FREE TIME - Contiki

Offering alms to
the monks
Itinerary
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City. Start your
Vietnam Discovery in Ho Chi Minh City,
still sometimes called Saigon, a
cosmopolitan city combining
Vietnamese flair with US influences
post Vietnam War, with great places to
eat and drink. Hotel (D)
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City to Nha
Trang. Spend the first half of your day
seeing the landmarks of this bustling
city with museums on the history of
The Vietnam War. Pick up produce,
fabrics and handicrafts in the famous
Ben Thanh markets. Enjoy some free
time this afternoon before your flight to
Nha Trang. Hotel (B)
Day 3: Nha Trang. Take the pace of
your trip down a notch and enjoy this
waterside resort town while soaking up
the rays and swimming in the warm
waters. Do your own thing or you could
bliss out with a mineral hot spring mud
bath or a full day snorkelling cruise to
offshore islands. Hotel (B)
Day 4: Nha Trang to Hoi An. Fly to
Danang and travel down to the UNESCO
World Heritage listed Hoi An. Join a
walking tour through the Old Quarter,
pagodas and markets before biking the
surrounding countryside. Free time this
afternoon to explore the town’s galleries
and boutiques; perfect for gifts! Hotel (B)
Day 5: Hoi An. Enjoy another day in this
little historic gem. A former trading port
famous for wooden houses and silk
shops; it is the perfect place to have
clothes tailor-made at tiny prices. Meet
the locals by taking an option to spend a
day working with village farmers. Hotel (B)
Day 6: Hoi An to Hue. There’s
stunning coastal views while driving
over the “Pass of the Ocean Clouds”
to the former Royal City of Hue. A
dragon boat is your ride to pagodas
with a visit to the Royal Tombs and the
fortified Citadel. This evening perhaps
join an optional cooking class in Hue
Royal cuisine. Hotel (B)
Day 7: Hue to Hanoi. Swap the coast
for the city and fly to Hanoi, the capital
where you’ll find a unique mix of
Vietnamese, Chinese and French
influences and where history and
modernity live side by side. Wind your
way through the narrow streets of the
Old Quarter, sip cappuccinos, the
renowned Vietnamese coffee, in road
side cafes or relax in one of the many
parks or lakes. Hotel (B)
Day 8: Hanoi to Halong Bay. Drive
out from Hanoi to the spectacular
Halong Bay where over 3,000 limestone
islands rise right out from the water.
Board a traditional Junk boat for an
overnight cruise on these World
Heritage listed waters. Take a bamboo
row boat to explore the lagoon, coral
and water tunnels or watch the sunset
on the top of Titov Mountain. Overnight
Junk (B,L,D)
Day 9: Halong Bay to Hanoi. Wake
to a view of sunrise over jade green
waters. View the simple fishing
villages perched on the tiny islands,
swim and relax on the large deck
before enjoying lunch and heading
back to Hanoi. Hotel (B,L)
Day 10: Hanoi to Sapa. Spend the
morning exploring Hanoi before a late
check out. Pack your trekking shoes -
you’re off to the far north near the
Chinese/Vietnamese border via an
overnight train to Lao Cai. Continue on
to Sapa. Overnight Train (B)
Day 11: Sapa Hilltribe Trek. Hiking
from Sapa to the village of the Black
Hmong tribe, local paths provide vistas
of terraced paddy fields, green valleys
and opportunities to meet the locals.
Spend the night in the villages’ stilt
houses. Guesthouse (B,L,D)
Day 12: Sapa to Hanoi. The trek
continues towards Red Dao village and
Giang Ta Chai passing stone carvings at
prehistoric sites. Take lunch by a waterfall
and trek back to Sapa town. Freshen up
at a guesthouse and take an optional
dinner before jumping aboard the night
train to Hanoi. Overnight Train (B,L)
Day 13: Hanoi. There’s an early
morning arrival into Hanoi where the
tour ends and it’s time to say farewell
to your Contiki crew.
Refer to contiki.co.nz/
vietnamdiscovery
BURMA
2009
Places visited
LAOS
1 or more nightstops
MALAYSIA
CODE: VIDI 2009/10
Start End NZ$ Per
Ho Chi Hanoi Person
Minh
MAR 4 MAR 16 2159
MAR 18 MAR 30 2159
APR 2 APR 14 2159
APR 16 APR 28 2159
MAY 6 MAY 18 2159
MAY 20 JUN 1 2159
JUN 2 JUN 14 2159
JUN 18 JUN 30 2159
JUN 24 JUL 6 2159
JUL 8 JUL 20 2159
JUL 15 JUL 27 2159
JUL 22 AUG 3 2159
JUL 29 AUG 10 2159
AUG 5 AUG 17 2159
AUG 12 AUG 24 2159
AUG 20 SEP 1 2159
AUG 23 SEP 4 2159
SEP 2 SEP 14 2159
SEP 9 SEP 21 2159
SEP 13 SEP 25 2159
NOV 15 NOV 27 2265
NOV 18 NOV 30 2265
NOV 25 DEC 7 2265
DEC 6 DEC 18 2265
DEC 16 DEC 28 2265
Sapa
THAILAND
2009
2010
VIETNAM
Hanoi
CAMBODIA
Start End NZ$ Per
Ho Chi Hanoi Person
Minh
DEC 23 JAN 4 2265
DEC 30 JAN 11 2265
JAN 6 JAN 18 2375
JAN 13 JAN 25 2375
JAN 17 JAN 29 2375
JAN 20 FEB 1 2375
JAN 27 FEB 8 2375
FEB 3 FEB 15 2375
FEB 7 FEB 19 2375
FEB 10 FEB 22 2375
FEB 18 MAR 2 2375
FEB 24 MAR 8 2375
FEB 28 MAR 12 2375
MAR 3 MAR 15 2375
MAR 10 MAR 22 2375
MAR 17 MAR 29 2375
MAR 21 APR 2 2375
MAR 24 APR 5 2375
MAR 31 APR 12 2375
APR 7 APR 19 2375
APR 11 APR 23 2375
APR 14 APR 26 2375
APR 22 MAY 4 2375
APR 28 MAY 10 2375
MAY 2 MAY 14 2375
Ho Chi
Minh City
2010
Halong
Bay
Da Nang
Hue
Nha Trang
Hoi An
South China Sea
Start End NZ$ Per
Ho Chi Hanoi Person
Minh
MAY 5 MAY 17 2375
MAY 12 MAY 24 2375
MAY 19 MAY 31 2375
MAY 23 JUN 4 2375
MAY 26 JUN 7 2375
† On Day 1, your Tour Manager
will collect a mandatory local
payment of US$175 cash.
Single room supplement:
NZ$825.
Start 6:00pm & end
approx. 8:00am.
For Travel Insurance see p.22
EARLY
PAYMENT
DISCOUNT
6 MONTH DISCOUNT
SAVE UP TO NZ$109
4 MONTH DISCOUNT
SAVE UP TO NZ$55
SEE PAGE 19
Halong Bay
13 Days
11