The islands off Phu Quoc, our swim venue on our oceanswimsafari to Viet Nam – The South
Viet Nam – The South
Island swimming and rich in history
Sat, Nov 18-Wed, Nov 29, 2023
12 days/11 nights
STOP PRESS: This oceanswimsafari has been postponed to November 2024. New dates and program coming soon.
What you need to know
Our program
Day 1 – Daytime flight (Sydney-Ho Chi Minh City), check in to Hotel Continental
Day 2 – Get to know Sai Gon (o/night Hotel Continental – start off with a drink in the rooftop bar!)
Day 3 – Fly to Phu Qhoc island, Check in to M Resort Hotel, visit old PoW camp
Day 4 – Morning swim around offshore islands, cable car (8km) from hòn Thom back to Phu Quoc, sightseeing (o/n M Resort)
Day 5 – Morning and afternoon swims, offshore islands (o/n M Resort)
Day 6 – Morning swim, Rainforest walk (o/n M Resort)
Day 7 – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City, transfer to Minera Resort (hot springs), Binh Chau (o/n Minera Resort)
Day 8 – Hot springs indulgence (o/n Minera Resort)
Day 9 – Binh Chau-Long Hai Hills, Cao Dai Sanctuary, Vung Tau, Long Tan, Nui Dat (o/n Sai Gon, Hotel Continental
Day 10 – Day trip to Ben Tre Island province (myriad cultural and historical experiences) (o/n Sai Gon)
Day 11 – At leisure in Sai Gon, evening flight return to Australia
Day 12 – Arrive Sydney
Our package
Over 11 nights and 12 days, our package includes –
- Local (domestic) flights
- Programmed transfers
- Some meals (8 meals)
- Three days of swims
- Programmed admissions
- Quality accommodation
Package cost: Double/Twin pp $A5,765, Single $A6,470.
NB: Package prices are under continuing review in view of exchange rate movements and variations by suppliers.
Enquiries and bookings
When you wish to make enquiries, please first lodge an Enquiry Form to give us basic information to allow us to advise you accurately... Click here
When you're ready to book, please first check terms and conditions... Click here
When you've checked our Terms and Conditions, you will be ready to lodge your Booking Form... Click here
With enquiries... Click here
Vietnamese history, war sites, food, and culture
For the first time, we’re combining an ocean swimming tour in one of the world’s most enigmatic locations with another special interest tour. We’re working with JCP Tours to bring you this unique oceanswimsafari that will also take you around one of the world’s richest cultures and evocative war sites. Our colleague at JCP Tours, Walter Pearson, is a fluent Vietnamese speaker who served two terms with the Australian military in Viet Nam (and wounded twice), and knows Viet Nam like few other Australians. Walter has been taking guests to Viet Nam for over 20 years. His language skills open up insights into this mysterious country that few others can offer.
Where cashews come from... trees in Viet Nam.
We’ll spend time getting to know Sai Gon (now a vibrant community known formally as Ho Chi Minh City) and the countryside around the south-east of Viet Nam surrounding the Australian areas of operation during the Viet Nam war. And we’ll visit the island of Phu Quoc, off Viet Nam’s south-western coast, where we’ll swim in some of the clearest tropical water in Viet Nam. (Viet Nam sometimes cops a bad rap when it comes to its ocean waters. But it's question of where you go, where you swim. There are some lovely, tropical waters off coral reefs... if you take the time to look. And we have. That's why our swimming is focussed on the south and its offshore islands.)
It’s not all swimming and memories of war, though: Viet Nam is made up of 54 different ethnic groups – very different from the perception held overseas. And all those groups have their own history and their own culture, mixing peacefully as something of a model for other multicultural states. A wander around Sai Gon at night, particularly, is a fascinating and exciting experience. The nightlife is rich, varied and vibrant. Whether it’s impromptu Latin dancing, street artists, hawkers, a tour of the monuments, or just a cooling drink atop our hotel, The Continental, there is something to fascinate everyone.
The pool at the Sai Gon Workers Club. And (below), a worker.
Viet Nam
A diverse country of plains, deltas, wetlands, beaches, hills and mountains, with a population of 108 million and a coastline of 3,500 kms. It’s 1,650 kms long, but only 50kms wide at its narrowest point. Weather conditions vary dramatically between regions and according to seasons. Our timing for this unique oceanswimsafari takes advantage of optimal weather conditions in our areas of interest.
