Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the villages was amazing, children running to wave and shout etc, Learning about the culture, history was very interesting

Thoughts on Group Leader

Loc was excellent, very helpful and interesting

Advice for Potential Travellers

Check if the majority are ebikes or regular bikes, depending on your fitness, the cycling is definitely doable on a regular bike, I enjoyed the challenge Do not overpack, you can wash cycling kit every night, shower gel/shampoo and conditioner etc in every hotel Snacks are provided every hour or so on the bike and are amazing so unless you want something specific you do not need to take any bars etc You are moving hotels nearly every night so the less you can take the easier it is

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Linh, worked tirelessly to ensure the group experienced the best of the places we visited, organising some memorable lunch and dinners for the group. The lunches especially felt as though we were participating in real Vietnam and contributing to local families. Linh helped pass time on the bus telling us about the history and culture of his country and how ordinary people live. His stories of his family's history, the war and his childhood were fascinating. Extra points for telling us how to find the 'western' toilets on the overnight train.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I'd recommend arriving in Ho Chi Min city at least a day earlier than the tour start, there's so much to see, do and explore. Take some electrolyte tablets to add to water bottle when cycling. Energy bars / gels not needed though as excellent and plentiful enroute snacks provided by the 'snack kitty'. The only real opportunity for getting laundry done is in Hoi An, not a problem, just be aware and pack and wear clothes accordingly.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is difficult to pinpoint a single most inspirational moment. Maybe sunrise over Angkor Wat, or the Ta Prohm temple slowly being reclaimed by the jungle. Or cycling through DaLat to the flower market in the early morning and realising that the hundreds of scooters really will avoid you as you ride round the roundabout. Or cycling the backroads through shrimp beds and paddy fields and finding a herd of water buffalo cooling in the water. Or Hoi An at night and all the beautiful lanterns along the river. Or sitting down for a simple but wonderful evening meal with a local family in Hue and learning more about their lives. Every part of this tour was inspirational in its own way - but the real inspiration came from the passion and huge local knowledge of our tour leader Linh and the brilliant support team.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Linh Vo was a star. Unbelievably hard working with a mission to ensure that we experienced as much of Vietnamese culture, history, food, people and places as was possible in a two week trip. His wealth of stories brought to life the reality of life for ordinary families both now and during Vietnam's war years and helped pass the many hours in the bus. We were an oversized group of 17 but no one missed any of the evening group meals, which introduced us to every kind of Vietnamese food possible. And as for the singing... Cycle-Linh you will be remembered! I'd just also like to mention our lovely Siem Reap tour guide, Raus, who looked after us so well and gave us the best possible introduction to life in Cambodia.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a full-on trip so just go with the flow. Be prepared for quick turnarounds and have an overnight bag at the ready for the Whale Island and overnight train trips. The hotels are great but there is little time to enjoy them unless you miss out on part of the richness of the tour.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have travelled with Exodus many times, Linh is without doubt the best Tour Leader I have experienced.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of high factor sun screen, maybe some light sleeves for additional protection.

Most Inspirational Moment

Completing the long days of up to 100km and managing to appreciate the views all around us through hamlets, villages and coastal views.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Lam was a great leader and kept us all motivated and refuelled throughout. We were lucky with no wet weather so easier to keep safe on the downhills and see the potholes easier. Lam went above and beyond to make gin and tonics for us on the overnight train - carrying bottles, a tray of tonics and a cool box of ice and limes on top of his own luggage. That was very much appreciated! He also gave us each an annotated map of Vietnam tracking our route by bike and by transfers so we can see our exact route. That’s a 5* effort.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Try to get some training in beforehand as you will get more out of the trip. It’s certainly not for beginner cyclists.

Most Inspirational Moment

Beautiful scenery and the waving children along the way.

Thoughts on Group Leader

5 stars! Excellent group leader (Lam) who seemed to have every last detail sorted out way ahead of time from room allocation/ keys, to restaurants, to luggage, tipping, tickets etc. Also, he was extremely knowledgeable about the country. He helped all the slower members of our group along the way and encouraged everyone.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware of the cycling demands and the risks in a country with crazy traffic and roads (pot holes/ animals/ scooters). A few more people in our group might have enjoyed the tour more with an ebike. Expect long bus rides between cycling (up to 4 hours) so be prepared with something to read etc. Take toilet supplies especially for the train and rest stops - some with very basic facilities. (the bush was often the only option along the way). Some of our bike sizes were not what we expected. Make sure to let the company know not just your height but what size bike you generally ride to avoid this hassle.Easier to start with the right ize than have them adjusting along the way. There is no day pack or pannier with the bikes for even the smallest items. Bring something along. The bus is never too far away.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling over the Hai Van Pass.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lam was the best guide one could wish to have. He was so knowledgable about all aspects of Vietnam. His smile and affable demeanour touched us all. Also a great cyclist who rode every step of the way with us. He was supported by a great team who kept us refreshed along the way.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for an action packed schedule from start to finish.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling up the mountain pass from Hue.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Son was excellent. He was competent, friendly, cheerful, and effective at managing the group. Everything was well organised, and he gave us relevant information throughout. The only room for improvement is that he could have told us more: he could have introduced us to some basic Vietnamese vocabulary (hello, goodbye, please, thank you, key words for food and drink), and he could have given us more information about the architecture and history of places like Da Lat. and Hoi An. The information given was basic, and when one pressed for more details, little was forthcoming.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip is packed with activities (and not just cycling), and with the exception of the off days in Hoi An and Whale Island, you are always on the move. That's fine if you want to make the most out of a two-week trip to Vietnam, but it can be a little tiring. Also, while many meals (dinners) are not included, in fact group meals are planned for most of them (though they are optional), and you have to pay for them. This is fine: the food was good, the prices were reasonable, and it was very convenient. Finally, virtually everything is done as a group, so your enjoyment of the experience will depend somewhat on the group dynamics (ours were fine).

Most Inspirational Moment

Where does one begin? The satisfaction of all 18 of us completing the 100k day; a first for our group leader The tropical island stay on Whale Island Hoi An, my favourite of the places we visited Struggling my way to the top of the Hai Van pass

Thoughts on Group Leader

Loc Phan was instrumental in the success of the holiday. From the outset he was enthusiastic and positive in his approach, communicating clearly as to what was planned for the day ahead, as well as explaining his country's history, geography and the landscapes we passed through. Organisation was excellent throughout and individual requests accommodated so that everyone enjoyed the experience. I cannot praise him and the members of the support team highly enough.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not underestimate the challenge of the cycling on this holiday if you are an occasional cyclist. Due to a variety of factors (weather; road conditions) I had been unable to do any road cycling in advance, although I had done a lot of indoor cycling classes in the lead up to the holiday. I was really challenged by the amount of cycling, particularly the succession of longer rides in what at times was adverse conditions (strong head winds). Having done another Exodus cycling in a similar category I found this one much tougher. Days are long with 6am breakfasts and leaving the hotel around 7am. There are several long transfers so we usually didn't arrive in our hotel until after 6pm, and didn't have much time for exploring. There is one opportunity for laundry, the 2 night stay in Hoi An, so be prepared to wash your cycling kit.

Most Inspirational Moment

The group camaraderie, enthusiasm and encouragement made the trip memorable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tong was superb, his riding skill and awareness for others was first class at all times with everybody’s safety being paramount. As well as his cycling skill, his depth of knowledge and passion for his country was equally important to him and was communicated very well whilst we visited all the different places of interest on route.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Providing you have a reasonable level of fitness and take the advice from the training preparation guide that is provided by Exodus you will be fine. This will enable you to enjoy the trip immensely. .