Vietnam with Nick Van Gruisen

Beginning in Hanoi, we explore Vietnam’s capital, one of Asia’s most fascinating cities, offering a unique blend of oriental and western charm. It is an exotic city of elegant colonial villas, bustling narrow shop filled streets and grand tree-lined boulevards. From Hanoi we continue to Halong for a serene two-night cruise, aboard an elegantly designed five-star junk, across the less frequented but none the less spectacular Lan Ha Bay where islands of bizarre rock formations rise steeply from the emerald waters.

We then fly to Hoi An, one of the Orient’s major trading ports in the 16th and 17th centuries. Despite the passing of 200 years and the ravages of weather and war, the centre of Hoi An remains much the same as it was in its heyday. We spend a morning at the lively food market followed by a cooking lesson learning about local delicacies. From Hoi An we take the Hai Van Pass to Hue, the ancient imperial city located along the banks of the Perfumed River. This ancient capital of the Nguyen Dynasty remains one of the country’s most important cultural and religious centres. From Hue we fly south to Ho Chi Minh City and experience this dynamic city’s bustling life and colonial past.

There is also an optional post-tour extension offering the chance to explore Asia’s most magnificent archaeological remains – the Khmer Temples of Angkor in Cambodia – built between the 7th and 11th centuries comprising some 70 ruins and covering an area of 200 square miles.