Da Nang - Hoi An

For all of you that may be hesitant to visit Asia, you should really consider cruising with Volendam HAL. We did the B2B in January-February 2015 from Hong Kong and loved every minute of it. We especially loved Vietnam. Every stop in Vietnam was a delight. We became good friends with Tommy Dao of Tommy Tours Hoi An (he is currently #16/113 on Tripadvisor). I will never forget seeing the first rice field on his tour. You never get tired of looking at rice fields!!! If you are going to Da Nang or Hoi An, consider him: tommydaotourshoian.com

If you have any questions, let me know...

The Canadians!:D

Will be taking the 2017 cruise to these ports.would love it if you could post tour info for the other ports also.I'm already researching and have been reviewing the 2016 roll call for ideas. I'm always the one in my group setting up tours so hearing about how tours were and what was included cost etc is always helpful! Thanks,Karen

This is what I had posted for our cruise. This tour was OUTSTANDING! We did soooo much. After "my" group was full, other people started other groups and used nhatrangrivertour.com. We were all extremely satisfied. I understand you don't know me but I research everything when I travel. I truly enjoy researching as much as travelling... I organized 6 tours on our B2B and they were all great. I will share our guide for Saigon in the next post...

Nha Trang tour

We are looking for 4 more couples to join us on the below tour when we will dock at Nha Trang on Sunday, January 25, 2015 from 8am to 5pm. I have done extensive research on all our ports of call and read other roll calls related to our cruise. Several people on cruisecritic have recommended this below tour and tour operator.

Tour: Nha Trang Special Countryside + City Tour by bus + River Cruise $60 USD/person for a group of 10 tourists http://www.nhatrangrivertour.com

08:00 pick-up outside the port, then tour around by bus. This is specially tailor-made excursions. Exploring the country trails, village's life, town and farms, pagoda, the best way to experience the "true" Vietnamese countryside. Through countryside trails, villages towns and farms.. This countryside tour offers you a fascinating insight into the "real lives" of everyday people who are the backbone of Vietnam . Just a few kilometers from Nha Trang’s beach front is the picturesque countryside dotted with palm trees, fruit orchards and irrigated rice paddies.

The first stop of the tour is an embroidery factory . Driving through miles of flat rice fields to a rural village, enjoy the opportunity to interact with the local people as they go about their daily lives, with farming and cottage industries as their primary source of income. The village path leads us to the home of one family who weave mats from rushes which grow abundantly in the surrounding area. Two people working together will weave just four mats in a day, which will be taken to the local market and traded for food and other essentials.

Pagoda Orphanage: where it shelters and cares for over 120 abandoned, orphaned or street children. They range from several months to 9 years of age. The children of the orphanage are taken care of by a group of Buddhist nuns and volunteers. Their goal is to provide the children with a safe and caring environment which lessens their misfortune and gives their lives greater purpose and meaning. Being a private organization, the orphanage is trying to provide its children food, shelter, health and education. The nuns and volunteers at the orphanage have devoted their lives for the wonderful mission - helping the orphans.

Tourists can take photos of Amitabha Buddha statue at a height of 44 meters.

Rice paper making: One of the most typical food from rice steamed and processed into round piece dried in the sun on the bamboo brackets that are on sale in the inns or shops.

Conical hat making village: Conical hat making village: Manual skill work by women, it's also your gift for your friends when toward home.

Ancient house: these are traditionally laid out in the same manner throughout the village. Ancestor worship is an important part of daily life in Vietnam and a large area of these small houses is usually reserved for the family altar. Next, pass through a fruit orchard boasting a plentiful supply of tropical fruits. Lunch at a riverside restaurant

Ponagar Temples . An outstanding example of Cham architecture, situated on Mount Cu Lao this hillside offers panoramic views of the surrounding.

Visit Dam Market for shopping.

16:00 Drop-off at the port. End of service

Including: Bus/river boat/local guide/admission fees/Vietnamese lunch/fruit in season in the countryside.

Excluding: alcoholic drink, personal expenses

We hope you will join us. The Canadians!

Best land tour on Tripadvisor

This is what I posted for our cruise in January 2014. Zoom (be careful ad other people try to use his name) was maybe in his 50s with a passion for his country. He was extremely interesting. "My" group was tHe first one to leave the port and we were the last one (I asked the crew how maybe people were still out and he said 5 after scanning my card and 5 people in my group were behind me!) to board the ship at 8pm. Saigon is INCREDIBLE... It took about 1 hour and 20 min to get to Saigon from the port. The highway was very smooth and new... Tell him that The Canadians! are sending you. One of the best guide we have encounter in all our travelling. I believe he used to be a teacher...

Ho Chi Minh City Tour

We are looking for about 6 other couples to share the below tour when we will dock in Phu My (Saigon) on Monday, January 26, 2015 (9am- 11pm). Phu My is the port for Ho Chi Minh City which is over 2 hrs away (110km; 2 hrs) over bumpy roads. It’s a commercial (containers) port with nothing nearby. You can walk outside the port. It’s about 5-10 min walk along the left when you disembark. Lots of prebooked vehicles wait outside.

