Private Tours in Vietnam and Bangkok

[skip1948]

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.

 

 

When I look up Bangkok tours there are so many. Can you give me the exact tour company name and email address?

Thanks

[Earl Rosebery]

When I look up Bangkok tours there are so many. Can you give me the exact tour company name and email address?

Thanks

 

http://www.bangkokdaytour.com

 

also http://www.bangkokdaytours.com (with an 's' ) we used the latter a year ago and were very happy. They have cruise specific tours.

[setter]

We recently used Zoom in Vietnam (4/2012) and were VERY happy with the tour. He did an excellent job with setting a good pace and making certain we saw all significant sites. The company's email is dungzoom@gmail.com.

[bayjoens]

We just got back from Thailand on Friday evening and I wanted to report back on our tour with Bangkok Day Tour (Danny at BangkokDayTour@hotmail.com). Our guide for two part-day tours was Miss Nina and she was great, flexible and knowledgeable. We went to various temples and did a canal tour the first day with an impromptu lunch stop, and then did the train market and floating market on the second day with the addition of some elephant rides. She even bought us some local fruit to try and had plenty or water available for us as well. The best things were frozen washcloths she bought us while we were out. These were the perfect relief for our hot and tired group.

 

Their responses were timely and thorough and made me so much more comfortable. They also provided airport transfers for us in and out of Bangkok Airport.

 

As for Tong, she never responded AT ALL to my last email. She may be busy, but I still find that unacceptable. I never felt like she wanted my business or even read my emails.

 

Good luck to you all! We enjoyed Bangkok, thanks to Danny and Dawn and Nina at Bangkok Day Tour.

[sweetred61]

We recently used Zoom in Vietnam (4/2012) and were VERY happy with the tour. He did an excellent job with setting a good pace and making certain we saw all significant sites. The company's email is dungzoom@gmail.com.

 

Hi there we have a tour booked with Zoom in Oct can you tell me what tour you did with him,we are doing the Mekong Delta.

Sharon

[CRUZGAL53]

We just returned from a 35 day cruise from Singapore to Vancouver. We used Tony at Ann Tous (in Vietnam) for a trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) and then back to Ho chi Minh City to catch the ship in Phu My. We had a fabulous 3 day/2 night tour. Our flights, hotels, meals and tours were all fantastic!! We would highly recommend Ann Tours.

They also did our tour while in Ho Chi Minh City and it was fantastic!

[ottawa24]

We just got back from Thailand on Friday evening and I wanted to report back on our tour with Bangkok Day Tour (Danny at BangkokDayTour@hotmail.com). Our guide for two part-day tours was Miss Nina and she was great, flexible and knowledgeable. We went to various temples and did a canal tour the first day with an impromptu lunch stop, and then did the train market and floating market on the second day with the addition of some elephant rides. She even bought us some local fruit to try and had plenty or water available for us as well. The best things were frozen washcloths she bought us while we were out. These were the perfect relief for our hot and tired group.

 

Their responses were timely and thorough and made me so much more comfortable. They also provided airport transfers for us in and out of Bangkok Airport.

 

As for Tong, she never responded AT ALL to my last email. She may be busy, but I still find that unacceptable. I never felt like she wanted my business or even read my emails.

 

Good luck to you all! We enjoyed Bangkok, thanks to Danny and Dawn and Nina at Bangkok Day Tour.

 

I'm curious where did you have the Elephant ride?

[Calisense]

We used Tong in Bangkok and Ha for Danang, Hanoi and Saigon. We were very happy with all the tours. You can see lots of photos from our tours in our review on our website www.thepreismans.com. Links to their websites are also in the review.

Yours is quite a great supporting site for reference. Thank you.

[Calisense]

Yours is quite a great supporting site for reference. Thank you.

December 15 & 16 mark a challenge. Land excursioners; for the first time, spend one nite in Saigon. Therefore, those who are booked with private guides should be sure things are fine with their visa and should check it with your ship's management. Not with your private guides.

[xander]

We are experienced cruisers and have always booked our own private tours in most ports we've been to.

I've been trying to book a tour to Hoi An with Ha for our visit to Danang for the past 8 day , and am fed up with the slow response from her (3 day to get a reply) and the lack of detail in her response (confirming a tour with just 2 lines is not enough).

