My experience traveling with Feel Free Travel

Are you thinking about traveling with Feel Free Travel? 

Welcome to this comprehensive blog about my travel experience with Feel Free Travel (FFT). In this guide, I will provide a detailed account of my journey across Vietnam, covering various aspects such as the group, leaders, accommodation, transportation, and itinerary. My aim is to help you decide whether FFT is the right choice for your next travel adventure. 

Trust me, after my incredible trip, I cannot think of a single reason why you should not travel with them! For only £1099 (around $1,360 USD), I booked the 15-day north-to-south Vietnam trip, which involved exploring 8 cities with a group of 10 people accompanied by 2-3 group leaders.

---

My experience with the group:

I have to say, my favorite part about this tour was making new friends that feel like I’ve known for years. Since FFT is a British company, most of the travelers, and the group leaders, were from England. As an American, I got to learn more about English culture while also learning about Vietnamese culture. But people join from all over the world. In my group, we had a guy from New Zealand, a couple from Canada, and a girl from France. And since the group is relatively small with only 10 travelers, it’s easy to get to know everyone and make new friends.

My experience with the group leaders: 

My group leaders were Mat and Johnny. We also had Jane, a native Vietnamese girl, and Mat’s fiancé, who was with us for part of the trip. All 3 of them were AWESOME! Mat and Johnny are the main tour leaders, from England, and they feel like friends guiding you through Vietnam. They were super approachable, a little goofy, and very knowledgeable. If either one of them is part of your group, you’re bound for a fun trip. But Jane was indispensable. As a native Vietnamese, she was the perfect liaison between our group and local vendors. But she’s also super sweet, lovely, and just a ray of sunshine! 

My experience with the accommodations:

I personally loved all the accommodations we stayed at during our trip. Accommodations varied between hotels, bungalows, and even an overnight stay in a boat. Most rooms are double occupancy, but you have the option to upgrade to a private room. And you get paired up with someone of your same sex. 

All the accommodations have their unique style and are very central to everything you’ll do in the area. Some are newer and a bit fancier, while others have more of a local vibe. But I think all of them had a nice pool, and breakfast was always included. My favorite accommodations were the boat we stayed at in Ha Long Bay (pictured below) and the family-owned bungalow in Nihn Bihn (pictured above). 

My experience with transportation:

The tour includes all transportation while in Vietnam, but you do have to book your own flights to get to Vietnam. We mostly traveled around in a bus that fit everyone pretty comfortably. We also took a flight from one city to another on day 10, which is included in the price of the tour. Other forms of transportation we took included bikes, boats, and trains.

My experience with the itinerary and activities:

One of the perks of booking a trip with Feel Free Travel is that all activities are planned and paid for. A few of the activities we did included: sandboarding, kayaking, basket boat rides, a cooking class, walking tours, mud spas, and a lot more. All you have to do is show up at the time they tell you and have fun! 

---

To give you a better idea of what to expect during the 15-day north-to-south Vietnam group tour, here’s a breakdown of the itinerary. 

**Note: This is the itinerary I took in August 2022. It might’ve changed over time. You can always find the most recent travel itineraries at feelfreetravel.com.

2-week itinerary in Vietnam

DAY 1 – Arrive in Hanoi, Vietnam

On day 1, everyone arrived in Hanoi. After checking in at the hotel and meeting one of the tour leaders, I walked around Hanoi with a few of the guys from the group to get to know the city before meeting everyone for dinner and drinks on Beer Street.

DAY 2 – Explored Hanoi

We started the day by taking a walking tour of Hanoi, which included the famous Train Street. Afterward, we rode a rickshaw and tried some delicious Vietnamese pancakes.

DAY 3 – Sailed away in Ha Long Bay

We got up early to drive from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay. Once there, we boarded an overnight cruise where we were gonna spend the night. After a bit of a cruise, we kayaked around to a nearby beach. And at night, we ate delicious fresh seafood and hung out on the deck. 

