Awesome tours for SE Asia itinerary

[J18ktleo]

Just came back from this cruise and had a couple of really great experiences with tour guides in a couple of the ports.

In KL we used CK Tours which was very well organized, efficient and we covered a lot of what we wanted to see, even climbed to the top of the Batu Caves which we didn't think we could accomplish ;)

They were super great in communicating quickly and worked with us on organizing a couple of vans for others who wanted to do private tours as well. We didn't feel that the drive from the port to the city was too long...as the info given along the was was informative and easy to understand!

 

In Lombok we used Lombok Network Holidays and they were THE BEST! Suja, who I worked with all the way along, did an amazing job! We were taken to a local market and it had just rained so the entire area was filled with mud but we wandered all the way thru, it was so interesting, and he explained all kinds of fruits and vegetables to us...he also bought many of the different fruits and had us try them on the bus.

When we drove to the Monkey Forest he had bananas for us to feed the monkeys. The tour was well organized and really wonderful, reasonably priced and a great day, overall!

 

In Penang we did the cooking class at Nazlina's which was a lot of fun...she took us thru the local market to buy all the ingredients to cook with then we went to her studio and cooked a lovely lunch with 3 different dishes (fish, beef and chicken) which we all enjoyed a lot. Afterwards, we did a city tour on the way back to the ship which made the day complete!

 

In Phuket we did the Speedboat tour to Phi Phi Island with Samba Day Trips. This was another great day as they took us to a few of the 'hot spots' but just for a visit and then we went to a secluded beach for snorkeling and lunch on the beach...delicious and plenty of time to relax and enjoy. The only thing we weren't prepared for was the roughness of the ride out to Phi Phi Island as the boat was 'flying' and we were 'thumping' pretty hard along the water...but the ride back was easier and much more pleasant! I would highly recommend this company for your tours in Phuket...well done, organized, friendly and another great day!

 

Hope this is helpful as I know that some of the tour guides (and yes, we did have a couple of those too!) weren't all we thought and it was a shame to miss so much in such memorable stops!:rolleyes:

Edited February 25, 2014 by J18ktleo

[Cassicruiser]

Hi Jeanie

So glad to hear you had such a great cruise and great tour guides along the way. I am the one that was in contact with you via email before our cruises (we were on the one before yours) and we too had an absolutely fabulous time. We did similar tours and loved them all, and just loved the ship as well.

 

I can remember getting off the ship in Singapore in a post cruise sulk and thinking that you were all just beginning yours... We went to the top of the Marina Bay Sands that day and saw the ship still docked at the cruise terminal and I wanted to jump right off the rooftop and join you for another round!

 

Caron

[Steve007NY]

Interesting. We are arriving in Phuket for the day of March 31. Simba tours (I assume that's who you meant) said they don't do cruise pier pickups except for charters (37,000 baht plus $1000 p/p as regular tours started at 7:00am before we dock.. We're you picked up at pier? Did you do charter?

[cruisetexas]

Hi,

I was on this cruise with Jeani, and we did charter the boat with Simba. They only take 13 passengers and that number was easy to get via our CC roll call.

 

I will say it was probably one of our best days on the cruise. The boat is beautiful and comfortable, although the seas were rough and there was much pounding making for a very bumpy ride. I would not recommend this trip for people with back/neck issues, although the seas have been known to be smooth, also.

 

Simba goes out of their way with food/drinks and ease of entry/exit on the beach. Lunch was fantastic, as were the fresh fruit and beverages during the day. The crew was beyond helpful from the pick up to the drop off.

 

Enjoy your trip!

Susan

[J18ktleo]

Susan,

I was just getting ready to answer...great that you're here! and THANK YOU for organizing this amazing day!

 

The price we paid worked out to around $140 or so per person which, if you take the 37,000 baht plus 1,000 per person, is about right.

 

This WAS and amazing day and personalized so that we got the most out of it...they took us first to a snorkeling area that was jam packed so we left there and went to two other places, one for great pictures and the other for snorkeling and lunch on the beach...it was really a fun day and well worth it!

I highly recommend Simba for your day in Phuket!

[Joshienana]

Susan,

I was just getting ready to answer...great that you're here! and THANK YOU for organizing this amazing day!

 

The price we paid worked out to around $140 or so per person which, if you take the 37,000 baht plus 1,000 per person, is about right.

 

This WAS and amazing day and personalized so that we got the most out of it...they took us first to a snorkeling area that was jam packed so we left there and went to two other places, one for great pictures and the other for snorkeling and lunch on the beach...it was really a fun day and well worth it!

I highly recommend Simba for your day in Phuket!

 

Hi All, We are planning to go to Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Min City, Hue, Hanoi, and Hong Kong. Does anyone know of any private tour companies. The ones I've seen on line are quite expensive and we have being herded like cattle on the ship's tours.

 

You can email me at: joshienana@hotmail.com.

 

Thanks,

Arleen

[J18ktleo]

Arleen,

Have you checked the Ports O' Call for those ports? Also maybe the roll calls for cruises that are doing that itinerary?

I know plenty of people who have done those ports on Milennium and Azamara and have had good luck in finding private guides...:rolleyes: