Vietnam
Cheerful peasants in conical hats work in vast stretches of rice fields. Apple-cheeked children in traditional threads ride placid buffaloes. Tombs, pagodas and archaeological sites dot this ancient landscape. And streets are given endearingly explanatory names: Pickled Fish Street and Wooden Bowls Street, to name just two. That this charming country is most commonly remembered for its war with America is most unfair. The country is a gracious host to those who come as guests.
Ho chi minh city
Saigon, as Ho Chi Minh City is called by everyone but its officials, is the big beating heart of Vietnam. And you cannot help but be sucked into its pace. Its exotic markets, all life and colour, selling exquisite silks and spices. Its busy streets lined with gourmet restaurants and some excellent food stalls. And its people - whizzing by on motorbikes, or walking down the streets - constantly on the move but happy to help. Though bewildering at first sight, Saigon is quick to befriend.
Hanoi
If you look past its streets swarming with motorbikes; Hanoi adopts a tempo that’s much more relaxed than Saigon. People performing t’ai chi with steady calm. Men languidly sipping bia hoi (beer) watching cars speed by, unaffected by their pace. Wispy-bearded old men pondering over a game of Xiangqi (Chinese chess). And friendly locals who include tourists into their conversations as a matter of course. Notwithstanding its long history of invasions, renaming and restorations, Hanoi refuses to be ruffled.
Water Puppet Show, Hanoi
Back in 1010, the flooding of rice fields was not a reason to despair. For it was then that the people would hold puppet shows, making colourful puppets skim over the surface of the water. While rice fields have given way to unique pool-like stages, the charm of water puppetry still remains.
Old Quarter: The 36 Streets, Hanoi Vietnam
Its history spans 2,000 years. By the 13th century, its artisans were regarded as among the very best. Even today, its rich textiles and handicrafts draw people from far and wide. The 36 Streets, also known as The Old Quarter, prove that the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Excursion to Ha Long Bay with Boat Trip, Hanoi
It is said that heavenly dragons once descended here. With its green waters, towering limestone karsts and air of unspeakable serenity, Ha Long Bay has an aura so ethereal, you just might believe it.
The Reunification Palace, Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City believes in remembering history just like it was. The tanks that broke through the palace’s gates in 1975 still line the entrance. The palace’s 60s architecture is left untouched and its furniture still recalls the 70s.
War Remnants Museum, Saigon
A place that documents the atrocities of Vietnam’s wars, the War Remnants Museum is both sombre and overwhelming. While most of the museum’s artefacts reveal the grisly after-effects of war, you will see several rare experimental weapons.
Thien Hau Temple, Saigon
In 1760, a seafaring Cantonese congregation reached Vietnam’s shores miraculously safe after a perilous journey. They attributed this to the watchful gaze of Thien Hau - the Goddess of the Sea. Moved by gratitude, they built her a temple that still stands, perfumed by enormous coils of burning incense and urns filled with joss sticks.
Cholon, Saigon
This Chinese island in Vietnam (quite understandably), has a dualistic identity. Like the rest of Vietnam, it is an endless maze of shops and restaurants. But look closer and you realise that it is punctuated by places that are most patently Chinese: mysterious medicine shops, Chinese temples and, until not too long ago, opium dens.
Jade Emperor Pagoda, Saigon
It is an edifice dedicated to the Jade Emperor — the Taoist ruler with the power to banish mortals to hell. And so, fittingly, the colourful pagoda is replete with the most artistically grotesque figures. Of all Vietnam’s temples, this is one of the most intriguing.
Notre Dame Cathedral & The Post Office, Saigon
The French, it seems, were determined to add a bit of their homeland to the Vietnamese landscape. Bricks from Marseilles and windows from Chartres were used to build the cathedral. Not too far away is another vestige of the French conquest - a post office built by Gustave Eiffel.
Ben Thanh Market, Saigon
It might be too much to claim that this busy market holds everything Vietnamese; but it tries. Here you will find everything from knockoff branded clothes to fine silk aodais. It goes on to accommodate lacquer figurines, artefacts, flowers and — that local staple — pho among, oh so much else. Go on, explore.
Excursion to Cu Chi Tunnels, Saigon
A 200 km. underground network dug out of hard laterite, the Cu Chi Tunnels make you marvel the resilience of the Viet Cong guerrillas. Today, you can walk through tunnels that befuddled the American army (with a guide, of course) and see the booby-traps and hidden entrances.
Heaven In Hanoi (4D/3N)
Sail on a wooden boat, stopping at tiny islands every now and then. Watch the mastery of a water puppet show. Spend an afternoon at the museum. Hanoi has much to offer you.
Your Itinerary
- Hanoi 3 nights
Day 1
Arrive in Hanoi, and check in at your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the area around your hotel on your own.
Day 2
After a substantial breakfast at your hotel, set off to explore the city. Visit the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070, and one of the best surviving examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Continue to the One Pillar Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house, and Hoan Kiem Lake. Continue towards the Old Quarter in a cyclo. In the afternoon, visit either the History Museum or the Museum Of Ethnology. End the day with an entertaining water puppet show.
Day 3
After breakfast, head to Halong Bay. You will reach the pier at about noon, and take a traditional wooden boat to explore the islands and their mysterious caves. Watch the panorama of life unfold all around you as you sail past fishing villages, with lunch being served on board. You will return to Halong pier early in the evening, from where you will be taken back to Hanoi.
Day 4
After breakfast, set off to the airport to catch your flight home.
Memories of Saigon (4D/3N)
With a past marred by war and politics, this city has today taken its place as the country’s business capital. Discover its history over four fascinating days.
Your Itinerary
- Saigon 3 nights
Day 1
Arrive in Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City, and check in at your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the area around your hotel on your own.
Day 2
Once you’ve finished breakfast, prepare for a day of happy exploration. You will be taken to the metropolis’s most popular places. These include a tour of the historic centre, the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum and the Emperor of Jade Pagoda. In the afternoon, head to Cholon, also known as Chinatown, where you will drop in at the Binh Tay Market, the Thien Hau Pagoda and the Ben Thanh market, where you can shop for handicrafts.
Day 3
After breakfast, visit the Cu Chi Tunnel, an underground network that was used during the American war. Here, you can learn about the Viet Cong, see the elaborate booby traps and disguised entrances, and explore some of the tunnels.
Day 4
After breakfast, set off to the airport to catch your flight home.