In March I joined the Explore Inside Vietnam small group tour with my husband. We were one of 3 couples, along with 9 solo travellers and a very experienced local guide, Diem who was with us throughout.
This tour took us from Hanoi to Saigon, travelling by coach, overnight train, internal flight, bicycle, boat and rickshaw! We experienced many different landscapes, enjoyed lots of local food ( and beer) and learnt about ancient and modern history.
The first night welcome meeting and the meal is great for getting to know fellow travel companions. Hanoi was explored the next day, pagodas, temples, the Presidential Palace of Ho Chi Ming as well as the old quarter with its pavement stalls and shoulder pannier sellers. Diem also gave us instructions on how to cross the road in Vietnam, he called this “Sticky Rice” i.e. all stick together. The traffic in the main cities really is as busy as it looks on the travel programmes but surprisingly you do get used to it pretty quick!
Halong Bay was our next stop, we took a boat trip amongst the jagged limestone islands then we returned to Hanoi to board the Reunification train to Hue, sharing 4 berth cabins which were air conditioned and clean. We may have stocked up on beer, pastries and sweets before departure but that would be telling!
In Hue we explored its fascinating history, the perfume river, the Imperial Citadel and the spectacular tomb of the Emperor. A rickshaw ride during rush hour taking in the city walls, surrounded by motorbikes was an experience.
Leaving Hue, we travelled by coach through the Hai Van Pass past wooden huts, rice paddies then sea views to Danang to its museum then on to Marble Mountain and caves, arriving at Hoi An where we spent 3 nights. This was one of my favourite places, especially at night when lanterns light up the town and the river boats. Some of us did an optional trip to a nearby island, where we cycled around stopping to see local crafts in people’s homes including basket boat making, mat weaving, mother of pearl inlaying and noodle making, all fascinating. Another optional trip was a basket boat ride which was great fun, we were with 100s of basket boats on the river and also had a chance to spin the boat and watch dance displays. Happy to report no one fell in!
After Hoi An, we flew from Danang to Ho Chi Ming City which everyone still calls Saigon. We travelled by coach and then by boat to a homestay on the Mekong Delta. This was my favourite accommodation, a beautiful home and a very welcoming host who showed us how to cook local dishes. We also explored the local village by trishaw and sampans (small Chinese wooden boats) while stopping at local houses to learn about local food production and sampled the products.
We ended our tour in Saigon, where we visited the graphic war remnants museum and took a trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels which was an underground base for Vietcong troops. The tunnels you can visit have been widened for tourists but it still felt claustrophobic crawling through a 100-metre section.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first Explore tour, I enjoyed the variety of the towns visited and activities experienced. Vietnam was fascinating, the people very welcoming and a real land of contrasts which was great to discover on a tour. Explore don’t include as much as some tour companies but this is so you have some free time to do your own thing, it also means you spend money locally so benefiting the local economy.
In the end, a lot of us did the optional trips and ate out a fair amount as a group as we got on so well. Speaking to others on the trip I found out this is often the case. I also came away with lots of ideas for my next Explore trip.
