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Best of Vietnam Tour 12 Days

10 reviews

Tour code: ASW-VN-C12

Duration: 12 days

Destination: Hanoi / Halong Bay / Hue / Hoian / Ho Chi Minh City / Mekong Delta / Cu Chi Tunnels

US$ 1,150 US$ 990 per person

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Best of Vietnam Tour 12-day tour is ideal for travelers with more time budget, featuring many attractions that Vietnam has to offer. Highlights include Ha Long Bay's overnight cruise, Golden Hand Bridge, world's heritages of Hue and Hoi An, a homestay in Mekong Delta and two central urbans Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city.

trip highlight

  • Get back to the past as you tour around the capital of Vietnam: drive through the French quarter, riding the cyclo on Hanoi Old Quarter’s 36 streets
  • Cruising around the World Heritage Halong Bay to see thousands of sculpted limestone and islands rise from the water like gigantic teeth of dragons
  • Enjoy slow, romantic atmosphere of Hue – the last Feudal Capital of Vietnam
  • Biking tour to idyllic villages in Hoi An
  • Boat ride to Cai Be floating market, where you can observe all of busy trading activities of local traders 
  • Explore part of the 151-mile underground network Cu Chi Tunnels 

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Day 1: Welcome to Hanoi

Meal provided: No Meal

Welcome to Vietnam.

Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport, obtain your Vietnam visa ( with a pre-approval letter), and then clear Immigration and Customs.

After collecting your baggage, exit the airport to meet outside our driver. He/she will be holding a sign with your name on it.

From the airport, you will be privately transferred to your lovely hotel.

Settle in and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.

Stay o
vernight in Hanoi.

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Day 2: Hanoi city tour

Meal provided: Breakfast, lunch

Start a new day by visiting Ho Chi Minh Complex, an important place of pilgrimage. A traffic-free area of botanical gardens, monuments, memorials and pagodas, it’s usually crowded with groups of all ages, from all over the nation, who has come to pay their respects. Within the complex you can visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (Monday & Friday: Outside visiting as it’s closed for annual maintenance), Ba Dinh Square, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, Ho Chi Minh Museum.

Closed by, the famous One Pillar Pagoda which is built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25 m in diameter. It is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity, since a lotus blossoms in a muddy pond.


After that, continue to visit the Temple of Literature (Vietnamese name is Quoc Tu Giam) – The Vietnam’s first University, which was built in 1070 in honor of Confucius, his followers and Chu Van An, a moral figure in Vietnamese education.

Have lunch at a local restaurant

In the afternoon, visit Museum of Ethnology, a valuable centre for the exhibition and the preservation of cultural heritages of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam.

Continue to visit the Hilton Jail or Hoa Lo prison, a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War when it was sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the “Hanoi Hilton”.

Stop to visit Ngoc Son Temple which is located at the northern end of Sword Lake (aka Hoan Kiem Lake). From the shore, walking on the Welcoming Morning Sunlight Bridge leads to the island.

Next enjoy an electric tram tour or cyclo tour through the
Hanoi’s Old Quarter, a network of narrow alleys and shop houses also known as “The 36 Streets.” This is a wonderful place to watch the local life, and peruse items from fabrics to crafts to exotic medicines.

Enjoy a traditional
Vietnamese water puppet performance, a uniquely North Vietnamese art form celebrating rural life and folklore for over 1,000 years, this evening.

Stay o
vernight in Hanoi.

* Please note: The city tour program is flexible. You can skip one site or add another if you so wish.

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Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay overnight on cruise

Meal provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Picked up by the cruise’s sharing bus. Depart for
Ha Long bay.

Upon arrival you will be welcomed aboard your traditional junk; designed in the same style as those that have sailed the bay for 100’s of years.

Begin a relaxing and unforgettable cruise around the breathtaking and unique limestone karsts and islets. A delicious fresh seafood lunch will be served as you cruise this spectacular bay, a UNESCO listed site.

