Trip Itinerary

Massachusetts College of Art
Arts & Culture of Vietnam

December 31, 2013- January 17, 2014

Tuesday December 31st
Arrive at Logan Airport : 5AM
Depart Boston – 7:20 AM American 1165 to JFK, arriving 8:40AM
Depart JFK – 12:20PM Korean Air KE 0038 arrive Seoul Korea Incheon International Airport, January 2 4:50pm,

Wednesday January 1st
Depart Seoul — 7PM Korean Air KE 0683

Arrive Ho Chi Minh City 10:30PM Rich will meet us at the hotel. Hotel check in:
Aquari Hotel
9 Thi Sach Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: (+84 8) 38 29 28 28 / 38 29 28 29
Web: www.aquarihotel.vn/
HCMC
Thursday January 2nd

  • 8:00 AM      Breakfast 
  • 9:00 AM      Rich meets us and we pick up business cards and change money.
  • •9:30 AM     Walk to HCMC Fine Arts Museum.
  • 11:00 AM    Taxis to Galerie Quynh (65 De Tham, Q.1) Quynh will speak about space/artists.
  • 12:00 PM     Restaurant near San Art (4 Me Linh, Q. Binh Thanh) 
  • 2:00 PM      San Art (2 Me Linh, Q. Binh Thanh) Zoe M. Butt/Arlette Tran
  • 4:00 PM      Zero Station, 288 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, District 1. (www.zerostationvn.org)
  • 5:00-7:30  Students can shop or explore the city on foot. Recommendations: Ben Thanh Market, Saigon Square, Dong Khoi Street.
  • 7:30 PM      Dinner at RU, 27E Tran Nhat Duat, District 1

HCMC
Friday January 3rd

  • 8:00 AM     Breakfast
  • 9:00 AM      Depart for HCMC Fine Arts University. (Our Sister School) Transportation?? 
  • Lunch arranged by Long at University. Return to hotel after lunch.
  • 1:00 PM      Visit to RMIT University Vietnam. (Where Rich teaches / Australian Art School with English Speaking Vietnamese Students) Presentation on Contemporary Vietnamese Art by Rich at the university. 
  • 3:00 PM      Visit to company of Rich’s studio
  • 4:30 PM      Visit to studio/home of Bui Cong Khanh . Return to Hotel after.
  • 7:30 PM      Dinner at Banh Xeo at 46A Dinh Cong Trang, Q1) 
  • Evening shopping on Dong Khoi , hanging out with other Vietnamese students. Late evening explorations in Pham Ngu Lao for the energetic and adventurous.
  • 9:30 PM      Motorbike tour through city and music at local Rock bar.

HCMC
Saturday January 4th

  • 7:30 AM      Breakfast
  • 8:30 AM      Leave Hotel by bus to My Tho 15 minutes with English speaking guide– River Trip up Mekong River . Cruising on the Mekong river for sightseeing: the view of the river’s banks, fish-floating market and islands of Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, Phoenix.
  • Landing on Unicorn Island, visit an orchard of tropical fruits: Enjoy seasonal fruits and listen to Southern traditional music.  Visit coconut candy workshop, taste fresh candies. Get on a horse-cart on the countryside road. Visit a bee- farm and enjoy honey- tea.  Discover Vam Chua natural canal (Ben Tre province) by rowing boat.
  • Lunch
  • Back My Tho by big boat. Back to Ho Chi Minh.
  • 5PM      Return to hotel 
  • Connect with Rich about Artists Flea Market.
  • EVENING:    Dinner on your own. Janna and Janet will make suggestions.

TRAVEL DAY TO HO ANI
(Fly to Da Nang and Airport Pickup 30 seat bus)

Sunday January 5th

  • 8:00 AM      Breakfast 
  • 9:00 AM      Check out of Rooms. 
  • Morning shopping.
  • TIME???     Depart for Tan Son Nhat Airport airport:
  • Flight detail: VN 1324 SGN – DAD Departing 14.45 arriving at 16:00
  • Brief stop at Champ Museum on way to Hoi An. Hotel Check in:
  • Late afternoon walk around and shopping in Hoi An.

