Premium: Coast to Caves Adventure in Vietnam

This trip was absolutely incredible! The variety of activities kept every day exciting, and I came away with unforgettable memories. Yes, Vietnam is a vast country, which means plenty of travelling - but every road trip was filled with breathtaking scenery, delicious food and wonderful company, making the journeys just as enjoyable as the destinations. We discovered countless hidden gems as we ventured off the beaten track, each more magical than the last. The jungle and caves were definitely highlights, but honestly, there wasn’t a single low point - it was all extraordinary. A huge thank you to our guide, Tri, whose warmth, knowledge and passion brought Vietnam’s landscapes and culture to life. He truly made us feel welcome every step of the way!

This was my first MBA trip, but definitely not my last - it was one of the best trips of my life! Vietnam is a beautiful, magical place - the trip's itinerary was perfect, with an excellent mix of activities, locations and accommodation types. We felt really safe and well taken care of the whole time. Our guide Tri was kind, patient and very knowlegeable. The weather affected one of the activities and our guide and MBA were fantastic and quickly rearranged the itenerary, so we ended up with an even better trip than expected. The food was amazing the whole time and the difficulty rating was correctly identified. MBA's commitment to help local communities and the environment is what made us choose to book with them - this was clear throughout the entire trip. I cannot recommend it enough! Thank you, MBA!

This trip was my second MBA trip and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Tri, our guide, was an absolute star from beginning to end, with endless knowledge and patience. Logistically this trip was excellently organised, food was incredible and the activities brilliant. A good level of fitness does make the trip more enjoyable but it is still accessible. I was initially a little nervous having read some of the other reviews, but I did not need to worry as it was brilliant.

I can't even begin to express how life-changing and epic this trip was. Words just don't seem enough but I shall try. The entire itinerary was beautifully crafted to incorporate the various local life, scenery, activities, food, and lodging. Everything I could have possibly wanted but didn't even know I wanted was provided. The ease and comfort was 10 out of 10. I loved the mixture of roughing it mixed in with luxury! Our guide Tri was a saint, so incredibly patient, thoughtful, kind, funny, knowledgeable and on top of things. Our group was awesome too. I'm so glad it is capped at 10, the size was perfect. Because of this exact trip I could easily see myself living in Vietnam. Thank you for such an amazing adventure! I'm now a lifetime member of MBA. Already started looking for the next trip!

What an amazing experience. Fabulous group of people. Lovely guide, fast paced experiences

An amazing trip with the best tour guide, Linh Vo. Linh always went out of his way to help the group in any way possible. A highlight of the trip was definitely the whole jungle experience. Accommodation and food throughout the trip was great. Although we spent a couple of hours on a bus some days, this time went by fairly quickly and our tour guide was able to share some stories during this time.

This was a varied and very enjoyable private trip, which required some flexibility from our hosts as we arrived just after Typhoon Yagi had departed. Highlights of the trip were visits to the stunning wet and dry caves, hiking through the jungle (including wading along rivers), floating down a river, cycling through beautiful countryside and river kayaking. Of particular note were the consistent friendliness of the local people, the amazing scenery, the excellent coffee culture and the wide variety of foods. Sadly, the typhoon had caused significant damage to Lan Ha Bay and consequently our trip to Cat Ba island was cancelled. It was replaced with a trip to Ninh Binh where we walked up to a monument and cycled through the spectacular scenery. Unexpectedly, we were also chased down the road by an ostrich! Our guide, Tri, was excellent in all respects. Friendly and tolerant at all times, he coordinated the changing itinerary with MBA and offered options, involving us in decisions where appropriate. One area that could be improved upon was the Kit List. Previous reviews have been especially helpful in this respect and in our experience pillows, fleece, head torches, towels and water purification tablets were not required. This is particularly relevant to the jungle experience which is provided by a company called Jungle Boss. Before setting off into the jungle we were offered a pair of Vietnamese Army boots (essentially ankle high canvas boots with rubber soles) for wading and swimming in the cave. People who had brought their own water shoes happily used these instead of the Army boots. I used the Army boots, which were reasonably comfortable but did result in me carrying either my own walking boots or the Army boots tied onto my rucksack. In retrospect I might have left my own boots in my case for the jungle experience and just used the Army boots provided. Overall, this is a great trip with a good blend of adventure and memorable experiences. Whilst we missed out on the trip to Cat Ba, this was more than compensated for by the beauty of the Ninh Binh area.