After lunch you will explore some of Ha Long Bay’s famous caves by bamboo boat or kayaking based on your preference.

And then reach on the top of Soi Sim beach to have a panorama view of Ha Long Bay.

All activities arranged by the cruise are on a shared basis.

Return to your junk boat to watch a cooking class or fruits & vegetable carving on sundeck – How to make spring rolls. Then enjoy Sunset Party together and Happy Hour (buys two drinks, gets one free from 18.00 to 19.00). It is time for chit chat and relaxing before enjoy your dinner and evening activities around the bar.

Stay overnight on Ha Long Bay Cruise

* Please note
: Program may differ slightly based on each cruise and weather conditions.

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Day 4: Halong Bay - Hanoi - Fly to Hue

halong bay cruiseMeal provided: Breakfast, Lunch

Wake up to see the sunrise over the spectacular horizon, reflecting in the pristine waters of the bay, with a cup of tea or coffee. Then join a Tai Chi class on the sundeck if you wish before enjoying breakfast in the fresh air. Continue to sail around this natural wonder.

Visit to the Sung Sot Cave by walking up about 100 steps to the cave entrance and tour the cave for approximately 45 minutes. Walk down about 100 steps and return to the boat. (Proper shoes are highly recommended)

Return to the boat then check-out of the cabin. Start cruising towards the harbor while an A la carte lunch is served. The crew will bid you farewell and you disembark with our tender boat to the Tuan Chau Pier.

Return your Hanoi hotel by cruise’s shuttle bus to collect big baggage and take a private transfer to Hanoi airport for your short flight to Hue, Vietnam’s most beautiful city, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located on the central coast of Vietnam.

Welcome to Hue.

Upon arrival at Phu Bai Airport. After collecting your baggage, exit the airport to meet our driver. He/she will be holding a sign with your names on it. From the airport, you will be privately transferred to your lovely hotel. Settle in and enjoy the evening at your leisure. 

Stay overnight in Hue

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Day 5: Hue Full Day Visiting

Meal provided: Breakfast, Lunch

Start the city tour by a visit to the Royal Palace which has three perimeters of rampart, namely from outside to inside: Kinh Thanh (Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel)

•  
Capital Citadel
: This construction started in 1805 under the reign of Emperor Gia Long and completed in 1832 under the reign of Emperor Ming Mang
•  Royal Citadel: The Imperial City is located in the centre of the Citadel where established highest offices of Viet Nam’s feudalism and sanctums honoring the cult of decreased Emperors.
•  Forbidden Citadel: Located inside the Imperial City, behind the Throne Palace, the Forbidden Purple City is reserved for Emperor and his family.

Then continue to The tomb of King Khai Dinh is located in Chau Chu mountain near Hue in Vietnam. It was built from 1920 to 1931 taking 11 years to complete. In comparison with those of the preceding emperors, Khai Dinh’s tomb is much smaller in surface but it is very elaborate. It is the result of the interminglement of many
architectural trends: European and Asian, as well as ancient and modern.

Later enjoy a private boat trip along Hue city in Perfume River, you’ll deeply immerse in Hue’s pure nature & famous cultural places. The boat will take you to Thien Mu pagoda, an ancient pagoda in Hue city, can’t be missed while being in Hue. Its pagoda has seven storeys and is the tallest one in Vietnam. The temple is often the subject of folk rhymes about Hue, such is its iconic status and association with the city.

Dropped off at your hotel. 

Stay overnight in Hue.

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Day 6: Hue - Da Nang - Ba Na Hill with Golden Bridge - Hoi An

Golden-Bridge-Ba Na Hills Dang TravelMeal provided: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning, you will take a road journey from Hue to Da Nang. Prepare your camera for beautiful panorama view of Lang Co bay and Hai Van Pass.

Drive to Ba Na Hill. A trip on cable car will offer you a chance to admire the panorama of Ba Na Hills, spring stream, Danang city and Danang coast from your cabin at the height of 1,487 meters above sea level.

