Vietnam Express Southbound with Intrepid
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Recent Reviews
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Tour reviewed 28th February 2013 |
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Ok so Vietnam......ahhhh....I went on the Vietnam Express Southbound starting in Hanoi. Hanoi was busy, very busy, and much as I had anticipated with lots of bicycles and mopeds driving around erratically! Unfortunately I didn't get to spend any time there as my flight arrived late (midnight) on the first day.
We then went to Halong Bay. The drive is approx 3.5 hours but only because you have to drive so slowly. The upshot of this is that you see lots of scenery and locals towns and villages. The stops are great, they take you to an arts and crafts factory/shop which is also a foundation for disabled people to get them into work. It's quite inspiring. The goods aren't cheap but very good quality and go to a good cause.
Halong can be cool at this time of year so you'll need a jumper for evenings. Definitely worth doing the canoe safari but we didn't swim as too cold nd better to wait for the beach (if you're going to one?).
The boats are 3 star but better than we all expected and nice as the group gets one to themselves. Drinks avail to buy on board but you could also buy cheaper before you get on the boat at the little shops on the quay (just be subtle with the boat staff).
Hue was interesting and much more laid back. The Citadel and Forbidden city are really fascinating - could have spent longer there - and you must visit the local markets (food, clothes and fake sunglasses to boot)but if you go on a Rickshaw, negotiate a price first for either single or return as they WILL try and put the price up by being vague. If they try it on just walk away. The guys with the blue shirts are the municipal ones so probably best.
Go to Mandarin Café, the café is owned by a famous Vietnamese photographer and also serves amazing food at reasonable prices. You MUST try Bun Bho Hue, their signature dish - YUMMMMMMMMMY!!
The overnight train is fine though just a bit of fun rather than a cultural experience.
From the train you get a bus to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass. Stunning views so have camera ready as difficult for driver to stop. It starts getting hotter as you descend the other side!
Hoi An is beautiful. An ancient city by the river and close to the sea. Loads and loads of cafes and restaurants. Beautiful at night and in the day. A few 'musts' here, Miss Ly's café, owned by an American/Vietnamese couple and some of the best food we tasted in Vietnam. The bike tour which takes you to the paddy fields to see the workers and watch how they grow the rice and veg. This also takes you through the fields to the 'Buffalo Man'....I wont spoil too many surprises - but trust me, just do it...!!! You then cycle on to the beach to relax and swim. Beautiful beach, warm enough to swim and if anyone wants to there are jetski's and paragliding.
There is the famous 'Yaly' where you can get stuff tailored in 24hours however we found them to be very expensive and got a lot cheaper in the shop opposite and pretty good quality. Remember to take items you want copied or pictures from a magazine as this will make it a lot easier.
Get a massage here!! Don’t pay more than 200,000 Dong for a Thai Massage. HIGHLY recommend Aloe Vera Spa on same road as hotel (if the same).
Ho Chi Minh (or Saigon as the locals still call it) is a very modern city. It surprised me a lot. You can see the French Colonial influences everywhere. I can highly recommend cocktails at the Rex Hotel for stunning night time views and if you're feeling flush, go up the business tower (unsure of name but you can't really miss it - looks like the Burj Al Arab!) Also try and find the restaurant called Ngong on , quite upmarket but good prices and incredible food. Part of the trip, and the last meal together, was at KOTO. I was blown away by the food here, and again, very inspiring.
We did a half day city tour and visited the War Remnants museum. Def worth a visit but go with one eye to the ground as it is quite biased. It was quite shocking and graphic but only shows one side (Americans V Vietnamese) but the war was on four sides not two and far more complex! I would recommend having a read before you go or take a book with you to read about VN history.
The Mekong Delta is brilliant, beautiful and fascinating. I would have loved to have stayed overnight in a homestay given the time.
Cu Chi Tunnels left me a bit cold....I'm not a fan of glorifying war but I like to understand it. The ingenuity of the Cu Chi fighters was amazing but the whole place has been commercialized, the film was very pro communist and there were shed loads of tourists messing about on the exhibits and laughing about getting de-bowelled and de-capitated.....It divided the group a little! It is also VERY noisy as there is a rifle range which you can shoot AK47's - again, not for me I hate guns, but some of the younger ones have no personal experience of war or murder so I cant blame them for wanting a go.
The accommodation far exceeded my expectations. Hanoi was def 4 star and others not far off. All had en-suite facilities.
The comfort stops are all at places with western toilets. The food is fantastic. No one got ill as the guides give the best recommendations but we id eat 'off plan' and it was fine, just avoid the salad. The Pho is always a good option as are the spring rolls and rice cakes with whatever fillings that you make and dip in sauce.
Take some Dong as we found this the best value but US dollars come second and most people I the tourist areas will quote you in Dollars (annoying!) Plenty of free time but as we all did most of the activities we were quite busy. Our guide was the best I could possibly have imagined, his name is Trung Pham, and I could not rate him high enough!
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Tour reviewed 15th January 2013 |
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This was my second intrepid tour. Really great tour - our tour guide Bien Tran was fantastic really knowledgeable and great fun! The hotels were a good standard although generally a bit out of town but would always prefer an extra 'star' over a shorter walk! My only suggestions would be an actual city tour of Hanoi (if only a quick couple of hours after the Halong Bay tour) and I was disappointed we did not go to the tunnels in Ho Chi Minh. Otherwise I have done a comfort and an original intrepid and have to say although there was not so many inclusions on the original it was absolutely fine and I think I will stick to original for a while! Will be a loyal Intrepid customer!
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Tour reviewed 6th December 2011 |
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great trip!! we covered lots in the short ten days, and it didn't seem too rushed. our tour leader, mr t, was the BEST! made everything so much fun - even when the weather was against us.
this trip had everything - moments of relaxation, but also hustle and bustle, shopping opportunities, cultural sites and insights, lots of great food, and fun! would definitely recommend it if you want to go to vietnam but don't have too much time to spare :)
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Name of tour: Vietnam Express Southbound
Starts: Hanoi
Ends: Ho Chi Minh City
Tour operator: Intrepid
Price:
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