Rerouted, not cancelled: How Travelbound kept a Vietnam trip on track when war closed its route
Time to read
A nine-day journey through Vietnam was always going to be an ambitious undertaking: three regions, a packed itinerary, and a History and PRE curriculum threaded through almost every stop. Then, weeks before departure, the war in the Middle East began disrupting long-haul routes through the region, and the trip Dr Sarah Wallace from Sydenham & Dulwich Girls had spent months planning suddenly needed to change. What happened next says as much about Travelbound as it does about Vietnam itself: the trip went ahead, safely, on a new route, with the itinerary and the experience both largely intact.
The trip at a glance
Destination
Vietnam (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City)
Trip length
Nine days
Curriculum link
History (the Vietnam War) and PRE (world religions)
Key visits
Cu Chi Tunnels, Ha Long Bay, Buddhist temples, Hanoi and Hoi An markets
When trips change unexpectedly
Long before the group reached Hanoi, the war in the Middle East had already started impacting travel, closing off the long-haul routes the trip had originally been planned around. Rather than waiting for the situation to affect the group directly, Travelbound acted early.
“Travelbound were very quick to act when it became clear that the war would affect long haul travel via the Middle East. They contacted me directly and reassured me that the trip could go ahead with a new route and slightly amended itinerary.”
Dr Wallace’s trip was brought forward slightly and rerouted to avoid the affected airspace, but the disruption stopped there. Because the itinerary stayed broadly the same, Dr Wallace was not left rebuilding a trip from scratch under pressure.
“The extra admin was minimal as the itinerary remained broadly the same.”
For a school community watching world events unfold on the news, that stability mattered. Parents needed to see that a long-haul trip to Vietnam was still a safe, well-managed decision, and the fact that so little had to change gave them exactly that reassurance.
“Parents were impressed that the trip could still go ahead, largely unchanged.”
Support that stayed in the background
Good crisis support is not always loud. Once the group was in Vietnam, the reassurance Travelbound had given before departure held, and the trip ran smoothly enough that Dr Wallace never needed to pick up the phone.
“We did not need to contact Travelbound. All guides met us off each flight and helped us book in for the next.”
That quiet reliability let the focus stay exactly where it should: on the students, and on Vietnam.
A curriculum brought to life
The trip was built around the History and PRE curriculum from the outset, with Vietnam offering a rare chance to connect two subjects in one place.
“Students study the Vietnam War and world religions. We were able to visit key war sites and temples but were also able to appreciate more of the ancient history of Vietnam, and also its geography, thanks to a varied itinerary.”
The itinerary itself was built around a small set of must-see destinations that Dr Wallace knew she wanted from the start.
“We knew we would like to visit the Cu Chi Tunnel complex near Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long Bay, and a selection of Buddhist Temples.
Culture, food and everyday discovery
For students, the differences between Vietnam and home were obvious from the very first morning.
“The cultural differences were noticeable from the first morning. Our centrally located Hanoi hotel was on a busy street full of motorcyles and street vendors. Students appreciated the variety of Vietnamese food we sampled.”
Food turned out to be one of the trip’s quiet highlights.
“Students tried Goi Cuon, Banh Mi, Pho and ate prawns and dragon fruit with nearly every meal. They loved Pho. They also enjoyed the Korean BBQ in Ho Chi Minh City.”
Want to hear first hand advice for a trip leader?
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Nine days, on the move
Making the most of nine days across a whole country meant a packed schedule, balanced with time for students to explore on their own terms.
“We had a packed itinerary and encouraged students to buy souvenirs from markets in Hoi An and Hanoi.”
Behind the scenes, the guides did the work that kept a demanding schedule feeling effortless.
“The guides were very knowledgeable and worked hard to adapt the itinerary if we were running late.”
Changing accommodation most nights, and covering long distances between stops, is often the part of a multi-region trip teachers worry about most. For this group, it became part of the adventure.
“They coped well with this. The opportunity to explore the whole country in a school trip was really special and they appreciated this.”
Jet lag followed the same pattern: a genuine challenge on paper, handled well in practice, with a first day deliberately kept light to help students adjust.
“Again, they coped well with this. The hardest day was the first, with a walking tour of Hanoi. Students could doze on the coaches and with few evening activities, we were able to have early nights.”
Advice for a first long-haul trip
Asked what she would tell a teacher planning their first long-haul trip, Dr Wallace pointed to a piece of support that made a real difference: talking to someone who had already done it.
“I would recommend they get in contact with another school who has done a similar trip. Travelbound were able to facilitate this for me and it was very helpful. While curriculum links are important, I would advise packing in as many cultural experiences as possible.”
The moment that stayed with them
Of everything the trip offered, one moment stood out above the rest.
“Squeezing into the Cu Chi Tunnels and gaining an insight into the life of a Vietcong fighter.”
It is a fitting note to end on: a single, vivid moment of understanding, made possible by a trip that very nearly had to change beyond recognition, and instead barely changed at all.
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With thanks
A special thank you to Dr Sarah Wallace, Head of History at Sydenham High School GDST, for taking the time to speak with us and share her insights and experiences.
If you’d like to find out more about Sydenham High School GDST, please contact the admissions team at admissions@syd.gdst.net
