Most Inspirational Moment
So hard to choose! Exploring Ha Long Bay was such a treat! I had no idea that we would be kayaking by the pearl farm or exploring caves that looked like something out of a Star Wars movie set! Having time to just roam around each city was amazing, but we also loved how knowledgable our leaders were in what they offered as ideas or additions. One of those--the bike ride outside of Hoi An--was particularly memorable.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leaders were AMAZING! In Vietnam, Bon was so knowledgable and flexible. Not only did he give us so much information, but he shared his own stories to really illustrate the history of his country. Then, when our group needed places to eat or experiences to check out, he had great recommendations. When a member of our party also had some last-minute changes she needed to make for health reasons, Bon got her on a train in lieu of an internal flight and even helped her out at a pharmacy. He could not have been more calm and accommodating. Similarly, Chesda in Cambodia was fantastic!! Her humor put us all at ease and she was calm when we again had to make some changes due to health reasons to our party's plan. She again was willing to share personal stories to really help explain her country's history. She was very informative and so helpful with any recommendations about sites to see or information to share. We felt very grateful to both of these guides for helping our groups understand these two amazing countries and get so much out of our time there. Both Bon and Chesda also had AMAZING logistic and timing skills--we kept arriving to places, whether the caves, the TiTop island overlook, sunrise at Angkor Wat, or the CuChi tunnels at the perfect times to avoid the major crowds or wait times. We could not have asked for better guides, who filled up our time together with interesting facts, pertinent personal stories, delicious lunch and dinner suggestions, and flexibility when situations arose. Most importantly, their perspectives helped to change our own outlooks, making this voyage a truly memorable experience.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Just be prepared for any adventure--an open mind served us all so well, and our group quickly connected because of a shared respecting interest in each other's experiences and previous travels! Also, be prepared in terms of temperature range! Just say yes to any ideas thrown your way--you will not be disappointed. The tour notes give an outline of what to expect, but the guides really fill the time with dinners together and great activity suggestions. We never felt as though we didn't have something to see, learn, or experience.
Suggestions
We kept laughing at how our guides were underselling the activities at times! Just calling it "Marble Mountain" did not encompass the enormity of that site. Similarly, saying we were visiting a cave at Ha Long Bay, did not completely prepare me to be as amazed as I was!
