Itinerary

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Day 1 (Sunday) Arrive to Ho Chi Minh City and after clearing customs and immigration, you’ll be met by our local team and transferred straight to your accommodation, a journey of under 30 minutes, depending on traffic.  Arrive early or late, whatever your flight time we’ll be there at the airport with a warm welcome.  


Days 2 to 6 Activities & Sightseeing Week (Monday to Friday) Intro week is packed full of exciting adventures and cultural excursions where we explore Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) and its beautiful surrounds and get acquainted with Vietnamese culture.  You can expect your week to look something like this:  
  • Monday – orientation, Vietnamese language and culture session, activities with local students
  • Tuesday - City tour inc. Reunification Palace, Opera House, Notre Dame, Jade Emperor Pagoda, War Remnant Museum and Ben Thanh markets
  • Wednesday – Vietnamese cooking class, bracelet making workshop and Can Cu markets
  • Thursday – all-day visit to the famous Cu Chi Tunnel system
  • Friday – first day to your volunteer project
 
Days 7 and 8 (Saturday to Sunday) Spend your free time as you please, your weekends are yours to enjoy. Our coordinator will be able to help you decide what to do and will advise on the best way to get around.

Your last day (Saturday) Oh no …… no matter how long you’re here for, one of these days it will be time to say goodbye to your newfound friends.  The return airport transfer is not included, but is straightforward to arrange, and our team will be glad to assist.  Budget around $10 for the taxi journey (or just $2 by public bus).
Facilities and the area
  • Laundry facilities are available for a small fee
  • A safety deposit box is provided for your valuables.
  • Bedding is provided – no need to bring a sleeping bag, but do bring your own towel
  • Taxis are cheap and easily found, so it is no problem to go out in different areas of the city in the evenings and on weekends
  • Southern Vietnam enjoys a tropical climate, always humid and with temperatures defined as hot, hotter or really hot !  The dry season is December to April, hot season March to May, and monsoon season between late May and November (expect some rains daily, but plenty of sunshine too!)
Accommodation The accommodation is located on a campus in a college dorm. We have our own rooms inside this dorm which are reserved for our participants only. Single-gender rooms are shared up to 10 people, with air-con, a safety box for your valuables, wifi, bed linen, hot showers and western-style toilets.  There is a pool and gym on campus and available for for you to use.  Next to our accommodation is a local café where volunteers love to hang out, it is a beautiful and peaceful place which serves fresh juices and snacks.

Meals Three meals a day are served in the on-campus restaurant. Meals are typically Vietnamese, but also include some Western dishes such as sandwiches and pasta.