dafne
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Posts posted by dafne
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SKi Mom 2,
Love your pictures of your tour with Tauomi Tours .
I am so happy you enjoyed your tour.
Ahmed's company is truly the best, most reputable tour company for Tangier Tours!
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We had the pleasure of taking the most FABULOUS PRIVATE tour of Tangier with Taoumi Tours.
Mr.Ahmed the owner has been doing tours for over 30 years. He was a past Presidentof the Tangier Tour Association.
He has led tours for all the most prominent tour companies.(Such as American Express Travel, Maupintour etc.)
If you read his bio on his website you will be very impressed.
He has a very detailed website- that gives prices and descriptions of all his tours.
He responds very quickly to emails.
His tours are very affordable compared to other tour companies that are rated higher on TripAdvisor and more reasonable than Tours by Locals ( because guides on Tours by Locals have to pay a 20% commission to be on their site)
Mr. Ahmed also has great reviews on Trip Advisor.
All tours in Tangier you basically go to the same places. So there is no need to pay more for your tours.
Mr.Ahmed was booked the day we wanted so we were given one of his guides in his company - Mr. Abdelaziz. He was such a wonderful, intelligent, professional. Hehas been giving tours for 35 years. He had a great passion for Tangier! His explanations of the city and sites was EXCELLENT!
We wanted to go to some special places and that was not a problem. He took us to the Berber Market- which was very special to see. My husband wanted to go see the famous bar where Mick Jagger frequented when inTangier. Nothing was too much to ask- he always let us decide what we wanted todo.
We wanted to go to a special restaurant I found on TripAdvisor not a touristy restaurant . No problem! There was no high pressure carpet stores-which we were not interested in doing. We wanted to learn about the culture and daily life of the Tangier people- and he gave us detailed explanations of everything!
Our tour lasted 7 hours and it was ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS of our trip!
He is very respected in the community and was greeted by many people throughout the tour.
All his friends we met- said " HE IS THE BEST GUIDE"! We felt so luckly to have had him for our guide.
If youare looking for THE BEST PROFESSIONAL TOUR COMPANY that is used by the most prominent tour operators- then Tauomi Tours is for you!
He has 6 different choices of tours in Tangier depending on your interests.
His website is:
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To Ski Mom 2,
Happy it worked out. You will be very happy using him!
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We had the pleasure of taking the most FABULOUS PRIVATE tour of Tangier with Taoumi Tours.
Mr. Ahmed the owner has been doing tours for over 30 years. He was a past President of the Tangier Tour Association. He has led tours for all the most prominent tour companies.( Such as American Express Travel, Maupintour etc.)- He has a very detailed website- that gives prices and descriptions of all his tours.
He responds very quickly to emails. His tours are very affordable compared to other tour companies that are rated higher on TripAdvisor. All tours in Tangier you basically go to the same places. So there is no need to pay more for your tours.
Mr. Ahmed was booked the day we wanted so we were given one of his guides in his company - Mr. Abdelaziz. He was such a wonderful, intelligent, professional. He has been giving tours for 35 years. He had a great passion for Tangier! His explanations of the city and sites was EXCELLENT! We wanted to go to some special places and that was not a problem. He took us to the Berber Market- which was very special to see. My husband wanted to go see the famous bar where Mick Jagger frequented when in Tangier. Nothing was too much to ask- he always let us decide what we wanted to do. We wanted to go to a special restaurant I found on TripAdvisor not a touristy restaurant . No problem! There was no high pressure carpet stores- which we were not interested in doing. We wanted to learn about the culture and daily life of the Tangier people- and he gave us detailed explanations of everything! Our tour lasted 7 hours and it was ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS of our trip!
He is very respected in the community and was greeted by many people throughout the tour.
All his friends we met- said " HE IS THE BEST GUIDE"! We felt so luckly to have had him for our guide.
If you are looking for THE BEST PROFESSIONAL TOUR COMPANY that is used by the most prominent tour operators- then Tauomi Tours is for you!
His website is:
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You should absolutely do a private tour with Xuan.
If you tried to do it on your own you would never see all the fabulous places he will take you to.
Also having a great guide like Xuan explaining the history and learning about each place you visit will make the day so special and interesting.
He also has a driver who will be waiting to take you to the next site to visit.
If you read all the reviews of Xuan everyone says it was the best tour and day of all their Asian cruise stops.