At oceanwimsafaris, we like to take you to places that you’d never otherwise visit, or maybe even hear about. We seek out the world’s best water, with reef and sea life to match. Unlike others, we won’t put you into murky, inshore waters. We want you to be uplifted by experiences that few others get. Our swimming is not competitive; it’s not an opportunity for PBs over distance or time. We want everyone to enjoy the moment and the place. We leave no-one behind. We want all our guests to enjoy our destination country in all its facets. It’s not just about swimming.
We’ll stay in very high quality accommodation, some of it luxurious, some of it historically fascinating (the Hotel Continental in Sai Gon was the haunt of reporters, diplomats, soldiers and spooks in the war years; the Minera Resort is surrounded by an extraordinary hot springs experience offering all kinds of pampering). It’s an experience all ‘round.
Nightlife in the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Our program
Day 1 – Daytime flight (Sydney-Ho Chi Minh City), check in to Hotel Continental
Day 2 – Get to know Sai Gon (o/night Hotel Continental – start off with a drink in the rooftop bar!)
Day 3 – Fly to Phu Qhoc island, Check in to M Resort Hotel, visit old PoW camp
Day 4 – Morning swim around offshore islands, cable car (8km) from hòn Thom back to Phu Quoc, sightseeing (o/n M Resort)
Day 5 – Morning and afternoon swims, offshore islands (o/n M Resort)
Day 6 – Morning swim, Rainforest walk (o/n M Resort)
Day 7 – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City, transfer to Minera Resort (hot springs), Binh Chau (o/n Minera Resort)
Day 8 – Hot springs indulgence (o/n Minera Resort)
Day 9 – Binh Chau-Long Hai Hills, Cao Dai Sanctuary, Vung Tau, Long Tan, Nui Dat (o/n Sai Gon, Hotel Continental
Day 10 – Day trip to Ben Tre Island province (myriad cultural and historical experiences) (o/n Sai Gon)
Day 11 – At leisure in Sai Gon, evening flight return to Australia
Day 12 – Arrive Sydney
Our package
Over 11 nights and 12 days, our package includes –
- Local airfares
- Programmed transfers
- Some meals (8)
- Three days of swims
- Programmed admissions
- Quality accommodation
Package cost: Double/Twin pp $A5,765, Single $A6,470.
NB: Package prices are under continuing review in view of exchange rate movements and variations by suppliers.
Please note: Group leaders on this oceanswimsafari are Paul and Walter Pearson (JCP Tours). In foreign cultures, food can be confusing. Walter will be there to assist with translations, understanding, and ordering.
Our goals
We aim for every swim to be a pleasure, not a chore. We are not about swimming the longest distance in the shortest time. We are not about ticking boxes. We are there to soak up the experience of some very special places and moments and some extraordinary water and swim courses. We want everyone to enjoy their swims, no matter their ability. We are not here to satisfy obsessives who just want longer, faster, farther. We are inclusive, not elitist. If you set new, personal benchmarks along the way, then that's good, but it’s not the aim of the group overall.
This is why we build other activities into our oceanswimsfaris. The places we take you are rich in culture, history, cuisine, and character. We want you to sample as much of that as possible. Swimming is the catalyst for our presence, but there's much more to these places than that.
To join us to swim, you need to be able to swim 1km freestyle without stopping. You will find you can actually swim much farther than that once you're in the peloton situation. You don't need to be fast and you don't need to be a world-beater. You might not be a swimmer yourself; you might be accompanying a swimmer. Some people just come along for the ride. There still will be opportunities for you to swim in some locations. But when we're swimming as a group, we cannot afford to be stretched out or held back. If you get into the water to swim, then you must swim. We cannot afford for anyone to hang back admiring a coral head, fascinated by an anenome fish, mooching around in the one spot. If you see something interesting, by all means stop or slow down for a closer look, but don’t dwell too long. This is in the interests of the safety of the group overall.
We generally swim 1.5km - 3km in a session, depending on conditions and the experience and capacity of our group.
Seafood restaurant, Phu Quoc.
Enquiries and bookings
When you wish to make enquiries, please first lodge an Enquiry Form to give us basic information to allow us to advise you accurately... Click here
When you're ready to book, please first check terms and conditions... Click here
When you've checked our Terms and Conditions, you will be ready to lodge your Booking Form... Click here
With enquiries... Click here
Hot springs spa, Binh Chau. We'll have a couple of nights here.