September 2010 promotion

Tour description

See brochure with pictures

Tour type: group tour
Duration: 16 days

Departure date: 10 September 2010
Tour departure/ end: Hanoi/ Ho Chi Minh City

Highlights: Hanoi, Sapa, Bac Ha hill tribe market, Halong Bay, Hue former capital, Hoi An ancient town, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Cu Chi tunnels, Mekong delta
Group size: max 16 persons

Spend less for the same services as in a private tour. With only US$899, you have a chance to discover our beautiful country in 16 days.
The only thing helps reduce the price is promotional purpose, our target is not profit but introducing, promoting our services, so you can enjoy the high quality services at a low expense. To ensure the quality the number of tourists in group is limited to 16.

Whether you are traveling alone or in a small group, join us in this group tour. Enjoy and share your experience with others in exploring our long country that spreading over 15 latitudes.

Do not hesitate to contact us at tour@tuanlinhtravel.com to ask for more information.

Quotation

Promotion price: USD 899/person

Single supplement: USD 265 (Single room is not applied in trains)

Do not hesitate to contact us at tour@tuanlinhtravel.com to ask for more information.

Important Notes

In this group your companions maybe come from different countries with wide range of age groups. We ask you to have responsibilities to and for the benefit of the group. Please be on time and make sure that no one is waiting for you.

Accommodation:

This tour includes a range of accommodation, such as hotels with different room type or accommodation in overnight trains maybe interspersed, the guide will allocate the rooms at random. Triple room may be applied for the last 3 persons of the same sex.

Transportation:

Free airport pick-up is available for group of 4 persons up. Please inform us your flight arrival details at least 10 days prior to your departure. Transfers requested after this time will be treated as requirement for our air port pick-up service: USD 20 for 4-seat car; USD 25 for 7-seat; USD 30 for 16-seat van.

Our driver will meet you at arrival gate with meeting board showing your name. No refund is available for missed transfers or change the timetable of your flight. Any additional cost incurred in to meet up with your group is at your own expense.
Train travel in Vietnam is very basic and not much clean. Sleeper carriage normally have 4 berths in a cabin. A sheet, pillow and blanket are provided. Sometimes, passengers of different genders have to share a cabin with people not in your group.

- We aim to develop local business so there are local drivers as well as tour guides in your trip.

- You may yourself carry your pack on and off trains and buses, up hotel steps, etc.

It is important to recognize that the standard of service in some areas, though improving, is not yet comparable to service standards in developed destinations.

Although we book all the services in advance, service supply sometimes overbook so a flexible and amicable approach from travelers is necessary and highly appreciated.

Some changes may occur in our itineraries due to inclement weather in Vietnam.

Meals:
To give you the maximum flexibility in choosing what, where and whom to eat with, not all meals are included in the itinerary. Your guide will suggest favorite restaurants during your trip.

Simple food is available on the train but tourists like to buy their food and water prior to departure.

Payment, tipping:

- Deposit 30% of total amount is required after confirmation of the booking (in which USD 200 is non-refundable for administration costs), the balance pay on arrival.

- Cancellation policy:

Cancellation should be made as soon as possible in writing via email, fax. The date on which the cancellation notice is received by us will determine the following cancellation fees (per person, per trip):

Before 10 July 2010: no charge

From 11 July to 10 August 2010: 30% of total amount

From 11 August to 02 September 2010: 50% of total amount

After 3 September 2010 or NO-SHOW: 100% of total amount

All the fees for money transfer and refund will be charged to customers.

- There is no refund if you choose not to participate in the included activities on our itinerary.

- If you are happy with the services provided a tip is highly appreciated. You should give the tip directly to the intended recipient: drivers, guides, porters, ...

Check list:

Travel documents: passport, visas, travel insurance certificate, air tickets.
- Cash, credit card and money pouch.
- Day pack to carry your personal needs during the day.
- Travel adapter.
- Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses.
- Comfortable walking shoes.
- Insect repellent.

Although our tour is not hard, you need to be in good health to join the group travel experience. If tourists are unable to follow the itinerary without undue risk to themselves and/or the rest of the group, we keep the right to exclude them from the trip without refund. So you should study the itinerary thoroughly and self-assess your physical ability to complete the trip.

Do not hesitate to contact us at tour@tuanlinhtravel.com to ask for more information.

