Vietnam Golf and Culture Holiday 14 Days

On arrival at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. You’ll have time to relax after your journey. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

You’ll have the whole day to explore Vietnam’s capital city. Your guide will take you to the Temple of Literature; dating back to the 11th century it is the first university in Vietnam and a popular attraction. You’ll also visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, his simple stilt house where he lived and worked, and the museum dedicated to his memory. After lunch, you’ll call at the serene Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, on the banks of Hanoi’s Ho Tay (West Lake). The centre of Hanoi, including Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ngoc Son Temple and the bustling Old Quarter, is a magnet for visitors – it’s noisy and hectic, but definitely a ‘must-see’ attraction. The area is a maze of shopping streets and restaurants with a hotchpotch of architecture - traditional tube houses, religious buildings, artisans’ workshops and cottages, colonial houses and modern concrete edifices. This part of the tour will be a walking tour and combined with a street food tour. Your guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. We eat as we go, trying seasonal fruits and sampling a tasty French-inspired snack from a street cart. Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dish Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago. Our next two snack stops are at outdoor barbeque stalls. We sit down with the Hanoi locals and sample various meat, vegetable and bread specialties that are flame grilled over hot coals for extra flavor. It’s then time for dessert as we venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced and condensed milk – this specialty is one not to be missed! Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi’s best kept secrets, a hidden street food restaurant to taste the top ten street foods in Hanoi is Banh My Hanoi, Vietnamese Rice Wine, and Hanoi Local Beer. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the narrow street inside the old quarter of Hanoi. Or, if coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits! At the end of the trip, you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel.

After breakfast, you’ll be driven some 70km from Hanoi to Chi Linh Golf Club. Beside a large lake and surrounded by rolling forested hills proudly sits the premier golf club of Vietnam, “The Chi Linh Golf Club”. The club house rests on the top of a hill, capturing a panoramic view of the picturesque facility. Ahead of you is an 18 hole challenge, with every hole constructed and designed to international standards. The immaculately conditioned fairways, fast greens, strategic bunkers and large lake will ensure you a challenging and unforgettable golfing experience at Chi Linh Golf. After the course you will be transferred to Halong City where you will spend the night at a hotel.

The morning will be free at your leisure. At 11.30, you wil be driven to the harbour, there you’ll board the Ambassador Cruise and discover some of the treasures scattered across the Bay of the Descending Dragon during the afternoon. 12:30 – 14:00: Lunch at Ambassador Restaurant Lunch will be served in the restaurant while Ambassador Cruise heads toward Halong Bay. You will pass the thousands of towering limestone islands. 14:30 – 15:30: Excursion Your first excursion is a visit to Tung Sau Pearl Farm, an area in Halong Bay dedicated to growing pearls and practicing a handmade technique based on Vietnamese tradition and Japanese technology. This is also an ideal destination for kayaking*. 16:00 – 16:45: Excursion Your second stop of the day is popular Ti Tov Island, where you can go swimming or hike to the top for another stunning, panoramic view of the Bay 15:45 – 16:30 Onboard activities If the excursion doesn’t take your fancy, stay on board and you can opt for an afternoon of pampering at Ambassador Spa*, enjoy the outdoor Jacuzzi or treat yourself to a delicious standard afternoon tea at Piano Lounge. 17:30 – 18:30: Pre-Dinner Sunset Cocktails* At sunset, Ambassador Cruise will anchor overnight at Coconut Tree Island. Enjoying Pre-Dinner Sunset Cocktails* and canapes at the bar on the twin sundeck or enjoy live music at Piano Lounge. 19:00: Dinner at Ambassador restaurant Savour a delicious dinner party in the restaurant. After dinner, indulge in drinks*, squid fishing, a spa treatment at Ambassador Spa* or movies in your cabin. 20:30: Live music at Piano Lounge Join us for a glamorous night with live music from Midnight Buzz Band (except Monday) as you sip on our wine collection*. Notes: Due to cruising conditions, itineraries may change without prior notice. Wi-Fi is available in the restaurant/bar area, but internet connectivity is limited due to the geography of Halong.

6:30 – 7:00: Tai Chi on the sundeck – Watch the sunrise with a Tai Chi session on the twin sundeck 7:00 – 7:30: Light breakfast Enjoying tea, coffee, and cake in the restaurant. 7:30 – 8:20: Excursion Explore Sung Sot Cave – the largest and most magnificent cave in the bay where you can see the stalactites in different forms. 8:30 – 9:30: Breakfast Buffet at Ambassador Restaurant Back on board, a buffet breakfast will be served as we once again cruise past Bai Tu Long Bay before your bill settlement, check-out, and return to Halong International Cruise Port. 10:15 – 10:30: Disembark at the Halong International Cruise Port and you will meet your driver again to be driven to Hanoi. 14:30: Arriving at your hotel in Hanoi, check in your hotel. The afternoon is free at your leisure and in the evening you can free on your own to explore some roof top bar in Hanoi: - Galaxy Sky Bar at Rex Hotel Hanoi, view to Hoan Kiem lake and Old Quarter - Summit Bar at Pan Pacific Hotel, view to West Lake area You will spend the night in Hanoi.

