Ho Chi Minh City With Xuan

Just a question for those of you that have done the tour with Xian. I have been in touch with him for our upcoming Asia cruise and the tour sounds great. I’m just a bit worried about it not being a ship tour and making sure we make it back to the ship on time. We dock at Phu My which is a fair distance from Ho Chi Minh City. Should I be worried or has your experience been that he is very reliable? Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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 :)

Completely agree! We used Xuan for a two-day tour earlier this month. We put our trust in him to decide on what we should see. Easy! Highly recommend!

I have just completed 3 tours in Vietnam organised by Xuan.  My wife and I were booked on a Royal Caribbean cruise that included stops in Hoian, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh.  After researching on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor We decided to contact Xuan.  All his reviews were excellent as were the videos posted on You tube.  We asked him to organise tours for us at all three stops and were quite happy to be just the two of us.  Xuan suggested we post on Cruise critic for others to share with us as it would lower our cost and be more fun.  He was right

Unfortunately Xuan wasn't able to join us for the first excursion for Hoian / Danang so he arranged for a local guide.  We had eleven people on this tour, Hai was our guide and he was absolutely superb.  He was polite, knowledgeable and kept a careful watch over us all making sure we were all safe and no one got lost..  He took us to see beautiful temples, buddhas and stunning scenery.  We also went to a local restaurant for lunch which was excellent and washed down with some local beers.  Hai made sure we were back to the ship in plenty of time

Xuan joined us for the tour in Nha Trang and again there were eleven of us.  We got to see beautiful scenery and temples.  We also visited a house where the conical hats were made in the traditional and also an orphanage / school.  the little ones were absolutely adorable.  Then after walking through a village we boarded a boat to take a trip on the river.  This took us to a very old temple.  The restaurant we visited for lunch was very good.

The third trip involved 13 people and was to Ho Chi MInh city.  Apart from the long drive to and from the port it turned out to be my highlight of the trip.  We got to see so much in one day.  The historic buildings along with the modern.  One building we visited was an old house with a hidden tunnel where arms had been hidden in preparation for the Tet offensive, The sights and smells of the local food market.  A huge market where you could buy anything from clothes to watches.  We visited the War museum which was extremely interesting and also went to the top of the ex CIA building where the last of the Americans were helicoptered out at the end of the war.  The fun part of the day was a trishaw ride.  We all had our own trishaw and driver.  It was a bit hairy at times manoeuvring among the busy traffic but a great deal of fun.  Xuan kept turning up in various places on the back of a motorbike taking photos of everyone to ensure they had personal mementoes of the ride.  It was a superb day and quite sad when we had to say goodbye to Xuan.

Throughout my email communications with Xuan organising the excursions he was always prompt and polite in his replies.  When we finally met him  in person he turned out to be and an extremely polite and funny young man. He was always attentive to our needs and was always making sure we were safe and happy.  He is passionate and proud about his country and always had an answer to any questions that were asked.  Each and everyone on the excursions agreed they had all been wonderful and made exceptional with both our guides.

I can guarantee that anyone considering a guide in Vietnam could not do better than Xuan.  If I ever return to Vietnam Xuan will be the first one on my list to consider

Thank you for this lovely review of Xuan. I have reserved him for our small group of travelers on a Princess cruise in January 2020, and it's good to hear a first hand review. 

Fuseman,  Thank you for the great review!  Our group of six is scheduled to do HCMC with Tours with Xuan.  Unfortunately Xuan will not be available to guide us on the day we are schedule, but has found us a guide to take care of us!  It was good to hear that you also did a tour with a substitute and were quite pleased.  Xuan has been a delight to communicate with and I feel we will be quite happy with his choice.  He sounds like such a pleasant young man and I feel it our misfortune to not be able to meet him in person.

E

For the people who have done the tours with Xuan, can you give me a general idea of price? I think he had quoted us $360 for 2 days of touring for 2 people.  $90/day per person.  For US I think that is fair price, for Vietnam seems a bit high?

That’s the rate for 2 people.....then i believe it is 45us pp after that. I posted on cruise critic roll call my plans for my ship and had 21 people join me on a coach from phu my port. We customized our tour with additional beer, soft drinks, water and Asian fruits. Yes there is an additional fee for our add ones, but expected and enjoyed the variety we pre selected!

We included a Pho and banana blossom salad lunch with drink.....amazing! Regardless of price....the tour is over the top memorable! Xuan and team are worth every penny and make every effort to book with! You may have to do some coordination to get a larger group, but you make great friends and experience a beautiful country with the best guide I,ve experienced. Enjoy your time in Saigon! Say hello to Xuan! 

