Hello

Can you please recommend local agent tours in Vietnam other than Vietnamstay (Aurora Travel)?

I am waiting for a reply from them for more than 1 week ( they were close for a week) and opened yesterday and haven't replied to my emails yet.

I need an urgent confirmation of a tour because I am travelling next month and already bought my tickets and am thinking of contacting another travel agent.

Thanks in advance.

Everything in Vietnam has been closed for Tet. Give them a chance to respond.

I was pleased with Exotissimo.

Thanks for your help. I will wait 1 more day for the reply from Vietnamstay and if it doesn't come I will contact Exotissimo.

Hi Teresa...I used Aurora Travel when we went to Vietnam a year ago, and they were fantastic...Infact, they usually got back to me within minutes...

Try emailing them again...

Our holiday to Vietnam was arranged just perfectly with them, and they were always there to greet us..

We didn't do a tour, but booked hotels, some transfers, airplane tickets, etc.

Also, almost every hotel we stayed at, we got upgraded...In Hue we got upgraded to a Presidential Suite and it was just amazing..

At all the other hotels we got some sort of special suite, and we only booked a normal room.

Where are u going in Vietnam??

Hi Tracy

I just got an email from them and they are now treating my request so that everything is booked.
Thank you so much for your excellent feedback on
them. It seems we like the same places as we do similar trips : -)-

I am going to start in Ho Chi Minh, then Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Halong bay and Hanoi, 12 days total. Then spending 3 days in Bangkok on our return. I have been to bangkok but only for a couple of days so still plenty to visit.

Did you like Vietnam? Where are you going next?

We went everywhere u are going except Nha Trang...Vietnam seemed very peaceful to me (we went there after India)..It is a very lovely country, you will like it.

Where u staying in BKK??

We are going to South America (Chile and Argentina and Easter Island) next month and then Tibet and Nepal later in the year.

Let me know after u book all your hotels and stuff, i'd be curious to know where u are staying in Vietnam!!

I loved Halong Bay, it is beautiful...And really enjoyed HCMC..and Hoi An...It is all nice actually!!

I might also go to Argentina later in the year, still have to plan it with some friends!!!

I haven't decided on the hotel in BKK yet....Last time I stayed at the Peninsula but now I am leaning towards the Shangri La . I can't decide wether to stay on the riverside or in the center...!!!

In Vietnam my hotels are:

Ho Chi Minh - Majestic
Nha Trang - Ana Mandara
Hoi An - Hoi An Riverside Resort
Hue - La Residence ( Saigon Morin was full)
Hanoi - Sofitel Metropole

In Halong Bay I will be spending the night on a boat.

Did you stay in any?

NO, none are the same..
We stayed

HCMC..The Grand Hotel...in the old wing
HUE.. Saigon Morin...beautiful room
Hoi An..Life Resort...loved it!!
Hanoi...Melia..not bad, but location wasn't the greatest.

Halong Bay...junk boat..loved it!!

BKK we stayed at Mariott Resort and Spa, and loved that as well.

Have a great vacation if i don't talk to u before then.

TERE and TRACEY B:
You both seem to travel very often, you're lucky! My fiance and I just got back from a trip to Rwanda-Kenya-Tanzania and hope to take another trip (middle east or pacific islands) later in the year. But typically we can afford only one major trip per year, if that. I'm sorry that I am being so forward, but how are you able to travel so much? I know that some people are independantly wealthy and that may be the case with you, but if thats not the case and there is some secret you can share, I would be so grateful! Thanks so much

Good question!! However, we are not independently wealthy!! I wish...as then we would never be home.

Honestly...my husband and i are just middle class people in our 40's, he is 50 and we just enjoy travelling..We didn't have kids, so instead we spend all our money travelling.

We do live in a nice house and have nice things, but we drive older vehicles and we don't do anything of much expense throughout the year...

We tend to stay home alot (other than the odd concert and dinner out)..and we do most of our entertaining at home.

And i must admit, we spend way too much money travelling and sometimes shouldn't, but i'd rather be rich in travel than have a bunch of money in the bank..

Anyways, i hope that makes some sense..

And u musta had a great time in Rwanda/Kenya/Tanzania, we have not done that part of Africa yet, maybe in a few years!!

Tracy, my first choice in Hoi An was the Life Resort but it was already full so i had to opt for the Hoi An Riverside.

In BKK I also considered the Marriott Resort but isn't it a bit far ? My son already stayed there and loved it, said he liked it better than the Peninsula. Did you book it on the Marriott site? I am a Marriott Reward member but on their site the hotel comes incredibly expensive and I can get it on Agoda for a much lower price.

Thanks Tracy.Hope you also have a wonderful trip in South America and look forward to know about it on your return!!

Mandy, I can explain you too.

I am already in my early 50s, divorced, with grown up independent kids.

I have family income and have my own house with nice things, have my own car , (also not a new one, I am buying a new one this year, I could have done it some years ago but I prefer to travel) and so do my kids but I don't spend money in luxury things, like jewels.

I live quite well, eat quite well but am not a luxury person, only when it comes to travel!! I love it so much that all my spare money goes to it. Now that the kids are older I can go to more places as it's only me and not the 3 of us!!!

Before, I used to do a larger trip with both of them once a year. Now one of them usually goes somewhere with me -
My daughter went with me to Kerala, Maldives and Dubai in October ( thanks to the advice of Tracy;--) and I will be going in June for 4 days to Marrakech with my son .

I think it explains, lol. Thankfully my family always lived well though we are not millionaires

If you are young, within a few years you will be able to do some more trips too.....! If travel is your passion and priority, like mine is !!!

Well said Teresa!!

I booked the Mariott though hoteltravel.com...But that was 2 years ago. I paid 120.00 for a riverview room..WE loved it, u could take a river taxi right to the skytrain, and also to visit other places along the river.

I never stayed at the Penninsula so i can't compare it to that, but it was fine for us and on that holiday we visited India and Cambodia for 3 weeks first and stayed in simple guesthouses, so the Mariott felt very nice!!

The staff is very friendly and the rooms are really nice...

Anyways, i am sure wherever u stay u will love it!!