How was your Explore Tour Leader?

We had three different leaders, Rathanak Chea, spending the most time with us in Cambodia.  He was funny, informative and interacted very well with all group members.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

To consider arriving in Bangkok two or three days ahead of the start of the tour if possible as it is a shame to miss out on some glorious sights.  More importantly, if the group flight is delayed, as happened with members of our party, then a late arrival into Bangkok and early departure the following morning for Cambodia may leave you feeling exhausted.

Do you have anything else to add?

I found the experience interesting and thoroughly enjoyable.  If there is a down-side for me it is there was insufficient time spent away from cities, ie. in the countryside, but I was aware of this beforehand.

I knew before I set off that this would be a hard trip. By its nature, public transport, which meant "people watching" at a high level and we werent disappointed. As a budget trip you do have to be prepared to pay for excursions.... Those we did were amazing, and so well worth the cost which in British terms was very small. Thailand was just the starting place, and people who thought we should have spent more time there, should book a trip to Thailand! Cambodia was way beyond my expectations, amazing sights and people......so lovely. Arriving in Vietnam, was hard. we were tired, the tour leader we met seemed to want us to rest, not go on a walking tour of the city. We insisted on the tour but were "abandoned" I felt... part way through. All he suggested we ate were noodles, I asked if there were restaurants near our hotel and he said no (I found many the next day)... Compared to the other countries, the locals were aggressive in their "sales" and prices were so much higher than other places (what we could have bought in Cambodia for 1$ they were asking 20+$. Visits to the Mekong Delta were awesome, and well worth it.... but the traffic in HoChiMinh was appauling.... and on seeing one flattened tourist, I used taxis for the rest of the trip. I was the last person of the group to leave Vietnam. I asked the hotel to get me a taxi at 9pm for the airport... they did this. Got to the airport OK, but then had the worst experience of my life.... as a single woman travelling alone, I got to the airport fare about 6$.... but the driver locked the door and demanded 100$... I tried to argue the case, but he got more and more agressive with me, I couldnt find anyone to wave help to... so in the eend I gave him my wallet which contained about 40$...all I had. fortunately he let me out. I took his number and reported him to airport police...but dont expect anything to be done>>>SO single women travellers please BEWARE. As expected this really spoilt the magnificent experience of this amazing trip.

An excellent trip to give an overview of Cambodia and Vietnam.  Not much time is spent in Bangkok but you get to do a river tour and get a feel for the place.  With the jet lag its a shock to the system and in our group a few people arrived earlier to both see more and recover which was a good idea.  Most of the trip is in Cambodia and highlights are Angkor but also the Tonle Sap lake trip was one of the best days - you really get to see another side of the country and how people live on the lake . its also a great day to relax as generally the trip is full on with long days.  There is alot of travel and things can take longer so we had less time in Battambang than we thought, so some open-mindednes is required on timings as we use local transport - but then you get a more real feel along with it!  Saigon was interesting and manic with endless motocyles and traffic.  The Cu Chi tunnels were much more interesting than I thought they would be and gald I visited them as I was unsure but enjoyed it - although a few in the group struggled to get in to the tunnels themselves - not designed for large western sizing!  If you get the time you can go to a bar on the top of the Sheraton Hotel in Saigon and get a great view of the city for the price of a drink - thats not too expensive during happy hour ($10 for 2 instead of 1).  Overall a great holiday and one in which I now understand the historical context as well behid such a beautiful country as the guides bring it to life with family stories.  I think I just need another holiday to recover now.....

This was an incredible tour experience, which packed lots into such a short space of time. I and everyone else loved every minute of it.There are so many highlights from the Angkor Wat to the floating villages. I would recomend this trip to everyone. Given the cheap price, the accomodation is amazing, and the transport was good, as you got to mix with locals - the train journey from Bangkok especially eye raising.

Our tour guide (Sihta) in Cambodia was the most wonderful guide I could possibly have imagined.There are some downsides but these are minor for what you pay and the benefits you reap far outweigh any negatives. If you wish to see a flavour of three south east asian countries then this is the tour for you. Note, that the majority of the tour is in Cambodia but that was the best country out of the three for me. Also ensure you have your VISA's organised before you go. (QBK -16th August 2011)

This was the most wonderful experience of my life so far. I loved every minute of it. The Temples at Angkor were a highlight for me, I only wish that I had had an few more days there. I would recomend this trip to everyone. Given the cheap price, the accomodation is amazing, and the transport was ok. Bangkok was great, Siem Reap was totally fantastic. The trip to Battambang was a great day out, and Phnom Pehn was great too. Ho Chi Minh City was mad. Our tour guide in Cambodia was the most wonderful guide I could possibly have imagined. I would do this tour again tomorrow. The only advice I could give is that in order to avoid being scammed at the Thai border, PLEASE GET YOUR VISA FOR CAMBODIA BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!!! (QBK - 29th December 2010)