Halong Bay is a spectacular natural wonder. The dramatic scenery dotted with islets makes this an excellent semi-sheltered, open water location for kayaking. This 4-day cruise is ideal for keen novice and experienced kayakers alike. Modern equipment gives you the necessary speed and maneuverability for both open sea crossings and to enter into hidden lagoons and caves. Sample the delights of this exhilarating sport in one of Vietnam’s most impressive natural sites, aboard the modern and luxurious Bhaya.

Destination:	Hanoi, Vietnam
Activity:	Cruise, Temple visits, Arts & Culature
Price:	start from $550 per person
Duration:	4 Days / 3 Nights

Tour Rates:

Tour Rates* (Price/Person) in U.S. Dollars Period Single Double Triple Group 4-6 Single Supplement Deluxe 4 Aug 2009 – 30 Sep 2009 1,218 663 624 N/A N/A Superior A 4 Aug 2009 – 30 Sep 2009 1,158 620 580 N/A N/A Superior B 4 Aug 2009 – 30 Sep 2009 1,048 565 525 N/A N/A First A 4 Aug 2009 – 30 Sep 2009 1,020 550 511 N/A N/A

Rates include 7% VAT tax and 10% hotel service charge. Major credit cards accepted. No extra charge, no minimum

Note: Booking should be made at least 7 days in advance. The Triple rates are based on a twin sharing room with an extra bed for the third person.

Itinerary

Day 1 Hanoi Arrival (Dinner)

Meet on arrival at Hanoi / Noi Bai International Airport and transfer to a hotel for check in. Then visit Hoan Kiem lake and Ngoc Son temple, Hanoi old quarter and enjoy the famous Vietnamese traditional art of water puppetry at Thang Long Theatre. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2 Hanoi – Halong Bay (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

08:00    Our guide or driver meet you at the lobby of your hotel as we depart for Halong Bay.
10:30    Stop at Sao Do/ Hai Duong – Break stop (not included)
11:45    Arrival at Hon Gai/ Halong for a short break
12.30    Enjoy a welcome cocktail upon embarking Bhaya Cruise
13.00    Savour a delicious luncheon as the cruise begins
14.30    Spend the afternoon cruising amongst the limestone islands Explore the Cave of Surprise (Sung Sot Cave) Swim or kayak at Hang Doi (depending on the weather) Visit Van Gia fishing village (in summer only) Enjoy optional onboard activities: e.g. sunbathing, traditional massage, cooking demonstrations
17.00    Swim or kayak at Ho Dong Tien anchorage (depending on the weather)
19.00    Feast as a luxury dinner is served 21.00    Relax at leisure Overnight aboard Bhaya

Day 3 Halong – Hanoi (Breakfast, Lunch)

06.15    Practise Tai Chi on the Sundeck
07.00    Start your day with an international buffet breakfast
08.30    Continue cruising in Halong Bay
10.00    Disembark Bhaya, Transfer back to Hanoi Arrival Hanoi, lunch at local restaurant and take 1 hour city tour by pedicab (one person per one pedicab). End of day tour, shopping in the old streets of Hanoi. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 4 Hanoi – Departure (Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast, you will visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (closed on Monday, Friday and the whole months of October-November) and His Residence, One-Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, built in the 11th century as Vietnam’s first university. Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon, free at leisure until transfer to airport for departure flight

Price Includes:

• Hotel accommodation with breakfast (Based on Twin Sharing)
• Private transportation and tours with English or French speaking guide.
• 2 day/ 1 night Bhaya Cruise services: – Welcome Cocktail. – Entrance and Sightseeing Fees. – Luxury en-suite air-conditioned cabins and suites – Cruise program and on-board entertainment. – Vietnamese Buffet lunch and dinner – International breakfast buffet. – Swimming Equipment – On-board insurance – Tax and service charges – Tai Chi
• Entrances fees + sightseeing as indicated.
• Meals at a local restaurant as specified in the program.
• Bottle of water available on coach

Price Excludes:

• Vietnam visa if request.
• Beauty Spa service and massage.
• Kayaking
• Beverages
• Tips
• Domestic and International air tickets
• Domestic airport tax & international airport tax departure
• Personal expenses such as drinks at meals, camera fees to tour sites
• All other accounts that are not mentioned in the above inclusion.

Hotels used in the Packages:

• Deluxe: Melia Hotel, Sofitel Plaza Hotel or similar
• Superior A: Fortuna Hotel, Sunway Hotel or similar
• Superior B: Hanoi  Hotel, Lake Side Hotel or similar
• First A: Zephyr Hotel, Majestic Salute Hotel or similar

Visa-on-arrival Application:

A visa is required before entering Vietnam. However, passport holders of some countries can visit Vietnam without an entry visa. These countries include Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Brunei. The maximum length of stay allowed for each nation varies depending on an agreement between them. Please contact Vietnamese embassies and consulates in your country for more details.If there is no Vietnamese embassy or consulate in your country, you can apply for a visa on arrival at international airports in Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh (you must have a visa beforehand if you plan to travel overland to Vietnam). To apply for visa on arrival, you need to have an approval letter from a tour company in Vietnam. If an approval letter is to be obtained via Circle Of Asia Limited, the following document must be supplied to us at least 2 weeks prior to your arrival in Vietnam:

• Full name as per passport
• Passport number/ date of issuance and expiry
• Date and place of birth
• Occupation and nationality

An approval letter can only be requested via Circle Of Asia in connection with the booking of travel arrangements to Vietnam. A handling fee of 25 USD per person (subject to change) will be charged to your reservation. Alternatively, you can apply for an entry visa by yourself at the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok with the supply of 2 passport-sized photos, your passport and application fees. The application process takes about 5 working days.

