VIETNAM TRAVEL & CULTURE SERVICES TARIFF 2006-2007SPECIAL INTEREST TRAVEL & CULTURE “10-DAY CULINARY VIETNAM” – vtn6027 (Daily departure on private tour, with full board) **
Day 1 Hanoi - Arrival (D) Meet on arrival at Hanoi/Noi Bai International airport, transfer to hotel for check in. Time at leisure. Dinner at the historic Indochine Restaurant in old town for an introduction to Vietnamese food. The staff are attired in traditional costume and musicians perform classical Vietnamese songs. Accommodation Day 2 Hanoi – Cooking class (B/L/D) Breakfast at hotel 08:00 Halfday cooking class at Seasons Restaurant Arrive at Seasons and receive a coffee and “orientation talk of morning activities”. Depart for the market (Hang Da) accompanied by Seasons chef then return to Seasons to begin the lunch prepare. On the menu is fresh Hue style spring rolls, shrimp paste on sugar cane, fish baked in a clay pot and banana flower salad. You will get involved in preparation of all of the above. Coffee break. The chefs are now executing the final preparation giving you time to reflect about the morning activities and quiz the restaurant manager about “life at a Vietnamese restaurant”. Enjoy lunch. p.m.Hanoi city tour of the Fine Arts Museum, the Temple of Literature, Sword Lake and 1hr cyclo in the bustling 'Old Quarter', with its 36 ancient streets. Evening: enjoy the famous water puppets show followed by dinner at “Cha Ca La Vong” serving seasoned fish. Accommodation Day 3 Hanoi - Halong Bay (B/L/D) Breakfast at hotel Drive 160km to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Discover Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. “Dragon descending to the sea“ as it is known in Vietnamese, picturesque Halong Bay has more than 3,000 limestone islets rising from the clear emerald water, many of them containing beautiful grottoes such as Thien Cung and Dau Go. Seafood lunch on board. A fresh seafood lunch is served on board. Dinner and overnight on boat. Day 4 Halong - Hanoi – Hue (B/L/D) Have beakfast. A morning cruise to visit Man’s head island, Tortoise island, Trinh Nu cave, Bai Tu Long bay, Bai tho mountain. Return to Halong city and have lunch on board. Transferring direct to Hanoi Airport for the late afternoon flight to Hue. On arrival in Hue transfer to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation at hotel in Hue. Day 5 Hue – Cooking class (B/L/D) Breakfast at hotel. In the morning, pick-up at the hotel, shopping for ingredients at the Dong Ba market before returning to the Tinh Gia Vien Cooking School to learn how it’s done, enjoy preparing, cooking, presenting the dishes and the food prepared. Once the meals are prepared you can enjoy the dishes you have spent the day mastering. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise along the romantic Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious workship in Hue. Continue by car to the nearby Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 Royal banquet and overnight in hotel. Day 6 Hue - Danang - Hoi An (B/L/D) Breakfast at hotel. a.m.Visit Tu Duc Mausoleum with its traditional Vietnamese architecture. Leave Hue mid- morning for Hoian. Photostop at Lang Co beach, Claudy pass, lunch in Danang p.m. Visit Cham Museum, China beach and Marble Mountain, then proceed for Hoi An and transfer to hotel for check-in. Dinner at Le Ba Truyen Restaurant with a variety of local specialities from simple cao lau noodles to seafood preparations Accommodation. Day 7 Hoi An – Cooking class (B/L/D) Breakfast at hotel. a.m.Cooking class Red Bridge Cooking School, pick-up at hotel and starting by shopping for ingredients at the Hoi An colourful market before returning to the Red Bridge Cooking School to learn how it’s done, enjoy preparing, cooking, presenting the dishes and the food prepared.. Once the meals are prepared you can enjoy the dishes you have spent the day mastering. p.m.take a walking tour of Hoi An, discover the historic town which used to be a prosperous seaport city during the 16th to 18th centuries. Visit Hoi An colourful local market, Tan Ky old house, Fukien Assembly Hall, and the 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge. Travelers can also see local residents raise silkworms and produce silk for Hoi An's burgeoning textile industry Dinner and accommodation Day 8 Hoian – Danang – Ho Chi Minh City (B/L/D) Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Danang Airport for the morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City, transfer to hotel on arrival. After a lunch of “pho” on Pasteur Street, a half day city tour includes the Unification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Saigon Post Office and China Town with Thien Hau Pagoda. Dinner at one of Ho Chi Minh city's best-known restaurants, Mandarine. The cuisine of the south uses many herbs and spices and has been influenced by Cambodia, Thailand and India among others. The south also has a wide selection of tropical fruits and vegetables that are not readily available in the cooler north. Accommodation Day 9 Ho Chi Minh – Cooking class – Cu Chi Tunnels (B/L/D) Breakfast at hotel. a.m.Cooking class at Saigon cookery center. The chef and our guide will escort you on cyclo ride from your hotel through busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City to the Central Market. You would learn how to choose good and fresh ingredients then move by car to the Cookery Center, located in a charming and authentic Vietnamese garden. Each person is provided with their own kitchen corner including utensils, cooking ingrediens and workspace. A professional MC will entertain the guest by explaining instructions of the chef and briefing on origination and culture of Vietnamese cuisine. You will learn how cook some specialties of Vietnam, how to use variety of herbs and prepare different sauces. Once you have completed the course you will have mastered the use of chopsticks and learnt the etiquette of a Vietnamese meal. You will enjoy your own cook and receive a certificate of participation at the end of the course. p.m.Visit to Cu Chi Tunnels (70 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh city), an amazing complex of underground tunnels used during the Vietnam war. Dinner and overnight at hotel Day 10 Ho Chi Minh City - Departure (B) Breakfast. Leisure time until tranfer to Ho Chi Minh City International Airport for departure.
Surcharge (USD/room/night): Sofitel Plaza Hanoi 1-31/10/2007: USD 12.- Caravelle Saigon 26-31/12/06: USD 15.- 1-31/10/07: USD 12.- Victoria Hoian 24-26/12/06, 31/12/06-2/1/07, 17-22/2/07: USD 24.-
Including: - Accommodation with meals Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), Dinner (D) per itinerary (beverages not included) - Transfers, tours with English/French/German speaking guide - Entrance fees - Domestic airticket Hanoi/Hue – Danang/Ho Chi Minh and domestic airport tax - Special cooking activities and demonstrations - Service charge, room tax and handling fee - Restaurants and venues are subject to change. Not included: - International airport tax in Ho Chi Minh at USD 14.00 nett per person - International airfare to/from Vietnam - Personal insurance - Expenditure of a personal nature, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry & etc. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||