Culinary Tour of Vietnam (12 days)
Departs anytime (2021-2022)
Please note: This itinerary can be modified in any way to best suit your school’s aims, learning objectives and budget. A land of staggering natural beauty and cultural complexities - Vietnam is as exotic and compelling as a steaming hot bowl of Bún Bò Huế (Hue spicy noodle soup).
This 12-day trip of Vietnam is specifically designed for students interested in the culinary arts, food technology and Asian cuisine. It includes several interactive cooking classes as well as other food-based experiences intended to acquaint students with the diversity and ceremony behind this favourite world fare.
The itinerary will take students on a journey the length of the country to enjoy a thorough exploration of its major cities, popular sites and less travelled parts through its central provinces, remote highlands as well as waterways of the Mekong Delta. The trip also includes travel on the historic Reunification Express train, as well as student-initiated activities and a plethora of outdoor and cultural pursuits.
Most importantly, this trip is designed to be highly enjoyable and provide students with a very memorable and fulfilling introduction to this endearing nation.
David Eales Asia Manager
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Day 1 � Arrive Hanoi
On arrival in Vietnam, we will be greeted by our tour leader at Hanoi International Airport. With no time to lose, we will board our bus and travel to our centrally located hotel in the downtown precinct. En route our tour leader will discuss with us our itinerary and provide us with a thorough rundown of all the things we need to know when travelling in Vietnam, as well as giving us a short history and Vietnamese language lesson. Depending on our arrival time today, we will enjoy a performance of Hanoi’s famed Water Puppets Troupe to learn something about Vietnam’s folklore and legends. There will be time this evening for a short orientation of Hanoi before our first taste of Vietnamese cuisine at a popular open-air restaurant. This will be followed by a walking tour of this vibrant city, before returning to our hotel later for a much-anticipated night’s rest. (meals: dinner) Flight details to be advised
Day 2 Hanoi (cooking class & market tour)
This gracious city, one of Asia’s most beautiful, was virtually off-limits to foreigners until the early 1990s in this period when Vietnam was considered a pariah state by most other nations. Today its streets surge with scooters vying for right of way amid its delightful period architecture telling of its French and Chinese occupation. No trip of Hanoi would be complete without a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. This imposing Soviet-style block we will visit is the final resting place of President Ho Chi Minh. Born Nguyen Ai Quoc, Ho Chi Minh was the leader of North Vietnam when war with the United States broke out. Whilst Ho Chi Minh was to never see his country free of foreign rule (dying in 1969), he is credited as being the leader of Vietnam’s independence. For lunch, we will enjoy a meal at a delightful hole-in-the-wall eatery after which we will visit its kitchen to get a feeling of the cooking spaces typical of restaurants in Vietnam. This evening we will get behind the wok to take part in a cooking class at a renowned cookery school. Northern Vietnamese cuisine is markedly different from that found in the south, owing to a very diverse variety of vegetables and other ingredients only available in this northern region of Asia. Our class will also entail a comprehensive market tour to learn (and identify) the main subtle ingredients that go into preparing Vietnam’s most renowned dishes. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 3 Hanoi (Reunification Express Train) Hue
Our day will begin with a hearty breakfast followed by a morning electric cart tour of this French-inspired city as we explore its vibrant ‘Old Quarter’, hidden markets and rabbit warren-like streets. Later we will visit Hoa Lo. Formerly a prison, the jail was nicknamed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by the American airmen who were incarcerated after being shot down over Hanoi during the American war in Vietnam. Lunch will be at ‘KOTO’ restaurant - a vocational training eatery established to help disadvantaged teenagers in the hospitality industry. A staff member will talk to us about the charity and students’ prospects after completing the training course. After dinner, we will board the overnight Reunification Express train heading south. We will pass through the former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on our way to the cultural capital city of Vietnam, Hue. A vital lifeline in war and peace, this famous railway route will provide us with an all-in encounter with the country’s costal beauty as it rocks us to sleep (in every direction) en route to Hue where we will awake tomorrow. NB: Train compartments are 4-berth soft sleepers. Each compartment has carriage beds, pillows, sheets, blankets, air conditioning and lockable doors. The train departs Hanoi in the early evening and arrives in Hue the following www.studenteducationaladventures.com Culinary Tour of Vietnam (12 days) 2 morning. NB2: Dinner is not included this evening but can be purchased cheaply before the train trip in Hanoi. (meals: breakfast, lunch)
Day 4 Arrive in Hue (Royal Citadel & Nguyen Tombs cycling activity)
Early this morning we will disembark our train, having arrived in the delightful imperial city of Hue. Pronounced ‘hway’, this evocative capital of the Nguyen emperors still resonates with the glories of imperial Vietnam. Students of history will quickly begin to appreciate that Hue is in fact, a city of loss – loss of prestige to colonial France, loss of purposes as a deposed capital and loss of innocent owing to decades of conflict at which Hue was at the epicentre. Despite its loss of status, it is a truly charming city, rich in character and surely the most photogenic city in all of Vietnam. Today we will head into the countryside on bicycles venturing through rural villages, crossing ancient bridges and climbing up an old royal coliseum once used for tiger and elephant fighting. We will visit one of the intriguing tombs of the Hue Emperors to learn of more about Vietnam's royal heritage which was dissolved in the late 20th century as Vietnam adopted its present socialist doctrine. According to some researchers, the chefs that served the Nguyen Emperor of Hue were able to concoct over 1,700 to satisfies their over-indulged rulers. Whether these researchers are to be believed or not, cooks in Hue can certainly prepare a plethora of dishes not readily found elsewhere in the country. Some of the dishes we will enjoy this evening as we board a private boat for an evening cruise along the city’s fragrant river. This activity will also include a musical performance as we drift into the evening to enjoy this very memorable dinner. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 5 Hue Hoi An
Today we will begin or bus ride from Hue to the former silk route trading town of Hoi An. En route, we will visit historic Marble Mountain where we will climb to the top to take in views of My Khe Beach. During this time, we will also have the chance to explore the maze of grottos and caves dotted all over this amazing geographical feature. Arriving in the city of Danang this afternoon we will board our awaiting bus for the short journey to Hoi An. A delightful former trading town that reached its zenith at the advent of maritime trade, Hoi An today is famous for its clever preservation of architecture, unique cuisine and friendly locals. It is also famous for its enticing rural and coastal scenery. Later this afternoon we will enjoy an escorted tour of Hoi An while our tour leader share with us tales of its rich history and of its heyday as an important trading port during the 15th & 16th centuries. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 6 Hoi An (Cycling / My Son [UNESCO site] excursion)
We begin the morning with a bike ride (with helmets) through the countryside along remote buffalo tracks to a beautiful beach some five kilometres from the town. Alternatively, we will take a half-day excursion to the World Heritage Site of My Son. My Son was the most important political, religious and cultural centre for the Champa civilisation that once ruled much of what is today, modern Vietnam. This afternoon we will enjoy another culinary activity to learn more about Vietnamese food while immersing ourselves in daily life. Our program will entail a highly informative tour of a market garden tended to by local farmers, alongside whom we will pick fresh saw-tooth coriander, www.studenteducationaladventures.com Culinary Tour of Vietnam (12 days) 3
Vietnamese mint and lemongrass for our cooking lesson this afternoon. We will also collect a range of local ingredients such as cardamom, sesame rice paper and banana flower from a local market before making our way to a highly regarded cooking school to learn the methodology behind some of central Vietnam's most famous dishes. After an elaborate dinner, we will make our way back to town by boat to enjoy some independent exploration before returning to our hotel. (meals: breakfast, dinner)
Day 7 Hoi An (Student-initiated activities)
Prior to travelling, a Student Educational Adventures staff member will talk to teachers and students about specific activities that students might like to add to you Vietnam travel experience. These activities can be included based on students’ knowledge of the country or their interests or passions for any aspect of the country's culture. The activities we can include are many and varied. These may consist of an introduction to a country's creative or performing arts scene, visits to international and local schools, great race activities, outdoor educational pursuits such as abseiling, basket boating, snorkelling, mountain biking or a plethora of cultural programs. Please contact us for further ideas.
