Private Tours in Vietnam and Bangkok

[sailaway5]

We were in Nha Trang Vietnam last week and our family group of 9, plus others to make 23 went on a wonderful day tour for US$50 ea (including lunch & river trip etc) with Mr Dung Pham (Website: www.nhatrangrivertour.com Email: nhatrangrivertour@yahoo.com).

 

We would recommend this tour 100%. The only trouble is Nha Trang is a tender port with Diamond Princess and in order to get a full day tour, it is important to get off in the first tender. So send someone to get the tender tickets at 7.30 am - and get tickets for the whole group at the same time (take turns to wait). Be organised! and you will have a wonderful, interesting day.

 

Thank you for your hints. We will be on the Diamond Princess next year and have already added our names to Dung Pham's tour. Can one person pickup the tender tickets for your whole group of 30 plus people???? Do you need anything special to do that? Did anyone bring any gifts for the orphans?

 

Thanks again for your suggestions.

[doreen22]

Does anyone have any recommendations for private tour companies in Vietnam or Bangkok? Many thanks.

 

We recently on November 29th, had a great tour with Zoom. We were on an AMA River Cruise and had a free day in Saigon, so based on Cruise Critic reviews, I had booked Zoom. He was always very responsive in replying to my emails and met us promptly at our hotel. We had arranged a morning tour of the Cuchi tunnels with an afternoon City tour. Zoom quickly realized that we were very interested in recent history, and so we, happily, spent a lot of time exploring the tunnels. For lunch, he took us to Pho 2000 for delicious soup , after which we went to the War Remnants museum, and then coffee at the Rex Hotel. The car he had arranged was very comfortable, and the driver drove well, it was so nice to be driven from place to place- especially when it started to rain very hard for a very long time! Zoom was enthusiastic and his English was very good-all in all it was a very enjoyable day and I would highly recommend him. An added bonus was that he dropped off a DVD of our day at our hotel.

Susan

[Dagny]

I'll add another recommendation for Zoom - he is great! We booked with him for 2 full days in Saigon, all airport transfers and he also arranged our private Halong Bay 2-night charter. All emails were answered promptly, he has vast knowledge of the country and its history, was able to adapt to one of us with mobility issues, and just generally made our trip so special and so wonderful. Vietnam is amazing!

[chinadoll20]

We recently used Smile tours in Ho Chi Min city.Thi was fantastic , her english was great and she was a wealth of info.

In Nha Trang we used Dung Pham http://www.nhatrangrivertours.com

Both tours excellent value, much cheaper and covered more than the ships expensive tours

[cruisesgn]

We visited Saigon on our cruise in February. We toured with Zoom for the day while we were there. We had the good fortune to be there on their New Year's Day and Zoom made it a very special day for us. We visited several areas where celebrations were taking place and the feeling in the city was wonderful. Zoom also took the time to take several pictures of us during the day, as well as pictures of all the places we visited. When we returned home, he mailed us a disc of all the pictures and it's a wonderful remembrance of our time there. We learned a lot from Zoom as he has so much knowledge about his country and city and he loves to share it with his clients. I highly recommend Zoom as a tour guide for Saigon. We are planning to return to Asia in 2012 and hope to tour with him again.

From Saigon one can take a two day tour to Sa Dec for a boat ride viewing local boats carrying flowers to Saigon two days before Lunar New Year (Jan. 23, 2012). The disembarkment of flowers at Binh Dong pier is interesting. Then in the morning of the last day of the Lunar Year ( Jan. 22 ) one can take a short stroll downtown Saigon to view the rushy pushy atmosphere of the last day of a year. Same stroll the next day in direction to Chinatown will release a sacred cultural environment with Unicorn dance performances. Lunch at Majestic hotel is fantastic with Vietnamese traditional foods.

Tet Lunar New Year festivities continue your enjoyment in Hanoi on the fifth Tet day ( Jan. 27 ) with festival at Dong Da dramatizing the victory by King Quang Trung in 1789 over the foreign invaders.

