OPTIONAL TOURS IN SAIGON 2008

OPTION 01: HAFL DAY – HO CHI MINH CITY TOUR (4 hours)

 The tour will start after your breakfast. It offers you a look of Ho Chi Minh City People Comm ittee (also the old French City Hall before 1975). Municipal Theatre was built in 1899. Neo-Roman Notre Dame Cathedral - one of the most splendid and typical of the beautiful French-built churches in Ho Chi Minh city. Beside it is the Municipal Post Office – Saigon’s French-style main post office. The most interesting site is waiting for you is Reunification Palace – a symbol of Saigon old Government before 1975, (also called former President Palace) to learn the sorrowful historic of Vietnam Ideology War from 1954-1975, then drive slowly along a historical boulevard which the impressive buildings as the old US Embassy the Prime Ministerial building and many more, there are like the historical witnesses to the ups and downs, political upheavals of a Nation and its generations. After visiting the Palace of the President, we will go shopping at Ben Thanh market-the central market of the city with a lot of goods and the best place for shopping. End of tour. Back to hotel.

 

OPTION 02 : FULL DAY – HO CHI MINH CITY TOUR (8 hours)

The young and interesting city is ready for your sightseeing. We will start after your breakfast. Driving along the crowded and busy streets with friendly indigenes makes you more exciting. Photo-stop at Neo-Roman Notre Dame Cathedral - one of the most splendid and typical of the beautiful French-built churches in Ho Chi Minh city ; and Municipal Post Office – Saigon’s French-style main post office. Visiting Reunification Palace – a symbol of Saigon old Government before 1975, (also called former President Palace) to learn the sorrowful historic of Vietnam Ideology War from 1954-1975, then driv e slowly along a historical boulevard which the impressive buildings as the old US Embassy the Prime Ministerial building and many more, there are like the historical witnesses to the ups and downs, political upheavals of a Nation and its generations. Have a look at Ho Chi Minh City People Committee (also the old French City Hall before 1975), Municipal Theatre built in 1899. Next stop will be War Remnants museum. There are many of the photographs illustrating US atrocities, US armoured vehicles, artillery pieces, bombs and infantry weapons are on display. Having lunch (your own account).

In the afternoon is the time for us to discover China town. The busiest district in HO CHI MINH CITY. To learn about Chinese religion, we would like to invite you to visit the Thien Hau temple. The 100-year-old Cantonese temple. It worships the Goddess of the Sea-Thien Hau. On the way back to the hotel, we will go shopping at Binh Tay market, a wholesale market where the goods will be packed and transferred to the Mekong delta and the north. After enjoy shopping at the market you will stop at Lacqueware workshop. It is a hand made producing workshop. Here you will see the workers are doing meticulously, sophisticatedly to make the best lacquerware. If you like you can buy some for your house decoration or your beloved relatives. Back to the hotel and end of tour.

 

 

OPTION 03 : CUCHI HALF DAY (6 hours)

An imagine intricate underground network is waiting for you, the Cu Chi Underground Tunnels which is 70 km far from the center of Ho Chi Minh city to the west. You will have a look at a famous revolutionary vestige of Ho Chi Minh City and to explore the special structure of this area with a network of tunnels totaling over 200Km. Going down and crawling in the tunnels here you can get the unique experiences of guerrillas’ living and fighting underground during the wars and perhaps you would understands the legendary victory of Viet Cong before the US army in April 1975. A lot of information, numbers together with the exhibits will be showed to you. You can also try shooting with real bullets here (your own account). Back to the hotel and end of tour.

OPTION 04 : CU CHI TUNNELS – TAY NINH (full day)

We depart from your hotel to the Cu Chi Underground Tunnels which is 70 km far from the center of Ho Chi Minh city to the west. You will have a look at a famous revolutionary vestige of Ho Chi Minh City and to explore the special structure of this area with a network of tunnels totaling o ver 200Km. Going down and crawling in the tunnels here you can get the unique experiences of guerrillas’ living and fighting underground during the wars and perhaps you would understands the  legendary victory of Viet Cong before the US army in April 1975. A lot of information, numbers together with the exhibits will be showed to you. You can also try shooting with real bullets here (your own account).

 

Continue to Tay Ninh province, 100 km far from Ho Chi Minh city to the west. Visit Cao Dai Great Temple. The construction is an harmonious fusion of Asian and European styles, with domes and embellishments showing the spirit of Caodaism – a combination of Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism and Catholicism. Enjoy the peculiar solemn ceremony at noon with followers attired in lively red, yellow, blue and white as well as particular accompanied religious hymns. Quite a scene to eye and for snapshots. Then we will drive back to Ho Chi Minh city. Back to your hotel. End of tour.

OPTION 05 : MY THO  - MEKONG DELTA (full day)

Morning you will depart from your hotel to take an excursion of 70 kilometers to My Tho town – the “Gateway of Mekong River and its Delta” in Tien Giang, a province in Mekong River Delta. Short stopover at Cao Dai Temple in Ben Luc town, a very specific religion of countrymen in Mekong Delta which combines Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism and Confucianism, and native Vietnamese spiritualism.

Mekong Delta – the rice granary of Vietnam and has vast areas of durian, mango, rambutan and other delicious tropical fruit trees.

Arrival My Tho and transfer to the bank of Mekong River, take a motor river-boat which to be rent exclusively for the group then crossing the Upper River and cruising along Tan Long Peninsula, let’s enjoy this golden moment to relax the verdant luxuriant sceneries of the watery region, taste very fresh coconut milk, disembark and visit a island, stop-over a handicraft village that produces house-hold items from materials of coconut trees. Walking on the quite country roads, you will reach to local lush orchards, taste delicious fresh fruits, drink hot tea with honey during the traditional melodies and folk music surround you. From here you can observe the life of the Mekong River Delta, the main source of rice and many other agricultural products of Vietnam. Enjoy also a short tilbury carriage tour on the village road. Take boat trip along the canal network with a bit of adventure mood in Ben Tre Province to visit a bee farm and then a coconut candy workshop. Till now rivers and artificial canals are an important circulation system of the Mekong Delta. Lunch (your own account) will be served to you in a garden restaurant with the specialties of the Delta “Elephant Ear Fish”. Back to City and return to hotel for rest time.

 

OPTION 06 : VINH LONG – MEKONG DELTA (full day)

Morning you will depart from your hotel to take a fantastic excursion to Mekong Rivers, overland 100 kilometers to Vinh Long Province – the “Gateway of Mekong River and its Delta” short stopover at Cao Dai Temple in Ben Luc town, a very specific religion of countrymen in Mekong Delta which combines Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism and Confucianism, and native Vietnamese spiritualism. Mekong Delta is known as the biggest rice granary of Vietnam.

Arrival Vinh Long and transfer to the bank of Mekong River, take a motor river-boat which to be rent exclusively for the group then crossing the Upper River and cruising along Cai Be floating market – an interesting style of market in Mekong delta. Then disembark and visit An Binh island with some hightlights : Pop – rice, rice – paper making workshops,  Ancient house – the landlord ‘s home in the past, farming – tool display, rice processing and enjoy a Vietnamese traditional music performance. Later strolling along the village roads to visit to the Brick kilns, pottery – kilns and coconut candy workshop . Finally you would enjoy to visit to an orchard or bonsai garden or nursery garden. Till now rivers and artificial canals are an important circulation system of the Mekong Delta. After lunch (your own account) at local restaurant, drive back to Ho Chi Minh city in the afternoon.  End of tour.