15 Days Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan

About the destination: Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam. It is a modern, lively and bustling city. It is economically active, filled with lively markets and it is unequivocally the nation’s commercial center. Though the country’s most modern city by far, it retains a unique Vietnamese flavor and you can still see evidences of an illustrious Colonial past of this former pearl of the orient. In the core area, which locals still affectionately refer to as Saigon, you’ll find some of the city’s main attractions such as the Opera house, railway station, Notre Dame cathedral, Reunification Palace, the Saigon river and the Markets. To take a break from the city, you can take a tour to the Mekong Delta or to Da Lat, if you have more time. Da Lat, located in the highlands approximately 300km from the city is worth the trip as there is plenty to see and do including waterfalls, gardens, the old French Quarter and the local restaurants which served magnificent local food. The commercial and financial hub of Vietnam is an exciting and interesting sprawling metropolis that does its best to preserve the way of life and culture of this magnificent county.

About the destination: Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It is a dynamic harbor city and one of Asia's major financial centers. It consists of Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, the New Territories, and more than 260 small islands. Hong Kong Island presents an impressive skyline and is the main focus of most tourists. Hong Kong is a mix of ocean, islands, modern skyscrapers, old temples and fishing villages. The heart of the city is Victoria Harbor which both divides and connects Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The most famous view of Hong Kong is from the Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, reached by the Peak Tram. Other main attractions to visit in Hong Kong are the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island, the old colonial buildings of Central amidst the uniquely modern and mirrored towers, some interesting museums, the densely populated areas of Kowloon and Mong kok and the picturesque and more peaceful areas of Stanley and Aberdeen. A city full of life and soul, Hong Kong offers an electric atmosphere, a vibrant cultural life, delicious cuisine, shopping, exciting night life, and many more surprises that will amaze even the most demanding tourist.

About the destination: Hualien (花蓮; Huālián) is eastern Taiwan's second-largest city and one of the more pleasant small towns in Taiwan. Many travellers like to base themselves here, even when Taroko Gorge is their interest, as the range of food and accommodation is greater. Budget travellers will find everything they need near the train station. Head east to the Meilunshan Park (Měilúnshān Gōngyuán) and harbour area for wide streets, landscaped parks, bike lanes and ocean views in addition to boutique hotels and pricier restaurants. Hualien means 'eddies' in Hokkien (Taiwanese) and the story goes that Qing-dynasty immigrants gave the region this name after noticing the swirling waters off the coast. Though much of the city's wealth comes from tourism, local deposits of limestone have also made Hualien the cement capital of Taiwan.

About the destination: Tainan is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan, Republic of China, facing the Taiwan Strait in the west and south. Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and also commonly known as the "Capital City" for its over 200 years of history as the capital of Taiwan under Koxinga and later Qing dynasty rule. Tainan's complex history of comebacks, redefinitions and renewals inspired its popular nickname "the Phoenix City". This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. Tainan was initially established by the Dutch East India Company as a ruling and trading base called Fort Zeelandia during the period of Dutch rule on Taiwan. After Dutch colonists were defeated by Koxinga in 1661, Tainan remained as the capital of the Tungning Kingdom until 1683 and afterwards the capital of Taiwan Prefecture under the rule of Qing Dynasty until 1887, when the new provincial capital was moved to Taipei. Tainan has been historically regarded as one of the oldest cities in Taiwan, and its former name, Tayouan, has been claimed to be the origin of the name "Taiwan". It is also one of Taiwan's cultural capitals, for its rich folk cultures including the famous local snack food, extensively preserved Taoist rites and other living local traditions covering everything from child birth to funerals. The city houses the first Confucian school–temple, built in 1665,[9] the remains of the Eastern and Southern gates of the old city, and countless other historical monuments. Tainan claims more Buddhist and Taoist temples than any other city in Taiwan.

About the destination: Kaohsiung City is a special municipality in Taiwan. Located in southern-western Taiwan and facing the Taiwan Strait, it is by area the largest municipality, at 2,951.85 km2 (1,139.72 sq mi), stretches from Mt. Jade to Taiping Island, and second most populous (by city proper) with a population of approximately 2.77 million. Since its start in the 17th century, Kaohsiung has grown from a small trading village, into the political, economic, transportation, manufacturing, refining, shipbuilding, and industrial center of southern Taiwan. It is a global city with sufficiency as categorized by Globalization and World Cities Research Network in 2012. The Kaohsiung International Airport is the second largest airport in Taiwan. The Port of Kaohsiung is the largest harbor in Taiwan, but not officially part of Kaohsiung City. The southern terminal of the Freeway 1 is in Kaohsiung. For north-south travel on railway, the city is served by the Taiwan Railways Administration stations of TRA Western Line and Pingtung Line. The Taiwan High Speed Rail also provides fast and frequent railway connection to Taipei. The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit, the city's subway system, was launched in early 2008. Kaohsiung was the host city of the World Games 2009, a multi-sport event primarily composed of sports not featured in the Olympic Games. The city is also home to the Republic of China Navy fleet headquarters and academy.