Chopsticks & Coconuts Family Holiday

The day is free to recover from the flight or stroll amongst broad tree-lined
avenues dating from the French period. There is a faded colonial charm where
baguettes and good coffee are sold from doorways of grand buildings of a past
era. There will be a welcome briefing this evening with your leader followed
by an optional dinner at a local restaurant, where your children will have
their first opportunity to practice their chopsticks skills.

This morning we take a city tour, which will include a visit to the Ho Chi
Minh Mausoleum area to see his 'House on Stilts' and visit the One Pillar Pagoda. We'll also visit the Temple of Literature and the Hoa Lo Prison (also known as the 'Hanoi Hilton'). Afterwards we enjoy a cyclo (bicycle taxi) ride through the Old Quarter, with its '36 Streets' where each street is home to shops sell particular products - e.g. 'silk street', 'gold street', 'paper street' and 'souvenir street'. The remainder of the day is at leisure to stroll around the Hoan Kiem Lake, stopping for a coffee or ice cream at one
of the many cafes surrounding it. In the evening there is the option to enjoy a performance of Hanoi's famous water puppets.

We make an early start for the approximate 4 hour journey to Halong Bay. This
is one of the most stunningly beautiful sights in South East Asia with
roughly 3,000 limestone peaks rising directly from the clear emerald sea. We
cruise amongst this amazing karst scenery, stopping to have a go at kayaking,
allowing us to get to places inaccessible by boat (weather permitting), and
enjoy a seafood lunch on board. In the late afternoon we watch the sun go
down and enjoy another lovely meal before overnighting on the boat in twin
share cabins with en suite facilities.

We continue to cruise around Halong Bay this morning before returning to
port. We then drive back to Hanoi, and transfer to the train station and
board the Reunification Express for the overnight train ride to Da Nang, over
600km to the south.

This morning on arrival in Da Nang we drive the short distance to Marble
Mountain where we explore the large caves which were used by the Viet Cong as
a hospital base during the war. From the mountain peak, there are fantastic
views over My Khe Beach and the surrounding countryside leading on to Hoi An.
We then drive on to the World Heritage site of Hoi An, the original European
trading port in Vietnam dating back to the mid-16th century. It is now a
living museum, with attractive wooden merchant's houses and pagoda-style
temples with Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European architectural
influences. It is also a marvellous place to wander around and enjoy the
thriving riverside market. We take a walking tour of the old town and visit
the Japanese Bridge and Chinese Assembly Hall.

This morning we jump on bikes for a ride on quiet roads through the
countryside past local markets, schools and villages before continuing on to
Cua Dai beach (5 km). Please note that we are able to provide child sized
bikes for those children who are 120cm and taller. Children riding their own
bikes must be aged 7 upwards, for smaller children there will be the option
of riding on the back of their parents bike in a child seat or saddle. The
afternoon is dedicated to free time at the beach for swimming, or you can
take an optional boat trip on the river or relax back in town. In the evening
we join an informal cooking class where adults and children alike will learn
how to make some of Hoi An's speciality dishes and even participate in
rolling your own spring rolls!

This morning we transfer to Da Nang airport and fly to the Cam Ranh airport
in Nha Trang. We then transfer (approx. 3 hours) to the tropical island
retreat of Whale Island. With just one guesthouse on the island and
accommodation in beach bungalows, this really is a chance to unwind and relax
or while away the rest of the day swimming in the sea.

We will join a boat trip in the morning for a spot of snorkelling and
swimming before a seafood lunch is served. In the afternoon there is the
option to visit a local fishing village, see the Whale temple or walk around
the island to the viewpoint for a 360 degree view of the stunning mountainous
coastline and the surrounding coves and white sand beaches.

Depending on flight schedules, there may be time for one last dip in the sea
before transferring to the airport for our flight to Saigon, officially known
as Ho Chi Minh City. This is an exciting and absorbing city where scooters
pack the streets and temples stand defiantly alongside modern developments.
Devastated by the Vietnam War, it is now a bustling free market city where
anything goes.

In the morning we visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels used by the Viet Cong
during the war the network covers 3 levels and approximately 240km of
tunnels. The tunnels were used by the guerrillas as living quarters and
escape routes during the Vietnam War. Although originally very narrow, some
parts have been widened for the tourists and we have the opportunity to
explore parts of the system. Claustrophobes may prefer to stay outside in the
sunshine before we return to Saigon. In the afternoon we wander around the
city visiting the Saigon River, Ben Thanh market, Reunification Hall and
Notre Dame Cathedral.

This morning we drive to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta (approx. 2.5 hours). The
Mekong, known as 'the rice bowl of Vietnam', produces much of Vietnam's
fruit, sugar cane and coconuts. We spend some time at Cai Be from where we
begin a Mekong River boat trip passing a floating market and visiting typical
riverside villages where we learn about some of the local products for which
the Mekong Delta is famous - e.g. popped rice, rice paper & coconut candy.
Cai Be floating market is becoming less crowded and smaller as fruit trading
is mostly now done by trucks due to the bridge being built. However, this is
still a great opportunity to see a local market and the trade being conducted
traditionally on a smaller scale. 

After lunch we continue our journey passing some magnificent countryside and
stopping at some small cottage industries. The evening is tranquil as we have
dinner on an Island and enjoy some 'Delta' hospitality. We spend the night
sleeping at a simple guesthouse built in the style of a local house. Bedding,
a mosquito net and a small towel are provided.

This morning we take a walk through the fruit orchards and navigate our way
through the small canals in a traditional wooden sampan. Later we rejoin our
boat to rendezvous with our vehicle for the journey back to Saigon via a
little visited Cao Dai temple used by devotees of this strange indigenous
religion, which fuses all the great religions of east and west.

Today we visit the excellent Dam Sen Water Park with its slides and rides to
allow the kids to let their hair down!

For land only clients, the tour ends this morning in Saigon after breakfast.