The New Face Of Saigon, 5 Days/4 Nights

Upon your arrival at Ho Chi Minh International Airport, after immigration and customs clearance, meet with our representative who welcome you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. After checking in at the hotel, free time at leisure to recover from the long journey. Dinner at a local restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City and Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast at the hotel, start a city orientation tour including visit to major attractions in the city: The War Remnants Museum: The museum was established in September 1975 in Ho Chi Minh City. It contains countless artifacts, photographs, and pictures documenting American war crimes. Such documents illustrate the killing of civilians, spreading of chemicals, torturing of prisoners, and the effects of the war on the north. Planes, tanks, bombs, and helicopters are also on display. Outside the museum are some rooms displaying cultural products of Vietnam. Over the last 20 years, over 6 million visitors entered the museum. Among this number, nearly 1 million were foreign visitors, including American tourists. Thien Hau Pagoda: This is the most important pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City and serves for prayers to the Buddha as well as to the Chinese deity Thien Hau Thanh Mau, the goddess of the sea and patron of the sailors. The pagoda is most richly ornamented. The Reunification Palace: In 1976, the Vietnamese Government labeled the Reunification Palace as a historic cultural relic. Every day, the building welcomes visitors from Viet Nam and abroad.Pupils and students, in particular, visit the palace to learn more about the nation’s history and honour.It is also now used as a government convention centre, and as a guest house for the Party, Government and HCM City People’s Committee to receive international high-ranking guests or hold flagship conferences, workshops, seminars or exhibitions. Local lunch is served at a local restaurant. After lunch, in the afternoon continue the visit in Ho Chi Minh City: Notre Dame Cathedral: After the first French colonising force arrived in Viet Nam in the mid-19th Century, it took only 21 years before the country had a cathedral to match the hulking Gothic edifices of France itself. The cathedral is supposed to represent the glory of the French Empire. Yet, as is always the case with colonisation, this attempt to import French traditions into Viet Nam transformed the colonisers’ culture in the process. Even though the cathedral is built in a Western architectural style, it has a uniquely Eastern aspect. Central Post Office located adjacent to the Notre Dame Cathedral is the General Post Office which functions as the central post office. Built in the 1880's, the French colonial building has changed little in design and is one of Ho Chi Minh City's major landmarks. China Town in Saigon is the area called “Cholon”. Though tens of thousands of Chinese citizens have fled the country before and after the Communist victory of 1975, Cholon still is the most densely populated part of the city. Many pagodas grace Cholon. Ben Thanh Market is the largest market in the city offering thousand kinds of local and imported products including clothing, dry foods, souvenirs and etc. The building was built in 1914 but still bright and shines with modern shopping atmosphere. Return to hotel for refreshing and prepare for the evening activity. Dinner is at local restaurant and after dinner a night shopping spree is available before returning to the hotel. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Breakfast at hotel. In the morning, an excursion to Tay Ninh. Tay Ninh is located to the southwest of Vietnam. It shares a border with Cambodia in the west and north. It is surrounded by Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, Binh Phuoc, and Binh Duong. The main ethnic groups are Kinh, Cham, and Khmer. The province is the center of the Cao- Daism religion. Cao Dai is an attempt to create a perfect synthesis of world religions. It is a combination of Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Hinduism, Geniism, and Taoism. Established in the Southern regions of Vietnam in the early 1920's, the religion was officially codified in 1926. The functioning center of Cao Daism is located in the Tay Ninh province. Cao Dai literally means high tower or palace, a metaphor for the spender of spiritual growth. The central philosophy of Cao Daism pertains to the duty that the faithful perform for themselves, their family, society and the world at large. Much like Confucianism, this element of the Philosophy pertains to how the individual functions within the context of the community. Lunch at local restaurant before continue the journey to Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cu Chi Tunnels are located approximately 30 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City in Cu Chi district. This district is known nationwide as the base where the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968. The Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200 km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The tunnels are between 0.5 to 1 m wide, just enough space for a person to walk along by bending or dragging. However, parts of the tunnels have been modified to accommodate visitors. Transfer back to Ho Chi Minh and rest of the day free at own leisure. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

After breakfast, a journey to explore Mekhong Delta at Vinh Long province. Vinh Long is situated between the Tien and the Hau rivers. Here the soil is rich in alluvium, favorable for rice and various fruit cultivation. The majority of inhabitants live on farming, the remaining on petty trading. Vinh Long is closed to the Tien river in the North, Can Tho - Dong Thap provinces in the West, Ben Tre province in the East, and Tra Vinh province in the South. More than 97% of the population is Khmer and Hoa. What make the trip to Vinh Long is so worthwhile is not only the town itself, but also the beautiful small islands in the river. A boat trip will bring you to the popular spots for tourist – Binh Hoa Phuoc island where land are totally given over to agriculture, especially the raising of tropical fruits. Lunch at local restaurant before returning to Ho Chi Minh. Rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City