A tentative
itinerary for a visit to Vietnam
by a delegation of
US anti-war activists
(From 19 – 30 April, 2015)
Pre program options:
Cambodia and Laos: April 14-19
Early arrival Hanoi, sightseeing Ha Long Bay: April 17-19
---------------------------------
A Tentative Itinerary
for a visit to Vietnam
by a delegation of
US anti-war activists
(From 19 – 30
April, 2015)
Sunday, 19 April, 2015: HANOI
18:00 Dinner
among delegation members (meet in hotel lobby)
Monday, 20 April, 2015:
9:30-10:30 Presentation “The American War and the Anti-War Movement” by Historian
Duong Trung Quoc.
10:30-11:30 Presentation “Social and Economic Transformation from the time of Doi Moi” by
Mr. Bui The Giang, Vice President of the Vietnam – USA Society, at 105A Quan
Thanh Str.
12:00 Lunch
14:00–15:00
Visit the Museum of Vietnamese Ethnology
15:15
Visit GARCO 10 Clothing Factory
(equitizing State company; during the war,
manufactured
uniforms, now largest exporter to Europe and the US)
Tuesday, 21 April, 2015:
8:00-9:30 Visit to the Temple of Literature &
Vietnam Military History Museum
9:50-10:30 Meeting with the Americas Department of
Ministry of Foreign Affairs -
Presentation “Relations with the US
before and after Normalization”
10:45-11:30 Meeting with Mr. Nguyen Vu Tung, Vice –
Director of the Diplomatic
Academy, Head of
the Institute for East Sea Vietnam Study – “The
Situation in the Sea”.
12:00 Lunch
14:00-18:00 “Friendship
Meeting with American peace & anti-war delegates”
Dinner-Buffet
Wednesday, 22 April, 2015:
8:00-10:30 Visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum/His House (House
on stilt of
Late President Ho
Chi Minh)
10:45-11:15 Meeting with Vietnamese Leader (Tentative)
12:00 Lunch
14:00-15:00:
Meeting with Mr. Tran Dac Loi, Deputy Head of
the Commission for
Foreign Relations
of the Party
15:00-16:30
Visit the Women’s Museum
17h20 Water
puppet show
19:00 Dinner with George (son of Wilfred) and Ilsa
Burchette
Thursday, 23 April, 2015: HANOI-HUE
7:30 Check out the hotel (all luggage
ready in the Lobby)
08:15 Leave the hotel for the US Embassy
(All passports need to be ready
for security check at the Embassy)
09:00-10:00 meeting with US ambassador
Travel by bus directly to
the Noi Bai Airport to fly to HUE
13:35 Fly to Hue on the Flight No. VN1543M
14:45 Arrive in Hue. Transfer to the Hotel.
Check in the hotel.
Personal activities
19:00 Dinner with friends
Friday, 24 April, 2015: HUE
7:30 Travel to A Sao valley by bus to
learn about Agent Orange contamination (70
km distance)
12:00 Lunch with community leaders
Afternoon: Visit victims cared for by their families
Travel back to Hue
18:00 Dinner with Hue Union of Friendship
Organizations
Saturday, 25 April, 2015: Visit Quang Tri
8:00 Travel to Quang Tri land mine/UXO
projects by bus (over 200km distance)
Lunch with local officials,
DMZ
14:00 Return to Hue
Evening Folklore concert on boat
Sunday, 26 April, 2015: Visiting DA NANG –
Overnight in HỘI AN
Morning Check out Hotel.
Visit Royal Palace, lunch
in Hue
Afternoon Travel to Da Nang by bus (100km distance)
Arrive in Da Nang.
Meeting
with Da Nang Association of Victims of Agent Orange (DAVA)
Visit AO victims
-
Check
in hotel in Hoi An
19:00 Dinner with Andrew Wells-Dang (to be
confirmed)
Monday, 27 April, 2015: DA NANG - HO CHI
MINH CITY
Morning Relax on the beach or walk around Hoi An
Check out the hotel
Lunch with Union of
Friendship Organizations in Da Nang City
14:00 Visit
the Remediation Site of AO in Da Nang
17:30 Dinner with Da Nang Association of
Victims of Agent Orange (DAVA)
Leave Restaurant for DANANG
AIRPORT
21:10 Fly to Ho Chi Minh City on the flight
No. VN131Y
22:30 Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. Transfer
to hotel. Check in hotel.
