Highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia

What a wonderful trip. Our tour leader Jackie was absolutely brilliant. He was knowledgeable, well organised and took care of us all so well. Jackie was good humoured and solved anything that came up. The itinerary was full on, but we loved that . The accommodation was mixed some good , some brilliant, the hotel in Ho Chi Minh was a bit ropey. Loved it thanks Jackie

The highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia trip was excellent. It was a very well balanced itinerary and our tour leader Doan ensured we were able to make the most of our time in both countries. It was nice to stay on Halong Bay overnight to see the landscape in a quieter and more peaceful time as it felt quite touristy during the day. It also allowed us to witness the fabulous sunset and sunrise across the bay. The overnight train from Hanoi to Danang was an excellent experience and the train was very clean and comfortable (I slept like a baby, which was unexpected!) Hoi An was my favourite place, not only is it beautiful but also the cooking course and lantern making workshop at not to be missed! Cambodia was also fabulous. It is a beautiful country and provided an interesting contrast to Vietnam. Phom Penh allowed us to delve into the horrendous genocide in Cambodia’s recent history, providing us with a deeper understanding of the pain felt by all Cambodians. Angkor Wat and the other temple complexes in Siem Reap were absolutely breathtaking. Overall a fabulous trip which I would highly recommend it as it is so well balanced between history, nature and time truly understanding the local cultures. (Also the food is incredible!)

A fantastic trip in every way! The itinerary is interesting and varied with a good mixture of optional activities on offer. The guide was superb - knowledgeable, interesting, efficient and entertaining. The accommodation was excellent throughout, some hotels were outstanding, especially in Cambodia. We thoroughly recommend this trip!

As always Explore delivered with this trip. The choice of guides ( especially Doan) was exceptional . His humour, care of guests , knowledge, choice of additional excursions and places to dine and enthusiasm made the trip the best it could possibly be . The itinerary was planned perfectly to include a taste of everything in each place we visited. The days we had longer to travel by coach were split by excursions en route to our next destination which made even the travelling a joy . The group size ( as always ) allowed us to share our experiences with like minded individuals whilst also allowing us to bond. The accommodation was basic and comfortable as described but the customer service in each place was excellent . My favourite accommodation was La Rosa Suites in Cambodia , their ethos and attention to detail married perfectly with Explores Values and my own. Our final hotel in Cambodia ( Hari Residence) was in need of TLC with tiles coming off in th pool but again the customer service was very good. I loved that you had changed our second train journey to a flight as this meant extra time in Saigon ( this allowed me to see my family for longer which was an added bonus). I have travelled with Explore on many occasions and recommend you to everyone who will listen . I will continue to do so as in my opinion you are THE BEST adventure travel company and I look forward to planning my next adventure with you. Thank you Jan Na Colin Blakey

Our tour guide, Theo, was excellent and his detailed planning and timing meant that each day went smoothly. He had an in depth knowledge of the history of Vietnam which he was able to convey to the group. He really added a certain something to the trip. Can’t praise him enough!

Overall we had an excellent tour through Vietnam & Cambodia, its pretty full on if you do all the recommended extra trips with very little down time, we done as much as we could, the food and drink cost is very reasonable but superb, the guides were knowledgeable and helpful if you required assistance in anyway, the accommodation was average, it's not 5 star but clean and comfortable, the white lotus hotel could have been better for the breakfast, but that is a minor detail, locations for all hotels were excellent for exploring, we had various travel options, the train for me was uncomfortable as I'm 6ft 2 and could not really relax, in the end I slept in a seat for most of the journey, overall an excellent trip which I would recommend to anyone wishing to see these countries.

We had the most amazing time travelling through Vietnam and finishing off in Cambodia. Thanks to our incredible guide Theo we became fully immersed in the experience. His knowledge of the history and culture were second to none and he could not have done more to ensure everyone was catered for including me as a vegetarian. The pace is quite full on but manageable and well worth the effort. One night on the train was a good experience as long as you're open to it and was great fun with our fellow cabin mates. (Don't forget a couple of beers each!) We recommend some additions as well: the water puppets in Hanoi were great fun, cycling and the cookery course in Hoi An were also very enjoyable and a visit to S21 and the Killing Fields is a must, if you want to understand Cambodian recent history and the impact of the genocide. Both Vietnamese people and the Cambodians were incredibly polite, helpful and friendly making this trip even more special. We highly recommend it to anyone who likes a full and immersive itinerary. Lastly, we would like to nominate Theo for tour leader of the year.

This trip was everything we wanted it to be. The trip pace was full-on but it had to be to include an amazing variety of experiences. It was tiring at times but visiting such interesting places and doing such interesting things made up for the early starts and sometimes long days. The quality of our guides were outstanding, especially Theo looked after our every need as well as enriching us with his knowledge of everywhere we went. He should be nominated for tour guide of the year! Visiting Vietnam and Cambodia was a real assault on all the senses and at times we needed to go with the flow, especially on the overnight train journey, which everyone in our group was prepared to do. If you're after an experience outside of your comfort zone, of culture, history, cuisine, religion and the everyday life of local people, this is the trip for you.

Superb trip! The itinerary was very well planned - it was full-on, but we saw a huge variety of landscapes and towns. The group leader was outstanding - enthusiastic, professional, very caring and always had our best interests in mind. He made everything go exceedingly smoothly. The accommodation was very good throughout and enhanced the trip considerably. Very highly recommended!

We had an amazing holiday, the itinerary was very interesting and varied. Our guide Vinh was excellent, he was knowledgeable, and organised and made sure that we were all ok. He brought our group together so that we had an enjoyable experience.

