Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Sandy Collins and her husband with a local farmer in Vietnam.

“From planting seaweed to other herbs and vegetables along with rice, it was a highly educational and a fun experience.”

We just returned from a one month trip to SE Asia with three weeks in Vietnam. This is the 2nd trip to SE Asia that Sandy has planned for us and it was wonderful and full of surprises. Sandy and Ethan did a great job of putting together a very memorable trip, with one or two areas that were more off the beaten path and glad we did not miss them (more on the later). Thankfully, his colleague Corbin acquired our visas, which is quite a process from what we heard from many travelers who did not have that service.

We started on a stopover in Singapore and WendyPerrin.com’s Brook was kind enough to give me past recommendations of tour operators in Singapore that other people had used. The one we selected was fantastic. From the communication with Yock Song to the private guiding for several days, we were very pleased with their services. A shoutout to Cranky Concierge for lining up the Fullerton Bay Hotel (was not built, nor the Marina Bay District the last time we visited Singapore). The Blacklane car service was flawless and it really helped going to and from Changi Airport.

Now onto Vietnam, which was one of the few countries we had not been to in Asia, and we were wowed by the beauty, people, culture and history of this fabulous country. Did I mention the food—street food or restaurant was fantastic! We wanted to traverse the country from north to south and Sandy recommended March, which was spot on as we got very little rain in the Hanoi area. With three microclimates (North, Central, South) it is tricky to go through the country and have good weather. We primarily worked with Ethan and he was excellent to partner with giving us his thoughts on what would give us the most diversity in going to must see places, along with unique experiences that were somewhat off the tourist trail. We had changed the agenda several times and it was perfect by the time we were done.

We flew into Hanoi for 3 nights at the Sofitel Metropole which was a beautiful hotel with a rich history. Sandy recommended to go on the weekend, which was perfect since the circular road around Hoan Kiem lake is closed off to vehicles until Sunday evening. Our guide Mike was really energetic and such fun to tour with in Hanoi/Ninh Binh. Thousands of families were out on Friday night and it was the best people watching we have seen in a long time. We also went to Hoa La prison (aka the Hanoi Hilton) and the history, especially when the French controlled Vietnam, is something that everyone needs to see and witness.

We had a great foodie night with Mike, and Bun cha is one of our favorite northern Vietnamese dishes, and Mike delivered—great food and egg coffee! We love Vietnamese food and we gave Ethan a list of dishes we wanted to have in all three areas of the country! The next day we went to Ninh Binh which was beautiful with the limestone karsts and shallow water to boat through. It is known as the “Halong Bay” on land. Unfortunately, steps in Vietnam are not always paved and my husband fell and Mike was amazing in taking us to the hospital to get Art treated and never left our side. We were so grateful to him.

Luckily our next stop was Halong/Lan Han bay and my husband had 3 days to stay off his feet on the beautiful, luxurious Ylang boat. We had a gorgeous spacious room with a balcony to witness Halong Bay, which is spectacular. I took a hike on Cat Ba island and there were two other couples who were traveling with Sandy’s company also—what a small world!

We returned to Hanoi and caught a flight to Quy Nhon for 5 nights at Zannier Bai San Ho, which was a beautiful resort on a pristine coastline with fantastic food. It took a little more time as it was a little out of the way but so happy that Ethan suggested this property to us. We don’t like crowds and while a little remote, it fit the bill perfectly for relaxing. We were one of the few Americans at this small resort.

Ethan suggested that we take the Vietage train to Hoi An, which is a carriage that is hooked onto a Vietnamese train. We took the 6 hour journey at night so didn’t see much, but we were the only people in the carriage and they had two bed berths that we took full advantage of, along with the great food and drinks they served. It was a very bouncy ride as the tracks weren’t modern, but still was a unique and relaxing way to travel, rather than being in a car for six hours.

Our excellent tour guide Ngoc met us at the station in Danang and off we went to Hoi An. We did a lot of exploring in the town of Hoi An (the Japanese bridge, Chinatown, Japantown), crowded with all of the shops selling the usual trinkets. We stayed at the Anantara Hoi An since it was close to town; however, we did not like it at all. I will just say it needs some TLC and a new chef. We personally gave that feedback to Sandy and he tried to get us into the Four Seasons but they were booked out. However, the silver lining for the town of Hoi An was so many places to get a message for almost nothing. Ngoc, our tour guide, recommended one place and it was fantastic! We also toured the Marble Mountains, which is a group of five limestone peaks with beautiful views of Da Nang, along with caves, temples and beautiful statues and carvings.

