SJourney Luxury Train Recenzje 4

food and drinks were excellent, and staff were even better!

We travelled on SJourney from 19-26 February this year. This was our first time in Vietnam and it was wonderful way to experience the company from North to South in the company of very hospitable and enthusiastic train crew who are very dedicated to looking after their passengers and sharing their love and passion for their country. We have travelled on other train services such as Rovos so were keen to see how the service and experienced compared. The welcome in Hanoi from pick to station entry with lots of music was a wonderful start and the communication around all the activities we would be doing each day was exemplary. SJourney aim to give you as broad an experience as possible of life in Vietnam from the big historic cities and temples to trips into magnificent cave formations to life in small villages - there is a lot for everyone. But the team were also very open to giving alternatives if you needed to take a breather one afternoon which given the range of age groups on board was a very thoughtful touch. The cabin and bed was very comfortable and the shower room well equipped. The meals on and off board the train were wonderful, designed to give you a taste of the variety of Vietnamese cuisine and it was fun for the chef to involve us in cooking one evening. The morning pho on the train (alongside traditional pastries) were excellent. What really made the journey memorable was the enthusiasm and professionalism of the staff. They very much wanted you to feel part of their family. SJourney work with a number of external guides for our outings but the staff were always on hand to add on their own commentaries and were unobtrusively attentive to the needs of a couple of our party who needed help with steps. The end of trip of video was a very thoughtful trip and we have shared it with a our friends as a way of showing where and what we did. Personal favourites on the trip were the caves in Phong Nha, the palace complex at Hue and the fishing village in Nha Trang - my first time in a coracle. The two outdoor sessions, one in a flower bedecked country station and the farewell session at the Cham temple complex were wonderfully thought through.

Anything to improve on? A few detail here and there with suggestions for changing the sequencing of the outings. But I have to say the team actively came round near the end of the trip and asked for specific feedback and seemed very keen to take ideas and thoughts on board for future travel. So with this mindset I wish S Journey every success in the future.

What a fantastic experience traveling on the inaugural trip of SJourney Vietnamese Luxury Express train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi December 18-25, 2024!

After the colorful welcome ceremony with music, dancers, hors d’oeuvres and drinks, we boarded the SJourney train which was renovated in an elegant 1930s colonial style.

My cabin was attractive and comfortable; the bar and dining car were elegant and reminiscent of the storied past. I felt like a traveler in a bygone era and enjoyed dressing up for dinner.

But what I enjoyed most about this journey were the great variety of daily activities - from the gondola ride and climb up Te Cu Mountain to visit a spiritual site and renowned pagoda, to enjoying the Fish Sauce Museum - and tastes of this oft used ingredient in Vietnamese foods, to the White Sand Dunes (I chickened out on the sand boarding option but you might enjoy it.)

Each day brought different sites: a jeep adventure through beautiful countryside, delicious food in local organic farm or village home, a bamboos boat ride releasing candle lanterns in the river to summon good luck. We enjoyed Hoi An’s craft shops and seeing the famed Japanese bridge. In Hue, we rode vespas (seated behind skilled drivers) to visit the magnificent Imperial palace. Private concerts, bicycle rides through serene countryside, hikes into famous Paradise Caves, boat rides, wood carving and paper flower making experiences- this journey had a taste of everything- history, culture, adventures in nature and more.

The farewell dinner at the historic ruins of Dinh Le King Temple was a spectacular event and fitting last night on this magnificent SJourney adventure!

The talented SJourney Chef created delicious dishes for passengers to enjoy - both Vietnamese and Western food choices were available. He organized a cooking class for us one evening on a train station platform before our Al fresco dinner. The skilled bar staff prepared creative cocktails and coffees.

What an amazing journey and great way to explore so many highlights of Vietnam in a carefully planned, well curated program! A unique experience, I very, very highly recommend.

My journey began December 18 and ended December 25.
I wish this review site would permit uploading of photos to show moments of our adventures.

Wow. We were looking for a special “Luxury” train journey to celebrate an important birthday for my wife. How lucky we were to find SJourney - and be the very first to experience this incredible journey through Vietnam.

Four of us took this incredible trip, my wife, my adult daughter, her friend, and me, and it was a fantastic family experience. What’s amazing is that, as the very first SJourney train ride, we fully expected a lot of issues and problems — while there were occasional learning points, the team at SJourney really rocked it, it’s hard to believe this was their very first voyage.

Some highlights:

* Dinners and Meals on Board - the Chef is truly world class, elegant dinners in jackets etc with local cuisine. Every morning, in addition to wonderful croissants, omelettes etc, we were offered a Vietnamese noodle dish for breakfast (in Vietnam that is the first meal). Every morning that noodle dish changed, to match the town or region we were in. Everyone thinks Pho is eaten everywhere, it’s mainly a Hanoi thing, so when we pulled into our last stop in Hanoi we were served amazing Pho that the Chef had been working on for days.

* Adventures — Every day we were treated to a curated adventure, learning about a different area of Vietnam. Hoi An, Hue, etc etc., incredible guides, incredible meals outside. One day was a US Army Jeep tour(!) through rice paddies, seeing the real Vietnam, followed by lunch at a farm restaurant with the freshest most incredible food they grow right there. Another day, we were driven around on Vespas - a real Vietnam experience! What fun, laughs and smiles all around.

* Special Treatment. Be careful what you mention - I mentioned my wife’s birthday, next thing we know there is a special celebration. I mentioned trying frogs legs once at a Vietnamese restaurant in the US (and enjoying them!) and next thing I know the chef sources those from the local market and serves special grenouille, Vietnamese style, for me!

* Cabins — How magical to climb into your amazing comfortable bed and be rocked to sleep by the train moving to your next destination and adventure. Each cabin with its own luxurious shower and bathroom. It’s on a train, so you need to learn to share space with your significant other, but it felt like a nice cocoon at the end of a great day.

Crew - The service on board is amazing, everyone was wonderful, you see that they really care about you, you become friends, this is not fake. Hat’s off to Thang and the pre-trip crew, arranging everything, making you comfortable to take this plunge. The Butler Tuan attended to our every need, coffee as we wanted it every morning ready without asking. Restaurant crew knew all our favorite drinks, our desires, glasses always full. The Chef, what a great guy, always participating, teaching us to cook one night. Everyone, amazing.

You will be so happy to take this trip. And it’s really affordable! About the cost of a business class seat! It’s an adventure, you need to be ready for that, you are in a wildly different country. But frankly I can’t think of a better way to see Vietnam - top to bottom or bottom to top. We saw EVERYTHING, in absolute luxurious bliss.

Cam on! (Thank you!) SJourney