Vietnam Full Disclosure



– ITINERARY –

VFP CHAPTER 160 DELEGATION

VIETNAM TOUR 2015

April 16 - May 2, 2015

Day 1 THU 16 APR HANOI

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|[pic] | |Arrive at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, to be greeted by VFP Chapter 160 members and |

| | |Vietnamese colleagues. 35-minute bus ride into Hanoi for check-in at Artisan |

| | |Boutique Hotel. Refresh in room, then Vietnamese lunch with welcome and group |

| | |introductions, tour briefing followed by tea at residence of U.S. Ambassador Ted |

| | |Osius. Afternoon free to wander Hoan Kiem Lake area and Old Quarter. Early |

| | |dinner. |

Day 2 FRI 17 APR HANOI

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|[pic] | |Meet with hosts Vietnam-USA Society and former Ambassador to U.S. Nguyen Tam Chien; visit |

| | |Van Canh Friendship Village for Agent Orange children and veterans; meet with Vietnam |

| | |Association of Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA), and Veterans Association of Viet Nam (VAVN).|

| | |Dinner on your own (restaurant options will be suggested). Good night’s sleep guaranteed. |

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|[pic] |

Meeting of 2014 VFP Tour delegation, President of Veterans Association of Viet Nam and leadership.

Day 3 SAT 18 APR HANOI

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|[pic] | |Tour Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and gardens, Temple of Literature, lunch at Ko To Restaurant |

| | |where street children learn restaurant skills. Visit Army Museum and Hoa Lo Prison. |

| | |Afternoon for relaxing, strolling, shopping. Evening at the Hanoi Cinematheque for Vietnam|

| | |premier screening of documentary You’re the Enemy; Welcome Back followed by group |

| | |discussion with Vietnamese and expat audience. |

Day 4 SUN 19 APR HUE

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|[pic] | |Fly to Hue, former imperial capital of Vietnam, check in at Thanh Noi Hotel inside the |

| | |walls of the Citadel. Wander streets of Hue or relax by the pool. Informal dinner at |

| | |Ushi’s Café in the backpacker section of town. |

Day 5 MON 20 APR HUE

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|[pic] | |Visit historic Thien Mu Pagoda on the Perfume River. Car is displayed there that a monk |

| | |drove to Saigon in 1963 and immolated himself to protest the Diem regime. Visit Duc Son |

| | |orphanage run by Buddhist nuns. Lunch at Mandarin Café hosted by photographer Mr. Phan Cu,|

| | |former ARVN soldier. Guided tour of the Citadel, restored with UNESCO funds after 1968 Tet|

| | |Offensive destruction. Dinner at Les Jardins De La Carambole. |

Day 6 TUE 21 APR HUE, DONG HA, QUANG TRI

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|[pic] | |Breakfast and hotel check-out, visit Tu Duc's Tomb, after lunch drive north on Highway 1 to|

| | |Quang Tri Province. Visit Project RENEW blind workshop where UXO victims earn income from |

| | |making brooms and toothpicks. Stop at Long Hung Church, relic of the fierce fighting in |

| | |1972 battle of the Quang Tri Citadel. In Dong Ha check in at Huu Nghi Hotel. Dinner with |

| | |Department of Foreign Affairs officials and RENEW staff. |

Day 7 WED 22 APR QUANG TRI, DMZ

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|[pic] | |Visit Quang Tri Mine Action Visitor Center, briefing by Project RENEW staff about efforts |

| | |to clear bombs and mines and make Vietnam safe from unexploded ordnance. Visit UXO victim|

| | |families who are earning incomes from growing mushrooms, raising pigs and cattle. See |

| | |Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams in the field, safely destroying cluster bombs and |

| | |other ordnance from around people’s homes and gardens. Visit Agent Orange victim families|

| | |who are being supported with funding from VFP Chapter 160. Cross Hien Luong Bridge at the |

| | |Ben Hai River, former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between north and south during the war. |

| | |Explore Vinh Moc tunnels near 17th Parallel, an underground village where residents sought|

| | |safety from U.S. bombing missions. |

Day 8 THU 23 APR KHE SANH, HO CHI MINH TRAIL, A LUOI

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|[pic] | |Drive from Dong Ha west along national Highway 9 to Khe Sanh Marine Combat Base, visit |

| | |Truong Son National Cemetary, pass the Rockpile. Cross the Ben Hai River and drive along |

| | |the new Ho Chi Minh Trail Highway to A Luoi near the Laos border. Overnight in A Luoi, Do|

| | |Thanh Hotel. Next morning visit AO victim families benefiting from a cow-raising program |

| | |funded by VFP Chapter 160. |

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| | | |

| | |Pa Co woman, one of the indigenous people living in the western areas of Hue and Quang Tri|

| | |Province, near the border with Laos. |

| | |[pic] |

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Day 9 FRI 24 APR A LUOI, HUE

