Vietnam 12 Day Adventure

Good morning Vietnam!

ยินดีต้อนรับสู่ประเทศไทย!  We are excited to greet you personally at the airport and transfer to your cosy hostel in the centre of the ‘old quarter of Ho Chi Minh City’. Tonight you’ll meet your guide and fellow travel
companions for a group welcome dinner and get excited about the incredible adventures you’re about to experience. Feel free to take a dip in the awesome rooſtop pool overlooking the city to cool off before dinner.

(Meals: Dinner)

Introduction to a crazy-fun culture

Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is famous for it’s modern urban culture and fabulous cuisine and last night you probably already experiences the national dish of noodle soup and pork rolls. Aſter breakfast, we immerse ourselves straight into the fun crazy culture that is Vietnam with a game of ‘da cao’. Also known as “foot badminton” you will see this sport played everywhere in Vietnam, on the streets, in the parks – it is like surfing in Australia – we got learn to be local.

Here we work with a local team with the cost of the lessons going directly into a community project to…
Aſter getting ourselves up to at least level Messi you will head out to see the sights and sounds of the hustle and bustle of this incredible city for a few hours before we head back to the hotel to refresh and catch our overnight train to Da Nang.

Included Activities: Learn to play Da Cao, Ho Chi Minh City Walking tour
(Meals: Breakfast)

A unique city arrival for a unique city

Getting off the train in Da Nang you are immediately transferred to the banks of the Thu Bon river where you start your unique arrival into Hoi An. The Thu Bon river is locally affectionately called “Mother River” because of the rich layers of alluvial soil perfect for farming and palm grovers and because of abundance of fish it apparently delivers to local fishermen. We kayak down this extra-ordinary basin river to arrive in the UNESCO Heritage town of Hoi An.

Take the opportunity to freshen up at the hotel, maybe a swim in the pool, before you will head out this even to explore the amazing vibrant city with its easygoing beauty, quaint lantern-lit alleys, and delicious food.

Included Activities: Kayak into Hoi An, Hoi An guided tour

Explore Hoi An

Up and at ‘em – after breakfast, we’ll head out into the surrounding countryside of Quang Nam, made up of small villages and rice fields along the quiet riverbanks by bike. Along the way, we put our words into action as we collect the plastic pollution that has been discarded along the river.

As part of this incredible U. Impact! Experience, we head to a traditional Ho An garden house where we work with a local NGO to sort and classify the plastic trash to make into eco-bricks. You will get to be directly involved in the production of these plastic blocks from locally collected waste and recycled plastic bottles, which we are using to build a local playground and more.

Such rewarding work means a personal reward too – and we have enough time to hit the beach this aſternoon to work on our travel tans. Explore more Hoi An tonight and try maybe some local street food from the cuisine we just can’t get enough of.

Included Activities: Quang Nam cycling tour, U. Impact! Experience Plastic Eco Brick project
(Meals: Breakfast)

Hue and Hai Van Pass

If arriving in a city by kayak isn’t cool enough, you are going to make your way over the famous Hai Van pass in the funkiest open-top jeeps as we travel to the Imperial city of Hue. The journey to Hue passes through the incredible French region with amazing colonial buildings lining the streets. Once into the countryside, water buffalo graze the fertile land as we pass through little farming communities before climbing up the steep hillsides towards the coast and snaking our way through the lush tropical jungle.

At the top of the pass, we visit the “most grandiose gateway in the world” (according to the inscription), which was built by Emperor Minh Tang, and designed to separate the Dai Viet and Champa kingdoms. In the surrounding area, bunkers are riddled with bullets – used firstly during the French/Indochina War and then again by the Americans during the Vietnam/American War.

You arrive in the aſternoon to the old Imperial seat of the Nguyen Dynasty – the historic Imperial City of Hue. Tonight you have time to explore the town at your own pace.  We recommend finding a local eatery or a local street food vendor for an amazing Vietnamese cuisine experience.

Included Activities: Hai Van Pass open-top Jeep ride
(Meals: Breakfast and Lunch)

Sensory overload

You start the day exploring the Imperial City in the morning. Learn about Vietnam’s imperial history and stories of the Nguyen Dynasty and culture.

You will then head to a traditional garden house on the banks of the Perfume River for a unique Vietnamese cooking class. This is a real treat if you love Vietnamese food as much as we do, as your teachers and chefs are locals who will give you traditional insight into creating mouthwatering meals.

