Northern Highlights - World Airlines Clubs Association

Northern Highlights
Soul of Vietnam
23 - 29 October 2015
Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa
A WACA Post Tour of the 48th AGA
Halong Bay
Northern Vietnam
Northern Vietnam’s top ticket is the wildly popular Halong Bay, One of the world’s natural wonders and Vietnam’s most spectacular natural spectacle. Imagine 2000 or more islands rising from the emerald waters of the
Gulf of Tonkin and you have a vision of breathtaking beauty. Halong translates as ‘where the dragon descends
into the sea’, and legend claims the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon from the mountains.
Further west the landscape segues into towering evergreen peaks and fertile river valleys, with stunning terraced fields. This is the heartland of hill-tribe culture with markets enlivened by the scarlet headdresses of the
Dzao, the indigo fabrics of the Black H’mong and the Flower H’mong’s brocaded aprons. Sapa is the in the
heart of this landscape and is a great base for hiking and for the stunning vistas of Fansipan, Vietnam’s highest
peak, near the border with China. Welcome to the roof of Vietnam, where the mountains of the Tonkinese Alps
(Hoang Lien Mountains) soar skyward, their long shadows concealing some of the country’s best-kept secrets.
The landscape is a rich palette that provides some of the most spectacular scenery in Vietnam. Forbidding and
unforgiving terrain for lowlanders, the mountains have long been a haven for an eclectic mix of hill tribes.
Then there is the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, showcasing sweeping boulevards, tree-fringed lakes and ancient
pagodas, Hanoi is Asia’s most atmospheric capital. As motorbikes and pedestrians ebb and flow through the
Old Quarter’s centuries-old commercial chaos, hawkers in conical hats still ply their wares while other locals
breakfast on noodles or sip drip-coffee. At dawn on the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake, synchronised t’ai chi sessions take place beside goateed grandfathers contemplating their next chess moves.
Join WACA on this tour of the highlights of Northern Vietnam, the historical heart of the country.
Sapa
PROGRAM
DAY 01
HO CHI MINH CITY - HANOI
Transfer from Lotte Legend Hotel in Saigon to Tan Son Nhat Airport to catch your flight to Hanoi in the early afternoon. Upon arrival in Hanoi, transfer from Hanoi Noi Bai Airport to the well located and regarded 3
star La Belle Vie Hotel in the center of Hanoi. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Welcome dinner at a local
Restaurant.
Showcasing sweeping boulevards, tree-fringed lakes and ancient pagodas, Hanoi is Asia’s most atmospheric capital. Just
don’t expect a sleepy ambience. Under French rule, as an administrative centre for the French colony of Indochina, the
French colonial architecture style became dominant, many examples remain today: the tree-lined boulevards (e.g. Phan
Dinh Phung street) and its many villas and mansions, Grand Opera House, State Bank of Vietnam (formerly The Bank
of Indochina), Presidential Palace (formerly Palace of the Governor-General of French Indochina), St. Joseph’s Cathedral, and the historic Hotel Metropole.
As motorbikes and pedestrians ebb and flow through the Old Quarter’s centuries-old commercial chaos, hawkers in
conical hats still ply their wares while other locals breakfast on noodles or sip drip-coffee. Take a walk through Hanoi’s
Old Quarter street markets and discover the exotic flavors of Vietnam with fellow food-lovers. Try Hanoi’s hawker street
food and local specialties like pork crepes, and visit Hanoi’s largest covered market, Dong Xuan.
Unlike tropical Saigon, Hanoi is located in the sub-tropical zone and can be chilly in winter.
DAY 02
HANOI CITY TOUR & OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO LAO CAI
You will be met at your hotel by the guide for a Hanoi city tour today. First up is Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, then his
former residence, followed by the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature.
After lunch at a local restaurant, we will explore Hoa Lo , the former prison which was used to imprison the American
POWs (Pilots) during the Vietnam War. The prison was famously known as the Hanoi Hilton during the War. US senator John McCain was incarcerated here. Afterwards, we will drive to the center of Hanoi to visit the Ngoc Son Temple
on Hoan Kiem lake. The lake holds a mythical stature amongst the Vietnamese as legend claims in the mid-15th century,
Heaven sent Emperor Le Thai To (Le Loi) a magical sword which he used to drive the Chinese occupiers from Vietnam.
