Life Wellness Vietnam

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh, the largest and busiest city in Vietnam. Once a small fishing village, the city is now the dynamic economic hub of the country with a huge variety of things to see and do. You will be greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel for check-in. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure. (Note: normal check in time for hotels is 1400; please advise us if you require early check-in)

This evening, chill and savor a welcome dinner in the unparalleled setting of Shri Restaurant. Enjoy a superb panorama of the city as your meal is served.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

08:30 Today we drive northwest past the city’s outskirt to visit the extraordinary network of Cu Chi Tunnels. This 250km underground maze was not only a secret hideout of local guerillas to escape from American attacks, but also a strategic place to launch sudden ambushes. Upon arrival, watch a short document film of the whole construction before seeing various weapons and mantraps on display. There'll be chance for us to actually crawl through the tunnels and get a thrill. We return to Saigon in the afternoon.

Later indulge yourself in a luxurious spa treatment in one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most elegant spas. Using only the finest natural and organic ingredients, the Spa’s treatments and products provide tangible therapeutic benefits to soothe and heal your mind and body. Once finished, we'll enjoy a special & refreshing new show playing at Saigon's historic Opera House called A O (Ahhh...Ohhh). It's a unique and immensely enjoyable experience for viewers at all ages. It fuses dance, circus and musical forms in a vibrant and light-hearted series of sketches that track Vietnam's transition from rural life to urbanization.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Leaving the city behind, we journey two hours to the Mekong Delta town of Cai Be where we embark on the stylish Cai Be Princess boat for an enchanting cruise. The tour begins with a visit to the local floating market, and then we continue the cruise through a large network of lush back waterways. Pause en-route to visit to local home factories where we can watch villagers making traditional rice paper, pop rice and coconut candy. Afterwards we stop at a local brick kiln and gain an insight into traditional methods of hand-making bricks and see palm leaf processing for roofing. Then we head to the superb Indochine style restaurant Longanier for a delicious lunch of Mekong specialties. After lunch we take a short walk along a shady path back to our vehicle and drive back to Saigon.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

08:30 This morning, enjoy a half day city tour showing the city‘s fascinating sights: the FITO museum - an interesting traditional Vietnamese medicine museum where you can see nearly 3000 items dating back to the Stone Age on display, the historic Reunification Palace - once the symbol of the South Vietnamese government until a tank crashed through the main gate and put an end to Vietnam War, and some of the colonial-era landmarks such as Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Post Office.

Board your flight to Da Nang in the afternoon, upon arrival it is a short drive from the airport to Hoi An town. Dinner is served at the fantastic local restaurant this evening.

Overnight in Hoi An.

A full day adventure into the rural outskirts of Hoi An town for a better understanding to the lives of local farming and fishing villagers. This morning, we transfer to the organic village of Tra Que - which is names after a widely used sweet scented herb.  You will discover the secrets of Hoi An cuisine and the art of its traditional gardening methods. Walk through the herb gardens, you will have the opportunity to interact with local farmers and join them in their daily gardening activities. Rest and enjoy a special herbal drink before we get to know how to make "Cao Lau" and "Tam Huu" for today lunch. Finish the cooking session, sit and enjoy your own creations.

Afterwards, we transfer you out off the village and head to another direction to the river for a fishing trip. Upon arrival, we'll engage with local fisherman for a hands-on experience of making river net fishing. For more thrills, explore the coconut-palmed waterways on a local bamboo basket boat - known as a coracle. Then we get on a wooden boat and stream along the river while our fish-of-the-day is being prepared for a light dinner on board. 

Overnight in Hoi An.

Spend your morning at leisure. 14:00 this afternoon, we'll take a walking tour through the narrow streets of the ancient town visiting the Chinese Assembly Hall, a 200-year-old Tan Ky house and the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge. The trip will give us a glimpse of Hoi An’s prosperous past - a bustling international trading port dating back to 16th century. Today, Hoi An is a quiet riverside town, renowned for its quaint architecture, delicious fusion cuisine and excellent 24h tailor-made service.  It is a world heritage site listed by UNESCO. Finishing exploration, we stop to relax our legs at the Reaching-Out Cookie & Tea Shop where silence is the only thing that you can hear in this shop, and body language is the official language to communicate to the unable-to-hear staff. Let‘s enjoy your sips of hot tea in serenity and watch the bustling world outside pass by.

Overnight in Hoi An.

