Thai Indochina Grand Tour

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• JR

  Jarrod
  Written on January 8, 2018

  4.0 - Good

  Fantastic, well run tour with great tour leaders and local guides. Covers all the highlights in one simple tour, all you need to do is turn up. Highly recommended. This was my first group tour with exodus and definitely won't be the last, well done guys and a big shout out to tour leaders Nat and Long

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• 

  Anonymous
  Written on November 10, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  A fantastic way of seeing South East Asia in one go. The tour allows for variety of travel, sights and countries - a real bonus!What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?There were quite a few!I found Laos in general to be my favourite country. It is very chilled out, the people are incredibly friendly and happy and the sights are beautiful. It is one place that has gone on my 'list' to visit again! The most amazing sights had to be in Halong Bay, near Hanoi. Cruising around on the boat (eating amazing food) was incredible and then being able to get off the boat and go canoeing around, under rocks and into hidden lagoons was just amazing.Of course the Agkor Temples were also incredible. Agkor Wat sunrise was great, but my favourite temple was actually Ta Phrom, the Jungle Temple. Seeing the tree's towering out of the temple was something that you really just can't comprehend from photos. I also enjoyed the many faced Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom.For a very different reason, the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh was a 'highlight'. Walking around both was incredibly depressing and sad - to see the horrors that the Khmer Rouge regime inflicted upon the people of Cambodia was just horrific.What did you think of your group leader?With the trip being so long, we had several group leaders, all of them were great! Joe (our Thai/Laos guide) was very informative, friendly and a lot of fun. Khanh, our Vietnamese guide, was brilliant - again informative and friendly and really went that extra mile. Khanh mixing Mojitos on the Reunification Express will be a great memory for the rest of my life! Finally, Chan Ly, our Cambodian guide, was one of the most amazing people I have ever met. With the perfect balance between information, fun, interest and friendliness he really was hard to beat!Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Go on the trip - that's all I can say really. All four countries are amazingly friendly and incredibly beautiful.You will see a LOT of temples - by the end you will probably feel 'templed out' (I know I did). Also, if you are a single traveller like me, there is a lot of free time in places like Luang Prabang and Hoi An - be prepared to organise things to do (though all of the guide were very helpful in doing this). I did a great half day walk in Luang Prabang which Joe helped me to organise. The shopping in Hoi An did keep me occupied there as well!
• 

  Anonymous
  Written on April 17, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  An amazing holiday with lots of variety. If you enjoy temples this is the trip for you. If you like being on water, this is the trip for you. If you enjoy excellent food this trip offers lots of new tastes. The hotels are very comfortable and in good locations.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Halong bay wins the award for the best place to be on this trip. The boat was very comfortable. Sailing through the limestone karsts was amazing. The cave was possible the best we have been in. Kayaking on the bay was brilliant especially when we went through a cave into a lagoon that was like a magical place.The food on the boat was superb. The chef produced fantastic food with wonderful vegetable displays. In all a time to remember for the rest of our lives. What did you think of your group leader?We had four group leaders on this trip and their experience varied. All had good knowledge of history their countries but not always of the nature and wildlife. Our experience of the guides varied from fair to very good. However, our past guides with Exodus trips have been superb.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?The holiday is a long one and as a consequence very tiring as you are on the go from early morning. However the itinerary is packed with lots of things to see and do and you don't feel you want to miss anything!Do pack lightly and buy as you go! At most of our hotels people were selling 3 T-shirts for $10 and in Hoi An there is plenty of time to have things made e.g silk shirts/ blouses for $14! Bargain! There are also plenty of places on this trip to get your laundry done very cheaply.Cycling - it was not compulsory to do the cycling parts of the holiday, so check carefully before you go whether you want/ need to take helmets. The traffic can be a bit scary so consider whether you are confident enough to do the cycling.Is there anything else you would like to add?This is an amazing holiday. So much variety from temples to riding down the Mekong River to scrambling in the Cu Chi tunnels. Lots of history, culture, sadness (Killing Fileds , Vietnam War) as well as fun things such as kayaking and shopping! My feet are still recovering from all the walking around temples etc. 
• 

