Ancient House Restaurant in Hue

Vietnam is the contrast country where is the old colonial cities with the rich history dominates its cities. It all the time flowing with the characterize the spirit of Southeast Asia. The countryside is a stunning portrait of varied landscapes, from the waterways leading to the South China Sea to terraced green paddy fields with the hilly central highlands in between.

Highly to appreciate the country, the designing this tour is made Vietnam special and giving you time to stay in the finest accommodation with “phong xuyng” or both on land and water, the air and the people to make Vietnam more special, whilst admiring the wealth of unique and vibrant sites on offer.

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive to Hanoi Airport

On Arrival in Hanoi will be transferred private Lotussia Travel Guide with car back to your hotel at leisure. Explore Hanoi capital by your own.

Day 2: Hanoi

Full day city tour with charming Hanoi with the pagodas, temples and special of  Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Residence  then short drive to Ethnology Museum where discover 54 ethnic groups from beautiful hill tribe houses were supported by difference Embassies and colorful clothes. Get on a cyclo tour through the old quarter to enjoy the bustling local life and stop at the art of Water Puppet performance. Back to your hotel for leisure by your own.

Day 3:  Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Hoa Lu ( around 70 km – 2 hours drive )- Hanoi

The river trip in Ninh Binh is wonderful for photo hunters, especially when local people come to harvest the water rice planted along the river, or when they transplant some seedling for the next crops. Hoa Lu, situated on the edge of the Red River Delta in a narrow valley surrounded by mountains of limestone. After visiting the two remaining sanctuaries of the ancient citadel, enjoy a relaxing fide on small sampans on the river as we paddle through winding rivers cutting through the rice paddies to the grottoes of the sacred Tam Coc Caves. Enormous lines tone karsts jut out from the green rice fields, citing this location as ‘the dry Ha long ‘then return Hanoi for night. Dinner is by your own account.
Back to Hanoi to catch the night train with deluxe private soft bed with sharing cabin to Lao Cai Station.

Day 4: Lao Cai – Sapa

Sapa Vietnam

Around 5am the local bus will pick up from the Lao Cai station and drive straight up to Sapa for ABF then short break before trekking to Cat Cat Village, Lao Chai and Ta Van where Black H’Mong, Tay  hill tribe people stay there.
Afternoon return to the Sapa Market where  the most favorite mountain retreat destination is such a colorful town thanks to the H’mong and Dzao people from the local hill tribes who head into the town’s market every day to trade their produces. There’s a main market every Saturday when the place is packed but there’s a lower key one every other day during the week.  Make the friends or looking for friends by young minority people through the dancing fire every Saturday night. Discover town by your own after that.

Day 5: Sapa – Bac ha – Lao Cai

Heading straight to Bac Ha Market around 2,5hours drive with the best view for photographers and the chance for enjoying or even shopping in that market, where explore the real life of Black H’Mong Man chatting with their friends while theirs wife is busy for trading before lunch time is served. Stop on the way to visit the Chinese‘s border before go back to Lao Cai Station for night sleeping soft bed with Luxury cabin.

Day 6: Hanoi – Halong

Back to Hanoi around 5am and enjoy Thai Chi class with local Vietnamese people surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake. Back to hotel for short hot shower then go straight to Halong Bay after breakfast served in the hotel.
Rest your eyes on the azure waters of this magical bay, where thousands of sculpted lime stones islands rise from the waves like dragoon’s teeth.  Board your deluxe junk where enjoy a delicious seafood while cruising through the magic bay. At sunset, join a bamboo boat to discover a water tunnel with coral reefs in a scenic lagoon through the floating fishing village. Overnight onboard.

Day 7: Ha long – Hanoi – Airport

Get up early to catch the sunrise on the bay and enjoy Thai chi on sun deck.  A short visit the splendid grotto with a quick glimpse at the nearly fishing village with Buffet Lunch after that. Back to the pier and transfer back to Hanoi with a stop en route in ceramic-making village to observe the century-year old trade of ceramic production then drive straight back to Noi Bai Airport for catch flight to Hue.  At the same evening will be pick up by Lotussia Travel Guide at the Phu Xuan Airport in Hue and overnight at hotel.