Neither Art nor I had any idea of what we would be doing in the “eco experience” with Jack Tran’s group, but it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip! We had a blast seeing the local culture and their farming techniques. From planting seaweed to other herbs and vegetables along with rice, it was a highly educational and a fun experience. Of course, we tried our hand at some of the farming techniques they used and it was tough. After the farm experience we traveled to a boat near the sea and we got onto basket boats in the middle of a wind and rain storm, and had a great time back in the palms that lined the bay where it was a little calmer. I also learned how to cast a fishing net and other unique things like riding a water buffalo! I first said no, and then 5 mins later ended up on the water buffalo. What an amazing day! We also went to the Cham ruins of My Son and to us it was like a mini Angkor Wat with the mountain ringing the area for a backdrop. Too bad so much of this UNESCO Heritage site was damaged from the war.

We were then off to Hue for 3 nights at the Azerai La Residence, which is a beautiful French colonial hotel with a kind of an Art Deco vibe. The ride to Hue was breathtaking through “pass of the clouds.” Even though it was foggy the views were so scenic. Hue had some of the best food in Vietnam and was once the religious, and cultural part of Vietnam. Ngoc toured us through the purple forbidden city, a citadel which was modeled on Beijing’s Forbidden city where a lot of the Nguyen Dynasty emperors are buried. We were lucky to see a fantastic Kung Fu demonstration by all the clubs in Hue in the citadel. We toured a beautiful pagoda and really liked Hue, including the rickshaw ride that our guide Ngoc arranged for us in the sea of traffic, had lunch with a local family and had the best bun bo we have ever had at a restaurant that Ngoc suggested—Ancient Hue. We went back there twice it was so good. Ngoc also took us to a husband and wife who are master calligraphers and musicians. We tried our hand at calligraphy and it was not as easy as we thought. One thing to note on the hotel: the government is building some sort of dock/structure and the noise was unfortunate—think dynamite to sink pilings. The folks at the Azerai showed us other rooms that were on the street side of the hotel and one was an upgrade which was quieter than hearing construction. Unfortunately, the hotel has no control over the construction.

We then drove to the DMZ/toured Khe Sanh, the Rockpile area, and we could have skipped that, which we told Ngoc. We did not realize it would be an 8 hour car ride and were very tired when we arrived at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. This area is totally off the beaten track (backpacker heaven) but has the largest caves in the world. We never stayed in a “homestay” before but Victory Road Villas was quaint, had a great view of the limestone karsts and Son River, and had very good food. This homestay would not be appropriate for anyone who can’t climb stairs, as the bedroom is on the 2nd floor. Also, if one is not fit I would not recommend going to Paradise Cave, as it has many steps and undulating paths. We are older adult travelers and we were fine with both Paradise Cave and Phong Na cave, which is a huge river system running through the cave. We loved the rural area and met many local villagers, and saw them fertilize and plant the rice fields. It is a stunning park with limestone karsts. One of the most beautiful areas we saw in Vietnam.

For the last part of our trip we flew to Saigon and stayed at the beautiful Park Hyatt. Our guide Thuy was delightful. She recommended the ancient medicine museum, which was fascinating. We took a speedboat on the Mekong Delta to one of the villages, where I rode on the back of a vespa while Thuy drove through the village. We then stopped at a local villager’s house to see how she and her husband make rice whiskey and sampled the brew at 11 AM! Sandy met us at the Hyatt for dinner which was so much fun, and we gave him a mini synopsis of our trip. The last night we took a fun vespa ride through the streets and alleyways of Saigon for a food tour.

We like doing diverse things on vacations, and the agenda that Sandy/Ethan put together, along with our wonderful guides, made this trip utterly fantastic in this beautiful country of such kind people. The team made this 2nd trip flawless and we are even thinking of revisiting some of the SE Asian countries in the future.

Carol Zuckerman and Barry Goldstein at a private cooking class in Vietnam.

