In addition to the cooking classes the restaurants for dinners and lunch have
been carefully selected to represent some of the finest cuisine Vietnam has
to offer, all served in beautiful surroundings.
Exclusive accommodation for this tour includes the Sofitel Metropole Hotel
(Hanoi), Hoi An Riverside Resort and Caravelle Hotel (Saigon).
Day 1
- Arrival in Hanoi and transfer to hotel
- Overnight Sofitel Metropole hotel, Hanoi
Day 2 (B, L)
HANOI
Vietnam's capital is described by almost all who go there as "an old-fashioned
city". Old-fashioned in style, it is a city of lakes, parks, trees, villas, mansions
and an area called the Old French Quarter where crumbling houses are
crammed into narrow alleyways that are still named after the goods that
were traded there - Silk Street, Gold Street, even Fried Fish Street!
Old-fashioned in atmosphere, Hanoi has sidewalk cafes, pavement barbers,
less traffic than Saigon, less frenetic rushing about, less noise, simply less people.
Wide tree-lined bicycle-filled boulevards, elegant colonial French mansions,
the grandeur and solemnity of Ho Chi Minh's monumental Mausoleum,
the incongruous rustic simplicity of the house in which'Uncle Ho' lived out
his final years, the barely concealed misery of the Hoa Lo Prison, the
'Hanoi Hilton' where so many prisoners of war were incarcerated, the
religious pride that constructed the beautiful temple of Literature
compound - it's all here in Hanoi, a microcosm of the Vietnamese culture.
- Morning cooking class at Sofitel Metropole hotel with market visit,
cooking demonstration and meal included.
- Lunch at the class.
- Afternoon visit Hanoi city tour including Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son
Temple, Army and Historical Museum, Hanoi 36 Ancient Streets.
Enjoy an orientation of the tree-lined streets of Hanoi, resplendent with
French colonial architecture, including the recently restored Opera House.
Pass by Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as Lake of the Restored Sword from
the legend that surrounds it en-route to one of the city's fascinating
museums (Army, History or Fine Arts, depending on your preference).
Continue to the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and then dedicated
to Confucius, it is a serene retreat from the busy streets outside, and
later became Vietnam's first university.
Then take to the streets on foot for a walking tour of the Ancient Quarter
or 36 Streets District. This densely populated corner of the city was once
a centre of commerce where goods were sold under the street name of a
particular guild. Still a thriving community of sellers today, you will
see street names such as Sugar Street, Tin Street and Paper Street.
Ancient homes and temples are interspersed with stores in this souvenir
hunter's paradise!
- Overnight Sofitel Metropole hotel, Hanoi.
Day 3 (B)
- Morning departure transfer hotel / airport for flight HANOI/DANANG
DANANG AND HOI AN
One of the most ancient cities in Vietnam, Danang was the centre of the
Cham Dynasty from the 2nd century and today boasts the largest and
most impressive collection of Cham artefacts anywhere in the world.
Danang's rich cultural history, it's proximity to the extraordinary
ruins of My Son, it's atmospheric riverfront promenade, it's
world-famous Cham Museum all continue to draw visitors. Unwelcome
visitors have made their mark here too, Danang was the first
landing-point for the invading French troops and again decades
later for the US Marines.
Close by Danang is China Beach, immortalised for many by the US
television show and still one of the most spectacular beaches in Asia.
Also nearby are the Marble Mountains, the 5 craggy limestone peaks
that are said to represent the 5 elements of the universe. A climb
inside through the hundreds of natural caves and grottoes is a must.
Hoi An is an extraordinary jewel of a town. In a country so ravaged by
war, Hoi An managed to remain untouched, and as you wander the
completely traffic-free streets of this ancient seaport it is not hard to
imagine yourself amidst the sailors and merchants of the 18th Century,
when Hoi An was one of the busiest trading ports in Asia. Chinese, Japanese
and European architecture bears witness to a cosmopolitan past and allows
today's visitors a glimpse of Vietnam that no longer exists elsewhere.
Visit the Cham Museum in Danang, once centre of the ancient Cham
civilisation. Hindu in origin, the Cham people left a legacy of excellent
sculptures, now housed in the only museum if its kind in Danang, as they
were pushed south by the advancing Vietnamese invaders.
Continue to the Marble Mountains for a photo stop en-route to Hoi An.
These five rocky outcrops are said to represent five natural elements,
and are the source of many intriguing legends, as well as housing temples
and once even an army hospital! You will see skilled artisans carving all
manner of statues from marble sourced locally at the mountains' base.
- Afternoon Hoi An walking tour
Just a short drive from Danang, the unique trading town of Hoi An was a
civilisation cut off by destroyed rail lines and a silted river, leaving
it untouched by war and frozen in time. See architecture reminiscent of
traders of a bygone era - Japanese, French, Chinese, and Indian, as well
as beautifully preserved ancient houses. No cars are allowed to pass
through Hoi An, rendering it an excellent walking village. Visit the
unique Japanese covered bridge and a Chinese communal house. Shop for
art at one of the numerous galleries and enjoy the riverside ambience.
