Holiday in Vietnam, highlights

country:	Vietnam
location:	Mekong Delta, North Vietnam, South Vietnam
trip type:	A small group adventure
departures:	2008: 5 Dec, 26 Dec
price:	From £470 (14 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $170. We can arrange flights from the UK

Vietnam holidays

Mekong Delta holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

In this trip you'll find all the highlights of Vietnam you would expect plus a few surprises!

This trip is suited for those who prefer having the independence to move at your own pace and at a price to suit.

Relax on Whale Island or Nha Trang and enjoy the hospitality of our Mekong Delta homestay.

Travelling the length of Vietnam our hotels are always local, transport often public and the unique one-to-one style interactions with real people are endless.

We overnight in many small family run hotels, enjoy the hospitality of family in the Mekong Delta and spend two days at an eco-village on Whale Island.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Hanoi. Arrive in this fascinating city, the capital of Vietnam. Free day. Tonight you will meet up with your fellow travellers and your tour leader.
Day 2:	Hanoi. Free time today until we board the Reunification Express train to Hue
Day 3-4:	Hue. Arrive and transfer to our hotel. We have one and a half days in Hue, famous for its stunning architecture and the Perfume River, which flows slowly through the centre of the city. It was recently given prestigious World Heritage status by UNESCO
Day 5:	Hoi An. Travel to Hoi An via the spectacular Ocean Cloud Pass, Danang and China Beach.
Day 6:	Hoi An. A full day at leisure in Hoi An - a favourite among travellers for its laid back atmosphere.
Day 7-8:	Whale Island. Transfer by road and boat to secluded Whale Island, so named because of the sperm whales which can sometimes be spotted off its shores. Two days to swim, laze on pristine beaches or go snorkelling amidst lovely coral gardens. In the evening, there is time to relax at the beach bar - the perfect place to watch the sun go down with a cocktail in hand.
Day 9:	Nha Trang. Late departure from this paradise island and travel south towards Nha Trang, a laid back beach resort.
Day 10:	Nha Trang. There’s time to check out the town or the beach before we board the overnight train to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).
Day 11:	Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Arrive in Saigon and transfer to the hotel. There’s a host of things to do in this exciting city and some interesting excursions for those who want to venture further afield!
Day 12:	Mekong Delta homestay. Head south to the Mekong Delta. Here the mighty river splits into a labyrinth of channels before disgorging into the South China Sea. We spend the day exploring the area by boat and on foot. This is a great opportunity to learn about life in the delta. Tonight we are guests of a local family.
Day 13:	Mekong Delta - Saigon. This morning we visit an authentic floating market before returning to Saigon.
Day 14:	Saigon. Tour ends.

small group adventure holiday

Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.

highly commended

This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

how this holiday makes a difference

Travelling the length of Vietnam our hotels are always local, transport often public and the unique one-to-one style interactions with real people are endless. We overnight in many small family run hotels, enjoy the hospitality of family in the Mekong Delta and spend two days at an eco-village on Whale Island.

In the Mekong Delta we stay with a local family in their home where we gain a fantastic insight into life in the delta. Whale Island is an almost completely self-sufficient eco-village - all the staff are local people, all food is home grown, waste water is cleaned and used to irrigate plants and vegetable gardens and food scraps are given to the island's chickens and pigs. The creator of the eco-village has also established a wildlife sanctuary on the island and is heavily involved in trying to create a marine sanctuary in the surrounding waters.

Throughout the trip we use local guides, porters and boatmen who are often from the villages we are visiting and all activities are organised directly through local people. There are also many opportunities for travellers to purchase fairly priced souvenirs.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.