Wow! Where to start. . . What an amazing week in Vietnam, one of the best things I have ever done. First things first, our guide Tri was an absolute godsend. Just superb. He fitted into our group so well and we felt like he was part of our social group and not a guide, despite sorting everything for us. This included the local guides for specific activities, who were equally as great. The main highlights of the trip: 1 - The 2 day expedition to the caves and the jungle was a truly once in a lifetime experience. Cannot recommend the trip enough purely for this part. 2 - The time in Lan Ha bay, albeit short, was also amazing. Kayaking at sunrise, paddle boarding around the islands and the fantastic hike to the summit was breathtaking. 3 - The food and accommodation blew us away. Every night something different and really really tasty. We felt incredibly well catered for, for the entire duration. Be prepared though for a night on the train and in the jungle which were both slightly different experiences! To address the only negative that appears in other reviews is the travelling. Yes, there was a lot of time spent in the car, with our awesome driver, Hero. Once you get your head around this, it is not an issue at all. There is no way to access the jungle and national parks without this long drive and it is completely worth a few hours in a car. The journeys are well broken up by food stops and a short walk to stretch your legs on day 2, so it really wasn't an issue for us. The kit list provided by MBA is maybe a touch long - you will live out of the wicking t-shirts, and probably don't need extra fleeces, travel pillows or mozzy nets. You will need bug spray. I bought some pretty heavy duty hiking boots that were a touch too much also, a decent pair of trail runners would probably suffice, maybe with the exception of the long hike on the Saturday. All in all this a simply amazing experience, and we felt we had seen both sides of Vietnam, from the madness of Hanoi to the vast jungles and then the stunning Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay. Would highly recommend - thank you so much MBA - and especially Tri!

This is a well-paced but adventurous way to explore North and Central Vietnam. The activities were a good mixture of excitement and discovering the real Vietnam. Highlights for us were camping in the jungle, swimming into caves and floating down the river, and the company of the lovely people in the group. The first day and a half involve a good bit of driving in the van, but we actually enjoyed this as there was plenty to look at out the window and it gave us a chance to recover from jet lag. It is so worth it to get there - you really are off the beaten track. We found ourselves constantly saying “We’d never have found this!!”. Food is very good and plentiful. The enjoyment of this trip is all made possible by our guide Tri: he does an amazing job of keeping everything on schedule, minding everyone, and making sure we get the best out of everything. This trip is not for the faint hearted, but if you are reasonably fit and have a sense of adventure you’ll get so much out of it. We certainly did!! Packing tips - things from the list I didn’t need: travel pillow, sleeping bag liner, water purification tablets, fleece, towel (everywhere provides them, even the jungle camping trip!) Things I wish I’d brought: more technical wicking T-shirts, plus at least two long sleeved ones, a second pair of light hiking trousers (don’t bring leggings it’s too humid!), a better day pack (twice in the trip they send your main bag ahead and you live out of your day bag for a couple of days). You’re never in the same place two nights running so I was glad I’d brought an open-out kitbag on wheels which made finding things easier.

This is truly a fantastic trip for anyone wanting to see the real Vietnam. As well as Halong Bay, you are also able to experience swimming into caves, a real-life lazy river, and the overnight train back to Hanoi (bring your earplugs!). Our guide, Linh, did an amazing job at getting us where we needed to be and was extremely knowledgeable and friendly.