Most Inspirational Moment
Meeting a water buffalo in a rice field during the countryside excursion. Ha Long Bay is as beautiful as you'd imagine.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Trung, was brilliant! He ensured our group was relaxed from the start, and as a result we were all fast friends. He made sure all food intolerances were catered for, was so organised, knowledgeable and just a lovely, smiley, energetic force. It's impossible to be sad with Trung around.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You'll be able to get laundry done locally twice, maybe more, pack light so you have more space for souvenirs. Hoi An is great for tailor made clothes, shoes and bags. Watch out for the luggage limit on the internal flight. Just take VND rather than dollars, keep it simple. We only exchanged 2 million VND to take with us, but this isn't really a huge amount, on reflection I'd have taken at least five times that amount, although food and drink are incredibly cheap you'll need VND to pay for extra excursions , souvenirs etc. Taxis are readily available and really cheap.
Suggestions
The day after the train ride was a low point for me, no shower until the afternoon. I can only advise that you take wet wipes in your wash bag for the train! Ha Long Bay was beautiful, as was Hoi An, which has a gorgeous beach just a short taxi ride away. Saigon surprised me with its big city charm! This was the first group tour we've done, and there was something quite lovely about getting to know a group of people and sharing their lives for just two weeks, knowing it'll never be repeated, it just shows how many strangers are friends we've not yet met.