Practical info

1. Airport access
Transport from the airport to Ben Thanh Station-District 1 (nearby Ben Thanh Market, the hotel, Downtown):

–       Taxi:                 Mai Linh Taxi or Vinasun Taxi

Fare is around 160,000 VND ~ 7 USD

–       Bus 152:           6:00AM – 18:00 PM

runs every 30 minutes.

Fare: 5.000 VND ~ 20 Cent

–       Bus 109:             5:45 AM – 11:45 PM

runs every 40 minutes.

Fare: 20.000 VND ~ 1 USD

Transport from the Ben Thanh Station-District 1 (nearby Ben Thanh Market, the hotel, Downtown) to NTTU:

–       Taxi:                 Mai Linh Taxi or Vinasun Taxi

Fare is around 50,000 VND ~ 2 USD

–       Bus 20:             04:20AM – 20:00 PM

runs every 20 minutes.

Fare: 5.000 VND ~ 20 Cent

 

2. Sightseeing
The conference fee does not include the sightseeing tour. However, there are 3 options with additional cost that we can offer as below:

TOUR 1: MEKONG DELTA 1 DAY – MY THO BEN TRE (unit price: 199,000 VND (~10 USD)/person)

TOUR 2: CAO DAI TEMPLE AND CU CHI TUNNELS (unit price: 169,000 VND (~8 USD)/person)

TOUR 3: CU CHI TUNNELS (MORNING) AND HO CHI MINH CITY (AFTERNOON) Unit price: 169,000 VND (~8 USD)

 

TOUR 1: MEKONG DELTA 1 DAY – MY THO BEN TRE

Unit price: 199,000 VND (~10 USD) [Prices may be subject to change due to departure date]

8:30AM Departing from TheSinhTourist office for My Tho city by air-conditioned bus. In My Tho, boarding the motorboat at a pier and cruising on the Mekong River. Here, overlooking floating houses where fishes are farmed beneath the house (viewing from the motorboat).

Continuing the journey on the river until reaching Cồn Thới Sơn (Unicorn Island), from here taking a horse cart to reach a performance site where Vietnamese traditional music (Đàn Ca Tài Tử – A folk art form from Southern Vietnam accredited by UNESCO in 2013 as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) can be heard and seasonal tropical fruit can be tasted (included).

Afterward, being on a small hand-rowing boat (the main mean of transportation in My Tho & Ben Tre) and slowly cruising through a small creek with beautiful overhanging coconut trees. Lives from both sides of the creek can be observed.

Before heading to lunch, passing through bee-keeping farm and enjoying honey tea, a typical Mekong house can be viewed here. Then, it is lunch time after a short walk.

After lunch, boarding the motorboat and heading to learn coconut candies making process from a workshop. Sample of candies can be tasted.

03:00PM Returning back to bus and going back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Lunch menu (6 people per table)

  1. Deep-fried crispy Tai Tuong fish
  2. Deep-fried spring rolls
  3. Sweet sour vegetable soup
  4. Stir-fried water spinach with garlic
  5. Caramelized pork and fish in clay pot
  6. Rice
  7. Tea

Including: 

  • Lunch
  • Air conditioned bus/minivan/car
  • English speaking guide
  • Wet tissue and one bottle of water/person
  • Boat trips, tropical fruit platter and honey tea
  • Traditional music performance and horse cart.

Excluding:

  • All other services not mentioned in the above program
  • All meals and beverages unspecified in the above program
  • Personal expenses, travel insurance
  • Tips for tour guide and driver

 

TOUR 2: CAO DAI TEMPLE AND CU CHI TUNNELS

Unit price: 169,000 VND (~8 USD) [Prices may be subject to change due to departure date]

07:45AM Departing from TheSinhTourist office to Cao Dai Temple where daily Mass is held by Cao Dai’s followers at noon. Cao Dai is the combination of Confucianism, Christianity, Taoism and Buddhism. Afterward, have lunch at a nearby restaurant.

 

02:00PM Arriving at Cu Chi tunnels (Ben Dinh) and proceeding to an underground hut to watch a short video and presentation about Cu Chi tunnels before having a real hand-on experience of what it took to live in the tunnels. Afterward, test tasting the steamed tapioca root which is the main staple food in Cu Chi during the war. For those interested, there is an opportunity to fire off an AK47 or MK16 with real ammunitions at the nearby shooting range.

Departure: 07:45AM        – End: 06:00PM (ETA)

Include: Bus, English speaking guide.

Exclude: Lunch, entrance fees.

 

TOUR 3: CU CHI TUNNELS (MORNING) AND HO CHI MINH CITY (AFTERNOON)

Unit price: 169,000 VND (~8 USD) [Prices may be subject to change due to departure date]

Morning: 

07:45AM Depart for Cu Chi tunnels from TheSinhTourist office. 

Around 9:30AM Arriving at Cu Chi tunnels (Ben Dinh) and proceeding to an underground hut to watch a short video and presentation about Cu Chi tunnels before having a real hand-on experience of what it took to live in the tunnels. Afterward, test tasting the steamed tapioca root which is the main staple food in Cu Chi during the war. For those interested, there is an opportunity to fire off an AK47 or MK16 with real ammunitions at the nearby shooting range. Leaving Cu Chi tunnels at noon and returning back to HCM city for lunch at own expense.

Afternoon: 

02:15PM Visiting War Remnants Museum – originally opened in September 1975; it displays old military equipment and other related items from Vietnam War. Afterward, continuing seeing the Reunification Palace, formerly known as the Presidential Palace. The place symbolizes the end of Vietnam War when a North Vietnamese army tank went through its gates. Then taking a short stroll to see Notre Dame Cathedral and General Post Office, they are the beautiful examples of architecture from the French colonial period.

Departure: 07:45AM        – End: 05:00PM (ETA)

Include: Bus, English speaking guide.

Exclude: Lunch, entrance fees.