 

Vinh Hung Riverside Resort

111 Ngo Quyen St., An Hoi Islet, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam Tel: (84-510) 3910 393

Web: www.vinhhungresort.com 

  • Dinner on your own. Refer to restaurant list.

Monday January 6th

  • 8:00 AM      Breakfast.
  • 9:00 AM      Walk thru town and Go to tailors.
  • Lunch In Market
  • 1:30 PM      Meet at Hai Scout Café (98 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street) for a drink. This is the start of our Cooking class and visit to the farm. — Vegetable Village for Farming, Rice Papermaking 
  • Visit Hoi An’s market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later. 
  • We board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river life, so make sure your camera is handy.
  • On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb and vegetable garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by the Red Bridge chef’s, before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration).

After the lesson, we sit down and eat exactly what we have cooked.
Recipes (our food contains no MSG):
1. Making fresh Rice paper
2. Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of Shrimp
3. Crispy Hoi An Pancakes with Shrimp, Herbs & a Peanut Sauce
4. Seafood Salad with mixed Vietnamese Herbs served in Half a Pineapple
5. Vietnamese Eggplant in Clay Pot
Food Decoration – Tomato Rose & Vietnamese Cucumber Hand Fan

  • Dinner suggested at various locations. Refer to restaurant list.

Tuesday January 7th

  • 8:30 AM         Breakfast
  • 9:30 AM         Leave for Old Historic Hoi An. Purchase tickets. Guided tour.
  • Lunch on your own.
  • Afternoon visit artist with handicap business. Embroidery artists. Market and shopping. Drawing and Photographing. Visits to tailors.
  • Afternoon and evening free.
  • Dinner on your own. Refer to restaurant list.

TRAVEL DAY TO HUE

Wednesday January 8th

  • 8:00 AM    Breakfast
  • Time??    Check out of hotel.
  • Time??    Bus departs Silk Village and onto My Son. Morning Drawing and Photographing.
  • Lunch ??
  • After lunch depart for Hue over mountain. Hotel Check In:

Huong Giang Hotel
51 Le Loi Street | Thua thien, Hue, Vietnam Tel: (84-54) 3822122 www.huonggianghotel.com.vn

  • Dinner: Janna and Janet will make suggestions. Suggest eating in hotel or at one of the restaurants close to the hotel.
  • Walk city streets to New Space Gallery. Meet Le Brothers.

Thursday January 9th

  • 8:00 AM      Breakfast 
  • 9:00 AM       Market visit with Ba’s sister Hue
  • 10:30 AM     Visit Thich Nath Hanh Pagoda. Incense along roadside.  Drawing and  Photographing.
  • Light Lunch 
  • Depart for visit to the foundry where bells and Buddhist objects are cast.
  • Dinner: Refer to restaurant list.

Friday January 10th

  • 8:00 AM       Breakfast 
  • 9:00 AM       River trip arranged by Hue to the Thien Mu Pagoda and onto motorcycles.
  • Lunch on boat. Hue will buy fruits, water,…etc.
  • Visit two tombs: Tu Duc and Khai Dinh on motorbikes and then return on boat
  • After return: Visit Handicap Children Business with donations.
  • Dinner on your own. Reservations being made at the Buddhist vegetarian restaurant for those who want to join.

TRAVEL DAY TO HANOI
(Airport pick up)
Saturday January 11th

  • 8:00 AM      Breakfast and check out of rooms.
  • 9:00 AM      Visit Citadel
  • Return to hotel for luggage and depart for airport.
  • Depart for Phy Bai Airport airport. Flying to Hanoi
  • Flight detail: VN 1542 HUI – HAN  Dep.15:35 – Arr. 16:45
  • Bus to hotel. Check In.

