HA NOI / HA LONG / HOI AN / DA NANG /

HO CHI MINH CITY 
 

(11 Days / 10 Nights)

We will always try to accommodate the needs of the traveller.

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Day 1         Arrive Hanoi     
Arrive in Hanoi and transfer to the hotel. Check in hotel and free time at your leisure. Accommodation in Hanoi

 

Day 2       Hanoi                    (Breakfast, Lunch)      
This morning, participate in a Vietnamese cooking class after which enjoy a delicious North Vietnamese lunch.

Details of cooking class (Regular class): The Old Hanoi Restaurant.

Morning Class: “9:30am -1:30pm”

Daily Classes start in the tropical garden where you will meet your chef and other participants to discuss your day.

Your first adventure starts with a stroll to the local market situated in the Old quarter. Here you will be dazzled by the bright colours of the fruits and vegetables and smell the sweet and not so sweet smells as you’re guided around the market. Watch the locals pick their daily food and haggle over the price. Feel free to join in the process and have a go at haggling with the help of your chef.

On  returning  to the Restaurant you will be served some local refreshments and freshen up before your class. You will start with an explanation of the ingredients used in Vietnamese cooking then under guidance from the chef you will make Vietnamese dishes in no time. Do not worry if you struggle chefs will be at hand  to give you a helping hand. Once you have made your dishes the best part will follow as you sample your handy work and be amazed at what you have created.

You can choose one of the  menus from the 2 below:

Option 1:
Old Hanoi fried spring rolls with pork and shrimps, Grilled fish Old Hanoi style, Royal rice with shrimp and pork, Sweet potato with ginger pudding

Option 2:
Fresh spring rolls with prawn and pork, Grilled chicken with lemon leaves, Braised pork in clay pot with cinnamon stick, Sweet potato and ginger sweet soup

In the afternoon, visit the Ethnologic Museum, one of Hanoi’s most interesting museums before going to see the peaceful Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first University dating back to the 11th century, then stroll into the mystical Old Quarter, Hanoi’s beating heart, experiencing local lifestyles. Later on,  take an hour-long cyclo tour, viewing the charming French colonial architecture and the bustling Old Quarter. Later walk in the street, experiencing the local life, watching noodle dishes being made at street stalls and taking time to chat with a traditional medicine man. In the evening attend the performance of the unique water puppetry. Accommodation in Hanoi

 

Day 3         Hanoi - Ha Long                       (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) 
After breakfast depart for Ha Long Bay, taking in the beautiful scenery of rice fields, water buffalo and daily life of the countryside. Arrive in Ha Long and board the traditional wooden Junk. A seafood lunch will be served as you cruise among hundreds of extraordinary islets rising out of the clear emerald water. Later you will stop at Sung Sot Cave, one of the most spectacular caves in the bay before witnessing a splendid sunset. Dinner and overnight on boat

Day 4           Ha Long - Da Nang - Hoi An               (Late breakfast)
Early morning coffee and tea will be served on the sundeck followed by a Tai Chi class. Then continue exploring the magnificent Ha Long Bay with a visit to the Luon Cave. Passing through the pretty entrance, you come across a tranquil round lake, surrounded by luxuriant trees and high stonewalls. Leave the junk and transfer directly to the airport for the flight to Da Nang. After arriving in Da Nang you are transferred to the ancient and peaceful city of Hoi An. Check in hotel and accommodation in Hoi An

 

Day 5             Hoi An                          (Breakfast, Lunch)
After breakfast,  stroll into the local market and interact with the local traders and purchase the ingredients for the cooking class. Ttake a leisurely cruise from the market along Hoi An river to the Red Bridge Cooking School where the well-known dishes of Hoi An will be prepared, during a chef’s demonstration.  You will prepare your own lunch, a special dining experience in a perfect location on the river, opposite the rice fields.

Detail of cooking class in Hoi An (Regular class) The Red Bridge  Restaurant.

Morning class:

• We start the day at 8.15am with a drink at Hai Scout Café – our meeting point.

• Visit Hoi An’s colourful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.

• We board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river life, so make sure your camera is handy.

• On arrival,  explore the cooking school’s herb and vegetable garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by the Red Bridge chef’s, before preparing the same dish yourself. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration).

After the lesson, we sit down and eat exactly what we have cooked.

Recipes (our food contains no MSG):

1. Making fresh Rice paper

2. Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of Shrimp

3. Crispy Hoi An Pancakes with Shrimp, Herbs & a Peanut Sauce

4. Seafood Salad with mixed Vietnamese Herbs served in Half a Pineapple

5. Vietnamese Eggplant in Clay Pot

6. Food Decoration – Tomato Rose & Vietnamese Cucumber Hand Fan

*   Lunch includes the above meals as well as:

Steamed Ocean Fish on a bed of Freshly Chopped Vegetables  

(not included in the demonstration)

*   A vegetarian lunch can be provided on request.

• Finish at approximately 1.00 pm – transfer back to central Hoi An.

 

 

The rest of the day is time to discover Hoi An Ancient Town including the Japanese Bridge, Phuoc Kien Pagoda, the ancient house Tran Phu and the Hoi An museum. Enjoy shopping  tailor made clothing, lanterns, shoes and food or just relax at your hotel.  Overnight  in Hoi An

 

 Day 6          Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City- Cu Chi Tunnel                        (Breakfast)
Transfer from the peaceful town of Hoi An to Da Nang airport for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City where we can explore many of the bustling markets. We take a half-day to visit the Cu Chi tunnels, the former Viet Cong guerilla base where we will gain an insight into the sacrifices and hardships of the Vietnamese people during the French and American Wars. Back to Ho Chi Minh City and check in hotel. Accommodation in Sai Gon

 

Day 7        Ho Chi Minh City                      (Breakfast)
Today visit the controversial War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Post office. In the afternoon, we will see Thien Hau Pagoda, China town and its busy market of Cho Lon. This busy, modern city on the Saigon River boasts some of the most ornate pagodas in the country. Don’t miss Ho Chi Minh City’s atmosphere by night. This city lives up to its exciting and often mischievous reputation. Accommodation in Sai Gon

 

Day 8            Depart Ho Chi Minh City                (Breakfast)
Enjoy some last minute shopping before transferring to the airport for  departure flight.