Reviews

REVIEWS

Tyana, Australia, Tour in November 2016

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Even before we had arrived in Ho Chi Minh, Xuan helped us immensely in the planning of our jam packed itinerary. He picked up our group of 4 young adults from the airport with a huge grin on his face, handed us cold bottles of water, gave us the wifi password for the van, and travelled with us to the Mekong Delta, Da Lat and Nha Trang for the next 4 days from early in the morning to late at night. Xuan was not only a passionate, knowledgeable guide, but a fun-loving friend and an incredible photographer who documented our entire time with him in high quality, well composed photos. He took us to local restaurants where we were able to experience delicious authentic Vietnamese meals away from the more touristy areas. We were incredibly sad to leave him when he dropped us off for our flight to Danang. I can't recommend him highly enough. Thanks again for the unforgettable trip Xuan!

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Kingjahan, UK, Tour in December 2017

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Xuan provided us with expertly guided tours over 2 full days in Ho Chi Minh and to Cu Chi tunnels. He was reliable, always on time, his tours were great fun, never rushed and often showed the unusual sides of HCMC. One of the best things we did with him and his very young, knowledgeable and engaging scooter friends, was the street food tour which provided us with some of the best seafood we ate in Vietnam. We never encountered other tourists on the trail and it felt like our own private, hidden food tour! The whole experience on the scooter on the streets of HCMC with thousands of other scooters is worth it and surprisingly we found it safe. All the airport transfers booked through Xuan were also in reliable vehicles and always on time. We highly recommend Xuan.

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Amanda, Singapore, Tour in December 2017

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We contacted Xuan after reading numerous excellent reviews on TripAdvisor. We visited many interesting and historical sites in Ho Chi Minh City. The trishaw ride is a must! It was an experience taking the ride in the busy Saigon streets. Our guide was very friendly and charming. We highly recommend Xuan as your guide in Saigon.

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Brad, USA, Tour in December 2017

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Xuan gave a a great tour of Ho Chi Minh City. My brother and our wives had a private tour with Xuan. We were picked up at the port (we were on a cruise), on time and driven in to the city. He is very knowledgeable, talkative and friendly. There is no way we could have seen everything we did on a big bus tour. Our favorite things were the trishaw ride, lunch at a great restaurant, coffee at a quirky coffee boat and walking through the market. As others have noted, we could have skipped the museum. Another plus was the free wifi on the van. Vietnam was the one place we did not have cell phone coverage. Xuan also took pictures during the tour and shared them with us via Google photos. Would highly recommend this tour.

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Picolllina, England, Tour in November 2017

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Xuan was an exceptionally knowledgeable, fun and chatty tour guide with a great sense of humour. This made our time with him at Cu Chi Tunnels, without a doubt, one of the highlights of our entire experience in Vietnam. From start to end, he was incredibly funny and had a smile on his face all day. He collected my partner and I, who were visiting from London, from our hotel in Saigon and made sure to point out cultural and historical points of interest along the way,creating a wonderful impression and fantastic start to our day. Not only was he punctual, but he also made sure to show us less touristy spots of the city following our tour, which resulted in the best meal we had in Vietnam. It was great to step off the beaten track and immerse ourselves in everyday Vietnam life and spots frequented by locals.

Xuan was also happy to make a few extra stops at our request and showed tremendous passion and enthusiasm for sharing the history and culture of Vietnam. We absolutely enjoyed getting to know him on a personal level as well and we genuinely felt that he offered us a rare glimpse into the life and experiences of young people in Vietnam. Xuan, we had a wonderful time and if you are ever in London, please please come and say hello to your favorite Irish/ Malawian friends.

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Wendy, Australia, Tour in November 2017

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Agree with absolutely everything written by Brooky64 and Sally6 below; our group of 7 Aussie travellers did much the same tour after being picked up in an air conditioned van from Phu My port (we were on Ovation of the Seas cruise ship) - only difference Xuan was not available as he was busy on another tour - however - he arranged a lovely lady named Tam as our tour guide. Tam is a wonderful young woman, excellent English, very knowledgeable, has a great personality and is an amazing tour guide. Whilst in the fresh food market we received many smiles and waves from the friendly locals and then an elderly Vietnamese lady kept asking Tam where were we from and insisted Tam take us to see her home!! - approx 50mtrs up a laneway off the main market street where she offered us a nice cool iced tea - such hospitality and an amazing first hand insight to see her house and how the 'locals' live. We also had a lovely iced Jasmine Tea and Vietnamese coffee at the Coffee Ship. We were also taught how to cross the very busy roads - hand up, step out and keep walking - again amazing how the traffic either all stops or weaves around you.

