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ADD-ON
Sapa Valley
from only £479
This great pre tour add-on is the ideal pre-tour add on opportunity to explore the hidden depths of Vietnam. Located near the Chinese border and surrounded by Vietnam's highest peak, Fan Si Pan, the Sapa Valley holds a fascinating insight into the lives of the isolated northern communities. The valley has an intricate web of walking trails and we include three guided walks which take you through mountains and picturesque valleys. You will stop at remote villages inhabited by ethnic groups seemingly a world apart with their own lifestyles, costumes, religious customs and language. We also visit some local markets where traditional arts and crafts can be found. Your tour is on a full board basis and begins with a scheduled flight to Hanoi for an overnight stay. The following day you'll enjoy free time in the city. We include a bicycle tour to a village on the outskirts of Hanoi, for an insight into rural life. You'll then board the overnight Victoria Express train to Lao Cai in the Sapa Valley, where you will stay for two nights at the Victoria Sapa Resort, overlooking the valley. Accommodation is traditional chalet-style. Return to Hanoi by overnight train. Your tour will then join the main itinerary (Day 2 onwards). For further information please speak to one of our Holiday Advisors. For departure dates and prices see page 157-158.
15th centuries. Continue to the Marble Mountains and China Beach before arrival in the charming seaport of Hoi An for a three night stay. DAY 7 - Hoi An is a delight a picturesque, ancient riverside town and the most enchanting place on the Vietnamese coast. A morning walking tour of its quaint streets includes the Japanese Covered Bridge, a 200 year old merchant's house, and the 15th century Chuc Thanh Pagoda. Hoi An is a relaxed and beautiful place in which to stroll and explore. In the afternoon there will be a guided bicycle ride into the countryside. DAY 8 - A chance to relax and enjoy the sunshine, the long sandy beaches and the warm waters of the South China Sea. Alternatively, for part of the day you can take the included excursion to the stunning monuments at My Son, a major religious centre in the Champa Kingdom. DAY 9 - Morning transfer to Danang Airport for the flight to Cam Ranh. On arrival you will drive inland to Dalat, passing through spectacular countryside of plantations, villages and mountains to the plateau of the Central Highlands. Dalat nestles amongst mountains, pine-clad hillsides, lakes and forests. The cool mountain climate and tranquil beauty attracted the French who built their holiday villas on the hillsides. DAY 10 - This morning you will visit the town's bustling market. The cool climate produces fresh vegetables and fruit that are rarely found in a tropical country. The market is an ideal place to encounter some of the ethnic minorities who come to sell their produce. Their distinctive traditional dress adds yet another splash of colour to an already vibrant scene. A visit will also be made to the summer residence of Vietnam's last emperor, Bao Dai and to Dalat Cathedral before travelling out to the countryside which surrounds Dalat for a leisurely drive. DAY 11 - Morning departure for the drive to Ho Chi Minh City, better known as Saigon. Before descending from the Central Highlands, stops will be made at silk weaving farms and coffee and tea plantations. Saigon is a city of amazing contrasts. Evidence of former French colonisation still remains and this combined with the culture of the predominantly Buddhist population and the booming free-market economy makes for a memorable visit.
DAY 12 - Morning included city tour visiting the Presidential Palace, the War Museum and the famous shopping street formerly known as Rue Catinat. We will also pass Notre Dame Cathedral. This afternoon you drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an amazing series of underground passages. These were first constructed in the late 1940s by the peasant army fighting the French but were later extended by the Viet Cong rebels. DAY 13 - Depart Saigon for a fabulous day's journey deep into the Mekong Delta. A reasonable living is made from the fertile marshlands of this remote area, and products include rice, soybean, maize, peanuts and melons. The River Mekong, one of the world's greatest rivers, descends for 3,000 miles from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea, and is constantly busy with sampans, barges and houseboats. You will drive first to Cai Be, on the River Mekong, where you will board a boat to cross the wide river, and then cruise through every shade of green along narrow inlets and canals to a lunch stop at a farmer's house. Visits will be made to local workshops along the way. Very little has changed over the centuries in this part of Vietnam, and everything and everybody has to travel by boat. Continue by boat to Vinh Long, then by public ferry to Can Tho for an overnight stay. DAY 14 - Morning boat trip to the extraordinary floating market at Cai Rang. In contrast to such markets elsewhere, those on the River Mekong are much larger, and are conducted on wider stretches of water. Return to Can Tho to explore this bustling township and important trading post on the busy Mekong. You will see homesteads on stilts, river fishing nets, rickety `monkey' bridges and all the fascinating backdrop to a unique way of life. Afternoon return drive for a final night in Saigon. DAY 15 - Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. DAY 16 - Arrival in the UK.
HOLIDAY REF: LVHTS
ADD-ON
Cambodia
from only £509
We can offer you a choice of exciting add-on tours to nearby Cambodia. Cruise up the River Mekong to Phnom Penh, then fly to Siem Reap, home of the extraordinary Angkor Wat Temple complex.Or you can fly directly to Siem Reap for a two night stay. For full details see pages 52-53
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