Tour Vietnam and Cambodia 2014

40 Allara St, Canberra City ACT, 2601 Ph: 02 62489399
E: [email protected] Web: www.goddardandhowse.com.au
DISCOVER VIETNAM & CAMBODIA FOR MHS OLD BOYS
and FRIENDS Saturday 4 – Thursday 23 October 2014
This discovery tour is designed to suit all MHS Old Boys, partners and friends from youth to senior years. It has been planned by Colin Green with great assistance from Ross Goddard in Canberra, his company (Goddard & Howse) being the Vietnam and Cambodia customised tours experts. Tour Leader is Colin Green, formerly Executive Director MHSOBA, former senior Geography teacher at MHS and experienced tour organiser of teachers’ groups to China when it was just emerging to the modern world, 1976‐1977. He is leading the Adventure Tour to Yunnan Province, Southern China, September 2013 and September 2014.. DAY 1 HANOI ARRIVAL [‐/‐/‐] VN780 Melbourne/Hanoi at 1125 to arrive 2035 (via Saigon) On arrival at Hanoi International airport you will be met and transferred to hotel for check in. Accommodation at Conifer Boutique Hotel, Deluxe room for three nights (right). DAY 2 HANOI CITY TOUR [B=Breakfast/‐/D=Dinner] Breakfast at hotel. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum* and his former residence, One‐
Pillar Pagoda (left) and Quan Thanh Temple. Continue to visit the Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison. Lunch at Koto restaurant (own account). Panoramic cyclo tour in the afternoon followed by a visit of Ngoc Son Temple (below) and Hoan Kiem Lake. Drop by Thang Long theatre to enjoy famous Water Puppet Show, the unique Vietnamese traditional art. This art originates from rural festivals in Vietnam. The artists ‐men and women‐ stand waist‐deep in the water to manipulate the puppets, making them move, talk, laugh and even dance on water surface. The rest of the day is free at leisure Accommodation at Conifer Boutique Hotel, Deluxe room. (*) Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on every Friday and Monday and it may close all October or November for yearly maintenance. DAY 3 HANOI FREE DAY [B/‐/‐] Breakfast at hotel. Free day at leisure. Accommodation at Conifer Boutique Hotel, Deluxe room. DAY 4 HANOI‐ HALONG [B/L=Lunch/D] Breakfast at hotel. Early morning drive 160 km East Hanoi to Halong. Boarding and check‐in with welcome drink, then the cruise starts through Cho Da, Dinh Huong, Ga Choi and Hoa Cuong limestone islets while a lunch is served on board. Visit Sung Sot Grotto, the “Cave of Surprises”, before taking a swim at Titov Beach or Soi Sim Beach’s pristine waters. The vessel then cruises further to reach its overnight anchorage location near Ho Dong Tien or Luon Cave. Enjoy the sunset from the sundeck or while swimming; then a dinner will be served on board. Evening relaxing in peaceful setting, or experience night fishing from the boat’s deck. Overnight on board the Pelican cruise/ deluxe room Note: The above itinerary is subject to change with or without prior notice and your local guide will not escort guests on board. DAY 5 HALONG ‐HUE [B/L/‐] Early wake‐up for a breakfast with stunning scenery, then a small boat will take you to visit Luon Cave (left). Back on board the cruise heads further to Tuan Chau pier. Lunch is served on board while the cruise goes back to Halong City for disembarking at noon time. Afternoon transfer back to Hanoi airport for flight to Hue. VN1543 Hanoi/Hue at 1915 to arrive 2025. Accommodation at Huong Guang Hotel, Deluxe room for three nights (right). DAY 6 HUE [B/‐/‐] Breakfast at hotel. Today we will visit the Imperial City where Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945, now recognised as world Heritage. Afternoon visit to Dong Ba Market (bottom). Accommodation at Huong Giang Hotel, Deluxe room, Hue. DAY 7 HUE [B/‐/‐] Breakfast at hotel. In the morning take a boat cruise along Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda (right), one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious worship in Hue. Continue to visit Khai Dinh, Tu Duc & Minh Mang Tomb. Lunch/Dinner (own account). Accommodation at Huong Giang Hotel, Deluxe room. DAY 8 HUE ‐HOI AN [B/‐/‐] Breakfast at hotel. Depart Hue for the spectacular drive over Hai Van Pass (left); passing through many pretty red‐
