Gourmet Adventure

Solo 30 day bespoke trip of a lifetime. Hiked a volcano, numerous bike rides and many photography adventures

I've always wanted to go to North Vietnam and had some ideas of areas to go but wanted to make sure I made the most out of the trip so engaged the services of Exotic Voyages instead of trying to figure out each step of the way myself. Ly of Exotic Voyages took my suggestions and customized a trip ...

I've always wanted to go to North Vietnam and had some ideas of areas to go but wanted to make sure I made the most out of the trip so engaged the services of Exotic Voyages instead of trying to figure out each step of the way myself. Ly of Exotic Voyages took my suggestions and customized a trip around what I told her I enjoyed. Great decision. Rather than try to save money and join larger groups, I decided early on that I wanted dedicated guides with me so I could take pictures at my pace.
Every hotel Ly chose was fantastic (see my reviews of most of those). The guides all spoke English well, were friendly and enthusiastic and had considerable knowledge of the area were were in (because they lived there or close by).
The two photo guides knew where to go and shared their love of photography with me. The first photo guide was responsible for introducing me to another photographer/model who I collaborated with in Hoi An to get some memorable photos there. The photo guide in Cambodia was one of the best I've worked with over years of taking photo workshops and hanging out with other photographers and I'll be taking a photo workshop from him down the road no doubt.
The extra tours are what made this trip special. These included hiking to to the top of Mt Batur in Bali for sunset, going for bike rides in Ninh Binh in the rain (the guide seemed to have as much fun as I did :) ), a cycling adventure at night in Bangkok, river boat in Ninh Binh, meals with locals and more. Since I had already been to Bangkok, Ly setup a night bike ride and boat tour- both away from the normal tourist path.
All the guides I had were flexible, knowledgeable and enthusiastic and understood I wanted to get lots of good photos. This is where a company like Exotic Voyages shines- they have relationships with guides (or they work directly for EV) so you know you'll get professionals who speak your language (literally and figuratively)
Vietnam: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sapa, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon)
Cambodia: Siem Reap (to see Angkor Wat)
Bali: Ubud and Sanur
Thailand: Bangkok