Vietnam and Cambodia in depth vacation

Planet

Vietnam is a cultural treasure trove, offering up several UNESCO World Heritage sites like the ancient traders town of Hoi An and the turquoise waters of Halong Bay. When we visit these fascinating sights not only do we learn about Vietnam’s rich history and diverse culture, but our entrance fees help to contribute to the upkeep of these special places, ensuring they are looked after for generations to come.

Throughout Vietnam we try wherever possible to use small locally owned hotels that reflect the character. We work in partnership with our local in-country ground agents to introduce environmental policies which help to conserve water usage and energy expenditure. We cut down carbon emissions on this trip by using low carbon methods of travel such as cycling, rail and boat rides where possible, examples of this are in the Mekong Delta where we travel by boat, Hanoi where we travel around the city in cyclos and on day five where we get the overnight public train from Hanoi to Hue.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

In order to really be a benefit to the local people in the areas we travel to, we use an entirely local crew, the hotels we use are locally owned and we eat out at a variety of small restaurants and street stalls, thus spreading their spending wealth. We also think this gives you a better experience as you get more personal service, get that bit closer to local life and are able to sample the best of the fantastic local cuisine.

In Cambodia, we help to support vulnerable communities through business; during our free time in Siem Reap we may choose to visit the land mine museum which helps to support affected families and land mine clearance. In Phnom Penh our Tour Leader will organise a group meal at the ‘Friends’ restaurant, where young people with limited resources are trained on all aspects of running a restaurant. This organisation also has worked with our hotels to ensure children are not exploited in any way.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.