tiled villages, enjoying spectacular view of sky and sea, en route stop to visit Marble Mountain (below) and Cham Museum in Da Nang. In the afternoon, 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 (below), Tan Ky old house, Fukien Assembly Hall, and the 400‐year‐old Japanese covered bridge (below left). Travellers can also see local residents raise silkworms and produce silk for Hoi An's burgeoning textile industry. Lunch and dinner at your own expense. Accommodation at Hoi An Hotel, Deluxe room for three nights (below). DAY 9 HOI AN [B/L/‐] Breakfast at hotel. ½ day cooking class at Red Bridge Cooking School (below). Accommodation at Hoi An Hotel, Deluxe room . DAY 10 HOI AN FREE DAY [B/‐/‐] Breakfast at hotel. Full day is free at leisure. Delightful short walks through Hoi An. Accommodation at Hoi An Hotel, Deluxe room. DAY 11 HOI AN ‐ HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) ARRIVAL [B/‐/‐] Breakfast at hotel. Rest at leisure until time to meet and transfer to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). VN1317 Da Nang/Ho Chi Minh City at 1420 to arrive 1535. Meet on arrival and then transfer to hotel for check in. Accommodation at Nhat Ha 3 Hotel (right) in superior room for four nights. DAY 12 HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) – CU CHI [B/L/‐] Breakfast at hotel. In the morning visit History Museum, War Remnants Museum (left), photo stop at Notre Dame Cathedral, General Post office and the Reunification Palace (below left). Lunch at Pho Hoa restaurant, your chance to try one of the best noodle soups in Ho Chi Minh City. In the afternoon, drive to visit Cu Chi Tunnels (below right), an amazing complex of the underground tunnels used during the Vietnam War. Accommodation at Nhat Ha 3 Hotel, superior room. DAY 13 HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) ‐ MY THO DAY TRIP [B/L/‐] Breakfast at hotel. Take a 2‐hour drive trip to My Tho (left), a prosperous town of 170,000 inhabitants on the Mekong Delta. It is noted for its exuberant orchards and immense rice fields. Enjoy a boat ride on the Mekong River and visit an orchard on an island. On the way, stop at the Vinh Trang Pagoda, (below) a very beautiful and well‐maintained sanctuary. Lunch en route. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. Accommodation at Nhat Ha 3 Hotel, Superior. DAY 14 HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) FREE DAY [B/‐/D] Breakfast at hotel. Free day at leisure until we meet tonight for our farewell to Vietnam dinner at one of the fine dining restaurants in Saigon – the Temple Club. Accommodation at Nhat Ha 3 Hotel, Superior room. DAY 15 HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) ‐ PHNOM PENH [B/‐/‐] Breakfast at hotel. Free time at leisure until time to transfer to the airport for flight to Phnom Penh. VN3855 Ho Chi Minh City/Phnom Penh at 1400 to arrive 1445. Meet on arrival then transfer to hotel for check in. Lunch and dinner on own account. Accommodation at Amanjaya Hotel for two nights. DAY 16 PHNOM PENH [B/‐/‐] Breakfast at hotel. Phnom Penh city tour visit of National Museum, Royal Palace (below left), Silver Pagoda (below right), and Wat Phnom Buddhist Temple (bottom right). Lunch on own account. Afternoon visit of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (bottom left) and Russian Market Dinner on own account. Accommodation at Amanjaya Hotel . DAY 17 PHNOM PENH – KOMPONG THOM – SIEM REAP [B/‐/‐] Breakfast at the hotel. Depart from Phnom Penh by car with guide to Siem Reap, 314 kilometers for 6 hours drive via Kompong Thom. On the road, visit Sambor Prei Kuk, pre‐angkorian site (7th C). The complex of Ishanapura is composed of 4 groups of temples. These are among the most ancient surviving examples of Khmer architecture. Lunch on own account. Arrive at Siem Reap (right) transfer to hotel for check in. Dinner on own account. Accommodation at Siddhata Boutique Hotel for three nights (below).
