Vietnam Adventure

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

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  David Raymond beacher

  VIETNAM ADVENTURE

  

  Written December 2010

  Vietnam was one of the very best holidays ever and this is taking experiences over 40 years.  The country far exceeded my expectations and Exodus did a fantastic job in a superb well-organised  trip.  Certainly I will recommend the company to all my friends.    David Beacher. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  I think the ride on the elephants going over a lake up at Lac.  It took over an hour and was a very emotional experience for us.  There were other highlights, such as Halong bay, Hue, and Hoi an.  We did so much in just two weeks.   

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Truong our leader was very good, there was nothing he would not do to make our trip in Vietnam wonderful.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  just go.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  no

   
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  Barry Cooper

  VIETNAM ADVENTURE

  

  Written September 2010

  This was another excellent Exodus trip which was well planned to give an insight into both the large cities and the rural areas. The trip was excellently led by Long who can also be regarded as just another excellent Exodus guide. The Company has just so many excellent local guides. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  I do not think that there was an inspirational moment of this trip because it was so varied and the opportunities to explore the various aspects of the country so many. The superb scenery of Hulong Bay and the visit to the disabled persons workshop on the return, Hoi An with its unspolit streets and superb beach, Lal Lake and the chance to see rural tribal life as well as the elephant ride through the lake!, busy Ho Chi

  Minh City (Saigon) and a visit to the Mekong Delta.

   The overwhelming reaction is to the friendly approach by the local people who made us so very welcome.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Long was in the top league of Exodus leaders. Nothing was ever too much trouble for him, transport arrived on time and he was the centre of the Party always there full of fun but also alwayys in command.

  A true leader and also very kind as he took us to his home to meet his wife and daughter, a true privelege. 

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Book this trip and be prepared for an excellent trip. You will be in good, safe hands.

   
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  Cathryn Jacob

  VIETNAM ADVENTURE

  

  Written August 2010

  Just a fantastic holiday - to experience the scenery , culture and traditions of vietnam, as well as the contrasts between the north , the south and the central highlands ! Steeped in culture and history and adventure - a magnificent holiday! 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Its difficult to narrow down to one inspirational moment, but the scenery at Halong Bay is awe inspiring, the way of life at Lac Lake humbling , the Chi Chi tunnels sobering, while the Mekong Delta just should not be missed !

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Our guide was extremely knowlagable and friendly.  It was a pleasure to spend the 2 weeks in his company and he did everything he could to make us comfortable and to ensure that we had a good time.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Take a light weight mac or poncho in the rainy season , it didnt rain on us much but when it did it poured !  It was warm rain and quite fun though !

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Would definately recommend this as a holiday.  Like many of the adventure holidays, it is action packed and you will be doing something different everyday ! A great variety of sights and activities and history.  highly recommended

   
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  Anne-Marie Ruth Johnson

  VIETNAM ADVENTURE

  

  Written April 2010

  If you want a restful, relaxing holiday forget it - this is an all systems go, whistle-stop tour of a fantastic country!  The tour crams loads in and our guide, Long, managed to cram in even more if we asked.  You barely get time to yourself (the bus rides are great for catching up on sleep) - there is so much to see and a huge variety of activities.  Beautiful amazing country and a highly recommended trip. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Visiting the Cu Chi tunnels really makes you realise why the Americans and the South lost the 2nd Indochina War (Vietnam war to you and me).  Fascinating and definitely a highlight.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Long was absolutely superb!  His English is amazing, even to the point where he was mercifully teasing, joking around and winding us up.  His endless enthusiasm for his job, vast knowledge of everything (we only found one random question he couldn't answer!) and his seeming never to stop working coupled with his organisational skills just made the holiday that bit more special for me.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  You don't need american dollars or travellers cheques (the latter are just a pain).  There are plenty of cashpoints and I found the local banks cashpoints give a better exchange rate than eg HSBC.  

   

  Plan carefully what you want made in Hoi An and take a picture if you can - you can get pretty much any clothes and shoes made in virtually any fabric, but you don't actually get much time to decide and order.

   

  Don't need to take a hat - contrary to the notes, they are easy to buy there.

   

  Water is a must, but available to buy everywhere.  Cheapest we got was 8000 for 1 1/2 litres.

   

  Haggle, but know when not to - your guide will help.

   

  Khong cam on (no thank you) works better in Vietnamese than English - you will get pestered. 

   

  Be prepared to spend a lot of time on buses plus 10 hours on the train.  You are seeing the whole country and its huge so there is no getting away from it. 

   

  Take an overnight bag for Ha Long Bay and the Mekong Delta (go and see the crocodiles :-)  

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I couldn't recommend this trip more!  It was my first Exodus trip and I will most definitely be going on another. 

  Vietnam is a fabulous and fascinating country with so much to offer.  Tourism is still in its early days, but is getting there.  Don't take a full bag - there is SO much to buy!  £400 is plenty for all meals and souvenirs.