During your time on the mountain, enjoy a visit to:

• The Le Jardin with the relics of the French, such as the force of the French horse, nearly 100-year-old grapefruit trees and traces of ancient villas. Especially Debay cellar, wine cellar was built by the French in 1923, spent nearly a century, they still retain cellar wild, mysterious, is the work of the French single remaining fairly intact Ba Na.
• Linh Ung Pagoda, located on the peak of Ba Na Mountain at the height of 1.400 meters, was officially inaugurated on the 5th of March, 2004.
•Fantasy Park which meets the needs of entertainment of all ages, from the fun game for children to the game, thrilling challenges for youth and adults.

Keep taking nice walk to Golden Bridge. Winding its way around a 150-meter course lined with flowers, a golden bridge shimmers against the Ba Na Hills, supported by a pair of giant hands. The bridge sits 1,400 meters above sea level, an altitude which creates the illusion of a silk strip hiding in the clouds above Da Nang.

Enjoy buffet lunch in Bana.

Take a cable to go down and get back on your car for driving heading to Hoian.

Check-in your hotel in Hoi An.

Stay overnight in Hoi An.

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Day 7: Hoi An - Biking to Cam Thanh and Tra Que Village - Walking in Ancient Town

vietnam with kidsMeal provided: Breakfast, Lunch

Start this morning with a biking trip to Cam Thanh Village. Stop to take some beautiful photos. Arrive at the village of fishermen Van lang-Cam Thanh.


Arrive at the village, and embark on a sampan bamboo basket: rowing competition, the practice of fishing technique. Take a little rest in the house of the fisherman (Mr. Phong) with the welcome green tea, and a beautiful walk in the village to see the daily activities of fishermen.

Continue biking to the Tra Que herbal village passing through the rice fields, fishponds…A quick stop at the local market – Ba The where local people exchange their self-consumption in the region.
Hoi an travel - Tra-Que-Herb-VillageArrive home gardener (Mr. Chinh), you are delighted to be a real gardener by working in the field with the skill, and patience (raking, fertilizing, cultivating, and watering soil).

Back to Mr. Chinh’s home. Relax with a foot massage with medicinal herbs that planted in the family garden. Prepare vegetables and herbs from Tra Que, the small practice of cooking the dishes: crispy pancake (meat, shrimp, beansprouts…), spring rolls of Hoi An, Tam Huu, grilled fish in banana leaf… Enjoy the dishes you made. After that, biking back to the ancient town.

We will discover Hoi An Ancient Town to see how the traditions of the past are treasured in the present town along the Thu Bon River.

Touring Hoi An’s historic highlights such as well-preserved, centuries-old streets, dwellings, temples, and pagodas; Explore its shop-lined streets, view the red-painted Japanese Covered Bridge – the three Chinese characters over the door mean “bridge for passers-by from afar” and Meet the 200-year-old “Phung Hung” house, noted for its unique architecture. What you’ll see there will reveal much about the lives of Hoi An merchants long ago.

Stay overnight in Hoi An

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Day 8: Hoian - Da Nang - Fly to Ho Chi Minh - Half-day city tour

ho chi minh city War Remnants MuseumMeal provided: Breakfast, lunch

Morning, you’ll be transferred to the airport in time for your flight to Ho Chi Minh. 
Welcome to Ho Chi Minh.
Upon arrival at Ho Chi Minh Airport. After collecting your baggage, exit the airport to meet outside our guide. He/she will be holding a sign with your names on it. From the airport, you will be privately transferred to your lovely hotel .

Afternoon city tour:
We’ll discover the city’s historic landmarks including the Reunification Palace formerly known as Independence Palace, built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, a landmark in Ho Chi Minh. Our next stop is the War Remnants Museum, established in September 1975 in Ho Chi Minh City, it contains countless artifacts, photographs and pictures documenting some of the less heroic activities carried out by the US army in Vietnam. Planes, tanks, bombs and helicopters are also on display.

