I wish we had spent an additional hour sailing around the islands instead of an hour for the cave - the actual sailing around the islands portion of the trip was very short relative to the length of the trip.
I enjoyed the trip although was disappointed that we didn't see the Terraced fields in Northern Vietna. Doing Tai Chi at sunrise on the boat in Halong Bay was magical - a real highlight. Also the cycle ride at Hot An was a fund way to cover a slightly longer distance and see the local crafts. A really good trip and I'm pleased I experienced it.
Great trip overall - a real journey Just returned from this trip . Myself , my husband and 3 more friends went on the trip - we are all keen on cycle touring. For myself and my husband, our overall experience was very good . Our guide, Chai was the best we have ever had . He dealt with a varied group with humour, fantastic organisation and always a smile. The group we were with was made up of British , Canadian, American and Australian cyclists . The group was great and bonded well under Chai's expert guidance.
Culturally the trip is very interesting - Angkor Wat is fascinating and beautiful and the Killing Fields in Cambodia were life changing. Travelling through the 3 countries and seeing the various levels of development, political situations and living conditions was interesting and sometimes disturbing.
However the cycling itself was sometimes disappointing - in the first few days there is rather a lot of cycling along straight, featureless , flat roads in 35 degrees of heat. Being taken out to eat local food in the evenings was very enjoyable and welcome after this.
Cycling around Angkor Wat and the various temples which make up the complex was beautiful and the cycling in Vietnam is amazing - cycling through communities , hopping on and off ferries - everywhere a riot of colour and interest.