[hoangsa]

Some cruisers worry about the attire in Vietnam. They compare strict rule at temples in BKK ( no shorts, no T-shirts, no sandals ) with what to wear in VN.

The only place in VN which is strict in this sense is Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum in Hanoi. Best attire is ; for sure, pant, T-shirt and shoes . There's no rule against shorts, T-shirts and sandals ; anyhow, advisably, long shorts are better at temples.

On special days of the year such as on Tet Lunar New Year days pants &

T-shirts are best suited.

[SonomaMist]

Traveler25,

I'm so glad that Ha provided you with the same great service she provided us.

 

 

I thought I recognized your name. You were on the Infinity Cruise around South America just after us in 2012. Loved your photos!

 

Kathy

[MVPinBoynton]

Thanks Kathy. I'm glad you enjoyed the review and hope it brought back some fond memories.

[SonomaMist]

Thanks Kathy. I'm glad you enjoyed the review and hope it brought back some fond memories.

 

Thanks, Mike, it did bring back memories -- but not of the Volcano in Puerto Montt -- as it was hidden most of the day with some glimpses. We had a great cruise and are planning another trip to Southeast Asia in 2013 with those I met on the Infinity.

 

Tally ho!

Kathy

[MVPinBoynton]

Thanks, Mike, it did bring back memories -- but not of the Volcano in Puerto Montt -- as it was hidden most of the day with some glimpses. We had a great cruise and are planning another trip to Southeast Asia in 2013 with those I met on the Infinity.

 

Tally ho!

Kathy

 

That is a shame that Mount Osorno wasn't fully visible. I was so disappointed when we couldn't see it early in the day. But we were rewarded with an unusually clear couple hours to enjoy it.

 

Have a great time in amazing SE Asia.

[SonomaMist]

That is a shame that Mount Osorno wasn't fully visible. I was so disappointed when we couldn't see it early in the day. But we were rewarded with an unusually clear couple hours to enjoy it.

 

Have a great time in amazing SE Asia.

 

 

Thanks, looking forward to Asia. I did note that you also missed out on the cruising days during the different passages. We also thought they were sea days and not scenic passage days.

[hoangsa]

I'll add another recommendation for Zoom - he is great! We booked with him for 2 full days in Saigon, all airport transfers and he also arranged our private Halong Bay 2-night charter. All emails were answered promptly, he has vast knowledge of the country and its history, was able to adapt to one of us with mobility issues, and just generally made our trip so special and so wonderful. Vietnam is amazing!

Halong Bay is terrific. One thing for you to be prepared is the stubborn and "sticky" selling of " local products". Visitors on normal boats will then lose enjoyment for that embarrassment. Local authorities in Halong seem not much concerned about that.

So, affording a chartered boat as you did was much more advisable ( on financial permit, of course ). The area selected by chartered boat is different from others. Quiet and without that harassment.

[S&B]

We were on the January 22 sailing and in Bangkok we had an overnight tour with Wandee Tours. I thought it was very well done and we enjoyed it. I would only suggest that on the second day you get an earlier start. We did have to go to a jewelry shop as our last thing of the day before going to the hotel.

 

As for the Halong Bay tour I did not find it annoying that they were trying to sell me things on the junk. There was no pressure. At least I found my magnet there!! We had more pressure when we stopped at the fishing village. We were with Smile tours. The cave was fantastic and our guide was willing to help in any way he could on some of the uneven steps.

[hoangsa]

Does anyone have any recommendations for private tour companies in Vietnam or Bangkok? Many thanks.

 

Peak season is going down at the end of April. From May to September guides will be easy to be booked and reserved for the next peak season ( from October to next April ). Should not wait till October.

[MVPinBoynton]

Peak season is going down at the end of April. From May to September guides will be easy to be booked and reserved for the next peak season ( from October to next April ). Should not wait till October.