This tour was easy to organize via email prior to our departure. Xuan was prompt with his communication and very flexible with organising which places of interest to see. We encountered no problems at all and were delivered back to our port safely and on time. Should quickly add that our van driver was incredible too - negotiating all those mo-peds and other traffic.

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Teo, Singapore, Tour in November 2017

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This is my first time to visit Vietnam. Luckily we have an experience and a knowledgeable tour guide name Xuan. He's helpful, kind and took care of everyone of us throughout the 5 days in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). We felt like at home. Xuan can get along all of us. Especially he could manage to look for a shop to buy a birthday cake to celebrate my youngest brother's birthday. He even asked my youngest brother's name. To this point, I feel that Xuan his working attitude is always positive and seriously. We are thinking to visit Vietnam again next year, the same tour guide, the same group of people but to tour the central part of Saigon city. We look forward to see Xuan again. Xuan, a good and experienced tour guide. Hey, keep it up, Xuan!

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Kelly, Singapore, Tour in November 2017

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A memorable HCMC experience with a reliable & thoughtful guide who simply has the knack of knowing how to engage with our 9- member family group; age ranges from 13 - 70s! His great sense of humour surely adds "colours" to our holiday! Xuan is also witty and is quick in assessing our group dynamics & fine-tune our holiday plans to best meet our needs & comfort. He has that "magical touch" that somehow makes things go seamlessly well for us every time! We will definitely return to explore the other parts of Vietnam with this fun-loving tour guide! If you are looking for an extraordinary tour guide, GO for Xuan, you will leave Vietnam without regrets!

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BigBob, USA, Tour in November 2017

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What a day we had with Xuan we had in Ho Chi Minh City. We visited places that other tours don’t visit. Plus we had a wonderful stop for coffee along the canal and lunch was outstanding. But nothing could beat the rickshaw ride in China town. Dodging the motor scooters. I’d use Xuan again and highly recommend him to my friends.

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Ryan, Singapore, Tour in November 2017

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Xuan is a joyful and cheerful tour guide bringing us places with breathtaking views and trying their local foods with affordable prices. Wthout Xuan I wouldn't think the trip would be fun. Xuan made the trip an enjoyable one. Keep Up The Good Work Xuan!!

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Andrew Brown, Australia, Tour in October 2017

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Xuan, our guide, picked us from the hotel at 7.30 am and we went on an adventure to Mekong Delta. During the two hours drive, Xuan gave us a history lesson of the country. We were captivated by his explanations - we truly learned so much that day. At Mekong, we visited the quaint town of Cai Be, famous for the floating market. We went on a boat trip and Xuan arranged for us to taste coconut juice and sampled many local tropical fruits. He told us about the lifestyle of the local people and how the river became the lifeline of the people. Then, we took a sampan ride to Tan Phong Island and had a great time walking through the narrow dirt road and admiring the fruit farms and the local village. What a great day away from the city with an excellent guide. Thanks Xuan for being such a nice and generous person!

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Nellie, Singapore, Tour in October 2017

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Our 2nd time exploring Vietnam with Xuan and it's a superb trip! This time round we covered Danang, Hue and Hoi An. Xuan is very attentive to details and he always have so much to share. Bringing us to places where it deeply touched our hearts. One time during the trip, I was casually saying that I didn't have fruits and Im feeling awkward and who knows, the next day, he brought us packs of fruits for us to enjoy through the journey. He also observed us when we started taking pics along the car ride and was so kind to ask the driver to slow down or at times where we can have a quick stop, we got down the car to take pics. It's been a wonderful and fantastic trip with you Xuan and I hope to explore other parts of Vietnam with you again soon!

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Terence, Australia, Tour in October 2017

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Excellent tour guide. Enjoyable tour. Lots of laughter! That would be my description of this wonderful private tour. No shopping but a well-organized itinerary to visit many interesting and historical landmarks. Our guide, Xuan, picked us from our hotel and brought us to a roadside stall where we sampled a few typical Vietnamese breakfast. Then, we visited the War Remnants Museum and a few landmarks around the Dong Khoi area including the former CIA headquarters. We highly recommend Xuan as your private tour guide on your next visit to Ho Chi Minh City. He is responsible, caring, gregarious, and had a great knowledge of the city and the country.

