Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There were severalHalong Bay - very dramaticHoi An - the markets, the river and those magical lanternsNha Trang - lovely beach, and great trip to the islands and swimming from the boatMeekong Delta - a fascinating experience

Thoughts on Group Leader

Anh Nguyen was an excellent leader.He combined a very professional approach with the right degree of fun and good humour.Very knowledgeable too, nothing was too much trouble.He helped to make the holiday a fantastic experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack as light as you can and remember that(on this particular trip) you are never very far from the products that you need.The traffic - if you have not been here before then you must keep an eagle eye on itUntil you are acclimatised,you need your wits about you 24/7 ..!

Most Inspirational Moment

Halon bay

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do plenty of training

Most Inspirational Moment

Meeting such lovely people in Vietnam, an amazing country. Staying in the home stay was a high light and the locals seem to want to share part of their lives with us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tuyen-Vu was fantastic. Our group of 15 - aged between 30-75 all had different needs but he managed to look after us all and make sure we all had a great holiday. His knowledge was amazing and his social skills with organising taxi's, meals and cyclo tours second to none. Anyone who has Tuyen as their group leader are in for a great adventure.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book yourself on the next trip and discover what Vietnam has to offer! If you book flights via Exodus request seats together, while they can't guarantee you will sit together it did work on all our long haul flights.Go with the flow - while we did stick to the trip notes a majority of the time sometimes opportunities come up that you have to grab.Take both Vietnam Dong and US Dollars- While at bigger stores, restaurants and the tour guide accept dollars some smaller places only prefer to take local currency. Don't always assume restaurants take debit/credit cards, they don't.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mao was a great leader. Interesting, entertaining, friendly and very passionate about his job. He went out of his way to make sure everyone was happy and was very helpful if anyone had any problems during the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light and for hot humid weather. Take good insect repellent for the south. You don't really need to take malaria preventatives.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to name only one!  Halong Bay was stunning & a wonderful way to start the trip.  The boat was lovely & kayaking in the bay was great fun. Hoi An was fantastic, and it was good to have a few days there.  The cycling trip in particular was a highlight, as was the Vietnamese cooking course. Mekong Delta was a great way to end the trip too, with the Homestay being much nicer than I expected, and the area itself was fascinating. To be honest, there were no days on the trip in which we didn't do or see something amazing!

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was great - well organised, friendly and was very attentive to the group and made every effort to ensure we enjoyed ourselves and saw the best of the areas we went too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a small rucksack for the overnight stay on the boat in Halong Bay & the Homestay in the Mekong Delta.

Most Inspirational Moment

Halong BayWar Remnants MuseumMekong Delta

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, knowledgable, helpful and wanting to do his best

Advice for Potential Travellers

Quickly get used to crossing the roadTravel light

Most Inspirational Moment

So many great experiences but I would highlight Hoi An, which I was really looking forward to, and which didn't disappoint and the Mekong Delta  experience. The stay at Hue had  much more than I anticipated and Ho Chi Min City was  significantly better than I thought it would be and the history gave an extra edge to this  element of the trip. The Vietnames people were  extremely welcoming.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thuy was fantastic and I would love to go on another trip with him. So well organised everything ran like clockwork and we always knew  where we  were up to. He shared so much information with us regarding Vietnamese culture and history as  well as his own family's story which you just don't get from the guidebooks. He was good at spending time with individual group members and really interacting with them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As other reviewers have said pack light there is loads to buy very cheaply and it is easy to get washing done half way through the trip. I wasn't impressed with Nha Trang or with the swimming/snorkelling trip there but it was redeemed by the fact that a small group of us walked out to the Cham Towers which were extremely interesting and as I hadn't been to My Son gave  a feel of this different culture.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visting the town of Hoi AnnSnorkelling in the East China seaOvernight boat trip to Halong Bay and KayakingRelaxing mud bath in Nay trangDelicious foodPassion of the group leader for his country

Thoughts on Group Leader

His passion and knowledge about the country's history really inspired me and I enjoyed hearing his entertaining stories and jokes. He spoke good english and was very helpful when any problems arose. He tried hard to make sure everyone in the group was happy, which is not an easy job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you read about Vietnam so you know what to expect in terms of climate, food and acitvities. Some people on the trip go to Vietnam with different expectations and were not prepared and this is such a shame. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Each place we visited had a highlight, from learning how to cook delicious Vietnamese food from an entertaining chef in Hoi An, kayaking around the many and mysterious islands in Halong Bay, visiting the My Son temple complex, exploring Tu Duc's mausoleum, the sights and smells of Hue market, crawling along the tunnels at Cu Chi to taking a cyclotaxi ride around Ho Chi Minh City, every day had numerous inspirational moments. The Vietnamese people are amongst the friendliest I've met which added to the experience. I would highly recommend visiting Vietnam for the sheer variety on offer.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zung made the history and culture of Vietnam come to life and helped us to understand their customs and way of life. This was an invaluable way of getting a better understanding of the country and the people around us, which I definitely won't have got the most out of if I had visited Vietnam on my own.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book this trip now before Vietnam changes!!! You won't regret it. Don't forget to bring tropical strength DEET for the Mekong Delta as the mosquitoes in that part of Vietnam were particularly vicious!

Most Inspirational Moment

I really loved Halong Bay and the kayaking, but heard the music on the other boat and they were clearly having more fun, jealous.The Mekong Delta was also beautiful and the locals lovely and friendly, the homestay was a bit quiet for me though.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Was initially dissapointed as took an early dive on the 2nd night and decided we didin't need a group meal, the first three days were tough as lack of information on what we were doing and not properly kitted out for the day trip. However; once he asked what was wrong and I explianed he bent over backwards to make the trip really enjoyable. Very knowledgeable guide who was proud of his country and clearly enjoyed his job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Shopping in Hoi Ann is amazing, bought several tailor made suits and wok shirts which were well made and dirt cheap, so leave space in your luggage and remember you can do laundry there so don't over pack.