Arrival Noi Bai airport. Whatever time you arrive is fine – we start the day with dinner….. how else??.... but someone will be there to look after you also if you come earlier.
You will be collected and transferred to the hotel, the award-winning Sofitel Metropole 5* DLX. This is one of the world’s finest hotels - a French colonial-style hotel located in the heart of Hanoi. We will be here for 3 glorious nights!!
After breakfast at the hotel,we don’t want to “work” you too hard on this first day.
We’ll visit some of the major Hanoi sights: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, Hilton Prison, and the Ethnic Museum.
We’ll also do some extreme activities – like learning how to cross a Hanoi road between thousands of scooters and for the hard-core extremists, a chance to ride through Hanoi traffic during rush-hour!!
Like royalty, we will take a helicopter to Ha Long Bay. This is a real treat, enabling you to see the landscape from above and avoiding the traffic – at least one way. In bad visibility, we’ll go by bus!!
On our private vessel, we’ll cruise for several hours between the limestone outcrops and long corridors and visit famous caves and lagoons that helped earn Ha-Long Bay its place among the 7 Wonders of the World. Lunch as we sail!!
Later, you can choose to return to Hanoi by bus so as to enjoy the countryside sights and the local handicrafts centre en route. Alternatively, those wishing to return directly can take the helicopter and have time to enjoy the hotel’s facilities or walk in Hanoi before dinner.
After breakfast at the hotel, catch an early flight to Da Nang, arriving in Da Nang Hoi An. time for lunch at our beautiful resort … 5*Fusion Maia. Then off to nearby Hoi An with its lovely ancient town, its Japanese bridge and Phuc Kien Pagoda. We’ll also visit a silk factory and local market.
Then we’ll head back to our hotel in time to prepare for Shabbat. Candles at 17.30. Kabbalat Shabbat and Dinner are at the Hotel.
Shabbat on our tours is always special. In this incredible resort we will have the benefit of being able to learn all sorts of relaxation techniques, something we could all do with in the frantic world in which we live.
Early Davening and Breakfast (Seuda II) will be followed by a menu of Shabbat friendly activities – or an invitation to chill by your private pool. Late lunch will be seuda III.
Havdala is early (18.25) so we’ll have time to go out on the town before returning for a light late dinner.
A beautiful day, starting in Hoi An with its lovely ancient town, its Japanese bridge and Phuc Kien Pagoda. We’ll also visit a silk factory and local market.
Then off to a pastoral picnic lunch and a very unique tour of the countryside around – so much to see and enjoy!! Back in our hotel there will be time to enjoy the facilities before dinner.
After breakfast you’ll have a last chance to lie on the beach, swim in the pool or visit the SPA (remember all treatments are included). We’ll either have an early lunch or take a picnic with us to the airport where we catch our early afternoon flight to Saigon/HCMC, arriving in time for an overview tour of this fast-moving, modern pulsating metropolis. Dinner is in our hotel - the totally OTT 5*Reverie. HCMC is the opposite of Hanoi. Where Hanoi is all old-world, clinging tenuously to its traditions, HCMC is racing into the 21st century, embracing modernity, capitalism and the benefits of material wealth.
We leave the hotel, back to old Vietnam as we drive to the Mekong Delta.
Here we’ll tour the Cai Be floating market, take an easy bicycle ride to visit a fruit farmer and taste his delicious fruits.
Then back to our hotel in Saigon for our final Vietnam dinner !!
Breakfast at the hotel. Before we leave town we must visit the city highlights - Re-Unification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the General Post Office. If someone wishes to vist the infamous Cu Chi tunnels they can do so this morning but 90% of guests felt that the 150km round trip was not the best possible use of our time in the region.
A short flight will bring us to our final destination, Siem Reap, and to the wonderful 5*Raffles Grand Angkor Hotel for Dinner and 4 nights of culture and relaxation.This iconic colonial hotel boasts the biggest pool in Indo China!!
These days we’ll tour the great Angkor temples complex.
In the afternoons, we’ll come to our hotel for lunch and Relaxation.
Candles 17.50. Kabbalat Shabbat and Dinner will be in our hotel.
Davening and breakfast at the hotel.
During the day we’ll not only relax, but also take a walking tour and visit the Angkor Museum and a local temple. All meals will be in the hotel.
After Shabbat ends at 18.45 we’ll go into the old town to enjoy the fabulous circus and later the nightlife of this very cosmopolitan, modern, buzzing town.
Breakfast at the hotel. Our finale will be an excursion by boat on Tonlé Sap Lake to watch the floating village and the surrounding rice fields on the way. (See what the boy standing has around his neck?) Return to the city and visit Artisans d’Angkor artists school for traditional crafts.
We’ll then eat a late lunch / early dinner before we transfer to the airport for departing flights.