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.