Dear Lam,
We are back finally. We arrived back in Denver about 12:30 July 1, and Harold picked us up and we drove up to Laramie. We got to our home about 3:30am, and Lea was very excited and never went to sleep that night! In fact she stayed up all the next day, and finally fell asleep at 7:30pm. We are very glad to be back home with our family, dog, and garden. But I want you to know how very much we appreciate all you did for us as a friend.
Thank you for the tea and lotus – we will enjoy them. But you need to tell me again how to prepare the lotus, as my mind was in a fog and I cannot remember what you said! And for sure I will use the service from you and Amo Travel
Once again, many thousand thanks for watching over us like a mama duck. Kind regards, and please say hello to Thuy and the girls for us.
Annie
Group of : Annie & Letslie Perlets
Travel date : 31/5/2008 -16/6/2008
DETAILED ITINERARY
A special tour designed for 2 Vietnamese girls to visit there birth mother in Vietnam. It is so emotional and they could learn Vietnamese culture by thei own experience rather than books and pictures. Trip also combine charity day to Hoi An Orphanage Center for children to know more about real life in Vietnam
Day 1: Harold Bergman, Bob Perletz and Jackie Sue
Arrive in Hanoi at night time.
Arrive at Hanoi with the flight Asiana Airlines 4689 at 10 pm. You will make visa stamping and pay fees at the customer. After taking the luggage, the driver and guide will take you to. Overnight at hotel
Day 2: Leslie Perletz, Annie Bergman and the rest of group arrive in the morning – Free day (B/-/-)
Lunch and Dinner free.
Arrive at Hanoi with the flight CX 793 at 10am and make the visa stamping at custom police. Pick up the rest of the group and transfer to hotel.
Day 3: Hanoi full day city tour (B/-/-)
Breakfast at hotel
Take full day city tour. Visit Ho Chi Minh complex with his mausoleum (outside only) with his house on stilt, the Presidential Palace and one Pillar Pagoda. Then going to the West Lake to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple. End the morning tour with the Temple of Literature and Lunch at KOTO or Seasons of Hanoi. Afternoon visit the Museum of Ethnology and shopping at Craft Link, or having a cup of Coffee at Terrace Bar in Sofitel Plaza (drink not included) to enjoy the sun set over the West Lake. End afternoon tour with water puppet show.
Day 4: Hanoi – Halong (B/L/D)
Breakfast at hotel, Lunch and Dinner on boat
Depart for Halong Bay in an air conditioned vehicle. Arrive in Halong around 12:30pm. The crew welcomes you on board the CLASSIC SAIL. Enjoy welcome drink, check-in to your cabin. Lunch with fresh seafood is served at 1:00pm, start a 3.5 hours cruise into mystic Halong Bay to see the amazing karsts with different formations: Mat Qui (Monster’s face) islet, But Moc islet, Cap De islet, Trong (Drum) cave, floating fishing village, with its unique way of life. Then head to Luon cave, enjoy swimming, sun bathing at Ti Top beach or climb the peak of the mountain for a breath-taking panorama view of Halong bay. There will be traditional games available for evening entertainment and an informal Vietnamese language lesson. Dinner and overnight on junk.
Day 5: Ha Long – Hanoi (B/L/-)
Breakfast and Lunch on boat
Early risers can enjoy a morning view of bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee with breakfast. Sitting on the upper deck, you can relax while taking in the breath-taking beauty of the rocky islands rising from the crystal-clear water of the bay. After breakfast explore Sung Sot cave (8:00 to 9:00), swim and relax at beach. At 9:30 boat starts cruising back to the jetty while brunch is served from 10:30 to 11:30. We continue cruising through the bay, along the way seeing more of the fascinating formations. Checkout is at 11:45. Board arrives at harbor by 12:00 for the drive back to Hanoi. Check-in at Hotel.
Notes: As in the former itinerary we do visit both Bat Trang Ceramic and But Thap Pagoda, due to the change to stay on boat, we may have enough time to visit only one of two places
Day 6: Day trip to Thai Nguyen and train to Sapa. (B/-/-)
Breakfast at hotel. Lunch and Dinner free.
