Classic Vietnam & Angkor



Everything about this holiday was excellent from the arrangements and
information prior to the holiday through to the sights visited, food,
accommodation, tour leaders and the people of Vietnam & Cambodia. A truly
memorable holiday!



We both enjoyed this trip which more than lived up to expectations. There was
a good balance between activities and leisure time with options available for
those who wanted more. Angela did a lantern class in Hoi An, for instance,
which did not feature on the itinerary. Excellent and patient instructors -
could provide an apron though as glue was involved!
The boat trips were good - though wish use of non-plastic straws had
prevailed throughout .
Great cookery class at Red Bridge restaurant - we hope to reproduce some of
the recipes over Christmas.
The Halong Bay trip with a boat to ourselves was amazing as was the visit to
all the temples in Cambodia especially Ta Promh with its sense of nature
taking over. Excellent photographic opportunities.



What a fantastic trip, Cong the leader was excellent, always willing to
share his extensive knowledge of both local and country wide topics.



Every day provided an interesting insight into the culture



This was my first trip to Asia and the itinerary was excellent. We visited 3
main places Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh city. All very different but
fascinating in their own ways. The trips to Halong Bay and the Mekong delta
we’re also fascinating and very different. The Mekong delta used basic
boats and Halong Bay boat was very comfortable with excellent food and
service. We also had a great visit to cookery school where lesson was
presented very well and with great humour. The visit to Angkor wat was
fascinating and more impressive than anticipated. A great introduction to
Asia



Fascinating colourful experience of Vietnam. The trip includes insight into
it’s turbulent history, and inspired many of the group to read more about
it.
I went single, into a group of 16, and with Ngok, one of the nicest and best
guides I’ve ever experienced. He was with us in Vietnam, and joined us
evenings and for optional tours as well. We had to say goodbye to him before
the early morning onward flight to Siem Reap. There we had a new guide, who
met us with the unsurprising news that it was too early to check into the
hotel – and then took us on a full day program, through to watching sunset
over a temple (unfortunately underwhelming on that particular day) –
without yet checking in. We arrived at the chosen temple and waited there 2
hours for sunset, tired and travel weary after 2 weeks in Vietnam. The hotel
was no more than half an hour away, so we really felt he could have planned
the day better for us. We had all been up very early (the previous day too).
Half the group wanted to go direct to the hotel and miss the sunset, but the
guide felt we should see the sunset because it was mentioned in the original
itinerary.

The majority of our group were disappointed with the Hotels. Comfortable and
clean, friendly staff, but not as good as we expected from a trip advertised
as Premium. Exception was the Hotel in Siem Reap, which met our expectations
of Premium class.
Note, only the hotel in Hanoi was not the one advertised in the original
programme, it was supposed to be an 'or similar' hotel. Several of us wrote
to our travel agents to complain of its distance from the town centre
(shuttle bus ran insufficiently), its proximity next to a road, and general
failure to meet expectations.
Another point worth mentioning to those who choose this trip having noted
that it is classed as leisurely. It wasn’t! There was very little free
time, admittedly partly due to participation in some optional activities, and
partly due to traffic jams keeping our bus on the road for hours longer than
planned.
It would help relieve some of the stress if the itinerary could be changed
such that we do not spend 2 nights in a hotel, travel some hours for an
overnight elsewhere, and then do the reverse travel to return to the original
hotel for another night. It happens twice in this itinerary.



Experience the sights, smells and sounds of Vietnam, a bustling culture with
life on the streets. Take your life in your hands as you cross the busy
roads, where confidence is key and the traffic will avoid you, well I lived
to tell the tale! From the stunning natural beauty of Halong bay, which
would make a good set for a dragon movie, to the quaint and colourful Hoi an.
The cookery course was a fantastic addition, set in the wonderful
surroundings of the red bridge resteraunt.
Siagon was not my scene but showed us another side of the politics and
country and we were lucky enough to stumble upon a lion and dragon dance
display when walking to visit the geen pagoda.
To top off the trip we finished in Cambodia at Angkor Watt which was very
high on my bucket list and did not disapoint. I personally would have
preferred one day less in Saigon and another day in Cambodia but that is just
a personal view.
An extreamly enjoyable holiday with a good bunch of people.



Very interesting experience for my first time in Asia. Excellent variety of
sights and experiences.
Met a lovely group of travellers who made the trip memorable.