After the war a giant golden turtle grabbed the sword and disappeared into the depths to restore the sword to its divine
owners, inspiring the name Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Sword). Every morning at around 6am local residents
practise traditional t’ai chi on the shore.
In the evening, after a dinner at a local restaurant, we will transfer to Hanoi railway station to take an overnight train to Lao Cai at around 20:35 on the Livitrans/Fansipan Express train. Participants will be accomodated in soft sleepers (4 to a compartment). The journey takes about 9 hours.
Lao Cai is located just a few kilometers south of the Chinese Province of Yunnan and was briefly held by invading Chinese armies in 1979 after a fierce battle. The instability continued with renewed clashes in the 1980s. Today the border
has been peaceful for almost 3 decades was not re-opened till 1993.
DAY 03
SAPA
Upon arrival at Lao Cai, we will be met by our driver and
driven up the hills to our hotel in Sapa for breakfast and
refreshment. After breakfast, the guide will show you
around for a brief introduction of this charming former
French Hill station. We will visit a local market where
various ethnic minority people (hill tribes) of different
groups wearing their traditional costumes come every day
to sell their local products and produce such as vegetables,
medicinal herbs and handicrafts etc. Those into photography will find this an especially interesting stop.
Scenery around Sapa
After lunch, our guide will take us on a 5 kilometers trek
and walk down the hill to visit Cat Cat village, inhabited by the Black Hmong ethnic group amongst stunning
scenery. We will stop by a waterfall and a hydroelectric
station along the way before hiking on a dirt trail through
terraced rice paddies and walking along a narrow river.
Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at the Sunny
Mountain Hotel.
Established as a hill station by the French in 1922, Sapa is the
one place in the northwest Vietnam where tourism is booming.
It’s now firmly on the European and North American package-tour circuit, and well-equipped trekkers are a common
sight around town.The town is orientated to make the most of
the spectacular views emerging on clear days. It overlooks a
plunging valley of cascading rice terraces, with mountains towering above on all sides. Views of this epic scenery are often
subdued by thick mist rolling across the peaks, but even if it’s
cloudy, Sapa is still a fascinating destination, especially when
local hill-tribe people fill the town with colour.
The town’s French colonial villas fell into disrepair during successive wars with the French, Americans and Chinese, but following the advent of tourism, Sapa has experienced a renaissance. Inherent in this prosperity is cultural change for the
hill-tribe people. The H’mong people are very canny traders,
urging you to buy handicrafts and trinkets. Many have had little
formal education, yet all the youngsters have a good command
of English, French and a handful of other languages. On a clear
day, one can see spectacular panorama of verdant mountains
including nearby Fansipan, at over 3000 meters, Vietnam’s
highest mountain. Although unusual, heavy snowfalls have occurred occasionally in winter, turning the mountains around
Sapa into an unlikely version of Switzerland.
DAY 04
Black Hmong Women
Bac Ha Market in Sapa
SAPA - TA PHIN - LAO CAI
In the morning, we will drive to Ta Phin commune 15 km southeast of Sapa town. Located in a large valley,
surrounded by high mountains and pine forests, Ta Phin Commune is home to the Red Zao and Black H’mong
ethnic groups. Although living close to each other for years, these two ethnic peoples are very different. The
Hmong are cheerful and open minded while the Red Zao are frugal and reserved. After taking a short drive to
the center of the valley, we will enjoy an easy hike following a village path around the valley and paying visits
to a scattering of Hmong hamlets from the bottom of the valley to the higher mountain slopes.
After reaching a high elevation, a great view of the valley stretching from below can be seen. We will continue
the hike to a Red Zao village in which you will meet groups of women making handicrafts including embroidered clothes, handbags etc.
After lunch in a local restaurant, the rest of the afternoon is free time at your leisure and you can discover Sapa
town. We will have an early dinner at a local restuarant before transferring down the hills to Lao Cai Station
to board an over night train to Hanoi at around 19:30. Overnight on the train in the soft sleeper class train
compartment.
Ta Phin is a small village located 15 km from Sapa town; in northern Vietnam. Mainly populated by the Hmong ethnic
group, the Dao ethnic group and few people from the Kinh ethnic group. Ta Phin village is located about 1500 m above
sea level in a remote valley covered by rice paddies and corn fields. Red Dao people living there still keep strong customs
: arranged weddings where the price of the bride can still reach a decent amount of old Indochina silver piastres; the use
of roots and plants to dye silk threads in bright yellow or dark orange; harvesting medicinal plants in the jungle in order
to make their traditional herbal bath. Hmong people usually live in smaller houses and grow hemp and indigo plants.
