Vietnam Holidays - Cooking and Culture Tour
| Cooking and Culture Tour – 13nts
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If you are interested in Vietnamese food, this trip will be a fascinating opportunity to learn some dishes from the North to the South. Trip will start from Hanoi - the second largest city in Vietnam, which is unspoiled by modern architecture of the 1970s and 80s, 36 Commercial Streets, together with two dozen lakes.You will go to local markets to choose some ingredients and herbs, which are used for your courses. That will be a gob-smacked experience to see a real local life and cook your own Vietnamese dishes. The cooking class is not only in the north, but also in Hue, Hoi An and Saigon. The signature of this tour is about Vietnamese culture, history, local lifestyle, landscape and relaxation, not just cooking. Wherever you are, whatever you cook, we are sure that everything will be perfect and unforgettable.
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Price Includes
- Transportation by Air - Conditioning car or mini bus
- Accommodation with daily breakfast (dbl/twin room)
- English speaking guide
- Meals as indicated (Breakfast, 08 Lunch, 03 Dinner)
- Entrance fees, Boat
- All local flights: Hanoi – Hue, Danang – HCMC
- Letter of Introduction to get Vietnamese Visa on Arrival
- 2 bottles of water/ pax/ day
- Hanoi: 3 nights at Hong Ngoc 5 hotel (BB)
- Halong: 1 night at Huong Hai, Annam Junk (BB)
- Hue: 2 nights at New Star hotel (BB)
- Hoi An: 3 nights at Vinh Hung 3 hotel (BB)
- HCMC: 3 nights at Le Duy hotel (BB)
- Can Tho: 1 night at Kim Tho hotel (BB)
Price Excludes
- International Flights: London – Hanoi, HCMC – London, From £630
- Visas (Vietnam: USD25) will be paid on Arrival
- Services not mentioned, Personal costs, Insurance
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Min – Max Pax: 2 - 12 |
Trip Grading: Suitable for travellers with an average level of fitness and mobility. |
Exclusivity Fee: £99 per person – this guarantees that your party enjoys absolute privacy during the whole tour with the exception of the Halong Bay Junk (boat) which may be shared with a maximum of 12 people including your party. This is still a very private atmosphere if considered that most boats have more than 10 rooms. |
Remarks: During the months of October, November and all Mondays of the year the Mausoleum Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi will remain closed and will be replaced by a panoramic visit.
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Policy: We have a right to change the departure date, it depends on the availability of the accommodation, flight status and numbers of clients.
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Day by day Program
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Day 1 - HANOI ON ARRIVAL
Arrive at Noi Bai Airport, meet a tour guide and transfer to your hotel, leave your luggage. Free for leisure.
Check in at 14:00 (Early check – in may have a surcharge).
Overnight in Hanoi.
Days 2 - HANOI CITY TOUR (B/L)
Breakfast at hotel
Take full day city tour of Ha Noi, the highlights will be Ho Chi Minh‘s Mausoleum (opened from December to September,
on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and at weekend) and his living complex, One Pillar Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Museum, Temple of Literature.
Visit the Fine Arts Museum, Ethnological Museum and Tran Quoc pagoda.
Enjoy the puppet show.
Overnight in Hanoi
Day 3 - HANOI COOKING CLASS – HALF DAY (B/L)
Arrive at Seasons, have a welcome coffee and a little briefing about the morning activities.
Depart for the market (Hang Da) accompanied by the chef. Return to Seasons to begin the lunch preparation.
The menu is composed by some typical dishes such as fresh Hue style spring rolls, shrimp paste on sugar cane,
fish baked in a clay pot and banana flower salad.
Coffee break. The chefs will cook the final dish while you have time to reflect on the morning activities and quiz the restaurant manager
about “life at a Vietnamese restaurant”.
At the end of the class you will be given notes on the “Essence of Vietnamese cuisine” and specific recipes.
Overnight in Hanoi
OPTION FOR DAY 4 and 5
Day 4 – HALONG – HUONG HAI JUNK (B/L/D)
After having breakfast in Ha Noi, we depart for Ha Long city, the World Natural Heritage with over 3000 limestone islands and islets scattering an area of 1500 sq km in Tonkin Bay:
12h15:Board Huong Hai junk, check-in resignation. Welcome drink to serve.
12h45:Start cruising.