 

We have Vietnam and Bangkok tour guide inf in our Southeast Asiareview on our website www.thepreismans.com

[anneke lief]

Hello,

 

We just returned from our Asian cruise with HAL's Zaandam and we used Zoom for our tour to Saigon, Smile Tours (Thi) for our tour in Halong Bay and Nha Trang River tours (Dung) or our trip in Nha Trang.

 

All of the tours were exellent and very good value for money.

I can highly recommend them all, you can't go wrong if you choose them.

 

In Bangkok we just booked a transfert to the city with Bangkok Limo and stayed overnight in the Bossotel. The hotel is very good situated if you want to visit the tempels because it is only 5 minutes walking from the central pier where you can cath the express boat to go to the tempels and the Grand Palace.

 

 

Anneke from Belgium

:)

[hoangsa]

Hello,

 

We just returned from our Asian cruise with HAL's Zaandam and we used Zoom for our tour to Saigon, Smile Tours (Thi) for our tour in Halong Bay and Nha Trang River tours (Dung) or our trip in Nha Trang.

 

All of the tours were exellent and very good value for money.

I can highly recommend them all, you can't go wrong if you choose them.

 

In Bangkok we just booked a transfert to the city with Bangkok Limo and stayed overnight in the Bossotel. The hotel is very good situated if you want to visit the tempels because it is only 5 minutes walking from the central pier where you can cath the express boat to go to the tempels and the Grand Palace.

 

 

Anneke from Belgium

:)

If you were in Vietnam today Mar. 28 you would be so excited to visit Hoi An, Vietnam's ancient town.

Today, Hoi An became the FIRST town with free wifi in Asia.

[toloan]

Thank all provides information on tours in Vietnam and Bangkok.

[sandancer]

We were very pleased with Zoom in Saigon and the Mekong Delta and would highly recommend. If you are not interested in shopping he will tailor your tour to your interests. As others have noted, his fellow guides and his driver are top notch.

I have been in touch with Zoom for the Saigon and Mekong Delta tour. We are very pleased with the tour and the cost. Only problem is that Zoom cannot be our guide as it is Tet and he will not be working. Anyone got any experience of booking with Zoom and then having one of the other guides do the tour?

[madjam81]

We just did 16 nights on Diamond Princess.

 

VIETNAM Phu My (Saigon) - Ship was supposed to dock at 7am but due to a container ship sinking at Phu My port the ship was not able to dock until 12.pm. Our private tour guide Thi from Smile Tours had left HCMC at 4.30am to reach the port at 7am and then waited for us until 12.00pm to disembark. If that is not AMAZING service I don't know what is. Due to the delay caused the unfortunate accident at the port (even though the cptain allowed us more time on shore), we didn't have as much time as originally planned, but Thi managed to fit everything in as planned, including a stop at Notre Dame church and post office (was supposed to be a drive by only). We gave lunch a miss (which made sense given the time we got into HCMC) and this was not a problem as lunch was not included in the tour cost of $65 (for a group of 20). We also missed the war museum so we could fit everything else in. Also our group decided we preferred to spend more time at the market and skip the laquerware factory. Thi was exceptional in every way under very difficult circumstances for all. She gave us a great tour an got us back to the ship on time and never once did she complain about the hours she had to wait or the money she lost as a result of over 10 persons not showing up (she had to pay the port fees for these people as well as losing their payment). Her english is outstanding. She is a lovely person. Her communication skills prior to the day were amazing. She responded to emails very quickly and nothing was a problem. She allows flexibility in the itinerary. In short, she was a consummate professional and a pleasure to deal with. I highly recommend her. We pid cash on completion of the tour.

thi_travel@yahoo(dot)com

 

SHANGHAI

 

Private tour SAT China Tour (Minmin)

*Guide Olivia spoke good english and was a lovely person. She was very good although not as informative as Thi from Smile Tours. We went to a great park in the morning where the local elderly people dance and exercise and I got to dance with a Chinese man - fantastic!

