Rickshaw Travel

ABTAATOL Protected

  • Destinations
  • Family holidays
  • Travel guides
  • About us
  • Blog
My Travel Plan
Loading...

Your travel plan is empty!

Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan. Click on 'My Travel Plan' to see what you've added and send it to us. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day.

Get started!

Added so far...

We'll create your dream holiday

    Next, review & send us your travel plan for your quote

    Request your quote

    Or view/email a copy of your travel plan

    View your travel plan
     Your next steps

    1. Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan
    2. Click the Request your quote button to send it over to us
    3. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day

     Your next steps

    1. Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan
    2. Click the Request your quote button to send it over to us
    3. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day

    • Destinations
      • Asia
        • Bhutan
        • China
        • India
        • Japan
        • Nepal
        • Sri Lanka
        • Tibet
      • South East Asia
        • Borneo
        • Cambodia
        • Indonesia
        • Laos
        • Malaysia
        • Myanmar
        • Thailand
        • Vietnam
      • North America
        • Canada
        • USA
      • Central America
        • Belize
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • Guatemala
        • Mexico
        • Nicaragua
        • Panama
      • South America
        • Argentina & Antarctica
        • Bolivia
        • Brazil
        • Chile
        • Colombia
        • Ecuador & Galapagos
        • Peru
      • Europe
        • Greece
        • Iceland
        • Italy
        • Lapland
        • Portugal
      • View all destinations
    • Family holidays
      • Asia
        • India
        • Sri Lanka
      • South East Asia
        • Borneo
        • Cambodia
        • Indonesia
        • Thailand
        • Vietnam
      • North America
        • Canada
        • USA
      • Central America
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
      • South America
        • Peru
      • Europe
        • Iceland
        • Italy
        • Lapland
        • Portugal
    • Travel guides
      • Travel guides by destination
        • Borneo
        • Canada
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • Ecuador
        • Galapagos
        • India
        • Indonesia
        • Japan
        • Peru
        • Sri Lanka
        • Vietnam
      • Family Holiday Guides
        • Borneo
        • Canada
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • India
        • Indonesia
        • Malaysia
        • Peru
        • Sri Lanka
        • Thailand
        • USA
        • Vietnam
      • Inspiration
        • Beaches
        • City stopovers
        • Diving and snorkelling
        • Food & drink
        • Honeymoons
        • Self drive
        • Trekking
        • Unique experiences
        • Wildlife & safari
      • Where to Go When
        • January
        • February
        • March
        • April
        • May
        • June
        • July
        • August
        • September
        • October
        • November
        • December
    • About us
      • Discover more
        • Our values
        • Meet the team
        • How we work
        • Work with us
        • Customer reviews
        • In the news
        • Contact us
      • Responsible travel
        • Responsible travel
        • Animal welfare
        • Population Matters
        • Our Meaningful Travel Policy
        • How to be a responsible traveller
      • Travel Advice
        • Accommodation
        • Covid-19
        • Flexible booking
        • Flights
        • LGBTQ+ travellers
        • Refer a Friend
        • Travel insurance
        • Visas & passports
    • Blog
    AsiaSouth East AsiaNorth AmericaCentral AmericaSouth AmericaEuropeView all destinations
    BhutanChinaIndiaJapanNepalSri LankaTibet
    BorneoCambodiaIndonesiaLaosMalaysiaMyanmarThailandVietnam
    CanadaUSA
    BelizeCosta RicaCubaGuatemalaMexicoNicaraguaPanama
    Argentina & AntarcticaBoliviaBrazilChileColombiaEcuador & GalapagosPeru
    GreeceIcelandItalyLaplandPortugal
     
     
    AsiaSouth East AsiaNorth AmericaCentral AmericaSouth AmericaEurope
    IndiaSri Lanka
     
    BorneoCambodiaIndonesiaThailandVietnam
     
    CanadaUSA
     
    Costa RicaCuba
     
    Peru
     
    IcelandItalyLaplandPortugal
     
    Travel guides by destinationFamily Holiday GuidesInspirationWhere to Go When
    • Borneo
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • Ecuador
    • Galapagos
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Peru
    • Sri Lanka
    • Vietnam
    • Borneo
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Peru
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • USA
    BeachesCity stopoversDiving and snorkellingFood & drinkHoneymoonsSelf driveTrekkingUnique experiencesWildlife & safari
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
    Discover moreResponsible travelTravel Advice
    Our valuesMeet the teamHow we workWork with usCustomer reviewsIn the newsContact us
    Responsible travelAnimal welfarePopulation MattersOur Meaningful Travel PolicyHow to be a responsible traveller
    AccommodationCovid-19Flexible bookingFlightsLGBTQ+ travellersRefer a FriendTravel insuranceVisas & passports

