Ho Chi Minh City With Xuan

[mstadleraz]

Wow! What a fantastic two days with Xuan. We saw the Mekong Delta from a local's perspective stopping with a family who weaves mats, saw how coconuts are processed and used...even how coconut candy made by the family. The food was fresh and delicious. Our day in HCMC-Saigon involved a trishaw trip through Saigon's markets (and fresh local fruit), Chinatown and temple. Had vietnamese style coffee and tea, ate lunch at a fantastic restaurant and experienced the sky deck. Xuan provided an all around perspective of the region. Pickup and drop off at the port. I cannot say enough good comments to truly described the experience. Xuan even helped secure tickets for the AO show at the Opera house for us. You will not go wrong with Xuan.

[jebbs]

Outstanding!

The highlight of our SouthEast Asia cruise!

A gentleman, easy to work with and Xuan accommodated all our requests!

Xuan is informed, enthusiastic, entertaining and a credit to his city and profession.

Our four days in HCMC were filled with excitement and adventure…..from the cool Chill Sky Bar and dinner on Friday evening, to a once in a lifetime adventure through the Mekong Delta all day Saturday, followed Sunday by the ultimate HCMC tour/adventure to markets, a trishaw escapade, delicious lunch, Bitexco SkyDeck, Rex Hotel beverage break, lunch, etc…a memorable, fantastic experience!

BOOK HIM!  You won’t regret it!

[jojoshumate]

We just returned from a 16 night cruise on Cunard Queen Elizabeth, from Singapore to Tokyo. Our first port stop was Ho Chi Minh City and we hired Xuan Le as our tour guide.  Prior to embarking on the trip, he was responsive to all email inquiries. He and his driver picked us up at the ship and drove us into the city. His tours were exceptional, taking us to a local temple and a spot on the river to enjoy local coffee. We enjoyed a rickshaw ride thru the crazy market streets!  He took us to a beautiful local restaurant and ordered the food for us, explaining how to eat it.  Our subsequent tours were through the cruise line and I constantly compared them to Xuan's--his was the best.  If you are travelling to Vietnam, I highly recommend his services.  You will not be disappointed! 

[ssawjo]

On 4/3/2023 at 1:56 PM, jebbs said:

Outstanding!

The highlight of our SouthEast Asia cruise!

A gentleman, easy to work with and Xuan accommodated all our requests!

Xuan is informed, enthusiastic, entertaining and a credit to his city and profession.

Our four days in HCMC were filled with excitement and adventure…..from the cool Chill Sky Bar and dinner on Friday evening, to a once in a lifetime adventure through the Mekong Delta all day Saturday, followed Sunday by the ultimate HCMC tour/adventure to markets, a trishaw escapade, delicious lunch, Bitexco SkyDeck, Rex Hotel beverage break, lunch, etc…a memorable, fantastic experience!

BOOK HIM!  You won’t regret it!

Hello, I was wondering if you stayed in HCMC or returned to your ship on Friday evening.  Asking because we will be there overnight but will be docking in Phu My.  I really rather stay in the city than doing all of that transiting.  So, question is if you stayed in HCMC what hotel did you stay at?  And did Xuan have no problem with picking you up at the hotel?  

 

We will be on a Xuan tour the first day from the ship on a private excursion.  Is the Mekong Delta worth it?

 

Thanks for your help.  Bill

[jebbs]

Hi Bill,

It never crossed our minds to stay in HCMC.  We were 45 minutes to an hour from downtown, but we had a fantastic group of 7, strangers when we loaded the van, but really enjoyed each other’s company and melded well over the three days. The excitement of watching the crazy scooters and then another time seeing the stillness of early morning in such a large, metropolitan area were memories we won’t soon forget.  If you opt to stay in HCMC, Xuan will be happy to accommodate, I’m sure.  I believe, based on what he told us, that he lives closer towards the Mekong Delta. We were further out, on the east side ofHCMC. He would also most likely recommend a hotel…..there are many.

To go deep into the brush, jungle really, of the Mekong Delta was very enlightening.  Bill, I’m of a certain age that I remember evening news casts from Saigon, Agent Orange defoliant in the Mekong Delta, and all around nightly reports of young, US GIs.  Not looking to debate here, but that excursion was living history….in addition to our van, we used 4 additional modes of transportation that day, were entertained by singers, had a home cooked meal and could buy a few trinkets. A fantastic day for us.

