Unlike many of you who promised (threatened?) to come visit me in Vietnam, my friend Mary Ellen from Atlanta is actually coming here in a few short weeks!  She and her friend Tony will be arriving in HCMC on the evening of Saturday, November 17th, and will be flying back on the evening of Saturday, November 24th.  (There was going to be a third friend coming with them, but she had to cancel at the last minute due to some family issues.)

Now that’s a short trip to Vietnam.  Because of the length of the flights, jet lag, etc., I generally recommend 10 days to two weeks, but I understand that with work, etc., a lot of people really can’t spare more than one week.

But even with only seven days to work with, we’ve been able to come up with what I think is a pretty compelling itinerary for them.  So, to give you an idea of what’s possible in even a seven-day trip, here’s what we’ve worked up for Mary Ellen and Tony so far:

Sunday, November 18: HCMC

We will just take it easy and explore HCMC itself, go out for a nice lunch and dinner, do some shopping, let Mary Ellen and Tony acclimate to the time change, etc.

Monday, November 19 – Tuesday, November 20: Mekong Delta Tour

Mary Ellen and Tony are going on a two-day, one-night tour of the Mekong Delta.  I did a three-day/two-night version of this back in 2001 and it was a great trip.  You really get a feel for rural Vietnam, and you spend a lot of time on boats, which is cool.  Here’s their itinerary for the Mekong Delta trip (total cost $157):

Day 1:
19 Nov 07: Saigon – Mytho – Cantho (L)
08h00AM: The guide pick you up at your address and journey to Mytho where you will board
your sampan for a cruise among the Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle and Phoenix Islands. On the
way, visit a small factory producing handicraft made of coconut.
On Turtle Island, you will visit a typical orchard and taste their exotic fruit. Afterwards,
you will board smaller boat for a more adventurous cruise on the Xep Canal, set amongst a
forest of palm trees. Next you will ride a horse-driven cart to Mr Tam Nen’s garden, for a
honey tasting session. Continue by boat To Turtle Island, where lunch will be served, a
selection of Mekong delicacies.
After lunch, journey to Cantho, arrive Cantho check in your hotel in Cantho around
18h00PM. Night at Golf Cantho Hotel.

Day 2:
20 Nov 07: Can Tho – Saigon (B, L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Early Departure to see the Cai Rang floating market, perhaps the most colourful and
bustling of all the markets in Vietnam. Depart the floating market by boat to Rach Ngong
canal, then your visit at Binh Thuy ancient house.
After lunch in Cantho, journey back to Saigon. Arrival at Saigon around 18h00PM.

I’ve never been to the Golf Cantho hotel – which is in the city of Cantho – but it actually looks pretty nice (and a lot nicer than the hotel I stayed in on my Mekong Delta trip in 2001 – mine was a little “budget”): http://www.golfhotel.vnn.vn/Information4.aspx

Tuesday, November 20, 2007 – Thursday, November 22, 2007: Danang/Hoi An (Beach Trip)

So they get back to their hotel in HCMC about 6:00pm on the 20th, and we will head straight to the airport for an 8:00pm flight to Danang.  (I am going to go with them on this part of the trip.)  We won’t be staying in Danang – we’ll be staying in Hoi An, which is about 30 miles south of Danang.  Hoi An is a cool little town with a lot of historic architecture.  It’s known for its shopping and especially for it’s hand-tailored clothes.  There are a ton of little tailor shops who will hand-tailor clothes for you very cheaply.  I bought my infamous “$40 Vietnamese suits” in Hoi An back in 2001.  But Hoi An is also very near some super nice beaches – including the famed “China Beach”, which is beautiful.  Also, Danang is near the de-militarized zone (“DMZ”) from back in the Vietnam “Conflict” days, so I think there are a bunch of military/war-related tours, etc., you can do if you’re so inclined.  I figured that rather than just going to a beach and bumming around for two days, this at least gives us the option to do that plus some other stuff if we get bored.  We’ll just rent motorcycles on the 21st and play it by ear.

In Hoi An, we’re staying at the Lotus Hotel, which appears to be pretty pimp:

http://www.hoianlotushotel.com/gallery.asp

And we’re staying in the “Japanese Deluxe” suites (picture above at top) – which are their high-end rooms and go for $55 a night.

Thursday, November 22 – Saturday, November 24:  Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

On Thursday, I fly back to HCMC and Mary Ellen and Tony fly on to Siem Reap, Cambodia.  They’ll spend at least Friday the 23rd – and possibly part of Saturday the 24th – touring Angkor Wat with a guide.  Angkor Wat is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been.  I went there the first time in 2001 and was completely blown away.  I went there a second time in 2004, and it was equally impressive.  The only negative was that in 2001 – three years after the Khmer Rouge dissolved – there were still not very many tourists there.  By 2004, tourism there was wide open and the experience was a lot different.  Still an incredible experience, but definitely different.

Anyway, I think I spent three full days touring Angkor Wat in 2001.  (That was with old Laura Stella, for those of you who know that story.)  One day is really not enough, but you can definitely hit the high points and it is still a neat experience.  You get up really early and watch the sun rise over the main Angkor Wat temple.  Then you explore around the different temple ruin complexes all day before hiking up a nearby hill to watch the sun set.

The above are photos I took at Angkor Wat in 2004.  There are more of them at:  hww3.blogspot.com

I’m trying to hire Mary Ellen and tony a good, English-speaking guide.  Since they’ll only be there one day, it’s imperative that they have a good guide who knows the history of Angkor Wat, can explain the architecture, knows the high points to hit, etc.

They’ll be staying at the Prince D’Angkor Hotel & Spa, which I’ve never been to but looks nice.  They’re getting a “special promotion” deal which includes transport to and from the airport, breakfast, and a “complimentary drink and cold towel” upon arrival for $98 a night:  http://www.princedangkor.com/index.html

These hotel prices are actually pretty expensive for SE Asia, and you can definitely stay cheaper, but these hotels will be really nice and since it’s only for a few nights, why not do it up right?  Also, their flights while they’re here (from HCMC to Danang, Danang to Siem Reap, and Siem Reap back to Saigon) total $425.

Anyway, Mary Ellen and Tony will fly back in to HCMC sometime on Saturday the 24th and we’ll just hang out in HCMC until their flights later that night.

So I think that’s a pretty good seven-day trip!  I am excited about them coming – it will be fun to show friends around Vietnam.  I hope some of you will come visit soon as well!