We just returned from a cruise to Vietnam on Silversea.  We had read many great reviews for Xuan so we contacted him early, about 6 mos ago to be sure he had availability for us.  He replied to my email right away and once we agreed on what we wanted to see, where , how much time and all that, then from that point forward to we communicated via WhatsApp which I believe is his preferred method of contact once things are set.  Our first day we did a full day tour of the Mekong Delta and Cai Be. And the second day ( just a half day) we toured Saigon .  He recommended things to see in each tour then we sort of picked what we wanted to do and didnt want to do.  He’s very flexible.  He’s a great guy, very knowledgeable and passionate.  We liked him because he provided good information but didnt overwhelm us with too many facts and figures.  Sometimes a bit of quiet is great to take in everything.  We moved at a great pace and got to see so much.  He really does an interesting tour to try and show you a lot of things that regular tourists might not see...going to places where only locals go.  I think it was easier for us to do these things since we were only a couple and him.  I know folks on here have tried to get a big group together from their roll call, but then it becomes a bit more arduous and more ordinary with so many people.  There’s no way he could have provided the kind of amazing experiences we had in a large group environment.  He does prefer smaller groups, so my advice is to go with a smaller group, I think you will get more out of the experiences if you do.  I hate walking in a herd of people anyway.  We really hit it off with him and definitely will keep in touch with him! Many Vietnamese arent easy to understand their English, but we found him easy to understand.  

On ‎11‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 6:39 PM, EleanorNoway said:

Fuseman,  Thank you for the great review!  Our group of six is scheduled to do HCMC with Tours with Xuan.  Unfortunately Xuan will not be available to guide us on the day we are schedule, but has found us a guide to take care of us!  It was good to hear that you also did a tour with a substitute and were quite pleased.  Xuan has been a delight to communicate with and I feel we will be quite happy with his choice.  He sounds like such a pleasant young man and I feel it our misfortune to not be able to meet him in person.

 

E

Hi Eleanor we weren't quite pleased with the substitute, we were extremely pleased.  He was excellent and I am sure after meeting Xuan your guide will be every bit as good.  Xuan is an extremely lovely guy who is very enthusiastic and I don't think he would risk his reputation by providing a poor guide.  We had 13 on our HCMC trip and everyone absolutely loved it especially the tri shaw ride.  Have a great time.  By the way I lived and worked in Norway for 2 stints of 6 months and Norway ranks among one the most beautiful countries I have visited.  One thing I wasn't keen on was the price of a beer but you cant have everything

On ‎11‎/‎2‎/‎2018 at 1:36 PM, terry&mike said:

Thank you for this lovely review of Xuan. I have reserved him for our small group of travelers on a Princess cruise in January 2020, and it's good to hear a first hand review. 

You will love the tour and you will not find a better guide

We were a small group of 10 and toured with Xuan for two days (Oct 14 & 15, 2018) - outstanding I would highly recommend him. His knowledge of the culture, history and itineraries were excellent.  You will truly enjoy your time with him & in Vietnam. Pricing is very reasonable and communication is immediate.

Just back from HCMC and booked tour with Xuan.  He was engaged for the day and set us up with Ms. Han and a private driver.  We were docked in HCMC so while traffic was bad we were able to spend a good amount of time seeing the sights that Xuan and I discussed prior to our arrival.   The trishaw ride is a must.  Big surprise to my husband but afterwards he loved it.  Best way to "feel" the markets and traffic.  An EXCELLENT day.  Very reasonable and honest.  www.tourwithxuan.com.  You will not be disappointed.

Our group of 10 did two shore excursions with Xuan in Nha Trang and HCMC.  He is an excellent guide who is passionate about sharing his knowledge of his country in a fun, relaxed tour.  Xuan’s enthusiasm, attentiveness, flexibility and good humor made for two most enjoyable days in Vietnam.

Our cruise docked in Phu My and Chan May for day tours to Saigon and Da Nang/Hoi An, after reading countless reviews I decided to engage Xuan for both tours. Before the cruise I did need to contact Xuan several times regarding the group size, all emails were answered within the hour when taking into account the time difference. Xuan was professional and accommodating to all requests. 

Saigon/HCMC - our first port, we had a group of 13 so Xuan arranged a bus to suit. He meet us at the main entry gates to the dock as arranged, he greeted everyone akin to a long lost family member. The tour itself was fun, informative and memorable, the Trishaw ride will linger long in everyone's memory. 

Chan May - also had a group of 13 but had to use 2 vans as a larger bus was not available on the day we docked. Having already experienced the type of tour Xuan offered, we had high expectations and were not disappointed. We had decided to visit Marble Mountain and Hoi An, both stops were made more enjoyable by the experience Xuan shared with the group. I will add that the Coffee shop we visited in Hoi An made a great Vietnamese Coffee which Xuan shouted the group, it was these unexpected little extras that again gave us all a lifetime of memories. An added bonus of the way back to the ship was a visit to the Lady Budda and seeing a troop of wild moneys.

If you are planning a tour whilst in Vietnam than you would be selling yourself short if you did not use Xuan, his passion for what he does and pride in his country is second to none.

Our group of 5 booked 3 days of independent touring with Xuan.  He was everything we'd expected based on reviews, and more!  Prompt and punctual, exceedingly cheerful and patient with our group.  He made touring Vietnam a joy and a wonderful adventure.  We loved the places he'd chosen for "coffee breaks" and lunches.  We had amazing food, and many new tastes for most of us.  The transportation was exceptional, including wi-fi which made the travel time go by in a snap.  We highly recommend this fine young man, and would book again with him in an instant.  Thank you Xuan, for a job well done!

