Your adventure begins amidst the madness and chaos of Hanoi, where you'll find the placid Hoan Kiem lake, home to the legendary giant
tortoise which brings luck to those fortunate enough to catch a glimpse. Continuing a tour of the city you'll see the Presidential
Palace, One Pillar Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh's tomb and Hoa Lo Prison also known as the Hanoi Hilton. A visit to the bustling Old Quarter,
the tranquil Temple of Literature, Hanoi Opera House and the Sofitel Metropole Hotel are added highlights. The World Heritage site
of Halong Bay waits to amaze you with over 2000 limestone karsts. We'll travel south, just past Danang to the riverfront town of Hoi
An, once one of the most important trading stops on the entire Asian coast. From Hoi An you can take day trips to explore the ancient
Cham ruins at My Son, the Marble Mountains and China Beach. Moving back north, Hue is the next stop. The former Imperial City still
fascinates as you wander the Citadel, the Imperial City, and the Forbidden Purple City, all based on the larger version in Beijing,
China. You'll travel by boat on the Perfume River to see some of Vietnam's most famous and treasured temples and pagodas. There will
be a tour of the DMZ from the American war. Walk through the Vin Moc tunnels which haven't changed since their use in the 1960's,
stand in the middle of the bridge over the Ben Hai River, once the border between North and South Vietnam.With that part of history
behind us we'll head back to Hanoi to begin our tour of the Northwest region, home to over 50 ethnic minority tribes. You'll sleep
in stilt houses in Mai Chau, visit Dien Bien Phu, Lai Chau, and finally the dramatic Sapa in the steep, high mountains near the border
with China home to Hmong, Red Dao and many other ethnic minority groups.
e-mail mtnadv@netshel.net
Vietnam
North and Central
REMEMBER! Any of these tours can also be combined with any of our
tours or to Laos.
