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...
Vietnam is an inspirational place to visit, the people are welcoming and open, the kids great you like brothers and sisters,the cities are a total culture shock and the landscape and coast is stunning. As cyclists dressed in our get up we must have looked like people from another planet dropped into a society which in some areas looks like it has not changed in hundreds of years. I felt by cycling, you touch, feel, smell and experience all aspects of life, it's traveling on a human scale enabling you to immerse yourself in another culture.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There were so many; us all collectively lighting a tribute to those who suffered in the war, at the sight of a village whose population was all killed one dreadful morning 45 years ago, was moving. It was like it happened yesterday because the landscape had not changed around the village and there were children cycling back from school looking and sounding like the children who were killed leaving for school that fateful day. Reaching some personal goals in terms of the cycling, getting to the top of hill top passes, cycling to the coast for the first time and jumping in the sea, the overnight train ride and seeing Hanoi for the first time after getting off the train. Halong bay was stunning and I got up at dawn to sea the sun rise over the limestone peaks. But the real inspiration is seeing the strength and energy of the Vietnamise people, after the war you think they would turn their back on people from the west, but they were happy to share their time with us and let us see how they live.
What did you think of your group leader?
Lam, was caring, effective, knowledgeable and his fitness was inspirational on the bike rides. Every single arrangement he made for us worked and his recommendations around places to go and see we're always spot on.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Only go on this trip if you are a fit cyclist. I was on the margin of not strong enough and it was a tough challenge. It says it's mostly flat, somewhere, it's mostly hilly. We had a wide range of ability levels and e erroneous was supported to finish. But my advise is if you have not cycled over 70km in a day in the uk, you are going to find 100km in the heat very very tough. And oh yes train and train before leaving. You will enjoy it more if it's not painful
First (but not last!) cycling holiday and WOW ! what a way to see a country. I have wanted to go to Vietnam for nearly 2o years and discovering Exodus allowed be to discover the whole of this beautiful country, meet some fantastic people whilst challenging my fitness and cycling skills. From start to finish, this trip was well thought through, the local support excellent and the country and people simply wonderful.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Lots and lots of things, the scenery of the country is just amazing. I guess the hardest day cycling was doing 70km uphill (took us 7 hours), knowing that you were about to do that was a bit foreboding, but eveyone supported everyone else and the motivated that came from all of the group kept us all going. Getting to the top and seeing the view down was pretty awesome. Freewheeling the 30km downhill was pretty amazing too!
What did you think of your group leader?
Lam was superb, very information, great sense of humour, kept us all motovated and amused throughout our stay.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take part in everything, stop and take pictures with the locals (they are very friendly). We saved al the toothbrushes etc that were put in our hotels along the way and gave them out in one of the poorest areas, the kids and parents alike were delighted.
Roger Mannings
CYCLING VIETNAM
Written
Thoroughly enjoyable. Still thinking about it now after a week back. I am a committed cyclist and others on the trip probably were not enthusiasts but it didn't matter. We all mixed well and the mixture of swimming, site-seeing and kayaking was great.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing the people and just a different way of life. How hard they seemed to work in the cities and for not very much
What did you think of your group leader?
Long Le is a real gem and such an enthusiast
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Just soak it all up and you will manage the cycling so long as you are reasonably fit
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Do try street food and sit on the tiny plastic chairs with the locals and it's so cheap
Andy Tattersall
CYCLING VIETNAM
Written
All too soon, the two weeks had come to an end. Yet whilst we were busy with the trip, time seemed to expand. Full on, always busy, but what a wonderful way to see such an incredible country.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Experiencing the crazy world of Vietnamese travel - the scooters, mopeds and motorcycles, mixed in with the buses and trucks!; Seeing the beautiful scenery, the outlines of the hills of the central highlands on the skyline whilst cycling amongst the rice paddies; swimming in the warm Pacific ocean from a paradise sandy bay; tasting such fantastic and varied food; being made so welcome by all the people we met - especially the children and their calls of hello as we cycled past, "high-fiving" as we went!; 30km of downhill cycling, from hill top to river-side restaurant
What did you think of your group leader?
Danh was simply the best! This was our sixth Exodus adventure, and all of our leaders have been superb, but Danh is a cut above in a field of excellence. His attentive dedication to his job and those in his care meant that we wanted for nothing, and with his wonderful support team of drivers and cycle mechanics backing him up, the whole trip went as smoothly as a well-oiled bike chain!
His passion for, and love of his country shone through, and his encylopeadic knowledge of Vietnamese history and culture combined with his fantastic sense of humour and fun, meant there was never a dull moment!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you only ever cycle to the shops, prepare yourself for a shock! Don't let this put you off, you should still do it, but you might want to put in some practice on some inclines (or undulating terrain, as we educated Danh to refer to it!). What is difficult to prepare for is the heat - which for most of our trip was in the high 20s and more often than not into the 30s. Cycling in the sauna should do it, but your sports centre might object!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If you have been thinking of visiting Vietnam, get on and do it now! Whether you go on this trip, or one of the other Exodus Vietnam tours, do not delay too long as it is developing and changing fast out there; we felt that something of the mystery and magic of the country might be lost in the rush to capture the tourist market.