I have done extensive research on all our ports of call and read other roll calls related to our cruise. I read several great comments on Zoom, Nguyen Tri Dung of Saigon Private Tour. He was selected to be the tour guide of US President Clinton’s daughter on the City Tour in HCMC Sunday Nov. 19th, 2000 which speaks for itself.

City tour :

Pickup from boat (inside the port) - China town for Heavenly Lady Temple and Chinatown market - Drive back to downtown Saigon - Lunch at Pho 2000, Clinton's restaurant - Visits to lacquerware workshop, history/war remnants museum - Photo stops at Independence Palace, Notre Dame de Saigon, Post Office - Coffee round at Rooftop bar at Rex htl - More stops at Saigon Square, Opera house, Le Loi ave., Khai silk, former residence of Westmoreland, Cabot Lodge or as requested - Drive back to boat

10-pax group: US$XX. 12-pax: US$XX. 14-pax: US$XX. I requested to meet him outside the port as I read from some people on cruise critic oand he agreed to reduce the above price by US$XX per person quotation. But Zoom added that outside the port, sometimes, some people stop the bus asking for money, some dollars per person, he wasn’t sure how much for a bus but it’s $10 per car/van. I think it’s still worth to meet him outside the port.

Inclusive services:

- Pickup at the berth of the ship with permit for $XX

If pickup outside the port, Zoom doesn’t need a permit so the cost per person is cheaper... English-speaking guide & A/C car/ minivan/ van/ bus

- Entrance tickets

- Lunch at Pho 2000 Noodle soup

- Coffee at Rooftop bar, Rex hotel*

- Insurance

- Cold mineral water & Towels-

* If you don't like to have coffee, soft drink $6 will be deducted from per person quotation.http://www.saigonprivatetour.com

Zoom, Nguyen Tri Dung, Cell : +84 – 902999540, Facebook : Dung Zoom

For your info, HAL charges $69/person for transportation only!

If you want to join this tour, kindly send him details of your Passports (I have

to double check if he needs our info if we walk outside the port and he picks us up outside the port) and kindly make a deposit equal to half of per person quotation x number of pax.

The balance will be settled down upon him meeting us.

His bank account details are:Bank : ASIA COMMERCIAL BANK

Swiftcode : ASCBVNVX

Account number : 74292689

Account holder : Nguyen Tri Dung

Address : 331 Le Dai Hanh, Ward 13, District 11, Hochiminh City

Or, his Paypal account is ngviet10@gmail.com should you consider your bank fee is higher than 8.5% in Paypal method.

Several people on cruisecritic have used him and had to send a down deposit. No problem reported.

PP details: Passport number: Full name: Nationality: Date of birth: Sex:

He needs these details to apply for the port entrance permit so that he will be able to pick us up at the berth of the ship. (Have to see if he wants this info as he will pick us up outside the port)

Kindly send him PP details and deposit to reserve your seat. My husband and I have sent US$25 each.

Your deposit will be refunded if you cancel the tour and your cancellation is noticed to him before 10 days prior to the arrival date.

Hope you join us as this tour is good quality/price.

The Canadians!

Our friends, Roger and Val (their names on CC is Omega1 and they are from the UK) organized the tour for our 2 days in Myanmar. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of our guide but AGAIN he had a passion about his country and touring I had really seen. These 2 days in Myanmar were one of the highlights of our B2B.

Yangon (Rangoon) and Bago Tour

YANGON & BAGO CITY TOUR

I have been in contact Myanmar Shalom, a Cruisecritic and Tripadviser recommended tour company based in Yangon (Rangoon). They have put together a suggested two day itinerary (below) exploring Yangon on day 1 and Bago on day 2. http://www.myanmarshalom.com

7 January 2015 - Yangon

Welcome by our tour guide at Tilawar Pier. Enjoy private tour and drive through the downtown to explore the city centre and its fabulous mix of architecture and sites. The streets are filled with historical buildings many of which have a faded colonial charm not seen elsewhere in Asia.

Start at the post office – a lovely historic building, passing by Strand Hotel, Mahabandoola Garden and Independence Monument along the way.

Then a rare visit to the over 100 year old beautiful Rangoon Synagogue featuring the amazing 120 years old Torah from Baghdad, Iraq.

Visit Little India and Chinatown – stop to greet the vendors and let them introduce you to their wares – some familiar, some exotic.

Enjoy a visit to Scott Market, the sprawling 75-year-old Market. At the market you will find a whole variety of interesting Burmese souvenirs, from lacquer ware to gems & jewelry – bargain at the stores to fully experience the Burmese market atmosphere!

Visit famous Chauk Htat Kyi, home to a 70-meter long reclining Buddha.

Photo stop at the Karaweik Hall royal floating barge.

The stunning Shwedagon Pagoda, with its glittering gold stupa. At the pagoda observe local pilgrims and monks offering their devotions and enjoy the amazing sunset view at Shwedagon pagoda. Return to Tilawar Pier.