About the Package

Halong Bay
One of the world’s natural wonders, (and a common backdrop for films set in Vietnam), Halong Bay features more than one thousand awesome limestone karsts and islands of various sizes and shapes along the 120-km coastline of Bai Chay Beach. Its waters are host to a great diversity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. The folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade to the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottos and caves with contiguous chambers, hidden ponds and peculiar stone formations. The bay is about 160 kilometers northeast of Hanoi and accessed by road. Several travel agents in Hanoi offer overnight packages that include a selection of boating excursions from Chinese junks to kayaks.

Hanoi
There are some sightseeing activities you can do before heading out to the countryside. Most center around Hoan Kiem River; the river shares its name with the district. The area, north of Nguyen Du Street, comprises charming old streets, a cluster of French colonial-style buildings, the famous puppet theater, hotels and embassies alongside bustling markets, museums and temples. The lake is a pleasant place for a leisurely stroll to take in the local way of life. For shoppers, there are plenty of shopping options around the lake, mostly on Trand Tien Street and Hang Gai Street – look out for Dong Xuan Market for local and foreign goods. Like anywhere in Asia, bargaining is a way of life. Make sure you agree on the price you feel comfortable with. Patience and smiling face are always the best policy when negotiating the price – bargain hard but keep it friendly.

Ngoc Son Temple
Right up north of Hoan Kiem Lake is Ngoc Son (Jade Mountain) Temple. It was built in the 18th century as a dedication to a scholar Van Xuong, General Tran Hung Dao, who fended off the Mongols in the 13th century. The present building of the temple is renovated in 1864 by Nguyen Van Sieu, a famous Hanoi writer. He also had a tall pen-shaped tower of five storeys erected at the entrance of the temple. On the gate of the temple, there are also several parallel sentences called cau doi, which were part of traditional word puzzles played among the intellectuals. On the east side of the temple is the 19th century bright red wooden Huc (Rising Sun) Bridge, a romantic gateway to the temple.

Hoan Kiem Lake
Right in the middle of the city of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake, or locally known as bo ho that means ‘the shore of the lake’, is more than the place for morning exercises, leisure and recreation activities. It is the heart and the beats of the city – thousands of local folks gather together on the Liberation Day and the photographers snap photos of brides and grooms during the wedding season. The lake has the legend way back in the mid-15th century when Emperor Ly Thai (Le Loi) got a magical sword from heaven to fight against the Chinese, the Minh aggressors, out of Vietnam. After that one day when he was out sailing in the lake, a giant golden tortoise suddenly grabbed the sword and disappeared into the water. The lake is also known as ‘Ho Hoan Kiem’, the Lake of the Restored Sword, because it is believed the sword was taken to its original divine owners. On an islet in the middle of the lake towards its south stands the Tortoise Tower or the Thap Rua on the top of which a red star is often held as an emblem of Hanoi.

Temple of Literature
The Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) was founded in1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong in order to honor scholars of literary. Later in 1076, the place was reestablished as Vietnam’s first university that is used to educate sons of mandarins. During that time, the fifth courtyard, Ouac Tu Giam or School for the Sons of the Nation, was used as classrooms and dormitories. The temple is actually a complex made up of five main courtyards and divided by gates -the two courtyards in front of the temple were newly added in the early 19th century. The temple is now a peaceful asylum for urban people. Most of the spaces in the compound are devoted to gardens, fishponds, gates and footpaths through avenues of trees. The place was truly a tribute to the greatness of the knowledge as it can be seen on the inscription on the gate at the main entrance requiring any visitors in the ancient time–ordinary citizens or kings–to dismount their horses before entering.

Water Puppet
Mua Roi Nuoc or water puppetry is a unique form of artistic performance that originates in northern Vietnam between 1009 and 1225. It was invented by farmers who devised their environment to entertain themselves after the harvest period. In ancient time, farmers use a pond or a flooded paddy field as a stage. Nowadays, puppeteers stand in a chest deep pool of water behind a curtain and manoeuvre the puppets using long bamboo rods and strings hidden under the water. The puppets are made from carved woods that weigh up 15 kilograms. Code names are used between performers to control and synchronize the movements of the puppets. This one-hour show is accompanied by a live Vietnamese orchestra and a rendition of a singer narrating the story. The show, which includes humorous stories, revolves around folklore and day-to-day life of villagers such as farming, fishing, children games and demonstration of buffalo fights. Legends and national history are also played in the show. Recently revived by the Vietnamese government, the show has been performed in America and Australia. Today the Thang Long puppet troupe from Hanoi is the most well known in the country.