South Vietnam bite-sized trips

Scoot through Saigon on a vintage Vespa, searching for hidden street food hotspots. You’ll zip through the backstreets after dark, sample the best traditional snacks in the city and listen to local live music as you sip on a Vietnamese coffee. It’s a night tour and a foodie adventure rolled into one. Ho Chi Minh is a city that comes alive after nightfall and this is a great way to get a slice of the action. You’ll stay in a comfy hotel near the central market.

Leave the honking scooter horns and rapid pace of the city behind, and head into a completely different world of riverbank villages, jostling floating markets and small local producers of coconut candy, honey, rice crackers and exotic fruit. Spend a night in the home of a local Vietnamese family to learn about their way of life and, perhaps most importantly, how to cook those delicious Delta specialities.

A castaway nook in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc is a great choice for a peaceful stint in the sunshine, where you can sink your toes into powdery white sands, trek through untouched tropical rainforest or explore sleepy fishing villages. During this trip, you’ll take a snorkelling tour of the tiny An Thoi islets, where you’ll float over coral-clad sea beds, watching clownfish dart between the rocks. The rest of your time on Phu Quoc is completely free for snoozing in a hammock, taking barefoot strolls along the beach and filling up on fresh seafood as the sun goes down.

Known for its mild temperatures and breath-taking scenery, the hill station of Dalat offers a tranquil break from the city buzz and tropical heat. It’s also well known for its adventure sports and we’ve included an adrenaline-pumping canyoning experience in this bite-sized trip.

Mui Ne is known for epic sand dunes, kite-surfing and long stretches of sandy beaches and it’s an easy way to swap the city mayhem for a few days of blissful barefoot living. Just four hours from hectic Ho Chi Minh, it’s a great escape. You can take a yoga lesson at your boutique eco-resort, try your hand at kite-surfing or snooze in the shade of a swaying palm tree. It’s somewhere to melt into a sun lounger and leave your troubles behind. The food is tasty, the vibe is friendly and if you’re up early then the sunrise is spectacular.

Visit tiny riverbank villages and riotous floating markets as you drift through the Mekong Delta. It’s an atmospheric, eye-opening river journey from Vietnam into Cambodia that beats flying hands-down. Sailing between small islands marooned in the Mekong, you’ll watch daily delta life unfold around you. En route, weave between jostling traders at the largest floating market in the Mekong. Before you know it, you’ll be in Cambodia, where the adventure continues! This trip is with a small group, and starts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

This bite-sized trip offers a real insight into life along the Mekong Delta. Board a traditional Vietnamese riverboat and cruise along the waterways watching daily delta life unfold around you. You’ll stay overnight in a private cabin onboard, falling asleep to the soft sounds of the river.

Con Dao is a hidden island gem, far away from the hustle and bustle. You can spend relaxing days on white sandy beaches, swimming in the azure blue waters, exploring the underwater world with a snorkel, and embracing the island’s laid-back atmosphere. In the evenings, soak up the stunning sunsets.

Go in search of wild gibbons as you explore the jungle of Cat Tien National Park, just a few hours from Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll learn all about the fantastic work being undertaken here with visits to the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre and the Bear & Wild Cat Rescue Station, as well as trek your way through tropical rainforest and swampland to a large croc-infested lagoon!