Day 1: Saigon-Ben Tre
Depart from Saigon around 8 am and
head south to Ben Tre province, famous for its coconut production and quiet,
peaceful waterways.
On arrival, take a xe loi ride through the local
village of Huu Dinh to enjoy the green fields and gardens. Continue with a short
walk to Huu Phuoc bridge where you will start your boat trip through small
canals with beautiful tropical scenery. On board the boat, enjoy a welcome drink
(mango cocktail) and tropical fruits while cruising.
The cruise will stop
first at a brickworks where the locals still use centuries-old traditional
methods to make the bricks by hand. Then go back to your boat to cross the An
Hoa river, where you will take a sampan trip through narrow canals and enjoy the
peacefulness of the region. The sampan will take you to visit one of our friends
Mrs Huong who lives with her 3 children and grandson – they live on fishing,
shrimp and fruit orchards. Enjoy fresh fruits and tea before heading to visit a
rice noodles factory which produces Hu Tieu noodles, one of most popular
breakfast dishes in the region.
Then switch to bicycle and ride on
village roads past green gardens and local houses, and stop at another local
house where they live on their traditional family business, sampan boat
building. Then continue your cycling trip to My Long to visit Mr Sau Tuong, a
former Vietcong soldier who survived two years fighting the Khmer Rouge in Phnom
Penh. Now he and his wife live on making rice paper which is the most famous
speciality of My Long village. Have a chat with him and enjoy the crispy rice
paper made by his wife, and see how it is made.
Then return to the
village road to carry on the bike ride to a local restaurant by the river side.
Time for you to relax and enjoy a 5-course lunch of local specialities. Relax
and walk around the garden after lunch, and then visit the nearby house of Mr
Hung who is a famous sticky rice maker in the village. You can also feed his
stock of catfish and walk through his fruit garden.
Walk back the local
house to catch fish in the pond & pick your own vegetables, and then in the
early evening prepare to join the cooking demonstration with the family.
Overnight in family homestay.
Day 2: Giong
Trom-Saigon
DELUXE HOMESTAY:
Breakfast will be served at the
homestay, then take a boat trip to Tai Phu canal and stop to visit a coconut
processing workshop before taking a bicycle to the busy local market of My Long.
After that cycle to Cau Hoa to visit the local Phuoc Long Tu temple and war
memorials.
Then cycle to Phong Nam village and your boat will take you to Ben
Tre city where your car will drive you to My Tho town. Have lunch at Bach Tung
Vien restaurant and visit Vinh Trang pagoda before heading back to Saigon.
STANDARD HOMESTAY:
08:00 Pick up and cycle to temple and market in Phu Nhuan, mat weaving house, where straw mats are woven using a hand loom – you can even have a go at weaving yourself!
Then you will then hop onto a bicycle for a fun ride through the forest to Mr Khanh’s house. He is a passionate antiques collector and his house is jam packed full of fascinating artefacts from Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia. He also has some fascinating family albums dating back to French colonial times.
Back to homestay to check out. Your boat will take you to Ben Tre city where your car will drive you to My Tho town. Have lunch at Bach Tung Vien restaurant and visit Vinh Trang pagoda before heading back to Saigon.
From US$222 per person for deluxe homestay, US$202 per person for
standard homestay (low season price based on 2 people travelling)
Includes:
Private car and tourguide through out
All
boat trips and activities as mentioned
Bike ride and xe loi ride
5 course
lunch:
Chicken Rice noodle soup with pineapple and tomato
Deep fried
elephant ear fish
Steamed prawn with coconut juice
Chicken curry
Stewed
pork in clay pot
Steamed rice
Dessert
5 course
dinner:
Green papaya salad with shrimp
Grilled chicken with lemon
leaves
Sautéed shrimps with garlic
Stewed fish in clay pot
Stir fried
beef with lemon grass
Steamed rice
Dessert
5 course lunch
day 2:
Spring rolls
Sauteed fish with tomato sauce
Mixed
vegetable soup
Sautéed shrimp with tamarind sauce
Stir fried green
vegetables with garlic.
Dessert
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