DAY 4 – Ha Long Bay to Ninh Binh

After enjoying breakfast on the boat, we visited a floating village in Ha Long Bay. Afterward, we sailed back to land and drove to our next location, Ninh Binh. There, we checked into our bungalows and enjoyed an afternoon by the pool overlooking the magnificent limestone cliffs. 

DAY 5 – Explored Ninh Binh 

In the morning, we took a boat trip through Tam Coc Ninh Binh, which was used as a filming location for one of the King Kong movies! In the afternoon we rode bicycles through rice paddies and climbed Dragon Mountain where we enjoyed the breathtaking views. And at night, we drove to the train station to sleep on an overnight train heading to Hue.

DAY 6 – Volunteered in Hue

We woke up on the overnight train in Hue. After an early check-in at our hotel, we explored a bit of Hue. And in the afternoon, we did volunteer work at the local community center, Hope Center Hue. Then we headed back to the hotel on a dragon boat and watched the sunset from the rooftop pool.

DAY 7 – Took the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An

Drove from Hue to Hoi An passing by the scenic Hai Van Pass and stopping for a dip at a waterfall. It was raining when we got to Hoi An’s Old Town, but we still walked around a bit in the rain. At night, we enjoyed Hoi An’s nightlife, including visiting the famous Tiger Tiger bar!

DAY 8 – Discovered Hoi An’s charm

Day 8 was a “free day”. We got to do whatever we wanted. Since Hoi An is famous for its tailor-made clothes, we visited a local tailor and got a few clothes tailor-made. Then we spent the afternoon at the beach and later took an evening lantern-making class. 

DAY 9 – Last day in Hoi An

On the last day in Hoi An, we went on a traditional basket boat ride where you get spun around for fun. After the boats, we took an authentic riverside cooking class and ate all the food we cooked. In the afternoon, we visited the local street markets in Hoi An and took a night boat ride around the canal. This was also the last day of the tour when you book the 10-day Hanoi to Hoi An tour from Feel Free Travel.

DAY 10 – Spa day in Nha Trang

In the morning, we took a short flight from Da Nang to Nha Trang. Then spent the day at a mineral mud spa bathing in mud and going down waterslides. At night, we had dinner by the beach and then went karaoke-ing.

DAY 11 – Relaxed at a resort in Mui Ne

We drove 4 hours from Nha Trang to Mui Ne. After checking in at a nice resort by the beach, we relaxed by the pool with a few beers. At night we had dinner at an outdoor food court.

DAY 12 – Sandboarded in Mui Ne

We spent the morning chilling by the pool. In the afternoon, we went on a short walk through Fairy Stream while eating ice cream. Then we headed for the Sand Dunes to do some sandboarding and quad biking. We watched the sunset from the Sand Dunes before heading back to the hotel for dinner.

DAY 13 – Arrived in Ho Chi Minh City in comfy style

After a nice breakfast, we took a 5-hour sleeper bus from Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City. Once there, we explored the city and markets. And at night, we went out for a delicious dinner and strolled along Nguyen Hue Walking Street. 

DAY 14 – Learned about Vietnam’s history

In the morning, we took a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, where you learn about soldier’s life in the jungle during the Vietnam War. We then spent the afternoon learning more about the Vietnam War at the National War Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. And as it was the last night of the tour, we hung out at the lively Bui Vien Street.

DAY 15 – Time to say ‘tạm biệt Vietnam’ 👋🏽

On the last day of the tour, everyone says goodbye. Most people booked an early-ish flight, but those who stayed a little longer walked around a little more and enjoyed one last Vietnamese Banh Mi together overlooking the famous Ho Chi Minh City traffic. 

---

I sincerely hope that sharing my personal experience of traveling with Feel Free Travel will assist you in making a well-informed decision about whether or not to travel with them. From my experience, I can confidently recommend them as an excellent choice.

Learn more about this tour and other tours they offer at feelfreetravel.com.

Read more about Vietnam at these related links:

Vietnamese dishes you MUST try in Vietnam

Comparing prices: Vietnam 🇻🇳 vs USA 🇺🇸

8 cities you should visit in Vietnam

My first impression of Vietnam