Itinerary

See brochure with pictures

Brief itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi - tour departure

Day 2: Hanoi City tour - Lao Cai

Day 3: Lao Cai – Bac Ha Market – Sapa

Day 4: Sapa Trekking - Hanoi

Day 5: Hanoi - Halong Bay

Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hue

Day 7: Hue

Day 8: Hue – Da Nang - Hoi An

Day 9: Hoi An walking tour

Day 10: Hoi An - Quy Nhon

Day 11: Quy Nhon - Nha Trang

Day 12: Nha Trang – Da Lat

Day 13: Da Lat - Ho Chi Minh City

Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta

Day 15: Cu Chi Tunnels - Ho Chi Minh City

Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City - tour end
Detail itinerary:
Day 1 (Fri): Hanoi (D)
Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, is a stylish and gracious city which retains a unique old world charm and some Asia's most striking colonial architecture. There are many lakes and parks make for relaxing atmosphere.

You can arrive at any time today as there are no activities planned but the welcome meeting. Your guide will leave a note at reception telling you about the meeting. Please ask the receptionist for this information. After the meeting there will be an optional group dinner.

Overnight at Luxor hotel in Hanoi.
Day 2 (Sat): Hanoi City tour - Lao Cai (B, L)
After breakfast, we check out. And at about 8:30, start the full day city tour including Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, One-Pillar Pagoda, and Uncle Ho’s stilt house. Then continue with the Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the oldest ones in Vietnam. In the afternoon we visit the Temple of Literature and a walking tour to visit the Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi's vibrant Old Quarter. In the late afternoon enjoy a Water Puppet show, before having dinner and transfer to the train station to get on the train to Lao Cai.
Overnight on train to Sapa.
Day 3 (Sun): Lao Cai – Bac Ha Market – Sapa (B, L)
We are welcomed by a local guide at Lao Cai train station and transferred by bus to Bac Ha Market. This market attracts a wide variety of ethnic minority groups including the variegated H'mong, Dao, Phula, Lachi and Tay. They still retain their old cultural traditions and are recognizably distinct from each other by their clothes. The experience of this congregation is colorful and unique. After visiting the market, we enjoy a walk around the area, visiting the H’mong King's former residence and Ban Pho where the villagers make the potent local maize alcohol.
Late afternoon, we drive to Sapa, a town in the middle of the clouds.
Overnight at Bamboo Sapa hotel.
Day 4 (Mon): Sapa Trekking - Hanoi (B, L)
Breakfast then start walking down to the South-west of Sapa (around 4 km) to visit Cat Cat village of the Black H’mong. Relax at the foot of the stunning waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station that was constructed by the French during the colonial time in Vietnam. Enjoy picnic lunch by the side of the river, and then next 6 km to Sin Chai, the village located at the foot of Fansipan Mountain, “the roof of Indochina”. From here you can enjoy stunning landscapes before climbing up on the way back to Sapa. Late afternoon, transfer to Lao Cai station for dinner and the night train back to Hanoi.
Overnight on the train to Hanoi.
Day 5 (Tue): Hanoi - Halong Bay (B, L, D)
Arrive in Hanoi in the early morning. Have a light breakfast with Vietnamese food then transfer to Halong Bay. On arrival, we embark on a boat for five hours cruise to explore the legendary Halong Bay. Views of the junk navigating past over 3,000 limestone islands and islets jutting out of the clear and emerald water of the bay are sort of spectacular. These limestone karst formations are littered with beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. Along the way we will anchor for a leisurely swim in a secluded cove and an enjoyable visit to one of the many hidden grottoes beneath towering cliffs.
Overnight on board.
Day 6 (Wed): Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hue (Brunch)
Early risers can enjoy a morning swim in a quiet firth. Have a light breakfast and continue enjoy the cruise until time for a brunch at about 9:30- 10:00. Check out and get on land, pick up and drive back Hanoi. Have dinner then take the night train to Hue at 19:00.
Overnight on train to Hue.
Day 7 (Thu): Hue (B, L)
Arrive in Hue at around 8:00 AM. Following a light breakfast with Hue’s specialty - beef rice vermicelli (Bun Bo Hue), you have a tour of Hue and the surrounding area to visit to the old Imperial Citadel, the Royal Fine Arts Museum, the Dong Ba markets, the Royal Tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh.
Overnight at Hue Heritage hotel.
Day 8 (Fri): Hue – Da Nang - Hoi An (B)
After breakfast transfer to Da Nang via the Hai Van Pass and through the picturesque fishing village of Lang Co. On arrival visit the Cham Museum and Marble Mountain (Ngu Hanh Son or the Mounts of Five Elements). Continue toward the riverside town of Hoi An, which was an important trading port during the 17th and 18th centuries and which nowadays, is officially listed as a world heritage site. Check into the hotel and have free time.

