My employer (university) has agreed to send me (historian) on a research trip to Vietnam - my first time in Southeast Asia. The one caveat is that they want me to take a tour organized by a recognized tour operator in the region. One of the people that authorized the trip suggested I use Smithsonian Journeys. I've been having a hard time finding reliable reviews for the various tour companies in Vietnam, including Smithsonian Journeys. Have any of you used them? Are there other companies that would be better?

I am a very active traveler and one of my main concerns is that tour companies like Smithsonian Journeys seem to cater to older individuals. I also don't love the idea of being ferried around place to place with less opportunity to explore on my own.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

>>I also don't love the idea of being ferried around place to place with less opportunity to explore on my own. <<

That would seem to contradict your need to take a tour. A university is actually insisting you take a tour?? Weird . . .

BUT . . . that being said, you could hardly find a more reputable organization than the Smithsonian

SmithsonIan used to use Odysseys Umlimited for their tours. It is a good company. However, I looked at SmithsonIan Journey’s Vietnam tour and saw some red flags. One is that they do Halong a Bay as a day trip from Hanoi. A long boring bus ride and no over night experience on a Junk. We wished we had two nights on the Junk we were on., so beautiful out in the bay, good food and tai chi on the deck.
We used the well respected Tonkin Travel in Hanoi for some of our trip. . They also offer tours. Perhaps you could design a trip with them.

You seem to be laboring under the assumption that travelers of a certain age are, by definition, not active. I assume you'll know better when you're older yourself. In the meantime, the purpose of tours is to ferry people around. Some give participants more free time than others. So since you've come to Fodor's for information, one hot tip is to know the demographic of those you're asking for help. Generally speaking, we're active travelers who don't take tours and are the very people you want to avoid, the dreaded "older individuals."

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't understand why a historian on an employer-sponsored research trip would even consider taking a generic organized tour. Anyone doing specialized travel for professional reasons -- an academic, a journalist, a filmmaker, etc. -- needs a highly individualized/customized private trip with a skilled interpreter who has connections to the relevant contacts in that field. Wouldn't you want to select the places of interest that relate to your research, meet with the relevant local academics/historians/archaeologists in your field, etc.?

Is this really a research trip, or is it an employer-paid opportunity to see SE Asia? I'm just really confused by the premise of OP's question.

Those were my thoughts exactly. There seems to some sort of disconnect/misconceptions between the OP/employer/university/reasons for the trip

What are you, or your employers planning to research on this trip? I can’t imagine research much of value on an organised trip with a tour guide. I know nothing of Smithsonian Journeys other than assuming a commercial link to the Smithsonian Institute, in which case, I imagine they operate in much the same way as most other foreign operators in Vietnam and outsource to a local in country operator. If this is the case they will be adding little other than cost and perhaps some element of quality control.

If you are looking for a guide to assist in you research then it would be best to source a private tour from a Vietnamese operator of which there are a great number. I rarely use tours but where I have, it has mainly been in the north for remote areas difficult to reach without ones own transport or where the people speak not Vietnamese but one the many ethnic minority languages. A couple of trips ago I met with several operators before deciding upon Ethnic Travel. I also met with Tonkin Travel and Custom Vietnam Travel who seemed fine but were less inclined to listen to what I actually wanted. One thing usually found with Vietnam’s tour operators ( and foreign operators for that matter) is that they operate on the principal of more is more and always try to include way too many destinations in the time available. If you use a local operator, I think you will find that the cost of a private tour will probably work out to a similar cost as a group tour sourced overseas and will provide infinitely more flexibility. Most guides are educated to degree standard and operate to a pretty high standard.contact the companies direct and they may even be able to select a guide with some expertise in the areas you are researching.

Agree with the others that if this is a research trip the last thing you want is an organized tour. Perhaps there is a language disconnect - maybe they are saying that you need a company to organize a trip specifically for you, in which case you need one of the companies crellston lists.

My first trip to Asia, back in 1997, was a Smithsonian tour to China. It was well organized, with good hotels and food, a tour director and a well-informed lecturer, but I felt that I was in a cocoon. I looked at their current Vietnam tour and it is a completely standard tourist itinerary, which you could very easily do yourself for considerably less money.

Perhaps if you explained what exactly you are planning to research we could be of more help. Otherwise, I suggest you buy some guidebooks, map out your own itinerary, and then contact a local company. If you insist on taking a tour with a "western" company, at least look at something like Intrepid instead of the Smithsonian.

Hello

I am an Historian myself ; I am finishing a 600-page book in French on the Chinese-Vietnamese relationships from the origin of Vietnam (the majority of the population, the Viêt, originate from China, and so are most of the 53 Mountain Minorities)to to-day. I live in Vietnam since 2007 and visit Indochina all the time, making a point to see all the main and as many unknown historic places I can. Therefore, I can be of great help to you and even suggest a programme of visits depending on your interests : Vietnam History in general, French Indochina War, Vietnam War, sino-vietnamese war of 1979 (VERY few books on the subject, but I manage to write a 20-page chapter on it !

Hello

I am very surprised of the absence of reaction o my message ! Maybe it is because I have mentioned only the wars. I have been roaming the country for now 12 years and have visited EVERY place of historical interest, such as, north of Hanoi, Lui Lau, the birthplace of Vietnamese Buddhism (13th Century But Thap and D u pagodas ), the Pagoda of the Lê Kings, etc etc., of course ALL the mausoleums of Hue, the whole historical center of Hoi An, (including the Sahuyn Museum where nobody goes) etc.

Why are you surprised? As previously pointed out, the OP is fishy and makes almost no sense. Plus, this hit-and-run OP -- who hasn't reappeared in five days -- has no previous posts on here. I'm not sure why you're taking his post at face value...

Because I cannot figure out why somebody would invent such a story

We probably won't. I'm puzzled myself by the OP's motives. But who knows -- the internet is filled with idiots, crazies, weirdos, trolls, scammers, etc. Not worth spending too much time thinking about it.