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MamaHelz, UK, Tour in October 2017

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Xuan is an wonderful guide – personable, professional, knowledgeable and easy to understand. We did two tours with him: the Cu Chi tunnels and on the following day Cai Be and Tan Phong Island in the Mekong Delta. Xuan is well-read and was very informative on Vietnamese history; and having grown up in the Mekong Delta he is very good on the lives of the people in that area. He also knows great places to eat, such as the fab phở place he brought us to in Saigon. We highly recommend Xuan.

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Armiana, Indonesia, Tour in September 2017

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Xuan was very friendly and knowledgeable of the places that we visited , we went to the city hall and then followed by the visit to the coffee shop where you could watch houses on stilts in water, then off we went to the wealthy residential and office area, we had local delicious food for lunch (the spring rolls were exceptionally nice!). I had a great time and felt like just having met a new friend. We followed our one day journey to the War Remnants Museum and then to the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame cathedral and concluded our journey in Saigon's Post Office. I highly recommend Xuan for your personal guide for his understanding , knowledge and flexibility. All the best in life for you , Xuan !

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Kang, Singapore, Tour in September 2017

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Xuan was fantastic. His itinerary to focus on local scenes and taste was something new if you want to see the local life and get away from the touristy crowds. Due to the short time for shore excursion, he would regularly check with us on our preferences on what we want to do/go so that he can adjust the schedule along the way.

We are a family with young children and seniors the same time. He made sure all our needs were taken care of. The nine seater car he provided was new and clean, and we felt safe with the experienced driver.

One of the best things he did was to his own camera to take and share photos and videos of the group and activities along the way. He's like a tour guide cum photographer.

Highly recommended for private tours.

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John, Australia, Tour in September 2017

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Last month I was on a short business trip to Ho Chi Minh City. With some time to spare, I contacted Xuan and he was happy to show me the city. We started the tour by visiting a local market. It was a great experience doing such thing – walking through the back alleys and meeting the local people. Later, we had Vietnamese coffee on a small boat overlooking numerous stilt houses on the riverbank. We also visited a wealthy area – apparently a new area in the city. At midday, we stopped at a local restaurant serving very delicious Vietnamese cuisine. Don’t forget Saigon special beer if you ever in town! After lunch we visited FITO museum where plenty of traditional medicines were on display. We also visited the War Remnants Museum, the General Post Office and the former CIA building. It was a great day with Xuan. I don’t usually write review but Xuan was just superb in his job and this prompted me to review him. I think he is the best private guide for a nice city like HCM. Well done Xuan! I am planning to bring my family to your country next year and I hope you can show us around!

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Alexauslee, Australia, Tour in August 2017

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In early August 2017, we booked a 2 days tour with Xuan after reading many excellent reviews on tripadvisor. On the first day, we spent our day in the city and visited many interesting landmarks. The highlight of the city tour was the 45 minutes trishaw ride. On the second day, we spent our day at Can Gio mangrove forest, a biosphere reserve listed by UNESCO. It was an amazing experience to see the nature at its best. The next day after the tour we received the online album of all the photos taken on those 2 days. Thanks Xuan for the great time. We felt that we had made a new friend right at the beginning of the tour. You have great sense of humor, kind, patient and knowledgeable. Thus, we highly recommend you!

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Michelle, USA, Tour in August 2017

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We had a great time touring Ho Chi Min city with Xuan. We went to the war remnant museum, temple, traditional Vietnamese lunch and even had ice cream shaped like a rose! He's very knowledgeable and fun! I highly recommend booking with Xuan while you are in Vietnam, you won't regret it!

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BecN84, Australia, Tour in July 2017

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Xuan was an amazing tour guide. Very knowledgeable, very friendly. Terrific with my young children. Knew his city and the amazing history. Absolutely loved our tour. Highly recommend a private tour with Xuan!

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Brikim69, USA, Tour in May 2017

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My family booked a tour with Xuan while we were in port about 10 hours. We were on the Princess Cruise and the boat docked at the Cai Mep International Terminal which was about 45 miles from Ho Chi Minh City. Xuan's tour was incredbile. He was able to pick us up at the port and had a full day of sightseeing planned whcih included at rickshaw ride throught the different wards in the city. Xuan was very friendly and even took picutres of my family and shared it with us. If you have a limited amount of time in Ho Chi Minh City, I highly recommend booking a tour with Xuan.

