Mum and Dad, pack your bags again! Yep, the Adelady parents (Wayne and Rosa, and Jules and Dino) are officially back on tour. After conquering Europe’s cobblestones and schnitties last year, we’ve swapped castles for temples and landed in Vietnam for #AdeladyDoesVietnam with the legends at Travelmarvel and Phil Hoffmann Travel.
We are beyond stoked to be ticking off Travelmarvel’s Essential Vietnam and Cambodia Journey from our Holiday Hit List and everything has been organised by our beautiful travel consultant Jackie Poole at Phil Hoffmann Travel — and thank god, because trying to wrangle all the paperwork and visas and transfers and flights between the six of us would have been a nightmare.
If you’ve never been on a Travelmarvel river cruise, imagine this: incredible service, boutique luxury, and a crew that remembers your name — and your coffee order by day two.
We’re most excited about spending our days drifting past floating villages, waving to fishermen, and stopping to explore local markets.
See ya later Adelaide, we’re about to board!
Love Hayley and Lauren xx
DAY ONE
Dear Diary
Quick update…
Touch down! We have arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, OMG it’s CRAY!
We were transferred straight to our hotel (Le Méridien Saigon), our home for the next two nights. The hotel’s located right on the banks of the Saigon River, and not far from Bến Thành Market and some great restaurants!
So seeya later, time to eat some authentic Vietnamese food and then rest our heads before our first Travelmarvel tour tomorrow!
Hayley xx
DAY TWO
First impressions of Ho Chi Minh City:
LOUD. DELICIOUS. CHAOTIC. AMAZING.
The air smells like sizzling street food, there are 7 million scooters zipping around, and crossing the road? Well, you just close your eyes and hope for the best, lol!
We hit the ground running and headed out to explore, iced Vietnamese coconut coffees in hand and sweat dripping down our legs, and we wouldn’t dream of anything less!
Travelmarvel’s tour guides are local legends and have every option under the sun to make sure you see and experience Vietnam YOUR WAY which is what we love the most! You can explore on your own or go on a guided tour, all included.
Our first big adventure option was the Cu Chi Tunnels — an underground network used during the Vietnam War. This is an incredible and humbling experience, filled with so much history to uncover. Mum (Rosa) was the only one brave enough to lower herself into a trapdoor, disappearing beneath the jungle floor. Down there, it’s narrow and dark, and you crawl through tight passageways that once housed kitchens, hospitals, meeting rooms, entire lives lived during the Vietnam War.
Mum said it’s equal parts claustrophobic and completely awe inspiring! But even if you give this particular part of the experience a miss, you’ll still leave with a whole new understanding of this complex, historical system.
Today we chose to have a beautiful day of relaxing, shopping, wandering the streets and jumping on a hop-on hop-off tour to soak it all in. With over 10 million people, this city is buzzing — hidden coffee shops, vibrant markets, modern malls and some seriously delicious restaurants around every corner.
We wrapped up the day with a well-earned foot massage after all those steps… and of course both our Dads fell asleep. Must be exhausted from chatting to every local they meet and telling them about Adelady!!
Tomorrow we board our Travelmarvel river ship, the RV Lotus — we can’t wait to meet the crew and passengers who’ll soon become lifelong friends.
Let the adventure begin, and thanks Phil Hoffmann Travel for getting us here without a hitch!
DAY THREE
Ship day!!
Dear Diary,
We woke up buzzing with excitement because today was SHIP DAY! After breakfast, we boarded a bus with our Travelmarvel crew and guides, ready for the next chapter of our adventure. An easy 1.5 hour drive later, we caught our first glimpse of our home for the journey — the beautiful RV Lotus. Seeing her docked and waiting for us made everything feel wonderfully real.
From the moment we stepped onboard, the happy smiles of the crew set the tone. Laughter, friendly greetings, and impeccable hospitality welcomed us in true Vietnamese style. And then… our first of many incredible Vietnamese lunches! There was delicious pho, fresh sandwiches, salads, and the sweetest tropical fruit. The restaurant buzzed with energy. You could feel the shared excitement in the air — people from all corners of the world, united by a love of travel and a desire to experience cultures so beautifully different from our own.
After lunch, we explored every corner of the ship like excited kids — deck by deck, checking out the lounges, admiring the sun deck and huge pool area. There’s only 54 cabins onboard this boutique vessel with Vietnamese-inspired suites, each with private outdoor balconies, some with a jacuzzi and so much space to of course unpack once for the week ahead (that has to be one of our fave parts of cruising).