Bergman Family is going to Thai Nguyen and get back to Hanoi at around 5 pm.
Perletz family and rest of group will have free time. Dinner is free then transfer to Hanoi Railway station to take the Royal Sapa Express train to Sapa. Overnight on train.
Day 7: Lao Cai – Sapa (B/-/-)
Breakfast at Sapa Royal View Hotel.
Arrive at Lao Cai station and transfer to hotel Sapa Royal View to have breakfast and relax. Afternoon visit Ta Phin Village of Red Dao ethnic and Sin Chai of H’Mong people where you could enjoy special H’Mong dance and singing (subject of availability). Overnight in hotel.
Day 8: Sapa Day trek. (B/L/-)
Breakfast at Hotel.
Take bus down hill around 4 miles to visit Lao Chai and TaVan of H’Mong and Zay peoples. In the afternoon take bus to go further down Muong Hoa valley to visit some of H’Mong village or going back to Sapa to go to Tram Ton Pass (the highest pass in Sapa) and Silver Water Fall. Lunch at Tavan village. Then go back to Sapa for overnight in hotel.
Day 9: Sapa – Bac Ha (B/-/-)
Breakfast at hotel. Take around 3h drive to Bac Ha town, where the biggest and most colourful market in the north of Viet Nam. Bac Ha is the homeland of Flower H’mong. In the afternoon drive back to Lao Cai to take train back to Hanoi. En route take a soft trekking to Trung Do village and boat ride along Chay river.
Overnight on train.
Day 10: Hanoi – Hue (B/-/-)
Breakfast in the Local Restaurant. Arrive at Hanoi railway station then transfer to hotel to rest for a couple of hours then transfer to Noi Bai airport to take flight to Hue at noon time. Arrive in Hue then take bus to the city, we could visit one of the tombs in this afternoon.
Overnight at SaiGon.
Day 11: Tuesday 10/06/08. Hue Full day city tour. (B)
Breakfast at hotel, Lunch and Dinner Free. Take full day city tour to visit 3 royal tombs, Minh Mang emperor, Tu Duc emperor, Khai Dinh emperor.
Lunch free and then take boat ride to visit Thien Mu pagoda and going back by bus to visit Hue Royal Citadel. Overnight at hotel.
Day 12: Wednesday 11/06/08. Travel to Hoi An – Visit Danang Orphanage Center. (B)
Breakfast at Hotel. Drive to Hoi An. Along the road we could take photo stops i.e.: Lang Co Beach, Hai Van (Cloudy) Pass or countryside scenery.
Pm. Visit to Hoi An Orphanage Center in afternoon.
Notes: If you like to stay longer in Hue, we could start going to Hoi An in the afternoon and move the visit to Hoi An Orphanage to 13/06/08 when we make only half a day visit in Hoi An.
Day 13: Perletz Birth Family Visit (B/-/-)
Breakfast at Hotel. Bergman family and the rest of group will have free day or could join with Perletz.
Perletz Family visit to My Xuyen Village to visit birth mother of Binh
Day 14: Hoi An full day city tour (B/-/-)
Breakfast at hotel. Take a half day city tour of Hoi An to visit Japanese covered bridge, Phung Hung ancient house, Chinese Assembly House, Hoi An museum and art and silk shops.
Day 15: Hoi An (B/L/-)
Breakfast at hotel. Take bus drive to Hoi An to participate in the Red Bridge cooking class. Afternoon free time.
Cooking class is sharing one and available only in the morning.
Day 16: Hoi An (B/-/-)
Breakfast at Hotel. Free time until the transfer to Danang airport to take flight back to Hanoi.
For Annie and family: Take earlier flight VN 310 at 08 am. Arrive at Noi Bai Airport then go to Thai Nguyen. In the afternoon going back to Hanoi.
For Leslie and rest of Group: Take flight Danang to Hanoi. Arrive at Hanoi, pick up and transfer to the Hotel (own arrangement)
Day 17: Flight Home.
Free time until the transfer to airport for taking flight home.