Vietnam

Starting Price:	$3,419.00
Trip Length:	11 days
Includes airfare allowance from New York

Interests:

Kayaking/Rafting

Kayaking Halong Bay

Halong Bay

Sunrise on the Mekong

Hanoi with a Halong Bay Kayak Tour and the Mekong Delta

Description Pricing Itinerary Hotels

After touring Hanoi and its surroundings, set out on a traditional sailing junk to cruise the waters of Halong Bay. From your boat you will have numerous opportunities each day to kayak through the hidden beaches, caves and limestone cliffs and even enjoy some night paddles. Once you’ve had your fill in the Bay, get lost in the Mekong Delta. Here you will enjoy a few mesmerizing days of exploring the canals, visiting floating fishing villages and experiencing this unique way of life.

Kayaking upon the sapphire waters of Halong Bay provides one of the most intimate ways to experience this national treasure. Setting out into the bay onboard a traditional sailing junk, on which you will also spend the night, you will have many opportunities to disembark with your own individual kayak for further exploration. Paddle through the limestone karst formations, along beaches and past beautiful grottoes and caves for a mind dazzling tour of this scenic area.

A trip to the Mekong Delta will expose you to the flurry of activity and commerce among its waters, which are interspersed with seemingly endless rice fields, colorful floating markets and isolated villages accessed only by boat. Annexed from Cambodia by the invading Vietnamese in the 17th Century, the Delta remains home to descendants of the former Khmer Empire and the region is scattered with a working collection of temples and resident Buddhists that continue to use the Khmer language as their mother tongue.

This trip can be customized to fit your individual travel dates and any specific requests you may have. Your travel consultant will prepare a customized itinerary for you. We offer a choice of 3 star, 4 star, 5 star and Deluxe hotels where available. The Deluxe option is only available in Hanoi. In the other locations, we include the best available hotels due to limited options.

This tour includes airfare allowance from New York, on non-holiday dates. You do not need to fly via New York; Yampu will fly you the most direct way to your city of destination. Depending on your travel dates and proximity of travel, we will quote you the most economical surcharge from your city or country of origin.

Additional information on this trip:

Days of Week the Trip can Start:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Visited Cities:
Hanoi, Can Tho, Chau Doc

Day 1

Overnight international flight to Hanoi

Day 2

Upon arrival in Hanoi, airport reception and transfer to your hotel in a private vehicle. Depending on your arrival time, spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Day 3

Morning tour of the Ho Chi Minh Complex with your private guide. Visit Ba Dinh Square, where silent sentries guard the marble and granite mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies in state. See the simple cottage where Uncle Ho lived and worked and visit the nearby Ho Chi Minh Museum – an extraordinary tribute to the life of the “father of the country.” Carry on to the Governor’s Residence, a fine example of Hanoi’s French architecture, followed by a stop at the One Pillar Pagoda to hear the legend of its construction.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant followed by a private afternoon tour of the Hanoi City highlights. Orient yourself to the tree lined streets on your way to the Opera house and pass by Hoan Kiem Lake en route to one of the city’s fascinating museums of your choice – the Military, History or Fine Arts Museum. Continue to the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, for a quick escape from the busy streets. Afterwards, enjoy a private guided walking tour of the Ancient Quarter, also known as the 36 Streets District, where you will find a nice mix of ancient homes, temples and small shops.

Day 4

Morning excursion outside of Hanoi City for a trip to the surrounding countryside with your private guide. Rich in Buddhism, the north of Vietnam is home to the country's most colourful and revered pagodas and temples. The Thay Pagoda (Master's pagoda) is located 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of Hanoi. While a temple is a place to worship the dead, a pagoda is a place to worship the Lord Buddha. Thay Pagoda is widely known for its finely carved statues in lacquer and gold of Buddha in his past and present form and for its colourful Buddhist ceremonies performed here during auspicious dates of the Lunar calendar.

Only 6 kilometres (4 miles) away lies Tay Phuong Pagoda, situated at the top of a small hillock. Built in 1794 the pagoda is famous for its vast display of finely carved wooden statues of former monks from the 18th Century. Afterwards, return to Hanoi to enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 5

Depart Hanoi for a 3.5 hour overland transfer directly to Halong. Upon arrival, you will embark on a boat for an exploration of the legendary Halong Bay. Along the trip you will be given kayak orientation and instruction in paddling technique. Shortly after, begin your first kayaking experience to discover the limestone karst formations which are littered with beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. At the end of the afternoon, return to the boat for relaxation and dinner. For those with a kayaking fervor, a night paddle is an option.

