Cruise the Caribbean the Luxury Halal way!

Vietnam

VIETNAM HALAL TRAVEL

DAY 1
Hanoi(D)

Meet at the airport and transfer to your hotel.

Rest and relax for the rest of the day.

Dinner at a local halal restaurant.

Overnight in Hanoi 4* Hotel

DAY 2
Hanoi Sightseeing (B–L–D)

After breakfast, spend a day touring the capital. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (outside) and his personal residence, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Tran Quoc Pagoda. End the morning with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology.

In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature, the first University for the sons of mandarins Following this with a walking tour through the old quarter of the city. Visit a local house and take your time talking with the hosts and learn about their family’s life and history. Embark on a leisurely ride on a cyclo ride (3 wheel bicycle around Hoan Kiem Lake followed by a water puppet show in the early evening.

Overnight in 4* Hanoi hotel

During the tour, make stops to visit and pray at Al Noor
Mosque, the only Mosque in Hanoi (opening hour: 05:00 – 19:00/19:30)
Note: Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on Monday and Friday.
Note: Lunch and dinner at the local Halal restaurant.

DAY 3
Hanoi–Ha Long Bay (B–L–D)

After breakfast, depart for the stunning Ha Long Bay located in the Gulf of Tonkin, a must see in Vietnam with over 1600 islands and islets, most of which are uninhabited.
13.00. Be aboard on a support vessel and travel from the wharf via the bay to board Mon Chéri Cruise. Itinerary briefing is announced during this time. Welcome fresh drinks, wet towels and a special lunch of fresh food and an assortment of delicacies will be served. The cruise continues sailing for Lan Ha Bay – one of the world’s most beautiful bays. Enjoy the delicious luncheon while cruising along Lan Ha bay with the breathtaking scenery.
15:30. Visit Tra Bau area which is famous for its unspoiled, poetic natural beauty and attractive seascape of Lan Ha Bay. This is the best time for kayaking to discover better the beauty of the limestone islands. Immerse yourself in the emerald green water of the bay or enjoy the Jacuzzi pool on the Mon Chéri Cruises.
17:30 – 18:30. Join Cooking demonstration to learn how to make one of Vietnam’s most famous dishes, the spring rolls or relax on the sundeck while admiring the magnificent sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin – an ideal time for photography enthusiasts to capture the greatest moment of sunset over Lan Ha Bay. Happy Hour time will be ready as well.
19.30. Enjoy delicious local food prepared and served by our skillful chef.
21:00 – 22.00. Relax and enjoy drinks (non-alcoholic drinks, at your own expense). Indulge yourself with spa service (optional) or simply relax on the top deck just under the cover of a brightly illuminated sky. One of the most bonding activities onboard is squid-fishing, and this is when the whole group can try out the technique like a local to get the squids from the ocean while having a wonderful time together.
Note: Visits or activities will be slightly different depending on each junk’s itinerary. Your tour guide will be replaced by a local guide on board during your cruise.

DAY 4
Ha Long Bay (B–L–D)

6:00. Begin the day full of energy with the Tai Chi session and enjoy the sunrise over the bay.
6:45 – 7.15. Breakfast is served at the restaurant.
8:00 – 8:30. Board a day trip boat and set sail deeper into Lan Ha Bay. Or you are free to relax on a cruise if you do not like to go for a day trip.
10:30 – 11:00. Upon arrival at Viet Hai jetty, enjoy a great cycling experience or have a ride on an e-cart to Viet Hai village through the tropical rainforest canopy and towering limestone mountains, surrounded by the green. Learn about the villager’s daily life and how people built and lived in the bamboo thatched houses; the earthen walls are made of straw and mud covered with trellis, this type of texture works perfectly in blocking rain and wind.
12:15 – 13:30. Return to the day trip boat and enjoy lunch at the restaurant while the boat is cruising to the kayaking and swimming spot.
13:30. Explore the secluded and quiet lagoon by kayaks or having a swim off the boat.
16:30. Head back to the cruise boat to relax. Have a soak in the Jacuzzi pool. Enjoy your favourite drinks by the pool.
17:30 – 18:30. Enjoy “happy hour” on the deck (non-alcoholic drinks). Watch the sunset falling on the bay.
19:30. Dinner is served at the restaurant.
21:00 – 22:00 Enjoy the nightlife of the bay from the deck.

DAY 5
Ha Long Bay–Hanoi–Hoi An (B–Brunch)-(D)

6:00. Begin the day full of energy with the Tai Chi session and enjoy the sun just rising up beyond the horizon.
6:45 – 7:15. Breakfast is served while cruising back to Gia Luan jetty. (Breakfast time maybe adjust and follow the real itinerary)
7:30 – 9:00. Join the tour of Cat Ba World Biosphere by transshipment. It takes 30 minutes to transfer from Gia Luan to Trung Trang – one of the most impressive caves in Cat Ba island, Vietnam. The limestone cave has thousands of stalactites in various shapes, offering geological values with a typical cave ecosystem.
9:30. Return to the main boat from the cave and prepare for check out. Luggage is placed outside of the cabin. Lunch is served at the restaurant.
10:30 – 11:00. Disembark the Cruise boat and transfer back to Tuan Chau Marina. Relax and wait for the luggage.
11:30 – 12:00 The guests are ready at Tuan Chau Marina.