Day 8: Hue

Hue Dish

A morning with a boat trip on the romantic Perfume River, explore Hue’s best-known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda, and the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. This afternoon, visit the Mausoleum of Tu Duc, which was originally built as a palace retreat before becoming the Nguyen emperors’ final resting place. End the day at Khai Dinh’s Tomb which boasts a traditional Vietnamese design with a European touch, making it unique from the other tombs in Hue. Overnight in Hue.

Day 9: Hue – train to Da nang – Hoi an.

Being a residence of Kings, the cooking art of Hue is famous for its refinement and artistic quality. You will discover the delicacies of Royal cuisine with the chef from Ancient Hue restaurant. The chef takes you to Dong Ba market to guide you through the sights, smell and flavor of authentic Hue cuisine. One thing you will learn food in Hue is spicy with considerable use of chili. Get to Ancient Hue restaurant, walking into the courtyard is like being transported back in time. Surrounding the decorative lotus pond are five authentic Hue houses dating from the 1800s. Under the chef’s instruction, let explore Hue’s gourmet and learn how to decorate every dish to be an artwork.
After lunch time, you will catch the daily train through the Lang Co beach with over view and chat with local people on local soft seat on train. Then, visiting the city of Danang, Cham Museum and China Beach only, local Lotussia Travel guide will transfer you to Hoi An town for relaxing.

Day 10: Hoi An

The day free in Hoi An for your own shopping or getting some new clothes made to measure.

Day 11: Danang – Sai Gon

Free at leisure until transfer to airport for flight to Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City with more than 8 million inhabitants, is the country’s commercial centre. Despite the well-documented hustle and bustle, the city retains its connections to the past. Drive to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, a stunningly massive red-brick edifice with twin spires, a clear reminder that French once ruled this city ( open only 3-4pm everyday otherwise just outside visit); and the former Presidential Palace, China Town. End of the trip, drive back to the hotel for check-in.

Day 12: My Tho – Mekong Delta

Today is a full-day excursion to My Tho in the Mekong Delta. Leave our for 2hour drive from Saigon to Tien Giang. Upon arrival in My Tho, board our private sampan for a river cruise on the upper part of the Mekong River to visit the bonsai, fruit garden to taste diverse types of fruit, tea mixed with bee honey, followed by a visit to a local home. Lunch at local restaurant. Return to Saigon.

Day 13: Leisure

Full day free in Saigon to your own shopping.

Day 14: Depart time.

Free at leisure until transfer to the airport for flight by your own ticket.

For departure & price, contact us at info@lotussiatravel.us

                          

Bat Trang Pottery Village

On the left bank of Hong river and about 10 km from Hanoi in East (in Gia Lam District, Hanoi), there situated a pottery village, which is the most famous and long-standing pottery village in Vietnam for its name of Bat Trang.

Biking from your hotel to get on Long Bien Bridge which is the famous one from French war. We bike through the busy town before riding bike on the dyke of Red River.

About 5km riding, we will arrive Long Bien Market where we meet our Chef there and wandering around to the Market for find out the Vietnamese market with showing what you cook with which is kind of herb together with. Then riding back to the Sung Khanh village with the famous pagoda from 16th century, short trip visiting pagoda then walking with Luong Duc Dung Chef (a well-known  from Sunway hotel  four stars in Hanoi)  to the his house. He will explain the ingredience of food then cook with those, of course, you will enjoy whatever courses you cook that is for your lunch in his garden together with the nature music from bird.

After chatting with Dzung Chef, we keep riding to the pottery village by your bike around 6km. We will visit the oldest pottery Bat Trang village by foot and stop for visiting any local crafts men or that is the chance you can photo or chat with crafts men for discover the way they make the pottery by hands.

More hours you can make your own pottery in the craftsmen workshop with a few minutes waiting you can take your own made away. They will wrap by bubble paper and you can take by hand very easily.

05PM: biking back to home with the traffic jam and explore how Vietnamese biking or riding after finish the working time. Another option that is we will arrange the car or bus for our group back to hotel for relax.