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Vietnam Private Tours


John Leyson
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Hi All,

 

This is my first post on Cruisecritic.com so please be kind!

 

I am looking for info on booking a combined Vietnam/Cambodia 16 day tour with the Vietnam Private Tours Company (http://www.vietnamprivatetours.com).

 

I've emailed the operator of the Company and so far he has been great. He's been really responsive and the itinerary looks well balanced and reasonably priced.

 

So, I wanted to ask the forum:

 

1) Has anyone used this Company before and what has been your experience?

2) How did you find the price, service and quality of the tour?

3) How did you pay and was it trustworthy?

 

Thanks in advance for any help I can get.

Really appreciate it.

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:)

Hi All,

 

This is my first post on Cruisecritic.com so please be kind!

 

I am looking for info on booking a combined Vietnam/Cambodia 16 day tour with the Vietnam Private Tours Company (http://www.vietnamprivatetours.com).

 

I've emailed the operator of the Company and so far he has been great. He's been really responsive and the itinerary looks well balanced and reasonably priced.

 

So, I wanted to ask the forum:

 

1) Has anyone used this Company before and what has been your experience?

2) How did you find the price, service and quality of the tour?

3) How did you pay and was it trustworthy?

 

Thanks in advance for any help I can get.

 

Really appreciate it.

We used them for our cruise tours when in port at HCM city and Halong Bay and were to have used then at Phu My but the ship did not dock so we didn't go ashore. Booked through Stephen and he was great to deal with. Met him in Halong Bay and he refunded the money for the cancelled day in Phu My. All the guides spoke good English and the drivers were also good. My group consisted of myself and 3 adult children. Stayed overnight in HCMC at Tan Hai Long Hotel which he also booked. Visited Mekong Delta from HCMC and did a full day cruise in Halong bay and the much quieter Bay.

I priced all the tour operators that do the tours and found he gave us the best deal. Not sure on amounts but paid a deposit in USD and then paid the rest in cash when we arrived at the first port once again in USD. Was a bit worried as to whether we would get a refund for the cancelled day no problems he just took a small amount for getting the guide and driver to the port. If we returned to Vietnam to do a land tour I would use them again, and recommend them as a good tour company. We travelled in a mini bus and they had a bigger bus for a larger group but we did our own thing and had our own guide and the tour was private. Hope this helps Jennifer

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Hi All,

 

This is my first post on Cruisecritic.com so please be kind!

 

I am looking for info on booking a combined Vietnam/Cambodia 16 day tour with the Vietnam Private Tours Company (http://www.vietnamprivatetours.com).

 

I've emailed the operator of the Company and so far he has been great. He's been really responsive and the itinerary looks well balanced and reasonably priced.

 

So, I wanted to ask the forum:

 

1) Has anyone used this Company before and what has been your experience?

2) How did you find the price, service and quality of the tour?

3) How did you pay and was it trustworthy?

 

Thanks in advance for any help I can get.

Really appreciate it.

 

 

Hi

 

We used Stephan's company for an overnight tour in HCMC & a boat tour of Halong Bay this time last year. I can confirm what you have already been told he was efficient and everyone in the group had a wonderful time.

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For a 16 day land tour you are on the wrong forum.

 

Go to Trip Advisor Vietnam for the information you need.

 

We used Ha from Vietnam Discovery Tours (search trip advisor for her details and recommendation) and go from there.

 

Have been to Vietnam many times, the first being at the Governments expense for a 12 month tour.

 

It is a great place to visit and cheap as well and booking the basics with a local tour operator can save time, money and make it easy to do.

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To put things into perspective

 

Four years ago I organised for four adults (all ex Vietnam Vets) to travel from Hanoi to Saigon for 21 days. Included airport pickups, all hotels (excellent), two day trips (Ha Long Bay and one other), transfers between Hue and Hoi An, Train tickets with sleeper between Hanoi and Saigon etc.

 

Cost was $700 USD per person and everything worked liked clockwork and we were able to do our own thing the whole trip other than meet trains etc.

 

The local agent (Ha even called us a few times during the trip to make sure everything was ok.

 

No doubt costs have gone up but still a bargain to visit Vietnam before costs really go up as the country is moving ahead very quickly.

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We were 4 Americans who used Stephen at Vietnam Private Tours last April. Stephen arranged our tours to Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi Anh and an overnight trip to Saigon and the Mekong Delta. All his guides were fabulous! They were on time, spoke English well and were very flexible. We especially liked the meals that Stephen arranged for us. Be sure to have Stephen arrange a day in the Mekong Delta, just fabulous! I give Stephen a 10 out of 10 for affordability, service and wonderful tours. We saw so much in Vietnam and learned about the culture, food, history and people. We travel a lot and Stephen was by far the best tour operator we've used anywhere. He even provided us with a SIM card when we arrived in Halong Bay...he was just wonderful!!!

