VIETNAM TIMELESS CHARM HANOI | HO CHI MINH (SIGON)| HOI AN TRAVEL & TOURS PLUTON TRAVEL24821777 & TOURS VIETNAM HANOI HIGHLIGHTS OF HANOI | HA LONG BAY BY ROAD | PERFUME PAGODA | DISCOVER VILLAGES OUTSIDE OF HANOI | WATER PUPPET SHOW TRAVEL & TOURS PLUTON TRAVEL24821777 & TOURS HIGHLIGHTS OF HANOI Starts: 09:00 Duration: 3 hours Language: English This is a wonderful morning tour that encompasses all the im- portant attractions of Hanoi. The first stop will be at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; in the traditional of Lenin, Stalin and Mao, the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh is a glass sarcophagus set deep in the bowels of a monumental edifice that has be- come a site of pilgrimage. Then you will continue walking through the beautiful botanical HALF DAY garden of the Presidential Palace to visit Uncle Ho’s humble house, the modest dwelling he built based on rural Vietnam- ese stilt house and where Ho lived for the last years of his life before visiting of the One Pillar Pagoda, built of wood on a sin- PRIVATE gle stone pillar, is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, sym- bol of purity. TOUR Then you will be on board the coach to visit of the Temple of Literature, the first university of Vietnam. This temple constitutes a rare example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese ar- chitecture. Remark: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opens in the morning only from 8am to 11am on every Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday to Sunday, and close on Monday, Friday and from October to December. PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS T:24 821777 HA LONG BAY BY ROAD - PRIVATE Starts: 07:30 Duration: 12 hours Language: English Halong Bay (Bay of the Descending Dragon) is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Magnificent Halong Bay, with its 3,000 islands rising from the clear, emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, is one of the natural marvels of Vietnam. These tiny islands are dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes created by the wind and the waves. Observing the limestone rocks rising up from the sea and red sailed junk boats sail by will be a truly memorable experience. The scenic 3-hour drive BAY OF THE from Hanoi City to Halong with spectacular views as you pass through seemingly endless green paddy fields with women in conical hats working in the rice fields with their water buffalo. You will be passing through the organic farmland, local villag- DESCENDING es and busy markets guests will have the opportunity to ob- serve how Vietnamese people go about their daily lives. Upon arrival at Halong Bay pier, you will continue to take a relaxing DRAGON 4 h boat trip through the Bay with a fresh seafood lunch is pre- pared and served on board. Then transfer back to Hanoi. PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS T:24 821777 PERFUME PAGODA Starts: 08:00 Duration: 8 hours Language: English The Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong) is 60km southwest of Ha- noi. The pagoda is one of the highlights of the Hanoi area and should not be missed. Getting to the pagoda requires a jour- ney first by road and then by rowing boat. The return boat trip along the scenic waterways takes about 3 hours. The Perfume Pagoda itself is a complex of pagodas and Buddhist shrines built into the limestone cliffs of Huong Tick Mountain (the Mountain of the Fragrant Traces). Among the better known ROWING sitesyou’ll see Thien Chu (Pagoda Leading to Heaven); Giai Oan Chu (Purgatorial Pagoda), where the faithful believe de- ities purify souls, cure sufferings and grant offspring to childless families; and Huong Tick Chu (Pagoda of the Perfumed Ves- BOAT TRIP tige). PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS T:24 821777 DISCOVER VILLAGES OUTSIDE OF HANOI - Starts: 08:30 PRIVATE Duration: 8 hours Language: English The journey begins with a one hour drive from Hanoi to Bat Trang ceramic village, where you will have a chance to visit the workshops and have a look at the kilns used for firing the ceramic pottery. Then, you will visit the community house of Dinh Bang. Traditionally, all villages in Vietnam had a ‘’com- munity house’’ in the centre of the village. It was where all decisions regarding the village were made. It connected ev- eryone to the village and was the core of Vietnamese culture. VIETNAM Not far from the communal house lives a family who makes lacquer ware. Our next stop is the Do Temple. Do Temple or Den Do Temple TRADITIONAL honours the 8 Ly emperors of the Ly Dynasty. The temple was built in 1030 by Emperor Ly Thai Tong to worship his father Em- VILALGES peror Ly Thai To. Then, you will go to the small township of Tu Son for lunch. The restaurant has simple dishes for you to choose and is all gen- uine local