Hoang Hai Long

62-64 Pham Hong Thai

Ben Thanh Ward

District 1

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Tel: +848 3828 2888

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Today is a joining day. There is no set itinerary planned for today, so if you arrive early, you are free to explore Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh is a bustling city with an exciting blend of east-meets-west architecture and restaurants. It is very fast paced and full of contrasts, with street vendors selling fruit and vegetables next to glitzy western-style bars and boutiques. In Chinatown there are dozens of temples and pagodas, and the French left their mark with buildings such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office.

At 6pm, we will meet in the lobby of the hotel for a pre departure meeting with our guide and to meet our fellow travelers.  Following the meeting you are free to check out one of the many Vietnamese restaurants for dinner. 

Saigon - Fly Danang - Hoi An.  This morning we transfer to the airport for the flight to Danang, followed by a 40 min drive to Hoi An. After checking into the hotel, we will set out for a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200 years old Tam Ky ancestral house and the Japanese Bridge. 

The beautiful and picturesque town of Hoi An, with its mix of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European architecture was a thriving international commercial port from the 16th to 18th centuries, the main trade being silk and ceramics. Today it is a quaint riverside fishing town. 

Some of its many attractions include the Chinese Assembly Halls, built between the 17^th & 19^th centuries for the large Chinese merchant population. Also worth visiting are the ancient ancestral homes, some of which have been occupied by the same family for 15 generations. Hoi An is also famed for its tailors' shops. This stems from the time when the town was a major stop along the Silk Road and other trade routes. There is also the pleasant Cua Dai beach 4km from town. (B)

Hue.  This morning we drive north to the ancient capital of Hue. The drive takes about 5 hours and is a beautiful coastal drive. A stop will be made at the peak for a bird’s eye view over Danang city and Lang Co white sand beaches. After time for lunch in Hue, we will enjoy an afternoon tour of the Purple City and Citadel. (B) 

Hanoi - Halong Bay - Overnight on Traditional Junk. After breakfast, we depart for the 3 hour drive to Halong Bay. Upon arriving in Halong City, we transfer to our deluxe private traditional junk boat for an overnight cruise of the crystalline emerald waters of Halong Bay, giving us the chance to take in the stunning scenery of this World Heritage Site. We will be served a sumptuous fresh, local seafood lunch followed by time for a swim and cave exploring.

Halong Bay was designated a World Heritage Site in 1994, and covers an area of 1,500 square kms. Halong Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, has more than a thousand limestone peaks rising up from its emerald waters, and this area is viewed as one of the natural wonders of Vietnam. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. The sites outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest.  (B,L,D)

Hanoi - City Tour. At 8.00 am we begin our city tour with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex and the Temple of Literature.  Please note - The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes annually for 6 to 8 weeks for maintenance at which time visitors are not allowed into the Mausoleum, but we are still able to visit Ho Chi Minh's house and the museum.

We visit the Presidential Palace where Ho refused to live, choosing instead a small stilt house beside a lake. Close by is the One Pillar Pagoda. We also visit the beautiful and ornate Temple of Literature.  

Hong Ngoc 1

34 Hang Manh St

Hoan Kiem District

Hanoi

Vietnam

Tel: +84 4 3828 5053

NOTE: 14 Jul 12 departure will finish at the following hotel instead:

Hong Ngoc 5

95-97 Nguyen Truong To Street

Hoan Kiem District

Hanoi

Vietnam

Tel: +84 4 3928 9725

The Pre-Departure meeting is held at 6pm THE DAY of the scheduled departure date. The pre-departure meeting is held to discuss the tour itinerary in more detail, meet your crew and fellow passengers.

In each departure city we have named a joining hotel from where the tour will leave. It is your responsibility to make your way to this hotel. Your Tour Leader will leave a notice at reception on the first day of departure with information as to where he/she can be contacted and you should inform him/her that you have arrived.

PLEASE ADVISE KUMUKA OR YOUR AGENT IF YOU WILL BE ARRIVING LATE AND ARE THEREFORE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE PRE-DEPARTURE MEETING.

In addition the crew will check that all passengers have the necessary travel documents, insurance and immunization certificates for the tour. It is IMPORTANT that you attend this meeting. Please advise KUMUKA or your AGENT if you CANNOT attend this meeting.

All passengers MUST bring:
1. Passport.
2. Vaccination Certificate.
3. Travel Voucher.
4. Travel Insurance Policy.

In most of the hotels in Asia you may be required to deposit your passport at Reception. This is a perfectly normal practice and nothing to be concerned about. Just make sure that you retrieve it before when you check out of the hotel.