  Anonymous
  Written on April 17, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  An amazing holiday with lots of variety. If you enjoy temples this is the trip for you. If you like being on water, this is the trip for you. If you enjoy excellent food this trip offers lots of new tastes. The hotels are very comfortable and in good locations.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Halong bay wins the award for the best place to be on this trip. The boat was very comfortable. Sailing through the limestone karsts was amazing. The cave was possible the best we have been in. Kayaking on the bay was brilliant especially when we went through a cave into a lagoon that was like a magical place.The food on the boat was superb. The chef produced fantastic food with wonderful vegetable displays. In all a time to remember for the rest of our lives. What did you think of your group leader?We had four group leaders on this trip and their experience varied. All had good knowledge of history their countries but not always of the nature and wildlife. Our experience of the guides varied from fair to very good. However, our past guides with Exodus trips have been superb.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?The holiday is a long one and as a consequence very tiring as you are on the go from early morning. However the itinerary is packed with lots of things to see and do and you don't feel you want to miss anything!Do pack lightly and buy as you go! At most of our hotels people were selling 3 T-shirts for $10 and in Hoi An there is plenty of time to have things made e.g silk shirts/ blouses for $14! Bargain! There are also plenty of places on this trip to get your laundry done very cheaply.Cycling - it was not compulsory to do the cycling parts of the holiday, so check carefully before you go whether you want/ need to take helmets. The traffic can be a bit scary so consider whether you are confident enough to do the cycling.Is there anything else you would like to add?This is an amazing holiday. So much variety from temples to riding down the Mekong River to scrambling in the Cu Chi tunnels. Lots of history, culture, sadness (Killing Fileds , Vietnam War) as well as fun things such as kayaking and shopping! My feet are still recovering from all the walking around temples etc. 
• 

  Anonymous
  Written on April 8, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  This is a stunning introduction to Indo China, with a primary focus on Laos and Vietnam.  Travel by plane, minibus, tuk-tuk, cycle rickshaw, bicycle, canoe, boats, sleeper train and foot.  This is a "full on" trip that is well paced to allow independent exploration as well as the benefits of well informed local guides.  Accommodation is varied, but always comfortable.  A fabulous trip to abolish a UK winter! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?So difficult to narrow these down to a shortlist, but would have to include :-1. Sunrises and sunsets on the Mekong whilst on the 200 mile river trip.2. Stunning mountain scenery of northern Laos.3. Floating markets of the Mekong Delta and the Vietnam/Cambodia border town of Chau Doc  -  an unexpected gem.4. The contrast between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Can they really be in the same country?5. Temples at Angkor WatWhat did you think of your group leader?We had a different leader for each country.Thailand/Laos.  Khag (aka "Kate") was a larger than life, thoughtful and well organised leader for Thailand, and also for Laos,  as our Lao guide was still under training.  He was a lovely guy and very knowledgable but no doubt found it hard in the company of a group that had already bonded with their Thai guide. Vietnam.  Thanh was real gentleman, knowledgable and passionate about his country.  Always prepared to go the "extra mile" to make our trip special. Cambodia.  Allan's command of colloquial English was such that it was all too easy to forget that she is a young woman who had grown up with parents who are still subsistence farmers who had survived the "Killing Fields". Her knowledge of Angkor Wat where she is an accredited guide was exceptional.  Bright and bubbly personality and able to look at the Killing fields era from her own family perspective which made her input invaluable. In each case it was a real plus to have a local person as our guide rather than a well informed westerner. They were able to get local food and fruit for us to try that we wouldn't have dared try for ourselves and they added greatly to the insight we were able to get of the culture and history of each country. Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Just do it! Travel light  -  it is easy to get laundry done cheaply and quickly (same day) virtually every where. Read about the history of the area before you go to get the best out of the experience  -  especially the Vitenam War and the Killing Fields.  Take an ENORMOUS memory card for your camera  -  I filled a 32gb card.  Take each day as it comes and be prepared for the unexpected.  Consider arranging your own flights at the beginning and end of the trip.  The included flights involve a long stopover in Kuala Lumpur.  We flew Jet Airways  -  London to Bangkok via Mumbai  -  where the stopover was short, and was also considerably cheaper, particularly if booked early.  Is there anything else you would like to add?At over 4 weeks this is the longest holiday we have ever taken and we were a little apprehensive about whether we would have had enough after 2 weeks.  It says a lot for the trip that at no point were we ready to come home.  It is well paced with plenty of variety and with highlights all the way through to look forward to. Having previously struggled a bit with the food in India, we had no trouble whatsoever in Indo China  -  the food was tasty, incredibly varied and appetising  -  in fact it was a real highlight of the trip. Although the weather was generally hot (28 - 37 deg)  it is not overpoweringly so, and we had very little trouble from biting insects  -  even along the rivers and the Mekong Delta.  Just make sure you have plenty of insect spray. 
• 

