Explorer, 9 days

On arrival at Ho Chi Minh Airport, you are met by our guide and taken to your hotel by private transfer. You may have some time free to relax or discover at your own leisure. The bustling city of Ho Chi Minh, still called Saigon by many locals, was originally a fishing village built up on a vast swampland, but it has developed into Saigon under the French domination. The effervescent development has bought Ho Chi Minh some cosmic changes from a war-torn city to a thriving metropolis. However, the architecture, local culture and lifestyle in Ho Chi Minh are still a reconciliation among French, American and Chinese influences. This fast growing city is now punctuated with elegant international hotels and exclusive restaurants, crowded with motorbikes, cars and vociferous cyclo drivers, and excited by numerous shopping areas, sidewalk cafés and noodle stalls. They have formed a dynamic urban area in very special sense and make for an endless exploration in this  south Vietnamese gem.

The incredible  underground network of Cu Chi  was constructed by Vietnamese fighters during their long struggle for the independence. These extensive tunnels of over 200 km have specially contained living areas, storage facilities, weapon factories, filed hospitals, accommodation, and command centers. We travel by roads this morning to Cu Chi Area where we will see an exposition hall and a widened section of Cu Chi Tunnels to get a feel of the underground life and learn a little more about the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Cong. There are also possibilities to fire off rounds from an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range. Upon leaving Cu Chi, we make our way  back to Ho Chi Minh and  enjoy a half day city tour. The beautiful walking square of Nguyen Hue  is  always a live attraction, giving an interesting view from the bygone time to the new fashion of Ho Chi Minh. This pedestrian boulevard is fringed with exquisite colonial structures, nice restaurants and luxury shopping malls.  We have a quick visit to Nguyen Hue Street  before going to see the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Sai Gon Post Office. They boats some of the most striking colonial building in Ho Chi Minh Center. We drive past the Independence Palace and catch  an outside view of this historical landmark on our way to  the War Remnant Exhibit. This house contains a wealth of images and real objects reflecting the notorious Vietnam- American War and the first Indochina War involving the French colonialists.  We follow it with a walk around  the retail  Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts appealing to every taste!.

Heading out of the town, we travel by road to My Tho, a gateway to the Mekong Delta. This incredibly fertile region was formed by the mighty Mekong River, which winds its way from Tibet - China through  Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and finally into Vietnam. On arrival in My Tho, we board a private boat to explore the Mekong Delta. This river trip gives some fantastic views from the red water surface to floating fish farms and lush plantation backdrop. Along the way, we anchor on the Unicorn Island and stroll around with our guide to visit this large island, where village lanes are fringed with fishponds, fruit gardens and rice fields. We make some stops at local houses to taste seasonal fruits, listen to traditional music performed by a villager ensemble, and sample honey tea. The interlaced canals are truly a lifeblood of the Mekong Delta; however, many channels can be accessed only by small boats. We enjoy a short sampan trip rowing under the palm grove to venture into this maze of canals before we continue our motor boat to the coconut kingdom of Ben Tre. This luxuriant region offers various activities from bicycle ride to horse cart carriage and motorbike pulling cart. We take one of them to discover the traditional lifestyles, culture, and history of local people and  visit some industry cottages. They may be brick-kiln ceramics, coconut candy and coconut handicrafts. We round off our excursion and drive back to Ho Chi Minh with stopover at the vibrant  China Town. This famous trade hub is crammed with  sacred temples and mysterious narrow lanes.

The bustling streets will be left behind as we leave Ho Chi Minh for the central highland of Vietnam. There are several ways of travelling to Da Lat, but we choose a private drive  to enjoy the scenery as much as possible. The jostling houses give way to rice fields, rubber forest and tea plantations, which offers glimpses of the real beauty awaiting you further up. We can make stops to stretch our legs and  catch some interesting views of floating houses along the winding La Nga River. The scenic drive will deliver us to Da Lat Town by mid or late afternoon, depending on the traffic and road conditions. We check in our hotel and start the exploration of this hill town. The fresh climate dominates Da Lat, giving it a lovely name “City of Eternal Spring”.   This charming town was first found by the French explorers and has rapidly become a hill retreat for the French colonials to escape the oppressive heat in the coastal plains and the chaos of Saigon. The colonials endowed this city with European style villas, nice gardens, and tree lined boulevards. They have formed a prominent cityscape rarely found throughout  Vietnam. We can soak up the fresh climate as much as we want, by spending our time to walk around the town center and have a look at the lovely Xuan Huong Lake and the vibrant Dalat Central Market. This trading hub sells a wide array of local treasures and has many eating spots, which are all ideal for visitors to taste local delicacies.