*French Quarter - gorgeous

*the Bund

*Lunch in a 'locals' restaurant

*Old town

*Yu Gardens

Min Min was fantastic to deal with when planning the tour. Very prompt in her responses and very friendly. I recommend this company. Paid cash on completion of the tour.

alexialsk@gmail(dot)com

[bayjoens]

With all the great reviews of Tong here and on Trip Advisor, I am really trying to be patient with her, but her lack of response is starting to get frustrating. Then when she does respond, she keeps saying the same thing without answering any of my questions or request for itinerary changes. It is as if she is not really reading my emails but is in such a hurry that she is sending stock answers. I really wish it were otherwise because I have a feeling that she is a great guide on site. As a result of the frustrating communication though I think I may have to go with a different tour operator. Danny from Bangkok Day Tour (no 's') has been very responsive and great to deal with over email. I will come back and let you all know how it goes in the end.

[EmsMom]

We used Tong in Bangkok and understand your frustration as we had the same problem with her lack of response. When she finally did respond and organized our tours and our airport pickups, she did a great job. Our flight got in around midnight so we wanted a pickup from the airport to our hotel. It went without a hitch. She also arranged our transportation from the hotel back to the airport for our flight to Cambodia and once again arranged for a pickup when we got back to Bangkok. We had another lady as our guide and we were very pleased with the quality of the guide. We paid at the end of the two day tours and everything was as we had agreed to via email. I mentioned our communication issues with Tong to our guide and she said that Tong was just very busy but she agreed that it would be better if Tong would be more responsive to emails.

[bayjoens]

I know many of you were thrilled with Tong and are very protective of her reputation, therefore I am very disappointed that we won't be able to use her. Her communication has been terrible, although she did say she has been busy with holidays and the fact that she just bought a new home. I went up to 5 days without hearing from her, and only heard after repeated inquiries and then the responses were totally unsatisfactory. She was offering a one-day tour and I kept asking for a two-day tour and asking questions about transfers, etc, without any hint that she was actually reading my emails. Perhaps someone else is responding to her emails for her? I kept asking for details and she kept sending back one-line emails that were irrelevant of the questions I was asking. Then she finally stopped responding AT ALL. I would definitely not have been comfortable sending her $$.

 

Instead I have been communicating with Danny from Bangkok Day Tour (no 's') and he has been great, answering my questions patiently and completely. We have booked airport transfers and a two-day tour for 11 people and there is no deposit needed. I will come back and let you know how it goes.

[MVPinBoynton]

I know many of you were thrilled with Tong and are very protective of her reputation, therefore I am very disappointed that we won't be able to use her. Her communication has been terrible, although she did say she has been busy with holidays and the fact that she just bought a new home. I went up to 5 days without hearing from her, and only heard after repeated inquiries and then the responses were totally unsatisfactory. She was offering a one-day tour and I kept asking for a two-day tour and asking questions about transfers, etc, without any hint that she was actually reading my emails. Perhaps someone else is responding to her emails for her? I kept asking for details and she kept sending back one-line emails that were irrelevant of the questions I was asking. Then she finally stopped responding AT ALL. I would definitely not have been comfortable sending her $$.

 

Instead I have been communicating with Danny from Bangkok Day Tour (no 's') and he has been great, answering my questions patiently and completely. We have booked airport transfers and a two-day tour for 11 people and there is no deposit needed. I will come back and let you know how it goes.

 

Tong is an awesome tour guide; but there have been many comments about her not replying to emails. I had some minor issues with her as we got closer to the tour and just called her to make sure that all was well. I had also communicated with her after our tour a couple years ago when she was going through some medical issues. At that time she was just overwhelmed with people trying to book her and she couldn't respond to all of the emails.

 

I will normally book with people that are responsive to emails. It does tell you a lot about a company. With the type issues people are having, I would find another company. I will guess that her responses will become quicker as less people try to book her due to this service issue. Then she won't have that many emails to respond to. :)

[Nonna and Papa]

I have a 2 day group tour booked with Tong for February, and have also run into the same problems with communication. But as has been suggested in an earlier post, contact Tong via her Facebook page and she usually answers more promptly. After I did that, I had no further communication difficulties. Good Luck.

 

Mary