Activity 1
Abseiling: This morning we will visit historic Marble Mountain where we will climb to the top to take in views of My Khe Beach. After a thorough exploration of the grottos and caves featured through this complex, we will undergo instruction from our specialist abseiling guides. Later, we will practice our skills around the mountain’s surrounding caves and cliffs. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Activity 2
Cham Island Boat trip: After breakfast, we will travel to the seaside and board our private boat to delightful Cham Island. On arrival, we will have the chance to enjoy snorkelling (wet suits and life jackets supplied) in the shallow waters of a delightful beach. Whilst here, there will also be ample time to enjoy lazing in hammocks as well as enjoy and visit an isolated fishing village. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Activity 3
Basket boating: We will venture out after breakfast to explore the hidden waterways and palm-laden backwaters in the Hoi An hinterland by way of basket boats. These quintessential Vietnamese vessels have changed little in 600 years. They will provide us with a fun and physical way to access the canals and experience the lives of local rural dwellers. We will also enjoy a delicious lunch and visit a ceramics community to try our hand and tradition pottery making (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)
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Day 8 Da Nang � Ho Chi Minh City
A short morning flight today will take us to dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is Vietnam at its most dizzying: a city of commerce and culture that has driven the country forward with its pulsating energy. Free Optional Activity: For a very exciting alternative, we may otherwise enjoy an exhilarating moped tour (as pillion passengers with helmets) of the city before stopping to enjoy south Vietnam’s famous country-style pancake dish (Bánh xèo) at a popular outdoor eatery. NB: Student Educational Adventure’s moped tour of Ho Chi Minh City is a safe and controlled activity we can run with some school groups. Please contact us for further information about including this very memorable activity on your trip. (meals: breakfast, dinner) Flight details: to be advised
Day 9 Ho Chi Minh City (cooking class)
This morning we will visit Ho Chi Minh City’s intriguing China Town with its ancient temples, myriad of side streets as well as a large wholesale market where all manner of textiles, medicines and foodstuff can be found amid the bustling street life. The Vietnamese expect you to bargain, but don’t forget to compare prices to ensure you get the best deal. In the afternoon we take part in a ‘Master Chef’ style cooking activity, working in groups as we prepare gastronomical masterpieces, under the watchful eyes of our highly skilled cooking instructors. Southern Vietnamese cuisine is quite different from the cuisine found in the north and the central provinces. This has much to do with the richer soil and warmer climate of South Vietnam which affords cooks with a richer choice of produce than that found elsewhere. As daylight fades, we will ascend to a viewing platform in the city’s centre to enjoy spectacular 360-degree views of this amazing metropolis. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 10 Mekong Delta (farming community activity)
We will journey south today to the waterways of the Mekong Delta from where we will board our private boat to explore Vietnam’s expansive water world. In the afternoon we will enjoy a bike ride through some local villages to get a feeling of the lifestyles of the local people. Later we will make our way to a small island nestled in the heart of the Delta, the site of our local family homestay. Today we will visit a farming community to learn of the world’s most essential crop – rice. For Vietnamese, rice means much more than simply a food staple. It is, indeed, no overstatement to assert that rice is the most influential factor in Vietnamese traditional culture and a driving force for history. It is also because rice feeds the population, and that it contains a hidden beauty that can adorn the already elegant Vietnamese culture. It can be said that rice has played an important role in the evolution of Asian society and economies as the development of the rice fields always coincides with the development of the nation. This evening we will experience true southern hospitality as our host family prepares a delicious Delta meal (which we will be required to help prepare!) and talks to us about life in the Delta. NB: Our homestay is a very comfortable style home overlooking the Mekong River with separate sleeping areas for male & female students. Each room is equipped with an army-style stretcher, pillows and blankets, mosquito nets, ceiling fans and western-style toilets. Main luggage will be left in our Ho Chi Minh City hotel storage room while on this overnight excursion. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
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Day 11 Mekong Delta (Cu Chi Tunnels excursion) Ho Chi Minh City