Just a quick question for the Phu My dock I know Xuan meets you outside the main gate but I have heard that you can’t walk off the ship but that the cruise line (Princess) runs a shuttle service. Is that anyone’s experience?

Hi all,

I was on the 2 tours as mentioned above by @beldin61.   What an amazing two tours!!!

Day 1 in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh so many wonderful sites and sounds.   Definitely the highlight was the trishaw ride,  Those drivers are amazing for a few reasons their leg strength being able to ride around us larger Aussies, Canadians and Americans.   Also their skills at navigating the traffic was truly amazing.   Xuan has designed the route and he rides ahead with a driver on a scooter and takes photos.    He takes amazing photos not just on that part of the tour but throughout the day (in our case both days).   He sent them through to @beldin61 and in turn I received all the photos.    Xuan is a great photographer.

The second day was just as good as the first.   It was raining when we left port but by the time we reached Marble Mountain it had fined up.  The ground and steps were still a little slippery and Xuan was an absolute gentleman and helped me and anyone else who needed it to explore the area.

The coffee was such a lovely treat from Xuan.    Vietnamese coffee was sweet & tasty and the view from rooftop coffee shop was amazing.   Exploring the city and a bit of shopping was also heaps of fun.

So many highlights I can't chose my favourite part of the tours.   If you are visiting Vietnam I hope you will be lucky enough to tour with Xuan! 

15 hours ago, Regdab719 said:

Just a quick question for the Phu My dock I know Xuan meets you outside the main gate but I have heard that you can’t walk off the ship but that the cruise line (Princess) runs a shuttle service. Is that anyone’s experience?

We cruised with Celebrity and they did supply a shuttle service from the ship to the main gate for all independent tours. This was a painless operation and in no way a inconvenience to our private tour. Walk off the ship as a group and shuttle to the main gate where Xuan will happily greet you.

21 hours ago, beldin61 said:

We cruised with Celebrity and they did supply a shuttle service from the ship to the main gate for all independent tours. This was a painless operation and in no way a inconvenience to our private tour. Walk off the ship as a group and shuttle to the main gate where Xuan will happily greet you.

beldin61 thank you 😊

I was just in Nha Trang and HCMC and we toured with Xuan. What a great choice. The 10 of us had a real good time with Xuan. Good guide and very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this young man for your tours in Vietnam. High quality coaches, low keyed approach and a lot of fun.

We did a tour with Xuan Le in Nha Trang and Saigon and he was excellent. Best tour guide we have ever had. He even bought fruit for us to try. We saw so many sites and he explained everything that we did. You can’t go wrong with Xuan!

We were very lucky to have Xuan as our guide in Nha Trang and Saigon during our recent cruise. Xuan is an absolute delight! His tour is well-planned and he took great care of our small group! Definitely a highlight of our entire trip!  I recommend booking with Xuan, and urge you to contact him early as he books up fast.

Normally my spouse and I like to go out on our own when we travel to different countries.  Recently we travelled to several locations in Vietnam (via cruise ship) and we decided that this time we would like in to organized tours.  We were extremely lucky and hooked up with four other couples on organized tours in Dang Nang, Na Trang and Ho Chi Ming City. The very best part was the tour guide was the very same person for all three locations.  This brings me to the reason for my review of Tours by Xuan.  This was probably one of the best travel decisions we have ever made.  Let’s start with Xuan himself.  This young man was extremely endearing, charming, trustworthy, knowledgeable of the area, accommodating and professional.  He was able to provide tours of three locations that were enjoyable for all ten people that for the most part were total strangers. 

Next, the tours themselves.  As soon as we disembarked from the ship Xuan was there waiting for us.  In each location he provided a comfortable, air-conditioned van that was driven by a local driver that knew the area very well.  This in itself addressed  two concerns we all had.  First, there was no time wasted driving to different areas as the driver was well aware of the best way to get around. Second, and probably the most important, both Xuan and the driven were aware of driving times, possible delays and detours, or anything else that may cause us to return late to the ship.

In all three locations, we were taken to areas that would not have been possible if we had been on bus tours or ships tours just because of the sheer number of people and the size of the vehicles they would require.  Additionally, because Xuan was quite familiar with the places we visited, we were able to spend time in places that we know for a fact others never had the opportunity to visit.  Lunches were not included in the cost of the tours however,  Xuan took us to places that were extremely enjoyable, provided a variety of choices and were very easy on the wallet.  He did however, take us to several little cafes  where he would buy us refreshments and he always had a bag of local fruits for us to try.

I guess the best way to sum it up is to simply say that our visit to Vietnam was a memorable experience due in great part to a young man named Xuan whose pride in his country and pride in the service he provided to his customers is surpassed by none.

In March 2019, we too went on tours with Xuan to Danang and Hoian. Since he was busy with another tour, we had an associate of his for Ho Chi Minh City.  I concur with your assessment of Xuan and the tours and HIGHLY recommend him and his associates for tours. The highlights were the 45 minute Trishaw ride in Ho Chi Minh City and the restaurant off the beaten path where only locals knew about. 

It's wonderful to only have 8 people on a tour that is so reasonably priced.