Vietnam Voyage to
COSTSAVER: VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA ADVENTURE Reviewed by Helen McConnell, Dunlop Travel
THE TOUR Fam trip based on Costsaver’s Vietnam and Cambodia Adventure
ITINERARY We started in Hanoi, and then travelled to Halong Bay for a cruise around the islands, which was amazing. From there we went to Hoi An, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City. The tour our itinerary was based on adds Cambodia’s Siem Reap and Angkor Wat at the end.
ACCOMMODATION The hotels were all four-star, and there were a couple of real standouts – the Hoi An Historic was absolutely beautiful and so centrally located. The Novotel Nha Trang was also lovely with a great location right on the beach and fantastic views over the bay, while the Silk Path in Hanoi was in the centre of the French Quarter, so it was full of life and character.
FOOD & DRINK The tour includes all breakfasts, six dinners and two lunches, which gives you the freedom to eat where you like on some of the nights. Most of the meals were in local restaurants, so it gave us a real feel for how the locals eat, with lots of fresh fish. We also did
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Most of the meals were in local restaurants, so it gave us a feel for how the locals eat, with lots of fresh fish
a food tour in the Old Quarter of Hanoi (as an optional add-on), which was so interesting; the smells were overpowering – some better than others! There was an optional Vietnamese cooking class in Hoi An too, which included a market tour to pick out fresh ingredients.
TRANSPORT We flew between three of the places, and the rest of the travel was by private coach. All the coaches were of a high standard with air-conditioning and other facilities, and all the transfers were efficient.
GUIDE
Our guide was superb. He was from Ho Chi Minh City and was so knowledgeable – everywhere we went he gave us loads of background information about the history of that area. You could go into a city and look
around on your own, but not really learn anything about it. Our guide helped put everything in context – the trip wouldn’t have been the same without him.
HIGHLIGHTS The cruise in Halong Bay was amazing – the scenery was like nothing I’d seen before. I also enjoyed the street-food tour in Hanoi, which I’d highly recommend to anyone. But my number-one highlight had to be Hoi An. It’s the most beautiful town – so historic, really well preserved, and just a beautiful area.
VERDICT I’d never been to Asia and wasn’t sure what to expect, but I loved it. Vietnam is a fascinating destination with lovely people and there’s so much to see; every area was different. The tour covered everything and I was really impressed with Costsaver. I hadn’t sold any of the brand’s tours but I will now – and already have! It offers great value because you pay only for the activities you want to do, so you can tailor it to suit your own interests. And it doesn’t matter how old you are – there’s something for all ages, whether you’re 30, 50 or older.
10 | Travel Weekly touring adventure | July 2019
touringandadventure.com
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