BEST OF THE SOUTH

 

   3 Days / 2 Nights

Ho Chi Minh city - Mekong Delta

Explore the best of the south with a three day break in Ho Chi Minh City.  Visit the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum, and wander back in time to marvel at the beautiful French architecture of the Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Grab a bargain at the markets and travel into the Mekong Delta to explore the waterways on a river cruise aboard Le Jarai.

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City
Transfer from the airport to the hotel and settle in to sultry, cosmopolitan Ho Chi Minh City formerly called Saigon. and feel the pulse of the city. With its heady mix of past and present architecture, scooters whizzing past, noodle sellers on the sidewalk, Saigon is a city on the move. 

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City - City TourDiscover the story of Saigon, from a city of conflict to a modern metropolis starting with a visit Reunification Palace, once a symbol of the South Vietnamese Government. See the war room, the banquet hall and the presidential office with the unusual gifts which have been received. Next, visit the War Remnants Museum, where your guide will tell you the story of the city’s darkest and most tragic hours during the Vietnam War. The museum contains displays of military aircraft, weaponry and many photographs – some that are quite graphic in nature. Then take a short walk around the Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral both designed and constructed by the renowned architect Gustave Eiffel.  After lunch head to Giac Lam Pagoda the oldest pagoda in the city that dates back to 1744 followed by an afternoon wandering the vibrant markets of Cholon and Ben Thanh where you can haggle for a bargain.

Day 3: Mekong Delta – Le Jarai Cruise Travel about two hours from Ho Chi Minh City into the heart of the Mekong Delta to explore the waterways.  See small home-made factories perched on the river banks producing candy and oil from coconuts as you meander by boat through rivers and small creeks. Feast on a three-course lunch aboard Le Jarai, a beautifully restored teak rice barge. While onboard join in the demonstration of Vietnamese cooking before sitting down to a sumptuous three-course lunch of Mekong specialties. After lunch relax on the top deck and take in the scenery back to Ben Tre, where you will transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City arriving late in the afternoon.