Vietnam luxury tour with Angkor Wat

Planet

By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment. On this trip, some parts of the itinerary stay in smaller towns using accommodation outside of busy cities.

Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing.

We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for re-usable bottles.

During our time in the Ha Long Bay area, we visit the Ha Long Women's Association in Hon Gai township. The association is a local sustainable initiative that is committed to cleaning up waste in Ha Long Bay and upcyling any waste where possible into items of value. Our visit helps support the women who are involved and to help ensure the contiuation of this conservation initiative.

Our entrance fees to the Angkor complex in Cambodia goes towards preserving these fascinating cultural sites.

We provide clients with a re-usable tote bag at the start of the tour (locally made in Hanoi), offering an alternative to single-use plastic bags and a souvenir to take home!

Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally-sourced food which has not been transported long distances.

Vegetarian and vegan options are available at majority of accommodation and restaurants.

During our time in Siem Reap, the group will enjoy an included dinner at Lum Orng Restaurant; Cambodia’s first farm-to-table restaurant. With a focus offering on New Mekong cuisine, they provide meals using seasonal produce from local farms, markets and growers in the region whilst also focusing on reducing food waste.

People

The use of a local guide means our customers will be well informed about local traditions, and cultural and social sensitivities.

This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally-owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food and support of other local enterprise.

In Hanoi, we include a welcome dinner at KOTO, which is an NGO that provides a two year course in hospitality, English and life skills training to groups of 16-22 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds. Students also receive accommodation, food, medical check-ups and treatment whilst they are being trained. Many of the 400+ graduates have gone on to continue developing their careers at KOTO restaurants or have gained employment elsewhere with their training so this is a great initiative to support.

In Hoi An, we also stop by a shop called ‘Reaching Out’, which sells gifts handmade by artisans with disabilities – helping them to develop their talent and independence.

There is the option to see a traditional folk dancing or water puppet show in Saigon. This encourages local customs to continue and creates employment opportunities.

We do a lot to celebrate the cottage industries on this tour, as this is not only a way to directly benefit the locals but it is also hugely fascinating and enjoyable for travellers. For example, in the Mekong Delta, we visit a lot of these small businesses and factories which sell handmade coconut sweets, rice paper, soya bean sauce, popped rice and popcorn amongst other things.