Enjoy this wonderful tour with your family that explores Vietnam from South
to North, and provides you unique experiences such as the opportunity
to have farming lessons in the Vietnamese countryside, lunch in a beautiful
bonsai garden and relaxing days at a beach resort. This tour offers a customizable
visit to your child’s orphanage city as well as the opportunity to visit
a local Vietnamese school and capture glimpses of daily life in Vietnam.
Day 1 : Arrival –Ho Chi Minh City
Upon arrival, meet the English-speaking tour guide
at the airport gate exit, and your driver and guide will escort you to the
hotel. Relax while you soak in the local sights and culture while adjusting
to the new time zone.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast, meet your guide at the hotel lobby
and then enjoy a visit to a local elementary school to get
a first hand glimpse of the education system in Vietnam. Enjoy lunch
at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you can visit the Dam Sen
Water Park where kids play and all can cool off in the heat of the day and
have some relaxing fun in the water. Or, if you prefer your family
can enjoy a visit to the History Museum, which displays antiques on
the Phu Nam culture, Cham arts and Mekong Delta arts. In the evening,
experience a dinner cruise on board a vessel along the Ho
Chi Minh City River.
Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh Long - Can Tho
Today take a scenic drive to Vinh Long, where you
will get on a sampan for a small cruise and enjoy this beautiful area of
the Mekong Delta. Next your family will visit a brick kiln and
a floating market, a truly fascinating experience. Follow this with
a visit to the well-known Mr. Sau Giao's bonsai garden, where you will be
treated to lunch. Then take a short sightseeing bike ride tour of
Vinh Long. This will include seeing the Ngoc Vien Pagoda, as well
as visiting local people's houses, and a stop at the historic Vinh Long
church. Then rest while you are driven to Can Tho (around 3.5 hours) where
you will check in to the hotel. Optional: Instead of bike ride, visit
school and interact with students and local people. If time permits, children
can participate in school activities together with the students.
Day 4: Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast, you will have a boat trip on Mekong
River and visit the Cai Rang floating market for a memorable shopping excursion. In
the afternoon, drive back to Ho Chi Minh City via the scenic Sadec area
and visit Rose Garden of Mr. Tu Ton, which is sure to delight all ages.
Day 5: Ho Chi Minh City - Province
Meet your tour guide and driver at the hotel lobby
after breakfast and you’ll be driven to the airport for your flight to your child’s
adoption city. Upon your arrival, meet your guide and driver and you will
be escorted to your hotel. We can arrange optional local activities
of interest to the area, or arrange specific desired site visits as you
designate. Or, you may choose to explore the adoption city on your
own
Day 6: Province
Today, a Lotus guide will sensitively and carefully
assist your family with your arranged visit to the orphanage, foster care
family or birth family as you’ve requested. This day is customized
to your family’s wishes and specifications.
Day 7: Province – DaNang – Hoi An
Take a late morning flight from your child’s
province to DaNang. Please meet your guide at the airport gate exit upon
your arrival in DaNang. You will be escorted to visit the March 29th
Park where one can walk along the shady streets, enjoying fresh air right
at the heart of the city. After lunch at a local restaurant, drive
to Hoi An’s old town where you will discover the historic part of
the city which used to be a prosperous seaport city during the 16th to 18th
centuries. Its sizeable community of foreign merchants created a unique
architectural style with Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese influences. You
will have a walking tour in Hoi An to the Chinese Assembly Hall & Temples,
old houses & Japanese Covered Bridge. You will then go to the
beach resort hotel for check in.
Day 8 :Hoi An
Today, you will have full day to enjoy and relax on the beach. The beach
resort is equipped with pools, lounge chair and other
amenities. You can enjoy beach volleyball, tai chi, kite flying and water
sports like wind surfing, kayaking sailing, snorkeling, jet-skiing parasailing
and others.
Day 9: Hoi An
Today, you will have another full day to enjoy and
relax on the beach while you absorb local culture as well as the resort’s
fun activity options.
Day 10: Hoi An
Today you will drive or ride a bike to Tra Que village
together with local people. Then you will have the opportunity to play a
role as a Vietnamese farmer. You will work on the field to understand how
to make a plot of herb or mint. Enjoy the flavor of special mints such as
common basil, lemon basil, dill, Chinese coriander while working. Then try
the local meal at the Tra Que village and learn more of the daily life of
Hoi An people. After this, relax with a wonderful foot massage experience;
this is likely a memory you’ll be talking about once you’re
back home!
Day 11: Hoi An – DaNang – Hanoi
After breakfast, your guide and driver will take
you to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. Upon your arrival, meet your
guide at the airport gate exit and you will be escorted to the hotel. After
lunch at a local restaurant visit Ngoc Son & Quan Thanh Temples, the
old quarter of Hanoi, and the Dong Xuan market where you can shop and choose
final mementos of your trip. This evening, enjoy the traditional water puppet
show, which is a unique Vietnamese art and is one the whole family is sure
to appreciate
Day 12: Hanoi
Today, you will rise early and enjoy a morning
walk to Hoan Kiem Lake "Lake
of the Restored Sword" to experience early morning in Hanoi. According
to the legend, gods provided Emperor Le Thai To a magical sword to defeat
the Ming dynasty Chinese invaders. After the victory the emperor was boating
on the lake when a giant tortoise reared up and took the sword, returning
it to its rightful owners. Today, the lake is where local residents do
their morning exercise. You can join then as they do “tai chi”.
Then, you will go to a restaurant and have a lesson on
how to prepare Vietnamese cuisine. The cooking lesson
includes a tour of the famous Hang Be market where you will learn the ingredients
of Vietnamese dishes. After assisting with preparation back at the
restaurant, enjoy your own Vietnamese creations and receive a detailed
recipe cards as your souvenir.
Day 13: Hanoi – Halong
Take a scenic drive to Halong which is 180 km east
of Hanoi. Halong
means, “where the dragon descends into the sea” and is named
after the legend which has the bay created by a dragon which lived in the
mountains. As it ran to the sea one day, its tail dug up the land leaving
only small areas (the karst islands) visible – the rest filled up
with water. After lunch at a local traditional restaurant
you will be escorted to the hotel for check-in.
Day 14: Halong Bay – Hanoi
Discover Halong Bay which is listed as a World Heritage
Area of outstanding natural beauty. "Dragon descending to the sea" as
it is known in Vietnamese the picturesque Halong Bay has more than 3,000
limestone islets rising from the clear emerald water, many of them containing
beautiful grottoes. With a 5-hour boat cruise one will visit a grotto and
then continue on to explore more of these wonders of creation. You will
have an opportunity to enjoy a seafood lunch on board. In the late afternoon,
you will be driven back to Hanoi where you may check in to the hotel and
relax from the day’s activities.
Day 15: Hanoi – US
After breakfast, please meet your guide and driver
to be escorted to the Noi Bai International Airport for your departure flight
back to your home. The guide will help you to check in and you can make
your last journal entries about your memorable trip experience.