They turn these plants into stunning pieces of clothing and souvenirs for the village visitors.
4 bunk soft sleeper compartment Livitrans Express
DAY 05
Terraced paddies at Ta Phin
HANOI - HALONG BAY
We arrive at Hanoi in the very early morning , where our driver will take us to Hoan Kiem lake area to have
some fresh air before having breakfast at a hotel. We will then make a 4 hour journey across the rural plain
of the Red River Delta to arrive in Ha Long Bay’s Bai Chay pier at around 11:30 am. We will transfer by a
smaller boat to the Indochina operated junk. Enjoy a welcome drink and receive a cruise briefing with safety
instructions. Then check into your rooms on the boat and begin your cruise.
As we set sail, we will enjoy a multi-course Vietnamese and Western set menu lunch. While cruising through
the Bai Tu Long Bay (Indochina sails is the only cruise operator allowed to sail through Bai Tu Long Bay), the
captain will choose the most spectacular and most beautiful but quiet area in Bai Tu Long Bay and Ha long Bay
to reach the Cua Van fishing village. Cua Van floating fishing village is the largest fishing village in the Bay with
a population of about 600 residents living in about 150 floating houses. Guests can choose between kayaking
through the village or visiting on small bamboo boats (sampans) rowed by the villagers. The optional activity
of kayaking (participants paddle the kayaks by themselves) is $10.00 per person and must be pre-booked.
Back on board after visiting the village, there will be free time of about one and a half hours before the cooking
class on board will be held by the boat’s chef and all the passengers could attend this activity. The chef will show
the guests how to make some traditional Vietnamese food followed by food tasting after the class. In addition,
the first of the boat’s double happy hours starts from 6 pm and ends by 7 pm. Accommodation: Onboard the
Indochina Sails junk.
Vietnamese Poet Xuan Dieu: “Here is the unfinished works of the Beings...Here is the stones
which the Giant played and threw away”
Dinner is a sumptuous buffet featuring an array of salads, seafood, meat dishes, seasonal fresh fruits and deserts. After dinner guests can relax in the dining room or lounge on the upper deck to enjoy the second happy
hour from 9 to 10 pm. Board games and playing cards are available and massage services as well (massage
service is available throughout the cruise). Also, everyone can try their luck at squid fishing from the boat with
help from the crew. Accommodation: Onboard the Indochina Sails junk. http://www.indochinasails.com/
Halong Bay - Imagine 2000 or more islands rising from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin and you have a vision
of breathtaking beauty. Halong translates as ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’, and legend claims the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon from the mountains. As it charged towards the coast, its flailing tail gouged out
valleys and crevasses. When it finally plunged into the sea, the area filled with water, leaving only the pinnacles visible.
Designated a World Heritage site in 1994, this mystical landscape of limestone islets is often compared to Guilin in China
or Krabi in southern Thailand. In reality, Halong Bay is more spectacular. The bay’s immense number of islands are dotted with wind- and wave-eroded grottoes, and their sparsely forested slopes ring with birdsong.
Halong Bay is Northern Vietnam’s number one destination and truly one of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders, especially when seen from a luxurious Chinese style junk. October to January is considered the best time to visit.
“There aren’t enough superlatives to describe Halong Bay – for a place
that’s so hyped up it lived up to our expectations.” A visitor.
Cabin on the Indochina Junk
DAY 06
HALONG BAY - HANOI
For early risers this morning, you can enjoy a Tai Chi instruction on the sundeck (duration about 30 minutes). At around
07:45, there will be a hike up a hill on Titov Island. About one hour is spent on the island allowing time for the climb up
the steps to the peak for a breathtaking 360 degrees view of the Bay (there is also an expansive viewing deck half way up).
After the climb there is still time left to relax on the beach and have a swim. Titov island is named after Gherman Titov,
a Soviet cosmonaut who became the second person to orbit the earth after Yuri Gargarin. He visited the island with Ho
Chi Minh in 1962.
Back on board the junk, it’s time for packing and freshening up before enjoying a full brunch after 09:45, including traditional Vietnamese Noodles (Pho). After brunch, guests may relax in the dining room and lounge or on the deck enjoying
the last Bay views before disembarkation at 11 am.
