Reviews

We have just returned from our Angkor to the Bay tour and we had a great time, it was 'full on' with very little down time, especially at the start of the tour and I wish we had arrived a couple of days before the start so that we could have acclimatised a bit.

We had a great group of people, 18 in total, and we all got on really well which obviously helped to make the holiday.
The organisation was excellent, for example when it came to checking in to the hotels the keys were all ready and waiting for us, and quite often our bags had already been deposited in our room.

The guides were both local and were very knowledgeable, the Cambodian guide could have done well to give us more time to explore on our own at some of the sites but that's being super picky! Also on the Cambodian tour I do think that missing out the Killing Fields was a shame. The visit to the Genocide Museum was hard and I imagine that the Killing Fields would have been an equally difficult experience but it did feel like an omission especially as they were referenced by the guide a number of times.

The internal flights were all efficient as was the transport in general throughout the tour. All the drivers were great.

The Vietnamese guide was lovely and he even added in a couple of things at our request, it was a privilege to be able to see how people live day to day in Vietnam.

We opted to go on the extra tour to the Golden Hand Bridge and we are so pleased that we did. I wasn't expecting it to be in a theme park but that just made the whole thing even more fun. We were there very early so it wasn't too crowded, and we all agreed that we could have stayed at the park for much longer. (NB there is an additional charge for this excursion).

The food was plentiful but almost every meal was a set menu which wasn't ideal. Often there was far too much and there was so much waste - lunch and dinner were generally 4 course set menus. As a vegetarian the menus didn't vary too much: vegetable spring rolls, soup, tofu in some form or other and then a fruit platter. I think at the start of the tour (in Cambodia) we had the pretty much the same thing for lunch and dinner on two or three consecutive days which was a bit disappointing. The restaurants were all very accommodating: we had some people with special dietary requirements (not just vegetarians) and the restaurants all managed to provide the appropriate food There were a couple of days where we had Italian food and on the boat trip there was a buffet which was very welcome. Our guide was concerned that there weren't enough vegetarian options at the buffet and he arranged for additional items to be prepared which was a lovely touch. The food throughout was lovely (with only one exception) but by the end of the holiday we all just wanted to be able to make our own selections!

We did eat out in restaurants most evenings which often meant a very quick turnaround after a full day of sightseeing.

We were lucky with the weather and missed the flooding and the typhoons so were able to visit every destination on the itinerary unlike some other tourists we spoke to.

It's so hard to pick out the highlights because there were so many. I ticked off a bucket list item with the cruise on Halong Bay. The Cu Chi tunnels were fascinating. Hoi An was one of my favourites, just so pretty and Hanoi was brilliant (crossing the road was an experience). Our guide wasn't allowed to take us to Train Street but we found it ourselves and it's another must see.

In Cambodia Angkor Wat was stunning. We were in Phnom Penh during a festival and being out on the streets was a fabulous and unexpected bonus as the coach couldn't get through the traffic to take us to our restaurant so we had to walk.

I am so pleased that we chose to do this tour. It was our first trip with Wendy Wu and we can't fault the organisation. The biggest issue was the food and I suppose having too much rather too little is the better way around!

I would recommend the tour but I do feel that you need to be quite fit in order to ensure you don't miss out on some of the sightseeing. A few members of the group had to opt out of some things either because there were too many steps or because they just needed some time out due to the fast pace and full itinerary.

This was our first trip with Wendy Wu.
It was an excellent experience and we covered everything listed in the itinerary as well as some extras!

The local Tour Guides faultlessly organised everything on time, from hotels to coaches, cruises, internal flights, railway journey, local restaurants, attractions and much more.
It was lovely to have meals out in local restaurants and enjoy the delicious Vietnamese & Khmer cuisine.

We really enjoyed the 2 night cruise on Halong Bay which enabled us to go kayaking, rowing around floating village, exploring Sun Sot Cave & Titop Island etc.
The 7-night Victoria Mekong cruise was also immensely enjoyable, with a comfortable, spacious balcony cabin, excellent polite crew & delicious meals. The shore excursions gave us a unique opportunity to interact with local people and see their authentic culture. The BBQ on the Sun Deck and the bridge visit, as well as silk painting and traditional dance performances & other activities added to the enjoyment.
We were amazed at the varied forms of transportation we experienced, including kayaking, rowing, cyclo tours, Tuk Tuks, Dragon boat cruise, e-buggies and a sunset cruise in a sampan on Angkor Thom moat!
Angkor Wat / Ta Prohm / The Bayon were also amazing visits.
The meeting with a war veteran & the Cu Chi tunnels in Saigon were particularly memorable as well as Phnom Penn Royal Palace & the deeply moving "Killing Fields" visit.
We have taken away so many wonderful memories.

An absolutely amazing adventure with a great group of people and an amazing guide in Vietnam - Kim !
This was my first solo holiday and I would not hesitate to go on another Wendy Wu tour but this will take some beating !
We saw Vietnam essentially from top to bottom . From the bustle of Hanoi to the peace of the Panhou retreat just 30km from the Chinese border to the majesty of Halong Bay . Then onto Hoi An and Hue both so different but both equally memorable . Then Saigon - a Vespa tour is an essential for everyone - and the time to reflect on what we saw in the Cu chi tunnels and the war remnants museum . And then onto the Mekong delta for an overnight stop in Ben tre
The walking in Hoang Su Phi was not as challenging as the itinerary might have suggested and I chickened out of the cycling ! The hotels were all well situated and all of a more than acceptable standard - the most important part was the beds as certainly needed good nights sleep to keep up with the adventure .
The group was sad to leave Vietnam and Kim who as I have already said was amazing at looking after us and was full of amazing stories and shared his experiences with us .
However we still had Cambodia to visit and I guess my only criticism of the whole trip was it should have been slightly longer to give us a bit more time in Cambodia . The Angkor Wat complex was amazing as was the visit the following day to the village on stilts . Our guide Chet obviously had a hard act to follow but again he was great !
My highlights - the retreat , walking in the mountains , Halong bay , the bamboo circus in Hoi An and the mad ride on coracle boats , the Vespa tour ,eating and drinking fresh coconut in the Mekong the Angkor complex and the Phare Circus !
A truly amazing adventure