Good mornings in Vietnam

Last week I was lucky enough to head off to Vietnam on a luxury FAM trip organised by Wide Eyed Tours, and honestly, what a superb trip it was.Getting there was a bit of a mission to start with, with our flight delayed by 4 hours and over 24 hours of travelling by the time we actually arrived. There wasn’t even time to get to the hotel, we were straight into the welcome dinner to meet the rest of the group

And from there, it was non stop!

Hanoi

We started in Hanoi and got to experience the city properly, including a Vespa tour around the streets. It’s such a great way to see the city and really get amongst the locals, the hustle and bustle and everything that makes Hanoi what it is and of course, I had to try the famous Vietnamese egg coffee! Basically coffee topped with a sweet, creamy egg foam. Sounds a bit strange when you say it like that, but honestly, it was really good

We also tried salted coffee, which was another one I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from, but again, really enjoyed it.It’s been great trying these local specialities and getting a proper taste of Vietnam, rather than just sticking to what we know.

Hotel wise, we had some brilliant properties to look at.I stayed at the Sofitel Hanoi, which was a fantastic base and also had the added bonus of the bunker underneath the hotel, which was really interesting to see.We also visited the Fairmont and Capella in Hanoi, both completely different but seriously impressive properties in their own right.

It’s been really useful seeing these hotels first hand as you can read about them all day, but actually walking around them and seeing the rooms, facilities and service gives you a much better feel for what they are really like.

 

Halong Bay

Then it was off towards Halong Bay and Bhaya Soul and what an incredible setting.

The scenery around Halong Bay is just something else and staying out on the water makes it even more special.

The ship itself was fantastic. It’s a much more intimate experience than being on a large cruise ship, with a lovely relaxed feel and a real sense of being out on the water and away from everything.It was great having the chance to enjoy the scenery from the deck, take in the views and just enjoy the experience without it feeling too busy or crowded.

We also got to visit a floating village, which was really interesting to see how people live and work out on the water. It’s one of those experiences that gives you a completely different perspective on the destination.

 

We had a 4 course lunch, went kayaking, tried our hand at squid fishing and obviously I caught absolutely nothing . So lucky I wasn’t relying on my fishing skills for dinner!

 

Hue

We then headed to Hue where we stayed at Pilgrimage Village.Another really lovely property, set away from the hustle and bustle and surrounded by greenery. It felt very relaxing after the busier parts of the trip.

We also did another Vespa experience around Hue with Minh, and yes… it rained! Proper Vietnamese rain  but jumping on the Vespas in that weather was actually brilliant and probably made the experience even more memorable.

I also had a few hours to myself in Hue, so decided to head out and explore a bit on my own.

I ended up in a local bar playing pool with some of the locals, which was great fun. No idea who was winning by the end of it, but it was a good laugh

I then found a local restaurant and tried a traditional local chicken and rice dish. Nothing fancy, just a lovely local meal and exactly the sort of thing I enjoy doing when I get the chance to experience a destination properly.

It was great having a few hours to just wander around, eat some local food and enjoy Hue at my own pace.

Hoi An

Finishing at Namia

We finished the trip at Namia in Hoi An, which was a pretty special place to finish.Another beautiful property and a completely different feel again, so it was great to see just how much choice there is when it comes to accommodation in Vietnam.From city hotels to luxury resorts and properties surrounded by nature, there really is something for everyone.

Hoi An,was definitely one of my highlights. We had a treatment before heading out and then got to experience some of the local activities, including the basket boats.

This was great fun and definitely one of those experiences where you can’t help but get involved.

We then had a cooking experience where we got to learn more about Vietnamese food and actually have a go at preparing some of it ourselves.

And the food…

Honestly, I knew Vietnam was going to be good for food but I didn’t realise quite how much I’d enjoy it.We tried some brilliant local dishes, including Cao Lau, which is a Hoi An speciality made with noodles, pork, greens and crispy bits on top. Really tasty and definitely one of the dishes that stood out for me.

We also tried White Rose dumplings, another Hoi An speciality, along with some of the local spring rolls and other Vietnamese dishes throughout the trip.

And I have to mention the Banh Mi as well. Vietnamese baguettes filled with all sorts of lovely things. Simple, but absolutely delicious.

From street food and local dishes to the meals we had throughout the trip, there was so much variety and everything was so fresh.

And a big shout out to the food side of the trip.

They catered for all food intolerances, including my vegetable intolerance… a term I think I’ll be using more often haha

But seriously, it was brilliant to see how well everyone was looked after. The food was amazing throughout the trip and there was always something great to eat.

Vietnam has definitely gone up the list of destinations for me when it comes to food!

The guides, transfers and the little things. One thing I really want to mention is how smoothly everything ran.

All of our transfers were spot on, from getting around the different destinations to moving between hotels and experiences. Everything was organised really well, which makes such a difference when you’re travelling around as much as we were.

The guides and local teams were fantastic too.

Kay and Deyan were our guides and they were absolutely brilliant throughout the trip. Great fun, incredibly helpful and they really helped us get the most out of the experience.

They knew their stuff, made everything easy and were just great company to have along for the week.

It’s these things that make such a difference when you’re travelling, and it’s also really useful for me as a independent travel to experience it first hand. I can now recommend these experiences knowing what the transfers, guides and overall service are actually like.

My biggest takeaway from Vietnam.  One of the biggest things I’ve taken away from the trip is just how much Vietnam has to offer. It’s not just somewhere you go for one particular type of holiday.

You’ve got the cities, culture, history, food, beaches, incredible scenery, luxury hotels, river and boat experiences, adventure and loads of opportunities to combine different areas into one trip.

I’ve travelled to quite a few places over the years but Vietnam has definitely impressed me and I can now speak about it from actually being there rather than just looking at a brochure.

And that’s what I love about what I do.Getting out there, experiencing destinations and finding the hotels, tours and experiences that I can then recommend to my clients.

 

Finally A massive thank you. A massive thank you to Wide Eyed Tours, Kay, Deyan and everyone else who made the week so good.

I’ve come back with loads of ideas and plenty of hotels and experiences that I’ll be recommending to clients. I’m also going to put together a more detailed document covering the hotels, itinerary and experiences from the trip for anyone who wants to know more.

So if Vietnam is somewhere you’ve been thinking about, give me a shout.

Whether it’s a city break, a longer trip taking in different parts of the country, a luxury experience or something a bit more adventurous, there’s so much to work with.

 

And yes… despite all the amazing food, I still missed my Marmite