Travels on the Railway - 21 days in Vietnam

When you arrive into Ho Chi Minh, you'll be collected from the airport and transferred to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. You'll spend two nights in your comfortable hotel while you recover from your journey. Breakfast is included. The hotel is situated in Central District 1, only 200m from the bustling backpackers quarter. This is widely considered the ‘place to be’ in former Saigon. It is a very lively area crowded with rickshaws, booksellers, and souvenir shops. The hotel is a superb 3-star establishment, which has opened only recently. The light, comfortable rooms all have air conditioning, en-suite bathrooms with shower, TV, safe and mini-bar.

On Day 2, you can recover from your journey and relax into your holiday. Once you've shaken off the jet lag with some coffee and a tasty breakfast, you can start to explore. Our suggestions would include a visit to the Reunification Palace, the heart-breaking American War Museum, and a few of the majestic pagodas dotted around the city. Equally, you could hire a bike rickshaw for a whole day of sightseeing or simply stroll around the city, soaking up its incredible atmosphere.

The next two days are dedicated to the dazzling Mekong Delta. The Mekong River, with its vast fertile delta, is the backbone of the economy in the south. It produces one of Vietnam's most important exports- rice. At 7am, the minibus will arrive to take you in the direction of Cai Be. From here, you'll sail idly around the floating markets aboard a beautiful, traditional boat. Vendors will offer their wares from their boats jammed with produce, dangling their goods in the air from a long pole. You'll also see small flotillas drifting along as traders link up to swap goods amongst themselves.

You'll sail through narrow waterways observing local life on the riverbank. You'll quickly understand why the people of the south are renowned for their friendliness, as they smile and wave from their houses when you pass by. You can also cycle through one of the villages on a river island, catching an even closer glimpse of daily life.

The boat will then take you to a simple but charming hotel for the night. It lies in Cantho on the banks of the Mekong, where you can relax in the evening with a cool drink and watch the delta sunset.

Today you are free to go as you please or we can offer you the option of visiting the historic temple complex of My Son. If you choose this option, you'll be collected this morning by a driver and your English-speaking guide for a riveting visit to My Son. Despite American bombardment, the temple complex at My Son has been well preserved. The area was the most important religious and intellectual centre in Vietnam until the 13th century and the temples are fascinating buildings to explore. Nowadays, My Son is a UNESCO World Heritage site, lying about 40km southwest of Hoi An in a wild, green valley.

In the afternoon you are free to wander lazily through the tiny streets of Hoi An. This little town is jam-packed with tailors and you can have a good made-to-measure suit made for under $40. The perfect opportunity to update your wardrobe! Although the tailors can put together a suit for you in no time, it's best to plan to have this done a few days before you travel to your next destination. This way any alternations can be made while you're in town.

This is essentially a free day, so you can stay in the old town or head for the beach for some sun-kissed relaxation. However, we can also offer you the opportunity to whip up some authentic Vietnamese dishes in the kitchen. If you choose this option you'll be collected from your hotel and head to the colourful Hoi An market to pick up the ingredients for your lesson. There are many different types of vegetables and fruits to appeal to your senses. This is the best possible way to get to know local Vietnamese cuisine and to become acquainted with the friendly vendors at the market. Armed with your purchases, you'll head for the cookery school where you’ll hear all about typical Vietnamese dishes. Then, you will have a go at preparing your own dishes before gobbling them straight down afterwards.

The afternoon is yours to spend as you please. You'll spend all three nights in Hoi An in comfortable, centrally located hotel in the historic centre of town. Therefore you won't have to worry about taxi cabs or rickshaws to get home, you can simply walk back to your hotel. Walking through the narrow, lively streets and popping into a few of the small souvenir shops is quite a fun way to spend time. The hotel also has a very pleasant swimming pool and breakfast is included during your stay.

Today, your time is your own. Spend your day ambling through the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter, stopping for coffee and cake, and watching the world go by.

If you're in the mood for a strange experience, you can drop in on the preserved body of former President Ho Chi Minh. A mausoleum was built for Ho Chi Minh, or Uncle Ho, after his death. You can see his body entombed in a glass sarcophagus- a huge building fronted by a grand square. Surrounded by guards, you can file in, one by one, to take a look at ‘Uncle Ho’. Every once in a while, his body is flown to Russia for a touch up, to keep him looking good for his guests. Oddly, he has an orange tint. Vietnamese people consider it a great honour to visit his embalmed body, and you can see their emotional reactions as you file past.

You can finish off your day with a visit to the Municipal Water Puppet Theatre. This stands on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake and performances take place every evening. Puppetry is a national tradition in Vietnam, and the people are very proud of the artform.

