Philanthropy in Vietnam - 11 Days/10 Nights • Day 1: Arrival Hanoi (Flight information to be advised/Own ticket) Upon arrival, your guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. Hanoi is full of charm with ochre-colored colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and scenic lakes. Tonight, you will enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. • Day 2: Hanoi Depart for a morning sightseeing tour of this charming capital city to visit the Temple of Literature, the first University for the sons of Mandarin. Walk the back-streets of Hanoi with your guide to see another part of city life, you may see street children, boys on the sidewalk polishing shoes or girls searching through garbage. They have no homes, no families and no education. Pay a visit to Birla Village where these poor, orphaned and disabled children are looked after and given an opportunity to make something out of their lives. With 400 children here, you will have the opportunity to interact with the teachers and children to understand their challenges and learn how they are overcoming them. Any form of donation such as books, clothes, toys, and rice is much appreciated. • Day 3: Ha noi – Ha Long Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Halong Bay is one of Vietnam’s most spectacular natural wonders. The tiny limestone islands, with beaches and grottoes created by the wind and the waves, provide an excellent backdrop for relaxation and swimming. Early this morning, embark on a 3.5 hour drive to Halong Bay with a quick rest stop at Hong Ngoc Center – the best place to stop and stretch your legs en route. Upon arrival we board our boat for a cruise around the 3,000 islets that rise from the clear emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Bizarre rock sculptures jutting dramatically from the sea and numerous grottoes have created an enchanted, timeless world. Enjoy a seafood lunch onboard our junk boat before returning to the wharf. Overnight in Ha long. Travel back to Hanoi arriving later this evening. • Day 4: Ha Long - Hanoi – Da nang (Flight) In the morning, transfer to the airport for the flight to Da Nang. Free. Hue. Hue became a UNESCO World Heritage in 1993. On arrival, transfer to the hotel to freshen up. Enjoy a sightseeing tour and visit the serene Tu Duc Royal Tomb, designed to blend in with its natural surroundings followed by Duc Son orphanage pagoda. The head nun set up the orphanage over 17 years ago to save abandoned and disabled children. Today there are more than 200 children at the orphanage. The children are raised until they reach high school or university level. You can offer to teach English at one of their small classrooms, but you can also observe a wood carving workshop where children are creating amazing handicrafts. • Day 5: Da nang - Hue In the morning, drive to Hue and visit the rural outskirts for a small, random act of kindness and help make the world a better place. A gift of just one cow can offer a big change for poor farmers. Participate in a ceremony during which you donate a small cow to a farmer together with the local authority and villagers as your witness. Chat with the family who received the gift to better understand their needs and future plans. Afternoon, visit former Imperial Citadel, surrounded by moats which was home to the royal court of Vietnam in the 19th century. • Day 6: Hue – Hoi An. After breakfast, drive over the Pass of the Ocean Clouds – where the summit offers a spectacular panoramic view of the central coastline. Afternoon is free for beach relaxation or your own exploration (weather permitting). Tonight enjoy a dinner at a local restaurant where street kids are offered hospitality training. A representative from a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) will attend the dinner to offer an overview about the country’s poverty and the organization’s current projects and humanitarian activities. • Day 7: Hoi An Between the 17th and 19th centuries, Hoi An was a prosperous trading port. Today, this World Heritage-listed ancient town boasts well-preserved buildings, pedestrianized streets and unique cuisine, allowing visitors a glimpse of its illustrious past. The narrow lanes are ideal for a guided walking tour. There is plenty to visit including the old merchant’s houses with influences from Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture; the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge; the Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation with outstanding wood carvings; and the colourful market with stalls brimming with local specialties including silk, which can be turned into fashionable garments within a day or two. Lantern, the simple yet colorful item is now an essential part of Hoi An culture. The lantern