Balkans Cruise Trips

A full on 2week trip taking in Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, HCM City (Saigon), Pnomh Penh and Siem Riep. Travel is mostly by minibus which was fine mostly. An overnight 16 hr train trip from Hanoi to Da Nang was not great-very uncomfortable bed and noisy. Very little sleep. Second train journey from Da Nang to Saigon has been replaced in the itinerary with a flight which was much better. Accommodation was very good mostly and in a couple of places, excellent. Our tour guide, Quang, was outstanding combining knowledge with humour and great attention to detail. Overall, a brilliant trip which would certainly recommend to others.

Our Guide, Quang, was amazing. He was knowledgeable, kind, with a great sense of humour. He took us to some great restaurants, often arranging for a set menu where we could taste a range of local foods, which were delicious. We were lucky with the weather, only being out in the rain once, but Hoi An was badly flooded 2 weeks before we got there, and inundated again a few days after we left. What resilient people! They just clean up and carry on. Hoi An was beautiful, and I enjoyed a lantern making class with my travel buddy. The overnight train ride was an experience. I didn't get much sleep, and the bunks are narrow and hard. Learning about the difficult history of both countries is sobering, but I felt it important to delve into this, to better appreciate how far both countries have developed. Go to visit the Hero Rats at Apopo in Siem Reap if you have time! The trip notes are pretty accurate, so read them carefully to ensure the trip is to your taste.

Fantastic tour package. See all the major sites but be ready for a lot of walking The local experts were very informative. First full day in Rome is very busy if you include the option experience so be prepared to be exhausted. The rest of the tour timing is significantly better. Venice is like another world. My tour director Gordon was fantastic and had a great sense of humor. He went above and beyond when someone fell ill. Highly recommend this tour if you want the best highlights of Rome. The optionals are worth the money and you won’t regret it!

Overall, the explore elements of the trip were great, the Elephant walking was wonderful and interesting (could write more but I don't want to give any spoilers) and the kayaking through the mangroves were highlights. Some of the optional trips were less good - mainly the bio luminescent trip. I wouldn't recommend this trip to people as it isn't what was advertised in the local trip notes. It was commercialised travel on a speed boat with only 30 minutes of snorkelling at one destination (we were told several sights of snorkelling) and the swim with the bio luminesence was good but that was only for 10 minutes. Additionally the organisation of the trip (after the explore guide had booked) was horrendous. We were on and off buses/taxis and no clue where we were heading. We did eventually get the right boat, but I wouldn't recommend this optional extra to others. We were lucky with the time of year we went and were able to experience a couple of night markets which are well worth visiting for the local food. Our guide Por, was kind and caring and ensured we got to the right pier at the right time. Some of the speed boat people are a little hap hazard with your luggage, so you will need a strong piece of luggage. Overall though, a great trip to see many islands, see the sun, sea and sand (though we did have a lot of thunder and rain through out the trip too). There is a good mix of activities and relax time though I think my favourite island was Koh Hai - the first island.

This was a fantastic trip, very full on but this was known at the time of booking but the early starts are definitely needed. Would recommend that the optional trips of Saqqara and Abu Simbel are done - they really should be part of the itinerary as Saqqara is part of the evolution of the pyramids. Great group to travel with and Amr our guide was fantastic - tried to make sure we all had a great time and was so passionate about Egypt and Egyptology. The overnight train was an experience - but that's what we travel for isn't it! Experiences and being in front of the pyramids was like being on a film set and the colours in the Valley of the Dead - wow! The experience of certain visits was so busy and not fun but that was definitely not the guide or Explores fault - that is the tourist police telling the boats when they can arrive at certain places! Be prepared for lots of busy days but the experience is so worth it though we were disappointed that the nicest hotel you only stay in for one night and if you go to Abu Simbel it's a really short night! A few recommendations for future travellers - the optional extras are all referenced in dollars for a reason - it is definitely worth taking dollars as so much easier to pay for the trips in this as the exchange rate means lots of Egyptian pounds and the optional tombs in the Valley of the Kings are only payable by card.

A really busy programme with plenty of variety and so many moving parts. Everything worked seamlessly - multiple boat trips, meals out, etc expertly organised. A lot of bird watching opportunities!