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We had a fabulous Trishaw Ride when taking our private tour with Xuan in Ho Chi Minh. Each person has their own Trishaw with the driver.
The ride lasted about 45 minutes. We started at the famous temple and rode through many tiny streets, alleys and markets where the locals were selling their fish, birds, roosters, fabric and textiles.
Also we saw the tropical fruit street and the fresh markets where we saw people selling fresh meat, fish, vegetables and spices.
It was a fascinating way to see the daily local life in Ho Chi Minh City. We were riding among thousands of motor scooters.
Xuan was on a scooter in front of us taking photos and videos that he sent to us afterwards.
The Trishaw Ride to us was one of the highlights of the tour! It was so much fun and so interesting.
You can email him at tourwithxuan@gmail.com
His website is:
Xuan is a great guide. He is very popular on cruise critic, and has all excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. So you should book him as soon as you decide- so that he will be available for the day you want a guide.
He also has videos on his website or you tube with the trishaw ride that is part of his tour.
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We also did the 2nd tour you mentioned with Xuan.
The teens will love the Rickshaw Ride and so will all the adults. It is truly a highlight in Ho Chi Minh!
Dont' bother visiting the shops where some guides make a commission. ( that is why they take you there).
Xuan doesn't take you to any places where he makes a commission on what you buy.
We have travelled with private guides for over 30 years and Xuan was one of the BEST guides we have used.
He is truly an amazing, special person.
For all new people reading this thread- his website is https://www.tourwithxuan.com/
He has great videos, pictures and blogs on it too.
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For your port stop in Ho Chi Minh City I would recommend using Xuan.
We recently did a full day tour with him.
He picked us at the port with a great driver in a new, very comfortable large van.
We saw all the sites including Chinatown, the Thien Hau Temple, a fabulous Rickshaw ride through the local markets.
The ride lasted about 45 minutes. We started at the famous temple and rode through many tiny streets, alleys andmarkets where the locals were selling their fish, birds, roosters, fabric andtextiles. Also we saw the tropical fruit street and the fresh markets where we saw people selling fresh meat, fish,vegetables and spices. It was a fascinating way to see the daily local life in Ho Chi Minh City. We were riding among thousands of motor scooters.
Xuan was on a scooter in front of us taking photos and videos that he sent to us afterwards.
We then visited the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, City Hall, CIABuilding that the Huey Uh1 helicopter was last helicopter to leave at Fall of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh Square, all the famous hotels used during the war, and new areas of the city with Villas and the contrast of poor stilt houses on water.
Xuan is knowledgeable, passionate, enthusiastic, charming, attentive, loving, engaging, fun and a true pleasure to be with. We were fascinated by his kindness!
He was able to explain everything to us in a very meaningful way. His English is excellent!
We had such a great understanding of the people, culture and history because of him. We also learned about his life growing up in Vietnam. My husband and I asked many questions and he was happy to answer all of them.
Touring with Xuan will be one of the highlights of your travel experience! He planned a perfect itinerary and was very accommodating to special requests we wanted to do. Xuan took about 60 pictures of us during the tour and emailed them to me afterwards. He also took us to a wonderful and delicious place for lunch.
We have traveled all over the world and have used private guides and Xuan is absolutely one of the best guides we have ever had.
It will be a day you will never forget!
You can email him at tourwithxuan@gmail.com
His website is:
You can also go straight to his cruise tours with this link:
http://www.tourwithxuan.com/shore-excursions.html
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Ho Chi Minh
in Asia
If you are looking for a fabulous guide for Mekong Delta for your cruise port in Ho Chi Minh I would recommend you contact Xuan.
In our 30 years of travelling with private guides he was one of the BEST!
Xuan is knowledgeable, passionate, enthusiastic, charming, attentive, loving, engaging, fun and a true pleasure to be with. We were fascinated by his kindness! Xuan's English is excellent!
He is also very accommodating and flexible in helping you plan your itinerary.
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We recently stayed at the Fullerton Bay Hotel. It is FABULOUS! It is truly a 5 star luxury hotel.
If you book through a Virtuoso agent can get $100 F & B credit, Great Breakfast included and Upgrade if available.
Book a Bay View Room- The furnishings in the room were magnificent!
Outstanding concierges.
It is number 1 on Trip Advisor out of all the hotels in Singapore.
