Luxury Vietnam, when words are not enough

Sometimes you just get overwhelmed by the breathless (rather than deathless) prose in travel website descriptions.

Nothing is ever “green” it’s emerald. Places are never “quiet” when they can be “tranquil”.

But somewhere in there, once you have waded through the hyperbole, you often discover there’s an outstanding tour being offered at a terrific price.

So let’s filter out the fancy verbiage and tell you what this terrific 17-day, 10-location tour of Vietnam – one of our favourite destinations – is really all about.

It will take you from Hanoi to Sapa, then Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and the Mekong Delta, visiting most of the best bits in between.

You’ll visit Ninh Binh – the area they call Ha Long Bay on land – and be paddled down a winding river where the oarsmen and women row with their feet. Then go to actual Ha Long bay for an overnight  cruise in this iconic setting.

Discover the imperial splendour of Hue, from Thien Mu Pagoda to the Royal Imperial City, before visiting UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hoi An.

Then you fly south to cruise through the leafy canals of the Mekong Delta in motorised canoes.

Discover the wartime HQ in the basement of the Reunification Palace of Saigon (see if you can spot any mention of Australia on the map showing the numbers of troops from different countries that supported America).

Squeeze yourself through a tunnel (if you dare) at Cu Chi where the underground city was first explored by Aussie sappers (army engineers) during the “American War”. PS:  The guides won’t tell you that, but we know it’s true.

If you’re interested, follow this link to a comprehensive, day by day itinerary and a slide show of stunning pictures.  Vietnam is a tremendously rewarding place to visit – all you have to do is cut a path through the jungle of words.

The Ultimate Vietnam with Sapa Hills Trek & Mekong Delta Experience, by Luxury Escapes Tours, costs from A$3,299 /person (twin share), valued up to A$5,903.