We leave Hoi An for Hue, enjoying a scenic 3.5 hour drive through Da Nang before climbing up over Hai Van Pass (“Pass of the Ocean Clouds”), then dropping down to the beautiful Lang Co Beach. Stop en-route to visit Linh Ung Pagoda – one of the biggest & most beautiful pagoda in Da Nang, and to witness the spectacular panorama of the fishing village of Lang Co on the way down. On arrival in Hue, transfer to hotel for check-in. Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802, Hue was not only the political but also the cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen Dynasty until 1945.  We journey on to Tu Duc tombs to see the final resting places of the Nguyen Emperors. As the sun slowly sets over the horizon, enjoy a sunset view (if weather permits) from a boat cruising along the Perfume River towards the iconic Thien Mu pagoda. Hop off the boat and finish the day with a quick look through the pagoda. Return hotel and chill-out in the resort’s swimming pool.

We dine tonight at a typical garden house of Hue, famous for its beautiful traditional architecture. Most of the garden houses are privately owned and some owners are descendants of the ancient royal family. Savour a sample royal meal in an exceptional dining ambiance.  This is truly a once-in-a lifetime experience for all gourmands.

Overnight in Hue.

Enjoy a complimentary morning Yoga class from 07:30 - 08:30 at Vendana Wellness & Spa.

11:00 we depart for the Imperial Citadel and spend time exploring the monument complex. The buildings inside the enclosure were heavily damaged by carpet bombings and bullets during the Tet Offensive in 1968, especially the Forbidden Purple City. Many of them have been recently renovated but not yet finished. At the end, we drive to airport for flight to Ha Noi - the historic capital and cultural heart of Vietnam.

Overnight in Ha Noi.

08:30 Delve deeper into Vietnam's quintessential natural beauty and its history with 2-hour drive to Hoa Lu - Vietnam's first capital. On arrival, visit the temples dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang of the Dinh Dynasty (968-80) and Emperor Le Dai Hanh of the Le Dynasty (980-1009). Then head to Trang An Scenic Landscape – the latest World Heritage Site of Vietnam recognized by UNESCO. The place is famous for its charming grottoes, emerald water, quaint temples and stunning limestone karsts. Arrival at the pier, board our private sampan and float down onto Trang An’s streams system. As the boat leisurely slices along the streams and through the caves’ darkness, you will hear nothing but the sound of birds and the paddles stirring the clear water while enjoying the exceptional beauty and tranquility of the area.

Return to land; transfer you to Emeralda Resort for check-in. Enjoy your Ayurveda Treatment before dinner. Ayurveda means “science of life”.  The Indian martyrs founded this treat-ment 5000 years ago after discovering that the human body consisted of three elements: Vata (air and space), Pita (fire) and Kapha (water and soil). Without any one of these elements a body faces health problems. Ayurveda aims to provide and balance these three elements to bring good health.

Overnight in Ninh Binh.

After breakfast, a 2-hours drive takes us to the magnificent Halong Bay, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. On arrival, board our deluxe cruise for an overnight journey into the Bay. As the boat sets sail on the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, prepare your appetite for an enjoyable lunch on deck. Stop to visit the floating fishing village of Vung Vieng - where you'll gain a fascinating insight into the daily life of the floating communities in the bay. During the cruise, there will be swimming and a chance to explore the area by kayak (included). Enjoy the sunset over the bay from the sundeck while our boat weighs anchor for the night. Dine tonight on a scrumptious seafood dinner onboard.

Overnight on board.

Rise early to enjoy the gentle breezes of the bay. Enjoy the fresh air and greet the day with a Tai Chi class on the sundeck. As our boat weaves slowly through strange-shaped limestone rock formations making its way back towards the port, enjoy a wholesome brunch. There's time to explore a hidden grotto, famed for its stunning stalactites and stalagmites of all kinds before our disembarking at noon. Meet your guide and driver then transfer back to Ha Noi. Upon return we’ll visit the Temple of Literature - the first University in Vietnam, founded in 1070 before experience a traditional water-puppet performance – a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes of rural life and episodes of national history.

Overnight in Ha Noi.

After breakfast, we enjoy an hour relaxing rickshaw ride (cyclo) through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Ha Noi’s Old Quarter - known as the ‘36 streets’. The Old Quarter is a labyrinth of roads, alleyways and marketplaces and bustles with local activities. Our ride ends at the hotel.

The rest of the day is free for leisure. Perhaps a last minute walk through the Old Quarter or further sightseeing at the city’s quaint pagodas & museums before transferring to the airport for your onward flight. We wish you a pleasant journey ahead and hope to see you again soon.

END OF PROGAM.