Hi Christine
Here is the letter sent out for departures in 2011 as a guide. Payments were preferred in US dollars - a useful currency in Vietnam.
Please bear in mind that some of these details may change for 2012. Up to date information will be sent to you closer to departure.
Kind regards
Olly, your editor
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Optional Excursions
In addition to the excursions already included in your holiday price, we are pleased to offer the following optional excursions during your stay. These have been carefully planned to give you the opportunity to enjoy further sights and experiences to make your holiday even more memorable. Your Tour Guide will be happy to provide you with any additional information you may require. Some may operate depending on numbers and availability.
Reservations for these excursions will be accepted by your Tour Guide and payment should preferably be made in US dollars, pounds sterling prices are indicated below as a guide. We regret we are unable to accept payment by credit card, unless otherwise stated. Prices given below are approximate and will be confirmed by your Tour Guide in resort. We recommend that you take out US dollars as they are more readily accepted than any other currency. Travellers cheques are not recommended and are very hard to change.
Hoi An Countryside Tour
This tour will take you into the very heart of rural Hoi An for a special insight into the every day life of a local village community. The small settlement of Cam Thanh, nestled among seemingly endless rice fields, allows the visitor to experience first hand the very backbone of Vietnam's rural culture. Enjoy a bicycle ride through the village, shaded from the sun by a canopy of bamboo thickets, passing by local homes, vegetable and fruit gardens, a village temple and a husking mill. Depending on the season, you will have the opportunity to see the local farming community threshing and harvesting.
Price per person £10.00
Ancient Ruins of My Son Tour
Often referred to as the "Angkor Wat" of Vietnam, the Cham ruins at My Son are well worth the slightly arduous journey needed to reach them! Your day will begin with an early morning drive from Danang/Hoi An through 60 km of rolling countryside, passing through small towns with markets in full swing, often journeying alongside the wide reaches of the Han River. As you draw closer to My Son, which translates literally as "Beautiful Mountain" the condition of the road begins to deteriorate and the last few kilometres of track are often rutted and potholed. On arriving at the My Son area and after crossing a bamboo "Monkey Bridge" you will travel for the last spectacular 3 km bump and jolt along a river gorge. Finally, a 500m walk through lush hillsides, trees and brush, before emerging into the main site.
There were over 70 classic Cham monuments at My Son, dating from the 7th - 13th Centuries. Set against the backdrop of the appropriately named Cat's Tooth Mountain, they would then have been an awesome sight. Until 1968 they remained, remarkably, in almost perfect condition, having been sheltered from the worst excesses of weather by the surrounding hills. Regrettably however, man achieved what nature could not and B52 bombers destroyed most of the towers when My Son found itself in a free-fire zone during the Vietnam War. Your guide will offer full commentary on the Cham heritage of My Son whilst you wander at will around this most historic site. Take the opportunity to do so now, as My Son is due to become part of UNESCO's protected monuments list and access may well be restricted in the future. Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant en-route back to Hoi An.
Price per person £25.00
Cu Chi Tunnels Tour (Approx. 5 hours)
This morning journey out of the city centre to the Cu Chi regions, where you will visit the vast underground network of tunnels built first as a defence against the French, and later expanded during the American war. It was from here that the North Vietnamese waged their guerrilla warfare and you will marvel at their ingenuity and resilience. See secret trapdoors, underground kitchens, living areas and meeting rooms. The more adventurous may explore the deeper second, and even third level tunnels. For those preferring to remain above ground, there is ample opportunity to view excavated areas from above. Your guide will advise you of the length and level of difficulty of each tunnel before entering - some are easily accessed by stairs. We recommend good walking shoes and sun protection for this tour and advise you may get a little dirty!
Price per person £15.00