The afternoon was blissfully relaxing. Hayley indulged in a one hour massage at the spa, her parents enjoyed a quiet meditation session in their room, and the De Cesares perfected the art of napping while river views floated by outside their window.
At night we stood on the balcony and saw the most unbelievable sunset, the sky opened up and the heavens came out to showcase the most beautiful shades of pink! By 6:15pm, it was time for drinks with the captain and a briefing about the next day.
If our first day is anything to go by, this voyage is going to be something we will never forget!
DAY FOUR
Helllloooo from our floating home! After last night’s mango and dragonfruit coloured sunset, we woke up and one of us jumped out of bed ready and roaring for a delicious buffet breakfast (Hayley), while the other stayed in bed relaxing, living the river cruise dream (Lauren)!
Today was excursion day! We tendered into Cai Be and drifted past river life in full swing: washing lines, fishing boats, tiny houses that look like they’d blow over if someone sneezed! Among all the pollution, somehow the most stunning flowers still manage to grow… every house has yellow and pink flowers bursting from the rubble, it’s so beautiful. We popped into Cai Be Church, the tallest in the delta, then watched rice paper and coconut candy being made the old school way.
Back onboard for lunch and a swim with the parents, as we cruised to Sa Dec.
Lauren got off the ship in the arvo to wander colourful markets and visit the home of Huynh Thuy Le, the real life romance behind The Lover. I’m still not sure who that is, but it sounded fab. I chose to have an arvo nap and read on the deck… like we say, you do you on a cruise!
The staff that work on this ship (and tbh, ALL Travelmarvel ships) are actually outstanding. I’d love to bring them all home to Adelaide. They’re so kind, thoughtful and polite. It’s “madam and sir” every time, and by the second day, they know your name by heart.
We are in heaven. Room 308 is where you’ll find us tonight, sitting on our balcony watching another spectacular sunset!
DAY FIVE
Today we slipped into the tiny tributaries of Tan Chau by little boat, waved at everyone who moved, then jumped into rickshaws for a spin through town. This was WILD! So fun, zipping around on the back of a bike, wind in our hair, watching the world go by, waving at families and locals setting up their stalls for the day.
We visited a rattan weaving workshop and watched the absolute pros turn strands into magic.
We then hopped on to Evergreen Island to see real Vietnamese rural life, and as part of the tour we visited a local’s house, he showed us how he lives and our guide translated as we asked alllll our questions. All these beautiful people know is the simple life, and they’re so happy. I loved this part of the tour.
By afternoon we were back on the Mekong River, swimming in the pool, reading a book, doing a spring roll cooking class and cruising towards the border. One country by day, another by night.
We crossed into Cambodia and drifted towards Phnom Penh as we slept.
DAY SIX
Day 1 in Cambodia… and what a powerful start.
Last night we watched a documentary about the Killing Fields and learned more about Pol Pot. For the history buffs — he was a Cambodian revolutionary and dictator who ruled the communist state of Democratic Kampuchea from 1975 until 1979. Under his regime, an estimated 2 million people died through execution, forced labour, starvation, and disease. He is widely regarded as one of the most brutal leaders in modern history.
Today, many people from the ship chose to visit the Killing Fields. These are a series of sites across Cambodia where over a million people were executed and buried in mass graves by the Khmer Rouge (led by Pots) between 1975 and 1979 during the Cambodian genocide.
It’s incredibly confronting, heavy, emotional and a lot to process but for many it felt important to witness and understand this part of Cambodia’s history.
Others chose to stay on the boat, relax, or explore in their own way. Having that choice felt right.
As for us, we headed out with our friend and guide Dennis… well, technically he took us out 😂 in a tuk-tuk to explore Phnom Penn and what a beautiful city. It’s vibrant, layered and full of history.
We saw the stunning Royal Palace, passed striking war memorials, wandered by local shops, and explored the bustling markets, especially famous for their beautiful gems.
Okay, now more about this floating hotel we’ve called home for the last four nights…
The gorgeous RV Lotus is boutique, meaning it only has 54 cabins — there are no crowds, no chaos, no lineups, just spacious, elegant, Vietnamese-inspired suites with both indoor AND outdoor balconies. There’s a pool surrounded with greenery and plenty of deck chairs to laze the afternoon away.
Watching the sunset while sipping mocktails on your private balcony while watching villages pass you by is just glorious!