Whatever you do, enjoy it!

[ssawjo]

19 hours ago, jebbs said:

Hi Bill,

It never crossed our minds to stay in HCMC.  We were 45 minutes to an hour from downtown, but we had a fantastic group of 7, strangers when we loaded the van, but really enjoyed each other’s company and melded well over the three days. The excitement of watching the crazy scooters and then another time seeing the stillness of early morning in such a large, metropolitan area were memories we won’t soon forget.  If you opt to stay in HCMC, Xuan will be happy to accommodate, I’m sure.  I believe, based on what he told us, that he lives closer towards the Mekong Delta. We were further out, on the east side ofHCMC. He would also most likely recommend a hotel…..there are many.

To go deep into the brush, jungle really, of the Mekong Delta was very enlightening.  Bill, I’m of a certain age that I remember evening news casts from Saigon, Agent Orange defoliant in the Mekong Delta, and all around nightly reports of young, US GIs.  Not looking to debate here, but that excursion was living history….in addition to our van, we used 4 additional modes of transportation that day, were entertained by singers, had a home cooked meal and could buy a few trinkets. A fantastic day for us.

Whatever you do, enjoy it!

Thanks for your response.  Yes, I am also of a certain age watching events every night on the news.  I will ask Xuan for a recommendation.  Bill

[cant wait to retire]

On 9/8/2018 at 7:15 AM, totaltraveller said:

 

Hi

We have just completed a tour with Xuan. We docked at Phu My and it was absolutely no issue.

I am a huge fan of Xuan, I previously did a tour of Cui Chi in June of this year with a group of friends and last week toured again with Xuan and my husband around HCM city .... the trickshaw ride was a real highlight. Trust me you will not be disappointed he is a wonderful young man and you will learn a lot about Vietnam culture, history and yummy food on your tour. I can’t say enough good things about him 🙂

Can you please share his contact info?  We will be going on a cruise to Vietnam Feb 2024.  Thanks

 

[terry&mike]

10 hours ago, cant wait to retire said:

Can you please share his contact info?  We will be going on a cruise to Vietnam Feb 2024.  Thanks

 

One of the best guides we've ever had, Xuan is awesome. His web page is here: https://www.tourwithxuan.com/  Tell him Terry and Mike said hello!

[Clay Clayton]

On 4/26/2023 at 4:33 PM, jebbs said:

Hi Bill,

It never crossed our minds to stay in HCMC.  We were 45 minutes to an hour from downtown, but we had a fantastic group of 7, strangers when we loaded the van, but really enjoyed each other’s company and melded well over the three days. The excitement of watching the crazy scooters and then another time seeing the stillness of early morning in such a large, metropolitan area were memories we won’t soon forget.  If you opt to stay in HCMC, Xuan will be happy to accommodate, I’m sure.  I believe, based on what he told us, that he lives closer towards the Mekong Delta. We were further out, on the east side ofHCMC. He would also most likely recommend a hotel…..there are many.

To go deep into the brush, jungle really, of the Mekong Delta was very enlightening.  Bill, I’m of a certain age that I remember evening news casts from Saigon, Agent Orange defoliant in the Mekong Delta, and all around nightly reports of young, US GIs.  Not looking to debate here, but that excursion was living history….in addition to our van, we used 4 additional modes of transportation that day, were entertained by singers, had a home cooked meal and could buy a few trinkets. A fantastic day for us.

Whatever you do, enjoy it!

We will be in HVM City next spring and based on recommendations here and elsewhere are in discussions with Xuan or one of his folks as he is already booked for two of our days to be our guide.
 

We just finished watching several

YouTube videos of various folks doing Mekong Delta tours. While none appeared to be with Xuan the description of his tour seems to correspond with all three of the videos we watched.  Bus to boat, boat to island, have some fruit while listening to some Viet music, ride a canoe (along with what appeared to be hundreds of others) through coconut palms, have some honey tea, ride the boat to a different island and have lunch, ride a bike (Xian's is on a tuk tuk) around the island. It seem very touristy and seemed like there were folks hawking something everywhere. 
 

Generally the vloggers said they were glad they had done it but most mentioned the boat traffic jams at the coconut palms and how touristy it seemed but for the $20-$30 they paid, they thought it was worth it. 
 