 

If you have any questions contact me at ldwolff@aol.com

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Hi

 

We used Stephan's company for an overnight tour in HCMC & a boat tour of Halong Bay this time last year. I can confirm what you have already been told he was efficient and everyone in the group had a wonderful time.

 

We were 4 Americans who used Stephen at Vietnam Private Tours last April. Stephen arranged our tours to Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi Anh and an overnight trip to Saigon and the Mekong Delta. All his guides were fabulous! They were on time, spoke English well and were very flexible. We especially liked the meals that Stephen arranged for us. Be sure to have Stephen arrange a day in the Mekong Delta, just fabulous! I give Stephen a 10 out of 10 for affordability, service and wonderful tours. We saw so much in Vietnam and learned about the culture, food, history and people. We travel a lot and Stephen was by far the best tour operator we've used anywhere. He even provided us with a SIM card when we arrived in Halong Bay...he was just wonderful!!!

 

If you have any questions contact me at ldwolff@aol.com

 

I have used Stephen several times. The first time was for just 6 of us and then the next time I organised a tour for 30 of us. Our whole group raved about the tour. I have met Stephen personally and he is very reliable and trustworthy. Should there be any problems there is never a problem with getting a refund. I would always use him and have full trust in him. His prices are very reasonable. It is the done thing for all tour operators to take a deposit for any tours booked.

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Received email back from Vu stating that Stephen is the manager of the company and he (Vu) "is on staff" - Maybe since we are only looking for some day tours and only two of us - that is why Vu is handling it - so far he has responded very well and if I am correct - Stephen was not the driver/guide - so am hopeful that with all your recommendations for the company that all will work out.

 

Any other advice or suggestions - please let me know and thank you again for all those who responded.

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With my coming Vietnamese cruise trip in April, I contacted a number of travel agencies through different sources. Eventually we decided to go with Vietnam Private Tours. We found the price reasonable and their response to our enquiries prompt and professional.

 

Stephen has been very prompt in replying to our email and flexible in meeting our requests. Our booking experience with Vietnam Private Tours has been great.

 

I am happy to share our experience upon our return from the trip.:)

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I agree with the other posters here about Stephen and Halong Best Cruises/Vietnam Private Tours.

 

I posted the below review on Tripadvisor and I hope it helps someone trying to put together an itinerary. I sure wish I had seen a post like this one while I was reseraching my trip.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Vietnam Private Tours/Halong Best Cruises- Stephen

A group of 7 of us who met on the Cruise Critics forum banded together and booked our Vietnam Tours through Stephen at Halong Best Cruises ( www.halongbestcruises.com) who is a sub-agent for Vietnam Private Tours.

Our tours included Halong Bay, HoiAn and Saigon/HCMC.

Four in our group booked a 2 day trip to Hanoi with Stephen; we three booked a Halong Bay overnight cruise on the Victory Star at Stephen’s recommendations. The three of us could not have been more pleased with Stephen, the Victory Star and our choice to do an overnight in Halong Bay. I know the other group was equally pleased with Hanoi, but I will let them post their own review.

Halong Bay Dec 24-25

Christmas Eve- First, the Victory Star was a wonderful cruise to be on. The food and service were spectacular and the cabins were very nice, our bathrooms were actually nicer than the ones we had on the Celebrity Millennium. I could have spent a week on that ship. When we boarded we were treated to a 5 course sit-down lunch and then, the ship arranged for a tour of a floating fishing village. It was wonderful and peaceful and serene and amazing.

Our Christmas Eve dinner was tremendous and I remember how much love there was in the room that night. We were 80 pax, total strangers sharing a seminal moment in our lives with the crew, who could not have been more endearing. We got a surprise visit from Father Christmas that night who came to every table bearing gifts (local artisan crafts).

Christmas Day- The next day we had Tai Chi classes on deck and enjoyed one of the most amazing sunrises I’ve ever seen in my life-over Halong Bay. We were taken to the caves that morning but not before fortifying ourselves with homemade Pho and when we returned, we had a lovely buffet brunch set up. After brunch it was sadly time to disembark, but I will fondly remember my two days on the Victory Star as two of the most remarkable days in my life. I can’t wait to return.

HoiAn- Dec 26

Sadly our Captain cancelled the port because of weather and decided to head down to HCMC/Saigon for an extra day in port (we already had 2 scheduled). The one thing I will say about this is that we had very little notice from our Captain, less than 12 hrs and I immediately sent an email to Stephen. Nonetheless, Stephen refunded 75% of our tour which speaks volumes about his honesty and integrity.