Continue visiting to the 1880’s General Post Office and the late 19th century Notre Dame cathedral, located in a peaceful part of the city. Ending at Ben Thanh Market or House of Saigon for shopping and café.

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

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Day 9: Ho Chi Minh - Cai Be floating market - Homestay in Cai Be

Meal provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Road journey through the Mekong Delta to Tan Phong, via Cai Be:

After breakfast, leaving the busy city, you will start your trip to Mekong Delta. Up on arrival at Cai Be, you will take your first visit to Cai Be Cao Dai Temple and Cai Be Cathedral. After that, get on a cruise to visit Cai Be colorful floating market among local barges full of fruits and vegetables. Then, an optional stop can be made at local workshops where you can see how to make rice paper, coconut candy and pop-rice, pop-corn.

Arrive at a home stay. Have a rest, relax and have lunch.

In the afternoon, a rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals and to enjoy the peaceful time. It is so interesting to see traditional houses made of wood and palm tree leaves and see some activities of the local farmers.

Go back your home–stay and get ready for next activities. You will try catching fish in the river and collecting vegetable. You will be guided to prepare dinner by our local Chefs in the late afternoon.

Have some fruits and tea when enjoying the local traditional music, Don Ca Tai Tu.

Stay overnight at your home-stay in Tan Phong Islet
 surrounded by tropical garden

Note:
The floating markets in the Mekong Delta are no tourist markets but wholesale markets where produce of the Mekong Delta like fruits and vegetables are traded. For this reason the number of boats on the market fluctuates depending on harvesting seasons and market demand. Furthermore, modern wholesale markets are becoming more popular in Vietnam. This can result in decreasing numbers of boats being present on the markets.
 

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Day 10: Cai Be - Ho Chi Minh

Meal provided: Breakfast and Lunch

Have breakfast and hop on your bike for a discovery of Tan Phong Islet. You will visit the kindergarten. Stopping at a local farmer’s house to learn how to make Jackfruit leaves cake and then cycling to Bonsai Garden and talking to him to understand how local farmers take care of their gardens, then try plucking the fruits and tasting them. You also will have a chance to listen to the traditional local music, Don Ca Tai Tu.


After cycling back to your homestay, you will take short rest and check out at about 11:00. After lunch, your boat will transfer you back to the tourist boat Cai Be for driving back to Ho Chi Minh City. 


End of the tour today at 17:00 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

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Day 11: Cu Chi Tunnels Half-day tour

ho chi minh city cu chi tunnelsMeal provided: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels:
This morning, enjoy scenic drive through the countryside as people work on their rice paddies and thatched hut villages scattered along the way. Visit a local village making rice paper, a well-known product used to make the delicious spring rolls. Arriving at the Cu Chi Tunnels to explore part of the 151-mile underground network that zigzagged from the southern tip of the Ho Chi Minh Trail near Cambodia to the Saigon River. Cu Chi is a must for anyone interested in understanding a vital aspect of guerrilla warfare fought by the Vietnamese against both the French and the Americans.

These crisscrossing tunnels were begun in the late 1940s by local resistance fighters looking for a place to hide their weapons from the French. Discover secret trapdoors, field hospitals, command posts, underground kitchens, living areas and meeting rooms.

Return to the city.

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Optional excursion: Please contact us if you interested.
1. Cooking class at Saigon center ( 4 hours)
2. The Mist Show (modern dance and ballet) at Saigon Opera house (Price from US$ 28 to US$ 65/ per ticket)
3. A O show (bamboo dance, acrobatic & music) – at Saigon Opera (Price from US$ 28 to US$ 65/ per ticket)
4. Saigon’s nightlife & foodies tour by Scooters ( 2.5 hours).

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Day 12: Ho Chi Minh - Departure

Meal provided: Breakfast

Today is your final day. You are free to chill out and relax. Depending on your departure flight, your private driver will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to the airport in time for your flight to the next destination. They will ensure you are the correct gate.

End of tour.

We wish you a safe and pleasant journey.

