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.

 

 

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