Objectives: 

 - To gain deeper understanding of the country's cultural heritage, history and economic development. 

 - To appreciate historical sites, significance of historical events that took place in the country and make connections to larger world events. 

- To have an opportunity to visit local centers for disable children to understand their conditions and efforts to be able to do something for their lives and to contribute to the communities. 

- To have an opportunity to visit a local university to integrate with local students to learn more about the history, culture and future of Vietnam.

Day 1: HOME – HCMC (D)

On arrival in HCMC, you will be received at the airport and transfer to city centre.

Familiarization drive around the city, on the way participants will be briefed on the history, economy, culture of Vietnam and some conversational Vietnamese Language.

Check in a hotel

18:30 Dinner at a local restaurant

Overnight in HCMC

Day 2: HCMC – CITY TOUR – PHU MY HUNG TOWNSHIP (B-L-D)

6:30 Breakfast at hotel

8:00 – 12:00 City tour

+ Visit the War Museum, investigating about the Vietnam War and the history of Vietnam.

+ Visit the Notre Dam Cathedral, the old post office, the City Hall, the Opera House and learn about the colonial period of Vietnam history.

+ Visit the Ben Thanh market to learn about trades in the biggest city of Vietnam. 

Lunch at local restaurant

14:00 transfer to the Phu My Hung new township..

14:30 Arrive in Phu My Hung, drive around to see the modern houses, shopping malls, cafes and restaurants, conference centers, office buildings etc. and visit the sales and marketing office of the place to understand and appreciate the interdependence of countries in a globalised world.

17:30 Transfer back to the hotel for a rest

19:00 Enjoy dinner at local restaurant.

Overnight in HCMC

Day 3: HCMC– EDUCATIONAL VISITS (B-L-D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for University of Economics, Ho CHi Minh City.     

Morning session: Visit to University of Economics, Ho CHi Minh City & Commence with Cultural Exchange

• Welcome by University of Economics, Ho CHi Minh City.     
• Short introduction of visitor group
• Presentation by a UEH professor about Vietnamese economy
• Presentation by UEH students about Vietnam culture, history, uniqueness, etc.
• Presentation by visitor students about their culture, history, uniqueness, etc.
• Interaction through quiz, games & performances
• Exchange gifts/ souvenirs 
• Bid goodbye & photo-taking
• Tour around the University facilities 

Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon session: visit a company relating to finance, or F&B, or hospitality business subject to the group’s studies.

• Welcome by the company      
• Short introduction of visitor group
• Presentation by an expert of the company
• Q&A
• Bid goodbye & photo-taking
• Tour around the company property

Dinner at a local restaurant

Overnight in HCMC

Day 4: HCMC– BINH DUONG (B-L-D)

6:30 Breakfast at hotel

7:30 Depart to Binh Duong

9:00 Visit/ Meeting with the Department of Planning and Investments of Binh Duong.

• Welcome by the company      
• Short introduction of visitor group
• Presentation by the department management board about advantages, disadvantages, challenges,  opportunities, government policies etc for doing business in Binh Duong, a very dynamic and popular province, a new economic hub near HCMC.
• Q&A
• Bid goodbye & photo-taking

11:00 Transfer to visit Binh Duong New City where is intended to be a place of gathering and attracting intelligence and developing technology, plays an important role in the planning of the functional divisions, infrastructure, appropriate solutions that meet international standards. This is also significant construction, contributing to the rapid development of the province's urban in reform period, and meets the needs and expectations of the government and people of Binh Duong Province.

13:00 Lunch at local restaurant

14:30 Transfer to visit famous Minh Long art ceramics company

Back to HCMC

18:30 Enjoy the unique water puppet show

19:30 Dinner at a local restaurant

Overnight in HCMC

Day 5: HCMC – CU CHI – ORPHANAGE (B-L-D)

06:30     Breakfast at hotel

8:00 Transfer to visit the Cu Chi tunnels where human knowledge has been enriched by experiencing a web-like tunnel system of more than 200km in length which provide shelters for Vietnamese guerrillas during the Vietnam War against American troops.

See a video film for 20minutes. Walk around the area, seeing booby traps, weapon gallery, bomb craters, going under the ground, visiting some rooms: a bunker, meeting room, health room, kitchen.

The students will be given questions to investigate about the tunnel area and the Vietnam War

12:30  Transfer for lunch

14:00 Transfer to visit Thien Phuoc Orphanage or similar orphanages in Ho Chi Minh City

Thien Phuoc was established in 2001, and caters for over 120 children. It is a non-governmental organisation acting under the Catholic Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. It is a residential centre providing healthcare, rehabilitation and education.

The centre provides physiotherapy and counselling sessions, teach children how to care for themselves and also organise range of activities to educate and entertain the children, including play-sessions, singing and dancing

17:00 Transfer to HCMC

18:30 Dinner at local restaurant

Overnight in HCMC

Day 6: HCMC – BEN TRE – HANDICAPPED SCHOOL – LEARNING ABOUT GEOGRAPHY (B-L-D)

06:00     Breakfast at hotel

07:30  Transfer to Ben Tre city in the Mekong Delta with the colorful outskirt life as well as picturesque

rice fields along the journey.

09:30 Arrive in Ben Tre, Visit the Ben Tre Handicapped School

Ben Tre Handicapped School is one of the special schools offering education to less fortunate

and disabled children in Southern Vietnam. Besides education, students of Ben Tre Handicapped

School also have the opportunity to learn a life-skill for own – sustain, such as weaving,

 embroidery, making handicrafts etc.

Short 02- hour interaction to understand the life of less fortunate children suffering from disability

 – the after-effect of the war history.

11:30 Transfer to the riverside, get on a boat trip to learn about the system of rivers and canals,

Learning about the soils, rice plantation, trees and plants, aqua products, etc.

Become inquiring and self-directed learners who ask geographical questions and seek

understanding through the collection and analysis of geographical information

Enjoy a sampan row through small canals to a garden where they will enjoy a nice lunch with local

specialties.

14:00 After lunch, enjoy a fun tuk tuk drive in the countryside to visit another garden of plating coconut trees and vegetables. Enjoy how they pick up coconuts from a tree and learn about different kinds of vegetables.

15:00 Continue by boat to visit another local factory of making coconut candies. Learn the whole manual process of cleaning the coconut shell, removing the copra inside, squeeze out the juice, making coconut candies with different flavors. Taste the nice sweet candies.

15:45 Continue by boat along rivers to Phong Nam, learning more about the geography of the Mekong Delta

17:00 get on the bus and transfer back to HCMC.

19:00 Enjoy dinner at local restaurant

Overnight in HCMC

Day 7: DEPARTURE HCMC (B)

After breakfast, free time till transfer to the airport for departure.        

End of tour.

Inclusions:

• Hotel accommodation with breakfast (based on double/ twin sharing )
• Meals indicated in the program (B= Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=dinner)
• All ground transport on tour with A/C coach, boat
• Entrance fees for sightseeing
• Local English guide
• Daily cold bottles of water and towels

Exclusions:

• International flight tickets to and from Vietnam
• Personal travel Insurance
• Vietnam visa
• Personal expenses such as: other meals, drinks, laundry, tips, etc.
• All other accounts not mentioned in the above inclusions.