    Rickshaw Ramblings

    • Browse by Destination
    • Argentina & Antarctica
    • Bhutan
    • Bolivia
    • Borneo
    • Borneo for Families
    • Brazil
    • Brighton
    • Cambodia
    • Cambodia for Families
    • Canada
    • Canada for Families
    • Chile
    • China
    • Colombia
    • Costa Rica
    • Costa Rica for Families
    • Cuba
    • Ecuador & Galapagos
    • Family
    • Greece
    • Iceland
    • India
    • Indochina
    • Indonesia
    • Indonesia for Families
    • Italy
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Lapland
    • Malaysia
    • Mexico
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Nicaragua
    • Panama
    • Peru
    • Portugal
    • Sri Lanka
    • Sri Lanka for Families
    • Thailand
    • Thailand for Families
    • Tibet
    • USA
    • USA for families
    • Vietnam
    • Vietnam for Families
    • Browse by Theme
    • 24 hours in...
    • Competition
    • Cultural
    • Customers stories
    • Family travel
    • Food and drink
    • Friends of Rickshaw
    • History
    • Responsible travel
    • Top tips
    • Wellness
    • Wildlife

    22nd August 2019 by Friends of Rickshaw • 8 min read

    Taking the kids to Asia for the first time...

    Blog-01 Customers stories, Family travel

    Share:

    Man smiling on headset

    Prefer to chat things through?

    Enquire now

    Naomi, Matt and their two kids, aged 12 and 14, recently set off on their family adventure to Vietnam and Cambodia. Starting at the impressive man-made temple, Angkor Wat, they gradually made their way into vibrant Vietnam, and Naomi tells us all about her family’s travels…

    We’ve never taken the kids out of Europe before, and as expected it was a total culture shock at first. But at the same time, it was really eye-opening for us all and exciting to experience something totally different. There were many times where our daughter was very anxious about the new experiences, but she (and we) pushed ourselves completely out of our comfort zone and it certainly paid off with the amazing, memorable experiences we’ve come away with. It’s safe to say it’s definitely made us hungry for our next adventure.

    People sitting on little boat on the lake

    We loved our time in Cambodia. All our guides and drivers were punctual and super friendly, especially in Angkor – we couldn’t fault our guide Hun. One of our highlights was the bike ride through the countryside with Grasshopper adventures. We really got to see how the locals live and couldn’t recommend it enough for future visitors. We also visited Artisans Angkor, a social business that creates job opportunities for young people in the surrounding areas. The shop was expensive but sold beautiful local crafts and jewellery, where the money all goes to a good place. We weren’t ready to leave Cambodia; we would’ve loved to stay longer but we couldn’t wait to see what Vietnam had in store for us.

    Family standing outside Angkor Watt

    First stop, Ho Chi Minh. What a crazy, yet loveable city. The evening Vespa tour was by far the highlight – scooting through Saigon on a vintage Vespa whilst tasting some local street food on the way… what’s not to love? Even my 12-year-old daughter now wants to buy a motorbike…

    People on motorbikes

    After travelling to the jungle on the hunt for monkeys, we arrived in Hoi An, a lovely city with a gorgeous hotel but it was very, very HOT. We went to a local family’s house for lunch and learnt how to make noodles from scratch, as you can imagine the kids loved that and have taken plenty of knowledge and skills away from it. The bike ride around the city was an experience, to say the least… cycling through the busy Vietnamese traffic on old bikes was a definite challenge. Before leaving the city, we managed to find a lantern-making workshop (which my daughter absolutely loved) and we found a dressmaking shop, where we got some shirts and dresses made for us – quite the souvenir, but I don’t think we’re very good at haggling!

    People making noodles in a bowl from scratch

    Hanoi to start with was overwhelmingly hot – 38-40 degrees and very humid. We struggled a bit with the heat, but it was still an amazing experience. The old town is crazy, but we managed to keep stopping for drinks to keep cool. The best find was the Harry Potter café where we drank Polyjuice potion and butterbeer. Later that day we headed for the street food tour, which was very interesting, especially when showing us where the locals lived. Our daughter was less keen on this bit as the food was not to her taste, but we found it delicious and they were very good for catering me as a veggie.

    Sign reading: Always, coffee and butterbeer

    Next up, Ninh Binh. It was fantastic, probably the best bit of the whole holiday, and the Tam Coc bungalows were amazing – everyone’s favourite hotel by far. We couldn’t fault the staff; they were really welcoming, and they even gave us a little foot bath each night before bed – what a lovely touch!

