hoangsa

Hello,

 

We just returned from our Asian cruise with HAL's Zaandam and we used Zoom for our tour to Saigon, Smile Tours (Thi) for our tour in Halong Bay and Nha Trang River tours (Dung) or our trip in Nha Trang.

 

All of the tours were exellent and very good value for money.

I can highly recommend them all, you can't go wrong if you choose them.

 

In Bangkok we just booked a transfert to the city with Bangkok Limo and stayed overnight in the Bossotel. The hotel is very good situated if you want to visit the tempels because it is only 5 minutes walking from the central pier where you can cath the express boat to go to the tempels and the Grand Palace.

 

 

Anneke from Belgium

:)

If you were in Vietnam today Mar. 28 you would be so excited to visit Hoi An, Vietnam's ancient town.

Today, Hoi An became the FIRST town with free wifi in Asia.

Does anyone have any recommendations for private tour companies in Vietnam or Bangkok? Many thanks.

Peak season is going down at the end of April. From May to September guides will be easy to be booked and reserved for the next peak season ( from October to next April ). Should not wait till October.

I'll add another recommendation for Zoom - he is great! We booked with him for 2 full days in Saigon, all airport transfers and he also arranged our private Halong Bay 2-night charter. All emails were answered promptly, he has vast knowledge of the country and its history, was able to adapt to one of us with mobility issues, and just generally made our trip so special and so wonderful. Vietnam is amazing!

Halong Bay is terrific. One thing for you to be prepared is the stubborn and "sticky" selling of " local products". Visitors on normal boats will then lose enjoyment for that embarrassment. Local authorities in Halong seem not much concerned about that.

So, affording a chartered boat as you did was much more advisable ( on financial permit, of course ). The area selected by chartered boat is different from others. Quiet and without that harassment.

Some cruisers worry about the attire in Vietnam. They compare strict rule at temples in BKK ( no shorts, no T-shirts, no sandals ) with what to wear in VN.

The only place in VN which is strict in this sense is Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum in Hanoi. Best attire is ; for sure, pant, T-shirt and shoes . There's no rule against shorts, T-shirts and sandals ; anyhow, advisably, long shorts are better at temples.

On special days of the year such as on Tet Lunar New Year days pants &

T-shirts are best suited.

At some leisure after tours your cruisers might be like children enjoying a Skydeck drive up to the 49th floor of "Top of the World" in VN, the Financial Tower.

The ticket is VND200,000 or roughly 10 US dollars.

Your tour guide with license is allowed to be with you.

Take several photos of the sites such as Ben Thanh market, East-West belt road, Saigon river front, Nguyen Hue blvd., City Hall,... before you make a 360 degree video clip of the city seen from high above.

As you plan to visit a country you are generally interested in its beauty. That’s number 1. During your visit, you will certainly meet with the people. That’s number 2. To a certain extent, you will join the local environment / society. That’s number 3.

It’s the same when you plan to visit Vietnam. One thing; however, is the very low percentage of tourists returning to VN on the second time. Why ?

There’s no doubt about the beauty of Vietnam’s charms from Halong Bay to Hanoi, Hoi An, coastal line, Saigon,…etc.

The Vietnamese people and the society have something wrong ? Me think, the Vietnamese are hospitable but not for sure during the tour a visitor meets real locals who welcome him not for money. The society; besides, is developing uncontrolled. Outside a number of best and comfortable hotels, good restaurants and chains of places of interest, it is not ready for you to live with. It looks interesting if seen from a tour bus but if you like to “swim” in it, you might be “victimized”.

If you are a backpacker, the Vietnamese environment is suited and you can travel long days.

But if you are not, a cruise tour is most decent. Come, visit and go without stay. If you fly, a quick visit organized by some renowned travel agents is also best option. They select best hotel, best tour guide, best car and driver, best compensation policy...

Vietnam is like a beautiful flower. Enjoy looking at it, take its picture and say goodbye. You will; thus, miss it. That is much better than you try to experience it and go without a promise to come back.

This afternoon as sitting at Trung Nguyen cafe on Le Loi Blvd, Saigon, I saw a couple of foreign tourists in an awkward situation. They stopped and bought two coconuts from a walking vendor right outside my cafe. And, they had to put 100,000 VND or nearly 5 US dollars in the stretching hand of the vendor.

One US dollar per coconut is already a good price for that "throat-cutting service". He sells my country's reputation for three single dollars !

If I could not stop that "business" or " service" I can be less ashamed of my country fellow's act by writing about that. Ask your guide/driver/hotel concierge about an extra activity like walking before you do it.

As you plan to visit a country you are generally interested in its beauty. That’s number 1. During your visit, you will certainly meet with the people. That’s number 2. To a certain extent, you will join the local environment / society. That’s number 3.

It’s the same when you plan to visit Vietnam. One thing; however, is the very low percentage of tourists returning to VN on the second time. Why ?

There’s no doubt about the beauty of Vietnam’s charms from Halong Bay to Hanoi, Hoi An, coastal line, Saigon,…etc.

The Vietnamese people and the society have something wrong ? Me think, the Vietnamese are hospitable but not for sure during the tour a visitor meets real locals who welcome him not for money. The society; besides, is developing uncontrolled. Outside a number of best and comfortable hotels, good restaurants and chains of places of interest, it is not ready for you to live with. It looks interesting if seen from a tour bus but if you like to “swim” in it, you might be “victimized”.

If you are a backpacker, the Vietnamese environment is suited and you can travel long days.

But if you are not, a cruise tour is most decent. Come, visit and go without stay. If you fly, a quick visit organized by some renowned travel agents is also best option. They select best hotel, best tour guide, best car and driver, best compensation policy...

Vietnam is like a beautiful flower. Enjoy looking at it, take its picture and say goodbye. You will; thus, miss it. That is much better than you try to experience it and go without a promise to come back.