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Ho Chi Minh CityDay One: From the Vietnamtourism booth at Tan Son Nhut airport, you will be
driven to your hotel for dinner and a night of relaxation. Day Two: A full day of shopping and sightseeing with a tour of the Reunification
Palace, the Thien Hau Temple, and a visit to a Lacquerware factory. Take advantage of your
evening free time to check out one of the local watering holes (the Q Bar located below
the HCMC Opera House comes highly recommended), or simply hire a cyclo for a leisurely
ride around the city. Day Three: Transfer to Tan Son Nhut airport for departure.
Ho Chi Minh City & My ThoDay One: From the Vietnamtourism booth at Tan Son Nhut airport, you will be
driven to your hotel for dinner and a night of relaxation. Day Two: After breakfast, begin a full day of shopping and sightseeing with a
tour of the Reunification Palace, the Thien Hau Temple, and the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of
History. Spend the afternoon and evening hours checking out the city on your own. Don't
miss the Q Bar located below the HCMC Opera House across the street from the Caravel
hotel. Day Three: Breakfast and then head off into the Mekong Delta on
your way to My Tho. Once there, visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda and take a boat trip on one of
the many branches of the Mekong. Enjoy a leisurely lunch before the return trip to Ho Chi
Minh City. Day Four: Breakfast and then get in some last minute shopping in Saigon before
leaving for Tan Son Nhut airport and departure.
Vung TauDay One: Depart your hotel at 8:00 AM for the two hour drive to Vung Tau. Take
some time on the way to stop off at one of the many rubber plantations or fruit markets
and marvel at the tapping of the rubber trees or pick up a delicious snack for the road.
Delight on the seafood specialties offered at your hotel before an afternoon of
sightseeing which will take you through Buddhist temples, impressive massifs, and an old
French built lighthouse. Day Two: Enjoy an early breakfast and then take a dip or just relax on the
beach. Don't forget the sunscreen. After lunch, drive back to HCMC.
My Tho & Ben TreDay One: Depart your hotel at 8:00 AM for the hour and a half drive to My Tho.
Once there, you'll board a boat for a one hour excursion on the Mekong River prior to
arriving in Ben Tre. In Ben Tre, tour the former retreat of the Coconut Religious Sect
(huh?) and, following lunch, do a little bird watching in a bird sanctuary and then head
back for HCMC where you can spend some free time out on the town. Day Two: Following breakfast, spend the morning sampling some of the most exotic
fruit you can imagine during a visit to a tropical orchard. Then return to HCMC for some
afternoon shopping.
Vinh Long, Cao Lanh, & Sa DecDay One: Head south from Ho Chi Minh City and enjoy the drive through the Delta
to Vinh Long. Following check-in and lunch at the Cuu Long Hotel, cruise the Mekong and
then visit a tropical orchard to sample some exotic fruit. Return to the Cuu Long hotel
for dinner and then go for a walk around town or simply watch the river activity from the
balcony. Day Two: After breakfast, drive to Cao Lanh and tour the Mausoleum which
enshrines Ho Chi Minh's father and then visit the Cao Lanh War Museum. Later, drive to Sa
Dec for dinner and overnight in the Sa Dec Hotel. Day Three: Spend the morning strolling through a garden of unusually sculptured
shrubbery and bonsai fashioned plants before packing up for the trip back to Ho Chi Minh
City.
