July 28, 2004 -- In December, United Airlines will become the first US airline to provide regular service from Los Angeles to Vietnam since the Vietnam War. This opens up a new can of travel opportunities, and the efforts of several tour operators to take visitors to the former war zone have paid off with the normalization of business and cultural exchanges between the US and Vietnam. It's the beginning of a new phase in what everyone hopes will be a long and peaceful relationship.
Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, travel to Thailand continues at an amazing pace. Officially neutral, Thailand was the place where GI's came for a vacation from the Vietnam War, their R&R time giving them a pretty positive attachment to the country, abetted by the marvelously accommodating attitude of the people there.
Vietnam
Go-Today has a great beginner's trip, a Hanoi Special, costing from just $799, airfare from Los Angeles included. For this, you get roundtrip airfare (Thursdays through Sundays), five nights at the Galaxy hotel in Hanoi, roundtrip airport/hotel transfers, daily breakfast, a half-day Hanoi city sightseeing tour, hotel taxes and service charges. You must book by August 5 for travel between August 25 and December 7. Add-on airfares range from $100 (e.g. Tucson) through $200 (e.g. New York) to $300 (e.g. Boston). This package requires two passengers traveling together at all times and a 14-day advance reservation. Contact Go-Today at www.gotoday.com or by phoning 425/487-9632 (there's an extra $20 fee for booking on phone).
For something with more depth, consider Gate 1 Travel's 13-Day Affordable Vietnam, an escorted package that includes airfare from the US to Ho Chi Minh and back from Hanoi, intra Vietnam flights, 11 nights of first class lodging, 22 meals, all transfers, sightseeing per itinerary, and services of an English-speaking tour escort/manager throughout. You spend three nights at the Novotel Garden Plaza Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, two nights at the Saigon Morin in Hue, three nights at the Hoi An Riverside in Hoi An, and three nights at Sunway in Hanoi. Your 22 meals consist of 11 breakfasts, seven lunches and four dinners. During your trip, you'll visit the Cu Chi Tunnels (used by the Viet Cong during the war), the Forbidden Purple City of Hue, and take a boat ride on Halong Bay. The price starts from $1399 if you book by August 27, 2004. Add $100 after that. Departures are from October 12, 2004 through March 15, 2005. Contact them at www.gate1travel.com or by phoning 800/682-3333.
Thailand
Friendly Planet has an Amazing Thailand offer in three varieties, starting from $899 for 14 days, $1,299 for 17 days including Phuket Island, and $1,399 for 17 days plus Angkor Wat. The deals include airfare, hotels, transfers, intra-Thailand flights, full American buffet breakfasts, a welcome dinner, sightseeing tours and more. I believe you should go for the 17-day trip featuring Angkor Wat, one of the wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the basic 14-day tour, you visit Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Phitsanulok, Sukothai, Lampang, the Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. Then you fly to Siem Reap in Cambodia (the Khmer Republic), where you spend three nights and have two full days to visit the temples. The prices mentioned include a discount for booking by September 30, 2004. Contact them at www.friendlyplanet.com.
Not to be outdone, Gate 1 Travel has a 12-Day Affordable Thailand package, starting from $999, including air from Los Angeles and back, intra-Thailand flight, ten nights of first-class hotel lodging, all transfers, 11 meals (ten breakfasts, one dinner), sightseeing per itinerary, services of an English-speaking tour escort/manager, entrance fees and more. You will also have a welcome dinner, visit the Golden Triangle and go to see an elephant camp. The itinerary includes four nights in Bangkok, one in Phitsanulok, one in Lampang, two in Chiang Rai and two in Chiang Mai. You must book by August 27, 2004 to get this price. After that date, add $100. Departures from September 19, 2004 through October 9, 2005.