Mekong Delta Discovery Small Group Adventure Tour from Ho Chi Minh City

Commences: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Duration: 8 hours

 

Travel to the heart of the Mekong Delta on this small group adventure tour from Ho Chi Minh City. You'll board a private longtail boat, experience the diversity of the Mekong waterways first hand as you explore fish farms, exotic fruit farms, enjoy a traditional music performance and dine on traditional Mekong Delta food.

Travel to the city of My Tho, a 2.5 hour journey, by air-conditioned mini-coach.  A former naval base, My Tho is now a bustling port city in the Mekong Delta.  The area is the final destination of the Mekong River which winds its way from Tibet, China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and finally Vietnam. An incredibly fertile region its prime industry is food production, producing approximately half of Vietnam's total agricultural output.  Life for villagers in the area revolves around the rivers and canals that make up the delta, people are more likely to transport by river than by road.

Upon arrival in My Tho you'll board your longtail boat for a cruise on the Mekong River. Your local guide will take you to visit an island with lush tropical gardens where you'll have a chance to sample tropical fruit and witness a traditional musical performance. Continuing to another island in the Delta, learn more about the local industry, coconut candy and escort you to to the factory and explain the process of making the sweet. You'll have a chance to visit local villages in the area and learn more about the traditional lifestyles, culture and customs of people who call the Delta home.

Travel by horse and cart to a bee farm where you'll be transferred to smaller rowing boats allowing you to get deeper into the canals. Sample the local Mekong cuisine at the Diem Phuong Restaurant where lunch is served.  After lunch you'll return to My Tho for the journey back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Cu Chi Tunnels Small Group Adventure Tour from Ho Chi Minh City

Commences: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Duration: 6 hours

 

Experience the world of the Cu Chi freedom fighters with a visit to their famous tunnel system. This network of over 200 km of tunnels became legendary during the 1960's when they played a vital part in the American War, allowing the Viet Cong to control a large rural area close to Ho Chi Minh City. In their heyday, the tunnels were functioning underground cities.

Leaving the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City behind, take a 2.5-hour journey west towards the Cambodian border bound for the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cu Chi tunnels were built by local fighters during the Indochina conflict as a base from which the Viet Cong could operate from close to the Southern Vietnamese capital. Initial construction started in 1948 when the Viet Minh required somewhere to hide from French air attacks and by 1965, the Cu Chi tunnel complex was estimated to consist of 200km's of tunnels. It included, hospitals, schools, meeting rooms, kitchens and sleeping quarters. Life was difficult for the inhabitants and to protect against outside intruders bobby traps were laid throughout the complex.

Your local guide will take you on a fascinating tour around the Cu Chi Tunnels where you'll learn more about the conditions the Vietnamese people lived in, the hardships they faced and the amazing ingenuity employed to maintain life in the tunnels.

Ho Chi Minh City Discovery Small Group Adventure Tour

Commences: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Duration: 8 hours

 

Explore bustling Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) on this small group adventure tour.The Ho Chi Minh City tour will give you an insight into the history, culture and the daily life of the locals in Ho Chi Minh City. Discover the historic Giac Lam pagoda, bargain for souvenirs at Ben Thanh market and enjoy a lunch of local Vietnamese cuisine. Learn about Vietnam's modern history by visiting the Reunification Palace and finish the day with a stroll along Ho Chi Minh City's tree-lined boulevards.

Your first stop is Giac Lam, built in the 17th century it is the oldest pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City. Continue to Chinatown with stops at Cholon and Binh Tay markets to see the locals bartering for wares. Next is Thien Hau temple, built in the early 19th century and dedicated to the Thien Hau the goddess of seafarers. Continue to Nha Rong wharf where Ho Chi Minh first left Vietnam in 1911. Your final stop before lunch is at the Ben Thanh Market, where you can practice your language skills and barter for goods.  The market's original location was close to the Ben Nghe River before it was destroyed in 1859 during the French invasion of Saigon. It was rebuilt and moved to its present location in 1899.

Enjoy lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant where your guide will explain the local specialties. After lunch you'll visit the War Remnants Museum, originally opened in September 1975, it displays old military equipment and other related items from the Vietnam War.  In the courtyard you will find some larger exhibits including a F5A fighter and a UH1-Huey helicopter.  Continue on foot past the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the General Post office, and the Opera house which are all beautiful examples of architecture from the French colonial period.   

At the end your tour you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel.

Ho Chi Minh Cyclo and Walking Small Group Adventure Tour

Commences: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Duration: 4 hours

 

Explore the vibrant streets of Ho Chi Minh City on foot and cyclo on this small group adventure tour. Travel like a local as you discover Ho Chi Minh City's many sights. Get a taste of colonial days at the majestic Notre Dame Cathedral, see the beautiful central post office and get an insight into the horror of modern war at the War Remnants museum.

Hop into a traditional cyclo, a three-wheeled bicycle with a carriage at the front for you to sit in, while the driver pedals you through Ho Chi Minh City. Take in the sights, sounds and smells of Ho Chi Minh City without the barrier of a car window or the sound of an engine.  Travel through Tao Dan Park to the War Remnants museum, originally opened in September 1975, the museum displays old military equipment and other related items from the Vietnam War including some larger exhibits including a F5A fighter and a UH1-Huey helicopter. Continue passed the Reunification Palace, previously known as the Presidential Palace, the sight of the official South Vietnamese surrender on April 30th, 1975. Entry is not included but you will have the opportunity to take photographs.

Leaving the cyclos behind walk to the Notre Dame Cathedral and the General Post Office, both fine examples of French colonial architecture. Join up again with your cyclos and ride to the Saigon Opera House and City Hall where scenes from the movie "The Quiet Amercian" were filmed.

Your tour concludes at the Ben Thanh market where you can practice your language skills bargaining for souvenirs, clothing and knick knacks. The market itself has an interesting history.  Its original location was close to the Ben Nghe River and the old fort of Gia Dinh before it was destroyed in 1859 during the French invasion of Saigon. It was rebuilt and later moved to its present location in 1899.

At the end of your tour, you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel.