| Description
Steeped in a history of powerful dynasties, diverse religious traditions, and political transformations, Vietnam beckons the sophisticated traveler to visit now. The landscape hosts emerald green rice fields, seldom-visited hill tribes and the remnants of ancient temples. Hanoi has served as Vietnam's capital for close on a thousand years and is a wonder city of pagodas and dynastic temples. Sapa is an old French hill station, nestled among the Hoang Lien Son Mountains near the Chinese border. Explore the dramatic hills and valleys of the Sapa region and several minority villages along the way. Enjoy the fresh air, lush green landscapes, fresh rivers and, perhaps, a visit to a Black Hmong tribe to see their beautiful handicrafts. Hoi An is a small town in Central Vietnam, famous for its wooden houses, its family chapels, Assembly Halls and for its silk shops. Nowadays the town attracts tourists from all the world! The traditional lifestyle and Chinese architecture have remained virtually unspoiled since the 17th century. Photographers will be overwhelmed by the sublime natural beauty of Vietnam. Whether it is the tranquil village life, the highlands and rainforest regions, the exotic wildlife, each will provide for captivating photos! Come with the Palm Beach Photographic Centre to this ancient country, where you will capture many wonderful photographs and make new friends.
Biography
VINCENT VERSACE is the recipient of the 1998 Computerworld Smithsonian Award in Media Arts & Entertainment and the 2001 Shellenberg Fine Art Award. He was commissioned by the San Francisco Presidio National Park to create a permanent collection of art for the park and he is the host of the Epson Print Academy, a seminar tour on digital printing for photographers. He is a former artist in residence for the Altamira Group and former consultant to the president of Kodak's Digital & Applied Imaging Group. Vincent also serves as a consultant for Epson, Lexar, Apple, Roland, Dynalite Strobe systems, Photoflex, Luminos, Kodak, LowePro, and Nikon, to beta test their digital cameras and digital imaging products. Articles about his work have appeared in nearly every major photography and digital imaging periodical. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History.
Website: http://www.versacephotography.com
Itinerary
Nov 14:
Arriving in Hanoi, you will clear customs and immigration. jYou will be met by your guide, holding a sign with your name on it. He will transfer you to your hotel. The morning is free to wash up and rest.
 Around 2 PM, you will meet in the lobby of the hotel for a cyclo ride around the city and its Old Quarter. Hanoi, located at the confluence of the Red and Duong Rivers, has come a long way from the stilt houses of the stone and bronze age dwellers of four and five thousand years ago. Several myths link Hanoi’s origins to the center of the earth: Visions of soaring dragons and fears of invasions or fierce winds from the north. Between Chinese power struggles, peasant rebellions, invasions from warring Mongol hordes, the French occupation and American bombing, the city has undergone and continues to undergo tremendous growth and change. Today’s Hanoi, “the city inside a bend of the Red River,” is a blend of thousand-year-old temples, tube houses, neo-Parisian buildings, and new, modern hotels and office buildings. Late in the day, you will have an opportunity to attend the famous Water Puppet Show, with its introduction to Vietnamese history and mythology. At night, you will have a welcome dinner. Hotels: Majestic Salute or Sofitel. (D)
Nov 15:
A real treat is to rise early before breakfast and walk down to Hoan Kiem Lake. Here you can watch—or join-- the locals in their morning Tai Chi exercises. Returning to the hotel or stopping near the lake, you will eat breakfast and then take a tour of the city. Your path will take you past the granite and concrete mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies in state and the government buildings. Leaving the museum, you will walk around Hoan Kiem Lake in the middle of the city passing the One Pillar Pagoda, built in 1049 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong to celebrate the birth of his only son, and Ho Chi Minh’s house, given him by the people of the country in thanks for his leadership. If time permits, you will also visit some of the most important temples of Hanoi. One of the most interesting is the Temple of Literature, called “Le Pagoda des Corbeaux” by the French, because of the huge flocks of crows gathering in the mango trees near the entrance. Built in 1070, the complex consists of five courtyards dedicated to Confucius and the pursuit of Confucian thought and behavior. It is here that Vietnam’s first university was founded. Another fascinating shrine is the Dao Quan Bich Cau Temple, built in the 15th century and dedicated to the military hero Ta Uyen, who fought many battles against Cham. One of the most beautiful in Vietnam, this Taoist temple contains statues of the hero, his wife and son. Nearby is a statue to Lao-Tse, who founded the Taoist faith around 604 BC.
