Vietnam Trip

Published 24th July 2024 · Updated 26th July 2024

At the end of Term 2, a group of Year 10 – 13 students embarked on ISCT’s first-ever international tour of the spectacular country of Vietnam. Excitement was through the roof as we met with our teacher in charge, Miss de Villiers, and our tour coordinator from Travel and Sport at the airport. After saying our final goodbyes, we started our long plane journey which would see us stop in Johannesburg and Singapore before arriving in the capital – Hanoi.

We were greeted by our first friendly tour guide James and hopped in our air-conditioned private bus – something we were all very thankful for as the humidity took us all by shock! After checking into our hotel, we enjoyed a traditional meal at a local restaurant, before exploring the night market at the Hanoi Old Quarter. This is where we did most of our shopping and was a true reflection of the busy city nightlife every weekend. The next morning, we visited the Ethnology Museum where we learned all about the different Vietnamese tribes and what life was like before the country became modernised. We even got to explore the gardens where there were preserved traditional Vietnamese houses! After some quick shopping at a beautiful handmade gift shop, we were off to the Temple of Literature where we learned all about the ancient exams that used to be held there, and the importance of working for the King. Next, we were lucky enough to watch a traditional Water Puppet Show at the Thang Long Theatre which is an extremely popular activity in the country. This proved to be a highlight for many of us, as we watched the beautifully crafted dragons and other puppets dance through the water, learning about ancient tales accompanied by live musicians. We enjoyed a very fancy buffet dinner before another visit to the night market and then rested for the evening.

Early the next morning, we packed our bags for our transfer to Ha Long Bay where we enjoyed a 6-hour long private boat trip accompanied by a fresh seafood lunch. The sights were extraordinary, and nothing that could be fully captured in a photograph. Some of us decided to take a closer look by taking a short canoe trip around the bay. We visited the amazing Thien Cung Cave where we learnt about its discovery and the ancient tales that had been told about it. After we docked, we said goodbye to James before boarding our overnight train trip to Hue Imperial City. The train journey was definitely an experience to remember, seeing what it’s like to travel around the country in a ‘normal’ style.

When we arrived the next morning in our next city – Hue Imperial, we were greeted by our tour guide Ha, before beginning our full day of guided tours. We visited many historical sites today, including the Khai Dinh Tomb, King Tu Duc Tomb, and the beautiful Thien Mu Pagoda. After lunch, we also spent some time at the Imperial Citadel which was a real site to behold! We went on a quick cruise on the Perfume River before being treated to dinner at a restaurant on the water. We returned to our hotel where we had a needed rest.

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we checked out as we were moving to our next city – Hoi An. When we arrived after the bus journey, we had a local lunch before enjoying a walking tour of Hoi An. We visited the Japanese-covered bridge, 18th-century Vietnamese houses, a Hokkien Temple, and an old Pagoda. We were treated to a fun trip on the spinning boats before having a swim at the beach. After dinner, we explored the Riverside Market where the streets were elegantly lined with glowing lanterns.

After a night at the hotel, we checked in for our short internal flight to Ho Chi Minh City where we were met by Vinh, our final tour guide. After a delicious lunch, we got to explore the marvelous forest of the Cu Chi tunnels, learning all about the Vietnam War that took place in the 1950s. We learned about how the soldiers lived in the exquisitely organised tunnels as well as their battle techniques before being able to crawl through the tunnels ourselves! Exhausted from all the sightseeing and travelling we resided at our hotel, ready for our final day before heading back home.

We woke up bright and early for our boat trip of the Mekong Delta where we cruised along the creeks of the Ben Tre Province. We visited a Bee-keeping farm, and a Coconut Candy factory and enjoyed fruit and traditional music at one of the islands. We enjoyed some leisurely shopping time at the Ben Thanh Market before our transfer to the airport, waving goodbye to the beautiful country of Vietnam and leaving with unforgettable memories. Thank you to Miss de Villiers and Mr Tait for allowing us this incredible opportunity, as well as the school management. Another big thank you to our guardian who this would not have been possible without, this was the trip of a lifetime!

– By Cara-Claire