The Romance of Vietnam honeymoon touring holiday
A fourteen-day honeymoon itinerary with a touch of romance, a look at northern Vietnam, and time to relax in exclusive luxury at the Evason Hideaway on an isolated peninsula in Nha Trang Bay.
Day 1: Depart London for Hanoi
Day 2: Arrival at Hanoi
Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. You’ll have time to relax after your journey.
In the late afternoon, you’ll have tickets for a performance of traditional Water Puppetry (an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture), followed by a ‘Welcome’ dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant in a restored French colonial building. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi. Dinner is included.
Day 3: Exploring old villages in the Red River Delta - Overnight on train to Lao Cai
Your guide will arrive at your convenience to take you to some of the picturesque traditional villages around Hanoi – places that have defied the wars and the march of time.
First of all, you’ll be invited into a typical ancient house and welcomed with a cup of green tea and an opportunity to talk about the daily life of the commune and its main occupation – farming. From there, you’ll be shown around the commune house, the Mia Pagoda and the local market (with lunch fitted in on the way). In the afternoon, you’ll return to Hanoi, stopping en-route to visit the Van Phuc silk village. On arrival, there’ll be time to freshen up and relax. In the late evening, a private car will arrive to take you to Hanoi railway station in time to board the 10 p.m. overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai. You’ll be accommodated in a two-berth ‘Victoria’ compartment. Breakfast and lunch included.
Duong Lam Commune is a community of six traditional villages some 50 km from Hanoi. It’s notable for a number of reasons, not least its extraordinary longevity.
Considering its close proximity to Vietnam’s sprawling capital city, it not only emerged almost unscathed from half a century of warfare, but also escaped the recent rampant urbanisation of the area. The latter owes much to the commune’s atypical local traditions and beliefs – your guide will explain.
It’s a picture postcard patchwork of verdant fields, shady trees and small huddles of cottages and pagodas built of raw laterite blocks. One village in particular, Mong Phu, is an architectural treasure house with dozens of buildings dating back to the 17th century.
Alternative for Day 3: Cycling and exploring villages around Hanoi
In the morning, you’ll be picked up to drive to Bat Trang. On arrival, you’ll be able to stroll in the small alleys of this old village to watch local people producing their fine products and visit some of the houses used as workshops and showrooms. You’ll then pick up your bicycles and ride along the riverside dike, through some more of the many villages surrounding Hanoi. The total distance on bicycles is about 7km along a small road that runs beside a tributary of the Red River.
You’ll then drive to Dong Ho village - famous for its traditional paintings. After a picnic lunch, your vehicle will take you to Tam Tao village to enjoy its traditional Quan Ho music performed by villagers in the commune house. The singers have recently been officially designated as part of Vietnam’s ‘living heritage’. In the late afternoon, you’ll return to Hanoi. Around 9 p.m., a private car will arrive to take you to Hanoi railway station in time to board the 21.50 p.m. overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai. Breakfast and lunch included. )
Day 4: Lao Cai - Ethnic market - Sapa
You’ll arrive in the early morning, where you’ll be met and taken by a Land Cruiser to visit a market frequented by ethnic minority peoples. After a picnic lunch, you’ll return to Lao Cai and continue your journey into the mountains to Sapa, a small town perched on the mountainside opposite Mt. Fan Si Pan, Vietnam’s highest peak. You’ll arrive with time to relax and stroll around the town. You’ll spend the night in a Sapa hotel with good mountain views.
Although it’s quite a long drive, the landscape is attractive and the ethnic markets are a fascinating experience. Unlike those in the tourist areas, the markets that we choose are for not only buying and selling, but also meeting places for ethnic minority people to meet and exchange news. There will be plenty of colour and authentic costumes, but very little to buy as souvenirs unless you want to barter for a water buffalo or a sack of fertiliser! Breakafst and lunch included.
The trips to ethnic minority markets must be on Tuesday (Coc Ly Market), Saturday (Can Cau) or Sunday (Bac Ha or Muong Hum Markets).
Day 5: Full day hiking to Ban Ho village
After breakfast, you will drive for about 30 minutes to Su Pan. From there, you will commence your walk descending down a slope with a breathtaking view overhead. On the way you will pass through the Ban Ho village where you will be able to witness the stunning views of the valley and the rice paddy terraces. You will have the opportunity to explore the Tay village of Ban Ho before crossing the suspension bridge over a stream. The route will continue taking you through the rice fields to the Red Dao village of Nam Toong where your guide will prepare your lunch in a local house. After lunch you will go swimming by a waterfall (weather permitting) before before ascending back to Supan where your driver is awaiting for you to take you back to Sapa. The remainder of the day will be your own. You’ll spend the night in Sapa. Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 6: Sapa free - Lao Cai
The day will be free for whatever takes you fancy. In the late afternoon, your driver will take you to Lao Cai station for the overnight train to Hanoi. Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 7: Hanoi - Ha Long
In the early morning, you’ll arrive at Hanoi railway station, where you’ll be greeted by one of our staff members and driven to your hotel to freshen up before breakfast.
After breakfast, you’ll leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karst’ landscape. There you’ll board a private wooden junk that takes you through Bai Tu Long Bay area. You’ll then continue your cruise to the bay’s most deserted areas with opportunities to swim at quiet sandy beaches [weather permits] or visit one of the least visited caves. The route is designed to avoid the busy areas and includes a very quiet location for your overnight stay. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
For your two-day Ha Long excursion, you'll board one of the Princess Junks, one of the best wooden boats on the Bay. They’re based on the model of the old Chinese court vessels with three barge sails, a wide transom and rectangular superstructure. Each boat has only one cabin, so you're likely to be the King and the Queen on board.