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to Noi Bai airport for the morning flight to Danang. Arriving in Danang, you will be picked up and driven to Montgomerie Links golf course. The natural scenery of sand dunes and indigenous trees combine to make this a truly special coastal golf course. The fairways are designed to combine the heather land and the holes of the links style to satisfy golfers of all levels. You’ll enjoy a round of this 18-hole golf course, and then transfer back to your hotel to check in. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

This morning, you’ll be picked up at 08.30 from your hotel to travel to the local market to purchase ingredients, the first phase of your cooking class. With a local restaurateur, you will then learn how to cook some of Hoi An’s traditional cuisine and enjoy the fruits of your labour for lunch. In the afternoon, your driver will take you to Hoi An Ancient Town, a wonderfully preserved zone of historical cobbled streets lined with shops and restaurants. You will have time to explore this former port town and its significance in the history of Vietnam before being transferred back to your hotel. You will spend the night in Hoi An.

After breakfast you will be transferred to Danang Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport, where you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. After lunch on your own account, in the afternoon you’ll visit the Jade Emperor Temple. It’s one of the best Taoist temples in Vietnam, with superb effigies, remarkable carved panels of the descent to Hell and somewhat incongruous terrapin and tortoise sanctuaries. You’ll then wander around the huge Ben Thanh Market, one of the liveliest areas of Ho Chi Minh City, which is packed with every conceivable commodity. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to Song Be Golf Resort, 50 minutes away from the city. Enjoy a round of this 18 hole course. Song Be Golf Resort in Ho Chi Minh offers 27 holes with each of the three courses offering a different and unique challenge with numerous water hazards, mature tropical trees, plants and large uneven greens. Higher handicappers should probably avoid the more difficult Desert Course. Return to Ho Chi Minh City and spend the night

After escaping from Ho Chi Minh City’s urban sprawl, you’ll travel to Cai Be where a Mekong River cruise will take you to visit fruit orchards, a traditional family-run brick kiln, and some long established cottage industries. Later, a rowing boat will carry you through the maze of the Mekong Delta’s myriad channels where you can connect with the local people, visiting a local house and listening to live music performed by local artists. You’ll then drive deeper into the Mekong Delta to Can Tho. Upon arrival you’ll call at Munir Ansay, an ancient Khmer pagoda renowned for its unique structural decorations. You’ll then continue to your hotel in Can Tho where you’ll spend the night. Munir Ansay Pagoda features many intricately decorated statues and pillars; the main gate was built in the shape of towers illustrative of Angkor architecture.

After breakfast, you’ll set out on a boat cruise to arrive at Cai Rang floating market on the Mekong River. Both the journey and the market itself provide insights into the rural Mekong Delta lifestyle. Back on land, you’ll return to Ho Chi Minh City, along the way stopping by the beautiful and ancient Vinh Trang Pagoda, 3 km from My Tho centre. You’ll arrive in Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon, with time to freshen up in your hotel before the evening. Vinh Trang Pagoda is renowned for its mixture of Chinese, Vietnamese and Angkor architectural styles. Located on a 2 hectare block with 5 buildings, 2 ornamental yards, 178 pillars and many valuable statues (most notably 18 wooden arahant statues carved in 1907), the pagoda will give you a deeper look into the relationship between Vietnamese art and Buddhist belief.

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to Long Thanh Golf Resort, 1.5 hour away from the city. Long Thanh Golf Club was designed by Ron Fream of the California based firm Golf plan – Fream & Dale Golf Course Architecture. Long Thanh Golf Club offers 36 holes of golf in the former rice paddies and scenic countryside surrounding Saigon. This Excellent year-round golf course in Vietnam is usually in good condition and ensures all golfers visiting Vietnam have an enjoyable time golfing at Long Thanh. Fairways are palm and pine tree lined to ensure green conditions throughout both the dray and wetter periods. Fairways and tees are constructed from Paspalum grass and greens use the latest variety of Tifdwarf Bermuda grass. All 36 holes at this wonderful Vietnam golf course have their own character shape and this wide variety makes for good challenges for both high handicappers and professional golfers in Vietnam. After the 18-hole game, you will be transferred back to the hotel. Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast, your guide will take you to visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a Byzantine maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used by both the Vietminh and the Viet Cong to suddenly materialise as if from nowhere, launch a lightning ambush, and vanish equally rapidly. After lunch, you’ll return to Ho Chi Minh City. Your afternoon will be free and you will spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast, get picked up and transferred to the airport to catch your departure flight to next destination. End of service.