DAY 1 ;HANOI

We are welcomed at the airport and driven to the centre of Hanoï, the capital of Vietnam. We put up at the hotel. Hanoï, built on that site in the Neolithic days, changed names several times during its long history and finally became the capital of the country in 1954. We take a first glimpse at that deeply Asian city, as elegant as a Western capital, by having a cycle-rickshaw ride through the centre. The ancient town is swarming with life and for quite a while we are enthralled by the district of the 36 trades, with its lacquer-ware, paintings, embroidery, funeral-ware, and silk-goods. Then we visit our first pagoda : the Ngoc Son temple, otherwise called the jade-stone mountain temple erected in the 18th century on an islet in the middle of the Hoan Kiem lake. We have dinner at a typical restaurant in the town.

DAY 2;HANOI

After breakfast we undertake the exploration of the most famous typical places of interest in the Vietnamese capital. On the West of the old town, we must not miss the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, a major pilgrimage site for every Vietnamese and every foreigner too.
With a little bit of luck we may watch the changing of the guard before continuing our visit towards Uncle HO's house on stilts, where the President stayed periodically between 1958 and 1969. The near-by presidential palace is a large colonial residence where the Governor-general of Indochina used to live. From there we get to the famous single-pillared pagoda ' made of wood ' built by Emperor Ly Thaï Tong in 1049.
Then we go on with our visit to the Temple of Literature divided into four inner court-yards, a genuine master-piece of the Vietnamese traditional architecture. It was set up in 1070 by the Emperor and dedicated to Confucius as a token of esteem to writers.

We have lunch in a small restaurant where we taste some good traditional Vietnamese food. In the afternoon, we visit the History Museum (formerly called the Museum of the Far-East French School), a wondrous building mingling the French and Chinese tradition in its architecture. Inside, numerous articles tell us the different periods of the history of the country, from prehistory to the present day, going through the Cham and Khmer civiliztions.
To end up that town tour, we spend a little while at the Quan Thanh Temple with its famous bronze bell. In the evening, we attend the superb Puppets-on-water show, originating from the North of the country. We have dinner and spend the night at the hotel.

DAY 3 : The Perfume Pagoda.

After breakfast, we leave the noisy town and head Southwards. We stop at Van Phuc, the silk village. We carry on along little country roads, and we have the next stop at Vac, a small village where we can watch the making of furniture specific to the country. The villages and rice-fields are swarming like bee-hives, where every inch of ground is used ' even the road ' for farming. After having travelled through fields, we arrive at My Duc, about 60 kms from Hanoï.

We soon board a small rowing-boat which glides in an amazing silence for over one hour, through a wonderful landscape as far as the foot of the mountain of the Perfume Pagoda.

The main pagoda stands about 4 kilometres from the landing-pier. The lane is winding and rather steep. Those who have no taste for exercise can use the cable-car to reach the top, then arrive at the cave and the last of the twelve structures making up the whole temples and Buddhist sanctuaries of the Perfume Pagoda. We visit the cave, enjoying that moment's rest before going down and back to Hanoï.

We have dinner in the capital at a gastronomic restaurant, and spend the night at the hotel.

DAY 4 : The Halong Bay.

We have breakfast and make our way Northwards to the Halong Bay, about 160 kilometres from Hanoï. With its protected area only, including 1969 islands and islets, the Halong Bay is one of the main wonders in the world. Among the karst rocks in that region, several caves are gathered, a number of which was already inhabited by a fishing civilization over 6000 years ago.

We arrive at about midday. At once, we board a superb wooden junk (either the Bai Tho Junk or the Emerald boat) for a whole day cruise, with night on board. All the meals are served on board. Those who are fond of fish and sea-food will be more than pleased.

The junk is equipped with two-berth cabins with private bath-room. During our cruise, we'll quickly leave the too touristic areas to enjoy at its highest that natural beautiful site with its fishing floating villages and its breath-taking prospects. We visit especially the Surprise cave and its three splendid stalagmite and stalactite galleries. If you fancy it, you can have a swim in the emerald sea or sunbathe on the ship-deck.

DAY 5 : Halong Bay.

Getting up at dawn we are presented with an unforgettable sight. After a good breakfast on board, we can enjoy another swim before resuming our cruise amidst the islands and islets of that magnificent bay, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage since 1994. On our way back, we taste another good lunch.
In the early afternoon, we drive back to Hanoï where we settle again at the hotel. We have dinner in the town.

DAY 6 : The inland Halong Bay.

After breakfast, we drive to Hoa Lu, a former capital of Vietnam under the Dinh's, then the Lê's dynasties (968 - 1010). Hoa Lu and its old citadel are in the middle of a scenery full of rocks standing amidst a lacustrine site of rivers and rice-fields. We drive on as far as the Ngo Dong river and, late in the morning, we board a rowing-boat for a splendid row with the stream in that site rightly baptized the 'inland Halong Bay'. We are actually at Tam Coc, that is to say 'the three caves' which we discover during that unforgettable row. We have lunch, then we carry on to Kenh Ga to discover a real floating village of foot-rowers. Here, life depends completely on the natural unavoidable element : water, - vegetable floating- market, fish-farming, shell-fishing catching -.

After that long touring day, we drive back to the capital, unless you had rather spend a night, which stands alone in our experience, at the home of White Thaïs. In that case, we advise you to take the choice described further down after the present tour. Dinner and night at the hotel.

DAY 7 : HANOI

After breakfast we enjoy some free time to loiter in the old town or buy some souvenirs before driving to the airport for the flight back.

If you choose an extra day and night in a mountain village, at the home of White Thaïs, here is your time-table.

END DAY 6 : night at a private home.

After that long touring day, we head towards Mai Chau, a genuine little village with its Thaï houses on stilts in the middle of rice-fields. We settle at a private house. We all put up in one and only large bedroom, with a thin mattress and a mosquito-net, on the first floor of the house. On the ground-floor, tables are set and a kitchen arranged so that we can share a local succulent traditional meal.
We can use a toilet and a shower-room ' without water-heater ' situated outside the house. After the meal, we attend a show of folk-dance performed by our White Thaï friends. The quality of that unaffected picturesque welcome enraptures us.

DAY 7 : MAI CHAU

After a good breakfast at the villager's home, we go either for a walk or a bicycle ride (as you like it) for two hours in the open country.

We go through endless rice-fields and, with our eyes, we share in the field-work. We also go through a small White Thaï village, where women are often busy weaving or embroidering. They still make their own traditional superb outfit. We go past one of the numerous brick-works with which the local scenery is dotted. We go back to our Thaï home for lunch, before setting out towards Hanoï, where we arrive in the evening.

We have dinner in the town and sleep at the hotel.

DAY 8 : HANOI

After breakfast we enjoy some free time to loiter in the old town or buy some souvenirs before driving to the airport for the flight back.