Download PDF - Cox & Kings

Luxury EscapadesPrivateJourneyHighlightsmerchants’ houses, the 400 year-old JapaneseCovered Bridge, a Chinese communal hall and thecolorful market. Nam Hai Resort (One BedroomVilla) - 2 nights (B)Day 6: Hoi AnToday is free to relax and explore this preservedmerchant town on your own. (B)Option: Half day excursion to Tra Que villagefor a cooking class. Depart to the center of HoiAn and enjoy a bicycle ride to a local farm inTra Que village. Spend the morning working withthe villagers. Participate in gardening activitiesincluding raking, sowing, watering and pickinggreens. Cook together and then have a traditionallunch with the family.Day 7: To HuéYour journey takes you along the coast to Hué,the former imperial capital of Vietnam and now aUNESCO World Heritage Site. The scenic routepasses through Danang where you will visit theopen air Cham Museum. This small museumdisplays an array of artifacts from the Hindukingdom of Champa. Continue your journey overthe spectacular Hai Van pass (meaning pass ofthe ocean clouds) and then continuing down tothe picturesque fishing village of Lang Co.On arrival in Hué, check into your hotel.In the afternoon, visit the mausoleum of formerEmperor Tu Duc with its tranquil and beautifulsetting of gardens and lakes followed by theelaborate European-influenced mausoleum ofEmperor Khai Dinh. La Residence (Deluxe RiverView) - 2 nights (B)Day 8: HuéIn the morning, enjoy a leisurely cruise on thePerfume River. Visit the iconic Thien Mu Pagodathat has become Hué’s most widely recognisedmonument. Relive the grandeur of the ImperialCitadel, where the Nguyen Dynasty ruledbetween 1802 and 1945. Afterwards, take acyclo through the ‘Old City’ to Tinh Tam Lakewhere the emperors used to come to relax. Visitwww.coxandkings.comthe Dong Ba market for some great bargains. Theafternoon is at leisure. (B)Option: Half day visit to Sinh village. The traditionalwoodblock printing village of Sinh lies along thelower section of the Perfume River overlookingtemples and pagodas. Visit family homes in thevillage where this craft has been practiced forgenerations and get a chance to meet the artisansand learn more about their age-old techniques.Day 9: SaigonMorning flight to Saigon. Check into your hotel.Later, depart for a full day city tour. Head toCholon, the city’s Chinatown district; visit theCantonese Thien Hau Pagoda, dedicated to thegoddess of the sea and Vietnam’s first traditionalmedicine museum, the FITO Museum. Headback to the city center to visit Ben Thanh Marketwhere an incredible display of fresh produceis offered.In the afternoon you can either visit the WarRemnants or History Museum and the formerPresidential Palace. Then take a leisurely strollto the major sights of colonial Saigon includingthe Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street(formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel, OperaHouse and City Hall. Park Hyatt Hotel (Parkroom) – 3 nights (B)Day 10: Saigon – Cao Dai Tay Ninh – Cu ChiTunnels – SaigonThis morning, drive through typical southernVietnamese countryside to Tay Ninh Province.Visit the Cao Dai Great Temple where thefollowers of this religion practice a unique religiousblend of all the major faiths of the world. Afterlunch in a local restaurant, visit the famous CuChi Tunnels, an incredible underground tunnelnetwork constructed by Vietnamese resistancefighters (Viet Cong). (B, L)Note: As an option, and with prior notice, we canarrange ‘Uncle Nam’ as a guide. Uncle Nam livedand fought in the Cu Chi tunnels for 12 years andhis tours are an insightful, first-hand account ofthe era.• Water puppet show in Hanoi• Cruise the emeraldwaters of Halong Bay ona traditional wooden boat• Explore picturesque Hoi An• Boat excursion up thePerfume River to ThienMu Pagoda• Visit the amazing complexof underground tunnelsat Cu Chi• River cruise on theMekong DeltaOptionals• Visit Tra Que VegetableVillage in Hoi An• Explore the traditionalwoodblock printingvillage of Sinh in HuéNote: Please contact your tourconsultant for further details.Day 11: Saigon – Mekong Delta – SaigonAn early morning departure takes you to CaiBe, deep in the heart of the Mekong Delta.Embark on your private deluxe junk boat, theCai Be Princess or Mekong Queen, and cruiseto the colorful Cai Be floating market. Yourtour continues with a visit to a local homefactory which produces rice paste, rice popcornand coconut candies. Continue cruising to theevergreen islands, located in the Mekong River.Enjoy a relaxing lunch in a local restaurant beforecruising to Dong Hoa Hiep and An Binh islands.Disembark at Cai Be pier and return to Saigonlate in the afternoon. (B, L)Day 12: Depart SaigonToday you will be transferred to Tan Son NhatAirport for your international flight. (B)Asia & Pacific 2011 I 59