If the tenacious spirit of the Vietnamese can be symbolised by a place, few sites are more symbolic than the guerrilla tunnels of Cu Chi that were established in this unassuming, southern district of the country that we will visit this morning. Whilst the tumultuous events of the conflict are scantly evident at first glance, we will quickly glean some perspective of what happened here as we explore the maze of tunnels beneath our feet, built by the local inhabitants. It is this area of south Vietnam that witnessed the fiercest fighting and was also subjected to a damaging defoliation program, the results of which can still be observed in the area today. We will enjoy lunch with a view after our visit to the tunnels before heading back to Ho Chi Minh City. There may be time for some urban exploration before dinner. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 12 Departure Day: Ho Chi Minh City (Amazing Race activity) �Flight Home
Today we will take part in an Amazing Race activity designed to facilitate urban exploration to enhance students’ knowledge of this historic city as well as our appreciation of Southeast Asian culture. We will complete tasks, navigate, and collect information and complete activities that will be challenging, fun and educational. We will also take time to visit some of the city’s other important sites including its historic post office, a beautiful French-built church as well as the War Remnants Museum to learn of the American War in Vietnam from a local perspective. There will be a final time this afternoon to pick up souvenirs for family and friends before we make our way to the airport in the late afternoon for our flight home. Our tour leader will take care of all our onward travel arrangements, escort us to Ho Chi Minh City airport and wave us farewell. (NB: hotel checkout time is 12noon). (meals: breakfast, lunch) Flight details to be advised
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Summary Culinary Tour of Vietnam (12 days)
# Please contact Student Educational Adventures for a Grading competitive flight quote for flights from your country. Easy: Students & staff with reasonable fitness will be able to take part. There are no real physical difficulties. You Inclusions will not be expected to carry your own luggage • All accommodation, transport, activities, entrance throughout the trip. Portage is available at no extra cost. costs and other programs as described in the
itinerary Group Size • internal flight Danang – Ho Chi Minh City Minimum group size 20 students & 2 staff members • Professional Student Educational Adventures tour travelling free of charge. leader throughout trip & additional specialist guides ▲ Smaller group sizes can be quoted upon application • Community project sourcing and arrangements • Extensive destination-specific risk management and assessments Specific Trip Activities • Meals (along with drinking water) as listed in the daily itinerary • 24 hours IN COUNTRY support from Student HANOI Educational Adventures staff • Hanoi city tour • Pre-departure support, briefings and planning • Water puppets performance meetings for students and parents • ‘KOTO’ (NGO) lunch • All equipment • market tour & cooking class (1) • Parents information evening presentation • Overnight train journey • Parental & student advice for vaccinations & • (Reunification express Hanoi – Hue) equipment etc.
• Tips for local guides & drivers HUE
• Musical performance • Riverboat dining experience Exclusions • Nguyen Tomb cycling activity • International flights to/from Vietnam # • Evening Cyclo excursion • Some meals as described in the itinerary • Hue Citadel excursion • Vietnam Visa (if required)
HOI AN • Marble mountain exploration activity Accommodation • Beach cycling / My Son UNESCO site Student accommodation is on a twin/triple share basis. excursion Teacher accommodation is on a single room basis. The group will be staying in 3-star equivalent hotels and • Central cooking class (#2 – Hoi An) • Student-Initiated activity (choices): − Cham island boat trip Transport − Abseiling activity Modern air-conditioned bus and boat. − Basket boat ecological excursion
HO CHI MINH CITY • Cu Chi tunnel excursion • War Remnants museum visit • Free optional culinary moped excursion • Ho Chi Minh City ‘Amazing Race’ activity • ‘Master Chef’ style cooking activity • Cyclo excursion • Skyscraper survey activity
MEKONG DELTA (BEN TRE PROVINCE) • Riverways excursion • Homestay culinary experience • Cottage industry study • Tributary boating activity • Geography based water conservation activity
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7 things to check before choosing a student travel company
Choosing the right travel company is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your students. As you compare different school travel providers, you’ll need to weigh up everything from staffing arrangements to overall trip cost – and, of course, educational value. To help you choose with confidence, we’ve created a checklist of seven essential factors to consider when you’re assessing travel companies. You’ll be pleased to know that these factors are a feature of every trip we run.