Chris Yeo
CYCLING VIETNAM
Written
An excellent way to see the sites, main cities and countryside of Vietnam. This is a comprehensive trip that includes most of the main cultural centres of the country. Cycling is a great way to get off the regular tourist trail and to see how the Vietmamese people live and work.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
For me, visiting a Third World country is best accommplished on a bicycle. However, well meaning you are, if you use a vehicle you will always appear as a 'tourist'. When you ride into a village or town, dusty and dirty on a bike you are approachable and friendly. The local people may think you are nuts to ride a bike when you could use a vehicle but you are definitely 'one of us' not 'one of them'.
Seeing Vietnam on a mountain bike was a great joy. I am old enough to remember the Vietnam War and back then I never thought for one moment that I would one day have the opportunity to visit the country and be welcomed by the people I met.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent. A genuinely nice person. 'Bonded' with the Group very quickly and successfully.
Very helpful, he did everything to make the holiday pleasant and totally successful.
Very well organised.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you want to go to Vietnam, go soon before the country develops. Along the coast the first resorts and golf clubs are being build. I have the feeling that in a few years Vietnam will have changed its character and probably not for the better.
Vietnamese drivers retain the old French road customs and expect you to give way to the right; that is correct, I haven't mixed up my directions. Motor bikes and cars drivers emerge from side roads without looking left and are surprised if those on the main road are not overly pleased.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A really good holiday. I am a keen cyclist and I would like to have ridden a few more miles but most of the group were happy with what we did. In the south it is warm / hot so make sure you drink plenty of water. A sports water additive (Torq is first class) is sensible. In the north the weather was much cooler so a warm, light fleece is essential.
A brilliant trip which was well planned, Dahn was an excellent guide who knew the best places to eat, drink and shop.The trip was hectic and none stop but we crammed so much into two weeks I would not have changed anything.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The whole trip was inspirational, each day was as good as the next, bathing in the sea before lunch on the beach at Dai Lanh was brilliant as were the tunnels at Cui Chi, the Victoria Spa resort was like paradise after a hard day cycling and managing to cycle the whole of the Hai Van Pass was a blast.
What did you think of your group leader?
Brilliant he made the trip, he was funny and friendly with a great deal of knowledge, he had contacts in every city and we ate at some brilliant restaurants which he had arranged.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take warm clothes for Hanoi, dont overpack as you never get to unpack your case make sure you have plenty of clean cycling clothes, there are laundry days but you get very dirty from the roads.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
It was our first trip with Exodus I cant say enough about how brilliant this trip was, I find it hard to belive that any other trip could be better, Exodus have a lot to live up to.The only complaint is the flights back, I found it poor that half of the group had a much later flight from Hanoi to KL than we did, even though we were all catching the same flight into Heathrow, this resulted in us missing half a day in Hanoi and spending it in KL airport, not good, we then met up with the rest of the group who had spent the day enjoying Hanoi while we sat around at KL airport for 8 hours.
This is a great way to experience Vietnam, cycling added an extra dimension to the trip allowing us to get closer to the people, the beautiful scenery and off the beaten track. The planning was faultless, the guides could not do enough for us and I came away with some fantastic memories (and friendships).
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Despite the breathtaking scenery for me everything about the was encapsulated in a brief moment whilst we were riding through a village. I was 100 metres behind one of our group and could see clearly children running and skipping out of their homes to shout 'hello' and give him and then myself high fives as we went past. This was par for the course everywhere we went - as I was riding up the Hai Van Pass motor cyclists pulled up alongside to say hello and chatting to me as I was fighting for air! Vietnam is a beautiful country with wonderful genuinely friendly people.
What did you think of your group leader?
Lynn was excellent. Planning and execution of the trip was faultless but the extra dimension was brought to the trip by his personal stories of his experiences growing up in a war torn Vietnam. It was not only interesting but allowed us to understand on a personal level the challenges the Vietnamese have faced in relatively recent times.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
My only concern about the trip was me travelling on my own - there was the unknown element what the other of the other people on the trip were like. Do not let this put you off! Of a group of 10, 5 of us were solo travellers but we soon realised we all had the similar ideas, values and reasons for going on the trip and this made the basis of making some really good friends - in fact they made a good trip great.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
You need to have a good level of fitness if you are to complete all of the cycling. There is nothing stopping you catching a lift in the coach if the going got too tough but to get the most out of the holiday you need to be prepared. Don't plan on losing despite this being an activity holiday - the food was fantastic.
from 73 reviews.
