FREE TIME - Contiki

Traditional stilt houses
Itinerary
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City. Start your
Vietnam Explorer 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
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City to
Mekong Delta. It’s a 2 day journey
into the Mekong Delta. After
experiencing the Cai Be floating
markets, lunch at a local home then bike
ride the rural area looking at local
industries. Meet your home stay family,
and get to experience Vietnamese life
first-hand, enjoying a meal with them this
evening. Homestay (B,L,D)
Day 3: Mekong Delta to Ho Chi
Minh City. Rise early, as the village
awakes and see the morning life of
rural Vietnam. Returning to the host
family for breakfast we bid farewell and
continue our cruise of the Mekong with
some local stops before returning to
Ho Chi Minh City. Hotel (B,D)
Day 4: 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. Enjoy some free time
this afternoon before your flight to Nha
Trang. Hotel (B)
Day 5: 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 6: 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 7: 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 8: 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 why not
join an optional cooking class in Hue
Royal cuisine. Hotel (B)
Day 9: 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, try the renowned
Vietnamese coffee at one of the
roadside cafes, or relax in one of the
many parks or lakes. Hotel (B)
Day 10: 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 11: 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 12: 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 13: 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 village’s stilt
houses. Guesthouse (B,L,D)
Day 14: 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 15: 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/
vietnamexplorer
BURMA
2009
Places visited
1 or more nightstops
Hmong Tribeswomen
CODE: VIEX 2009/10
LAOS
MALAYSIA
Start End NZ$ Per
Ho Chi Hanoi Person
Minh
MAR 2 MAR 16 2359
MAR 16 MAR 30 2359
MAR 31 APR 14 2359
APR 14 APR 28 2359
MAY 4 MAY 18 2359
MAY 18 JUN 1 2359
MAY 31 JUN 14 2359
JUN 16 JUN 30 2359
JUN 22 JUL 6 2359
JUL 6 JUL 20 2359
JUL 13 JUL 27 2359
JUL 20 AUG 3 2359
JUL 27 AUG 10 2359
AUG 3 AUG 17 2359
AUG 10 AUG 24 2359
AUG 18 SEP 1 2359
AUG 21 SEP 4 2359
AUG 31 SEP 14 2359
SEP 7 SEP 21 2359
SEP 11 SEP 25 2359
NOV 13 NOV 27 2475
NOV 16 NOV 30 2475
NOV 23 DEC 7 2475
DEC 4 DEC 18 2475
DEC 14 DEC 28 2475
2009
2010
Sapa
THAILAND
VIETNAM
Hanoi
CAMBODIA
Start End NZ$ Per
Ho Chi Hanoi Person
Minh
DEC 21 JAN 4 2475
DEC 28 JAN 11 2475
JAN 4 JAN 18 2595
JAN 11 JAN 25 2595
JAN 15 JAN 29 2595
JAN 18 FEB 1 2595
JAN 25 FEB 8 2595
FEB 1 FEB 15 2595
FEB 5 FEB 19 2595
FEB 8 FEB 22 2595
FEB 16 FEB 2 2595
FEB 22 MAR 8 2595
FEB 26 MAR 12 2595
MAR 1 MAR 15 2595
MAR 8 MAR 22 2595
MAR 15 MAR 29 2595
MAR 19 APR 2 2595
MAR 22 APR 5 2595
MAR 29 APR 12 2595
APR 5 APR 19 2595
APR 9 APR 23 2595
APR 12 APR 26 2595
APR 20 MAY 4 2595
APR 26 MAY 10 2595
APR 30 MAY 14 2595
Mekong
Delta
2010
Halong
Bay
Da Nang
Hue
Nha Trang
Ho Chi
Minh City
Hoi An
South China Sea
Start End NZ$ Per
Ho Chi Hanoi Person
Minh
MAY 3 MAY 17 2595
MAY 10 MAY 24 2595
MAY 17 MAY 31 2595
MAY 21 JUN 4 2595
MAY 24 JUN 7 2595
MAY 31 JUN 14 2595
† On Day 1, your Tour Manager
will collect a mandatory local
payment of US$200 cash.
Single room supplement:
NZ$915.
Start 6:00pm & end
approx. 8:00am.
For Travel Insurance see p.22
EARLY
PAYMENT
DISCOUNT
6 MONTH DISCOUNT
SAVE UP TO NZ$119
4 MONTH DISCOUNT
SAVE UP TO NZ$59
SEE PAGE 19
15 Days
9