This is definitely a full on holiday of a lifetime. The holiday is packed full of interesting places to see and experience. Our tour guide Vinh was superb, he took us to the best places to eat, planned the days so we could make the best of the places and kept us entertained. The group were happy to include the optional extras and we saw way more than I thought we’d have been able to fit in on our own. The highlights for me are the overnight train, Ho Chi Minh City and Angkor Wat.

Fantastic adventure seeing Vietnam and Cambodia. We fitted so much into our 2 weeks. I loved the history of both countries. All the guides were fantastic and took so much care of us and imparted so much knowledge. My only comment would be for the itinerary to have one overnight train journey not 2. The time taken on train journeys could have been better spent by flying and thus having more time in the country

I recently took this trip with my parents and it exceeded all expectations. The beauty of Vietnam and Cambodia was unparalleled. Our guide, Diem, was so caring and attentive. He went out of his way to get my father a birthday cake and called the hotel in advance. The staff set up a beautiful Happy Birthday display and had a card ready for him. Explore did a great job of hitting all the highlights. Every night I was so excited for the following day’s itinerary. The trip is emotionally powerful and rooted in history but also showcases the soft beauty and pleasure of both nations. The local Cambodian guides offered us a glimpse into their suffering during the civil war that you cannot get out of a history book. I felt very welcome as an American visiting Vietnam. I cannot recommend this tour enough. Because of Explore and especially Diem, I was able to make incredible memories with my parents. Every day I kept saying to myself, “I cannot believe I’m here”. Extra thanks to Diem for being so patient with my father while he was slower than many group members.

It's pretty much exactly as described. This trip is all about the highlights of these countries. You're not seeing much off the beaten track, but you are going with a very experienced guide who knows the areas and their history like the back of their hand. The trip was pretty fast paced but we had a couple of days in between to relax and enjoy areas at our own pace. My friend who joined me on the tour and I had an absolute blast. We're both 25 and the youngest in the group by approximately 30 years, but by the end it made no difference at all and we all got on very well. Honestly, a great first experience of Southeast Asia, we stayed in beautiful accommodation, everything went so smoothly and nothing went wrong. Loved it.

The overall trip was great but the itinerary needs updating. Our day in Hanoi was a Monday, a lot of tourist sites are closed on a Monday. Including the presidential palace which the itinerary stated we visited. The floating markets on the Mekong delta are virtually none existent since the building of a new bridge, and the second overnight train should be changed to a flight because you end up using sheets that have already been used. Ours were certainly not changed!

Our tour guide Jackie was absolutely amazing, he made the entire trip so special and wonderful. He was able to make our group of ten friends, we all said how lucky we were to have him. He is really and truly something special.

Very well organised, lots of variation and excellent guide. Can be a little 'temple heavy' when in Cambodia

Theo the group leader was very caring and knowledgable and we always traveled with confidence with him.

We had a fantastic trip with an extremely knowledgeable Vietnamese guide. He was attentive to any of our needs and solved any issues that we had. He even suggested a slight change to our itinerary that only went ahead because the group as a whole were in agreement. That was to fly from Danang to Ho Chi Minh instead of the overnight train. It also meant more time in the city. The first leg of the train journey was an experience and we saw varied scenery and country life on the way. The hotel in Ho Chi Minh -The White Lotus - was disappointing on room cleanliness and condition. Although staff were pleasant and helpful. The local guides we had in Cambodia were good but felt the young chap could do with more support. Hopefully that will come but he needs guidance. The only problem we encountered was to do with the return flight out of Siem Reap. Some of our party had an earlier flight to connect to Heathrow but my friend and I had a much later one, which when we encountered a 45 minute delay, meant that we were then rushed through Ho Chi Minh airport to connect with our Heathrow flight. Not a pleasant experience! And at the end of what had been a wonderful holiday experience!

Amazing trip. Great accommodation except for one fail in Saigon. While it was in a good location and clean it was not comparable to the accommodation we had experienced up to that point. I know our feedback was being presented back so hopefully this is remedied for other tours. Theo our guide, went above and beyond my expectations. This was my first tour experience so have nothing to benchmark against, but he far exceeded what I thought the experience would be. There was great attention to detail, great recommendations, as well as co-ordination of things for off tour times. Will definitely use Explore again and have already recommended it to a friend

Superb holiday. It was a full on tour, but still had time to relax. With a small group and an excellent local guide who's passion and knowledge was second to none, we saw and experienced so much, and learned a lot about the countries, cultures and histories of Vietnem and Csmbodia.

We had a great trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.it was action packed and great fun.The guide Vinh was excellent- very informative and friendly. The group were very friendly. A great trip.

Take away the train from Danang to Saigon. Two train rides take away too much travel time. Add day for Danang. Provide suggestions for restaurants instead of group dinners. Consider river cruises in Saigon, Phnom Penh. Did not enjoy the sampan ride due to the murky waters of the Mekong.

Vinh is best tour guide. He is funny and knowledgeable about the history of Vietnam and Cambodia without judgement. We all liked him.

The holiday surpassed my expectations. Great group, excellent tour leader, good variety of experiences and lots of opportunity to experience the culture of both Vietnam and Cambodia. The cruise in HaLong Bay was a highlight. My only criticism - a lot of travelling. The trip notes didn’t indicate the extent of travel between cities and the inclusion of two long train journeys was very detrimental.

Thanks for a great trip!!!

I enjoyed the trip although was disappointed that we didn't see the Terraced fields in Northern Vietna. Doing Tai Chi at sunrise on the boat in Halong Bay was magical - a real highlight. Also the cycle ride at Hot An was a fund way to cover a slightly longer distance and see the local crafts. A really good trip and I'm pleased I experienced it.

Another brilliant trip - Thank you