Vinh LongDay One: Head south from Ho Chi Minh City and enjoy the drive through the Delta
to Vinh Long. Following check-in and lunch at the Cuu Long Hotel, cruise the Mekong and
then visit a tropical orchard to sample some exotic fruit. Return to the Cuu Long hotel
for dinner and then go for a walk around town or simply watch the river activity from the
balcony. Day Two: After breakfast, go shopping in the local market or just relax over a
cup of Vietnamese coffee from one of the many riverside cafes before departing on the trip
back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Can Tho & Soc TrangDay One: Experience a pair of ferry crossings over two main branches of the
Mekong River during the drive from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho. After lunch, visit with a
group of Vietnamese college students at Can Tho University and then sample the wares at a
nearby frozen pineapple cannery. Overnight at the Quoc Te hotel. Day Two: Following breakfast, enjoy the ride to Soc Trang where you'll tour a
Khmer Buddhist Temple and then have lunch prior to the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Can Tho, Ca Mau, Nam Can, & Mui DatDay One: Depart Ho Chi Minh City for a "back to basics" trip deep into
the delta. Stop off for lunch in Can Tho and then continue your journey to Ca Mau. Dinner
and overnight in the Ca Mau Hotel where you can learn the finer points of setting up a
mosquito net. Day Two: Get ready for a memorable boat ride as you navigate the waterways of
southern Vietnam on your way to Nam Can. Your stay at the Nam Can Guest House will
certainly give you a better appreciation for Motel 6; however, the shrimp is fantastic. Day Three: From the rustic environs of Nam Can, hop on a boat for a trip to the
southern most tip of Vietnam, Mui Dat, where you'll pay a visit to a small fishing village
prior to the return boat ride to Nam Can. Day Four: Begin the first leg of your journey back to Ho Chi Minh City with an
overnight in Ca Mau. Spend some afternoon free time collecting your thoughts or reflecting
on what life must have been like here back in the "good old" days. Day Five: Wind up this once in a lifetime adventure with a repeat stopover in
Can Tho for lunch during your return to Ho Chi Minh City.
Can Tho, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Rach Gia, Ha Tien, & Vinh LongDay One: Experience a pair of ferry crossings over two main branches of the
Mekong River during the drive from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho. After lunch, visit with a
group of Vietnamese college students at Can Tho University and then sample the wares at a
nearby frozen pineapple cannery. Overnight at the Quoc Te hotel. Day Two: Breakfast and then depart for Long Xuyen. From there, pay a visit to
Chau Doc where you'll see a temple dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Overnight in the Long
Xuyen Hotel. Day Three: Sit back and leave the driving to us during the trip from Long Xuyen
to Rach Gia. Do some shopping or sightseeing in this port city on the southwest coast of
Vietnam. Day Four: Drive from Rach Gia to the town of Ha Tien, located near the Cambodian
border. Look out toward Phu Quoc Island during a sightseeing tour of the town which
includes stops at a Buddhist temple and a secluded cave. An overnight in Ha Tien may stir
memories of a quaint romantic honeymoon bungalow, then again, maybe not. Day Five: After breakfast, head east for Vinh Long. Upon arrival, and lunch at
the Cuu Long Hotel, take a boat trip on the Mekong and then visit a tropical orchard to
sample some exotic fruit. Return to the Cuu Long hotel for dinner and then go for a walk
around town or simply watch the river activity from the balcony. Day Six: Breakfast and then mount up for the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City (Whew!)
Thu Dau Mot, Lai Khe, Bau Bang, Binh Long, & Soc XiemDay One: Depart Ho Chi Minh City for a short drive out past the Song Be Golf
Course to Tu Dau Mot (Binh Duong). On the way, stop by for some shopping in a pair of
villages which specialize in the production of ceramics and Lacquerware products. Enjoy
lunch at the Binh Duong Floating restaurant (try the Mi Xao Bo) and then drive on toward
Binh Long. You'll be amazed by the perfectly aligned rows of rubber trees which line the
road for miles during this segment of the trip as you pass by the war vestiges of Lai Khe
and the Bau Bang battlefield. Wind up the day with an overnight at the Soc Xiem bungalow
resort. Day Two: After breakfast, visit an ethnic Stieng village. The Stieng are among
the many ethnic minority tribes who inhabit a number of areas throughout Vietnam. Bring
along a camera to record these interesting, and in many ways primitive, people. Head back
for Ho Chi Minh City after lunch.
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