Day 6

The views of sailing junks navigating past over 3,000 limestone islands and outcrops jutting out of the clear and emerald waters of the bay are nothing short of spectacular. After breakfast on board, make your way to another island where the boat will anchor, so you can embark on a second paddle. Rowing around this island is a great way to explore rock formations, caves and many secluded lagoons. In the late morning, regroup at the boat for lunch. Upon leaving the area, you will venture toward the south shore of Cat Ba Island. Once here, continue kayaking at your own pace, past the scenic landscape of limestone islets and beaches. Overnight onboard.

Day 7

Today, spend a couple of hours paddling to discover some caves and lagoons on the northern coast of Cat Ba Island and enjoy your last swimming opportunity. Afterwards, return to the boat for a two hour cruise to Halong Pier. Disembark for your return transfer to Hanoi for check in at your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 8

Early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, airport reception and transfer approximately 3 hours, in your private vehicle, to the Mekong River town of Cai Be. Board a motorized sampan for an introduction to life on the river with your private guide.

Cai Be is known for its large floating market, where displays of food produce are hung from the bamboo poles over the host boat in order to attract customers. From here the journey continues across the upper reach of the river to a maze of tributaries and fruit plantations. Barges ply the route, overloaded with rice husks used as fuel for the region’s numerous brick kilns. Depending on the season, a sample of local tropical fruit will be served with lunch in a local farmer’s home before re-joining your craft for the leisurely cruise to Vinh Long. From here, drive and ferry to the Delta’s economic hub city of Can Tho. Check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 9

Early morning cruise with your private guide to Cai Rang, which is a bustling market town. Enjoy a sampan ride through the colorful congestion of women and children jostling for space and vying to sell their goods. Return to Can Tho town to visit their museum and a Khmer pagoda in Can Tho city. After lunch at a local restaurant, depart the town for a visit to the Bang Lang Stork Garden and the Binh Thuy Ancient House. Return to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.

Day 10

Private morning transfer to Chau Doc near the Cambodian border. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant en route and in the afternoon visit Sam Mountain, a popular pilgrimage center for many Vietnamese and home to a collection of ornate and colorful temples and pagodas. Climb or drive to the top of the hill for an unparalleled 360 degree vista of nearby Cambodia.

The Mekong River at this point is decorated with hundreds of floating homes, each a self-contained farm where local families raise and sell fish to passing boats. With your private guide, you will have the opportunity to visit some of them before returning to the hotel in Chau Doc for the evening.

Day 11

Private transfer back to Saigon for your flight home or continue with the Yampu Tours add-on of your choice.

Note: Check out of the hotel is at 12 pm. Late check out may be available directly at the hotel subject to availability. Regardless, you may store your luggage at the hotel until the time that you are ready to leave for the airport.

Suggested Hotels by City and Category *

Hanoi
3-star	La Belle Vie Hotel, or similar
4-star	Movenpick Hotel, or similar
5-star	InterContinental Ha Noi Westlake, or similar
Deluxe	Sofitel Legend Metropole, or similar
Can Tho
3-star	Ninh Kieu 2 Hotel, or similar
4-star	VIctoria CanTho Hotel, or similar
Chau Doc
3-star	Chau Pho Hotel, or similar
4-star	Victoria Chau Doc, or similar

* Subject to confirmation at time of booking

11 days , from $3419

Occupancy Type	3-Star	4-Star	5-Star	Deluxe
Double	$3419	$4136	$4271	$4716
Single	$4766	$6172	$6444	$7673

Prices shown above are per person, in US Dollars ($).

Price Includes:

International airfare from New York to Hanoi and Saigon to New York

Domestic airfare from Hanoi to Saigon

Hotel accommodation including continental or buffet breakfast

Private transfers between airports and hotels with assistance and baggage handling

Private guided tours in English including all entrance fees

Meals where specified (food only)

Bottled water and cool towels provided for transfers and sightseeing

Vietnam government tax and service charge

Local airport taxes that are payable in the country of destination are not included. Taxes and security fees that can be paid at time of ticketing are already included in the quote (if airfare has been included in the quote)

Notes:

Additional supplements may apply between 19 December – 8 January.
For citizens of most countries including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and members of the EU, a valid passport with at least six months validity remaining is required to enter Vietnam. Visitors also require a Vietnamese visa. You may obtain a visa prior to travel through a Vietnamese embassy or consulate. A visa on arrival process has also recently been introduced, but requires a pre-arranged application to the Immigration Department and is generally helpful to nationals of countries without Vietnamese embassies.

Although yellow fever is not a disease risk in Vietnam, the government requires travelers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever virus transmission to present proof of yellow fever vaccination. Besides this, there are no other vaccine requirements, although it is wise to be up to date on your routine inoculations. All travelers should consult their physician or a travel health clinic with plenty of time before their departure date.

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