13h00:Have lunch with welcome wine.
13h30:A fantastic cruise in Ha Long bay, visit Dinh Huong island, Ga Choi Island, Dog island, Sail island, Sung Sot cave and a swim at Titov beach.
17h30:Enjoy dinner on board while watching sunset.
19h30:Enjoy dinner on board.
21h00:Fishing, drinking Vietnamese wine and spending a night on junk.
Day 5 - HALONG – HANOI – HUE (B/-/D)
7h00:Have breakfast.
7h30:Another wonderful cruise to visit Tortoise island Mans head island, visit Luon cave by a small bamboo boat, Bai Tu Long Bay.
10h00:Arrange luggage and check – out at 10h30.
11h00:Have lunch on board.
11h45:Arrive Halong wharf. End the trip.
Drive back to Hanoi and Dong Trieu pottery en route. Transfer to Hanoi. Take a flight to Hue.
Overnight in Hue.
OR Indochina Sails, Bhaya Cruise. Surcharge £59 pp
Day 4 – Ha Noi – Ha Long – Bhaya Junk (B/L/D)*****
After having breakfast in Ha Noi, we depart for Ha Long city, the World Natural Heritage with over 3000 limestone islands & islets scattering an area of 1500 sqkm in Tonkin Bay:
12:00 – 12:30:Check-in at Bhaya Cafe, Halong City.
Embark on Bhaya Classic for a Welcome Cocktail followed by a cruise briefing.
13:00 – 15:30:Savor a delicious Vietnamese buffet lunch as Bhaya Classic heads to Bai Tu Long Bay passing the towns of
Hon Gai and Cam Pha, Oan Lagoon, Mat Quy (Monster Head) and Am Tich (Teapot) Islets and Vung Vieng fishing village.
15:30 – 17:00:Visit the fishing village by local rowing boat (01 hour) then return to the vessel for free time
at your leisure or join one of the following optional activities: Kayak into the village or swim near the boat; Optional onboard activities:
Sunbathing, traditional massage, etc…; Trip by tender to an isolated pristine beach for swimming.
17:00:Bhaya Classic cruises through the Bay to its overnight anchorage near Ho Dong Tien. Happy Hour and Vietnamese cooking demonstration on the Sundeck.
19:30:Sumptuous Seafood Set-dinner onboard.
21:00:Retire to your cabin or join the fishing program.
Overnight onboard Bhaya Classic.
Day 5 - Halong – Hanoi – Hue (Brunch/-/D)
06:15Start your day with Tai Chi on the Sundeck while complimentary Tea and coffee are served.
07:00Bhaya Classic weighs anchor to cruise through the Bay passing beautiful spots like Trong(Drum), Trinh Nu (Virgin) and Me Cung Caves, Coc Ngoi (Toad) Islet, etc.
08:30Explore the Surprise Cave (Sung Sot).
09:30Return to Bhaya Classic. Buffet brunch is served onboard. The vessel cruises leisurely back to harbour.
11:00Disembark at Bhaya Cafe, Halong City.
Come back to Hanoi, visit Dong Trieu pottery en route.
18:00Take a flight to Hue.
Overnight in Hue.
Day 6 - COOKING CLASS – HUE CITY (B/L)
Hue, used to be the capital of Vietnam from 17th century to 20th century and it now is also the World cultural Heritage site.
You will ride a cyclo tour to local market and stroll with the Hotel’s Chef through the market to learn about the Vietnamese ingredients, vegetables, spices and herbs.
Then, return to the Hotel around 11.00 am and cook under his supervision an entire Vietnamese meal. After the effort, enjoy your own dishes in true Vietnamese style. This cooking class will finish around 12.30 or 1 pm.
Visit Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue Citadel, this is the Citadel under the Nguyen.
Dynasty and over 150 royal palaces built within 30 years. It consists of Imperial City and Forbidden City, which was used by the Emperors and
Emperor’s family only. Hue is also well-known during the war in Vietnam as the bloodiest battlefield in 1968 and almost royal palaces in the
imperial City were totally destroyed.
Back to hotel and free at leisure. Overnight in Hue.
Day 7 - HUE – HOIAN (B/L)
AM:visit the Emperor’s tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. Transfer to Hoi An.
Stop for lunch at Lang Co Beach.