The cabin is air-conditioned and has windows overlooking the bay. The floor area of the cabin is about 10 m2. The cabin is furnished with two twin beds or a double queen size bed. The interior panelling, floor and furniture are of hard wood. The cabin has a wardrobe, pillows, white cotton sheets, and an en-suite toilet and shower with a good selection of high-quality toiletries. All meals, usually based on fresh seafood, will be provided on board. Kayaking is available and included in the price.
Day 8: Ha Long - Hanoi
You’ll wake in the fresh air of the bay with a swim or you can relax on the sundeck. After breakfast, you’ll continue your cruise to visit a fishing village where you’ll have an opportunity to explore the village and the hidden lagoon in a rustic rowing boat. The route will ends at a Pearl Farm where you can see the whole process of making high quality pearl.
You’ll then cruise back to dock around noon whereupon you’ll be picked up to return to Hanoi. After arriving at your hotel in the mid-afternoon, the remainder of the day will be your own. Your overnight accommodation will be in Hanoi. Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 9: Hanoi - Nha Trang - Evason Hideaway and Spa
After breakfast, you’ll be free until your driver arrives to take you to board the noon flight to Nha Trang. On arrival, you’ll find a car and driver waiting to take you to the resort private jetty where a short speedboat journey will whisk you to the Evason Hideaway where you’ll spend the next five nights. Breakfast included.
Day 10 to Day 13: Evason Hideaway and Spa
The Evason is probably Vietnam's most exclusive hotel - luxurious, ultra-stylish and an ideal honeymoon hideaway set in 120ha (300 acres) of pristine scenery. It's also one of Vietnam's most environmentally-conscious hotels. Breakfast included.
There are 53 private villas. The lowest category is the 158m² ‘Beach Villa’ complete with wine cellar, outdoor plunge pool, in-house video, DVD player and movies available on request. At the other extreme, the ‘Presidential Villa’ extends over 271m² with a pool, two bedrooms (each with bathrooms), a living room with a toilet, an open air dining room, and even a pantry! All villas are designed to be completely private. There's a first-class restaurant and bar, a large swimming pool, and a range of leisure pursuits including tennis, water sports and dive facilities, a gymnasium, and trekking and nature trails.
The Evason is part of the international ‘Six Senses’ group, specialists in luxury resorts and spas and offers a complete range of mind and body treatment and therapies.
Service standards in the resort are appropriate to the remarkably high quality of the Villas and facilities. For example, there are small shelters and resting places throughout the site where someone will be waiting with a cold drink and a cool flannel. Meals can be served more or less anywhere - a cook and attendant will prepare and serve the meal in situ.
Guests are encouraged to provide as much information about their likes and dislikes as possible so that everything is waiting for them on arrival, even to the extreme of their preferred room temperature.
Day 14: Evason Hideaway and Spa - Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh City
Your time will be your own in the morning. You’ll then take a short fast boat ride to the mainland where your car and driver are waiting for you to take you to the Cam Ranh Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. When you arrive, a private car will be waiting to take you to your hotel in the city centre. After checking in, you’ll be free for a preliminary wander around District 1. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City. Breakfast included.
Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City departure
Your time will be your own until your private car and driver arrives to take you to Tan Son Nhat airport for your departure flight. Breakfast included.
The price for this tailor-made honeymoon: £4,680 per person
Our price includes:
•Return flights with Malaysian airlines London to Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City in economy via Kuala Lumpur. British Airways via Hong Kong possible at a supplement.
•Breakfast and accommodation in double rooms
•Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary above (Please note: pick-ups will be by a guide and driver or, where a guide is not necessary, a driver only. All unaccompanied drivers will be briefed in advance, and will carry a mobile phone to ensure smooth transfer arrangements)
•Domestic flight tickets (business class): Hanoi – Nha Trang, Nha Trang – Ho Chi Minh City, including domestic airport taxes.
•Return train tickets: Hanoi – Lao Cai (2-berth Deluxe ‘Victoria’ Compartment)
•Boat cruise as programme. For Ha Long Bay, you’ll join other passengers on a high quality wooden boat with comfortable accommodation, good facilities and an experienced crew. The boat will be fully licensed and comply with current safety regulations.
•Travel in an appropriate private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced safe driver.
•The services of experienced English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary (please note: guides will be on hand from pick-up until guests’ return to their hotel or reaching their destination). Free days or part days will not include the services of a guide unless requested and included in the final itinerary.
•Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the programme.
•Lunches and dinners (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available and full board on the boat in Ha Long Bay.
•VAT and other taxes
Our price does not include:
•Dinners except as specified above
•Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses
•Visa services
•Diving fees
•Insurance
•Alternatives in blue
Hotel list:
•Hanoi: Sofitel Metropole Hotel (*****historic colonial building in a city centre location - Grand Luxury Room Historic Wing)
•Sapa: Victoria Sapa Resort (**** the best hotel in Sapa, indoor swimming pool/fitness centre in separate building - Deluxe room)
•Ha Long Bay: Princess Junk Traditional Junk (Deluxe quality wooden junks modelled on Imperial Court vessels – Chartered)
•Nha Trang: Six Senses Hideaway Ninh Van Bay - exclusive eco-friendly beach resort with luxurious wooden chalets and villas on a rocky peninsula at the northern end of Nha Trang Bay – upmarket addition to the Six Senses (Ana Mandara) hotel chain – Beach Pool Villa )
•Ho Chi Minh City: Park Hyatt Hotel (***** excellent hotel next to Ho Chi Minh City’s Opera House in the heart of District 1, colonial-style architecture, very comfortable – Park room).