Carol Zuckerman and Barry Goldstein at a private cooking class in Vietnam.

We just returned from nearly three weeks in Vietnam, traveling to Hanoi, Nimb Binh and Ba Vi in the north, Hue and Hoi An in Central Vietnam, and Can Tho/Mekong Delta and Saigon in the South. The trip was amazing due to the rich history and culture, kind people, varied and beautiful landscapes, and terrific food. Sandy, Ethan, and Corban’s team were indispensable as travel consultants from the first moment we spoke with them, through the planning of our itinerary, choice of wonderful local hosts in the different parts of the country, suggestions and flexibility, and impeccable planning of every detail and logistic so that our days and travel from one place to another were seamless and stress-free. Suffice it to say, we would not have had the experience we had without their meticulous planning.

We were in Vietnam in February and, unfortunately, the weather in the north and central part of the country was rainier than expected so we had to pivot from the plan on some days. For example, rather than hiking in Ba Vi in the rain and mud, our guide Trang took us to a yogurt manufacturing shop in Ba Vi and then arranged a visit to a local village with lunch in a historic village home. In Hue, our guide Ngoc suggested a rickshaw ride, arranged a visit to a calligrapher’s home where we were able to try the art on our own, and we loved our private cooking class at a hotel restaurant. He also was instrumental in pointing us to the right tailor for sport coats to be made in a day in Hoi An. In Can Tho, when we asked our local host Sue An to recommend a restaurant where mostly locals go, she pointed out a place close to our resort and was kind enough to come there with us in the evening to order for us and make sure we ate food that wouldn’t make us sick. The impromptu visit she planned to a cacao farm with a tour by the owner also was a real treat. And in Saigon, the Cu Chi tunnel visit, which we reached by a speedboat ride on the Saigon River, and the evening Vespa Food Tour throughout the streets of Saigon, were some of the trip’s most memorable highlights.

We highly recommend experiencing Vietnam with the assistance of Sandy, Ethan, and Corban. We weren’t sure what to expect with the flexibility built into the itinerary, but the spontaneity it allowed clearly enriched our trip. It allowed us to visit art galleries, shops, an herbal medicine museum, and several markets on the last-minute recommendations of our local hosts or just because we passed by a place that seemed interesting. We cannot say enough about this team and the value they added to our Vietnam adventure.

These planners were outstanding partners for our recent trip to Southeast Asia. The pre-planning was a good combination of our desires and their subject matter expertise. And, when we got on the ground, the local guides were outstanding—knowledgeable, flexible, and fun.

Hoi An, by far, was our favorite city. We were there for two days and wished we were there for four. On the other hand, our time in Ha Long Bay was somewhat disappointing. We went with a top-rated cruise line and were hoping that with a two-night cruise we could see and experience more of the Bay and Cat Ba National Park. We didn’t. As comfortable and extravagant as the cruise was, I would opt for a one-night cruise as opposed to a two-night cruise.

Amy Johnston and family having lunch in Hue, Vietnam.

Traveler Amy Johnston and family enjoying a lunch they helped prepare with a family in Hue.

We recently enjoyed an amazing trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, planned by Ethan and Sandy, and couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. My husband and I traveled with our two children, 13 and 17, and my parents. Everything was fantastic, including the guides, hotels, and activities that were planned each day. We felt that each location was special, and we really appreciated the variety of activities. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and able to pivot to meet our needs in the moment.

When planning the trip, we knew we would have limited time due to traveling during a school break, and worked with Ethan to maximize what we could see in each location. We were able to hit all the highlights, and much more. Some favorite activities included the Vespa tour in Saigon, lunch with a family in Hue, wandering the streets of Hoi An, and a visit with many small craftspeople during a village day and amazing dinner in Cambodia. We were able to see Angkor Wat, the Mekong Delta, and find time to taste an amazing amount of local food.

The best part of this trip was how personal it felt. We met local families and had lunch at their homes, once in the Mekong Delta and again in Hue. We were able to meet with a monk in Siem Riep, took a morning meditation class, and learned to better understand the Buddhist religion. While we expected to love the big sites like Angkor Wat, it was really the personal feel and meeting local people that made the trip special.

We could not be happier with the preparation and planning that went into this trip.

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