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|[pic] | |Visit ethnic minority families, Van Kieu and Pa Co, who are among the poorest and most |

| | |disadvantaged in Vietnam, many of them suffering birth defects, illnesses, and |

| | |disabilities thought to be related to Agent Orange explosure during the war and genetic |

| | |transmission that carries the effects of dioxin poisoning from one generation to the next.|

| | |VFP Chapter 160 supports Hearts for Hue, a Vietnamese organization that provides cows, |

| | |shelters, and training in animal husbandry to these minority families so they can earn |

| | |self-sustaining incomes. Professor Ba of Hue University and Mr. Khanh of Hearts For Hue |

| | |will provide briefing. After lunch drive to Lang Co Beach for oceanside break and snacks. |

| | |Then drive over the spectacular Hai Van Pass (“Sea-Cloud Pass”) to Da Nang and check in at|

| | |Chu Hotel, a few meters from the beach. |

Day 10 SAT 25 APR DANANG

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|[pic] | |Free Day in Da Nang and surrounding area: China Beach, Monkey Mountain and Marble |

| | |Mountain, Cham Museum, Hoi An, shopping. Benefit dinner at Hang’s Kitchen, food proceeds |

| | |donated by owners to VFP Chapter 160 fund. Beer and cocktails not included, but bar |

| | |revenue will go to Hang’s charity work at Da Nang Children’s Cancer Hospital. Overnight at|

| | |Chu Hotel, My Khe Beach. |

Day 11 SUN 26 APR DANANG, CHINA BEACH, HOI AN

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|[pic] | |All day for beach, relaxing, or shopping excursion to Hoi An, a 15th century trading port |

| | |reflecting Chinese, Japanese, and European influences, with historic pagodas and family |

| | |cult houses. It is a popular tourist and shopping destination. Or take a side trip to |

| | |nearby My Son Cham ruins, 4th century religious sanctuary that is now a UNESCO World |

| | |Heritage site. Group dinner on the beach at My Hanh. |

Day 12 MON 27 APR DANANG TO NHA TRANG

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|[pic] | |Meet with Da Nang Veteranss Association, followed by AO briefing by Col. Tam, PhD chemical|

| | |engineer, tour Da Nang airport remediation site. Few visitors are allowed on this site. |

| | |Our visit is still not confirmed. Visit VAVA Center 3 and Agent Orange families, lunch |

| | |hosted by DAVA officials. Hotel check out 5:00pm, group dinner then depart by overnight |

| | |sleeper train to Nha Trang. |

Day 13 TUE 28 APR NHA TRANG

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|[pic] | |Morning arrival in Nha Trang, after breakfast visit home for Agent Orange victim family |

| | |built by VFP donations. Group lunch then check-in at Starlet Hotel, free time in Nha |

| | |Trang to visit pagodas, mud baths (extra charge), or enjoy a boat ride around the harbor |

| | |islands. You can brush up on your Russian. Most signs are in now in Vietnamese, English,|

| | |and Russian to accommodate huge influx of Russian tourists. Dinner at Lanterns |

| | |Restaurant. Evening free. |

Day 14 WED 29 APR NHA TRANG TO HCM CITY

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|[pic] | |Morning flight from Nha Trang to HCMC, check in to Saigon Hotel, lunch followed by visit |

| | |to Tu Du Hospital, recipient of VFP funds. Tu Du is known for hundreds of disabled |

| | |orphans, many thought to be AO victims, left on its doorstep over the years. Meet with |

| | |Veterans Association of HCM City. Optional tour of War Remnants Museum, Reunification |

| | |Palace, Catholic Cathedral, Post Office, City Hall and other example of original late 19th|

| | |century architecture. |

Day 15 THU 30 APR HCM CITY

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|[pic] | |Special Liberation Day events, to include parade with special seats in VIP reviewing |

| | |stand. Delegation members should be prepared for TV interviews or other media requests. |

| | |Musical performances and other entertainment may be scheduled. April 30th is a national |

| | |holiday in Vietnam and a festive day off for the whole country which rolls into a long |

| | |weekend, since May 1st is Labor Day internationally and also a national holiday in |

| | |Vietnam. |

Day 16 FRI 01 MAY HCM CITY

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|[pic] | |Delegation morning meeting to make decisions on how to distribute pooled funds. Optional |

| | |day trip to Cu Chi tunnels, Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh. Otherwise sightseeing, shopping, |

| | |free time on your own. Evening closing dinner. |

Day 17 SAT 02 MAY HCM CITY

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|[pic] | |Breakfast at hotel, free time on your own, late morning hotel checkout and lunch. |

| | |Delegation departs for Tan Son Nhat Airport mid-afternoon for 17:45 flight back to the |

| | |U.S. |

For more information, and to register, contact:

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|U.S. Tour Coordinator: |Vietnam Tour Coordinator: |

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|Nadya Connolly Williams |Chuck Palazzo |

|1436 Grant Ave. #10 |Secretary-Treasurer, VFP Chapter 160 |

|San Francisco, CA 94133 |Danang, Vietnam |

|H 415 362 0162 |H +845113610339 |

|C 415 845 9492 |M +84907446410 |

|E nadyanomad@ |E chuck_pal@ |

For information about past VFP tours, including blogs, comments, tips from participants, and a nice array of photos, please visit the VFP Chapter 160 WEBSITE.

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