The Mekong Delta is a complex maze of waterways, and the rice bowl of Vietnam. This three day tour will give you a taste of life on the Mekong River and its tributaries. From Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), we travel by road to  Vinh Long Province, where we board our boat and cruise into the heart of the Delta, viewing life as the local population does. Cruising along the bustling waterways, shopping at floating markets, visiting local villages along the way, and even a night at a homestay gives a fascinating insight to the local way of life.

Mekong Delta. After breakfast, we bid farewell to our hosts and we cruise by local sampan to visit Ong Giao Garden and the handicraft village to see how bricks and pottery items are made. The visit also allows you to discover how fish sauce and soya bean sauce are made. We arrive in Vinh Long Town for lunch. After lunch, it takes about 1.5 hours to Can Tho, which is considered to be the heart of the Mekong Delta. Here we spend the night at a hotel, (rooms are twin rooms, double rooms not available) and the remainder of the day is free for you to explore the town. (B, L, D)

Hoang Hai Long

62-64 Pham Hong Thai,

Ben Thanh Ward,

District 1,

Ho Chi Minh City,

Vietnam.

Tel: +84 8 3828 2888

Fax: +84 8 3827 2158

Please be aware that arrival times and the itinerary may change due to unforeseen delays or events such as festivals and public holidays. However, we shall endeavour to ensure all sites are visited and that your tour runs as smoothly as possible.

Be flexible, you will enjoy your tour much more. Kumuka makes a point of visiting the indigenous populations of each country you visit, in order to give a true reflection of the country; please treat the local people and their customs with respect.

This itinerary will be followed as closely as possible. However there may be times when it is necessary to change the route according to local conditions. There will be times travelling long hours as there will be days where we have to cover great distances. Weather patterns can change dramatically - high altitudes tend to be a lot cooler.

You are free not to participate in any of the included excursions. However, please note that there will be no refund for any excursions not taken.

Lastly, your tour leader is always conscious of everybody's views, but sometimes he/she will have to make an unpopular decision and your understanding will be appreciated in these circumstances.

Please note that there is no Pre-Departure meeting for this tour, but you will be met at the designated hotel at 8am THE DAY of the scheduled departure date, ready to depart from Saigon. The Local Guide will give you more detail about the tour itinerary on the tour, and introduce you to your fellow passengers.

In each departure city we have named a joining hotel from where the tour will leave. It is your responsibility to make your way to this hotel.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE TOUR LEAVES SAIGON at 8AM on DAY ONE.

The crew will check that all passengers have the necessary travel documents, insurance and immunization certificates for the tour.

All passengers MUST bring:
1. Passport.
2. Vaccination Certificate.
3. Travel Voucher.
4. Travel Insurance Policy.

Your passport is a valuable document and you should exercise extreme care in keeping it safe. We recommend that you keep your passport on you at all times, preferably in a money belt that is worn under your clothing. We advise that you take copies of relevant pages in your passport and any visas that you may purchase in case of loss or damage. Your tour leader will require your passport details at the pre-departure meeting. Again, we recommend that you have a photocopy of all passport details, kept separate. Your passport must be valid for six months after the END of your tour, and must have one blank page for each country to be visited.

Vietnam – Departure Taxes are now generally included in airfares.

Please note that these taxes are subject to change.

• Do not take unnecessary valuables with you.
• A money belt, or something similar, worn close to your body is the best way to carry passports, airline tickets and money.
• DO NOT leave any valuables in ANY hotel room in Asia, please use SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES. Items are left at the individuals’ risk.
• Pickpockets operate everywhere, particularly in tourist areas and in crowded markets; you must always exercise care.
• Be aware that anything left lying around will also be liable to theft.

Tipping is not expected in South East Asia, but salaries are very low and any gratuities for good service will be gratefully accepted. Bargaining is the rule in markets, when hiring vehicles and sometimes even when taking a room, but in most countries you won't need to be as forceful as you would in Thailand.

In order to ensure that you receive the best service from our local guides and operators we use throughout the tour, we suggest that you allow for an amount of: US$10 - US$15 per person to cover the various services throughout the tour.

NOTE: The suggested tip above does not go to your tour leader / guide - it is entirely up to your discretion if you are satisfied with his / her performance however, our suggestion for a tip for your tour leader / guide is from US$1.5 to US$3 per person per day.

We suggest that you take into account the time of year you will be travelling, and pack accordingly to the season. Quick drying clothes are recommended, and at many hotels there are laundry facilities. Your tour leader will advise where laundry facilities are available.

Personal Effects:
Camera & film, Spare passport photos, Water bottle, Money belt, Torch, Sewing kit, Sunhat/ Sunglasses, Music cassettes /CDs, Books, Wet Ones, Soap to wash clothes, Writing materials, Swiss Army knife, Calculator, Personal toiletries, including tampons, Contraceptives, Insect Repellent, Sunscreen.

NOTE: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are uncommon. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

The Vietnamese Lunar New Year

The most important and widely celebrated public holiday of the year is Tet, the Lunar New Year, which coincides with the cycle of the moon. This public holiday usually takes place in late January or early February and lasts officially for three days, although many businesses are closed the entire week.

There is no more colourful time to be in Vietnam than during the days leading up to Tet Nguyen Dan, the most important festival of the year for Vietnam's Kinh ethnic majority. Since the first day of lunar year is thought to set the tone for the next 12 months, everyone strives to plan the perfect Tet. In Hanoi, the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter buzz with activity. Everyone is in a rush to get a haircut, buy new clothes, spruce up their homes, visit friends, settle outstanding debts, and stock up on traditional Tet delicacies.