Your passport is a valuable document and you should exercise extreme care in keeping it safe. We recommend that you keep your passport on you at all times, preferably in a money belt that is worn under your clothing. We advise that you take copies of relevant pages in your passport and any visas that you may purchase in case of loss or damage. Your tour leader will require your passport details at the pre-departure meeting. Again, we recommend that you have a photocopy of all passport details, kept separate. Your passport must be valid for six months after the END of your tour, and must have one blank page for each country to be visited.

Vietnam – Departure Taxes are now generally included in airfares.

Please note that these taxes are subject to change.

• Do not take unnecessary valuables with you.
• A money belt, or something similar, worn close to your body is the best way to carry passports, airline tickets and money.
• DO NOT leave any valuables in ANY hotel room in Asia, please use SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES. Items are left at the individuals’ risk.
• Pickpockets operate everywhere, particularly in tourist areas and in crowded markets; you must always exercise care.
• Be aware that anything left lying around will also be liable to theft.

Tipping is not expected in South East Asia, but salaries are very low and any gratuities for good service will be gratefully accepted. Bargaining is the rule in markets, when hiring vehicles and sometimes even when taking a room, but in most countries you won't need to be as forceful as you would in Thailand.

In order to ensure that you receive the best service from our local guides and operators we use throughout the tour, we operate a Tip Kitty. For this we request an amount of: US$20 - US$35 per person. The amount that your guide will ask for the tip kitty, depends upon the number of  people on your tour.

The tip kitty is monitored during the tour and detailed in a tip kitty report form for the tour leader to record all tipping expenses for the tour - and they will ask a passenger to sign as reference.

NOTE: The suggested tip above does not go to your tour leader / guide - it is entirely up to your discretion if you are satisfied with his / her performance however, our suggestion for a tip for your tour leader / guide is from US$1.5 to US$3 per person per day.

We suggest that you take into account the time of year you will be travelling, and pack accordingly to the season. Quick drying clothes are recommended, and at many hotels there are laundry facilities. Your tour leader will advise where laundry facilities are available.

Personal Effects:
Camera & film, Spare passport photos, Water bottle, Money belt, Torch, Sewing kit, Sunhat/ Sunglasses, Music cassettes /CDs, Books, Wet Ones, Soap to wash clothes, Writing materials, Swiss Army knife, Calculator, Personal toiletries, including tampons, Contraceptives, Insect Repellent, Sunscreen.

NOTE: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are uncommon. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

The Vietnamese Lunar New Year

The most important and widely celebrated public holiday of the year is Tet, the Lunar New Year, which coincides with the cycle of the moon. This public holiday usually takes place in late January or early February and lasts officially for three days, although many businesses are closed the entire week.

There is no more colourful time to be in Vietnam than during the days leading up to Tet Nguyen Dan, the most important festival of the year for Vietnam's Kinh ethnic majority. Since the first day of lunar year is thought to set the tone for the next 12 months, everyone strives to plan the perfect Tet. In Hanoi, the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter buzz with activity. Everyone is in a rush to get a haircut, buy new clothes, spruce up their homes, visit friends, settle outstanding debts, and stock up on traditional Tet delicacies.

Businesses hang festive red banners which read "Chuc mung nam moi"(Happy New Year) and city streets are festooned with coloured light. Stalls spring up all over town to sell nothing but cone -shaped kumquat bushes. Others sell flowering peach trees, symbols of life and good fortune which people bring in to their homes to celebrate the coming of spring. As vendors pour into the city with peach trees strapped to their bicycles, the streets look like moving pink forests.

In the south, people bring yellow mai (apricot) branches into their homes and place a coconut, a papaya, a mango and a custard apple on the family altar. Spoken in the southern dialect, the names of these fruit form a prayer for success and fulfillment.

Three crucial meetings are said to take place on Tet. The first meeting is between three family deities: Tien su, the deity responsible for introducing the family to its traditional career; Tho Cong, who oversees the land where the family lives; and Tao Quan, the Kitchen God, who cares for the family's food. The second meeting takes place between the dead and the living. People place offerings of food and drinks on their ancestral altars, light incense, and invite their ancestors to join the family's Tet celebrations. The third meeting involves the immediate family. On New Year's Eve, family members gather for a dinner of traditional food like banh chung (a square cake made of sticky rice stuffed with beans and pork), mang (a soup of boiled bamboo shoots and fried pork) and xoi gac (orange sticky rice). This is followed by a visit to the local pagoda and perhaps an outing to see the town's fireworks.

Please note that for tours which coincide with the Tet festival, many shops may be closed. and it may be necessary to amend the itinerary at short notice. We will, however, endeavour to try to ensure that all included sights are still visited.

Vietnam's elongated shape includes tropical and subtropical zones and is responsible for the varied climate in the country.

The South (from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet) - The south is hot year round and has two seasons: one wet the other dry. The wet season lasts from May to October and you can expect daily downpours. These are usually brief and easy to predict. The dry season from November to April is generally sunny and humid.

