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Vietnam with Patch Adventures - Outstanding from Start to Finish I've just returned from Patch's 2025 Christmas/New Year Vietnam adventure and I'm still buzzing. From the moment we arrived, the itinerary felt beautifully paced, thoughtful, and full of unforgettable experiences. Our guide, Miss Chi, was exceptional, warm, generous, and endlessly enthusiastic. She made every experience feel personal, whether navigating the energy of Hanoi and Saigon or sharing stories over bowls of pho. Claire and the Patch team were equally impressive behind the scenes, with seamless organisation and my roomie was an absolute angel. Christmas Eve in Hanoi was a highlight, from dancing with locals and riding the train through the Old Quarter to discovering incredible places to eat and drink. Vietnamese coffee quickly became a daily ritual, and the restaurants and cafés Patch chose were outstanding, with our tables constantly overflowing with fresh, flavour-packed dishes that showcased the best of Vietnamese cuisine. Highlights included a hands-on cooking class at Tra Que Organic Village, a relaxed yet flavour-packed cycle food tour through local neighbourhoods, and an exhilarating motorbike street food tour. The markets were a sensory overload in the best way, from fresh meat, fish, toads, earthy herbs, shouting vendors, and vibrant produce packed into narrow, buzzing aisles. The outstanding scenery from Ninh Binh, Phong Nha caves, lakes and rivers were jaw dropping stunning. The overnight cruise on Lan Ha Bay was pure serenity, with a Vovinam (tai chi) session on the deck on Boxing Day. Hoi An delighted at every turn with lantern making, custom clothing made to fit, and exceptional food. In the Mekong Delta, we experienced the gentle rhythm of local life, from making rice pancakes to travelling by sampan and tuk-tuk and eating elephant fish in a local village. I also want to address a recent negative review about this tour. Having been on the same trip, I can say that the account presented does not reflect the experience of the group. The situation in question was managed early in the tour due to clear safety and group dynamics, and Patch handled it professionally, respectfully, and with care for everyone involved. The claims made on Google do not match what I personally witnessed during the tour. The people of Vietnam were incredible, hardworking, generous, and warm which made every experience feel extra special. The group of women I travelled with was amazing, supportive, and full of energy, making the whole adventure even more memorable. Even the traffic became part of the charm, chaotic, fascinating, and somehow poetic. Patch doesn't just deliver on its promises; it exceeds them. If you're looking for culture, connection, incredible food, and a touch of adventure, I can't recommend Patch's Vietnam itinerary highly enough. Rowena Richards

Just returned from a 16-day Sri Lanka tour. This trip was so well organized with an amazing guide, exceptional driver and their very attentive assistant. We travelled by train, bus and tuk tuk's, to the very north to Jaffna then through the centre of the country all the way back to Colombo. We were welcomed into local village homes to experience local cuisine, pottery making, tea cultivation, textile making, lace making and curd making. We visited many temples, saw ancient ruins, including monasteries and many Sri Lankan stupa's. A visit to an organic tea plantation and Spice Garden were also on our itinerary. An elephant safari in Dambulla and safari in Yala were definitely a highlight of the tour. Too many other highlights to list them all, an amazing country with beautiful, friendly people who are so welcoming.

Wonderful time on just completed Balkans rail adventure (though it could also be called Balkans food adventure) led by the gracious and informative Flutra. To have as our guide, a woman who had lived through the challenging times of the Balkans, was very special as she so generously shared her stories. So much history, varied cultures and friendly people who welcomed us into their countries and homes. Beautiful cities, spectacular mountains, canyons and forests. Cannot recommend this trip highly enough.

The history and culture of the Silk Road has always fascinated me, and that was my reason for travelling to the 5 Stans. But what I discovered was so much more than history—it was a true adventure. Every day offered something extraordinary: landscapes that shifted from snowy mountains to deserts, from magical blue lakes to the fiery Darvaza Gas Crater. I explored dazzling historical buildings, ancient cities, and striking modern capitals. I also had the chance to step into traditional life—holding a hunting eagle, riding a camel, trying archery, learning how to erect a yurt, and even making my own crafts from embroidery to felt-decorated silk scarves and pottery. The real highlight, though, was meeting the people. Their warmth and hospitality shone through—whether sharing a home-cooked meal, dancing with locals to Central Asian music, or visiting inspiring enterprises run by women. The 5 Stans gave me not just the Silk Road of my imagination, but a living, breathing adventure I’ll never forget.

I recently completed the Peru and Bolivia tour with Patch Adventures. It was my second tour with Patch and certainly wouldn't hesitate to go with them again. It was very well organised and I felt safe the entire time. Our local guides were fantastic and helped with any issues, small or large. The accommodation was good and thought went into making sure we had food acceptable to our diet constraints. It was a good mix of busy and down time, and we had a great group to travel with - our what's app group is still posting messages to each other. Boating down the amazon, machu picchu and the bolivian salt flats were real wow moments.

Just came back from the most amazing trip to Uzbekistan. What an amazing country and Patch Adventures is one of the best tour company`s I have ever utilised. I highly recommend seeing Uzbekistan before the rest of the world finds out about how amazing it is. save your pennies for the handmade goodies, there is so much to choose from. Don`t worry about travelling on your own with Patch, they take care of everything and will even match you up to a roomie to share.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Patch tour to Nepal. What a beautiful country with spectacular scenery, a very interesting culture and kind, generous, peaceful people. Would definitely recommend it as a destination. The tour was well organised with great accommodation, great food and good transport. Our guide was just amazing. She had an incredible knowledge of her country and was always smiling, helpful, keeping an eye on the group to make sure everyone was happy and flexible with any changes to be made. I had a wonderful group to travel with - very diverse and cohesive and supportive. A wonderful trip.

My recent Silk Road trip with Patch Advetures was brilliant! So well organised and communicated and our local guides were extremely knowledgeable, really showing us an authentic glimpse of their countries. This trip was full of variety - fabulous landscapes, amazing history and such special times spent with the locals. Since returning i have been recommending Patch to a number of my friends, and I cant wait to do another one!

My 23 Day Tour of the Balkans by Train, with Patch Adventures, has come to an end. The adventure far exceeded my expectations and has given me memories I will never forget. It was excellently organised, and every aspect of the tour was of a high standard. Yes, it was tiring at times, but I would not have missed this amazing opportunity to visit all the Balkan states for anything. The rich reward it gave me was worth it. A special mention to our brilliant and gracious Guide and Tour Leader, Flutra, who was so instrumental in making our journey so enjoyable. So many highlights on this journey of discovery, but those where we engaged with locals who invited us into their homes, and the times we were guided through the cities by local guides who have so much pride and hope, held special significance for me. Oh, and the train rides. What an experience. Loved them. I will look back on this Tour as one of my "trips of a lifetime".

What an amazing 24 day Silk Road and 4 Stans experienc. A busy, exhilarating and well planned tour with top quality guides who love their countries and sharing their cultures. Using “Polarsteps” app to write my journal and up date family and friends elicited comments of “WOW”. They couldn’t believe all the things we did. So much fun! Most impressive was the integrity of Patch Adventures. There were no hidden costs, the itinerary and expectations were clearly explained (if you really read it), communication was open and support from our guides and Patch staff was impressive. What can I say? Can’t wait to do another Patch tour.