Kashmir Winter Wonderland

Another exciting adventure with this tour company. Our trip was at the end of April/beginning of May and it was very hot !!!! I'm told June/July is even hotter. Phew !!!!Despite this I loved every minute of it.It was a very busy trip but extremely well organised. I very much liked the additional drink stops as it was so very hot. Home made chilled lime was just the thing. I also very much liked Lam pre-booking the meals and us all going together. He found some wonderful places and we had delicious fresh food. There just isn't time to find somewhere yourself. This really worked well.We were lucky to be with a super group of people. Everyone happy and smiling and enjoying every moment..................well................except a few of the group who did get a bit sore. Please do get yourself some chamois butter and padded pants. It works a treat.It worked well having all the cycling in the beginning. The train was much better than I had expected and I slept like a log !!! Whale Island and Halong Bay were real treats and I would have loved more time there. But, overall, the trip was perfect for timing as it kept us within the 15 day Visa limit and we saw and did so much.Despite being informed in writing by the tour operator that our big holdalls/suitcase stays with us all the time......this was not the case. You do need to have a rucksack or flat pack bag big enough for the one and two night stays (Whale Island and Halong Bay). In fact......it works very well to just take small luggage. Much easier to do once you get your head around it.I found the cycling easy compared with other trips I've done but I do feel it is right to be called a Level 3. Everyone cycles slightly differently and there is always a bit of a mix of abilities........which makes for a good group cycle I think.

The customer service before departure was excellent, the organisation from start to finish was excellent, the accommodation was better than expected, the group leader was excellent, the itinerary was excellent. As a solo female traveler I felt completely comfortable with the rest of the group whether they were traveling alone, with friends or with partners. The mix of activities, geographical locations, sights, sounds, terrain and communities left you feeling like you had experienced and encountered Vietnam, its history, its people and its landscape

Amazing country, beautifully seen from the seat of a bicycle. So many unusual sights - friendly people (attractive, relaxed, smiling, shouting hello); fields of rice, coffee, rubber, eucalyptus, dragon fruit, etc., farmers herding brown cows and water buffalo; basic living conditions, cooking, eating and washing-up in the open, spilling out onto pavement; scooters everywhere and crazy driving but it seems to work, no road rage; great respect for older people and ancestors (colourful cemeteries and every house has small ancestral shrine). Came back with a real feel for the country, wanting to learn more.