While waiting for on of her responses i emailed Smile Tours and i got an answer right away to my questions and she send a full itinerary for the tour discussed within 12hrs , and feel confidant booking with Smile (unlike i did with Ha) This is disappointing esp since there is so much great feed back on these boards about Ha and her tour company.

 

We have also booked 2 tours with Tong in bangkok , again she emailed me within hours to discuss my tour requirements , and with in 2 days from first contact i had paid my deposit, and am now looking forward to our tours there.

 

Saigon , we have booked a half day food tour / cooking class with Saigon Cooking School . They too emailed right away and within a day we had confirmed our tour.

 

Maybe "Ha" has become a victim of her own success ?

[Nonna and Papa]

We are experienced cruisers and have always booked our own private tours in most ports we've been to.

I've been trying to book a tour to Hoi An with Ha for our visit to Danang for the past 8 day , and am fed up with the slow response from her (3 day to get a reply) and the lack of detail in her response (confirming a tour with just 2 lines is not enough).

While waiting for on of her responses i emailed Smile Tours and i got an answer right away to my questions and she send a full itinerary for the tour discussed within 12hrs , and feel confidant booking with Smile (unlike i did with Ha) This is disappointing esp since there is so much great feed back on these boards about Ha and her tour company.

 

We have also booked 2 tours with Tong in bangkok , again she emailed me within hours to discuss my tour requirements , and with in 2 days from first contact i had paid my deposit, and am now looking forward to our tours there.

 

Saigon , we have booked a half day food tour / cooking class with Saigon Cooking School . They too emailed right away and within a day we had confirmed our tour.

 

Maybe "Ha" has become a victim of her own success ?

 

No, Ha has three small children (under the age of 6) and does her tour organizing mainly at night. I have all my tours in Vietnam booked with her, and have found that while she may take a few days to reply, she has been wonderful to deal with, and gives me the impression that she really cares about her clients.

 

Since I have been communicating with her for almost a year now (I like to start early), we have all our tours finalized and our deposit has been paid. Our cruise to Vietnam is in February.

 

Have patience, and if you need additional information from what she has provided, then be specific and ask again. She has excellent reviews from those that have taken her tours, and they say that she aims to please.

 

Mary

[MVPinBoynton]

No, Ha has three small children (under the age of 6) and does her tour organizing mainly at night. I have all my tours in Vietnam booked with her, and have found that while she may take a few days to reply, she has been wonderful to deal with, and gives me the impression that she really cares about her clients.

 

Since I have been communicating with her for almost a year now (I like to start early), we have all our tours finalized and our deposit has been paid. Our cruise to Vietnam is in February.

 

Have patience, and if you need additional information from what she has provided, then be specific and ask again. She has excellent reviews from those that have taken her tours, and they say that she aims to please.

 

Mary

 

You are quite correct Mary. Before our SE Asia cruise, I also communicated with Ha quite a bit. She is a gem! Plus like you said, she does care about her clients and does everything possible to make sure they have a great tour. We got to meet her after our last tour and she was so very nice and appreciative of our business. I have always highly recommended her.

[Nonna and Papa]

You are quite correct Mary. Before our SE Asia cruise, I also communicated with Ha quite a bit. She is a gem! Plus like you said, she does care about her clients and does everything possible to make sure they have a great tour. We got to meet her after our last tour and she was so very nice and appreciative of our business. I have always highly recommended her.

 

Hi Mike,

 

Your review has helped us immensely in our planning. Thanks so much! Three and a half months to go!!:)

 

Mary

[rayngmelb]

Does anyone here had a tour with Zoom Tours in Vietnam and meet NGUYEN TRI DUNG.

 

He seems to be quite an interesting character.

 

Can you tell me what he is like?

[ent704]

We just returned from a 35 day cruise from Singapore to Vancouver. We used Tony at Ann Tous (in Vietnam) for a trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) and then back to Ho chi Minh City to catch the ship in Phu My. We had a fabulous 3 day/2 night tour. Our flights, hotels, meals and tours were all fantastic!! We would highly recommend Ann Tours.

They also did our tour while in Ho Chi Minh City and it was fantastic!

 

We are thinking of doing a day trip in nah trang with Tony . Did you have any issues.? We also asked about a tour in koh Samui Thailand. I Dong know if they do any there or not. We are only two people travelling from the vollendam in January. And Would like a little larger group.