Overnight at Pho Hoi Riverside Resort.
Day 9 (Sat): Hoi An walking tour (B)
Breakfast at hotel. Then start a walking tour at 8:00 AM to visit the old structures of Hoi An ancient town: Japanese bridge, Tan Ky House, the Historical Museum and the Assembly Hall of the Fujian Chinese Congregation. Afternoon is free for relaxation. You can have a swim at nearby Cua Dai Beach, browse for souvenirs or hire a bicycle to ride on the beach or to nearby peaceful villages.
Overnight at Pho Hoi Riverside Resort.
Day 10 (Sun): Hoi An - Quy Nhon (B, L)
Continue your journey through Sa Huynh to Qui Nhon. Along of course create several photo stops and visit My Lai – an American War relic site. Quy Nhon is one of the busiest ports of Vietnam during the Vietnam War and an important strategic link. During the afternoon you arrive at your hotel on the beach in Qui Nhon.
Overnight at hotel in Sea Gull hotel.
Day 11 (Mon): Quy Nhon - Nha Trang (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel. At about 8:00, we start driving toward Nha Trang, along High Way No.1. Enjoy the peaceful life of the local people on sides of the road. Nha Trang city, a small city on the south central coastline of Vietnam, is a famous beach city of Vietnam. Travelers like to travel to Nha Trang, not because of its beach, but also by its historical relics from Cham civilization represented as Po Nagar tower, a sacred Hindu site dating back to the 7th century, Stone Church built in French colony time, to Long Son Pagoda - Buddhist pagoda built in commemoration of the monks and nuns who died whilst fighting the Diem Government. These sites are included in the tour this afternoon.
Overnight at The Light hotel in Nha Trang.
Day 12 (Tue): Nha Trang – Da Lat (B, L)
Depart Nha Trang for Da Lat in the morning. Upon arrival, you will first visit Prenn waterfalls about 10km away from Da Lat on the way, then Tuyen Lam Reservoir, Truc Lam grandiose temple. Have lunch, and then take the horse cart round the hilly roads of Da Lat to the graceful Xuan Huong Lake in the centre of the city. In the evening, if you like to hike around, remember that coffee and cake in Da Lat are some of the best in Vietnam and easily to be found in any fine cafe.
Overnight at Vietso Petro hotel in Da Lat.
Day 13 (Wed): Da Lat - Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)
Departing Da Lat this morning, you head back down to sea level and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). It is around an 8-hour drive but it will be broken up with stops at some of the tea and coffee plantations and lunch at Dambri Falls. Arrival in Saigon will be late afternoon.
Overnight at Sapphire hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 14 (Thu): Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta (B, L)
Breakfast at your hotel. Drive to Tien Giang, one of the provinces of Mekong Delta. Arrive in My Tho City. Take a boat ride to visit Con Phung Island full of tropical fruit gardens. Enjoy the fruit and Mekong folk songs performed by local artists. Then visit the most ancient pagoda in Mekong Delta - Vinh Trang. Have lunch at Trung Luong restaurant with unique Elephant-Ear fish. Visit Dong Tam Snake Farm. Drive back to Saigon.
Overnight at Sapphire hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 15 (Fri): Cu Chi Tunnels - Ho Chi Minh City (B)
In the morning, drive north to Cu Chi where locates an admirable tunnel system left from the War against American troops. The Vietnamese guerillas made this to create sudden attacks to enemy and gained many advantages. Return to Ho Chi Minh City before noon.
In the afternoon, you are free to discover the city with many other interesting places of interests such as the Reunification Palace, Nothedam Cathedral, the War Remnants Museum, History Museum as well as the Ben Thanh Market for shopping.
Overnight at Sapphire hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 16 (Sat): Ho Chi Minh City – departure (B)
End tour. Free time until your flight out of Vietnam.

Do not hesitate to contact us at tour@tuanlinhtravel.com to ask for more information.

Services

Inclusions:
• Accommodation at selected hotels (or similar standard), basing on twin sharing room (people of the same sex), with bed and breakfast. Overnight on board in Halong Bay, sharing 4–berth cabin on trains.
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary. B: breakfast (15), L: lunch (11) and D: dinner (2).
• Private transfer with 29-seat bus for group up to 15 persons, 16-seat for group up to 7.

• Boat trip in Halong Bay and Mekong Delta.

• Free airport pickup for group from 4 persons.

• Local English speaking guide during your trip.

• Entrance fee at sight-seeing places, boat trip in Halong Bay and Mekong Delta.
• 1 bottle of mineral water and cool tissue per person per day.
Exclusions:
• International flight and airport departure tax.

• Travel insurance.

• Visa arrangement.
• Airport transfer.

• Bank transfer fee.
• Personal expenses: tips, telephone, beverage, laundry ...

• Others not mentioned in the inclusions.

Do not hesitate to contact us at tour@tuanlinhtravel.com to ask for more information.