As you know I'm not very good a writing in French, so here are some of my impressions in English. Thank you again for making our holiday such a great experience.
Vietnam was not a country we knew a great deal about before arriving, so apart from really looking forward to our visit, we didn't really know what to expect.
We didn't have much time to plan our trip, so I was very great full for the help I got from Agenda Tour before we arrived and during our stay in Vietnam. The drivers were always there on time and we had good fun with our guides and really appreciated the good laughs we had together. They were so easy going and very informal. Whenever we felt as a family we needed to be on our own, they let us do that. In the beginning I was a bit skeptical about having guides, but I must admit it was a great help and our teenage kids really appreciated that they explained so much about everyday life with a great sense of humor.
It turned out to be 12 excellent days, where we learned so many new things about the Vietnamese people, their food, their culture and history. We started our tour in Hanoï and saw many beautiful historical sights, learned how to cross a street and received a great Vietnamese massage after a long flight. Our kids made sure to touch the tortoises in the temple of Literature, so they will do well in their exams.
In the Halong Bay we got the royal treatment on a "junke". It is hard to describe the beauty of this place, but one can't go to Vietnam without seeing it.
Hue with the impressive history of the royal family and Hoi An with the history of merchants were the next stop before leaving for Ho Chi Minh and the Mekong Delta. At the Mekong Delta we got to see the busy life on the river and stayed overnight with a local family. The son took us on a bike ride in the local community and also took us around in his little boat.
Our holiday ended in paradise. We had booked 2 nights at Victoria Beach resort in Mui Ne. The sea was nice and warm. The bungalows were very charming and the service was excellent. After a busy program we needed time to share all what we had seen and learned.
The very last day we spent in Ho Chi Minh. A very big and modern city. My son is in his last year in Lycée and the Vietnam war is on the curriculum, so we went to the war museum and spent a lot of time there. Obviously we wanted to do some shopping before going home. We were very impressed by new young Vietnamese clothes designers and we also visited a few galleries and liked how many modern artists use the old lacquer technique.
We definitely hope to return to Vietnam and next time the Sapa region will be on the program.
Famille: Vivien Schydlawsky
Programme de leur voyage au Vietnam avec Agenda Tour
Jour 1: Hanoï arrivée
Jour 2: Visite Hanoï
Jour 3: Hanoï – Ha Long (Jonque privative)
Jour 4: Halong – Hanoï – Train de nuit pour Hue
Jour 5: Hue visite
Jour 6: Hue – Hoi An
Jour 7: Hoi An – Danang – Vol pour Ho Chi Minh - Cai Be
Jour 8: Cai Be – Ho Chi Minh
Jour 9: Ho Chi Minh – Phan Thiet/ Mui Ne
Jour 10: Mui Ne plage
Jour 11: Mui Ne plage – Ho Chi Minh
Jour 12: Ho Chi Minh - Départ