Then drive back to Hanoi airport. On the way, visit Tho Ha or Phu Lang village (*). Arrive at Noi Bai airport in the late afternoon and take the flight to Da Nang airport. Welcome upon arrival at Da Nang airport and transfer to your hotel in Hoi An.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Note: Breakfast, lunch or brunch will be served on board depending on each junk‘s service.
(*) Applied for programs from Ha Long Bay, Tuan Chau harbour – it is not applicable for programs from Lan Ha Bay.
Note: Dinner at the local Halal restaurant

DAY 6
Hoi An (B)-(L)-(D)

After breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel lobby and transferred to Vong Nhi village where you receive the bikes, and we start cycling through the village (around 6 km). On the way we may see lots of stunning landscapes from peaceful countryside such as green water coconut forest and prawn & red snapper farms or immerse ourselves in the rustic beauty of rice fields.
Arrival at Thanh Dong organic farm- a 10,000sqm organic garden supporting 10 local families. We will take a short stroll around the vegetable garden while listening to the

life-changing story of the farmers since they have been approached by an organic method of cultivating herbs. Afterwards we join the farmers to do some gardening activities like preparing and applying organic manure to the land, raking the ground, sowing herb seed, watering, or picking vegetables. Then, we leave the farm for taking the basket boat ride along the Do River to The Field Restaurant. You may enjoy the beautiful scenery or fishing life of local villagers on the way there. Before getting back to the hotel, we will enjoy short cooking class and have Vietnamese family style lunch/dinner.

After a short break at the hotel, enjoy a sightseeing tour to visit charming old town of Hoi An, an exceptionally well- preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port during the 15th to 19th centuries. Many of the buildings in the town reflect historical architectural styles and the whole town is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy a walking tour in the old town. Visit Phuc Kien Pagoda and the Japanese wooden bridge. Followed by a visit to a lantern making cottage and learn how to make this handicraft yourself. End the day with an excursion by boat on the Thu Bon River.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Note: Lunch at The Field Restaurant
Dinner at the local restaurant

DAY 7
Hoi An–Ho Chi Minh City (B)-(D)

After breakfast, transfer to Danang Airport for a morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). On arrival, proceed to your hotel and check-in. Then enjoy a full day exploring the city. Visit the former Presidential Palace, or as it is known today – the Reunification Palace. Then head to the historical heart of the city and visit the Notre Dame Cathedral (outside visit only due to its renovation). The red bricks of the cathedral walls were originally from Paris, France.
From there, take a short walk to the old Central Post Office. After that, visit the best-preserved buildings from the colonial era, and the Hotel de Ville now home to Saigon’s municipal authorities.
In the afternoon, visit the War Remnants Museum and discover some different perspectives on the war. Transfer back to your hotel.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Note: Notre Dame Cathedral: outside visit only due to its renovation until further notice
Note: Dinner at the local restaurant (halal food)

DAY 8
Cu Chi Tunnels – Unravel Scerets Of The Vietnam War & Islamic ,Tour Of Saigon (B)-(L)-(D)

After breakfast, pick up at the hotel, and take a 1.5 hour drive to Cu Chi located on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. Visit the Cu chi Tunnels, an immense network of interconnecting underground tunnels over 250 km in length and used in military campaigns during the Vietnam war. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during combat and served as supply routes, hospitals, food, and weapons caches. Then visit the home of an artisan who makes traditional handicraft products from bamboo which is one of the most loved plants in Vietnam as it symbolises Vietnamese people’s resilience, indomitability, and bravery. The workshop is small yet very authentic.
Today your lunch will be served at a special place which is the home of a Vietnamese veteran who participated in many important campaigns during the Vietnam War, such as the Tet Attack in 1968. He will tell you stories about how the weapons were secretly transferred from Cu Chi Tunnels to his home and hidden under a little tunnel system located right inside the house and then from there to different points in the centre of Saigon. While you are listening to the stories, his daughter who is a chef will prepare a Vietnamese lunch for you. After lunch, transfer back to Saigon and end the day with an Islamic tour of Saigon.

Transfer to a hidden mosque located inside a small alley of Saigon, on the way you have the opportunity to see how the locals live as we always say the soul of Saigon is best reflected inside the alleys. Then continue on another area of the city which is located along the river where you will see trading culture on the water, even though it’s not as busy as a floating market, trading on boats used to be an important cultural part of Saigon. The trip will take you to another mosque at a surprising location – a perfect place to tell the story of how local people practise Islamic religion in Vietnam. As you might be hungry already, the next stop is a local curry place serving halal food, all the dishes are prepared by an Islamic chef – it is said to be one of the best halal food stalls in Saigon. The last stop of the tour is China Town where there it’s the bustling Binh Tay Market. The tour ends at Cho Lon Mosques. Time to pray and then transfer back to your hotel.
Note: the tour can be done by car combining walking or by Vespa moped bike (with supplement).
Note: Dinner at the local restaurant (halal food)