Great Trip, some fantastic sights. A lot of early mornings, which means that
you will probably feel more tired by the end of this trip, but you see a lot.
Local guides were fantastic and very knowledgeable, and food absolutely
fantastic both in Vietnam and Cambodia - of which we had plenty of. I was
with a much older age group on this trip and it would have been nice to have
had some people of similar age group on the trip as well. Perhaps something
that Exodus can consider as a suggestion.

Over all this was a well worth fantastic trip with the highlights of Vietnam
and Cambodia, some more time in Cambodia would have been great however, as
only 1 day spent at Angkor Wat in reality.



This is a packed, full on tour that provides something for everyone to
experience Vietnam and Cambodia. There is a real variety of activities, from
a cooking course in Hoi An to a visit to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh
in Hanoi. It is city based. The cities are busy and bustling, which can be a
shock to the system to start with. Once you get used to how the traffic works
with all the scooters on the road, it becomes exciting and exhilarating. The
local people in both Vietnam and Cambodia are friendly and welcoming. We
didn’t once feel threatened and there is little in the way of being hassled
to buy things. Hanoi and Saigon are very different cities, but there is so
much to see and do in both of them. Not to mention the history in both
cities. Hoi An is wonderful. Very much set up for tourists, but special with
the lanterns in the streets and on the river. We also loved Siem Reap.
Different again, quite a party city. There are a lot of early mornings, but
we didn’t mind because it meant we got to experience so many different
things by getting up & making the most of every day.



The trip was efficiently organised and the guides - especially Trung - did
all they could to make the tour a well-informed and smoothly-run experience.
The hotels were comfortable and a couple were positively luxurious, though
taxis in the evening in Hoi An were difficult to obtain. We were not overly
impressed with Saigon and would have preferred, instead, to have spent more
time in Hoi An or Can Tho. Cambodia was wonderful..



My husband and I enjoyed the whole trip. We were with a group of 16 and we
all got on fabulously. The Vietnamese people are very resilient and hard
working.
This trip is well suited for active seniors and it does have a lot of free
time if you want to explore on your own .



Broad introduction to Vietnam with extension to Angkor, which was perfect
climax to trip.



Excellent trip. Well organized and interesting. Good quality accommodations.



Traveling with Exodus was indeed a tremendous experience and far surpassed
any group travel I have previously encountered. Hotels selected were of very
high quality with excellent locations, allowing for easy access during free
time to various opportunities. Activities scheduled were both educational
and enjoyable, reflective of meaningful experiences in the history of each
country visited. The tour was perfectly paced for active seniors, with enough
activity without being overload, interspersing in enough free time to add in
those activities which we might wish to choose for our personal enjoyment.
Most importantly, the other 14 members in our group were totally enjoyable,
warm & friendly, thereby creating an unanticipated group experience for
sharing in these foreign turfs. Excellent tour which is highly recommended
for anyone with an interest in both history and culture in the countries of
both Vietnam & Cambodia



Trip met my expectations in terms of seeing and experiencing the best of both
countries. Trip made special by our young and enthusiastic guide Nhi. She had
certainly studied well enabling her to express great knowledge in places
visited. Lovely engaging personality and great organisation of both listed
events and evening eating experiences. As always good company among the group
too helped make this trip memorable.



This holiday does not show you everything but it does give you a true flavour
of the region. Vietnam is such a big country we were happy to choose this
holiday as the internal flights cuts down the travelling time so that you can
enjoy even more activities in the time. Everything was well organised with
variety to suit all interests. Our Guide was well informed and completely
professional with a lovely friendly nature. She made the holiday even better
for us all. Accommodation was good too.This is our third trip with Exodus and
the standards are still high. We were lucky with the weather too as we on ly
had a few drops of rain on one day.



We'd never visited South East Asia before so everything was new to us. We
weren't disappointed. Although there are the classic high spots like Halong
Bay and the Angkor Wat complex, the overwhelming emotion we came away with
was all about the people. Given the recent histories of Vietnam and Cambodia
it was amazing to find the people so happy, friendly and, apparently, without
resentment towards Westerners. (Even making allowances for the fact that
tourism is so important)



Organisation very good e.g. timing of boats, buses & cycles
Variety of trips and optional events very good. All good quality, interesting
and very varied. Saw lots of beautiful places.
Guides background knowledge good. Vietnam guide especially helpful with
almost everything including stropey people. Hotels clean and tidy. Food
varied, though bit cheaper if went to a local restaurant, rather than one
suggested by the guide. Clearly told what was optional and how much it cost.
Overal a wonderful holiday.



