Washed ashore above the Mekong Delta, some 40km north of the South China Sea, HO CHI MINH CITY is a city on the march, a boomtown where the rule of the dollar is absolute. Fuelled by the sweeping economic changes wrought by doi moi, this effervescent city, perched on the west bank of the Saigon River, now boasts fine restaurants, immaculate hotels, and glitzy bars among its colonial villas, venerable pagodas and austere, Soviet-style housing-blocks. Sadly, Ho Chi Minh City is also full to bursting with people for whom progress hasn't yet translated into food, lodgings and employment, so begging, stealing and prostitution are all facts of life here. Petty crime has increased dramatically in the last few years, particularly bag snatching, and care should be taken at all times with personal belongings whilst walking the streets, or travelling on cyclos and motorbikes – especially after dark and around tourist nightspots.
Ho Chi Minh City started life as a fishing village known as Prei Nokor and, during the Angkor period (until the fifteenth century), it flourished as an entrepôt for Cambodian boats pushing down the Mekong River. By the seventeenth century it boasted a Khmer garrison and a community of Malay, Indian and Chinese traders. During the eighteenth century, Hué's Nguyen dynasty ousted the Khmers, renamed Prei Nokor Saigon, and established a temporary capital here between 1772 and 1802, after which the Emperor Gia Long used it as his regional administrative centre. The French seized Saigon in 1861, and a year later the Treaty of Saigon declared the city the capital of French Cochinchina. They set about a huge public works programme, building roads and draining marshlands, but ruled harshly. After a thirty-year war against the French, Saigon was finally designated the capital of the Republic of South Vietnam by President Diem in 1955, soon becoming both the nerve-centre of the American war effort, and its R&R capital, with a slough of sleazy bars catering to GIs on leave of duty. The American troops withdrew in 1973, and two years later the Ho Chi Minh Campaign rolled through the gates of the presidential palace and the communists were in control. Within a year, Saigon had been renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 1 - Arrive Hanoi (D)
Welcome to Hanoi! You will be met at the airport for transfer to your Hotel in Hanoi. The rest of the day is free. Renowned as the "Paris of the East", Hanoi is one of the Asia's most fascinating cities. Rich in culture and history, the diverse city draws on its influences from both French and Chinese culture. In the evening, join your tour guide and fellow travelers for dinner before attending a performance of a traditional theater art unique to Vietnam, Water Puppetry.
Day 2 - Hanoi City Tour and Cooking Demonstration at Van Giang Village (B/L)
In the morning, commence your exploration of Hanoi by visiting the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university dating to 1070.
Day 3 - Hanoi - Ha Long Bay (B/L/D)
Depart Hanoi in the morning for the scenic three-hour drive through the countryside to Ha Long Bay.
Day 4 - Ha Long Bay - Hanoi - Hue (Brunch)
Start the day with calming Tai Chi on the Sundeck while complimentary tea and coffee are served.
Day 5 - Discover Hue, The Imperial City (B/L)
In the morning, take a boat ride along the romantic Perfume River.
Day 6 - Hue - Danang - Hoi An (B)
After breakfast at the Hotel, visit the mausoleum of the Emperor Tu Duc (1829-1883) and Khai Dinh (1885-1925)
Day 7 - Hoi An - My Son - Hoi An (B/L)
In the morning, take a half-day excursion to My Son sanctuary.
Day 8 - Hoi An - Danang - Saigon (B/D)
In the morning, transfer to Danang airport for the flight to Saigon.
Day 9 - Saigon - Mekong Delta - Can Tho (B/L)
In the morning, travel overland into the beautiful countryside of the northeastern Makong Delta and Vinh Long Province.
Day 10 - Can Tho - Saigon (B)
After breakfast, cruise some of the narrow and picturesque canals and waterways by small boat.
Classic Category
Hanoi: La Dolce Vita Hotel
Ha Long Bay: Bhaya Cruises
Hue: Huong Giang Hotel
Hoi An: Hoi An Trails Resort
Saigon: Lavander Hotel
Deluxe Category
Hanoi: Melia Hanoi Hotel
Ha Long Bay: Bhaya Cruises
Hue: La Residence Resort & Spa
Hoi An: Palm Garden Resort
Saigon: Caravelle Hotel
Hongkong Land TP
