Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Its hard to pick out individual items as its so full of wonderful exhilarating experiences and that's part of trip and the guide skills. Each day is packed with differing things and they are great full days.The obvious places are Hoi An, Whale Island and Ha Long Bay, the trip overnight on the train is not to be forgotten nor those decedents down on our bikes will never be forgotten over 10 km in some stunning scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Son, was so well informed in his Country's culture and developement that it come over in his love of his job. Nothing was to much troblem His attention to detail shown through and his ability to offer differing views and thing to see never failed to help and inspire us. Cycling: his attention to H&S came over time and time again which is very helpful as well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just book it...you will NOT be disappointed.

Most Inspirational Moment

At the end of most days I thought, “ wow, this day was great”. I did not expect to say that each day. Always a new surprise.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I always liked when Son would talk about his country and give his personal opinion about Vietnamese culture.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Know and believe that whoever designed this trip, highlighted the best experiences you could have between Ho Chi Minh city and Hanoi.

Most Inspirational Moment

The group Leader Lam's " Story Times" told us about what to do expect for that days cycle , information about where we were going and history about the country . Thank you

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lam was incredible and made the trip so enjoyable. He got to know all of us very quickly and had our dietary requirements catered for

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you read the trip notes to ensure you take everything with you. I took my own saddle which I definitely recommend

Most Inspirational Moment

For me it was achieving some of the daily bike rides, and surrounding scenery. The people who work so hard....they are a true inspiration.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tri was our leader, hats off to him for doing such a wonderful job of looking after our group of 18 along with the crew team Tiny (in the back keeping an eye on us slower ones and there to fix our bikes), Happy Budda (our bus driver, who always got us to each destination safely and the cold wipes he put on our neck at the end of bike road and lovely snacks provided to keep our strength up) Can, who was the truck driver for our bikes....always there on time and bikes always lined up ready to go. All of whom guided us in the right directions. Tri kept us all briefed with good safety instructions, great places to eat which were varied and interesting places. Safety was important for me and I always felt safe in the above company. Thanks so much Tri and team for making this one of my best holidays and a great first time experience in Vietnam which I will share with friends and family.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You will not be disappointed cycling Vietnam was a great experience. Take time to arrive a day or two in advance to get used to the hot weather.

Most Inspirational Moment

The 30 klm downhill section from the Dalat Pass to the coast plus the 10 klm uphill section of the Hai Van pass .ie just getting to the top! (made more difficult due to the hot & humid weather conditions) Also, Linh arranged a "Home Stay" dinner with a Local Vietnamese family which was an outstanding experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mr Linh Vo was a fantastic tour Leader & a credit to your (Exodus) Company.I would give him 12/10.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you're intending to cycle Vietnam,extra training to allow for the hot & humid weather would help.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling against the clock along the coast at sunset to catch the boat to Whale Island, making it up the Hai Van pass in extreme heat and humidity, cruising in Halong Bay and generally taking in Vietnamese rural life as we pedalled through the countryside. Also truly special was the evening with a local family who cooked us about 8 courses, chatted with us and entertained us with music, including a song sung by their 5 year old grand daughter.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Special praise goes to our amazing guide Linh Vo - so experienced, knowledgable and attentive he shared his fascinating personal and family life story and against various odds cycled for the national team. A lovely guy who worked tirelessly to organise us, meet our every need and keep us safe and well prepared. We gained so much insight into Vietnamese culture, society, family life and the history and politics too but always in an approachable manner - he regularly entertained us with interesting stories, jokes and even songs. We always felt safe with him in traffic and he was on the ball at all times ensuring no one was left behind. He even dished out pushes up the passes to those in need of one! We especially loved that he organised home cooked food to help local families and took us to unusual spots not seen by many such as the most flamboyant cemetry we have ever seen.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel light, we took too many clothes, no need to take snacks as the guides source a lovely variety, no need for a head torch a phone will do. Take only day-long suncream - the humidity will sweat off anything else. If you want any clothes copied or made in Hoi An take pictures or a sample with you as you won't have long to decide on options. Stay on in Hanoi if you can to soak up the mad, noisy, colourful and fascinating old quarter. Above all else, just go!

Most Inspirational Moment

The way the group bonded and joined together to make sure everyone completed the cycling days with support from the more capable cyclists and the Exodus team.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our team leader, Linh Vo, made the trip. His honest and knowledgeable insights into Vietnam's history, culture, social and political issues together with his endless enthusiasm, humour and organisation skills meant that we learned so much about the country and its people during our 2 weeks with him. Linh went out of his way to make sure we all got the most out of our holiday and was available to answer any questions or concerns we had. He took us to some fantastic local restaurants, arranged for us to eat with local families and made sure we had plenty of snacks and drinks during the cycling days. We will be keeping in touch with Linh as he became someone we consider to be a friend as well as our guide and we hope to meet up with him in the future on another Exodus trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't take too many clothes with you, you will only need half of what you think you will need. We packed fairly light compared to others in the group and still only wore about half of what we packed. Take it easy on the long cycle days as the heat and humidity will test even the strongest of cyclists.

Most Inspirational Moment

1) Cycling through the villages where local people would great us as we went by. 2) Cycling up the Hai Van Pass 3) Snorkelling of the coast of Whale island 4) Exploring Halong Bay by kayak 5) Spending time with incredible group of people

Most Inspirational Moment

Has to be the Hai Van pass but just as enjoyable cycling through the local villages and paddy fields.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was called Long Le who was quite a character ! He had an excellent knowledge, was there 24 hours a day and along with his support team we couldn't have asked for a better leader.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling the spectacular Hai Van Pass with stunning views. If you have a go pro then this would be the time to use it. It was hard work but I was so pleased I did it. It took about an hour to climb the 10k steep hill. Hoi An old town on day 9 was one of my favourite places to visit with the river, temples and shops. If you like tailored clothing you can have a suit made in a day here. Some members of the group had suits made and they were of outstanding quality and craftsmanship. Whale Island was also beautiful and peaceful and a welcome rest and recuperation destination.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were so lucky to have Long Le. He was so friendly right from the moment when we met at the airport. He was so professional, organised, knowledgeable, hard working, kind and thoughtful. He made sure everybody was safe and happy at all times. He found the best establishments to eat and drink and I trusted him and his team completely. His knowledge of his country was incredible and he always encouraged you to ask questions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a large tub of chamois cream, it will become your friend as you will be cycling solidly for nine days in the heat and rain and by the end of the holiday the bike will feel like part of you. I recommend “udderly smooth” you can purchase it from Amazon for £8.99. A handlebar bag would be a good idea as I took a bum bag and it just got in the way when signalling to fellow cyclists behind you. Most people took their own saddles and gel covers for their seats. Lee, the bike mechanic will fit it all for you. I also took an “ass saver” mud guard for the back of the bike to prevent mud splashes on rainy days. You can pack it easily in your luggage as it’s lightweight and it comes as a flat piece of plastic that you shape and fit under your saddle with no brackets. You can buy it from Amazon for about £5. A good pair of padded gel sorts and gloves are essential as your hands and ass get quite sore after a few hours on the bike. A good waterproof high SPF sun screen as it’s a pain having to re-apply it at each stop. The sun can get unbearable at times and you can burn very easily. Incognito insect repellent is excellent and works well too, you will need it every day whilst cycling. I recommend taking a comfortable pillow for the long bus journeys so you can catch up on much needed sleep.