We ate at their restaurant La Brasseie twice we enjoyed it so much.
https://www.fullertonhotels.com/the-fullerton-bay-hotel/la-brasserie.html
Their rooftop pool is wonderful - with great views.
Be sure to go to the Colony Restaurant one night at the Ritz Carlton. Need to book that in advance. Always sold out.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294265-d8571637-Reviews-Colony-Singapore.html
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We recently did a tour wth Xuan.
He is a fantastic private guide in Vietnam.
We have traveled all over the world using private guides and Xuan was one of the best.
He responds to requests very quickly and in great detail. Xuan will customize any tour to your interests.
You can see his private tours below:
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Hi MSFCUBS:
A few threads done you will see people that have taken the Tour with Xuan. The thread is titled "Ho Chi Minh City With Xuan".
He is a fabulous private tour guide!
This is the link to the tour that includes all the things you want to do which includes Ho Chi Minh City,
Chi Chi Tunnels, the War Remnants Museum and more.
http://www.tourwithxuan.com/tunnels--city.html
He can personalize your tour to exactly what you want to do and see. He is very accommodating to any requests you have.
He writes a very detailed blog of a similar tour that you want to do on his website.
Xuan also has you tube videos with a link from his website showing his tours.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvyjB_JzwCXQ_KldqQlnrDA
Touring with Xuan will be one of the highlights of your cruise! My husband and I thought he was an amazing person- so knowledgeable and so much fun to be with!
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To: BenjiHill
I wanted to add more detail of the Trishaw Ride we had when taking our private tour with Xuan. Each person has their own Trishaw with the driver.
The ride lasted about 45 minutes. We started at the famous temple and rode through many tiny streets, alleys and markets where the locals were selling their fish, birds, roosters, fabric and textiles.
Also we saw the tropical fruit street and the fresh markets where we saw people selling fresh meat, fish, vegetables and spices.
It was a fascinating way to see the daily local life in Ho Chi Minh City. We were riding among thousands of motor scooters.
Xuan was on a scooter in front of us taking photos and videos that he sent to us afterwards.
The Trishaw Ride to us was one of the highlights of the tour!
You can email him at tourwithxuan@gmail.com
I also had a bad link for his website in my review on this thread- It should be http://www.tourwithxuan.com
You can also go straight to his cruise tours with this link: http://www.tourwithxuan.com/shore-excursions.html
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To BenjiHill: My suggestion to you if you have the 2 days would be to do the Ho Chi Minh city tour and on the half day go to parts of the city that you can do on your own like the Reunification Palace which marks the location of the end of the Vietnam War when the North Vietnamese Army conquered this South Vietnamese government complex. It is an interesting place to see. Also if you like shopping- Ho Chi Minh has wonderful shops throughout the city.
My husband and I also recently had a fabulous city tour with Xuan.
He picked us at the port with a great driver in a new, very comfortable large van.
We had booked the all-day Ho Chi Minh City Tour.
We saw all the sites including Chinatown, the Thien Hau Temple, a fabulous Rickshaw ride through the local markets, Alleyways through the city, War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, City Hall, CIA Building that the Huey Uh1 helicopter was last helicopter to leave at Fall of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh Square, all the famous hotels used during the war, and new areas of the city with Villas and the contrast of poor stilt houses on water. We were also lucky to have been there for Vietnamese New Year when the city had beautiful lights.
Xuan is knowledgeable, passionate, enthusiastic, charming, attentive, loving, engaging, fun and a true pleasure to be with. We were fascinated by his kindness!
He was able to explain everything to us in a very meaningful way. His English is excellent!
We had such a great understanding of the people, culture and history because of him. We also learned about his life growing up in Vietnam. My husband and I asked many questions and he was happy to answer all of them.
Touring with Xuan will be one of the highlights of your travel experience! He planned a perfect itinerary and was very accommodating to special requests we wanted to do. Xuan took about 60 pictures of us during the tour and emailed them to me afterwards. He also took us to a wonderful and delicious place for lunch.
You can reach him from his website and he responds very quickly.
We have traveled all over the world and have used private guides and Xuan is absolutely one of the best guides we have ever had.
It will be a day you will never forget!
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My husband and I also recently had a fabulous tour with Xuan.
He picked us at the port with a great driver in a new, very comfortable large van.
We had booked the all-day Ho Chi Minh City Tour.