  Anonymous
  Written on April 8, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  This is a stunning introduction to Indo China, with a primary focus on Laos and Vietnam.  Travel by plane, minibus, tuk-tuk, cycle rickshaw, bicycle, canoe, boats, sleeper train and foot.  This is a "full on" trip that is well paced to allow independent exploration as well as the benefits of well informed local guides.  Accommodation is varied, but always comfortable.  A fabulous trip to abolish a UK winter! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?So difficult to narrow these down to a shortlist, but would have to include :-1. Sunrises and sunsets on the Mekong whilst on the 200 mile river trip.2. Stunning mountain scenery of northern Laos.3. Floating markets of the Mekong Delta and the Vietnam/Cambodia border town of Chau Doc  -  an unexpected gem.4. The contrast between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Can they really be in the same country?5. Temples at Angkor WatWhat did you think of your group leader?We had a different leader for each country.Thailand/Laos.  Khag (aka "Kate") was a larger than life, thoughtful and well organised leader for Thailand, and also for Laos,  as our Lao guide was still under training.  He was a lovely guy and very knowledgable but no doubt found it hard in the company of a group that had already bonded with their Thai guide. Vietnam.  Thanh was real gentleman, knowledgable and passionate about his country.  Always prepared to go the "extra mile" to make our trip special. Cambodia.  Allan's command of colloquial English was such that it was all too easy to forget that she is a young woman who had grown up with parents who are still subsistence farmers who had survived the "Killing Fields". Her knowledge of Angkor Wat where she is an accredited guide was exceptional.  Bright and bubbly personality and able to look at the Killing fields era from her own family perspective which made her input invaluable. In each case it was a real plus to have a local person as our guide rather than a well informed westerner. They were able to get local food and fruit for us to try that we wouldn't have dared try for ourselves and they added greatly to the insight we were able to get of the culture and history of each country. Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Just do it! Travel light  -  it is easy to get laundry done cheaply and quickly (same day) virtually every where. Read about the history of the area before you go to get the best out of the experience  -  especially the Vitenam War and the Killing Fields.  Take an ENORMOUS memory card for your camera  -  I filled a 32gb card.  Take each day as it comes and be prepared for the unexpected.  Consider arranging your own flights at the beginning and end of the trip.  The included flights involve a long stopover in Kuala Lumpur.  We flew Jet Airways  -  London to Bangkok via Mumbai  -  where the stopover was short, and was also considerably cheaper, particularly if booked early.  Is there anything else you would like to add?At over 4 weeks this is the longest holiday we have ever taken and we were a little apprehensive about whether we would have had enough after 2 weeks.  It says a lot for the trip that at no point were we ready to come home.  It is well paced with plenty of variety and with highlights all the way through to look forward to. Having previously struggled a bit with the food in India, we had no trouble whatsoever in Indo China  -  the food was tasty, incredibly varied and appetising  -  in fact it was a real highlight of the trip. Although the weather was generally hot (28 - 37 deg)  it is not overpoweringly so, and we had very little trouble from biting insects  -  even along the rivers and the Mekong Delta.  Just make sure you have plenty of insect spray. 
• 

  Anonymous
  Written on March 27, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Exodus have honed this tour and it's action-packed all the way, full of variety.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?In our exclusive boat, we floated along the Mekong River in Laos for 2 days, stopping at Luang Prebang - a cultural treat.;  also the various trips on and around the Mekong Delta, with an excellent homestay.   What did you think of your group leader?Our several local guides were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, energetic and always ahead of the game.     It wouldn't have been as much fun without them.   Do you have any advice for potential travellers?This is a full-on month, so if you can arrive a few days ahead of the tour start date it'll give you time to get over jet-lag and acclimatise - and see more of Bangkok, which I really enjoyed.   Is there anything else you would like to add?Get there even earlier and spend a few days south of Bangkok at Amphawa floating market - it's easy enough to get there by taxi + air-conditioned public transport.
• 