    Bai Tu Long Bay was beautiful. We loved every minute of the stay on our junk boat. Kayaking to the beach and watching the sunset from the boat alongside our brilliant host, Vinny; an experience not to be forgotten. After another night in Hanoi, it was time to say goodbye to our family adventure. We were sad to leave but happy to get home for a bit of cool air.

    We had an incredible family adventure, and the cuisine was amazingly tasty and fresh. Our favourite parts had to be the Vespa tour in Saigon, rowing boat in Tam Coc and the incredible Angkor Wat. The kids also loved the junk boat stay in Bai Tu Long and learning how to make rice noodles…Y-U-M!

    My top tip for travelling to Asia with kids would be to choose a month when the weather isn’t super-hot and if we were to do it again, we would love to have spent more in Cambodia.

    Vietnamese and particularly Cambodian people were so friendly, relaxed, welcoming and tolerant – we in the west could learn a lot from them and their attitude towards life. No road rage – everyone just works around everyone else. We have all learned to be more open to new experiences and to not be scared to try different things. After all, since the noodle-making lesson, my children have even started making me breakfast – I know… we’ll see how long that lasts!

     

    Feeling inspired?

    Ready to start planning your own Asian adventure? Take a look at our flexible ready-made itineraries for your next holiday…

    View our Vietnam itineraries
    Image of Friends of Rickshaw

    Written by Friends of Rickshaw

    Here you can read posts from travel bloggers, chums who have previously worked with us and our local guides and drivers from across the globe.

    Comments

    Next Article

    Amazon burning | 6 ways to help the Amazon rainforest right now

    Previous Article

    Top 6 stopover destinations to visit

    Other articles you may like

    Family travel

    Top 7 Most Beautiful Train Rides in the World

    23rd April 2021

    Need inspiration for your next adventure? Discover our top 7 most beautiful train rides in the world to give you ideas for your next trip.

    9 min read

    Read More - Top 7 Most Beautiful Train Rides in the World

    Customers stories

    Discovering the delights of Ubud, Bali | Andrew & Anthea

    26th September 2012 by Rickshaw Ramblers

    Andrew & Anthea travelled to Ubud, Bali with Rickshaw and we were lucky enough to get their wonderful travel photos and a recap of their memorable trip.

    5 min read

    Read More - Discovering the delights of Ubud, Bali | Andrew & Anthea

    Customers stories

    12 photos from our globetrotting travellers

    5th September 2019 by Scarlet

    We've gone through our hefty customer photo album and (after a lot of umming and ahhing) picked our top 12 favourite customer images that you need to see!

    12 min read

    Read More - 12 photos from our globetrotting travellers
    Back up

    As featured in

    • the guardian logo
    • wanderlust logo red
    • Lonely Planet
    • National Geographic Traveler
    • Psychologies
    • The Daily Telegraph

    Information

    • Contact us
    • Booking conditions
    • Financial protection
    • Health and safety
    • Your Package Holiday
    • FCDO travel advice
    • Blog
    • Coronavirus travel advice

    Get in touch

    We're a friendly bunch and always ready for a chat so feel free to get in touch.

    Call us: 01273 322 398

    Email us: hello@rickshawtravel.co.uk

    Contact us

    Connect with us

    FacebookInstagramTwitterYouTubePinterest
    ATOL Protected ABTA Travelife

    © 2008 - 2022 | Rickshaw Travel

    Privacy Policy  |  Cookie Policy  |  Sitemap

    Call us Phone us

    Please give us your consent to use cookies

    We use cookies to ensure our website works, to give you an enhanced experience while browsing, and to enable us to use 3rd party tools that are connected to us. Read our Cookie Policy for more information.

    What are your holiday plans?

    • Our travel specialists know everything there is to know about your chosen destination. Please tell us what you're looking for below and we’ll get back to you very soon (usually within 24 hours).

    • Hidden
      This field is only shown to Rickshaw Admins, and is used for routing the form to the correct destination inbox
    • Hidden
      This field is only shown to Rickshaw Admins, and is used for routing the form to the correct destination inbox
    • If you'd prefer us to call you, please enter your phone number here
    • If you can, please share with us how many people are travelling, when you’d like to go, what you’d really like to experience, what you love doing on holidays, your rough budget, and when's best to contact you.
    • Hidden
      By signing up to the email newsletter you consent to receive promotional emails from us. You can unsubscribe at any time. We genuinely care about you and treat your data securely and respectfully. We tell you all about it in our Privacy Policy.
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.