The Centre (from Nha Trang to Hue) - For most of the year Nha Trang is bathed in beautiful sunshine but between November and December the area can have heavy rain. Dalat, at an altitude of 1,500m is cooler than the coastal area, particularly from November through to March. Danang and Hue both experience typhoon activity from mid October to mid December when the climate becomes cooler, more overcast and wet.

The North (from Hanoi to Sapa) - Summer in the north lasts from May to October where temperatures range between 30-35 degrees Celsius with the occasional burst of heavy rain. The temperature varies from 10-15 degrees in winter (December to March). February and March can be damp with drizzle and overcast skies.

Food is one of the highlights of any trip.

Vietnam has one of the most sophisticated and exciting cuisines in the world. Its historical influences and geographical gifts have created a cuisine rich in variety and vibrant in colour and freshness. Vietnam's culinary heritage combines elements from three of the world's most celebrated cuisines - French, Chinese and Indian. Paired with an acute sense of aesthetics and presentation, these influences give Vietnamese cooking a tremendous edible tapestry of flavours, textures and colours, which is sure to offer something that everyone will appreciate.

Most Vietnamese dishes are served accompanied with chilli sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce. The traditional Vietnamese breakfast is Pho - a large bowl of rice noodles flavoured with sliced beef or chicken and fragrant broth, and garnished with fresh coriander and bean sprouts. Vietnam has 3 main regions, the North, the Centre and the South, and each has a distinct cuisine. Generally the North is best known for its noodle soups and meats and seafood stir-fries. The Central region, especially around Hue has more elaborate dishes. In the South, where there is a greater abundance of spices, the food tends to be somewhat hotter. With over 3000kms of coastline, the seafood is delicious and varied. Crabs, prawns, crayfish and squid are in plentiful supply, as well as hundreds of varieties of fish.

Vegetarians, or those with special dietary needs can also be catered for, however in some places the type of food may be limited. Please let the Reservations team know your special requirements as soon as possible so we can do all possible to assist your needs.

The variety of food will differ, as you may be visiting a number of different countries. We try to ensure that you get the most experience from your Kumuka trip and one of the ways to do this is by trying local cuisine.

We have put a lot of thought and effort into locating the most appropriate type of accommodation for each tour. It will always be clean, comfortable and of a very high standard. All accommodation is in comfortable tourist class accommodation. Depending on the tour, this ranges from overnight sleeper train or cruise boat through to delightful lodges and excellent hotels (generally 3 star or above).

If you wish to spend a few additional days in your start city before the departure of your tour, then we can arrange accommodation for you. If you would like to book accommodation to stay additional nights after the tour ends, we will be more than happy to arrange this for you as well. All our accommodation is carefully chosen, conveniently located, clean and comfortable.

In most of the hotels in Asia you may be required to deposit your passport at Reception. This is a perfectly normal practice and nothing to be concerned about. Just make sure that you retrieve it when you check out of the hotel.

Kumuka endeavors to advertise a compliment of optional activities available locally during tours with selected ground handlers to make your tour more enjoyable. These ground handlers and activity partners are selected for their standards in quality, professional ability and reputation. Although Kumuka has developed a travel insurance policy to cover all activities offered during your journey, Kumuka cannot be held responsible for injuries or claims arising from adventurous activities by a third party.

Details and prices of optional activities will be advised by your tour leader.

Whilst on tour you will probably want to stay in touch with family and friends. There are several ways of doing this:

Mobile Phone – Before departing your home country check with your phone supplier to see if it compatible with the mobile phone networks in the countries that you are traveling to, and how much will it cost to use abroad.

Email – Internet Cafes are very cheap and popular, and you are sure to come across several during your tour. If you haven’t done so already, set up a free Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account which you can then access from any computer. Internet Cafes will charge a nominal fee for using their computers. Within Europe some hotels charge a wifi connection fee and we cannot guarantee a wifi connection at all hotels we use.

Twitter – A method of communication that is rapidly gaining in popularity on the Internet especially amongst travelers. Twitter allows you to send short messages and update your friends and family with where you are on tour and what you are doing. Create your free account at http://twitter.com. Visit Kumuka’s page on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kumuka

Facebook – Very popular website that allows you to upload stories, get in touch with fellow travellers before and after your Kumuka tour, upload photos and videos to share with other travellers, your family and friends. To create a free account, go to www.facebook.com and then become a fan of Kumuka’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kumuka-Worldwide/26617121087?ref=ts

Postcards – The good ol’ fashioned postcard. But you will probably get home before the postcard does!

KUMUKA WORLDWIDE

UK OFFICE

Hillswood Business Park
3000 Hillswood Drive Chertsey KT16 0RS
Tel: 020 7937 8855 Fax: 020 7937 6664
Email: sales@kumuka.com
www.kumuka.com

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