For me, there are two things that make a trip. There are the wow moments you expect – in this case Angkor Wat, the Mekong Delta homestay and the stunning landscapes, all of which are plentiful on this tour. But there are also the unexpected wow moments that makes it for me - children running from their homes to greet us as we cycle, crossing the border in style in a speedboat, and donating Huxley the Hippo (our Explore mascot) to a 5 year old child with tatty clothes and broken flip flops, tied together with a piece of string. For me, these are the moments that make a trip, and this tour had them by the bucket load. I believe that travel opens your eyes, it gives you perspective. It allows you to see what life is really about, it allows you to experience a totally different, more humble (and perhaps happier) way of life. It often gives you the perspective you need when you've had a bad day here in the UK. This tour delivered all of this by being a series of contrasts; rich and modern Saigon to poor Cambodian villages. Pure tarmic roads, dodging tuk-tuks and rickshaws, and quiet, dirt tracks through rice fields. Modern, happy Vietnam and Cambodia, and it's darker, more troubled past. Cylcing, sightseeing, local interaction, this tour really has it all and allows you to immerse and indulge yourself in the Indo-China lifestyle. Throw into this mix the skills of a caring, friendly and organized tour leader, and you've got yourself the holiday of a lifetime! (CVE- 3rd December 2010)
Chris Ellis (Explore Staff)
31 Dec 2010