National parks in Vietnam
are one of the country's most valuable resources. From North to South, there
are 87 national parks. There are nature reserves, historical
sites and natural areas.
Our government and international organizations are
doing the best to educate the public about the importance of preserving the lands.
Hoping to contribute a small part in this work, we will bring
you much information about these Vietnamese treasures.
Day 1: HANOI ARRIVAL (D)
Arrive Noi Bai airport in Hanoi. Welcome by Binhtours and being
transferred to hotel in the city center for check-in. After that, start an a half day city tour to get
acquainted with Hanoi.
Start the tour at History
Museum. Sit in a
wonderful building, the museum displays thousands of selected showpieces that
marked the country's historical developments, that you will provide you general
features about Vietnam.
Continue to visit Hoan Kiem lake and Ngoc Son
temple, Ma May Ancient House at 87 Ma May street. This is one of rare
ancient house still preserved in Hanoi. The house was built at the end of the 19th century according to the structure
of traditional house. The city tour today will end with a cyclo
tour around the Old Quarter. This is a wonderful chance for you to get closer
to the daily life of Hanoi
people. Later on, you will have a delicious dinner followed by an evening show
of Water Puppetry, a stage art created by the Vietnamese peasants. The show
last more than an hour and is a wonderful opportunity to learn about some of Vietnam’s
mythology, traditions and current customs. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: HANOI – CUC PHUONG
NATIONAL PARK (B, L, D)
After breakfast, depart for Cuc Phuong National Park (2,5 hours driving). Upon
arrival, we start our visit at the EPRC (Endangered Primates Rescue Center) then
go trekking, have a picnic lunch, hike through the rain forests (18km) to learn
about the diverse fauna and flora and there are chances to see some native
animals. Get to Muong village before dark then dinner and free to learn about
the Muong people. Overnight at house on stilts.
Day 3: CUC PHUONG – TAM COC – NINH BINH (B, L, D)
Breakfast then trek 5 km to the van, where we will
get on and head to Tam Coc. The natural landscape here is outstanding with
mountain ranges running along a small river way.
Upon arrival Tam Coc, you will have a boat trip rowed by the
locals to go thru long caves formed by the water erosion to enjoy the scenery
and relax. The official name of the area “TAM-COC” (three caves or grottoes)
comes from these three caves. After the boat trip, enjoy your lunch before going on to Bich Dong charming
pagoda, which leans in a mountain cliff. Dinner and Overnight in Ninh Binh.
Day 4: NINH BINH – HALONG (B, L, D)
Leaving Ninh Binh for Halong city, you will be on the way to
circle the Red River Delta today. There are numerous temples and shrines dedicated to the
Vietnamese legendary and historical heroes to visit en route, among which Pho Minh
Tower in the Tran Dynasty
temple and Keo Pagoda in Thai Binh are most important. Visiting craft-making
villages and crossing rivers by Binh and Bach Dang ferryboats afterward will
give you exciting experience of the Vietnam daily life. Arrive Halong City
late afternoon for your dinner and overnight. Overnight in Halong.
Day 5:
HALONG – CAT BA (B, L, D)
The
wondrous Halong Bay
is truly one of Vietnam’s
most impressive scenic sights. Heading out of the town we embark on a boat for
an exploration of the legendary Halong
Bay. This exciting five
hour cruise will provide us a fantastic view of the picturesque scenery
blending with the sky and some 3,000 limestone islands rising amazingly from
the clear and emerald water. The limestone karst formations are littered with
beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. Along the way we will anchor for a
leisurely swim in a secluded cove and an enjoyable visit to one of the many
hidden grottoes beneath towering cliffs.
Arrive Cat
Ba island at noon. Check-in hotel upon arrival. After lunch, free at leisure to
relax on the beach or enjoy other water activities. Dinner and Overnight in Cat Ba.
Day 6: TREK
TO CAT BA NATIONAL PARK (B, L, D)
After
breakfast, start your trek of 15 km in to the
tropical forest
of Cat Ba National Park,
accompanied by experienced local guide, to observe the various flora and fauna
of the rain forest. Have picnic lunch in Viet Hai village. Afterward take a
boat trip back on Lan Ha bay to return to Ben Beo Wharf of Cat Ba island. Dinner and Overnight in Cat Ba.
Day 7: CAT BA – HANOI
(B, L)
After breakfast, embark the boat again to sail back
to Halong Wharf passing other beautiful area of
the Bay. Arrive Haling city at noon. Lunch at local restaurant. Head back to Hanoi for your leisure
time rest of the day. Dinner in Hanoi
at your own arrangement for more flexibility. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 8: HANOI -
DALAT (B, L, D)
At leisure in Hanoi
until being transferred to the airport to take flight to Dalat.
Welcome by your new tour guide in Dalat and being transferred to the city center. The city tour will begin with the Hang
Nga Art
Gallery, a cafe and art
gallery run by the gallery's eccentric owner. The French District is a
delightful area for walking around, and is reminiscent of a French provincial
town.
Valley of Love
Next we are off to the Valley
Of Love was named the Valley of Peace by the Emperor, however in 1972
its name was changed by romantically-minded students. Dalat Cathedral was built
between 1931 and 1942 for use by French residents and holidaymakers and
features stained-glass windows that put us in medieval Europe.
Dinner
and overnight in Dalat.
