SOUTHERN & HIGHLANDS VIETNAM DISCOVERY

Upon arrival at Da Nang Airport, obtain your Vietnam visa, then clear Immigration and customs. After collecting your baggage, exit the airport to meet a local Guide. From the airport, you will be privately transferred to your lovely hotel.

Overnight in Da Nang.

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Following breakfast, visit Linh Ung Pagoda located in an area known locally as Bai But or Buddha’s Sanctuary on the Son Tra peninsula. 

Our next stop is The Museum of Cham Sculpture. Prior to the establishment of the museum, the site was known as the “garden of sculptures” and many Cham sculptures that had been collected in Danang, Quang Nam, and elsewhere had been brought there over the preceding twenty years.

Continue to Marble Mountains, a cluster of five marble and limestone hills located in Ngu Hanh Son ward, south of Danang city in Vietnam. The five ‘mountains’ are named after the five elements; Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). Head straight to Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.

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You will be picked up by local guides at the hotel and driven to Hoi An Market, you can feel the bustle of the morning market, and have an opportunity to have direct contact with sellers. Then you will have a sightseeing tour along the Thu Bon River and Cua Dai beat by boat.

On the river, you have a chance to contemplate the river’s beauty in the countryside of Vietnam. 

Next, you can get some loveable handmade souvenirs made from nipa palm leaves such as hats, watches, and rings… When you do on bamboo basket boat. You will immerse natural beauty of the nipa palm forest. At the end, participate in a cooking class with our chefs. Cooking classes will take place within 2 hours, the chef will teach you how to cook Vietnamese cultural cuisine. Then you can enjoy Vietnamese food made by yourself. 

Coming to Ancient Town, spend the left of the afternoon for a walking tour around this enchanting port town of Hoi an, follow the narrow lanes lined with centuries-old houses influenced by Chinese, Japanese, French and European architecture and visit its numerous places of interest: the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Halls, the Tan Ky old house, the local market.

Overnight in Hoi An.

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After breakfast, transfer to Kon Tum by our tour guide and driver. Make some stops during the way for short break.

Arrive in Kon Tum, check in your hotel and relax.

Overnight in Kon Tum.

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This morning, take a coach trip to Kon Tum. Enjoy a short visit to Wooden church: Kon Tum draws visitors’ attention right at first sight with the brown bell tower of a wooden church, which imposingly rises towards the blue sky. The Church is situated at the center of Kon Tum town, on a spacious area with many enclosed combining constructions: church – guest house – house displaying traditional and religious items – Rong house. Besides, stepping into the church campus, tourists will have a chance to visit other places such as the brocatelle sewing and weaving factory, joinery, and orphanage.

Konktu village-a village of Bahnar people: Travel to this village via the Konklor suspension bridge and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Dakbla river. Upon arrival, the tourists will have a stroll around the village to meet friendly villagers, to explore the culture and customs of the oldest group of the minority who has been living in the Central Highland for some thousand years.

The tourists will have a chance to contemplate the Rong house, an imposing symbol of the Bahnar people that you have never ever seen at any other place in Vietnam. Then continue our trip to Dakto, 47 kilometers from Kon Tum. During the Vietnam War, it was viewed as a strategic area because of its proximity to a major branch of the Ho Chi Minh trail, which Hanoi maintained through the neighboring country of Laos. It was the site of the Battle of Dakto.

Upon arrival, visiting old battlefields such as Point 601: 17 km from Kon Tum along the road to Dak To is a monument by the side of the road. It’s known as ‘Skull Hill’ because of the large number of human remains unearthed here after the war. Dakto Victory Monument: a monument to the critical North Vietnamese victory on nearby Charlie Hill. The hill itself is difficult to access, and, in any case, there’s nothing there to see. Phoenix Airstrip: The biggest American airstrip in Kon Tum during wartime. When you get there, you’ll find two long, concrete airstrips that are now being used to dry manioc in preparation for use as chicken feed. Beyond the airstrip are some fortifications — mounds of bull-dozed dirt that still have foxholes dug into them. Back to Pleiku.

Overnight in Pleiku.

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This morning, travel to Buon Ma Thuot, the capital city of Dak Lak. The city is the largest in Vietnam’s Central Highlands region and is famous as the regional “capital of coffee”.

Upon arrival, take a coach trip to Lak Lake which is about 56km to the South of Buon Ma Thuot city. It is the largest natural freshwater lake in Dak Lak and ranks behind Ba Be Lake (Bac Kan) of Vietnam.

Besides, Lak Lake is the shelter of numerous species of aquatic life, fish and shellfish which are major economic resources for local residents living in the area around the lake. By the side of Lak Lake is the sizeable M’nong Rlam village of Jun with over 30 long houses. Different from the M’nong Gar who live in on-ground houses, the M’nong Rlam live in longhouses which are built on stilts like the Edeh.” The village is named Jun because it juts out from green Lak Lake. Coming to Lak Lake, you may ride elephants around the village, row dugout canoes on the lake or enjoy the Gong show and drinking jar-wine with the villagers. Back to the town. Check in hotel.

Overnight in Buon Ma Thuot.

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After breakfast depart to visit some spotlights of Buon Ma Thuot city such as Ako Dhong: village of the E-de people: long house-on-stilts; E-De shop with embroidery and the village chief’s house; Dak Lak Museum: Ethnography, bio-diversification, and history.

Depart to Draysap waterfall, guests will have nice pictures of mushrooms and long houses, learn about the flora in the forest along the way to the waterfall then visit the impressive waterfall of Draysap. Away 30km from Buon Ma Thuot City, Draysap as E-de language means the Misty waterfall. The misty is by its water falls from about 30m height, 100m length creating an amazing veil of mist. Walk along the path leading up to the fresh stream where guests can have swim.