You'll be collected from your hotel in Hanoi in late afternoon and taken to the train station. Here, you can stock up on snacks for the overnight journey into the north. The train is air-conditioned and the rhythm of the rails should lull you to sleep in your 4-bedded couchette. These are generally pretty comfortable, although tall people might find that their feet dangle over the edge of the sleeper couches. An Asian train journey is always an experience to be remembered.

The next morning at around 7.30am, you'll arrive in Lao Cai. You'll be collected by a driver and taken to Sapa (approx. 1.5hrs). Sapa was previously a French summer resort, as its elevation (1650 metres) ensures mild, fresh temperatures. This made it an ideal escape from the hot, sticky Hanoi summers.

After settling in and freshening up, you'll set out on a 10-15km hike in the surrounds of Sapa, stopping at several hill tribes along the way. Different tribes all wear distinctly different colours, costumes and headgear. They each have their own history, customs and language. You'll be warmly received in all of the villages and often invited to drink tea in the huts. For years, these villages were completely isolated from the rest of the world but as a result of the growing tourist trade, things are beginning to change. The more easily accessible villages have now become accustomed to seeing tourists in their midst, but western visitors are still relatively few. Tonight, you'll stay with local family for an authentic adventure. You'll be provided with a mattress, blanket and mosquito net- but don't expect too much more. This really is travelling at its most rustic. Please note that it is advisable to bring your own sleeping bag liner.

The next day you'll continue your hike to the villages of Giang Ta Chai and Red Dzao. As you're not travelling in a group during this module, it will be just you and the guide on the hikes. This means that you are free to set your own pace, taking it as fast or slow as you like. The locals that you'll meet along the hike will be very friendly, though perhaps a little shy. We can highly recommend bringing along some crayons, colouring books or cuddly toys to hand out as treats for the children. They will beam with happiness at these small gifts.

In the afternoon you'll have another adventure: travelling back to Sapa by Vietnamese moped, the mountain wind blowing through your hair. You'll spend another night in the comfortable hotel in Sapa, bursting with local charm.

Today, you'll hike to Y linh Ho, a Black H’mong village. The Black H’mong is a striking tribe, whose people wear mainly black clothing. The dye that they use often runs, staining their hands slightly black. this village sees less tourists than the larger surrounding villages with the people here still living in much the same way as their forefathers. 

At around 4pm, you'll be taken to Lao Cai to board the sleeper train back to Hanoi.

You'll arrive at about 6am the following morning (Day 18). Taxis and tuk-tuks will not be in short supply, so you can easily organise transport from the train station back to your hotel. It may be a little too early to check into your room. If this is the case, you can leave your luggage at recpetion and enjoy breakfast overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. By mid-morning your room should be ready and you can freshen up for the day ahead. If you wish to have immediate access to a room in the morning, we can reserve a day room for you at an additional cost.

There's nothing else planned for the rest of the day, so you can relax and take things at your own pace. Hanoi has plenty of temples, pagodas and museums, if you're looking for a culture fix. The Temple of Literature is an oasis of peace and tranquility in the midst of the urban sprawl. You could also take a cycle rickshaw tour of the major temples, which usually costs no more than a couple of dollars. From your rickshaw seat, you can see the city pass by at very close quarters, taking in the atmosphere as you go.

This morning, you'll be collected from your hotel and taken to the coastal town of Halong (approx. 4hrs). The junk awaits you. Once onboard you'll start with a lunch caught fresh from the sea, and afterwards the boat will begin its superb cruise through the region. You'll anchor off the islands of Dinh Huong, Ga Choi, Dog Island and Sail Island. You'll then visit Sung Sot Cave and take a refreshing swim by the beach at Titov. Fishing enthusiasts can attempt to catch their evening meal with a traditional rod and tackle. During dinner, you can mull over the impressions of the day and watch the sunset whilst enjoying a glass of Vietnamese wine. Life really doesn't get much better than this.

Today is your final day in Hanoi. If you're full of energy, you can get up at sunrise to visit Hoan Kiem Lake, where hundreds of locals gather for their morning workout. There are men and women doing Tai Chi, badminton tournaments, joggers, and groups of women walking around the lake, stopping now and again to stretch their arms and legs. A really inspiring start to the day.

You can easily arrange the transfer from your hotel to the airport yourself, or simply ask your hotel to call a taxi. When you arrive at the airport you'll check in for your international flight home. Please remember that you'll need to pay departure tax when leaving Vietnam. This comes to $14 USD per person, so be sure to have this much cash at hand.