Perhaps the most interesting area you will visit is the Old Quarter. Here many tiny streets join to sell a huge diversity of products. In the old days, each street bore the name of the product sold – “Shoe Street,” “Noodle Street,” and the like. Today, the streets sometimes sell a variety of items, but often the names are accurate. The Old Quarter also houses some of the most interesting art galleries and fashion houses. Hotels: Majestic Salute or Sofitel. (B)
Nov 16:
Today is a craft day. You will begin with a short drive outside Hanoi to Van Ha, a village known for its woodcarvings. The people are known for making huge statues, as well as water puppets. Although most water puppets are carved to order, if luck is with you, you may find people working on the puppets. Leaving Van Ha, you will continue on to Dong Ky, a second woodcarving village. Here the craftsmen produce old-style wooden furniture. From here, you will drive to Battrang. This area is known for its pottery, and you can watch old craftsmen create everything from small statues to big terra cotta seats. The artisans will explain the different pottery processes and show you how they work. If you still have energy, you can make a final stop at Van Phuc, a village known for its silk. Return to Hanoi. Hotels: Majestic Salute or Sofitel. (B)
Nov 17:
 Today will be another special day in a very special trip. Rising early, you will be picked up from your hotel in Hanoi and driven to Ha Long for lunch. Here you will meet your crew from Sea Canoe – hosts for the next few days. You do not have to be able to paddle to do this trip. Sea Canoe will do all of the work and you can just enjoy. Sea Canoe operates a classic Chinese boat called a “junk” to travel from place to place in the bay. On the boat, they have a group of rubberized, inflatable sea canoes. When they arrive at an island they wish to explore, they will inflate the canoes, put them in the water, and paddle to the island.
Halong Bay, or “Bay of the Landing Dragon,” is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Here, among approximately 1,500 square miles of water, sprout numerous limestone islets and odd-shaped rock sculptures. Both caves and lagoons host small paddle houseboats that welcome the rarely seen visitor and contain many new and wonderful life forms.
When you arrive, the dock will be crowded with quaint tourist “junks” vying for position. After a fun
scramble, sometimes across several boats, to get to your boat, you will settle-in for an overnight Halong Bay adventure. Some boats are more luxurious than others, but all offer comfortable accommodations and very good service from a willing crew.
 During your time with Sea Canoe, all your meals are included. Many will be purchased as you travel from local fishermen. At night, you will sleep on the deck or in the cabin of the brand new escort boat, which is fitted with a full galley, showers, and a western toilet. Most of the first afternoon will be spent exploring Haeng Toi cave. In the evening you will have a dinner of fresh seafood and vegetables. There may be an optional night paddle for those who wish. Overnight on the boat. (B, L, D)
Nov 18:
Paddle your own canoe, or be paddled by award-winning Sea Canoe staff in a Halong trip that is vastly different from the typical, glitzy Vietnamese tourist fare. Each day, you will explore complicated rock gardens, paddle long dark sea caves, and visit cliff-lined inland lagoons (phongs in Vietnamese.) Note that outside of certain destinations, such as Haeng Toi, the itinerary will depend on the season and the tides. Thus, few stops are detailed and each trip is different. Your English-speaking Sea Canoe guides are trained in cave kayaking and the natural history of the bay, and will determine where you go. Overnight on the boat. (B, L, D)
Nov 19:
  After time to photograph the gorgeous landscape, you will depart for Halong City, bid farewell to your sea canoe crew, and return to Hanoi in time to board the first-class Victoria train to Lao Cai (10 hours).
Each air-conditioned sleeping berth contains two bunk beds with a capacity for four people. To upgrade to a two person person berth, it is an additional $40 per person. Please let us know as soon as possible if this your preference as two-person cabins are extremely limited. Bathrooms are shared.
Overnight on board the train. (B, L)
Nov 20:
Arriving in Sapa at 6:00AM in the morning, you will transfer to the Hotel Victoria to wash up. Sapa, at an altitude of about 5000 feet, was controlled by the Japanese, French, Chinese and Vietnamese. Most recently, in 1979, the town was ravaged by the Chinese and has been restored by the Vietnamese. Parts of the French legacy still survive in the form of spacious villas. In addition to the refreshing cool air, imposing mountain peaks, and drifting valley mist, there is another attraction to this market town. On Saturday afternoon, people flock from Lao Cai’s hill tribes, dressed in native costumes. At night, the men court groups of women by inviting them to exchange love songs. Although the songs can be long, the conversations are often short. Since the region is rife with distinctly different dialects, people often lack a common language.
 As a counterpoint to yesterday’s train, today is an opportunity to visit some of the hill tribe villages around Sa Pa. Local research suggests that the area around Sa Pa has been only recently populated, perhaps first by the Yao about 300 years ago. About 150 years ago, different groups of Hmong may have migrated to the region from China, settling peacefully with the other hilltribes. The major activity of the minorities is subsistence farming. Crops include rice (both flooded and mountain); corn for the pigs (and humans when the rice harvest is poor); simple vegetables; fruits, roots, and other wild plants gathered from the forest. The people raise chickens, goats, and water buffalo, and occasionally horses. If you are courageous, you can even try the local lunch of pig's blood and tofu. The area was also known for opium production, although the Vietnamese government is actively working to eliminate the drug trade in the country. Today too, villagers are profiting from tourism and the sale of their crafts, particularly jewelry and embroidery.
