Xin Chao my dear friend!
It was two weeks since we had returned from the wonderful trip. It seems to be a good time to write short feedback.
The bottom line – it was a great trip!
Everything worked as planned; everything was beautiful, fun and delicious!
……and somewhat more extensively:
Transportation:
A 29 seater seems to be very comfortable, for 14 travelers. But,
· Almost 8 seats are taken for the driver's and the guide's staff.
· Much more important is the trunk of the vehicle.
In Hoi An, the vehicle has a big trunk, at the rear and some extra space from the sides, so all our baggage went into the trunk. There was definitely enough room in the car.
In Ha Noi, the car has relatively small trunk, so a lot of luggage must to be loaded in the car. So it was a little bit dense.
In Cambodia, the vehicle has no trunk at all!
So all our luggage loaded inside the car. It was lucky the road was short, because it was not a convenient ride. I could even say, it was not a safe ride.
So, for the next trip you are planning, make sure that you defined the car, not only according to the amount of seats, but also according to the size of the trunk.
Hotels:
· Hanoi Pearl (Executive room) – Excellent location, very comfortable.
· Pistachio Sapa Hotel (Superior room) – The hotel is still in the run-up period. The stuff still lacks some employees, and there are still some "childhood diseases". But, we believed, that in few weeks, all the problems will be resolved and it will be a very good hotel.
· La Regina Legend Cruise (Princess Suite) – Above all expectations!
· Allegro Hoi An Little Luxury Hotel & Spa(Junior Suite) – Wonderful hotel! Well located, very nice decorated, excellent spa, good restaurant – The best!
· Eden Star Saigon(Premium Deluxe room) – Very comfortable, nice swimming pool and a bar on the ruff.
· Tara Angkor Hotel(Deluxe room) – comfortable hotel. The rooms are very big, but one could say that their design was slightly outdated.
· Vissai Saigon(Junior Suite) – Very good hotel. At the morning, it took less than 15 minutes, to reach the airport.
Guides:
· Nhan (Hanoi) – amazing guide! (You already know that).
· Hung (Hoian) – A very knowledgeable guy. Has a good English, but with a slightly difficult accent.
· Nguyen Thanh (HCM City) – Very, very good guide. Very good English, with almost no accent. Always try to help. He gave us a lot of information, about the country in general, and about the history of the American War, in particular. We loved him very much.
· Sophea (Siem Reap) - Very good guide. Very good English. He also gave a lot of information regarding the Cambodian culture and history, and about the civil war and the Khmer Rouge regime.
Attractions:
· Well come diner – It was wonderful surprise for the entire group! Thank you!
Beyond the wonderful food, it was an excellent opportunity to see a real Vietnamese home and to meet the family.
· Sapa – Although we arrived not in the rice season, the scenery was very impressive. It was wonderful experience to see and meet the women and children, from the different tribes, and learn about life in the mountains.
· Fansipan – One of the highlights! We will recommend everyone to go up, even in a cloudy weather. To reach the summit, see the temples and the Buddha, is a unique experience.
· Cuc ly market – It was smaller than I expected. There were no cattle, or any kind of animals. Maybe, because it was right after the Tet.
· Tam Coc – The scenery is amazing, but the women, row the oars with their feet, were equally amazing! The bike trip was very nice.
· Halong Bay – No need for words!!!!!!
· Hoi an – Beautiful town! We love it. The free day was just in time.
· Ba Na Hills – Personally, I find it very nice, but too "touristic". But, my entire friend enjoys it very much.
· Saigon scoters tour – terrific! Excellent way to fill the city, to taste the street food and to know the charming young boys and girls.
· Cu Chi tunnels – a must see location.
· Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat - amazing World Heritage.
Rice pedal – you probably know that we do not grow rice in Israel. Therefor it was very interesting to learn about it. We visited the rice fields in Sapa and saw the farmers preparing the field to the coming season. Near to Tam Coc, we saw the women replanting the rice, and in Ben Tre area, we saw the rice ready to harvest!
Last but not least – Vietnamese cuisine!
The well come dinner in your home, no doubt opened for us a window to a new world of wonderful flavors. From day to day the meals, we ordered at the restaurants, become less western and more exposed to the local cuisine. Some vegetables that are not on our menu, like Beck Choi or Glory Morning, have become a must-have dish, at every meal. After a week or so, we were surprised to see ourselves ordering noodle soup, for breakfast!
More important – each of us has stated that he feels much better, easier and more energetic!
Let's hope we've learned something and changed, if only slightly, our daily menu.
Helen, behalf of myself, my wife, Orly, and all my friends, I would like to say thank you. Thank you for being so patient, in the planning stage, thank you for the wonderful well come diner, and for the great trip.
If some day, you will have the chance to visit Israel, please let us know. We will be more than happy to assist you and invite you to our home.
Best regards
Oded