AMAZING VIETNAM

Day 1 (Tuesday) Relax and prepare for a world-class trip on Singapore Airlines. Prior to your departure, you will have received your pre-departure packet, which includes your Rustic T-shirts, airline tickets, and important contact information. Once you arrive at your international departure city, our flight liaison will help you get checked in to your international flight. Working with our flight liaison will be your flight leader, who will escort you all the way to Vietnam! Our flight leaders are most often schoolteachers or good friends of our organization who happily fill this role for us each year. Once you're checked in, feel free to relax and get acquainted with your new friends before boarding your flight to South East Asia!

Day 2 (Wednesday) Today is lost as you cross the international dateline. Fear not – you will get this time back on your way home.

Day 3 (Thursday) Xin Chow! Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City! After you check through customs and get your Vietnam visa stamped in your passport, your Rustic Pathway's leaders will meet you in the airport arrival hall. Once we're all together and everything loaded into our van its off to grab some food. Vietnam is known for its amazing cuisine and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.  Our first night is at the Windsor Palace Hotel and you’ll have time to relax and get to know the local staff and your fellow adventurers.

Day 4 (Friday) Good Morning Vietnam! Today we drive into Tay Ninh to visit the ornate temple of Cao Dai and attend the fantastic mid-day service.  Followers fill the halls wearing brightly colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.  After lunch we head over to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnel system was created in 1948 to assist the Viet Minh combat the French, and continued to expand of the next 25 years.  Cu Chi Tunnels are infamously known as an underground city complete with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers.  In certain areas, it housed up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years.... getting married, and giving birth. During what the Vietnamese call the American War the entire area of Cu Chi was designated a free fire zone and was heavily bombarded. Once out of the tunnels we will jump in the van and drive back to Saigon for some dinner and time in the markets.

Day 5 (Saturday) Today we are heading north to My Tho and will embark on a private boat to see the Floating Fish Markets. Cruising along these small creeks over into the Mekong River Estuary, we’ll stop at a garden restaurant on Con Phung (Phoenix Island) and visit local Vietnamese houses.  Further up river we will arrive at a quiet village in Ben Tre Province. Here we’ll learn about local orchards, beekeeping farms, taste natural honey, enjoy tropical fruit, listen to traditional music, and learn about the local coconut candy production process.  Tonight will be our first traditional Homestay, and late in the afternoon we will take a small bike tour around the village before dinner.

Day 6 (Sunday) Rise to the sound of crowing roosters and pour yourself a hot cup of Vietnamese coffee.  Today well explore along the small and picturesque tributaries by rowboat and end up at the Cai Rang floating market. Take in the beautiful scenery and the daily activities of the locals who live along the Mekong canals.  Dock your boat and wonder through the village towards the mill and learn how rice is husked and noodles are made.  This village is the perfect place to discover the daily life of Vietnamese people on the Mekong Delta. After lunch its time to say goodbye to southern Vietnam as we will transfer to the airport in Can Tho for our flight to the capital city of Hanoi.

Day 7 (Monday) Our destination today is the emerald water of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  From our overnight stop in Hanoi, we will drive northeast toward the Chinese border and hop aboard a large Junk boat for a 24 hour journey along the coast.  Junk boats are ancient Chinese sailing ships that appeared around the second century and are still in use today.  Enjoy lunch on deck as we sail past thousand of jagged limestone karsts.  Kick back, relax, snap some photos and catch some sun.  We’ll stop to explore the mysteries of Sung Sot cave and swim at Titop Beach. Afterwards we’ll hop back aboard our Junk boat for dinner and a peaceful nights rest.

Day 8 (Tuesday) As the sun rises over the water for a new day, wake up with a peaceful departure in your kayak heading for Luon cave.  Inside these enormous caverns you’ll see thousands of years at work in the formation of stalactites and stalagmites.  Take the kayaks further down the bay and try your hand at some fishing if you’re inclined.  By now our Junk boat expedition will be to Bai Tu Long Bay for some sightseeing on Fire Island.  These islands support many different kinds of wildlife including exotic birds, monkeys, antelope and delicious lizards.  Once we dock at the wharf we’ll head into the Historic Old Quarter of Hanoi.

Day 9 (Wednesday) Today we will visit our final stop, Hanoi city, which just celebrated its 1000th birthday.  Known as one of the most beautiful cities in South East Asia, Hanoi is a complete mix of western and eastern architecture, narrow tree lined streets and many beautiful lakes. Our day will start off with a visit to Ho Chi Minh’s tomb, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature, be sure to rub a stone literature turtle for good luck. After lunch we will continue on over to the West Lake, Tran Quoc pagoda and an optional to visit the Ethnology Museum or Hoa Lo Prison (the Hanoi Hilton).  Our guides will take us to one of their favorite downtown restaurants for dinner and afterwards we’ll walk over to Hoan Kiem Lake and top off the night with a water puppet show. 

Day 10 (Thursday) Off you go to continue your journey. Whether it's home or on to your next exotic destination, your time spent in Vietnam will stay with you for a lifetime. After hugs and group photos it will be time to say goodbye to Amazing Vietnam!

