Solo Travel - Small Group Tour - Client experience across Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia & Laos
What inspired you to take this solo adventure through Southeast Asia? I am finally in a position in life where I have the freedom (both timewise and financially) to what I wish. I have been waiting for my son Yuri to grow up and become independent so I can start travelling again. I do not like the UK winter weather, so going away to a warm climate in January and February was perfect for me. In my 20s I spent 5 years in China, and always wanted to return to this part of the world to explore new places. Touring Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam was a very exciting opportunity.
Did you have any fears or hesitations about solo travel? Any advice to other solo travellers? I am well-travelled and actually enjoy my own company, so I did not have any worries or concerns. I see the world as kind & welcoming place, and travelling solo means that I am open to meet new people and have new experiences. Travelling with a group is safe and easy. I would recommend booking your own room, and be open to sharing experiences. Solo travel really expands your reality – it’s great to do!
How did having me as your personal travel agent help you? It felt amazing. I could not have organised it all myself and it was a great feeling knowing that all the planning was done and I could just go along with the plans each day and enjoy the sites and experiences with the local guides. I loved having the MYTC app – this was so handy to have my full itinerary and all my tickets and information in one place rather than having to did through emails or paper to find tickets. All my transfers and check ins etc went really smoothly. Other people on my tour came to me to see what was happening the next day. Everything about my travel plans went smoothly – transfers, pick-ups, hotels and the tour itself. I had a 6 hour stopover at Doha airport between flights and I had a sleep pod arranged for me. This was great – I was able to get 3 hours sleep and felt fantastic! The airport itself was really beautiful too! There were some days that the plans changed on the tour, but this did not worry me, I was happy to go along with the guides and was open to what each day would bring.
What were your first impressions of your group? The group was quite diverse, different ages (from 25 to 70+), backgrounds and countries. At first I was not sure I would be able to connect with everyone – we did not seem to have much in common to start with, but gradually we all connected in different ways. I will be keeping in touch with two of the ladies as we became great friends.
Describe a moment with your travel group that made you feel connected and alive. The moment that comes to mind was during the boat cruise in Ha long Bay in Vietnam. We were all around the table eating amazing food in a beautiful setting surrounded by water and mountains and I just felt great and in the moment. The junk boats were surprisingly great – they felt like quite luxurious cruise boats – very comfortable to sleep on and really great food and excellent service.
You stayed in such a variety of places, from hotels to homestays. Which one stood out most? We stayed in a remote village in Laos where four of us were sleeping on the floor on mattresses under mosquito nets. The village in Laos – seeing the reality of how the people live their lives. Very limited electricity, about 300 people in total, very little there. They gave us a performance of local dances and got us all involved with playing their local games – one involved jumping over bamboo sticks! It was so different and I will never forget waking and seeing the sunrise over the Mekong river being in the village itself.
Tell me about a meal or cultural experience that surprised or moved you. I think the most powerful moment was seeing the offerings to the monks in Buddhist countries. People wake up at 5am and either cook or buy food for the monks, and they start their day with an act of generosity. Monks do not work and don’t have money, their job is to mediate and pray for others, and they rely solely on donations to survive.
What location took your breath away? So many beautiful sites – the waterfalls in Laos with beautiful colours, Ha long Bay in Vietnam, the White Temple in Thailand, temples in Cambodia… so hard to pick just one.
Was there a moment that challenged you or took you out of your comfort zone? The Cucci tunnels in Vietnam where the Vietnamese hid while fighting in the war. They were 40 metres underground and ceilings were very low so we had to crawl through which was quite claustrophobic. We also visited several prisons in Vietnam and Cambodia and the killing fields in Cambodia. Learning about Vietnam war and Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia brought overwhelming sadness to me…especially because there are still wars happening in the world. This experience really put things in perspective, making me appreciate the comfort and abundance in my life.
What was it like to connect with local people? People in the village have so many tourists visiting and home staying, it actually did not feel as authentic as other, more natural encounters. I found far more connection with the local people I met more naturally – the lady who I visited to have my nails done, or a massage or in the restaurants. People in all 4 countries were incredibly kind, helpful and friendly.
How did this trip impact your perspective on life, travel or yourself? I really reconnected with myself on this trip in many unexpected ways. I grew up in the Soviet Union. Seeing red flags (flags of Soviet Union) everywhere in Laos and Vietnam, Ho Chi Ming Mausoleum, statues of Lenin and many other things linked to communism, brought many childhood memories and made me unexpectedly emotional. I had lived in China in my 20s and I found the smells, sounds, climate and vibe of being there reminded me of that part of my life. This trip gave me the desire to travel, explore more places and spend a lot more time in Asia.
If you could relive one day of the journey, which would it be? Sailing down the Mekong river from Thailand to Laos – it was so peaceful, or Hoian in Vietnam – such a vibrant and beautiful place with all the lanterns – great to explore and I would love to go back and just sit by the river and watch the world go by.