[Earl Rosebery]

Does anyone here had a tour with Zoom Tours in Vietnam and meet NGUYEN TRI DUNG.

 

He seems to be quite an interesting character.

 

Can you tell me what he is like?

 

Passionate, well informed, scrupulously honest, good business man, photographer, you tube aficionado, proud father whose son just graduated from Uni in Australia. Proud Vietnamese.

 

We were lucky enough to have him for 2 days of private touring in Jan 2011. Highly recommended . You will find references to him all over trip advisor.

 

http://www.saigonprivatetour.com

[conkshell47]

We toured with Dung Pham in Nha Trang and it was excellent. We went into the countryside to see many sights no one else saw, rice noodle manufacturing, orphanage, hat making and a river boat ride as well. It was a fun and exciting day.

[raringtogo]

Can someone please tell me how long it takes from Danang Port into Hoi An?

 

Is there more than one port in Danang?

 

what types of tours has anyone arranged? are you sticking with tours around danang or are you going in to Hoi An?

 

thanks in advance

[raringtogo]

If anyone is interested in a great car and driver from the Port of Danang, I can highly recommend a local man named Tommy to arrange it - here is his email address. : tommyxuanha@gmail.com . Tommy is very honest and very reliable.

 

since our original cruise on Diamond Princess in 2005 which visited Vietnam, we have returned to vietnam every year for 6-7 weeks, and we spend at least one month of that in Hoi An.

 

My cousin is cruising on Volendam into Danang Port in December.

so my question in my post before this about the distance of the port to Hoi An is for them.

[sing]

If anyone is interested in a great car and driver from the Port of Danang, I can highly recommend a local man named Tommy to arrange it - here is his email address. : tommyxuanha@gmail.com . Tommy is very honest and very reliable.

 

since our original cruise on Diamond Princess in 2005 which visited Vietnam, we have returned to vietnam every year for 6-7 weeks, and we spend at least one month of that in Hoi An.

 

My cousin is cruising on Volendam into Danang Port in December.

so my question in my post before this about the distance of the port to Hoi An is for them.

 

Thanks for this recommendation. I contacted Tommy and he replied immediately, quoting us a reasonable rate for a taxi for our family of four, taking us from Danang to Hoian via Marble Mountains, and back to port. We will pay the driver at the end of the trip in cash. So it all sounds good! We're going to Danang in December - will come back and let you know how it went.

[raringtogo]

oh that's great- I cannot recommend tommy highly enough- i've known him for a few year's now and he is an extremely professional and reliable young man.

 

Oh, you are going to love Hoi An- it's my most favourite place in the world. The atmosphere and the restaurants are just amazing. and the people just gorgeous.

 

If anyone else is interested, I know Tommy can also arrange large vehicles too if you have a group interested in just a transfer or a tour

[segcruisers]

When we visit vietnam, we use Stephen from Best Cruises. Very reliable, helpful and friendly. You can email him on halongbestcruises@gmail.com. We have booked a tour with him in March next year

[Riverobsessed]

I organized a junk cruise in Halong Bay using Dzung at apro@aprotravel.com or www.aprotravel.com and received very helpful responsive service, always within 12 hours of my email. He sent photos of the junk - Image Cruise - and a complete itinerary. He also responded to the rising interest in our group by dropping the already very fair price.

[Melody Steinberg]

We are using Tong in Bangkok, Zoom in Saigon and Mrs Ha (Vietland Tours) in Da Nang and Hanoi. They have come highly recommended. If you look on the Asia Forum, you will see information about them and how to contact them. We are on the March 7 Pride from Bangkok to Hong Kong.

We are going on the Celebrity Milenium on Feb. 3... We are 10 people.

How does the private tours prices compare to the ship tours?

And how comfortable would a vehicle for 10 be for a long drive to Bankok or Hanoi (I think they were the ports with a long drive to the city).

[eldercruser]

We are going on the Celebrity Milenium on Feb. 3... We are 10 people.

How does the private tours prices compare to the ship tours?

And how comfortable would a vehicle for 10 be for a long drive to Bankok or Hanoi (I think they were the ports with a long drive to the city).

 

Melody, you should go to the Feb 3 Millennium Roll Call thread. They have been discussing private tours for months. You will find a wealth of information there.