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    Tour prices shown are 'per person', based on a traveling party of 4 adults, and sharing double or twin rooms.
     
    ** If you travel in group of 2, of 3 and so on, please feel free to contact us for specific offer.
     
    ** If you intend to travel alone, the cost might be much higher. However, you also earn money by using the Share button above to invite your friends and family to book this tour with you.

    What's Included:

    • 10 nights base in double/twin sharing rooms at centrally located & well selected Comfort hotels (3 star-hotel). 
    [ Superior (4 star-hotel), Luxury (5- star hotel), High-end (best of the best hotel) properties are also available upon request] 
    • 01 night on board cruise in Halong Bay 
    • Daily buffet or set breakfast at hotel and all hotels taxes and service charges. 
    • Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary. 
    • Travel by air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced, safe driver as specified in the itinerary. 
    • Sightseeing with local, English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary. 
    • Meals included as indicated as in program: B: breakfast, L: lunch & D: dinner. 
    • Boat cruise as specified in the programmed. 
    • Entrance fees according the above program
    • Local bottled water while sightseeing and transfers 
    • VAT and all taxes and service charge. 

    What's Excluded:
    • International flight tickets and Visas stamp 
    • Domestic and regional flights in the tour
    • Any items of purely personal nature such as laundry and telephone calls 
    • Personal, travel and health insurance
    • Early check in and late check out 
    • Single room supplement if request 
    • Drinks during meals
    • Meals that are not specified
    • Gratuities/tipping to tour guide, driver and hotel staff and restaurant’s staff 
    • Surcharge for peak season & compulsory dinner on X’mas and New Year’s Eve 

    Remarks

    1. All of our itineraries can be tailor-made to suit your requirements, allowing us to create the perfect holiday just for you. Please click on the “Tailor this trip" button and complete the requested information for us. Upon receipt, our travel consultant will customize the best value vacation for your kind consideration. Please note: Changes CAN be made to the itinerary after our initial quote, but may result in a price change also!

    2. We are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. In Indochina in particular (Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos) hotel prices make up the major expense of your holiday. Therefore, we would like to clarify how we define these charges:
    • Boutique & character hotels: from $50-$80 USD per room/ per night
    • Comfort = 3 star hotels from US$ 40 - US$ 60 per room/ per night
    • Superior = 4 star hotels from US$ 80 - US$ 110 per room/ per night
    • Deluxe = 5 star hotels from US$120 - US$ 190++ per room/ per night
    • High-end = Best of the best hotels from US$ 250++ per room/ per night

    3. Child policy: 
    • Ages 0-2: free of charge for tour. Airfares depend on Airlines's policy at booking time
    • Ages 2-5: 50% of adult price. Airfares depend on Airlines's policy at booking time
    • Ages 6-10: 85% of adult price & airfare fully charges
    • 11 years and older: 100% (charged as an adult)

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    Service Details During The Trip

    We’ll immerse you in the diverse cultures of Vietnam by showcasing the unique local flavors. And with the perfect balance of included sightseeing and free time, you can customize your dream vacation with the things you have always wanted to do.


    • Private Local Tour Guide You will have legally licensed local tour guide in each destination, from welcome and farewell you at the airport. Your guide will guide, help, assist and taking care of you in order to make your tour worry-free. The good guide for you means we arrange the right guide. Asianwaytravel.com will arrange tour guide base on the feature of the itinerary and consists of the group, to maximize your experiences in traveling.

    • Private Drivers & Vehicle Safety is first priority for transportation. A well maintained good condition car with legal business licensed and an experienced driver to make sure you are in safe hands. To maximize your comfort and joyful experience with driving service, cold drinking water, cold towel and soft drink are provided in the car.

    private

    • Local Flavor Meals Don’t worry about meals; we select both restaurants and menus for you. Asianwaytravel.com will select clean and good environment restaurants for our customer. Menu is also carefully selected by us to ensure you try different food every meal.
      We will recommend and arrange local cuisine since it is part of the cultural experience while traveling. We also recommend dinners are free on your own so you can choose your favorite food by yourself under necessary assistance of your local guide.