Head to Ban Don for rest then visit the bamboo suspension bridge over 250m on the Srepok river, the Ancient house of Laos about 120 years old, Jang Lanh village, and the cemetery. Back to Buon Ma Thuot, on the way drop into coffee plantations and pepper gardens, Khai Doan Pagoda. Drop off at your hotel.

Overnight in Buon Ma Thuot.

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After breakfast, meet our tour guide again and head to Dalat.

On arrival, check in at your hotel. Take a short rest before continuing to visit the Valley of Love, a picturesque valley of rolling hills with a lake as its centerpiece, serving as a romantic getaway for locals and tourists, and then the XQ Historical Village at City’s Flower garden. Drop off at your hotel.

Overnight in Dalat.

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Following breakfast, visit Bao Dai’s Summer Palace: Emperor Bao Dai had made three huge palaces in the city of Dalat. Among them, the most visited palace is called the Dinh 3 which was built in 1933. The entire structure of the palace was made in art deco fashion. It was set inside a pine grove near the Pasteur Institute, in the southwestern direction of the lake.

Dalat Railway Station, built in 1938, was designed in the art deco architectural style by French architects Moncet and Reveron, although it incorporates the high, pointed roofs characteristic of the Cao Nguyen communal buildings of Vietnam’s Central Highlands. The three roofs, said to represent the three peaks of Dalat’s iconic Lang Biang mountain, are also reminiscent of Normandy’s Trouville-Deauville Station.

Crazy House: Described as a “fairy tale house”, its overall design resembles a giant banyan tree, incorporating sculptured design elements representing natural forms such as animals, mushrooms, spider webs, and caves. Its architecture, consisting of complex, organic, non-rectilinear shapes, has been described as expressionist. Its creator, Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga, who holds a Ph.D. in architecture from Moscow State University, has acknowledged the inspiration of Catalan Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi in the building’s design. In the afternoon, take a cable car running from Robin Hill to the Truc Lam Temple. The ride covers 2.3 kilometers with 50 brightly painted cabins spanning the distance. The panoramic views of Dalat are worth the effort.

Truc Lam Temple (Vietnamese: Thien Vien Truc Lam) is a Zen Buddhist temple outside the centre of Dalat. The temple is located at a turnoff on the road from the city centre towards Prenn Hill, the temple is near the Tuyen Lam Lake, located on Phuong Hoang Hill. The entrance of the temple is somewhat isolated, so there is a direct entrance to the temple with 61 steps or climbing, or the person can go directly past Tuyen Lam Lake and then climb 222 steps past the triple gated entrance to enter the main courtyard in front of the temple.

Our last stop is Dalat flower garden, sitting at the end of Xuan Huong Lake, around 2 kilometers from the city center, it covers 11 hectares. With its cool mountain climate, Dalat is perfect for growing a wide variety of flowers.

Oovernight in Dalat.

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Being picked up by our guide and driver for the transfer to Mui Ne.

On arrival, check in your hotel and relax. Afternoon activities will be: Visiting Fairy stream (Suoi Tien) where the small stream runs through the middle of the red sand dunes. It is like a mini version of Red Canyon Visiting Mui Ne fishing village, observing the daily lives of fishermen, the catch is hauled to shore and fishing boats are lining up Visiting White sand dunes.

At the top of the sand dune, catching the first sunrise of the day. Other activities can be taken: riding a quad bike over the white sand dunes and ostrich riding (at your own expense), sliding down sand dunes’ slopes with sand boarding. Continue with your jeep to visit Red sand dunes, the slopes are less steep than the White sand dunes, but a great opportunity for taking a photo as red color of the sand is a great contrast to background scenery and observing the spectacular sunset over the red sand dunes.

After seeing the sunset at the red dunes, get back to your hotel/resort.

Stay overnight in Mui Ne.

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Free at leisure.

Overnight in Mui Ne.

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Free time until being picked up by our private car for the return to Ho Chi Minh. Enjoy the sightseeing at Reunification Palace formerly known as Independence Palace, built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, a landmark in Hochiminh City.

Continue to visit the Central Post Office which was constructed when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the early 20th century. It has a neoclassical architectural style. It was designed and constructed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel in harmony with the surrounding area. Today, the building is a tourist attraction. Right nearby, you can see Notre Dame Cathedral, a magnificent building located in the heart of the city and be established by French colonists. This cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880. It has two bell towers, reaching a height of 58 meters (190 feet).

Pay a visit at Ben Thanh market, one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon and one of the symbols of Ho Chi Minh City, popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles, ao dai, and souvenirs, as well as local cuisine.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

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This morning we leave Ho Chi Minh behind and head to the Vietnamese rice basket of the Mekong Delta. We will pass through idyllic, rural scenes until we arrive at My Tho, a peaceful town on the bank of the Mekong River, where we will visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda.

Arrival, boarding the motorboat at a pier and cruising on the Mekong River. Here, overlooking 4 famous islands: Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Turtle Island. They pay a visit to My Tho fishing port and fishing farms along Tan Long island.

Continue to Thoi Son Island where you have chance visiting fruit orchard, seasonal tropical fruit can be tasted (included) while listening to Vietnamese traditional music. Afterward, being on a small hand-rowing boat (the main mean of transportation in My Tho & Ben Tre) and slowly cruising through a small creek with beautiful overhanging coconut trees. Lives from both sides of the creek can be observed. Passing through the coconut candy workshop (sample of candies can be tasted), bee-keeping farm, and enjoy honey tea. Back to Ho Chi Minh in our private car.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

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You are left free to stroll around till being transferred to the airport by our private car for the flight back home. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey!

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