7 independent reviews for Vietnam holiday, South to North
Reviews for Vietnam holiday, South to North
Richard Bierney review 28 May 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Vespa tour of Ho Chi Minh Cooking course in Hoi An Our street food tour guide Thien in Hanoi2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don’t be afraid of crossing the road in Ho Chi Minh & Hanoi3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Home stay in rural area supported local people4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
The logistics were excellent; local guides maintained good communication & let us know pick up times etc. Drivers were all punctual & helpful. Everything ran very smoothly. Local guides friendly & informative. Overall an excellent well organised trip.Jane Dicks review 28 Oct 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The most memorable part of our holiday was meeting the local H'Mong & Thai people of the remote ethnic villages in North West Vietnam. This was a true adventure, one we could not have done without several key people: David (through Responsible Travel) who organised this trip for us, our guide Ha who was responsive, accommodating & very knowledgeable and our driver Tang, they were all amazing! Our guide's relationship with the local village people and the fantastic homestays we stayed in made it extra special and gave us great insight into the communities we visited. To mention our highlights:- These were probably Mu Cang Chai & Mai Hich. (Mai Hich was so beautiful & we were invited to join in with the celebrations of a local wedding at the home stay there, it was wonderful and all down to Ha our guide.)2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
---Hanoi. This was well worth visiting, particularly the Old Quarter. It’ a great city full of buzz and atmosphere, a memorable experience. ---The ethnic communities in the North West of Vietnam. If you love adventure and also enjoy the fun of travelling for many hours on crazy but stunning mountain passes, the trip is perfect! You honestly feel like you are on a ‘Top Gear’ trip. Just be aware of the time you may need to spend travelling, however it was worth it!! ---Halong Bay. A 2 night stay on the cruise boat is ideal, particularly if you enjoy doing lots of activities such as kayaking, boat trips to the most incredible caves and swimming. It is popular but worth seeing!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We applaud the aims of Responsible Travel in their mission to work with the local people and support conservation. It was fantastic to see some of the homestays we stayed in which have strong collaborative community projects that work really well. On some of the accommodation on the trip, the use of single use plastic is still an issue that needs ongoing development.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
An amazing trip, we were very lucky to have had this incredible experience.Gail Kavanagh review 12 Aug 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Hard to pick Bai Tu Long Bay- 2 night boat trip- was brilliant2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Good mix of destinations- overnight train tiring but fun, great to relax by the beach in Hoi An Check enough time for activities in central vietnam- really enjoyed this part of the trip and glad we had 2 nights here Organisation of pickups/ trips was so easy- notified of any changes at each new destination Vespa trips were enjoyed by all and not as scary as you would think3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes- use of local guides/ hotel near Danang( Chap lay Farm Stay) very community focused4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Loved it!Lindsey Holbrook review 3 Mar 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The Haong Bay and Cu Chi tunnels, were both very memorable, the Vespa tour was the most exciting.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The "language" lesson on the first morning was more of a country briefing, we should have paid more attention and asked more questions on culture, economy, geography, politics, history etc.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we met many Vietnamese people, used trains instead of planes etc.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent, the hotels were all good although the Park View in Saigon was not quite as good or quite as friendly as the others.Read the operator's response here:
Hi Lindsey, Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. I'm so pleased you both had such a great time and enjoyed the Vesper tour especially. That is
also my favourite! I look forward to booking another trip for you in the near future. Many thanks Emma
Isa Grube review 7 Feb 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Hiking from kalaw to Inle Lake and stay at Ngapali beach2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do it otherwise you’ll miss out on an amazing adventure3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we even decided to sponsor a child at the Vera Thompson English school. We also contributed at their weekly trash hero event and collected rubbish from the beach. It was amazing to get in touch with locals4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Wouldn't have changed anything and tour company and Paul were amazing and so were the local guidesMai Roberts review 8 Aug 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
So many highlights! Really enjoyed the Vespa tour after dark in Saigon, the homestay in the Mekong, cooking class at Hoi An, and of course Ha Long/ Bai Tu Long.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Consider the time of year for undertaking the trip, it was extremely hot and humid in late July, which was quite draining at times.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Difficult to assess, it would be good to think that some of the monies spent reached the pockets of local people.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Enjoyed every single day, the travel arrangements were excellent, and there was the right mix between some days which had a full itinerary- and on others plenty of 'down time' to rest! The hotels were all very comfortable, and the staff couldn't do enough, so friendly.Read the operator's response here:
Hi Mai,
Thank you so much for your lovely comments and wonderful feedback! I'm so pleased to hear that you had such a fantastic and meaningful holiday with us around Vietnam and rest assured you have definitely had a positive impact on the local communities that you visited by booking your trip with us.
It was a pleasure to assist you in arranging such a memorable journey for you and your daughter and please don't hesitate to get back in touch when you
are ready for your next adventure!
Ezio La Rosa review 3 Sep 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
There were many, I would pick Ninh Binh as a fantastic example of Vietnamese landscape. My kids would probably pick the Vespa adventures tour in Ho Chi Min City and my wife the Surnise Hotel in Hoi An.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
I would suggest to have an idea of the itinerary and the type of trip and then contact a tour operator with a strong knowledge of the country. Tips are invaluable if travelling for the first time there. I also found extremely useful having a local guide and would definitively recommend that as it also helps to understand a lot more about the people and the culture.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Our tour operator used a local company and only local people so I guess that to be case.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Fantastic holiday in a fantastic country. Our holiday provider were really good and would recommend them to anyone willing to visit Vietnam. Will definitively use Responsible Travel in the future.Read the operator's response here:
Thank you ever so much for your fantastic feedback on the way we operate. Our goal is always to listen attentively to the individual needs of all those who travel with us and to ensure your adventures are tailored to match exactly what you’re looking for from your time away.
I’m glad that we had the honour of arranging such a truly memorable, meaningful trip for you and your family and look forward to helping you with your next one!
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