food. After lunch, you will visit the village of Dong Ky, a traditional wood carving village. The trip there takes you through a beautiful rural setting of rice paddies with plenty of opportunities to stop for photo opportunities. You will be dropped at the entrance of the village for the visit, the local guide will take you through the village to meet the people, learn about their craft and lifestyles. PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS T:24 821777 WATER PUPPET SHOW Starts: 17:15 or 18:30 or 20:00 or 21:15 Duration: 3 hours Language: English A unique opportunity to witness a water puppetry perfor- mance, which is a traditional art form dating back to the 11th century. Hidden puppeteers must stand at waist deep in a pool of water, which is the stage, in which to skillfully manoeu- vre dancing puppets attached to bamboo poles on its sur- face. Many of the brief episodes relate to scenes of the daily life. The water looks very green and dirty, apparently be de- sign to conceal the mechanisms that operate the puppets. UNIQUE Dinner will be served at local restaurant. PERFORMANCE PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS T:24 821777 VIETNAM HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) SAIGON KALEIDOSCOPE | DISCOVER MY THO AND MEKONG DELTA | DINNER CRUISE SAIGON FLOATING RESTAURANT | CU CHI TOUNELS TOUR | TRAVEL & TOURS PLUTON TRAVEL24821777 & TOURS SAIGON KALEIDOSCOPE Starts: 09:00 or 13:30 Duration: 3 hours Language: English Discover the city’s major sights on this fascinating half-day tour. Begin the tour at the elegant Historical Museum; which is housed in a beautifully colonial style building situated at the entrance to the Botanical and Zoological Gardens. The mu- seum was built in 1929 and houses many artifacts chronicling Vietnam’s 4,000-year history. You will be able to admire its an- cient ceramics, traditional costumes, and stone and bronze relics. Here you’ll also enjoy a water puppet show with many CITY TOUR interesting traditional features. Your next stop will be the Former Presidential Palace, formerly known as the Independence Palace, where on 30 April 1975 HIGHLIGHTS a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the front gate, sym- bolically liberating the country. It was rebuilt and completed in 1966 on the site of the Norodom Palace that was bombed in 1962. You will then enjoy a panoramic city tour with outside views of the Neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral, the colo- nial-style Central Post Office and City Square, where your driv- er will stop to allow you take photographs. Venture through a Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City; the bustling Chinatown, locally known as Cholon, with its colorful atmo- sphere and mysterious temples. Visit the lively Thien Hao Pago- da, a historic temple in the city of Hu? in Vietnam. Its impressive pagoda has seven stories and is the tallest in Vietnam. Learn about all the history behind this magnificent monument while you admire the enormous burning incense-coils that never fail to impress. This tour is the perfect introduction to Vietnam and is well rec- ommended for visitors who want to see the beauty, architec- ture and history of the enchanting city. PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS PLUTON TRAVEL & TOURS T:24 821777 DISCOVER MY THO & MEKONG DELTA - Starts: 09:00 PRIVATE Duration: 8 hours Language: English Travel to the heart of the Mekong Delta on this fascinating group adventure. You will discover beautiful landscapes along the river with its endless paddy fields and observe the typical Mekong delta rural life. Experience the diversity of the Mekong waterways first hand as you explore fish farms, exotic fruit farms and dine on traditional Mekong Delta food. Begin your exploration at My Tho; a former naval base. My Tho is now a bustling port city in the Mekong Delta where you will visit the THE HEART ancient Vinh Trang pagoda; the most beautiful pagoda of the province with a mixture of many styles. OF MEKONG Next, a motorized sampan will take you on an adventure through the vast estuary of the Mekong Delta. This incredibly fertile region is very popular for food production, producing approximately half of Vietnam’s total agricultural output. All DELTA daily life and agricultural activities are centred on the count- less branches of the river. Life for villagers in the area revolves around the rivers and canals that make up the delta, people are more likely to transport by river than by road. Because of its abundance of rice fields and water, this region is called the Rice Bowl of Vietnam. Take pleasure in visiting an island with lush tropical gardens where we have a chance to sample tropical fruit from a local fruit orchard. Continuing to another green island in the Mekong Delta we learn more about anoth- er cottage industry, coconut candy.