Day 9: DALAT – JUN VILLAGE
(B, L, D)
Transfer the first 69km from Dalat. The road is extremely quiet and begins to
wind down through jungle with superb views of Langbian into the distance. The
road is tarmac but on some sections of downhill the surface shifts between
dirt, hard-pack clay, gravel. After 50km the tarmac is brand new and the road
superbly smooth all the way to Lak
Lake. Arrive Jun village
at midday. Villagers here still live a traditional way, with open fire stoves and pounding
of rice by hand.
Overnight in a long house in the middle of a lakeside village. There are many
longhouses set next to the lakes all with their respective puppy dogs and
collection of baby pot bellied pigs trotting around. The longhouse is very
comfortable. There are blankets and mattress and mosquito netting. There are
outdoor western toilets and cold showers available.
Day 10: JUN VILLAGE - YOK DON NATIONAL
PARK (B, L, D)
Serepok River inside Yok Don National Park
Pass by several M'nong villages in the morning before heading out on the road to
Buon Ma Thuot. There is much to see and experience along the way. Have lunch in Buon Ma Thuot,
the unofficial capital of the Central Highlands. It is sited on the Dac Lac
plateau at an altitude of 1000m. Continue on a great downhill route to Yok Don National Park. Yok Don is a 58,000ha
wildlife reserve and is thought to be the home of several rare white elephants.
Arrive Ban Don Village
– a harmonious multiracial village home to the Ede, Mnong, Lao, Thai and Khmer ethnic
minorities. The village has a long tradition of taming the forest's
elephants. At late afternoon, attend "Cong Chieng" musical
performance of M’nong people and drink "Can" wine. Overnight in one
of the local villagers.
Day 11: YOK
DON NATIONAL
PARK - ELEPHANT RIDING - BUON MA THUOT (B,
L, D)
Elephant riding in Yok Don in dry season
In the early morning take a guided trek and elephant ride through the Park,
rowing dug-out boat (one hour). At late afternoon drive back to Buon Ma Thuot.
Check-in hotel and at leisure rest of the day. Dinner and overnight in Buon Ma Thuot.
Day 12:
BUON MA THUOT – SAIGON (B, L, D)
At leisure until taking the domestic flight Buon Ma Thuot - Saigon. Welcome
upon arrival then being transferred to the city center for the city tour today.
Start an
orientation tour of the city from the Post Office in colonial-style and the
Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1877 and 1883 and being the major seat of
the Catholic religion in modern Vietnam.
Go on to visit Thien Hau pagoda and a specific section that does not exist in
any other city of Vietnam –
a bustling China Town, where every board is in two
languages – Chinese and Vietnamese, and so are the communication languages of
the inhabitants. In the centre of this exciting area is a grandiose market :
“Cho Lon”, i.e. The Big Market. Dinner and overnight in Saigon.
Day 13:
SAIGON – NAM CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK (B, L, D)
After
leaving the busy city of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city), turn
on the National Highway 20 which leads us to a mountainous area full of
roadside plantations of rubber and green coffee. A short, smooth 150 km bus
ride takes visitors to a former volcanic crater, known as Lava tubes. Crossing
the Dong Nai
River to enter the Cat Tien National Park and begin our wildlife
experience.
In the
afternoon, we do a three hour trekking (roughly 08km) to through the Reserved
Core Area. We will see many kinds of hundreds of years old trees: Lagerstroemia
Ovalfolia (BangLang), Tetrameles nudiflora (Tung), Cycas rumphii (Thien Tue),
Ancistrolandus tectorius (Trung quan), Afzelia cyclocarpa (Go). Then return to
the center for dinner and overnight.
Optional: Two-hour night safari tour in the
jungle, on a jeep, allows visitors to enjoy the feelings of watching wild
animals and hearing the calls of rhinoceros.
Day 14: NAM CAT TIEN – SAIGON
(B, L)
After
breakfast, the Jeep will transfer us 9km inside the park to junction where we
turn off the main route and trek 5km to Crocodile lake station. Short break at
the lake watch tower. Then trek back to the main route. Jeep pick up, transfer
back to the center. We check out and enjoy lunch in the park before heading
back to Saigon. Arrive Saigon late afternoon for your free evening. Overnight in
Saigon.
Day 15: SAIGON DEPARTURE
(B)
At leisure for shopping or your own activities in Saigon
before being transferred to the airport to take flight leaving Vietnam.
End of services.
INCLUDE:
English-speaking
tour guides. (Other languages available upon request)
Double/Twin-shared accommodation at Standard 3-star hotels in big cities and
standard accommodation/homestay in national parks.
Meals as
mentioned in the program.
Transfer as transportation by A/C vehicle as per program.
Domestic air tickets: Hanoi – Da Lat; Buon Ma
Thuot – Saigon and airport tax.
All Boat
trips as mentioned in the program.
Admission fees to tourist sights as per program.
Mineral
water and wet tissue (Bottle of 500ml/person/day)
EXCLUDE:
International
flights to/from Vietnam
and airport tax.
Visa to Vietnam.
Drinks and personal expenses (laundry, phone calls, tips, emergency transfer,
etc).
NOTICE: Kindly note that the accommodation
at the national parks is very basic. Rooms are normally equipped with twin
beds, basic bedding (pillow, blanket and mosquito net), fan, in-house or separated bathroom. Please do not expect something fancy and make sure that you
are adaptable with the situation once you are there.