PM:Arrive in Hoi An. Free for leisure.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 8 - HOIAN TOWN – HO CHI MINH CITY (B)
Morning city tour of Hoi An visits the Cantonese Communal House, Thien Hau temple, Japanese Bridge and Tan Ky ancient commercial house.
PM:Free for leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 9 - HOI AN – COOKING CLASS – TRA QUE VILLAGE (B/L)
Free for leisure or shopping.
Depart to central local market of Hoian town to buy fresh food then boarding on the boat at the dock of Bach Dang to continue the trip to Red Bridge Restaurant,
located on the bank of river Set in 2 acres of stunning tropical gardens, with 3 open air ‘pavilion style’ buildings, the stylish Red Bridge
Restaurant is ideal for a relaxed meal or casual function. Traditional and contemporary Vietnamese food, friendly staff and enthusiastic chefs
have made Red Bridge a popular stop for visitors to Hoi An.
Use of fresh herbs from the restaurants own garden, seafood from the nearby sea, and fruit and vegetables from local growers deliver fresh
and crisp flavours.
The recently opened Red Bridge Pool Bar is the perfect place to relax after a cooking class or lunch. Features a 20 metre pool, sun-lounges,
hammocks, showers/towels and a well stocked bar – the best part is there is no charge for you to use it.
In the afternoon Ride a bicycle to a local farm in Tra Que village. Introduction to the history of the village, the cultivation of the vegetables
as well as discovering about the use of vegetables in traditional Vietnamese medicine. You will take a trip around the vegetable garden and join
the farmers in preparing the land and fertilizing it with seaweed from the local lake. Continue doing activities such as: raking, sowing,
watering greens, picking greens and many more gardening activities, learning how to harvest and wrap the vegetables.
Around 16.00, bid farewell to your host family before riding back to Hoi An, on the way back stop at Nhat tomb and Ba Le well.
The tour finishes at 17h00.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 10 - HOIAN TOWN – HO CHI MINH CITY(B)
Transfer to Danang for a flight to Ho Chi Minh.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.
Day 11 - CUCHI TUNNELS – CITY TOUR (B)
Take morning tour to Cu Chi Tunnels -70km Northwest of HCMC - well-known. with a system tunnels deeply underground with several floors,
seeing document film, getting inside tunnels “as an architectural structure”, visiting Hoang Cam smokeless kitchen, many fighting bunkers,
some booby traps, firing gun with real bullets (personal) at National Defense Shooting Range Sport, enjoying the guerilla’s food and tea,
visiting rice paper village where tourist can learn how to make it.
Back to Saigon for lunch. Afternoon, visiting The Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office as well as History Museum, a short visit
Ben Thanh Market.
Overnight in HCMC.
Day 12 - CAIBE – MEKONG DELTA (B/L/D)
Depart for Vinh Long. After 3hours drive from Saigon, 136km, Vinh Long – a town of Mekong delta lying betweens the Tien and Hau rivers.
A boat trip takes tourist to Cai Be floating market with sellers and buyers bargaining and exchanging goods from their boats.
Visit coconut candy workshop, popcorn, pop rice village.
Keep travelling to Vinh Long province by boat, going through the canals with tropical fruit garden. You will have a good chance to mingle
with local peasants, learn the secrets of their Bonsai gardening on the way.
Lunch with Mekong specialties. Continue to Can Tho City.
Dinner and Overnight in Can Tho.
Day 13 - CAN THO – CAI RANG FLOATING MARKET (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel. Take a boat trip to visit Cai Rang floating market with sellers and buyers bargaining and exchanging goods from their boat.
Back to Ninh Kieu quay and have lunch.
Check out at the hotel. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Overnight in HCMC.
Day 14 - COOKING CLASS AT LOCAL HOUSE – DEPATURE (B/L)
The House host and our guide will escort you through the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City to the Central Market.
You will learn how to choose good and fresh ingredients before you go the local house.
The conductor will entertain the guest by explaining instructions and briefing on origination and culture of Vietnamese cuisine.
You will learn how cook some specialties of Vietnam, how to use a variety of herbs and prepare different sauces.
Once you have completed the course you will have mastered the use of chopsticks and learnt the etiquette of a Vietnamese meal
and you will enjoy your own creations.
Transfer to International Airport for your flight.
Fly back to UK or any destinations.
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