- Overnight Hoi An Riverside Resort, Hoi An
Day 4 (B, L)
- Morning Cooking with 'Miss Vy' at White Lantern Restaurant
Miss Vy has been featured in over 20 newspapers, magazines and
documentaries demonstrating the subtle art of Vietnamese cooking.
As her student you will shop with her at the Hoi An Central Market
where you will learn to choose only the best and freshest ingredients.
Miss Vy will briefly explain the historical details of Vietnamese
gastronomy, the reasoning behind the combination of the ingredients
and the nutritional value. She will demonstrate the preparation methods
and help you to do the same and at the end of it all you will have the
opportunity to eat your efforts!
- Lunch at the class
- Afternoon Danang Countryside tour.
This tour will take you into the very heart of rural Danang for a special
insight into the every day life of a local village community. The small
settlement of Hoa Chau, nestled among seemingly endless rice fields, allows
the visitor to experience first hand the very backbone of Vietnam's rural
culture.
Enjoy a comprehensive walk through the village, shaded from the sun by a
canopy of bamboo thickets, passing by local homes, vegetable and fruit
gardens, a village temple and a husking mill.
Depending on the season, you will have the opportunity to see the local
farming community threshing and harvesting.
A short drive further takes you to the luxurious Furama Resort, designed
by award winning architects who, by blending with Vietnam's heritage, have
created a stylish hotel of distinct Asian character. The Furama Resort
boasts a magnificent setting on famous China Beach and is an ideal place
to sit and enjoy a cool refreshment by the pool, partake in a swim on the
beach or simply relax in the luxurious surroundings.
- Overnight Hoi An Riverside Resort, Hoi An
Day 5 (B)
- Departure transfer hotel / Danang airport for to Saigon and transfer in
to hotel.
HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)
Saigon, surely one of the most evocative place names in Asia and
definitely one of the most extraordinary cities in the world. The most
Western in atmosphere of Vietnam's cities, Ho Chi Minh City (to use it's
official name - although to residents and visitors alike it is universally
and affectionately known as Saigon) has a population of 5 million, and a
booming free-market economy.
It is a city of amazing contrasts: elegant new international hotels,
exclusive restaurants and trendy bars side-by-side with roadside noodle
stalls, street children and vociferous cyclo drivers.
Golf courses, bowling alleys and shopping malls vie for space with fruit
and vegetable markets, pagodas and karaoke rooms. Bustling, booming, crowded,
noisy - all words that barely scratch the surface of the addictive and often
mesmerising chaos that is Saigon. And yet there are the elegant colonial French
boulevards and buildings, the Cathedral, the riverfront, the quiet moments at a
sidewalk cafe watching the world literally go by you at breakneck speed.
Saigon. A city that is almost indescribable and completely unforgettable.
- Overnight Caravelle, Saigon
Day 6 (B, L)
- Morning Cu Chi Tunnels Tour
Morning journey out of the city centre to the Cu Chi regions, where you will
visit the vast underground network of tunnels built first as a defence against
the French, and later expanded during the American war. It was from here that
the North Vietnamese waged their guerrilla warfare and you will marvel at their
ingenuity and resilience. See secret trapdoors, underground kitchens, living
areas and meeting rooms. The more adventurous may explore the deeper second,
and even third level tunnels For those preferring to remain above ground,
there is ample opportunity to view excavated areas from above. Your guide
will advise you of the length and level of difficulty of each tunnel before
entering - some are easily accessed by stairs. We recommend good walking
shoes and sun protection for this tour and advise you may get a little dirty!
- Lunch at local restaurant
- Afternoon city tour including the Former Presidential Palace, Notre Dame
Cathedral and Post Office, History Museum, Dong Khoi shopping downtown and
can be a stop at Central Market
In this essential highlight tour, visit the former Presidential Palace,
which is now preserved as a museum, including the underground
communications bunkers, headquarters for the Saigon Government during
the American War. Continue to the History Museum, which houses an
excellent display tracing the origins of the indigenous Vietnamese.
Take the opportunity to see a delightful performance of Water Puppetry
in the grounds. Visit Notre Dame, an impressive neo-Romanesque cathedral
in the centre of city, the 'wedding cake' styled hotel d'ville and
Dong Khoi street, formerly the centre of haute couture in Saigon when
it was known as Rue Catinat.
- Overnight Caravelle hotel, Saigon
Day 7 (B)
- Departure transfer to airport for flight onward to South Africa.
Includes:
• Return international flights on Malaysia Airlines domestic flights
in Vietnam; Return transfers in all cities; 6 nights accommodation on
bed & breakfast basis; 3 lunches; 3 dinners; 2 cooking courses;
Wonderful sightseeing tours in Hanoi, Danang, Hoi An, Saigon and the
Cu Chi Tunnels .
Excludes:
•
Items of a personal nature; Airport taxes & surcharges; Meals not
specified; Vietnam visa; Travel & Medical insurance .
Packages are from a starting price, per person sharing and are subject
to change, airfare increases and availability. Airfares exclude all
taxes and levies. Travel and Explore's Standard Terms & Conditions
apply. Added value subject to availability.
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