We are looking to go to Vietnam in October and are researching tour groups. Specifically, we are looking at Phoenix Vietnam and CM Travel Online. Please let us know the following:

- What you know about these travel groups
- Any other travel group you recommend
- Do you recommend going without a travel group

Thank you for your advice.

i used asiantrails.com for vietnam and found them terrific and cheap

We waited to book our tours once we were in Vietnam. We did one overnight and the rest were day trips. In Hanoi we used Buffalo Tours and were very happy with them. In Saigon, we used Ann Tours and were just as happy. We waited to book our flights until we were in Vietnam and this saved us quite a bit. My husband and I traveled with a friend, it was nice to have the flexibility to do what we wanted to do rather than having to travel with a tour group. We found it very easy to make arrangements in Vietnam.


http://www.buffalotours.com/
http://www.anntours.com/about.htm

Hi!
I took the smarTours tour to Vietnam with a Cambodia add on last November. It was a wonderful tour and very good value. It appears that this year they include Cambodia in the tour. You can reach them at smarTours.com on line or an 800 number. They are based in NYC.
They used 4 and 5 star hotels, many meals were included, gudes were excellent, and people were well-traveled and friendly. I am going to use them again this November and travel to India and Nepal. Good luck!
Judy

PLEASE, unless you have too much money, are lazy or disabled VietNam is the easiest of countries to travel in.

Get yourself a flight over Bangkok or HongKong (there are several 'passes' or multi-city cheapies out there at the moment (Thai, Cathay or Malaysian) and ENTER at HA NOI.

Buy a copy of the Fodors Guide or check out < http://www.wompom.ca/vietnam/index.htm > and start your planning.

IF YOU BUY A TOUR BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOU WILL BE OVERCHARGED.

On landing in Ha Noi (with about USD$20 in $1 and $5 paper money) and a whole bunch of NEW, PRISTINE USD$, AUD$ EURO or GBP pounds or your popular plastic (Mastercard/Visa) go and locate a hotel.

Then go to Handspan Tours (I have NO connections with them) @ 36 Nguyen Huu Huan St., Hanoi - Phone: +84 4 926 0444 - E-mail: [email protected]. (BE WARY OF IMITATORS WITH SAME NAME) and arrange a 2/3 day tour to HA LONG BAY.

Then go to the VIETCOMBANK (tall building a couple of blocks EAST from HOAN KIEM LAKE and get some Dong (pronounced dom).

Now that you know the MORNING you will be returning from Ha Long Bay get over to the railway station and book your overnight train to LAO CAI (for Sa Pa) leaving on the night of your return from Ha Long.

In between you can visit the sights in Ha Noi and then, using overnight trains , start on your journey south. HUE (old palaces, tombs and a pagoda) then BUS to DA NANG tghen a BUS to HOI AN (shopping, shopping and shopping for silks and clothing. Then BUS back to DA NANG and the TRAIN to NHA TRANG.

After Nha Trang (beach resort) you take the BUS to DA LAT (honeymoon city and fruit/vegetable farming centre) and then BUS to HO CHI MINH CITY/SAIGON (big city).

You should allow a minimum of 14 days for your exploration of VietNam.

I live here (there) and if you need any more pointers please feel free to contact me < [email protected] >

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