After breakfast, you will head out with your guide to walk through some of the villages. It is likely that you will see other tourists, but hopefully your route will avoid most. You can talk with the people, watch how they spend their days, have lunch in the villages, and enjoy the children. Dinner and accommodations tonight at the Victoria Hotel. (B, D)
Nov 21:
 Today is market day in Bac Ha and Coc Ly. The market itself is a kaleidoscope of colors, people, and animals. You will see various groups of Hmong – black, flowered, red; Nung, Dzao, Dzi and others. There are horse markets, bird markets, pig and dog markets, vegetables, and a huge market for clothes, jewelry and accessories. This is the local department store, and they are the buyers. When you are exhausted, you can repair to one of the small cafes that line the streets to drink beer, sip Vietnamese coffee, dine on pho, the local soup, or just people-watch. In the afternoon, you can visit some of the villages in the area.
In the early afternoon, you will leave Bac Ha and head down to Yen Bai, an area known for producing rubies, and about half way to Hanoi. In the evening, you will go to Mai Linh for dinner. The restaurant is known for its fresh game and offers a most unique menu. Overnight at a simple guest house. (B)
Nov 22:
It’s a long drive back to Hanoi today, but you’ll break up the trip with impromptu photo stops at other minority villages along the way, rest room breaks, and a stop for lunch. Expect to arrive in Hanoi in the early evening. Hotels: Majestic Salute or Sofitel. (B)
Nov 23:
Early in the morning, fly to Danang, where you can make two stops. You can pay a short visit to the Cham Museum, to learn a bit about the art and history of these seafaring people who settled Vietnam’s coasts. The Chams settled the central coast of Vietnam from the east – Indonesia, Polynesia, and Malaysia, bringing with them their traditions first of Hinduism and later of Buddhism and Islam. By the 15th century, the kingdom had been destroyed and few monuments remain. The museum here houses a few carvings and temple pieces that have been gathered from diverse Cham sites. Sadly, most of the best pieces were taken back to European museums by the French.
A second stop is Marble Mountain - five limestone hillocks, once islands, which are said to represent the five elements of the universe. Caves within the mountains shelter Buddhas, Bodhisatvas, local genies, and the remnants of Vietnam War history. During the Vietnam War era, the Viet Cong hid in caves in the mountains and sniped at the Americans on the beach below. Behind one of the Buddhist monuments is a cave where they also operated a field hospital and command center. Today charming pagodas and statues dot the hillsides, covering many of the bullet holes in the rocks. The town below is known for its marble sculptures, and its inhabitants will do their best to sell you anything they can.
After this sightseeing, you will continue on to Hoi An. Hotels: Riverside or Life Resort. (B)
Nov 24:
 Today you will explore Hoi An, nestled on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Before the river silted up, Hoi An was one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia, and a center for East-West exchange and trade. From the 2nd until the 10th century, Hoi An was one of the principal Cham cities. Over the years, Indian, Dutch, Portuguese, French, Thai, Indonesian, Spanish, American, Japanese, Filipino and Chinese ships docked in Hoi An. In the 19th century, as the result of warfare and environmental changes, Hoi An was replaced by Danang as a major port. Reflecting the diversity of the traders and missionaries that settled in the port (including Alexander of Rhodes), the ancient architecture is a fascinating mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese. The rooftops of Hoi An retain a magical old world Oriental feel and are a favorite subject for Vietnamese artists. In the early 1980s Hoi An’s ancient quarters and historical monuments came under the protection and restoration efforts of UNESCO and the Polish government.
You will spend the day visiting the town of Hoi An – walking the Japanese Bridge, visiting the different Chinese Assembly Halls and pagodas and walking the market. Hoi An is also a wonderful town to shop for silk. In the afternoon, you will take a boatride to some of the islands in the river. Here you can see some of the craftspeople at work – carvers, papermakers, and others. In the evening, you will have a farewell dinner at a magnificent restaurant in Hoi An. Hotels: Riverside or Life Resort. (B,D)
Nov 25:
After breakfast, return to Danang where you can connect with a flight to Hanoi. Some international flights may depart in the evening. If not, you can add an overnight stay in Hanoi for a morning departure the next day. No hotel accommodations are included tonight. (B)
PLEASE NOTE: Hotels, content, etc , are subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control. We always strive to provide you with equal or better replacements when possible,
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