    • Well-Selected Hotels Comfort and good value is our priority for choosing hotels for our customers. Comfort of mattress and bedding, joyful decoration style, user friendly facilities, good service and good breakfast!

    meals

    Travel Visa

    Most countries in South East Asia require you to obtain a visa. Please check carefully with your travel specialist regarding specific visa requirements for each country you plan to visit as the legislation does change frequently. Thailand offers a free visa on arrival to most nationalities. Other countries including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar offer a “visa-on-arrival” service which requires you to pay a fee at the airport, or you may prefer to obtain this in advance through the relevant embassy or a visa agent. For visa-on-arrival in Vietnam, you must submit some paperwork before you arrive.

    This is an option to get your visa for Vietnam instead of getting visa at the Vietnam consulate in your country.


    • Step 1: Provide us your application details
       • Your full name (as exactly seen on your passport)
       • Your gender
       • Your date of birth
       • Your nationality
       • Your passport number
       • Your passport expiration dates ( with at least 3 vacats pagess and valid for at least 6 months)
       • Date of arrival ( dd/mm/yy)
       • Date of exit (dd/mm/yy)
       • Arrival airport
    • Step 2: Process your visa information into a visa application
      We will contact you for reviewing your visa information and then submit your application on your behalf to Vietnam Immigration department and follow other procedures pursuant to the regulations of Immigration department to get Visa approval letter granted by Immigration department.

    visa

    We will send the visa approval letter via email to you after 7 working days.
    After we obtain the visa approval letter from the Immigration department for you, we will forward you a scanned copy of it by email (Your visa information then have been recorded to the Visa system of the Vietnam Immigration department).


  • Step 3: Get your visa stamp on your arrival
    Just print the approval letter out, prepare 2 passport sized photos and an amount of USD for stamping fee ($25 for single entry visa; $50 for 1 month multiple entry visa ). Put all above mentioned things along with your passport in a package, then show them to Immigration officer at Vietnam arrival airports.

    Upon arrival at Vietnam’s airport, expect a simple form to fill in (or you can download here to fill beforehand), present the visa approval letter, passport, photos to the Immigration officer inside the counter and look for a place to hear your name be called to get the passport back and pay for the stamping fee. The actual process takes around 15 minutes without hassle or trouble.

  • For those who is applicable for E-visa, our travel experts will consult case by case.

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    • by martinalovett99 from Italy

      Excellent Tour and Excellent Service

      We've just got back from a fantastic holiday in Vietnam and we couldn't have done it without the help of Mai at Asianway. Right from the start she was helpful, responsive and gave us really good advice based on what we were looking from our holiday. No hard sell or attempts to persuade us to buy extra packages - just really good advice and excellent service. We had already done some research on places and hotels so we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to do, but with Mai's help we found even better hotels than we

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    • by gilbertog72 from Mexico

      Absolutely Outstanding!!!

      The highlights of our 12-day Vietnam tour would biking to Cam Thanh Village in Hoi An and bamboo basket boat. It was really fun and would be must-do for all who are planning to visit Vietnam. Our one (1) stay in the boat at Halong Bay was very interesting, kayaking, swimming and a bit of fishing (although one of the crew said, it would be very hard to catch a fish where we were. Our tour was organised by Asianway Travel and Ms Mai arranged everything for us. She was very organised and very helpful and she assisted us from

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    • by Elena from Bulgaria

      Wonderfull vietnam organized and professional private tour

      We had 11 wonderful days of private tour with a tour guide and a driver. Our guide Dinh was wonderful/spoke very good english ,had a lot of knowledge and was smiling all the time. Dinh took care for all of our needs and made sure everyday that we were happy and satisfied and made sure we will see the best of Vietnam. Our driver took care of our safety and was helpful and nice.the tour was very well organised,profesional and met all of our needs.good hotels,local food like we have requested and the experience of a life time with the

      Read more...

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