Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

It was all inspiring and exciting for me.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thanh Vo was excellent, full of energy and so enthusiastic about his own country; one of the best guides I have met. Thanh always shared information about where we were, what we were passing or what we were looking at as well as ensuring we were well prepared for the next day along with constant reminders throughout the day. He took personal care to ensure that us few pescatarians and vegetarians did not accidentally end up with with 'wrong' food and selected a good variety of restaurants for group meals. He gave us space to do our own things at the different sites and accommodations but was always in the background when needed or to help us from getting lost! This trip took a lot of organisation - scheduling of optional tours, buses, boat, bikes and trains etc - which he did behind the scenes and everything worked like clockwork. All this along with Thanh's great sense of humour made for a really relaxed and enjoyable trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The optional bike tour of Hoi An was great fun (and the bike seats were wide!); it was more than a bike tour. I brought my own gel cycle seat for the Day 11 & 12 which helped with the narrow seats on the mountain bikes. Try the iced coffee and passion fruit juice - both delicious. All the accommodation (homestay, boat & hotels) provided good and warm bedding (we were in the north in March and it was chilly) and towels. However, I still found my sheet sleeping bag useful for the homestay visits.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the homesteads and eating some amazing food cooked simply and served with love

Thoughts on Group Leader

THANH was brilliant, nothing was too much for him, a truly great chap.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Keep your packing simple..lots of one night stays so you are always moving your bag. Most important don't miss out on this trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

The Home Stays

Thoughts on Group Leader

The guide was extremely helpful & personable making the trip very enjoyable

Most Inspirational Moment

Many, but kayaking in Ha Long Bay is something I really enjoyed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Thang was great. Very informative and easy to approach.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I found the pollution in the cities a bit difficult for my throat, so face masks and throat lozenges were helpful. I brought padded bike shorts and was glad I wore them.

Most Inspirational Moment

The sleeper train as I hadn’t experienced that before. Cycling was enjoyable, finally off the bus, but very flat so perfect for non-cyclists.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Duy was very cheerful, reliable, organised and patient. He was very knowledgeable about the history of the places we visited.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is the tour for you if you enjoy bus tours and visiting busy cities. The activity is very limited and easy, so suitable for anybody who’s not a walker or cyclist. There are many nights when you can’t take your full luggage with you, in addition to that detailed in the itinerary, so be prepared for a lot of packing and unpacking. Note for wildlife lovers that there was a distinct lack of any wildlife or birds seen on this trip.

Suggestions

The overview description for this trip should be reviewed and the trip rated the minimum for activity level. Most hotel accommodation was reasonable-good, but I spent three nights in rooms with no natural light (excluding homestays) before requesting not to be put in such a room.

Most Inspirational Moment

Kayaking on Da Bac reservoir ( an optional extra)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Duy was excellent. Felt very safe and cared for and he remained positive and keen despite having had no time off since his last trip and some early starts.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do NOT book this trip if you are keen to do trekking, cycling or kayaking as there is very little of this and lots of sitting on buses in traffic. If you do book the trip take padded cycling shorts and gel seat covers for the bikes- we did and they were very helpful.

Suggestions

Duy our leader was great. The trip did do what the trip notes said but the notes did not make clear the huge amount of time spent on buses getting out of very large cities, often 3-4 hour journeys and the little time spent in any rural areas. Several of us felt we had booked the wrong trip so the Trip Notes must have misled several of us. The first 2 days in Homestays were great but the rest of the trip was disappointing if you like to be active and in nice scenery. All our previous trips with Exodus had been treks and we have learned that we should stick to treks and not book tours in the future.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many moments, it's hard to pinpoint one! Kayaking through emerald water of Ha long bay and seeing the caves. We were lucky as it was just our group in the area so it was very peaceful. We also visited Ti Top island afterwards when all the day trippers were leaving so we were the last people on the island which was amazing without the crowds!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Trung was very helpful and was very knowledgeable of Vietnam's history. We all learnt so much from him and came back home wanting to learn more. He had the best suggestions on where to go to eat and the best dishes to try out!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Maybe bring something warm to wear for the overnight train especially if you're sleeping on the top bunkbed as it can get chilly with the aircon

