Asia City sightseeing Trips

This trip was a follow-up visit to Vietnam after a 30-year break. The country still has the charm, interest, and friendly people that I remember. This is despite it now being an industrialised nation instead of the totally rural economy that it was. There has been a great deal of improvement in the infrastructure that makes travelling around much easier. The trip was very comprehensive with a packed itinerary giving a good insight into Vietnamese life. Our guide Tien worked tirelessly to make sure that the trip ran smoothly for everyone and ensured that the group was happy and well fed. Her knowledge of the country, its history, customs, along with her personal insights enhanced the basic facts of the place that we visited. The hotels were all an excellent standard, if a bit corporate and international on a few occasions. The junk for the cruise around Lan Ha Bay was of an exceptional standard. My favourite hotel was The Little Oasis in Hoi An. Hoi An was also my favourite town. We opted out of the cooking class to spend more time exploring the town. Perhaps this cooking activity should have been an option rather than inclusive. There are other things to do in and around the town that would have made a better option for me. The transport was clean and comfortable except for the Hue to Hoi An section. The vehicle had broken air vents, cup holders, seat belts were hanging on the floor, and the suspension was poor. The transport over this section needs upgrading. My only disappointment was the water puppet show. I have seen the show before. After a 45-minute drive to the rural location the exclusive show was very amateurish, lacked live music and had no atmosphere. The Hanoi city theatre version that I had seen previously was much more enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed my return visit to Vietnam and would have no worries about recommended this trip to either a first or return visitor to Vietnam.

The tour leader was excellent. He made a change to the planned itinerary when we were on the River Kwai and, I believe, much improved our experience. We visited the site of the Bridge on the River Kwai one day and Hellfire Pass on the next day. They were enthralling and it was good to feel rested when we visited each site. I also loved the two half days I spent relaxing at the floating hotel on the Rive Kwai - that suited me much better than a full day with nothing planned. We were very lucky with our guide who was consistently friendly, informative and fun to be with. He went out of his way to help us all access places that we were interested in

The standard of accommodation was great throughout the trip. The standout hotel was in Hiroshima. It was spacious, modern, and extremely comfortable. It’s a shame we didn’t have our larger luggage with us, as we couldn’t fully make use of the space. The final hotel in Tokyo, however, was quite far out, and the room was uncomfortably hot. Although the hotel provided a fan, it only helped slightly and made the stay less comfortable than expected. The robot experience at Dawn Café was fascinating and memorable, but it was scheduled too close to breakfast. I was still very full and couldn’t fully appreciate what was otherwise an amazing and thoughtfully prepared meal. Christmas Day felt like a missed opportunity. Experiencing KFC for Christmas dinner, as it’s traditionally celebrated in Japan, would have been a fun and culturally immersive option. It also would have been nice for this day to focus more on spending time together as a group, as many travellers are Western and value shared experiences on occasions like Christmas. The optional karaoke add-on was quite expensive on this day, which made it feel less accessible. My absolute favourite experience was dressing up in a kimono in Kyoto. A truly unforgettable and beautifully immersive cultural experience. Our TM, Danielle, was incredible: approachable, hilarious, and a real highlight of the trip. Her knowledge of each city was exceptional, and she brought every destination to life with stories, cultural context, and local insight. She struck a perfect balance between being informative and fun, ensured everyone felt included and supported, and handled logistics seamlessly. Her passion for Japan was infectious and truly elevated the overall experience. Overall, this was a well-organised and enriching trip with many memorable moments!

Jordan did not disappoint. Having two full days in Petra allowed good exploration. This included a visit to little Petra. Make sure you go to the Monastery. It’s well worth all the steps. A night in Wadi Rum was enjoyable. Cold in December but plenty of blankets. No one had to use the communal tent. We were the only group at the camp. This may not always be the case. The optional camel ride is fun and I’d recommend it. The jeep rides are bumpy but again good fun and the only way to take in the vast scenery. Make sure you embrace the mud at the Dead Sea. The hotels were all very good. Buffet breakfasts. Food at Wadi Rum was particularly good. Restaurant meals for dinner were about 15 dinar (including drinks). Food good and plentiful. The bus was a little cramped for 15 of us but the driver was excellent and very safe. The guide was very good and passionate about his country. He knows everyone. Jordan felt very safe. An Explore representative meets you in the airport and takes you through immigration. We were lucky with good weather. Sunny and dry all week. Good group of people to share this experience with. I would definitely recommend this trip.

Great trip with Raj… excellent caring guide… great itinerary and experiencing trains, tuktuks and pleasant minibus drivers…. India is just incredible.. I’m so happy I did this trip… learnt so much more about this amazing country.. don’t try to understand it but absorb it and learn 🙏

Great tour. Our leader had to change our itinerary due to Christmas. This meant that we went to Hellfire pass the following morning as opposed to a full rest day. This was an improvement as the original itinerary of everything on the one day would have been too much. It also meant that we enjoyed a second trip on the river to get to the dock - much better