Man Nguyen Private Vietnam Tour Packages – Private Central Highlands (5D4N)
My 100% customised Private Tour Packages are ideal if you are a group planning to visit Vietnam for 5D4N (5 Days 4 Nights).Surrounded by the Annamese Mountains, the five provinces of Central Highlands (Tây Nguyên) lie on plateaus 500-1500m above sea level.
Its turbulent past included Vietnam War battles. The cities of BMT (Buôn Ma Thuột) and Pleiku were almost completely rebuilt due to war damage.
Today, Central Highlands is blessed with many natural resources. Its 2 million hectares of fertile basalt soil grow coffee, cocoa, pepper, mulberry (for silk), rubber trees, cashews and tea. Bordered to the west by Cambodia and Laos, it has three national parks and is home to some of the most endangered species in South East Asia.
This is a visit to authentic Vietnam, few International visitors make this journey compared to the tourist trails of Hoi An, Da Nang etc. Yet with an interesting history, stunning mountain scenery, thundering waterfalls and colourful ethnic tribes, Central Highlands has memorable appeal to the knowledgeable traveller happy to step off the beaten track.
Day 1
We ‘meet & greet’ at Pleiku Aiport arrivals hall and take the 15 minute transfer to your Pleiku hotel for check-in. We head out again to the heart of this mountain city and visit Great Unity Square and the 10.8m high copper statue of Ho Chi Minh. We discuss the importance of ‘Uncle Ho’ to our people and the impact of the Vietnam War on Central Highlands while viewing Pleiku’s impressive (and modern) sculpture/memorial. Our City Food Tour follows,when most of the street vendors open for business (food included). We visit the most popular street stalls and hidden alleyways, showing you where, and what, our locals love to eat!
Day 2
Today we meet our local ethnic speaking translator and drive north to one of the many villages surrounding the mountain town of Kon Tum. With the village leader’s permission we enter to discover how our minority people live and work in their traditional way. We include an authentic Central Highlands lunch. The largest religious group in Central Highlands has historically been Christian and we drive into Kon Tum to visit the town’s wooden church. Its an interesting blend of hill tribe and European architecture! Behind the church is Vinh Son orphanage, and we will be happy to arrange a visit if you wish – and ensure you have suitable small gifts for the children.
Late afternoon we return you to your hotel.
Day 3
We check-out after breakfast and drive southwest through extensive rubber tree plantations towards the Cambodian border and Ia Drang valley. Here the Vietnam War’s first major battle was fought in 1965, later the subject of a film starring Mel Gibson. We continue through countless coffee, rubber and pepper plantations to enjoy the unmissable scenery and panoramic views on our 150km drive into Buôn Ma Thuột (BMT) for check-in at your hotel Lunch is included during our journey. After check-in we visit the local market with its huge array of fresh food. And its a MUST to try coffee in BMT – the centre of Vietnam’s coffee production! There are many lovely outdoor coffee shops where we can blend in with the locals early evening.
Day 4
Today, we make the 60km drive northwest to Yok Don National Park in search of Vietnamese elephants who roam freely in the forest. The Yok Don elephants used to give rides to tourists but now their welfare comes first. With your own forest guide you will learn all about these majestic animals, their rehabilitation plus the many species of plants and wildlife that inhabit this forest. We enjoy a local lunch before making our way back to BMT and your hotel.
Day 5
Your hotel pick-up after check-out today, and the short drive south through ethnic villages to Dak Lak province and the wonderful 30m Dray Nur waterfall and lakes. Followed by transfer to Buôn Ma Thuột Airport for your onwards flight.
Nha Trang Two-Night Extension
Extending your stay by two nights allows for the most scenic drive eastwards out of the mountainous central Highlands down to the resort city of Nha Trang. Known as the seafood capital of Vietnam, it even has its own Oceanography Institute founded in 1922 plus a wonderful 7km main beach of pristine sand. Its said Nha Trang enjoys more days of sunshine than anywhere else in Vietnam.
As well as beach attractions, Nha Trang has a historic past with a noticeable French influence from the 1920s & ’30s
Our first day includes the memorable 180km drive from your BMT hotel to check-in mid-afternoon at the seaside! Lunch is provided today.
Day two is your full-day tour of Nha Trang from south to north, including the memorial pagoda of Long Son, the French Gothic Cathedral Church with beautiful stained glass, the holiday villa of our last emperor (one of seven French villas with wonderful sea views), Nha Trang Oceanographic Institute, the 8th century Cham Tower and Chong Promontory (with its ‘husband & wife’ rocks). We pay a visit to the local’s Dam Market and of course the beach! Lunch is included today.
Day three includes your hotel pick-up after check out and transfer the 30km to Nha Trang (Cam Ranh) International Airport.