Quality British Education in Saudi Arabia
Vietnam Adventure
Approximate dates: 25 March - 9 April 2009
Applications are open to pupils from Years 7 to 11 and from pupils who are currently in Year 6 (2007/8 cohort). Year 11 students will only be allowed to go on the trip if they complete course work on time. Failure to meet coursework deadlines will lead to the cancellation of their place on the trip and this could mean loss of any payments made.
Cost: SR11,500*, includes all transportantion, meals, English speaking guide in Vietnam, two teacher chaperons, bike hire, tents, porters, entrance fees, boat trip, accommodation, insurance, visas. Additional costs may be incurred - clothing and backpack, spending money, vaccinations.
Payment schedule.
Deposit of SR1000 to be paid to the school office, together with the application form - by October 8th. This will be refunded if the applicant is not offered a place on the trip. It will not be refunded once a place has been offered and accepted by their parents.
3 further installments. SR3500 due October 29th, SR3500 due November 19th, SR3500 due January 31
Selection process
Students should complete the attached application form and return it to the school office. Places will be offered according to various factors including academic effort and behaviour, previous school trip experience, strength of the application form, progress in course work, ability to swim and ride a bike.
Itinerary
Day1: Arrival in Hanoi ( Dinner)
Pick up at the airport, transfer to Hotel, See water puppet show, have dinner. Overnight in Hanoi
Day2: Hanoi city tour
Visit to HoChiMinh Mausoleum, HoChiMinh's House-on-stilt, Ethnic Museum, Van Mieu (Temple of Literature). Visit Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, Old Quarter of Hanoi ..Then transfer to the Hanoi station for night train to Laocai, soft sleeper – Wooden cabin of 4.
Day3: Lao cai – Fansipan
Picked up at Laocai Station by bus to Sapa. Breakfast and start the trip to conquer the roof of Vietnam and Indochina - Fansipan peak. At about 9h30 AM, take bus to the highest pass in Vietnam - TramTon Pass ( 2100m above the sea level). Visit Silver waterfall before reaching the pass. Trek to the peak. After roughly 6 hours through the primitive jungle, many small streams and bamboo forests… You will have managed to reach 2200m. Camp, prepare for dinner and spend the first night in the mountain.
Day4: Fansipan
Breakfast at the camp and then continue climbing to the summit by way of pine and yellow bamboo forests. After 4 hours,
you will conquer the roof of Vietnam. To the North-West are small village areas belonging to Laichau province, the splendid rolling mountains; to the North East is Sapa town. 2nd night in the mountain. Dinner at the tents.
Day5: Fansipan – Sapa
Descend the mountain and look at the lifestyles and traditional customs of the people in a village of the Black H'mong called SinChai. Take the bus to Sapa check into the airconditioned hotel, take a shower and have dinner.
Day6: Sapa
Free to explore Sapa town. Have lunch and dinner at the restaurant. Overnight at Hotel
Day7: Sapa –Taphin – Laocai – Biking tour
This trip will take you into the countryside of Northern Vietnam, where is very little traffic. From the winding roads on the
hillside there some excellent views over the rice paddy field below. You will have time to explore daily life among the
villages and communities of the Red Dao and Black Hmong minority groups after visiting Taphin village you will ride bike to Laocai station for night train (another sleeper!) to Hanoi
Day8: Hanoi – Halong Bay
Cruising on a Vietnamese Junk in Halong Bay. The cruise will take you by exotic islets with shapes of Dog, Incense Urn, Sail, Fighting Cocks, which are naturally formed by process of erosion between the see water and limestone mountains. Arrive Surprise Cave and explore the bay by kayak. Paddle to Luon cav. This cave is a natural tunnel through a mountain and leads to
an exotic lagoon surrounded by mountains covered by dense jungle. Seafood dinner and night paddle. We sleep on board the boat inside a wonderfully tranquil atmosphere in Luon cave area.
Day9: Halong - Hanoi
Kayaking in Halong Bay. Paddle from Luon Cave to the surrounding islands. Lunch on board the junk before return to Halong wharf. Fly to Hue.
Day10: Hue
Boat trip to visit ThienMu Pagoda, Minh Mang tomb and Tu Duc tomb. Visit the Imperial Citadel in the afternoon. The tour ends with shopping at Dongba Market. Diner at garden restaurant with Vietnamese food.
Day11: Hue – Hoian
Transfer to Hoian via HaiVan Pass ( The pass of Sea and Cloud). Arrive in Hoian, check in Hotel and have lunch. Visit Hoian: Japanese Covered Bridge, TanKy Old house, Assembly Hall Chinese. Phuc Kien Pagoda, Hoian Museum
and Market. dinner at restaurant. Overnight in Hoian.
Day12: Hoi an - Danang - Saigon city tour
Drive to Da Nang for the morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Explore colonial city -the Post Office, the Cathedral, the Reunification Hall, China Town and Thien Hau Pagoda, Binh Tay market as well as the village where they make lacqueware. Dinner and overnight at hotel.
Day13: Saigon - Mekong – Saigon
Cross the Mekong river by motorized boat. Row- boat ride along small creeks to Mekong River estuary. Motorized boat ride to Con Phung (Phoenix island): have Vietnamese lunch, see the manufacture of handicraft made from coconut trees.
Motorized boat cruise along natural creeks and quiet village in Ben Tre province. Visit orchards ,beekeeping farm,taste
natural honey & honey drinks, enjoy tropical fruit, traditional music , see round a distillery. See Coconut candy production process, taste candy & coconut pulp. Overnight in Saigon
Day14: Saigon
Free time till transfer to the airport for departure. Return to Dhahran
You can see photographs of the last DBGS trip to Vietnam, in 2004, here http://www.hobnail.com/Vietnam2004/index.html
*The cost of the trip may vary to factors outside our control (rate of US Dollar, fuel supplement, flight etc.). Every effort will be made to keep the trip cost to the above figure.
