- 1Saigon
Arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore Saigon on your own or relax at the hotel.
The fast-paced city of Saigon has many sights to keep you entertained. Consider visiting the Reunification Palace, the historic monument that marked the end of the Vietnam War. The War Museum comprising a series of eight themed rooms in several buildings showcasing war equipment is also worth a visit. See helicopters, fighter jets, tanks, etc. Also, learn about various tactics used during the war.
Meals: No mealsAccommodation: Liberty 3 hotel - 2Cu Chi Tunnels & Wildlife Rescue Centre
After breakfast, leave the city for the Cu Chi District. Upon arrival, visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels which consist of an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters (Viet Cong) during both, the French and American wars. Start the visit with the Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc sections of the tunnel.
Then visit the Wildlife at Risk Rescue Centre located close to the Cu Chi. The Centre is the first multi-species wildlife hospital and holding facility in southern Vietnam and its main purpose is to help stop endangered wildlife trade in Vietnam. Go on a guided tour through the Centre where educational displays and information about the country's biodiversity can be seen as well as some of the animals themselves.
Transfer back Saigon in the afternoon. The evening is at leisure.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Liberty 3 hotel - 3Dong Thap/ Xeo Quyt - Tam Nong National Park - Gao Giong
After breakfast, transfer by road to Dong Thap with a stop at Xeo Quyt that served as the headquarters of the Party Committee of Kien Phong Province (the name used during the US and Saigon puppet administration) founded in late 1959. It has now been converted into a wildlife reserve covering 20 hectares of the flooded indigo forest in My Phong and My Hiep Communes.
The base area during the anti-US war has been preserved intact under the canopy of the indigo forest and lygodium that used to shelter small camps, paths, canals, and bomb shelters and midfields of the provincial Party Committee headquarters until the liberation of the South (1975). To tour around Xeo Quyt, you can row a boat or walk (in the dry season).
Then transfer to Tram Chim - Tam Nong National Park. Spot the Sarus crane here (best season for spotting is between December and May). The globally endangered Bengal florican has also been recorded at the Park. Other species that can be seen here include the Oriental darter, lesser adjutant, painted stork, Asian golden weaver, cotton pygmy goose, greater painted-snipe, and pheasant-tailed jacana.
Transfer to the pier to take a boat to Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Zone where you will spend the night.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerAccommodation: Gao Giong guest house - 4Saigon
Take an early morning walk to the observatory, climb up to the highest level to see all the activity in the natural bird yard.
After breakfast, row in sampan boats through the cajupet forest. Spot storks, herons, night herons, etc. Once again, head up to the observatory to see the whole view of the Gao Giong Eco-Tourism zone with diverse flora such as lotuses, cajupets, water lilies, and other plants.
In the afternoon, take the boat back to the pier for transfer by road to Saigon.
Meals: Breakfast and lunchAccommodation: Liberty 3 hotel - 5Nam Cat Tien National Park
Depart early in the morning for Cat Tien National Park, about 150kms northwest of Saigon, one of the largest areas of lowland tropical rainforests left in Vietnam.
Upon arrival, check in at the National Park’s Guesthouse and relax. After lunch, take a walk to explore the fauna and flora, visit a 400-year-old conifer and a Bang Lang tree that is almost 300 years old. Spot the red junglefowl, green peafowl, Siamese firebacks, red-vented barbet, grey-faced tit babbler, and many species of herons, egrets, hornbills, woodpeckers, and eagles.
Have dinner at a local restaurant, and then head back to the National Park to see nocturnal animals such as porcupines, squirrels, etc.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerAccommodation: Nam Cat Tien National Park’s guest house - 6Saigon
After breakfast, take a boat trip on Dong Nai River to visit T'Chai Village of Chau Ma and X’Tieng ethnic people. Meet and talk with local residents to learn more about their daily lives. Have lunch at a local restaurant and then drive back to Saigon.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation:Liberty 3 hotel - 7Saigon
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Meals: Breakfast
- Accommodation and meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Airport transfers
- Ground transportation with an English speaking driver/guide
- Park or reserve entry fees
- Sightseeing or activities or safaris as mentioned in the itinerary
- Taxes
- All items of personal nature
- Domestic airfare or Train fare
- Gratuities and Tips
- International airfare
- Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary
- Optional activities (if any) and personal expenses
- Souvenirs
- Visas, Vaccination and Insurance
Requires a spirit of adventure and some degree of fitness, as the trip might consist of many activities or long journeys. These adventures involve walking, trekking, hiking, cycling, rafting, sea kayaking, or driving for long hours, at times for up to six to eight hours a day at a steady pace. The maximum altitude is 3000m, so it requires you to be reasonably physically fit because you may be travelling in extreme weather conditions. The trips are usually 6 to 12 days in duration.