Very varied and interesting trip that gave a good flavour of the country.
The addition of a couple of days in Angkor was a bonus.



The most amazing experience ever! Painless booking with a really friendly
and helpful team; excellent service on arrival; lovely comfortable hotels
which were ideally placed for independent exploration; knowledgeable and
friendly leaders who went the extra mile to ensure everyone had a great time;
memorable meals; and the unique companionship of a diverse group of people
who totally gelled together and who will hopefully become long-term friends.
We cannot recommend Exodus and this trip more strongly!



Varied and well organised. You see, experience and learn a lot.



Takes a while to get used to the frenetic pace of Vietnam (ie; confidence to
cross the road!) People were so friendly. Halong Bay was magical, even
though the weather wasn't brilliant and the kayak was worth it. At times it
felt a bit rushed although that may be because most opted for the additional
activities. Very little down time. I'm glad we finished with Cambodia and
the temples as it felt slightly calmer. Wish we had one more day in Cambodia
to do a bit more than the temples, ie; visit the food markets.



The varied itinerary was really well planned and we did and saw things which
we probably would have struggled to do if we had been an independent
traveller - eg kayaking in Halong Bay; half day cookery course; cyclo tour of
Ho Chi Minh City; bicycle tour through the paddy fields; drinking snake wine.



This is an amazing trip around a beautiful, diverse country, finishing with 2
days in Cambodia.



I travel internationally a lot and I am often asked what my favorite
destination is. I never really had a favorite until now. I cannot say enough
about my like-minded travel mates, the friendly and professional tour guides,
the beautiful buses we were transported in, the selection of hotels near
tourists areas, the varied itinerary and the wealth of free time allowing us
to explore on our own or simply rest is we needed to. Exodus does it right! I
will hopefully embark on another Exodus adventure in the future!



A very enjoyable and interesting experience. The tour was well planned with a
fair balance between organised trips and free time.



We really enjoyed our holiday. Looking back we did an amazing variety of
activities and travelled a long way. For the first time ever a on an Exodus
holiday I have some reservations about recommending it to my friends. Mainly
because we spent too much time in cities and too much time in Hanoi, not
being able to do things because it was Tet ( New Year)



A wonderful trip. Beautiful scenery, friendly people. A tragic history which
made some parts of the trip very thought provoking and sobering



A generally very enjoyable trip, though standard of accommodation was more
variable than expected. Timing in Siem Reap could be improved - 2 sparse 1/2
days & 1 full-on day didn't allow best time to appreciate everything.



This was a fantastic way to see as much of Vietnam as possible in a short
space of time in comfortable surroundings. The local people are extremely
friendly and always have a smile, which on remembering what they have gone
through in the past is very humbling. There are opportunities to have free
time but the temptation of the optional activities is very strong and I would
recommend as many as possible.



Vietnam & Cambodia adventure in comfort with local guide and small group.



In able to say there were many



Travel time is minimised but this trip still packs alot in. There are some
free afternoons but tempting optional experiences soon fill the time. We were
made very welcome by everyone we met.



This was an incredibly varied, exciting, well organised and enjoyable trip.
It covered major sights of interest in Vietnam, and the visit to Angkor Wat
was a real bonus.



Fantastic trip: great itinerary, good food, comfortable accommodation and an
amazing guide. You can make the trip as active or as restful as you like due
to the good range of optional activities, balanced itinerary and lack of long
travel time.



Learning all the time



A very enjoyable trip through Vietnam with a little bit of Cambodia. The
history of both countries are fascinating and it was interesting to see how
the countries have developed since their most recent wars. Hotels were
comfortable and the food was great. Hot and humid in Ho Chi Minh City and
Cambodia. Much cooler and more comfortable in the North ( trip was in
November). I wish we had longer in Cambodia. All we really had time to see
was the Temple of Angkor Wat.



The experiences on this trip will live on in our memories for many years.
Future trips will be held up against this trip as a guide to a good holiday.
Thom (our guide) was keen to show us the 'real' Vietnam. He took us to
traditional eateries where the food was excellent. Lots of very healthy fruit
and veg. In fact as a Scot I've never seen so many vegetables in my life!
It's changed my eating habits now I'm back home! Thom did his job very well
and we loved every minute of our trip.