After cooking and eating way too much awesomeness, there is time to relax before our second overnight train of the trip to Ninh Binh.

Included Activities: Guided Hue walking tour, traditional local Vietnamese cooking class
(Meals: Breakfast and Lunch)

Traditional Homestay

You arrive this morning in the agriculturally rich rice paddies of Ninh Binh. Known as the ‘Ha Long Bay on Land’ for its flooded riverine landscape with sheer limestone peaks, there is a simple beauty about the daily lives of the generous local villagers who work in such extreme landscapes to yield crops.

As you journey through Ninh Binh, your path leads to the incredible Pu Luong National Park, particularly the small village of Ban Hieu, nestled between the rice paddies and mountains. Here we are treated to an overnight homestay in a traditional bungalow, including dinner with local families.

Included Activities: Ban Hieu homestay
(Meals: Breakfast and Lunch)

Incredible natural playground

After breakfast with a view over the Pu Luong National Park, we take a short trek down to the crystal waters of the lake, where we spend the morning hanging out on a beautiful traditional bamboo lake house. Swim in the amazingly clear waters, try bamboo raſting, or just relax in the sun. Our amazing local guests have prepared a picnic lunch for you also.

After lunch, you are off on a secret route we know through the jungle to a most awesome waterfall. Away from the crowds, this is our little secret spot, perfect for a swim and some exploring.

Tonight we will return to our fabulous homestay guests for another incredible Vietnamese dinner with tremendous view. It is going to be ‘kind of hard’ to leave this place!

Included activities: Bamboo Raſting, traditional lake house, secret waterfall trek
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

From serene to chaotic

As we said, it is really hard to say goodbye to our wonderful hosts in Pu Luong, but after a lazy start and breakfast, we start our journey to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi city.

The ancient capital, Hanoi, is located on the banks of the Red River and is a vibrant, bustling city known for its rich cultural influences of Chinese, French, Russian and Southeast Asian. The city is mapped with narrow streets and alleys and cleverly laid out for trade, full of colonial buildings, exceptional eateries and food stalls, temples, and artisan craſt shops and has a colourful nightlife scene.

You will arrive in Hanoi with enough time to freshen up in the beautiful boutique hotel before you head out with the rest of the group to explore the city and enjoy a feast of local delicacies. Try Pho Soup from a street vendor, and visit temples and Đồng Xuân market before diving into Hanoi after dark for a taste of the vibrant local nightlife.

Included Activities: Hanoi City Tour
(Meals: Breakfast)

The Instagram moment you were waiting for

Did you know that the name Ha Long means ‘falling dragon’? Today we head off to this stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site is beyond compare. The bay features thousands of limestone islands, caves and bays flooded with calm emerald waters. There is no wonder it is so famous among tourists. This is why – you do more – you board a traditional motor boat and immediately escape the main crowds by travelling north of Bai Tu Long and the more untouched locations of Ha Long Bay.

Here you can kayak and explore the beautiful landscape around Cap La Island or visit one of the secret beaches on Cong Do Island. And to make sure your day is as perfect as we can make it, we’ll have a tasty Vietnamese meal prepared for you on the overnight boat after you’ve soaked in the sunset and enjoyed a Bian Hoy beer

Included Activities: Ha Long Bay cruise, Bai Tu Long Bay, see kayaking
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Last night in paradise

Imagine relaxing on the deck of our boat, maybe enjoying a fruit juice, a little Tai Chi routine to limber up perhaps. The sun is shining, and the weather is warm. Emerald green water meets towering rock formations as your boat slowly navigates its winding path between the many islands and caves.

We will cruise over the famous Thien Cash Son cave system for some exploring before trying our hand at the traditional Vietnamese fruit and vegetable carving we have seen so much of over the past two weeks.

This is our last night together in Vietnam, so what better way to finish what has been an incredible journey than with a guided food tour of the best places in Hanoi, maybe washed down with a local rice beer or two? It really is a truly perfect end to your Vietnamese adventure.

Perhaps you are continuing your adventure by heading to Thailand or even further afield to Nepal, Australia or  New Zealand with U.

Includes activities: Thein Canh Cave, Food Tour
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Depart at your own leisure

If you are staying on for a few days – maybe to explore the Mekong Delta or if you are heading home, your U. team can assist you with your forward travel arrangements. Perhaps you are continuing your adventure by heading to Thailand or even further afield to Nepal, Australia or New Zealand with U.

We look forward to hosting you on your next adventure!

Travel Safe!