Traveling Solo-ish to Vietnam
I am just going to put this out there . . . I am not someone who typically travels alone. I just don’t. I will occasionally roadtrip by myself to visit family and friends, but for me to go abroad without a travel companion was sort of a big deal. I will let you in on a little secret though - I was only on my own for about 12 hours, most of which I was sleeping.
I booked myself into a small group tour for solo travelers only - the G Adventures Vietnam Solo-ish trip. They made some inticing claims about the uniqueness of their solo-ish travel style. I thought it might be fun to compare these claims to my own experience.
G Adventures Solo-ish Tours are said to be . . .
Solo travel, reimagined - CONFIRMED!
We first met as a group on Day 1 at 3pm in our hotel. Lucky for me, I spotted a potential group member at breakfast and forced myself upon her so I had someone to explore with prior to our meeting. Nicky and I braved the chaotic roads and sidewalks of Hanoi to spend some time on colorful and lively Train Street. This narrow street is lined with sidewalk cafes and a train track down the center. I could have easily reached out and touched the train from where I sat enjoying a mango smoothie. Nicky had gotten to Hanoi the day before and decided to get a feel for the city on a Hop On Hop Off bus tour. She told me this is her usual program when arriving solo in a new city.
Train Street, Hanoi
After wandering around a bit more, I headed back to the hotel to move into my new room and meet my roommate. Cynthia from Alberta, Canada and I were paired up to share a room for the next 10 days. Many people in our group opted to pay the My Own Room fee to have their own space. The fee is reduced for the Solo-ish tours.
Expertly-led by a female guide - CONFIRMED!
The 16 of us plus My, (pronounced “me”), our wonderful leader, met up at 3pm as required. My gave us a quick overview of the trip and I could tell right away that she was super organized. Our group demographics were really interesting. According to G Adventures, the average Solo-ish trip is 68% female. Thirteen of our 16 were female - 80%. I asked the guys if they had any idea that they would be traveling with so many women and they said no. One said that his friend had gone on a Solo-ish trip and it was closer to 50-50 male to female. We ranged in age from 26 to 68 and were evenly distributed throughout each decade. There was only 1 other American, 2 Canadians, 3 Australians, 4 Brits, 1 Kenyan (living in London), 1 Spaniard (living in London), 1 Irish, 1 Russian (living in Zurich), 1 Polish guy (living in Denmark) and My, a native of Hanoi. About half of us were in relationships and just not traveling with our partners. One thing that really stood out to me was that the majority of travelers were highly educated working professionals.
Feature itineraries crafted for instant connection - CONFIRMED!
Shortly after our initial meet-up, we headed out on a cyclo (or rickshaw) tour of Hanoi. Next, we hopped out of cyclos and met up with Alex to buy ingredients at the street markets for our dinner. We ended up at Rose Kitchen where we got instructions from Alex on making banana leaf salad, spring rolls and pho. Cooking together like this was fun and interactive -the beginnings of many friendships. And, dinner was delicious! I had been looking forward to Vietnamese cuisine and this evening’s meal did not disappoint. This cooking class was one example of an experience that was designed to be more interactive and to encourage connection.
Another bonding experience early on in the tour was our overnight stay on a junk boat in Halong Bay. A junk boat is a traditional wooden vessel common to Vietnam, and to Halong Bay in particular. But, there was nothing junkie about our boat. In fact, it was probably the most luxurious accommodations we had during the entire trip. Being in this beautiful, mystical destination was a treat on its own, but then there was the karaoke. We definitely saw a new side to some of our travel mates! Marta, you are a rockstar! For me the hiking, kayaking and tai chi with Lucky were highlights of Halong Bay as well.
Packed with epic experiences - CONFIRMED!
One of our tours in Hanoi was done on the back of motorbikes driven by young women. When we first met them, I was thinking they were much younger than they were, but you have to be at least 18 to drive a motorbike in Vietnam. Whizzing around in Hanoi traffic can be pretty exciting, but these women were experts. We visited the Hoa Lo prison (aka Hanoi Hilton) where John McCain was detained during the war, sampled egg coffee, saw the Ho Chi Min mausoleum and enjoyed bun cha for lunch. Have I mentioned how incredible the food was??