We saw all the sites including Chinatown, the Thien Hau Temple, a fabulous Rickshaw ride through the local markets, Alleyways through the city, War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, City Hall, CIA Building that the Huey Uh1 helicopter was last helicopter to leave at Fall of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh Square, all the famous hotels used during the war, and new areas of the city with Villas and the contrast of poor stilt houses on water. We were also lucky to have been there for Vietnamese New Year when the city had beautiful lights.
Being an American- Saigon has so much history about the war- it was so interesting and fascinating.
Xuan is knowledgeable, passionate, enthusiastic, charming, attentive, loving, engaging, fun and a true pleasure to be with. We were fascinated by his kindness!
He was able to explain everything to us in a very meaningful way. His English is excellent!
We had such a great understanding of the people, culture and history because of him. We also learned about his life growing up in Vietnam. My husband and I asked a million questions and he was happy to answer all of them.
Touring with Xuan will be one of the highlights of your life! He planned a perfect itinerary and was very accommodating to special requests we wanted to do. Xuan took about 60 pictures of us during the tour and emailed them to me afterwards. He also took us to a wonderful and delicious place for lunch.
We have traveled all over the world and have used private guides and Xuan is absolutely the VERY BEST!
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Please send your Name, Booking Number, Address, and E-mail Address to me at:
Dafne1 at cox dot net
I will fill it out and send to Seabourn Seattle office by Priority Mail and email you a copy.
Then I would follow up with Seabourn Club to make sure they received it.
Seabourn will email you back with a confirmation that the onboard credit was applied to your upcoming reservation. Seabourn will also send a confirmation to your travel agent.
You would now have $400 shipboard credit (to use for tours, spa, gift shop etc.)
You cannot combine with American Express Platinum shipboard credit of $300 (but $400 is better) or Ship Board Credit by your travel agent are Seabourn itself
with the only exception being the shareholder's credit.
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Please send your Name, Booking Number, Address, and E-mail Address to me at:
Dafne1 at cox dot net
I will fill it out and send to Seabourn Seattle office by Priority Mail and email you a copy.
Then I would follow up with Seabourn Club to make sure they received it.
Seabourn will email you back with a confirmation that the onboard credit was applied to your upcoming reservation. Seabourn will also send a confirmation to your travel agent.
You would now have $400 shipboard credit (to use for tours, spa, gift shop etc.)
You cannot combine with American Express Platinum shipboard credit of $300 (but $400 is better) or Ship Board Credit by your travel agent are Seabourn itself
with the only exception being the shareholder's credit.
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For first time cruisers on Seabourn who have made final payment I still have a couple of $400 Referral Coupons.
Please send your Name, Booking Number, Address, and E-mail Address to me at:
Dafne1 at cox dot net
I will fill it out and send to Seabourn Seattle office by Priority Mail and email you a copy.
Then I would follow up with Seabourn Club to make sure they received it.
Seabourn will email you back with a confirmation that the onboard credit was applied to your upcoming reservation. Seabourn will also send a confirmation to your travel agent.
You would now have $400 shipboard credit (to use for tours, spa, gift shop etc.)
You cannot combine with American Express Platinum shipboard credit of $300 (but $400 is better) or Ship Board Credit by your travel agent are Seabourn itself
with the only exception being the shareholder's credit.
-
For first time cruisers on Seabourn who have made final payment I still have a couple of $400 Referral Coupons.
Please send your Name, Booking Number, Address, and E-mail Address to me at:
Dafne1 at cox dot net
I will fill it out and send to Seabourn Seattle office by Priority Mail and email you a copy.
Then I would follow up with Seabourn Club to make sure they received it.
Seabourn will email you back with a confirmation that the onboard credit was applied to your upcoming reservation. Seabourn will also send a confirmation to your travel agent.
You would now have $400 shipboard credit (to use for tours, spa, gift shop etc.)
You cannot combine with American Express Platinum shipboard credit of $300 (but $400 is better) or Ship Board Credit by your travel agent are Seabourn itself
with the only exception being the shareholder's credit.
-
For first time cruisers on Seabourn who have made final payment I have a couple of $400 Referral Coupons.
Please send your Name, Booking Number, Address, and E-mail Address to me at:
Dafne1 at cox dot net
I will fill it out and send to Seabourn Seattle office by Priority Mail and email you a copy.
Then I would follow up with Seabourn Club to make sure they received it.
Seabourn will email you back with a confirmation that the onboard credit was applied to your upcoming reservation. Seabourn will also send a confirmation to your travel agent.