Tuesday, 28 April, 2015: HO CHI MINH CITY
8:00 Visit to the Reunification Hall
(i.e. the former President Palace) and
the Museum of the
War Relics
12:00 Lunch
14:00 Visit Tu Du Hospital
15:20 Meeting with the Vietnam Union of
Friendship Organizations of Ho Chi
Minh City and get-together
with Vietnamese peace activists, former
political prisoners in
“tiger cage”
Wednesday, 29 April, 2015:
OPTION
1:
8:30 Travel to Tay Ninh
11:45 Visit the Cao Dai Temple to view Mass
13:10 Depart Tay Ninh for Cu Chi; stop for
lunch
15:00 Visit to Cu Chi Tunnels at Ben Duoc
Gate
Visit Thien Phuoc
Humanitarian Center and meet Father Phan KhacTu
17:10 Return to Ho Chi Minh City
OPTION
2: Activities related to the State-organized 40th Anniversary
ceremony Program.
Evening Dinner hosted by leaders of the City
People’s Committee
Thursday, 30 April, 2015:
06h00:
Attend the Celebration of the 40th
Anniversary of the Liberation of
South Vietnam and National
Reunification (Military parade, meeting…)
Afternoon
and evening flights for US
Friday, 1 May, 2015:
A
day off: Shopping
Evening Leave
Vietnam for the US or Cambodia
----------------------------------------
Estimate of Costs
I am trying to keep costs as low as possible by not having you go through a travel agent here. The down side will be several payments, and either bringing cash to cover your Vietnam program or making a bank transfer to FfRD.
Cambodia and Laos are estimates. We will be on our own except for meetings I arrange.
Transpacific flights
There are too many origin points and itineraries to do more than agree on a time to meet in Phnom Penh or Hanoi.
You will be getting an open jaw ticket: home city to Phnom Penh or Hanoi; Ho Chi Minh City to home or Washington (unless you go elsewhere in Asia).
You should check with your travel agent or favorite booking engine.
If you can afford it, or have mileage, get at least a premium economy ticket. A flight in economy is hard. Business class is ideal but is too expensive unless you have the mileage to upgrade that much. Depending on connections, the travel time will total between 21 and 30 or more hours, with the loss of a day on the calendar. Vayama is a good site for Asian airlines, but once you decide which airline you want to use, check its own web site for costs, seat choices, mileage options and upgrades.
I will depart Ho Chi Minh City on April 30th to get back to Washington by May 1st. If you want to stay longer in Vietnam or in the region, that is fine but you will be on your own.
Cambodia/Laos
If you are going directly to Phnom Penh, US departure is probably on April 13 for arrival on April 14
If you want to go to Angkor Wat on your own first, plan on flying from the US by April 11 to Siem Reap and on coming to Phnom Penh on April 14 (plane, boat or bus)
We will be going from Phnom Penh to Vientiane on April 17 and to Hanoi on April 19. If you prefer to go to Angkor Wat on your own, rather than to Laos, you will depart about the same time from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and then come directly from there to Hanoi on April 19th.
The air costs are about the same, currently listing from Phnom Penh to Vientiane to Hanoi at $375 and Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) to Hanoi at $353. Plan for cost of hotel and meals in Cambodia and Laos to be $100 to $150 per day There will be an additional cost ($50?) for entry to Angkor Wat.
In other words, Phnom Penh + Vientiane or Phnom Penh + Angkor Wat will cost about $500 to $750. If you go beforehand to Angkor Wat, estimate an additional $500.
Vietnam
For the core Vietnam trip, you need to be in Hanoi by Sunday, April 19th.
The per person cost in Vietnam for hotels, many meals, domestic transportation, meals for guests, etc. is $1,400 per person double occupancy, $1,800 with single supplement.
The donation to FRD which covers my costs to prepare the trip and to accompany you is $ 500. That can be done as a tax deductible contribution to http://tinyurl.com/donateffrd Insert VN in the box.
If you want to go to Ha Long Bay, you need to arrive in Hanoi by Friday, April 17, either direct from the US or by-passing Laos. There are a variety of excursions, including one night on a boat or in a beach hotel. For Friday night in Hanoi and Saturday night at Ha Long with transportation, it is probably between $250 and $350 each..
So with 15 participants, your total cost for Vietnam only will be $2200 double occupancy plus international air, including Cambodia and Laos $2700 to $3000 plus international air.
big mistake to leave off a visit to the Women's Museum in Hanoi
ReplyDeleteit is being scheduled
ReplyDelete