   
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  Helen Cubitt

  VIETNAM ADVENTURE

  

  Written November 2009

  Thank you Exodus, a fun group of fellow travellers and our fantastic guide Tom for a great trip. Luckily we had read the trip notes and knew it would be jam packed with wonderful experiences but Tom put even more in to make it a trip to remember for ever. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The seafood was fantastic, very fresh, great variety and so cheap. We never paid more than £3 for a very good main course, even in a very good restaurant like the Lemongrass in Ho Chi Minh City. Also the huge variety of transport we used, apart from two internal flights we travelled by bikes, Chinese Junks, dugout canoes, Kyaks, train and even elephants.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Excellent English, a constant smile and endless selection of (very good) jokes, Tom was great. he went out of his way to help us all, add extra experiences to the trips and to be a real ambassador for this amazing country. He also helped us to see the less advantaged Vietnamese people, the children in the orphanage and the hill villages and advised us to collect and distribute the soaps, shampoos and toothbrushes etc from our hotel stays.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Be prepared for the weather being very rainy in November. It doesn't stop you doing anything but buy a big Vietnamese poncho from the street sellers...it'll be worth its weight in gold! Also pack a day sack for the Halong bay trip, the home stay and on the train...your big luggage will be taken away from you or left at the hotel. Take some small denomination sterling coins...the children like to see it!

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I'll definitely be recommending this trip to friends.

   
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  Mary McGrady

  VIETNAM ADVENTURE

  

  Written July 2009

  A fantastic trip - 2 weeks filled to the brim!  Vietnam is the place to go: beautiful scenery, people, colours, smells, food etc... This was my first trip with Exodus and I was not disappointed.  If you like to be kept busy for 14 days in a beautiful country, then this is the trip for you - Amazing!! 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  All of it - the overnight boat trip on beautiful Halong Bay, the madness of traffic & bustle in Hanoi, the sights of Hue, the peacefulness of Hoi An, the homestays in both Lak Lake and the Mekong Delta & the sights of Saigon. The trip has something for everyone.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Thang (Nguyen Duy Thang) was a fantastic leader.  He was so knowledgeable and a fantastic ambassador for his country.  Nothing was too much for him.  He was so organised - he always had the restaurants booked for us, made sure everything was running smoothly for us.  He was always on hand and close by, and seemed to never stop working!  He was great fun to be around and always had a smile on his face.  Exodus you are very lucky to have him, he's worth his weight in gold - I just hope all the other group leaders on tours I may go on match his standard as he was brilliant!

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Travel with an open mind, a good sense of humour and enjoy yourself.  I didn't take any malaria tablets and was only bitten twice.  The 'Reunification Express' is a very long journey in poor accommodation, (but that was always to be expected as it was detailed in the 'Trip Notes') so take a good bottle of insect repellent.  We dined out most nights (except for the 'homestays') so take some nice clothes for this.  No need for any trainers/dressy shoes at all...flip flops will do for the whole trip.  Be prepared to sweat lots in the humidity!  Vietnam is so cheap, so no need for taking lots of money with you!

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I had such a great time & met some lovely individuals in my group - We all had a great laugh & stayed together throughout.  As I said before, travel with an open mind and a good sense of humour and you will have a laugh.   Vietnam is a country not to be sniffed at - absoulutely beautiful, both the scenery and its people.

   
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  Lynda Layland

  VIETNAM ADVENTURE

  

  Written April 2009

  Vietnam is an amazing, fascinating  place, from the madness of traffic in Hanoi, to the calm of the Mekong. Unlike anywhere we've ever been before, wonderful friendly gentle people, vibrant cities &  amazing scenery    

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Seeing the elephants walking across Lak Lake in the early morning as children rode their bikes in & out of the water.  later riding elephants across the Lake.

  Kyaking in Halong Bay as the sun set at the beginning of our trip.

  Jumping on a team of cyclos  to take our whole group to a restaurant in Dha Nang.

  Snorkelling on a coral reef for the first time in my life

  Braving the Chu Chi tunnels

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Long was everything we could have asked for. Nothing was too much trouble, all arrangements went well & very smoothly. He was kind, thoughtful & efficient, flexible in his approach often doing extra little things to add to our experience. His pineapple lollies are excellent!

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Go with an open mind. Take clothes for covering up both at Lak Lake & the Chu Chi tunnels as insect repellent doesn't seem to work. Bear in mind that Saigon can be incredibly hot & humid !!

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Facilities at Lak Lake need to be improved, but would not like to see this excluded from the trip but toilet & shower facilities need to be drastically improved. They have never been cleaned or maintained. Its great to have a view of the lake from your shower complete with water buffalo, pot bellied pigs & local dogs but not so good to have to stagger across the farm yard in the middle of the night. Also the heat in the communal hut was almost unbearable & the mosquito nets had holes in them. 

  Exodus Response

  We have been using the Lak Lake facilities for a number of years and they are basic but add an off the beaten track element to the itinerary. The toilets are cleaned before all groups arrive and while groups are there, but are also used by the locals. The Longhouse we use previously had a thatched roof, but all the village Longhouses  have now been rebuilt with tin or tiled roofs, which make the communal sleeping room hotter than previously. We are currently seeing what the best solution is during the hotter months when this could cause some discomfort.

  Nick Nikolsky - Trip Manager

  
  

  - Exodus Staff

   

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