is inspired and hand-made by local artisans and is meant to bring good fortune. It is really made a comeback by an experienced artisan – Mr. Huynh Van Ba who is now in his 80’s. Engage in a casual talk to him for a brief introduction to the history, shape, and color of the lanterns as well as the stages of production. Try creating your own lantern and take it home as a souvenir. Day 8: Hoi An Meet a famed local chef of Hoi An from a cooking centre. Visit a local market with the chef and enjoy the bustling atmosphere and learn how to choose fresh ingredients that make up for a Vietnamese meal. Afterwards, enjoy a cooking class with a difference, where orphans await you at the park to participate in the class. Have fun with them and together sample your creations over lunch. After lunch, take some times for rest and enjoy a 45 minute drive to the rural outskirts of Hoi An. A boat will take you to the peaceful Thanh Ha pottery making village, a picturesque place that has remained unaffected by modern development. Most families in this village make a living by producing pottery products and raising pigs. Please don’t be alarmed with the hygiene here. This trip gives you an authentic portrait of a typical Vietnamese village. The guide will introduce you to a village elder whose house we will visit. Stop by at Thanh Ha pagoda and temple, and find out more about the village through the eyes of a resident. Drive back to Hoi An. • Day 9: Hoi An to Danang for Saigon Flight After breakfast, transfer to Danang for the flight to Saigon. Upon arrival in Saigon, a walking tour to admire Saigon’s historic landmarks is a must. Transfer to Dong Khoi street, or Rue Catinat as it was known in the time of the French occupation, to discover some of the beautiful French colonial buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th century. Appreciate the splendidly restored exteriors of the Opera House and the former Hotel de Ville which are still two of the finest buildings in Saigon. Wander up to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires based on the original construction from Paris. (It is only possible to visit inside when no service is being performed) Then head across the square to the Central Post Office, designed by the French architect, Gustav Eiffel, before he had risen to fame for the Eiffel Tower. Finally, the former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American war, is a short drive away and reveals the history of Saigon during its turbulent recent past. Visit a local orphanage without much assistance from the Government. Any form of donation is appreciated. • Day 10: Mekong Delta Depart early in the morning from Saigon and head two hours to the southwest. Along the way notice lush rice paddies and fruit farms emerging alongside the highway, upon arrival in Cai Lay, board a charming wooden boat to enjoy countryside scenery and river life. Then stretch your legs a bit and hop on a bicycle for a short ride of about 7km (over easy, level terrain) along narrow village lanes, past fruit orchards and local cottage industries. Locals will often greet you with a hello or “xin chao” as you pedal by. Arrive at the home of a tropical fruit farmer and have a walk around his orchard. Enjoy the opportunity to taste fresh fruits. Then relax while enjoying the view from a small sampan boat as you are paddled slowly along tropical canals. Disembark and walk through this Mekong village to a local home and enjoy a home-hosted lunch of Mekong Delta specialties. After lunch, a short walk takes you back to the car and your return trip to Saigon. • Day 11: Departure Free at leisure until your transfer to the airport for your departing flight. End of services. *This is sample itinerary with no selected accommodation suggested unless otherwise stated. International airfares are not included unless otherwise specified within the detailed proposal – please contact our team to tailor this itinerary to your personal specifications. Agents may charge service fees and/or fees for credit card payments which vary. Please check all prices, availability and other information with your travel consultant before booking. If you book with Viet Da Travel, an additional 3% fee applies to credit card or charge card payments (except in North America, where no fee is charged). For more information, please contact us at: VIET DA TRAVEL 456 Le Duan street., Da Nang city, Viet Nam Tel: + 84 511. 3647979; 3647981, 3647986, 2215960 Fax:+ 84 511. 3647980 Cellphone: + 84 905 65 1717 Email:locvietdatravel@gmail Skype: locvietda & YM: locvietda, locmarble Website: vietdatravel In Sweden: Ms. Tam Luong Ytterbyvagen 5D 442 30 Kungalv.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 09:35:25 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015