We are big fans of Wendy Wu tours here at Mildrover, having used the company to organise a small-group Tunnel Rats tour many years ago and then, a couple of years later, being a special guest on one of her three-country tours of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
So I am envious of anyone who can get on to her 25th anniversary Mekong-to-Halong VIP tour later this year.
It’s not just that it looks like a fantastic trip, over 18 days with a maximum of 24 guests, but the legendary Wendy Wu herself will be on the Mekong River cruise part of the tour too.
Wendy Wu’s company has been taking Aussies to Vietnam and other parts of South-East Asia for quarter of a century, so they know what they are doing.
This will be a VIP version of one of their tried and tested itineraries. Starting in Cambodia at the breath-taking temples of Angkor Wat, you will then fly down to the capital, Phnom Penh where you can join a tour to the confronting “Killing Fields” and notorious S21 prison and torture chambers.
After that you need to chill out so you will join Wendy on a three-night river cruise down the Mekong, complete with shore excursions designed to give you an authentic glimpse of local life as you sail into Vietnamese waters, with the option of a special mindfulness session along the way.
In Saigon, it’s a case of close your eyes and let your other senses take over at Noir restaurant, where blind and sight-impaired waiters deliver the best food you’ve ever tasted (but never seen).
You can chase that down with a cocktail at Bitexco Tower’s 49th-floor sky bar while next day you can share a dinner with a Vietnamese family in Saigon.
Then you’ll head north to Da Nang and Hoi An where you can join a morning market trip before a serious lesson in Vietnamese cuisine, cooking the fresh produce you have bought in the morning. There’s also a unique ‘Farmer & Fisherman’ experience in nearby Cam Thanh.
Hanoi and Halong Bay await – including an optional scenic seaplane flight over the bay made famous in the movie Indochine.
Wendy Wu has pulled out all the stops for this special VIP package and added a number of inclusions that are completely exclusive to this anniversary tour.
Prices for the 18-night tour start at $8,800 and honestly, if I didn’t have teaching commitments in October, I would be signing up for this tour now.
If you are interested, you should read all the details, check the prices and availability and download the detailed itinerary on this website.
