Vietnam: A Peek into Homeland Tours

There are a number of children adopted from Vietnam ranging in age from young children through adulthood who would like to make a homeland tour. In addition adults who were part of the “Operation Babylift” which took place in the final days of US involvement in the Vietnam War, and would like to return to their homeland to reconnect with their culture can take part in one of our homeland tours. Regardless of your interest in returning to Vietnam for a visit, Lotus Travel has experience and offers a variety of choices to support this option for families. In Vietnam, families unable to care for a child for various reasons often directly surrender their child(ren) to an orphanage. Meeting your child’s birth family is a deeply personal decision and not one that all families will make. However, Lotus Travel is able to make arrangements for this meeting in many cases, if you want this to be a part of your homeland heritage tour. There are emotional considerations and family attachment dynamics to consider when planning this. We have two excellent articles to read when considering a child’s age and timing for such a visit. You may review the articles on the Lotus Travel website: “Timing of Birth Country Visits by Dr. Nelson and Emotional Preparation Article to begin preparations.

A key, practical consideration for a Vietnam homeland trip is weather. Travel is nicest between October and March with many considering November, December and March as ideal for travel weather. Your family can enjoy the winter holiday break in your child’s homeland. Summertime is convenient for school schedules. It is extremely hot and humid in much of the country from April to September and is the “low season” for travel. This means, travel costs are cheaper, and crowds are minimal if you choose this off season.

A typical travel period is approximately two weeks and most families’ travel cover both North and South areas of the country.
For “must see” locations beyond the main cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City, there is Halong Bay, which holds an important position in Vietnamese legend and continues to stimulate imaginations of visitors. En route to a cruise on the Halong Bay you will pass through the fields where busy farmers plant their crops by using traditional methods. On the cruise your family will enjoy freshly prepared seafood lunch on board and explore Thien Cung Cave and Dau Go Grotto.

A thoroughly exquisite stop in Vietnam is the beach at Nha Tranh. It is a famous coastal destination that offers pristine beaches, offshore islets, Cham towers, hot springs and abundant water sport choices.

Probably the most familiar cultural site to North Americans is the Mekong Delta. This region is considered a 'biological treasure trove'. Over 1,000 new species have been discovered in previously unexplored areas of Mekong Delta, including one species thought to be extinct. It is so large that the size of the area covered depends on the season, and is generally considered to encompass an estimated 15,000 square miles.

You can review our standard itineraries at: http://www.lotustours.net/travel/heritage/vietnam/index.shtml . Lotus Travel often arranges specialized tours for Vietnam families so if a family prefers a different schedule than a pre-set agenda, our travel agents help you on a customized tour with reasonable costs. You may email iris@lotustours.net to get started today or call 1-800-956-8873.
Lotus Travel: Uniting Families and Connecting Culture since 1995