Dec 27-30- HCMC/Saigon

Our group of 7 grew to 9 with two more pax from ship joining us. We had pre-arranged with Stephen a pickup in Phu My port, a tour of Mekong Delta, overnight in Saigon, city tour next day and then transfer back to ship. Our tour guide and driver Tuan promptly picked us up in port at 7am and then we drove the 3.5 hrs to the Mekong Delta where we took a wonderful tour of My Tho Island and the Delta. The sights and sounds of the Mekong Delta are not to be missed; one of the highlights of our entire 15nt cruise in Asia. From there we were taken to HCMC where Stephen had arranged for hotels for 6 in the group, us three booked our hotel separately. I booked the Majestic Saigon and I HIGHLY recommend it although it is pricey by Vietnam standards ($180 USD per night, Deluxe River View), however the rest of our group was equally happy with the accommodations Stephen booked. Don’t know the name of their hotel but they did like it very much.

HCMC is CHAOTIC. Crossing the street is taking your life into your hands… Population of 10Mil; 6Mil of which own scooters/motorcycles. It is an assault on the senses. Our entire group felt we saw as many “highlights” as we could in the 48 hrs we were there. The HCMC tour organized by Stephen was flawless and very well coordinated logistically. We all walked away feeling like we got a very good feel for HCMC. Most would come back in a heartbeat.

All in all, we were very impressed by the tours, the organization, the professionalism the reliability, the guides, the vehicles- you name it. Stephen did an excellent job and I would not hesitate to recommend him and his parent company, Vietnam Private Tours.

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

I CANNOT WAIT TO GO BACK!!!! My life has changed after this trip.:D

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I've been in contact with Stephen at Vietnam Private Tours for our overnight visit to Hanoi off Celebrity Millennium. The hotel he suggested was the Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel. http://hanoielegancehotel.com/group/booking.htm Anyone stay at this hotel? There is another "Diamond" hotel in Hanoi, but it is called the Holiday Diamond Hotel. I'm pretty sure that's not the one, but his email was a bit confusing.

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  • 10 months later...

I had booked a small group tour with Viet Nam Private Tours and paid up front for 3 days of touring. Due to some personal problems, we had to cancel our Asian cruise and I enlisted the help of Stephen to get a refund. He was wonderful and I did get the refund. I hope some day we can re-book our cruise and get to meet Stephen of Viet Nam Private Tours.

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We too had to cancel a recent cruise on which we were going to tour with Vietnam Private Tours as part of a group.

 

Stephen was very helpful and efficient in obtaining a refund for us. Communications have been prompt throughout the process.

 

When we are able to do this trip, we will indeed be contacting this company for our touring needs!

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  • 2 years later...

All my questions were patiently answered by Stephen. His reply is very prompt and always very willing to assist.

 

Unfortunately my tour cancelled and Stephen is kind enough to give us the refund of my deposit. I am certainly going to get their services should i need one in the future.

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For 16 days in Vietnam, tourists can visit from the north to the south of the country. Besides your company, personally, you should refer to other companies or tour agencies such as https://www.vietnamtourbooking.com/en/ for comparing price and services as well

 

Ignore this post, it is a tour agency touting for business.

 

I have reported this poster before but he/she still pops up from tine to time.

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  • 2 weeks later...

We just returned from a cruise to Vietnam and booked 3 private tours with Vietland Discovery Tours to Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta and Hoian. Guides and drivers were excellent and vans held 8 comfortably. You do have to send in partial payment in US $ either by credit card, Paypal or Western Union. We usually don't like to prepay but this worked out great with the 8 people on these tours. Contact Ha at info@vietland-discovery.com

 

Vietnam is an amazing country! We also had a private tour to Halong Bay, but I didn't organize that one! Company is Indochina Junk and info was found inTrip Advisor. Don't miss this!

 

Anne

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On the same cruise as Onthebalcony and yes it was Indochina that I used the smallest they will book is for 12 people and it was an amazing day.

In Ho Chi Min we used Zoom who gave us a great day out including a lunch at Pho 2000 a local restaurant.

Clean van, great air con, met on time with sign.

He also planned a second day on the Mekong for us.

Dungzoom@gmail.com

He even stopped at a patisserie to buy a birthday cake as it was a millstone birthday for me.

He took us to the top of the Rex for coffee and cake

What a memory!

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I will be cruising on the Norwegian Jewel next month and have day excursions set up for Vietnam. I am from the US. Can you please tell me about Visas? Is one needed for a day tour with a company? I am getting all kinds of different answers including different answers from NCL.

 

Thanks,

Penny

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I will be cruising on the Norwegian Jewel next month and have day excursions set up for Vietnam. I am from the US. Can you please tell me about Visas? Is one needed for a day tour with a company? I am getting all kinds of different answers including different answers from NCL.

 

Thanks,

Penny

 

In the two cruises I have done in Vietnam (Princess and Azamara) which included passengers from USA, the visa was organised by the ship and charged to your onboard account,

 

Go to the NCL board and ask the question there as no doubt there will be people on previous NCL cruises to Vietnam to give you advice.

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