LUXURY VIETNAM UNVEILED

We continue through District One to buildings at the end of Nguyen Hue Street which have seen over 300 years of Saigon history. An unseen Hindu Temple is next, before visiting the Reunification Palace; an interesting, eerie place where time stopped on 30^th April, 1975. Le Duan Boulevard and its post office are also here and are filled with interesting stories. Across the street is the magnificent ‘Our Lady’, the cathedral of Notre Dame where you can learn about the role of religion in Vietnamese Society.

Visit Dong Khoi, or 'People's Revolution' Street where the iconic photograph was taken of the helicopter lifting people out during the 'Fall of Saigon’. Visit a rare Cham Muslim mosque in Dong Du Street and learn about the “Dong Gu” movement that the street is named after. Head to downtown Saigon next and hop on the ferry. District 5 is Saigon’s Chinatown area and is filled with interesting sights. Stroll the vibrant markets and shops and pay a visit to the colorful Cai Dai Temple and the Silversmith Guild Hall. After this, go to the Francis Xavier church, where the Ngo brothers hid out during a coup against them.

Our last stop is the Chinese Community Spirit House, dedicated to the goddess Thien Hau, goddess of sea travelers. Release birds here in a symbolic gesture which reflects one of the Spirit House instructions of 'Universal Salvation to All Creatures'.  Take lunch at ‘Com Nieu Sai Gon’ and see waiters throw the clay rice pots around.

In the afternoon, walk to the unseen oldest quarter of the city. At Le Cong Kieu, (Antiques Street) you will find a range of antiques real and fake, as well as military items from the war and even relics of French occupation.

Continue to the Beaux Arts Museum, home to various modern arts. Stroll around the nearby galleries where you can see local artists exhibiting their works. Dinner will be cooked by a host family at a private home in the suburbs of Ho Chi Minh City. This is a great way to learn more about the city. Your guide escort here will be a local student, who will be pleased to tell you about life in Ho Chi Minh.

Return to Ho Chi Minh City and transfer to the airport for your flight to Danang. From here it’s a 30 minute drive to Hoi An, a 17th century trading port which has changed little over the years and retains its original architecture and relaxed feel.

Walk around the old town center to its colorful market, past the houses which were originally home to merchants of this port town, and see its unique 400 year old Japanese Covered Bridge. The old tiny shop houses around here sell a range of craft and handmade goods, including clothes at some of Asia’s best-value tailors.

Next, explore the ruins of the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled 1200 years ago. You’ll then join Buddhist monks for lunch at a pagoda; a chance to learn more about Buddhism in Vietnam.

The ‘royal cuisine’ of Hue is widely regarded as the best in the country. It originated during the time of the Nguyen Dynasty, where the royals had very particular taste and preferences for their meals.

Dine tonight at the private ‘garden house’ where you’ll get the chance to try this cuisine shaped by the rulers hundreds of years ago. Receive a traditional Vietnamese welcome and let the lady of the house prepare a fabulous meal, which will be served in the private garden.

Have lunch at a restored colonial villa, before going on an insider’s tour of the Long Bien Bridge. This bridge was built in 1902 and designed by Sir Gustave Eiffel. 

In the afternoon, go to one of the oldest Buddhist pagodas in Hanoi at West Lake, set in the Than Nhien causeway. We’ll also pay a visit to the nearby temple of Quan Thanh, a Taoist temple dating back to the Ly Dynasty.

Dinner this evening is at one of Hanoi’s best restaurants.

Arrive at Halong City in the late morning and board a traditional wooden junk for an overnight journey into the bay. Sail past a variety of rock formations, many named after their resemblance to things (Sail, Dog, and Incense Pot), then weigh anchor as the sun begins to set over the bay and enjoy a relaxed dinner before settling down for the night.

After lunch, continue to Mia Pagoda with its interesting array of 287 different statues, including the Buddha and the ‘Eight Vajra Deities’. Next are two temples dedicated to the national heroes Phung Hung and Ngo Quyen. After this we’ll head to Tay Phuong Pagoda, which offers unique sculptures, beautiful architecture, and magnificent dragons and demons carved into the wooden roof. From here we’ll go back to Hanoi. Tonight you’ll dine at the home of a true Hanoian whose Grandmother used to cook for the French elite in the 1930’s.