Artisan Boutique Hotel
24 Hang Hanh Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel: +84 43 938 1900
Web: www.artisanboutiquehotel.com/

  • Evening walk to 36 Streets.
  • Dinner on your own. Group going to Moka Café. Western Cuisine

Sunday January 12th

  • 8:00 AM      Breakfast 
  • 9:00 AM      Visit Van Mieu and Craft Link
  • Lunch paid individually at Koto Restaurant, which an Australian NGO which trains street children to work in the restaurant industry.
  • Afternoon: Visit to Fine Arts Museum and Goethe Institute. 
  • Return to hotel
  • Dinner on your own. Reservation being made at ChaKa Restaurant, very famous for fish hot pot. 
  • Evening: Either Possible Water Puppets or Jazz Club

Monday January 13th

  • 8:00 AM      Breakfast 
  • 9:00 AM     Driver pick upVu Duc Hieu’s Muong Village Museum
  • Lunch on the road.
  • Afternoon: Return to Hotel in Afternoon
  • Dinner on your own Refer to Restaurant List
  • Evening: Either Possible Water Puppets or Visit to Jazz Club

Tuesday January 14th

  • 8:00 AM     Breakfast
  • 9:00 AM     Drive to Bat Trang (55minute drive) 
  • Afternoon: Visit Artist studios including Le Quoc Viet and shopping
  • Dinner: On your own.

Wednesday January 15th

  • 7:00 AM Early Breakfast and check out of rooms. Everything stored in three rooms only. Take only what you need for over night on boat.

V’spirit Cruise Tel: + 84 4 3247 4488

  • 8:00 AM    Depart by bus early to Ha Long Bay. Our driver will pick up you at hotel and then transfer to Quang Ninh for taking the trip “2 days package on Ha Long Bay”.
  • Noon Arrive at Bai Chay Wharf 
  • 12:15 PM    Transfer by tender to the Marguerite Junk boat – enjoy Welcome Drink. Receive Junk Facilities and Cruise Instruction as well as Cruise Briefing before check in to cabins and begin cruise Off the Beaten Track. 
  • 1:00 PM      Lunch – Deluxe Vietnamese Set Menu. 
  • 3:00 PM     Arrive at the Surprise Cave area. Transfer by tender to the Surprise Cave. 
  • Walk up the 100 steps to the entrance of the cave and tour on foot for approximately 45 minutes. 
  • 4:00 PM     Return to the boat. Enjoy kayaking program to the nearby Cave, lagoon and surrounding waters as well as exploring the daily life of the local people in floating village 
  • 5:00 PM     Enjoy swimming or relaxing on board. 
  • 6:30 PM     Take part in our cooking class with crispy spring rolls 
  • 7:30 PM     Dinner – deluxe Vietnamese Set Menu Dinner. 
  • 8:30 PM     Evening activities include: film entertainment in the dining room, board games and playing cards are available, squid fishing from the boat with our crew. 
  • 11:00 PM    End of program for Day One.

Thursday January 16th

  • 7:00 AM       Coffee, tea and light breakfast pastries served in the dining room.
  • 8:00 AM       Enjoy riding on the rowing boat to the tunnel cave 
  • 9:00 AM      Check-out of cabins. Enjoy relaxing, sunbathing on sundeck while our boat cruise back on different route. 
  • 10:45 AM     Enjoy lunch Set Menu served in the dining room while enjoy the bay scenery as we approach the pier (passing Fight Cocks, Incense Burner, Stone Dog). 
  • 12:00           Transfer by tender to the pier, relax inside the pier building while waiting for return transportation. Our driver will pick up you at the meeting point and then transfer back to Ha Noi.
  • 8:00 PM       Departure from hotel at for transferring to Noi Bai Airport and taking the next flight back HOME.
  • 11:10 PM      Flight detail: Depart Ha Noi Korean Air KE 0680

Friday January 17th

  • 5:05 AM        Arrive Seoul 
  • 10:00 AM      Depart Seoul. Korean Air KE 0035 
  • 9:25 AM        Arrive Atlanta Georgia 
  • 1:51 PM        Depart Atlanta Delta 2100 
  • 4:25 PM        Arrive Boston 4:25PM ( NOTE: Kirsten and Dan depart Delta 2288 at 12:30pm and arrive Boston 3:03PM)