Bangkok to Beijing November

We are on the Princess Diamond Bangkok to Beijing Nov 8.

Looking for any advice on what to see and help ect for private tours for

Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Okinawa, Keelung Taiwan

and Saigon we are docking at Vung Tau - are the cu chi tunnels due able from the dock?

Any help on any of these ports would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Here are some thoughts/ideas about several of your destinations:

Singapore. There is plenty to see and do. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo (9:00 am). Not always available so check the Singapore Zoo website. You literally get to eat with orangutans. An experience like no other. Take lots of film. Sometimes, there is tea (4:00pm) with other animals. Check the website. The zoo, by the way, is one of the best in the world.

2. Night safari. Out by the zoo, after sunset. You get to see nocturnal animals. Again, a pretty unique experience.

3. Orchid garden. If you like orchids, this is the greatest collection in the world. It is set inside the botanical gardens, which is itself worth seeing. There is a very good gift shop at the orchid garden as well, but prices are no real bargains.

4. The Raffles Hotel itself, downtown. Refurbished. One of the great colonial hotels in the world. (If you want to stay there, it is a great (!!) splurge). Check out the shops (including the gourmet shop which has magnificent chocolates), the long bar (where the Singapore Sling was invented), and Ah Teng's Bakery (notwithstanding the name, it has wonerful dim sum). Also has very good and reliable antiques stores (expensive) and very good art galleries. One of the greatest tea shops in the world is located along Seah St., one of the streets next to the Hotel.

5. Little India. Just what the name implies.

6. Chinatown. Lots and lots of fun, all kinds of shops. While I don't remember the name, there is a very good barbecue (yes, barbecue) place in Chinatown.

7. Shopping along Orchard Road. Shopping is THE Singapore activity and Orchard Road has all of the high end shops. Great people watching too. Check out a couple of the shopping malls (my favorite is Bugis Plaza). Try to go when they are full of people - Friday and Saturday evenings are the best. It is quite a site.

8. Street food, particularly at the "hawker centers." In fact, food anywhere (usuing your usual cautions) is very good here.

9. The Museums. They are all located fairly close to the Raffles and Orchard Ave. The National Museum is quite good but my favorite is the Museum of Asian Culture (I think that's the name). Exceptional rotating exhibits.

As for private tours, I cannot help. However, I have used a private cab and driver to good advantage. You should be able to get a good car and driver for Singapore$35.00 hour (about US$22-25 today) through the concierge desks at any good hotel. I have used Raffles for this and they have excellent, knowledgeable drivers available. Send an e-mail to the Raffles hotel for the concierge desk. You should set up a car/driver well in advance; don't wait until you get there.

As to Vietnam, this is a real gem – you are fortunate to be able to go there before the real tourist rush hits (something that is already starting). Saigon (no one calls it Ho Chi Minh City) is a fascinating place. I do not know exactly where Vung Tau is located, but there is certain to be some form of transportation from there to somewhere near city center. Otherwise, private touring (below) can certainly pick you up at Vung Tau.

Center city is a good place to start, and you can use either the Ho Chi Minh monument or the Rex Hotel as a point of reference. Rex, of course, famous from the war. You can walk down Le Loi St. (I believe) to the Ben Thanh Market.

Ben Thanh will have everything from lacquer (quite good) to music CDs (mostly pirated, and quality can vary substantially) to clothes (at decent prices) to food stuffs to wonderful folk art. I bought a very good suitcase for $55 last year. Take U.S. dollars in bills of various denominations (none larger than a $20 bill) as they are widely accepted. Vietnamese currency is "dong" and it is now about 15,500-16,000 the dollar. Do not buy food there unless you have an absolutely iron stomach. The best thing is to smell the street food as you walk by.

I understand that there is now a new market across the street from the Rex and it is supposedly very good and will have things Western tourists are interested in.

Make sure to look for an Ao Dai (pronounced “ow yay”), traditional women's clothing of Viet Nam. There are English speaking shops next to the Rex. Don't forget the pants to go with the tunic.

Eating. Near the Rex is the Lemongrass Restaurant (which takes credit cards). Western sanitization standards. Food is Vietnamese and excellent - I recommend the shrimp. I have not tried any of the other restaurants, but I told that the restaurant in the Intercontinental Hotel is first rate. Unlike Singapore, street food is not to western standards.

Things to see and do:

1. The National Museum. Wonderful historic collections, emphasizes Vietnamese struggles against Chinese colonialism.

2. The Must See. At the museum is my all-time favorite attraction in Viet Nam and one of my favorites in the world: The water puppets. DO NOT MISS THE WATER PUPPETS. Rearrange your schedule if need be to see these. The puppets perform on the surface of the water. Take your video camera and do not sit in the front row - there will be dragons spouting water.

3. There is a wonderful children's park next door to the museum.

4. Chinese Temple near the Cathedral. Good if you have nothing else to do with your time but it is like many other Chinese temples elsewhere.

5. Other historic sites include the well-restored Presidential Palace and the building where the U.S. Embassy used to be (remember the helicopters lifting off from the roof). Unless you specifically request it (or want to go out of town to the Cu Chi Tunnels from the war, see below) there is very little about the war that the Vietnamese will emphasize.

6. Cu Chi Tunnels. Only if you have a real interest in the war and are not claustrophobic. They are at a significant distance from the city and you will use up a lot of time going back and forth. I would pass on this unless you have a real interest and are going to be there for at least a couple of days.

For guide service, go through Saigon Tourist. It is a government owned, well-run company providing English speaking guides and tour services (and is the operator for most ships tours, too). Two people, with car and guide, should not be more than $100 or $125 for a day of sightseeing. There is an affiliated US company, Vietnam Travel Express, with an office in Arlington, VA (across from Washington, DC), (703) 243-0313; (800) 659-6090. www DOT saigon-tourist DOT com and www DOT vietnamtravelexpres DOT com. Both web sites are helpful.

As to Taipei, my only real suggestion is the art museum – truly one of the greatest in the world (and certainly the best Chinese art museum in the world). Worth a day in itself.

Please post with any other questions. I hope that this is helpful.

Thankyou for your time and the tremendous amount of information. This will be a very good start.

Do you know how to find out about the water puppets ahead of time or is it just posted when you get to the museum?

I will check with Raffles about a driver.

Also thanks for the web sites for Vietnam

Glad to be of help.

I believe that you should be able to find out about the water puppets through SaigonTourist (either through the website or by locating a phone number in Saigon for the company). At least that is where I would start. Of course, if you arrange a car/driver ahead of time, make sure that this is one of the places you include.

Have a wonderful trip.