A fascinating insight into life in Vietnam.    This tour visited the
highlights of the country - it's not a relaxing holiday, but very
interesting.     Cambodia was worth seeing too - even though it was only
two nights in that country.



A very interesting & mixed trip. Fascinating country, my eyes were out on
stalks most of the time. All life can be seen on the back of a motor bike.



Quite simply both are lands of beauty, interesting wildlife (birds), very
friendly people and superb food. I would recommend a visit to anyone but
would suggest sooner rather than later - before it becomes too
commercialised.Great for serious photography, and for snap-shooting also.



Excellent variety of things to see and do. Small congenial group.



Friendly people, lovely country, good tour leaders taking care of all our
needs without being overbearing, good hotel facilities.  Always difficult to
strike a balance, but I think going forward you might want to progressively
let go of the past legacy, the war, the politics and concentrate more on
cultural highlights (Hue ?) and leisure



It is far more jam packed than the itinerary would lead you to think.  The
places we stayed in were, in this order: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hanoi, Hoi An, Ho
Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap.  Eight different beds
in two weeks and a heck of a lot of walking, bus rides and three internal
flights. Everything went extremely smoothly thanks to amazing organisation
and a tour leader/guide who was extremely professional and capable.  



This was an excellent trip made even better by a particularly congenial group
of fellow travellers.  Our guide in Vietnam, Nam, was truly Mr Fix-it, even
lending me his watch for the duration of the trip when mine was out of
battery.  Vietnam was a fascinating country and the trip should really be
sub-titled 'A Gastronomic Tour'.  The food was great throughout



North to South travel better in February. No beach swimming on offer - so
hotel pools (in the south) would be good - BUT - balance between hotel in
city centres (without pool) and hotel out of town.Probably not possible in
Hanoi and Saigon. Hetel in Hoi An had lovely pool and was within the town -
lovely !   Also had hotel pool in Siem Reap



Itinerary was perfect and the group leader was fantastic - a lovely guy; each
day was truly one adventure after another and I will keep those wonderful
memories with me for a long, long time!



A very good highlights tour of an interesting part of the world with history
(both ancient and modern) and an intersting culture - fascinating to see the
contrasts between north, central and south Vietnam in a short time.  For me
Angkor Wat deserves more time so either extend your trip or choose another
and be warned this trip has a lot of early morning starts.



Very enjoyable holiday; nice people, good guides (excellent in Cambodia) and
all went according to plan.   Would have preferred less time in Hanoi,
which was cold and (for me at least) not very interesting, and an extra day
either in Hoi An, Halong Bay or Siem Reap.



Both countries amazing, with wonderful people and cultures.  The sense of
humour, culture and history are well worth the trip and definitely warrant
another trip at some stage.



The was a very enjoyable trip that was full of fun and interesting
activities. 



A whilstle stop tour of the highlights of Vietnam - with each destination
having its own character.  Served with great food.



I had wanted to do this trip for some time, and specifically chose it to
avoid any long bus/train journeys. I enjoyed it greatly, particularly thanks
to Dzung, the tour leader, who made an incredible effort to ensure we all
experienced whatever it was that had drawn us to Vietnam.



This trip gave a good overview of the country, its history and culture.  
Doing a multi stop trip afforded us some quality time in each location, we
were able to absorb the different atmosphere between north and south and see
the things we most wanted to



An excellent introduction to fascinating countries. Vietnam was very special
with wonderful people and great food. Cambodia and Angkor Wat was simply
amazing. Guides great, very warm and welcoming and made the trip.



Really good trip. Got see to a lot in a short space of time. Tour leader was
very good and had a great group too.



An excellant trip which I would recommend to others.



This trip is a great taster for Vietnam and Cambodia.  There are parts which
can feel a bit rushed (see additional comments), but overall the pace is
fairly relaxed and yet still covers most of the top highlights of the region.



Very good

13 Mar 2024



Service and help from the agent, Helen, was excellent. Everything was made very clear with helpful suggestions over flight alternatives to enable me to get what I needed.
A little disappointed with the e-mail information that was sent as it laclked any mention of the luggage allowance that was included and whether I would to pay anything extra to get what I wanted.

Ian Richards, 17 Nov 2023



As previously when I have booked at least 10 former holidays with Headwater, Very friendly, very helpful. We look forward to our next adventure with you

Janet Sodring, 9 Aug 2023

1 Jan 1970