You would now have $400 shipboard credit (to use for tours, spa, gift shop etc.)
You cannot combine with American Express Platinum shipboard credit of $300 (but $400 is better) or Ship Board Credit by your travel agent are Seabourn itself
with the only exception being the shareholder's credit.
-
News from January 12th:
A suspected member of the Islamic State (IS) group has killed 10 people, at least eight of them German tourists, in a suicide bomb attack in the Turkish city of Istanbul, officials say.
They say the Syrian national carried out the attack in the Sultanahmet district, near the famous Blue Mosque.
Fifteen people were wounded, many of them also German.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was the "top target for all terrorist groups in the region".
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With the recent killings of tourists in Istanbul- Crystal Cruises has responded this way:
CRYSTAL CRUISES REVISES 2016 CALLS TO TURKEY
Luxury cruise line announces revised itineraries for Crystal Symphony voyages previously planned to call in Istanbul and Kusadasi; offers rare intensive Greece sailing and allowances for booked travelers
LOS ANGELES, January 15, 2016 – In response to ongoing security concerns for travel within Istanbul, Crystal Cruises announced today that it will reroute two of its upcoming voyages set to call in Turkish ports. The world’s most awarded luxury cruise line has revised the itineraries for Crystal Symphony’s April 24 and May 1 sailings, previously planned to include visits to Istanbul and Kuşadasi, replacing those ports with Greek destinations.
“The safety and peace of mind of our guests are our primary concerns, and we do not take any risks with either,” says Crystal CEO & President, Edie Rodriguez. “The itinerary changes will allow our guests to continue with their planned vacations in the same standard of excellence and luxury, without the added worry of security in a particular destination.”
Turkish ports of call scheduled for April and November aboard Crystal’s new luxury yacht, Crystal Esprit, will also be changed, though the new itineraries have yet to be finalized. Effective immediately, the voyages will reflect the following itinerary changes (*=newly changed destination):
April 24 (7 days) – Athens/Piraeus, Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, *Souda Bay/Chaina, *Navplion (overnight), *Hydra and *Athens/Piraeus (overnight), Greece.
May 1 (12 days) – *Athens/Piraeus (overnight), *Patmos, *Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, Navplion and Argostolios, Greece; Crotone, Sorrento and Rome/Civitavecchia, Italy.
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I think the problem is that Seabourn has about 24 cruises going to Istanbul or another Turkish port. Crystal only has 4 cruises.
I called Seabourn today and they said at present time they are not making any changes to their itineraries.
Celebrity and Disney has also just cancelled all Turkish Ports.
I read that Crystal is allowing passengers to cancel their cruises without any penalties.
You would think they may have to give allowances for passengers that have already booked their air- so definitely an expensive move for Crystal to do that.
What do you think Seabourn will do?
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Our last 2 recent cruises were on Seabourn. Our experience was complete opposite of Ryan's experience. Once we sailed Seabourn would not sail on any other cruise line. We thought everything was wonderful! ( Previously sailed with Silversea- and would never cruise them after our Fabulous Seabourn cruises) We think Seabourn is in a class by itself!
I find it strange if he has been on 73 cruises in last 2 years- that he has never posted a review on any of those cruises or has never posted anything on cruise critic. Something to me is fishy!
Ryan, while you were on the cruise did you tell any management of Seabourn your observations? It seems if you were that unhappy you would have done that.
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Who was the Chef onboard your cruise?
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You should post your same question on Seabourn forum and ask Seabourn cruisers their thoughts on those that have sailed both Seabourn and Silversea.
Where does Seabourn dock in Ho Chi Minh City?
in Seabourn Cruise Line
Posted
Be Sure to Book Tour With Xuan in Ho Chi Minh City
He is the most popular private guide on Asia Cruise Critic Forums-
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2430755-ho-chi-minh-city-with-xuan/
We were on a 30 day Seabourn Cruise and booked him for a full day private tour in Ho Chi Minh City.
He is one of the best guides we have ever had in all our 35 years of traveling.
Intelligent, kind, and fun. A wonderful young man. We are still friends and keep in touch.
Be sure to book him early- he fills up quickly. Top rated on Trip Advisor all excellent reviews.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293925-d12204583-Reviews-Tour_With_Xuan-Ho_Chi_Minh_City.html
He has a few options for tours. This is his website-
https://www.tourwithxuan.com/