VN - T 01: CITY OF THE SOUTH, 3 days (L)
Saigon
Day
1 Saigon
Arrival in Saigon
(Ho Chi Minh City), meet on arrival at the airport and transfer to the hotel.
Sightseeing in Saigon and Cholon (Chinatown) - the largest of Vietnamese
cities: visit Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office, City Hall, War
Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh Market, Binh Tay Market and Thien Hau Pagoda.
Overnight in Saigon
SAIGON is the largest of Vietnamese
cities, with the hustle and bustle of Vietnamese life visible everywhere. There
are street markets, sidewalk cafes, and sleek new bars. The city churns and
bubbles. Yet within this teeming metropolis are 300 years of timeless
traditions and the beauty of an ancient culture. To the west of the city is
District 5, the huge Chinese neighborhood called Cholon, which means 'Big
Market'.
NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL: built between
1877 and 1883, it is set in the heart of Saigon's government quarter. It has a
neo-Romanesque form and two high square towers, tipped with iron spires. In front
of the cathedral is a statue of the Virgin Mary.
CENTRAL POST OFFICE: a French-style
building with a glass canopy and iron frame, situated next to the Notre Dame
Cathedral. The structure was built between 1886 and 1891 and is by far the
largest post office in Vietnam.
CITY HALL: completed in 1908, also known as
“Hotel de Ville”, and located at the northern end of Nguyen Hue Boulevard. With
its ornate gingerbread facade it looks like the town hall of a French town.
(May be viewed from the outside only).
WAR REMNNTS MUSEUM: collections of
weapons and photographs from two Indochina wars are exhibited along with the
original French 'Guillotine' brought here in the early 20th century.
BEN THANH MARKET: the central
market of Saigon, its surrounding streets make up one of the city's liveliest
areas. Everything commonly eaten, worn or used by the average resident of
Saigon is available here.
BINH TAY MARKET: Cholon's main
marketplace, much of the business conducted here is wholesale.
THIEN HAU PAGODA: built by the
Cantonese congregation in the early 19th century. The pagoda is one of the most
active in Cholon and is dedicated to Thien Hau. It is said that she can travel
over the oceans on a mat and ride the clouds to wherever she pleases.
Day
2 Saigon
After breakfast at the hotel, excursion to
My Tho with boat trip on the Mekong - MY THO: capital of Tien Giang Province.
The economy is based on fishing and the cultivation of rice, coconuts, bananas,
mangoes, longans, and citrus fruit. Enjoy the boat ride on the Mekong River and
visit to an orchard on an Island with a stop at the Vinh Trang Pagoda
Overnight in Saigon
MEKONG DELTA: this is the
southernmost region of Vietnam, formed by sediment deposited by the Mekong
River. Silt deposits extend the delta shoreline at the mouth of the river by as
much as 79m per year. The area is known as Vietnam's 'bread basket' and
produces the rice, which feeds the entire country. Visit one or two of the
islands with traditional handcrafts, bee farms, and coconut candy production.
DRAGON ISLAND: the island has
many longan orchards which can be visited and the lush, palm fringed shores of
the island are lined with wooden fishing boats.
PHOENIX ISLAND: until his
imprisonment and the consequent dispersion of his flock, the coconut Monk (Ong
Dao Dua) led a small community on this island.
VINH TRANG PAGODA: a beautiful and
well-maintained sanctuary, this is the oldest pagoda in the delta. The
charitable monks here provide a home to orphans, disabled and other needy
children.
Day
3 Saigon
After
breakfast at the hotel, excursion to Cu Chi Tunnels - 45 miles from the
city to see the amazing complex of underground used during the American-Vietnam
war, on the way back to Ho Chi Minh, visit Silk & Painting Street before
transfer to the airport.
CU CHI TUNNELS: Cu Chi was an
important base during the American War, because of its strategic location. The
Vietcong built a 200km long network of tunnels connecting command posts,
hospitals, and shelter and weapon factories. Dug out of hard late rite by hand
tools without the use of cement, this amazing network was never discovered.
End
of Services **Note: Itinerary subject
to change due to flight schedules.