Cultural Connections – Around the World by Luxury Private Jet – VIETNAM

OCTOBER 14 – 16 HANOI, VIETNAM

How delightful to re-board our Private Jet and be welcomed on-board by our Icelandair crew attired in beautiful silk kimonos.  Onward from Japan we jetted on to our next exotic destination, Hanoi, while enjoying a traditional Icelandic caviar and vodka celebration prior to a delicious luncheon on board our private jet.

Vietnam is a cultural collage with 53 tribes all with their own dialects and traditions.  Hanoi is frantic and fun…a bustling city of Vesper mopeds, bicycles, and pedi-cyclos.  Organized chaos.  We were happily ‘home’ amid the elegant tranquility of the “Heritage” hotel, Sofitel Metropole …built in 1901 across the old town square from the opera house.  Amid Hanoi’s ferver is an overall sense of simplicity.  Hanoi is also an elegant testament to the French colonial era of the 20^th century.

The Vietnamese people are gracious and reserved, but with a great sense of humor.  While in Vietnam we enjoyed the highlights of Hanoi including the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the Imperial Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s modest personal home, the National Museum, the disabled children’s store with them embroidering Vietnamese scenes and excellent lacquer work.  We took in a water puppet show and discovered the old quarter by cyclo,  an ideal way to explore the ancient quarter’s back lanes.

Choose Your Day gave all the opportunity to select their excursion.  Some chose to discover more of Hanoi, including the Museum of Ethnology, guided by renowned artisan Mark Rappaport.   Most of the group took an exciting private helicopter expedition to world heritage Halong Bay (made most famous in Catherine Deneuve’s film ‘IndoChine’) for a private luncheon cruise amongst the grottoes and limestone formations jetting out from the emerald sea.

A grand highlight of our visit to Hanoi was a sumptuous reception in the Verandah Room of our hotel.  We sampled various food delicacies of this area, while enjoying the finest French Champagnes and cocktails, as well as exceptional local musical entertainment with an assortment of Vietnamese instruments played by stunningly dressed women and men of Vietnam…a party to be long remembered by all.

Click here to view more photos in the Vietnam photo gallery.

Follow our Private Jet journey to our next destination,  Laos & Myanmar (Burma).