Taking the overnight train from Hanoi to Hue was also an experience, maybe not epic, but it definitely felt festive at the start. Like a sleepover. The 16 of us were stuffed into 4 small cabins. Some found the bar car, some played cards, but most of us just talked and talked. We got a little sleep.
Safe and secure - CONFIRMED!
For me, one of the most stressful parts of any travel is arriving in the airport of a new and unfamiliar country, and having to figure out how to navigate through immigration, baggage claim, transportation in a foreigin language. The Solo-ish tour has an arrival transfer included and I walked out to immediately see my name on a G Adventures sign held by a very polite and safe driver. I felt instantly more relaxed. I was also able to book an extra night at the same vetted and centrally-located hotel I would be in for the following 2 nights as well. Our guide, My, was great about orienting us to every new location and giving us tips on how to manage ourselves there. I always felt well-informed and prepared to explore.
Me time - CONFIRMED!
After we explored Hue with its grand imperial palace for a day, part of our tour was on the back of another motorbike - the national vehicle of choice in Vietnam, we headed to Hoi An. We did a bicycling tour there, visiting farm land, sampling rice wine, spinning in coconut boats and riding in a lantern boat back to the center of town where were staying. We had 2 days in Hoi An and on the second morning we went to a place called Streets. Streets is an organization that trains impoverished children to work in the hospitality industry. These incredible teens practiced their English on us and taught us how to make rice paper. That afternoon, as promised, was our Me Day. We took a break from our busy itinerary and got to choose how to spend the rest of the day. My first friend, Nicky, and I opted to wander around the city visiting the many temples. Then, we treated ourselves to some spa treatments, which are plentiful and affordable all around the ciites in Vietnam.
Flexibility and freedom to do your own thing - CONFIRMED!
While our itinerary was full and busy with a variety of activities, we were still given the choice to opt out when we wanted. Some in our group opted to go to the tailor shops in Hoi An to have clothing custom made in lieu of the bicycle tour. Some opted out of group dinners some evenings and chose to have a quiet and restful dinner at the hotel instead. And, some chose to find some extra “me time”. There were people in our group that were seasoned solo travelers, unlike me, and they enjoyed wandering off by themselves sometimes.
When we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon), we had the option to tour the Cu Chi tunnels, which were a significant relic of the war with the US. This tour involved a 2 hour bus ride each way along with the 2 hour tour. Only half of our group chose to participate in this sobering tour. We saw how thousands of Vietnamese people, soldiers and civilians alike, lived in an extensive system of underground tunnels during the war. We even had the option to go down into a tunnel for an authentic experience . I was immediately claustrophobic and left the tunnel at my first opportunity after 20 meters. Also on display were the variety of traps the Vietnamese used in battle.
Create community - CONFIRMED!
The community we created was not only within the group but also with local guides, motorbike drivers, lodging hosts, restaurant and shop owners. G Adventures trips are intentionally culturally-immersive and we had numerous opporunities to interact with local people. It was such a treat. The Vietnamese were very engaging and pleasant people. I really enjoyed this part of our tour. One unique opportunity to experience community was in the Mekong Delta.
At the end of our tour, we spent a couple days in the Mekong Delta in the southern part of Vietnam. This was a special part of the trip. We first stopped at the home of the sweetest 80 year old woman who demonstrated how she makes rice noodles and served us her freshly made noodles along with crispy rice paper with homemade carmelized banana and pineapple jam. Again - the food! We then traveled further down the river by boat to our “homestay”. Officially, it was a stay at someone’s home, but it definitely felt more lodge-like than that. We had spacious rooms with lovely bathrooms and even an outdoor shower. We helped make our own delicious dinner and attended a local traditional performance at a home nearby. The next day we visited a pottery factory and a brick-making facility. Clay and sand from the river is used to make pots and bricks, the main industry in the Mekong Delta, along with rice production. Brick kilns are in every vista along the river.
For an historically non-solo traveler, this solo-ish trip was perfect. I loved the variety of activities. I loved learning about Vietnamese culture. I loved, loved, loved the Vietnamese cuisine. And, most particularly, I really loved being apart of this international group of travelers. G Adventures also claims that Solo-ish adventures will “turn strangers into a close-knit crew”. CONFIRMED!
If this post has piqued your interest and you would like to explore solo or solo-ish travel. Please reach out to me to help you find the perfect trip for you.