Today, we continue exploring Da Lat with a short drive to the summer residence Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam. He was forced to abdicate in 1945, shortly after the end of the World War II. He was forced to abdicate in 1945, shortly after the end of the World War II. This mansion displays a lovely collection of Vietnam treasures. We follow it with the Lam Ty Ni Pagoda and the Hang Nga Guesthouse. This construction is  well known as the Crazy House because of its bizarre architecture. We continue onto the  old rail station where we have an optional ride on Cremaillere railway to  the Linh Phuoc Pagoda. This masterpiece was built from debris of glass, pottery bowls, and porcelain in previous mid-century, housing the largest bell in Central Vietnam. We start our journey downhill to Nha Trang Town, passing through  Chu Yan Sin National Park and  Bidoup Nui Ba National Park. They  are remarkable for the rain forest, birdlife, and ecotourism. The mountain roads zigzags themselves along the mountainsides, giving us some fantastic views with a blend of undulating mountains, luxuriant jungle, and stunning waterfalls. Along the way, we may see  ethnic minorities  going on their daily business. They are mostly K’ho decents, who have been in place for many generations and are living from coffee plantations. The blue sea comes in view as we arrive in Nha Trang Town. We check in our hotel and have some time free for relaxation.

The marvelous beaches, offshore islands and diving sites make Nha Trang  a favorite place among many travellers. Today we spend our time to explore some of them on  boat trip out. On arrival at Cau Da Port, we are welcomed on boat and get some information on trip activities. The exciting excursion begins, taking us away from the crowd and bringing some incredible views of the cityscape, sapphire water and rising islands. We pass by  Hon Tam and Hon Mot  to Hon Mun Island, which is an ideal place for anyone seeking a true sea adventure. You can soak up the sun and sea or opt for a scuba diving to discover coral reefs and make friend with colorful fishes playing in the crystal and emerald water. This optional activity is not included; however, your guide are in hand to provide valuable suggestion. Upon leaving this island, we head towards Hon Tre Island and make a stop to enjoy some sea activities: lazing on a white sand beach, swimming in turquoise water, doing sun bath, and more. The boat trip continues to Hon Mieu Island, offering a new image of Nha Trang Bay. We try a funny ride ashore by typical basket boat and embark on a pleasant walk around  to see an interesting scene of local villagers doing their daily works from fishing to aquaculture. The boat excursion comes to an end  by mid-afternoon. You have some time free  to simply relax and make exploration of Nha Trang Town  at your leisure. 

Today, we have time exploring Nha Trang City with the most notable sight, Ponagar Cham Towers.   These imposing structures were originally built by the Cham people who once ruled the central plain of Vietnam. They have had seven or eight structures in previous times, but only four are still standing until today. The main tower dating back to AD 817 is decorated with terraced pyramidal roof, vaulted interior masonry and vestibule, being the most striking one in place. We climb up the long staircase to visit the towers dedicated to Yang Ino Po Nagar, who came to be identified with the Hindu goddesses Bhagavati and Mahishasuramardini. This sacred Holy See is still actively used for worship by Cham, Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists. We catch from this view point the colorful fishing port, skyline hotels, turquoise bay and white sand beach.  The sightseeing tour continues with  the Long Son Pagoda topped with a giant Buddhist statue and the bustling Dam Market. Upon leaving Nha Trang,  we make our way southwards to Mui Ne Beach and pass through many pristine beach resorts, Cham Towers, green vineyards, salt fields and rolling arid hills dotted by many sheep herbs. These exotic animals were brought into this region to serve as offerings by Cham people since the nineteenth century, and have become the main livestock in place. We arrive in Mui Ne by late afternoon and check in our hotel.

The beautiful coastal town of Mui Ne was  originally a  fishing village and has rapidly developed to be a famous beach resort in Vietnam. You can spend this morning to relax on beach or join  our guided tour to explore the Red Sand Dunes, one of two geological wonders in Mui Ne. The constant oceanic winds make daily sculpture of various incredible shapes into these sand dunes, providing an image of how dessert to be in the Middle East or Africa. We take a short drive along the coastline, passing through the fishing port and charming villages to  the Red Sand Dunes. This landmark is small than the White Sand Dunes, but it is still  a popular place for photograph hunters. We can  walk up the dunes of reddish-brown sand to catch some amazing photos or rent  sand sledding for a funny glide. You have some time free this  morning to explore Mui Ne at  your leisure. This beach resort also offers  numerous activity options  to choose from, some of which are playing a round of golf, riding a bike through charming villages, kitesurfing on beach, and cruising along the Phu Hai River. These optional activities are not included; however, your guide are in hand to provide you with valuable information. We round off our time in Mui Ne and drive along the national road No 1, which links  the central coast and the urban metropolis  of Ho Chi Minh.

There are no activities planned on  this final day. You may have free time to continue your exploration of Hanoi City, do your last shopping or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday comes to an end with a transfer to Hanoi Airport for your departure.