Most Inspirational Moment
There were several.. The day hike amongst the hill tribes, the cave we visited in Halong Bay, watching the sunset from a kayak in Halong Bay, the train trip to Hue, walking the utterly charming streets of Hoi An - and getting a 'couture' dress made in less than 24 hours..., the cycling in the Mekong Delta. And possibly, the knowledge that I survived crossing the road every time in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Dahn was brilliant! He is an enthusiastic and passionate tour leader who clearly loves his job. He was brimming with knowledge about his country, happy to share such knowledge with us and answer all our 'dumb' questions. He was super super organised - we were never left waiting for anything - the buses, the boats, the bikes - all there when it was time to move on to the next activity! I was very impressed by that as we sailed past other tour groups standing around idle, waiting for whatever their mode of transportation was... And I loved his highly infectious laugh - you can't help laugh when he does, and he laughs a lot!
Advice for Potential Travellers
**Most cash transactions will be in Vietnamese Dong -but you can get it out of an ATM when you arrive (or at the airport). Helps to have some $US in reserve, but I think I only spent a total of $US50 on the entire trip...
** We were there in mid-November. I did not find the mosquitoes were that bad in the north or south. Some repellent is nice but not sure it had to be Deet. I'd strongly recommend if you do buy Deet, you test it on yourself before you go - I had an allergic reaction to it on my face only, and of course had not packed anti-inflammatory cream..
**There are 5 nights where the accommodation is a bit more basic. If you are sensitive about your mattresses, you may want to invest in a small, compact inflatable mattress to add a bit of comfort to the bedding.
** As others have said, no need for mossie nets - they are provided and the ones provided are more than adequate
** For the cycling, it is STRONGLY recommended, male or female, you invest in a gel seat cover or if you are a cyclist, take your padded cycling shorts (do not take long leg cycling pants - you'll melt away).
** Helmets are provided. They are good enough but some are not as comfortable as you might be used to at home (I was given an XL which barely fitted and I am a S/M in my country, so have to assume it was Vietnamese sizing!). However the provided helmets are of comparable quality to what you are used to so up to you if you bring your helmet or not. Most people on my tour did... were probably happy they did - but also cursed endlessly at how much space it took up in their luggage!
**Once you have packed, halve it. If you take more than 2 t-shirts, 2 pants, a pair of sandals, a pair of day walking shoes and maybe 1 weeks underwear, you've packed too much clothing! (well, ok - through in cycling shorts if you don't take a gel seatcover for the bike). There are plenty of opportunities to have clothes washed and it truly is peanuts ($US2) and you'll buy tons more clothes you don't need on the trip...
** Strongly recommend you have a hydration backpack not water bottles for the longer cycle trips and walks. Most people had 2 litre hydration packs and they were adequate and it was so easy to drink on the fly. There are plenty of water fill up stops included so you'll never run dry with 2 litres. But you will run short if you are only toting a 500ml or 1 litre water bottle...There is also no guarantee the bottle holder will work on the bikes.