On board, you’ve got an incredible English speaking Tour Director who is a dead set legend and at 6pm every night tells you exactly what the plan is and what you need for the following day. Oh, and they have the most knowledgeable local guides who bring every stop to life with stories you’d never find if you were doing this solo. When you’re in Vietnam, you have a Vietnamese guide and when you’re in Cambodia, you have a Cambodian guide.
Almost everything is covered before you even leave home. Airport transfers, port charges, tipping, all meals on the ship, and even wine and local beers at lunch and dinner.
DAY SEVEN
Day 7 and just checking in from our #ADELADYDOESVIETNAM adventure with our parents — because today we experienced something SO special… a traditional Buddhist Blessing Ceremony at a monastery in Oudong.
Led by resident monks in the most peaceful setting you can imagine, we sat quietly as soft chanting wrapped around us like a warm hug. It’s all about wishing you good luck, glowing health and a safe journey ahead — how beautiful is that? 🤍 It was such a spiritual, grounding experience and one we’ll never forget.
Afterwards, we visited a local silver and gold workshop, where we watched artisans handcraft the most incredible bowls and jewellery right before our eyes. The level of detail and skill was amazing. From there, it was back on the ship for a delicious lunch and a quick dip in the pool, the perfect reset.
In the afternoon, you could choose your own adventure. Some opted for free time, while others selected from three different tours:
• A tuk tuk ride around Phnom Penh
• A cooking class (including a visit to a local market to source fresh ingredients)
• Or a cyclo tour — which is what we chose!
Our cyclo ride took us through the heart of the city — past Parliament House, local markets, and peace monuments — all while our guide Adam shared his incredible local knowledge. We experienced the buzzing streets, bustling food markets and of course, the beautiful locals who make this city so vibrant. It’s truly a tour that people of all ages can enjoy.
It was a full day with two tours, two swims to cool off, and then an easy dinner back on board our floating home.
One of the best things about this journey is the flexibility. You can join every included tour, enjoy some downtime, or opt for additional experiences — you really get to travel your way on a Travelmarvel cruise.
DAY EIGHT
Today we had a full boat day — we ate, napped, swam, lazed by the pool and watched the world go by. And tbh, it was total bliss! Another tick in the ‘cruising’ box … when you need some downtime, it’s right there waiting for you!
OUR FINAL DAY…
Our final day on our #ADELADYDOESVIETNAM (…well, technically Cambodia now) adventure!
This morning we woke up on the Mekong (after a wild night on Deck 2 with The Crew’s Got Talent — so fun btw), and we devoured yet another delish brekky before visiting the beautiful village of Angkor Ban. Walking through it felt like stepping into a storybook, with the colourful houses on stilts, the lush green palms, cows and chickens wandering and kids riding to school. Hot tip: bring plenty of water and a hat and sunscreen, unlike Lauren who forgot her hat and was in struggle town for a minute there!
We wandered dusty lanes, peeked into homes, and tried to take mental snapshots of a place that feels untouched by time before jumping back on the ship for a divine (and much needed) swim!
After lunch we docked at Kampong Cham for our Insider Experience, which involved jumping into tuk tuks and heading to Koh Pen. More palm trees, wooden stilted houses and we even visited a local farmer’s family home where they grow pomelo. Again, like on all our Travelmarvel tours, our guide translated as we asked the locals questions about their way of life. Turns out kids only go to school here between 9 to 11.30am or 3 to 5.30 — simply because they don’t have enough teachers for all the kids to do full days! 99 percent of kids here go to primary school, but only 30 percent continue on to high school.
After the tuk tuk ride, it was Farewell Dinner time on board where the entire crew (we’re talking housekeepers, restaurant staff, bar staff and even the captains) came out and we all thanked them for such an amazing trip! The staff really are incredible! Shout out to David, Dennis, Johnny and Long… our absolute faves!
Travelling with our parents has been chaotic, wholesome and tbh, hilarious. Watching them chat away, dance until midnight, and belt out Shania Twain at karaoke night was the absolute best!
From Vietnam to Cambodia; from the best tasting fruit on earth to tuk tuk rides; from sunsets to stilt houses… this has been one big, floating, heart-bursting adventure.
And we are so grateful.
Now for the long journey home, but thank you soooo much to our travel partners at Phil Hoffmann Travel for always making sure that everything is arranged so we don’t have to stress about a single thing — we love you guys so much!
If you’ve loved following along on our little adventure, call your local Phil Hoffmann Travel consultant and they’ll give you all the info you need to start planning your Travelmarvel adventure!
Nighty night xx