Businesses hang festive red banners which read "Chuc mung nam moi"(Happy New Year) and city streets are festooned with coloured light. Stalls spring up all over town to sell nothing but cone -shaped kumquat bushes. Others sell flowering peach trees, symbols of life and good fortune which people bring in to their homes to celebrate the coming of spring. As vendors pour into the city with peach trees strapped to their bicycles, the streets look like moving pink forests.

In the south, people bring yellow mai (apricot) branches into their homes and place a coconut, a papaya, a mango and a custard apple on the family altar. Spoken in the southern dialect, the names of these fruit form a prayer for success and fulfillment.

Three crucial meetings are said to take place on Tet. The first meeting is between three family deities: Tien su, the deity responsible for introducing the family to its traditional career; Tho Cong, who oversees the land where the family lives; and Tao Quan, the Kitchen God, who cares for the family's food. The second meeting takes place between the dead and the living. People place offerings of food and drinks on their ancestral altars, light incense, and invite their ancestors to join the family's Tet celebrations. The third meeting involves the immediate family. On New Year's Eve, family members gather for a dinner of traditional food like banh chung (a square cake made of sticky rice stuffed with beans and pork), mang (a soup of boiled bamboo shoots and fried pork) and xoi gac (orange sticky rice). This is followed by a visit to the local pagoda and perhaps an outing to see the town's fireworks.

Please note that for tours which coincide with the Tet festival, many shops may be closed. and it may be necessary to amend the itinerary at short notice. We will, however, endeavour to try to ensure that all included sights are still visited.

Vietnam's elongated shape includes tropical and subtropical zones and is responsible for the varied climate in the country.

The South (from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet) - The south is hot year round and has two seasons: one wet the other dry. The wet season lasts from May to October and you can expect daily downpours. These are usually brief and easy to predict. The dry season from November to April is generally sunny and humid.

The Centre (from Nha Trang to Hue) - For most of the year Nha Trang is bathed in beautiful sunshine but between November and December the area can have heavy rain. Dalat, at an altitude of 1,500m is cooler than the coastal area, particularly from November through to March. Danang and Hue both experience typhoon activity from mid October to mid December when the climate becomes cooler, more overcast and wet.

The North (from Hanoi to Sapa) - Summer in the north lasts from May to October where temperatures range between 30-35 degrees Celsius with the occasional burst of heavy rain. The temperature varies from 10-15 degrees in winter (December to March). February and March can be damp with drizzle and overcast skies.

Food is one of the highlights of any trip.

Vietnam has one of the most sophisticated and exciting cuisines in the world. Its historical influences and geographical gifts have created a cuisine rich in variety and vibrant in colour and freshness. Vietnam's culinary heritage combines elements from three of the world's most celebrated cuisines - French, Chinese and Indian. Paired with an acute sense of aesthetics and presentation, these influences give Vietnamese cooking a tremendous edible tapestry of flavours, textures and colours, which is sure to offer something that everyone will appreciate.

Most Vietnamese dishes are served accompanied with chilli sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce. The traditional Vietnamese breakfast is Pho - a large bowl of rice noodles flavoured with sliced beef or chicken and fragrant broth, and garnished with fresh coriander and bean sprouts. Vietnam has 3 main regions, the North, the Centre and the South, and each has a distinct cuisine. Generally the North is best known for its noodle soups and meats and seafood stir-fries. The Central region, especially around Hue has more elaborate dishes. In the South, where there is a greater abundance of spices, the food tends to be somewhat hotter. With over 3000kms of coastline, the seafood is delicious and varied. Crabs, prawns, crayfish and squid are in plentiful supply, as well as hundreds of varieties of fish.

Vegetarians, or those with special dietary needs can also be catered for, however in some places the type of food may be limited. Please let the Reservations team know your special requirements as soon as possible so we can do all possible to assist your needs.

The variety of food will differ, as you may be visiting a number of different countries. We try to ensure that you get the most experience from your Kumuka trip and one of the ways to do this is by trying local cuisine.

Kumuka endeavors to advertise a compliment of optional activities available locally during tours with selected ground handlers to make your tour more enjoyable. These ground handlers and activity partners are selected for their standards in quality, professional ability and reputation. Although Kumuka has developed a travel insurance policy to cover all activities offered during your journey, Kumuka cannot be held responsible for injuries or claims arising from adventurous activities by a third party.

Details and prices of optional activities will be advised by your tour leader.

Whilst on tour you will probably want to stay in touch with family and friends. There are several ways of doing this:

Mobile Phone – Before departing your home country check with your phone supplier to see if it compatible with the mobile phone networks in the countries that you are traveling to, and how much will it cost to use abroad.

Email – Internet Cafes are very cheap and popular, and you are sure to come across several during your tour. If you haven’t done so already, set up a free Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account which you can then access from any computer. Internet Cafes will charge a nominal fee for using their computers. Within Europe some hotels charge a wifi connection fee and we cannot guarantee a wifi connection at all hotels we use.

Twitter – A method of communication that is rapidly gaining in popularity on the Internet especially amongst travelers. Twitter allows you to send short messages and update your friends and family with where you are on tour and what you are doing. Create your free account at http://twitter.com. Visit Kumuka’s page on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kumuka

Facebook – Very popular website that allows you to upload stories, get in touch with fellow travellers before and after your Kumuka tour, upload photos and videos to share with other travellers, your family and friends. To create a free account, go to www.facebook.com and then become a fan of Kumuka’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kumuka-Worldwide/26617121087?ref=ts

Postcards – The good ol’ fashioned postcard. But you will probably get home before the postcard does!

KUMUKA WORLDWIDE

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Tel: 020 7937 8855 Fax: 020 7937 6664
Email: sales@kumuka.com
www.kumuka.com

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