8 January 2015 - Bago

This morning your guide and driver will greet you at the pier and embark on the drive to Bago, a 2-hour drive. Bago, also known as Pegu, was the capital of the Mon Kingdom in the 15th century and is a town steeped in legend.

The sites in Bago are spread out around the town and you'll spend the day exploring with your guide, learning about the history and myths of the city. Stops include:

The 55-metre long reclining Shwethalyaung Buddha.

The four seated Buddhas at Kyaikpun and the old palace of Kambozathadi.

The Mon-style Shwemawdaw Pagoda which is the most outstanding religious monument in Bago -this golden temple stands at 114 metres tall, higher than Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda, and can be seen from around 10 kilometres outside of the city.

While in Bago we'll also take time to visit the city's local sites, including the town market and a Mon neighborhood where the locals produce beautiful woven textiles. A lunch stop will be made at a local restaurant during the day's touring in Bago.

From Bago we'll return to Yangon this afternoon. Before reaching the city limits, stop in Htaukkyan township to visit the Allied War Cemetery. This beautifully-landscaped, peaceful area is the final resting place for more than 27,000 Allied Soldiers who perished during the World War II campaign in Myanmar. If time permits, continue sightseeing in Yangon before returning to Tilawar Pier.

Tour cost per person: $XXX (based on 10 people) Tour cost per person: $XXX (Based on 4-8 people)

Cost includes:

• All transfer and sightseeing by private air conditioned van

• All entrance fees & all zone fees

• Experienced English speaking local tour guide

• Lunch each day

• Departure gift

There are six places remaining on this tour and if you would like to join us, please email me at Rogeriholt at gmail dot com

As yet I do not know if the company requires a deposit - more information on this to follow.

Roger and Val

__________________

For all of you that may be hesitant to visit Asia, you should really consider cruising with Volendam HAL. We did the B2B in January-February 2015 from Hong Kong and loved every minute of it. We especially loved Vietnam. Every stop in Vietnam was a delight. We became good friends with Tommy Dao of Tommy Tours Hoi An (he is currently #16/113 on Tripadvisor). I will never forget seeing the first rice field on his tour. You never get tired of looking at rice fields!!! If you are going to Da Nang or Hoi An, consider him: tommydaotourshoian.com

If you have any questions, let me know...

The Canadians!:D

Good to know.

There are certainly lots of ships sailing Asia and also many different tour guides.

Keith

This detail should be on a review of either the cruise or the port.

Trip details should only be put here in response to questions asking for that.

This detail should be on a review of either the cruise or the port.

 

Trip details should only be put here in response to questions asking for that.

thanks Cashmerepuppy, I appreciate your posting your tour info as I requested. Not sure why this poster had a problem with that!

I did the Myanmar tour this Feb also with Myanmar Shalom, what an amazing tour! This time our trip to Asia will be Hong Kong to Singapore, last year was Singapore to Singapore so got to see Malaysia too.

I am adding on a precruise trip to Angkor wat that I just set up.

Again thanks for your postings,,,,Karen

Hello Karen,

We might have been on the same cruise Feb2-16, 2015 from Singapore to Singapore. However, we started in Hong Kong on Jan 19, 2015. You will love HK!

We did a pre-cruise on our own: 5 nights in Bangkok (too long, 3 nights would have been perfect), 3 nights in Siem Reap, 3 nights in Saigon (an extra night would have been better) and 4 nights in HK. We did the pre-cruise as we did not know if we would ever go back to Asia. The first 3 days in Bangkok were perfect but day 4 and 5 were just too much for us. We flew to Siem Reap and loved every minute of this charming (but HOT!) city. Angkor Wat is a pure gem but make sure to go to "Pub Street" at night and visit the "Artisan d'Angkor" where you will see blind/deaf/mute people carving pieces of art. Also, they took us to their "silk tour" about 20 min outside Siem Reap for free. The 30-min tour is extremely interesting and I now look at silk products with different eyes... A LOT of work put into silk clothing...

We then flew to Saigon and LOVED LOVED LOVED every minutes of our 3 days. There is so much to do there... I would strongly suggest that you spend 3 days in Saigon after Siem Reap as one day with the cruise ship is not enough.

If you have specific Q, leave your email address and I can contact you.

Enjoy your cruise. Personally, I enjoyed HK to Singapore more than Singapore to Singapore. All the Malaysia stops were okay but not outstanding. Vietnam is truly magical.

The Canadians!:D

We must have been on the same cruise! We did the Shalom Myanmar Yangon excursion for 2 1/2 days, Lily from our roll call set it up and we had 3 buses of 12 each, excellent tour. Glad I saw the rest of Malaysia but probably wouldnt do again, other than Singapore.

We are planning 3 or 4 nights in Siem Reap and 2 in HK precruise, and 2 in Singapore post cruise. I may be able to swing a few days in Saigon but the travel buds probably cant. Would love to hear what all you did there and if you used a guide or company etc. my email is Cactuskey@aol dot com thanks for any info on what to see or do in Saigon, Hong Kong or other Vietnam ports,

Karen