Hello
US dollars are widely accepted in Vietnam so you should be fine using them. You might pay slightly more for things than you would using local currency, but you might find it easier to keep track of what you are spending. You could take some sterling with you too but I expect you would need to exchange it at a bank or hotel.
We will send you full details of excursions before you go but as a guide I have copied the information from a recent departure below. Most of your excursions are included in the price and the following three can be booked through your tour manager in resort. As you can see, they don't cost much.
Kind regards,
Olly, your editor
Hoi An - Countryside tour with bike (£ 10.00)
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.
How to book : This Optional excursion is only available to book through your Tour Manager in resort
Hoi An - My Son tour with lunch (£ 25.00)
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.
How to book : This Optional excursion is only available to book through your Tour Manager in resort
Saigon - Cu Chi Tunnels (£ 15.00)
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!
How to book : This Optional excursion is only available to book through your Tour Manager in resort