PACKING LIST 2012

A quick note: Many students over-pack and sometimes have to pay for overweight bags on domestic flights. The weight limit is 15 kilograms (33 pounds). You'll have frequent access to laundry on this program, so you won't need that many clothes. We won't tell on you if you wear the same t-shirt twice!
Carry-on Luggage: A small backpack works best.
Passport and Wallet
A photocopy of your passport
Sunglasses
A durable camera, smaller is better for this program
Journal
A good book
A pen
Checked Luggage: A duffel bag, suitcase, or large backpack. Wheeled suitcases are fun, but may not roll so well in rice paddies. All items listed with "Plastic Bag" should be packed inside a plastic bag in case bottles leak or break.
2 Photocopies of your passport
1 NALGENE OR PLASTIC / METAL WATER BOTTLE (empty on the flight), you will use this every day.
Insect repellent with DEET, one small bottle-PLASTIC BAG. If you are not sure what to buy, a product called BEN's BUG REPELLENT, which has 30% DEET works very well and is what many of us use. Most Outdoor Retailers carry this brand or a similar one.
Long pants - one lightweight pair (not jeans, as these are heavy and do not dry)
Shorts-two or three pairs (CONSERVATIVE PLEASE, we need to be mindful of the local culture)
Swimsuit
Underwear-5 pairs
Socks-5 pairs lightweight fast drying synthetic athletic socks are best
T-Shirts, tank tops, and athletic shirts.
One light long sleeve shirt
Materials such as polypropylene and capilene dry fast and help you stay cool.
Rain jacket-lightweight, vented is nice
Sneakers- light, breathable, fast-drying as well as sandals or flip-flops
Personal first aid kit , several band aids of assorted sizes
Double antibiotic ointment
Medical Tape
Preferred mild pain reliever
Sterile bandages-4-6 Ace bandage
Antiseptic wipes 10 Sunscreen-PLASTIC BAG
Hand sanitizer-2 small bottles PLASTIC BAG
Watch / travel alarm clock
Medications - don't forget to let the staff know if and which meds you take
Travel toothbrush, toothpaste
Travel soap container and soap
Contact lens care supplies if needed
Optional Items:
Pictures of home, family to share with the Khmer people you'll meet
A Deck of Cards
Khmer / English phrasebook
Travel pillow
A bag for dirty clothes-this can be a mesh bag, a pillowcase, or trash bag, etc.
Allowance: $150-$300 The local markets have an amazing variety of crafts, clothing, and unbelievable miscellaneous trinkets and shopping there is a real treat, so budget more if you're a big time shopper and less if you're a go light, less is more, bring home only the memories kind of traveler.

FAQ

Is Vietnam dangerous? Should I be worried about landmines?
Granted, Vietnam has had a rough past but the country is experiencing a booming recovery thanks in large part to tourism. Both Hanoi and Saigon are incredibly tourist friendly. As far as the danger due to landmines, the areas where we will be have been thoroughly cleared and very safe. That being said, we always take further precautions like walking only on well-traveled paths to ensure our safety.

What is the route we will be traveling?
Students will fly into Hanoi and have their first night to get settled. After that we are heading north to the hill-tribe village of. We will stay three nights here in a traditional home-stay and then head down to the city of Hanoi. The airport is an hour outside of the Old Quarter, which is where students will be staying in hotel accommodations.

Will I be able to talk to my child?
All our staff members in Vietnam have cell phones and are in constant contact with the main Rustic Pathways office. In the case of an emergency, we will be notified by our main office and pass any necessary information on to your child. Our students, however, are not permitted to have cell phones because these tend to interfere with group dynamics. Our staff members will notify you by email within 24 hours of your child's safe arrival in Vietnam. Students will have access to Internet once back in Hanoi if they choose to use it.

Should I be taking Malaria medication in Vietnam?
This decision is best made by you, your child, and your family physician. For up to date information to help your decision please visit the World Health Organization website (http://www.who.int/en) and consult your physician.

Do I need a mosquito net?
We provide mosquito nets when necessary so no need to bring your own!

What should I bring?
Check out the packing list but please pack lightly! Remember that you are in charge of carrying your bag so the lighter your bag the easier on your shoulders! It is very easy to purchase additional clothing or items that were forgotten at home.

Where will we be staying?
The first night is in a hotel near the Hanoi Airport. The next morning we head to the hill-tribe village of Ban Hang located inside Pu Luong Nature Reserve (northwest Vietnam). This will be a traditional home-stay and these wooden houses are very large and cool. We have one house for males and the other for females. Each house has a downstairs shower and bathroom. It is cool enough in the evenings for just a fan and each house is supplied with floor mattresses, pillows and mosquito nets. While in Hanoi students will be staying in nice hotel accommodations with a built in swimming pool.

Staff stays with students 24-7 in all of the accommodations.

Are there still spots available on Vietnam Service?
Yes! Please contact the main office at 1-800-321-4353 to find out about availability so you can come join us this summer!