DAY 18 SIEM REAP [B/‐/‐] Breakfast at hotel. Visit Beng Mealea (top right) and Banteay Srey (below) temples. On the way back from Banteay Srey temple, stop in a village for a fresh coconut drink and to observe how Cambodian people collect the sugar palm and work the rice field (depending on season). Lunch on own account. In afternoon, visit Preah Khan (lower right), and Neak Pean temples. Visit Theam’s House if time permits. For more than 10 years the artistic director of Artisans d’Angkor, Theam, has launched a new project that includes training a team of artisans‐
apprentices, as he is now embarking on a new creative journey of his own paintings. http://www.theamshouse.com/ Dinner on own account. Accommodation at Siddhata Boutique Hotel. DAY 19 SIEM REAP [B/‐/D] Breakfast at hotel. Visit the magnificent South Gate of Angkor Thom (below), Bayon, Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Elephant Terrace (below) and Terrace of Leper King. Lunch on own account. Visit of Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat temple (below) until sunset. Accommodation at Siddhata hotel. Tonight will be our farewell dinner to Cambodia at the Angkor Village Theatre. Accommodation at Siddhata Boutique Hotel. DAY 20 SIEM REAP ‐ DEPARTURE FOR MELBOURNE [B/‐/‐]] Breakfast at hotel. Free time until transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for departure flight. VN812 Siem Reap/Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) at 1830 to arrive 1930. VN781 Ho Chi Ming City (Saigon)/Melbourne at 2050 to arrive 0925 (Friday 25 October). The end of the arrangement and a memorable journey Anticipated total cost is AUD 4,455 per person based on 15 to 18 guests (twin or double sharing). Single supplement please add $1040pp. As the 2014 airfares have not yet been determined the airfares and ticket taxes are subject to change and availability. Final confirmed costs will be forwarded to interested participants as soon as they are known. All participants will receive a detailed set of notes, produced by Colin Green, to provide background information about each of the cities, places and monuments visited. This will be produced early in 2014 (April‐May) once the final list of participants is complete. Cost including: ‐International flights to and from Australia ‐Domestic flights within Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)/Phnom Penh and Siem Reap/Saigon ‐All tax and airline charges ‐All private transfers and tours with English speaking guide as indicated in the program ‐Accommodation at hotels in Vietnam and Cambodia with daily breakfast as specified ‐All entrance fees as per program ‐A/C car for transfer and sight seeing ‐Water and fresh tissues during tour ‐All meals as mentioned in the program ‐Transportation by air‐ conditioned van/minibus ‐Service charges, room tax and baggage handling ‐Overnight on the Pelican cruise at Halong Island ‐Water Puppet show at Thang Long Theatre ‐Private drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap ‐Two days Angkor Passes ‐½ day activities at Red Bridge Cooking school ‐ Welcome dinner in Hanoi, farewell dinner to Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and farewell dinner to Cambodia in Siem Reap (wine and beer and wine not included). ‐Tipping (as a guideline tipping is USD 2 per day for the driver & USD 3 per day for your guide, per person) = c. USD 115 pp. Cost not including: ‐Travel Insurance ‐Vietnam and Cambodia Visa (please see passport and visa detail section) ‐Personal expenses like drinks, laundry etc… ‐Services that are not mentioned in the program ‐Meals as not indicated in the program ‐Other program events not mentioned in the program ‐Porterage at the airports and at hotels (in and out) Visa & Passport Goddard & Howse will arrange the issue of your visas. Simply present your valid passport (please check that your passport has at least six months validity) and passport size photographs at time of final payment and we will do the rest. The current cost of a Vietnamese visa is $75 per application (one form and one photo); Cambodian visa is $45per application (one form and two photos) Travel Insurance You will need adequate travel insurance for this trip. If you have not made other arrangements we have details of policies which will cover you for most contingencies. Travellers Medical Vaccination Centre Pay a visit to the TMVC or consult your local doctor regarding the current vaccination requirements for travel to this part of the world. Frequently Asked Questions Please visit our website at www.goddardandhowse.com.au and view the tour notes for travelling to Vietnam and Cambodia. Here you will find valuable information which will help with your preparations.