We will arrive in Hanoi at around 3 to 4 pm and the rest of the day is free time at your leisure. Our Gala dinner is at Pots
and Pans restaurant. The Pots and Pans Restaurant is a highly acclaimed restaurant in Hanoi with fine cuisine and was
founded as a social enterprise headed by an Australian chef who leads a team of KOTO graduates, who are mostly from
a disadvantaged background. Overnight at the La Belle Vie Hotel.
DAY 07
DEPARTURES & END OF TOUR
After breakfast, transfer to Hanoi Airport for your departure from Vietnam to your home countries. Bon Voyage!
Registration Details
Deposit & Payments:
Package Cost: 760 USD
A deposit of 350USD per participant is required for the
registration to be confirmed. The final payment of 410 USD
shall be paid by the 23rd of July.
Capacity on Tour : 32
Package includes:
1. 2 nights twin share accommodation with daily
breakfasts at La Belle Vie Hotel in Hanoi.
2. 2 nights on the soft sleeper compartments of
the Livitrans/Fansipan Express train Hanoi Lao Cai. 2 breakfasts at hotels.
3. 1 night twin share accomodation at Sunny
Mountain Hotel in Sapa with breakfast.
4. 1 night twin share accomodation on Indochina
Sails luxury junk at Halong Bay with brunch.
5. 6 dinners, 5 local lunches, 1 brunch and 5
breakfasts.
6. English speaking guides, tours and activities
in the itinerary, including entrance fees to
sights. Ground transportation during tours in
air-conditioned vehicles.
7. Transfers as stipulated in the program.
8. *Flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi on a
confirmed basis on Vietnam Airlines.*
Package does not include:
1. WACA fee of 20 USD.
2. Single room supplement of 250 USD.
3. Expenses of a personal nature such as drinks/
meals (unless specified as per the program),
laundry and telephone calls , internet etc.
4. Travel & Personal Insurance.
5. Visas. They are not required for citizens of
ASEAN nations. Other nationalities need to
obtain their visas before arrival or can apply
for a visa on arrival (only applicable for citizens
of certain countries.) Please check with the lo
cal or nearest Vietnamese diplomatic mission
for the most updated visa requirement details.
6. Transportation not listed in the program and
gratuities.
*Note:
The Flight Cost is based on the current quote
by Vietnam Airlines for group tickets. Should
there be a variance in cost at the time of purchase, the difference will be collected from the
participants.
For interested parties, please register with Mr. Keith Miller at WACA headquarters at [email protected]. For additional
information about the tour, please contact any member of
the WACA Council at [email protected]
All money orders/draft in US Dollars must be payable to
the “World Airlines Clubs Association” and along with the
filled-in Registration Form, to be mailed to:
Mr. Keith Miller at WACA Headquarters, c/o IATA, 800
Place Victoria, P.O. Box 113, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4Z 1M1. The Registration forms can also be sent to
WACA via email.
You can also transfer the payment via wire transfer to
WACA’s bank account. Transfer charges are to be borne by
participants and WACA reserves the right to collect from
the participant the shortfall due to service charges etc.
Please note WACA’s Bank of Montreal account does levy a
charge of 14 US dollars for every transaction and this shall
be borne by the participant as well.
For PayPal payments, this payment option is no more
offered due to the potentially high service charges incurred.
WACA’s bank account info as follows for bank wire
transfers:
Bank Address: Bank of Montreal, 2005 Peel Street,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1T7
Account name: World Airlines Clubs Association
Account number: 4600-790
Transit number: 01581
Swift code: bofmcam2
Note:
Bank processing charges vary from country to country and
WACA will only recover the outstanding amount as indicated in the actual transaction records.
Cancellation Policy:
1. A service charge of 100 USD shall be imposed for cancellations before 23rd June
2015.
2. The deposit shall be forfeited if cancellation
occurs after 23rd June and no refund after 23rd
July.
Note: Confirmation of your attendance in
the package can only be guaranteed
upon the receipt of a deposit.
Indochina Sails Junk
Note:
In order to be eligible to register for this tour, the
participant must also be registered for the 48th
Interline Celebration and AGA at Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam.
Halong Bay
Vietnam Airlines
Terraced Paddies at Sapa
WACA works with the thecode.org. The Code
(short for “The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation
in Travel and Tourism”) is an industry-driven
responsible tourism initiative with a mission
to provide awareness, tools and support to
the tourism industry in order to prevent the
sexual exploitation of children.