All that is background for asking what does Xuan's company (since it won't be him) do that makes his Delta tour worth $90 per person IF I find 8 to join us?  (Up to $160pp if I don't)

 

I have similar reservations about his other tours-I don't mind paying a little more for a smaller or better tour but all of his prices seem to be about four times what I find from other highly rated by Trip Advisor companies.

 

TIA!

[ssawjo]

12 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

 

We will be in HVM City next spring and based on recommendations here and elsewhere are in discussions with Xuan or one of his folks as he is already booked for two of our days to be our guide.
 

We just finished watching several

YouTube videos of various folks doing Mekong Delta tours. While none appeared to be with Xuan the description of his tour seems to correspond with all three of the videos we watched.  Bus to boat, boat to island, have some fruit while listening to some Viet music, ride a canoe (along with what appeared to be hundreds of others) through coconut palms, have some honey tea, ride the boat to a different island and have lunch, ride a bike (Xian's is on a tuk tuk) around the island. It seem very touristy and seemed like there were folks hawking something everywhere. 
 

Generally the vloggers said they were glad they had done it but most mentioned the boat traffic jams at the coconut palms and how touristy it seemed but for the $20-$30 they paid, they thought it was worth it. 
 

All that is background for asking what does Xuan's company (since it won't be him) do that makes his Delta tour worth $90 per person IF I find 8 to join us?  (Up to $160pp if I don't)

 

I have similar reservations about his other tours-I don't mind paying a little more for a smaller or better tour but all of his prices seem to be about four times what I find from other highly rated by Trip Advisor companies.

 

TIA!

Clay, 

 

I guess I can only answer your concerns after we take his tours.  We are also doing tours with Xuan in Nha Trang and Chan May (Hue) in February 2024.  Four tours in total, small groups.  I do not find his prices to be more expensive than others.  We decided on Xuan based on the high praise from others on Cruise Critic.  He has been very responsive to my emails.

 

We did decide to stay overnight in HCMC after our Mekong Delta tour.  It is a slight logistical hassle to get to our hotel but we should be able to work it out.  Xuan will pick us up the next day at our hotel for our city tour before returning to the ship (Oceania Riviera).  We decided to stay at the Silverland Jolie Hotel in District 1.  We were thinking of staying at the Rex Hotel due to the historical significance of the place but the recent reviews were not very complimentary.  We will be seeing the Rex Hotel anyway on the tour.

 

I am sure you will make the right decision for yourself.  I will try to remember to post something about our experiences with Xuan and his company.

 

Bill

 

 

[Clay Clayton]

43 minutes ago, ssawjo said:

Clay, 

 

I guess I can only answer your concerns after we take his tours.  We are also doing tours with Xuan in Nha Trang and Chan May (Hue) in February 2024.  Four tours in total, small groups.  I do not find his prices to be more expensive than others.  We decided on Xuan based on the high praise from others on Cruise Critic.  He has been very responsive to my emails.

 

We did decide to stay overnight in HCMC after our Mekong Delta tour.  It is a slight logistical hassle to get to our hotel but we should be able to work it out.  Xuan will pick us up the next day at our hotel for our city tour before returning to the ship (Oceania Riviera).  We decided to stay at the Silverland Jolie Hotel in District 1.  We were thinking of staying at the Rex Hotel due to the historical significance of the place but the recent reviews were not very complimentary.  We will be seeing the Rex Hotel anyway on the tour.

 

I am sure you will make the right decision for yourself.  I will try to remember to post something about our experiences with Xuan and his company.

 

Bill

 

 

Thanks!  We will be there in March so will make some decisions before you can report. 
 

have a great cruise!

[jebbs]

17 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

 

We will be in HVM City next spring and based on recommendations here and elsewhere are in discussions with Xuan or one of his folks as he is already booked for two of our days to be our guide.
 

We just finished watching several

YouTube videos of various folks doing Mekong Delta tours. While none appeared to be with Xuan the description of his tour seems to correspond with all three of the videos we watched.  Bus to boat, boat to island, have some fruit while listening to some Viet music, ride a canoe (along with what appeared to be hundreds of others) through coconut palms, have some honey tea, ride the boat to a different island and have lunch, ride a bike (Xian's is on a tuk tuk) around the island. It seem very touristy and seemed like there were folks hawking something everywhere. 
 