1. Does your travel provider have a truly local presence?
You might not know it, but many school travel companies have no local presence in the countries they send your students to. Behind the façade, these providers are marketing companies who outsource their trips to in-country operators – often importing a foreign manager at your schools’ expense. Value for money aside, running trips in this way has far-reaching consequences in an emergency, when access to language skills and local knowledge are vital. To make sure you’re getting a genuinely local experience, it’s important to choose a bonafide in-country travel company who has a real local presence in the country you’re travelling to. For example, we use our own in-country supervisors and tour leaders to manage the school trips we run. As local experts, they travel with you and your students throughout your entire trip and are responsible for every aspect of your students’ wellbeing.
2. Is your school trip really of value to your students?
A trip abroad with friends will appeal to any young person, and many will relish the chance to explore a world away from home. But to be of real and enduring educational value, a school trip should challenge students beyond the kinds of basic touristic experiences they might just as easily have on a family holiday. To this end, your school travel provider should provide a customised itinerary that shows quality and depth of engagement. We tailor each of our itineraries to push students beyond a surface-level exchange and maximise their time in-country so they’re learning the whole time they’re travelling. Our activity-rich programs are big on cross-cultural interaction, team-building and authentic local experiences. We also include community service projects wherever possible, which make our trips not only highly educational but life-changing, too.
3. Is the person leading your students up to the task?
The best people to lead you through a country are the folk who live there. But on top of having expert local knowledge, the people leading your students should also be expertly trained to deal with young student travellers. A tour leader who’s up to the task can teach across the full range of personalities, interests and abilities found among every student group.
For this reason, we make sure our tour leaders have at least three years’ experience leading student groups before they go in-field with yours. And they’re more than just guides – they’re also teachers, translators and troubleshooters. Our tour leaders will welcome you warmly when your group arrive, manage all of your trip logistics, and work responsibly to make sure you and your students always stay healthy and safe.
4. How safe is your travel provider, really?
While some travel companies offer a 24-hour call centre, there’s no substitute for having local people by your side and looking after you where you are. Local staff know the lay of the land, how to access the best medical attention in times of crisis and which dialect or language to speak when you need it most. This is especially important outside of major cities, where major providers’ services can be limited. Our in-country staff and tour leaders not only access the best international providers (such as SOS, Global Rescue and Columbia Asia), but also complement these with expert knowledge of the nearest and most appropriate medical attention within every local area. So, if a worst-case scenario happens – when you need to communicate with non-English speaking doctors; when a comprehensive first aid kit won’t do the job; or when the phone number of an international medical provider just isn’t sufficient – you can be sure your student group is in the best of hands, no matter where they are.
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5. How authentic are your service-learning programs?
Today, having students raise money for their overseas trip is a common way for schools to give back to the places they visit. However, exchanging skills – and smiles – with local communities can leave a positive legacy that’s even more powerful. Fundraising, while well-intentioned, can be in vain if it’s not done in consultation with local communities. To make sure your impact isn’t simply an add-on, choose a school travel company that facilitates projects that solve real community problems and which help build local capacity. Take our community service projects, for instance. We develop them through extensive cooperation with local people’s committees, NGOs and women’s organisations to ensure your students’ altruism has a lasting impact. All our service components are meticulously planned, designed to be meaningful and transparent, and, most importantly, provide tangible long-term benefits for communities.
6. Does the program you’re being offered match your students’ learning needs?
No two school groups are the same, which is why no two school trips should follow the same itinerary. Check that the travel company you choose offers a customised program that’s flexibly designed to match your students’ unique interests. In our experience, nothing inhibits a successful trip more than ‘off the shelf’ programs with generic activities. For this reason, each trip we run is tailored to your school’s curriculum and your students’ distinct learning needs. We also like to involve students in co-designing their itinerary. Prior to their trip, we run a series of student-initiated activities to promote agency and collaboration, setting them up for success once they’re overseas.
7. Is the tour priced competitively?
A foreign travel experience for your students needn’t cost the earth. And while variations in destinations, flights and trip durations add complexity to the task of pricing your trip, the school travel company you choose should offer you that transparency, without question. Alongside integrity in pricing sit sound educational outcomes. If your trip provider can’t quantify how your students will benefit from the trip, then you might ask whether they’re the right fit for you and your school. Because we operate entirely in-country, with exclusively local staff, our overheads are significantly lower compared to those of other travel companies. With us, your money goes directly toward creating your tour, rather than to overseas administration costs or third-party suppliers.
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