I can't believe I got to experience so much with this trip. I'm not so good at cooking, but the meals I learned to make in Hue were very delicious. The most exciting part for me was fishing at Tam Giang lagoon, it was the first time I caught a fish in my life! Not to mention how a spectacular place it was.
We had not done an adventure family holiday before and were unsure as to what to expect. Any anxieties were very quickly dispelled and we had a memorable 14 days discovering Vietnam from north to south. The schedule was paced so that we had time to recover from flights and travelling. The heat took some getting used to. Our tour guide said that Vietnam has two types of weather, hot and hotter, so don't pack a jumper! There were five other families on the tour and we all got along really well. Our tour guide Huyen Nguyen made sure everything went smoothly and imparted her in depth knowledge of Vietnam giving us context and descriptions of her beautiful country. The tour was a mix of activities from rickshaws in Hanoi, Cooking classes in Hoi An and relaxing at Whale island. We didn't really get into the history of the "American War" until late into the tour which was good, because Vietnam is so much more than its history! The Vietnamese people were warm, welcoming and generous. It is also helpful that English is spoken widely and quite well, which is useful as the Vietnamese language is very difficult to understand. The food was really tasty and we enjoyed the Ban-mi in particular. One final note, the Hotels were really good, particularly the Sincerity Hotel in Hoi An which has a very good swimming pool.
What a Fantastic Experience I signed up for this on a whim, having done the standard Exodus Vietnam trip 5 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed that trip but saw no reason to return. This trip caught my eye as it covers the bit we previously flew over and I was happy with what was repeated. I have enjoyed half day cycling trips on adventure tours but am no great cyclist. Whilst I did some training - a short ride to work most days and a longer ride every couple of weeks - I expected to retreat to the bus on occasions, particularly for uphill stretches. Friends did not think I would be able to cycle 100km..........