Cycle Vietnam and Cambodia

Review This was our first, small group holiday ever and so pleased we chose Explore - we enjoyed it enormously. The organisation around the whole trip was very professional from the team in England to the very end. The itinerary was well thought out and provided very interesting insights into the daily lives of the Vietnamese and Cambodian people alongside the extensive history of the two countries we visited. Our tours guides were very knowledgeable and amusing - always happy to answer questions and providing many light hearted moments. Our team leader guide Binh, was wonderful and so professional. Always doing everything he could to make our holiday run smoothly. We chose a cycling holiday and this enabled us to visit small villages off the beaten track. There was always a mechanical support team with us who were also lovely. Would definitely recommend Explore to anyone - and we are already looking at other trips.

We really enjoyed the Vietnam Cambodia cycle tour. The trip leader Binh was excellent, telling us so much about the history and culture of the countries, in an engaging way with gentle humour. He was happy to answer as many questions as the large group of 16 could throw at him and managed to herd us all to the right places at the right time - not an easy task ! He always thought ahead, and told us what was coming up next. Angkor Wat at sunrise was a very memorable moment as were the Chinese New Year celebrations in Vietnam. The bikes in both countries were good and suitable for the terrain. The supply of bottled water from the bus throughout was helpful. Some minor improvements would be quieter routes for cycling - some in Vietnam were noisy and busy, with high concentration needed to avoid scooters. It was good that we didn't have to change hotel every night. However the hotels were generally lacking in local character, and could have been anywhere apart from the last two. They all had minor quirks, which you can expect with a characterful old place, but perhaps not with a modern one. Overall a great trip combining sightseeing and cycling.

This is the latest of a number of cycle tours we have made and the first with Explore - it did not disappoint. It was clear from the outset that our guide, Binh, had significant experience, got to understand the group quickly, and was able to find that relatively low key and unobtrusive way to guide his ‘sheep’. His knowledge was extensive and, as he led us through his country he gave insights of it and himself which helped cement an understanding. Experiencing Vietnam during the lunar New Year was a real bonus and we would recommend travelling at that time, although it can be pretty busy. Cambodia was truly wonderful and the ancient history just blew us away - the scale, planning and engineering alone of the temples such as Angkor Wat are almost impossible to comprehend. The horror of the Pol Pot regime in the shape of the killing fields alongside prison/interrogation centre are a difficult visits but SO important to witness. When we crossed the border after an interesting trip up the Mekong Delta we had great Cambodian guides alongside Binh who gave essential insights and context to what we were seeing and even the difficult questions were answered honestly. The abiding memory of the holiday ? Well it was nice being reacquainted with Vietnam after an absence of 15 odd years but Cambodia with it’s history, beauty and wonderful friendly people really captured our hearts ❤️

Our Vietnamese guide, Binh, was assisted by two Cambodian guides, one in Phenom Penh and one who was with us for the rest of the Cambodian trip. All were knowledgeable and passionate about their countries and attentive to us and our safety and to ensuring that we had a memorable experience. Binh, in particular, was was experienced and patient by repeating all the essential details that we needed to know. An excellent trip overall !

A good cross-sectional experience offering physical exercise to see welcoming SE Asian cultures, with incredible historical stories from past centuries to more recent times and seeing iconic World Heritage sites. The fertile Mekong region provided varied culinary dishes to sample. Although more of the cycling was on busier tarmac roads than anticipated from the description, it always felt safe.