Most Inspirational Moment

My favourite part of the trip was the visit to Halong Bay. The karst mountain scenery was just gorgeous and our experience dining and sleeping on the boat was exceptional. Kayaking here was the cherry on top. My most inspirational moment was likely visiting the day program for individuals who had been mentally or physically impacted by the war. Having an opportunity to purchase some of the beautiful embroidery they created was very meaningful for me.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jay was an absolutely incredible guide from start to finish! He made the most of our travel time together on the bus by sharing his wealth of knowledge about Vietnam and the rich history of the country. He was always willing to answer our questions and did all that he possibly could to maximize our enjoyment of the trip. Dee and Thida were our guides on the extension in Cambodia and they were also terrific. These three guides enhanced my enjoyment of the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would have been more comfortable on the hikes if I had brought along my hiking poles. If doing the Cambodia extension, and using American currency, it is important to know that currency will only be accepted if it is crisp and rip free. It is also preferred that it be dated within the last ten years.

Suggestions

The weather was either hot or very hot since we chose to complete this tour in July. The two hikes were quite a challenge in the heat so it was a lovely option to opt out or only complete half of the second hike. The biking was very manageable since it is in a very flat area. The local people in both Vietnam and Cambodia were charming.

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved the cultural immersion, even during cycling there was so much culture to bathe in. You cannot escape the cultural aspect, and you’ll learn so much about the making of different crafts, and how the indigenous communities combine their efforts to ensure their survival and that nobody in their community is left vulnerable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hue (Lilly) enthusiastic, sociable and shared local and historical knowledge as well as personal experience. Her organisational skills were spot on and her spoken English was excellent. In short, she went over and above to ensure we were happy and safe. She’s probably by far the best tour leader I’ve had on Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I went during the first two weeks of April so don’t underestimate the weather. The further South you go the hotter it becomes. Make sure you drink plenty of water, take a hat, sunblock, sunglasses, hand sanitiser/wet wipes, swimwear, inset repellent and a good pair of walking trainers and sandals. Take quick dry or light cotton clothing. The homestays and sleeper train provide decent bedding and mosquito nets (in former) but might want to take a sleeping bag liner. Fortunately Hue had the foresight to request gel saddle seats to save us from sore bottoms during our bike rides. Having gel seats is not a norm but can be requested by the tour leader.

Suggestions

The Vietnamese people are so lovely and friendly, and hardworking. Enjoy getting to know their culture. Learn about their history and resilience to rebuild their country after the war.

Most Inspirational Moment

Just how well the country has recovered from the devastating American/Vietnam war and how the people have gotten on with their lives.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were very lucky to have Ashley Truong as our leader. A young woman from the central part of Vietnam who was always happy to chat and share her knowledge of all parts of Vietnam. Apart from the organisational aspect of her role which she fulfilled admirably, she was fun and understood the group's sense of humour which wasn't too off the wall but is often difficult for a non native English speaker. She explained a lot of the history and current political issues of the country without appearing to be biased or bitter. She made the trip all the more worthwhile.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The homestays are quite adequate for westerners although you do have to share with several others and the toilet facilities are clean but basic. The hotels are clean but generally 3 star and perhaps a bit dated in the decor. It seemed very safe (although you do have to take sensible precautions with wallets and cameras). Crossing the road is a case of walk purposely across without hesitation and the scooters will drive around you which can be a bit disconcerting at times. The treks are really just walks around the homestays and the bike rides are mostly on roads with the attendant lorry and scooter traffic. So the activity level is pretty moderate. You are on the go all the time except for a couple of nights in Hoi An which is a fun filled city where you can get bespoke clothes made up overnight.

Suggestions

Overall a great overview of the country taking in the big cities like Hanoi and Saigon as well as the countryside and Halong bay with its limestone pillars coming out of the sea.