Travelon's inaugural tour to Vietnam, a success

Travelon ventured to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) City with 14 Sri Lankans led by tour captain, Director Bandula De Silva last month

This was the maiden voyage to Vietnam and the 10th by Travelon. The company has already completed tours to Myanmar, Egypt, Kenya, Bhutan, Northern Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos and Indonesia. The group arrived at Tan Son Nhat airport Ho Chi Minh City via a Thai International A340 flight and was met by Dent Tran Director of Travel Indochina, in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh).

The tour began with an evening City tour to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral and the Post Office built during the French era and is still functioning with past efficiency and glory followed by dinner in HCMC at an elegant up-market authentic Vietnamese Restaurant in the Old Qartier (Old Town). The next day was an excursion to Chu Chi Tunnels. One could also crawl through the tunnel network and taste, boiled tapioca and crushed peanuts which was a staple diet of Vietcom during the war.

The highlights of the Hanoi visit were the water puppet show, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (where Father Ho’s body is kept in a 16°C display room for nine months – from December to August each year.

The rest of the year his remains are stored in Russia to be treated with special chemicals), One Pillar Pagoda, and fine arts museum. The most important site visit in Vietnam is considered the Halong Bay excursion. (Halong Bay is considered the second most important natural wonder of the world).