  Anonymous
  Written on March 27, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Exodus have honed this tour and it's action-packed all the way, full of variety.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?In our exclusive boat, we floated along the Mekong River in Laos for 2 days, stopping at Luang Prebang - a cultural treat.;  also the various trips on and around the Mekong Delta, with an excellent homestay.   What did you think of your group leader?Our several local guides were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, energetic and always ahead of the game.     It wouldn't have been as much fun without them.   Do you have any advice for potential travellers?This is a full-on month, so if you can arrive a few days ahead of the tour start date it'll give you time to get over jet-lag and acclimatise - and see more of Bangkok, which I really enjoyed.   Is there anything else you would like to add?Get there even earlier and spend a few days south of Bangkok at Amphawa floating market - it's easy enough to get there by taxi + air-conditioned public transport.
• 

  Anonymous
  Written on February 14, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Lived up to all expectations.A wide variety of contrasting experiences.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?There were so many that one cannot select one highlight.Temples in Bangkok, delightful people in Laos, 2 day trip along the Mekong, visiting remote village alonside the Mekong, trip on the Halong Bay boat, contrast of Hanoi and Ho chi Minh city, millions of motorbikes, everyones downstairs house front seemingly selling something, temples at Angkhor, Tunnels, etc.What did you think of your group leader?Kate in Thailand and Laos, Thanh in Vietnam were excellent - both with lovely but different senses of humour and well organised but able to be flexible and accommodate group requests. One thought that if there were any problems that they would be able to sort them out.Gal in Laos was a lovely person but his spoken words were often "swallowed" and he needs to be more authoritative and show that he is in command, like Kate and Thanh.Alann in Cambodia. Bright and cheery personality but was probably not "mature" enough for our older group. Very good at Angkhor temples but needed to brush up a little more on Vietnamese geog./life when in Vietnam, eg. which river are we travelling along.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Go!!!!! Before Laos, Cambodia and Northern Vietnam become too westernised.Is there anything else you would like to add?Although we weren't relishing the thought of sharing a sleeping car on the overnight train from Hanoi to Hue and a room in the Homestay near the Mekong, we had some laughs with David and Ann.A negative - the only one I think. After checking in at Siem Reap, we had a 2.5 hour wait prior to the flight. Did we really need to be at the airport so early?  We then had an 8+ hour wait at Kuala Lumpar before our Heathrow flight. Better flight links needed.
• 

  Anonymous
  Written on February 14, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Lived up to all expectations.A wide variety of contrasting experiences.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?There were so many that one cannot select one highlight.Temples in Bangkok, delightful people in Laos, 2 day trip along the Mekong, visiting remote village alonside the Mekong, trip on the Halong Bay boat, contrast of Hanoi and Ho chi Minh city, millions of motorbikes, everyones downstairs house front seemingly selling something, temples at Angkhor, Tunnels, etc.What did you think of your group leader?Kate in Thailand and Laos, Thanh in Vietnam were excellent - both with lovely but different senses of humour and well organised but able to be flexible and accommodate group requests. One thought that if there were any problems that they would be able to sort them out.Gal in Laos was a lovely person but his spoken words were often "swallowed" and he needs to be more authoritative and show that he is in command, like Kate and Thanh.Alann in Cambodia. Bright and cheery personality but was probably not "mature" enough for our older group. Very good at Angkhor temples but needed to brush up a little more on Vietnamese geog./life when in Vietnam, eg. which river are we travelling along.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Go!!!!! Before Laos, Cambodia and Northern Vietnam become too westernised.Is there anything else you would like to add?Although we weren't relishing the thought of sharing a sleeping car on the overnight train from Hanoi to Hue and a room in the Homestay near the Mekong, we had some laughs with David and Ann.A negative - the only one I think. After checking in at Siem Reap, we had a 2.5 hour wait prior to the flight. Did we really need to be at the airport so early?  We then had an 8+ hour wait at Kuala Lumpar before our Heathrow flight. Better flight links needed.