Generally the vloggers said they were glad they had done it but most mentioned the boat traffic jams at the coconut palms and how touristy it seemed but for the $20-$30 they paid, they thought it was worth it. 
 

All that is background for asking what does Xuan's company (since it won't be him) do that makes his Delta tour worth $90 per person IF I find 8 to join us?  (Up to $160pp if I don't)

 

I have similar reservations about his other tours-I don't mind paying a little more for a smaller or better tour but all of his prices seem to be about four times what I find from other highly rated by Trip Advisor companies.

 

TIA!

Hi Clay,

I feel as if I know you through all your posts!  
We each travel to learn things, and for me, HCMC and the Mekong Delta were living history.  I vividly experienced it on the nightly news, with protests and bombings frequently reported by the media. I wanted the best experience I could find, and Xuan’s ratings were exceptional!  It was important to me to have a guide with strong English command, with small group excursions a must.  We toured with him two days, as a group of 7 people, picked up promptly at 8am and returned to the ship about 5 pm as I recall.  It worked out to $90 per person, per day.  
Vikings port location was about 40-50 minutes outside the city, making MekongDelta about 2 hours to Ben Tre. It was a personal, professional tour.  
Additionally, I toured with Xuan on Friday evening, a night club and dinner.  We walked the French Quarter, and experienced the Capitalistic approach to life for the young Vietnamese…..eye opening, when I think of our young men who fought and died there.

I’m certain your experience will be just as thrilling, no matter with whom you tour.

When I think of fantastic tours I have taken on cruises, a Guide on the Amalfi Coast, a young professional in Barcelona, an experienced driver in the south of France, a brilliant communicator in Madagascar, all exceptional, like these, Xuan stands out!  I’m sorry you won’t have him as your guide.

Whatever you decide Clay will be the right one for you!

Happy traveling! 

[Clay Clayton]

2 minutes ago, jebbs said:

Hi Clay,

I feel as if I know you through all your posts!  
We each travel to learn things, and for me, HCMC and the Mekong Delta were living history.  I vividly experienced it on the nightly news, with protests and bombings frequently reported by the media. I wanted the best experience I could find, and Xuan’s ratings were exceptional!  It was important to me to have a guide with strong English command, with small group excursions a must.  We toured with him two days, as a group of 7 people, picked up promptly at 8am and returned to the ship about 5 pm as I recall.  It worked out to $90 per person, per day.  
Vikings port location was about 40-50 minutes outside the city, making MekongDelta about 2 hours to Ben Tre. It was a personal, professional tour.  
Additionally, I toured with Xuan on Friday evening, a night club and dinner.  We walked the French Quarter, and experienced the Capitalistic approach to life for the young Vietnamese…..eye opening, when I think of our young men who fought and died there.

I’m certain your experience will be just as thrilling, no matter with whom you tour.

When I think of fantastic tours I have taken on cruises, a Guide on the Amalfi Coast, a young professional in Barcelona, an experienced driver in the south of France, a brilliant communicator in Madagascar, all exceptional, like these, Xuan stands out!  I’m sorry you won’t have him as your guide.

Whatever you decide Clay will be the right one for you!

Happy traveling! 

Thanks!  

[hawkesbaynz]

We used Xuan Le for our tours to HCMC, Nha Trang ((with his colleague Mr Hoi) and Hue. Xuan was an excellent guide. Charming and informative. Communicates well pre-cruise. Five stars!

[catweazlecat]

On 11/23/2023 at 12:16 AM, hawkesbaynz said:

We used Xuan Le for our tours to HCMC, Nha Trang ((with his colleague Mr Hoi) and Hue. Xuan was an excellent guide. Charming and informative. Communicates well pre-cruise. Five stars!

Great to hear! We have booked our tours with him for January and looking forward to it!

[ela123]

We had a tour with Xuan yesterday in Ho Chi Minh City. He’s an amazing guide and we had a fantastic day. I booked over a year ahead to make sure I got him and I’m so glad I did. 

[Mrs. Claypool]

You can’t do better than Xuan!  An excellent guide and an exemplary person. His one-day tour of HCM City was the highlight of our SE Asia cruise last year.