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Starmanistanbul, Hong Kong, Tour in May 2017

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Xuan was great. An excellent guide and knows his stuff and also could fit the itinerary to your taste. A great half day out and a way to really see how the city ticks. Of course we went to the usual tunnels but got there early before the main tourists arrive. Highlight was being taken to the rooftop where the iconic photo, the fall of Saigon, was taken. Going there was sureal considering its part of a residential block and not a tourist landmark. great views also from there. Thanks again and would highly recommend Xuan again.

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Christian, Philippines, Tour in May 2017

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Xuan is an excellent guide! Very friendly, speaks good english, flexible with time and itinerary, and even goes the extra mile to ensure that his guests have a great time..aside from our booked tour for Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta, Xuan accompanied me for a downtown Saigon tour by the river. He even brought me to local restaurant, serving authentic Vietnamese cuisine and beer at a very reasonable price! Highly recommended guide!

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Jazmin, Philippines, Tour in May 2017

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First meeting Xuan I felt so comfortable with him because of how friendly, outgoing, and funny he was. I immediately felt him like my family and I was going to enjoy the tour because it felt like we were just bringing a local friend along on our trip to Ho Chi Minh. One thing I love about this tour that makes it different from other tours is that it is totally customizable. Wherever you want to go, just tell him and he'll bring you there. This made sure it wasn't just another boring tour! It felt totally personalized and that's another factor that made it such an amazing tour. We truly hope Xuan will excel in his endeavors as he really deserves the tourism spotlight.'Til next time, Xuan!

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Christian, Germany, Tour in May 2017

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Xuan picked us up with a minivan from the hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. After an entertaining drive we took a walk through some fruit orchards and could sample several locally grown fruit on a farm (together with a very strong alcohol, which proved a bit challenging given that it was still early in the day). We learned a lot about the local flora and it's use (much of the plants are "good for your skin" according to Xuan). In the evening we went to Can Tho were we had very good dinner together with Xuan and a little stroll in the city - it might actually be worth staying there longer, from what we saw. The next day consisted mostly of a visit of one of the floating markets on the Mekong. Xuan explained in detail the different types of businesses conducted on the river and even provided for a nice fresh pineapple snack on one of the boats. Overall, it was a great trip to the Mekong delta with a very friendly, funny and knowledgeable guide.

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Glyngowan, UK, Tour in April 2017

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A big thank you to Xuan for making our trip to Saigon a memorable adventure. It was well planned, orchestrated, informative [don't think there was anything he didn't know about his beloved Saigon] and fun!! The rickshaw ride around Central Saigon and the huge market was amazing and certainly unforgettable, we still enthuse to our friends about it!! Xuan was flawless in his knowledge of past and present Saigon. He was the perfect host, adhering to each persons needs throughout the busy day, organised so efficiently, that i am sure it would have took at least a couple of days to cover the same sites etc under our own steam!! A fabulous day was enjoyed by 8 x 60+ friends from the East Midlands,UK, and I would highly recommend his services to anyone . Well down Xuan!!

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Neville & Ros, Australia, Tour in March 2017

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We contacted Xuan before leaving Sydney on a cruise on the QM2 to South East Asia in March 2017. Xuan made contact with us immediately and right away my husband and I knew we were in safe hands. Even from his emails you could tell how passionate and knowledgeable and excited he is about his city and country. Xuan and his wonderful driver were at the quay to greet us early in the morning in order to make the most use of our full day in Saigon. The car was beautiful and immaculate with bottles of water waiting for us on our seats. His warm, friendly, happy greeting made us feel right at home. Xuan and his driver had the utmost patience with us and looked after us as if we were his own family. The driver would drop Xuan and us off at certain places and then meet up with us later without us having to walk much. It was effortless. He showed us everything we wanted to see plus more of his beautiful city. Markets, museums, magnificent temples, historical sights, food, rickshaw rides etc etc. all the while Xuan was making a wonderful photographic record of our tour which he later emailed us and this was absolutely perfect. The whole day was beautifully planned by Xuan and we managed to do a lot in one day and got a real taste of the city. We spent time at the statue of Ho Chi Minh which was great. Xuan showed us places off the tourist map and explained the history behind every sight. Xuan is a very warm, friendly, sociable, humorous, knowledgeable and intelligent person. We highly recommend him for any tours you plan on doing to Vietnam. We do plan on going back to Vietnam for a much longer stay and will be booking Xuan for a personal tour guide for our next trip to Vietnam. Thank you Xuan for a wonderful tour we enjoyed ourselves very much and it was a highlight of our holiday.

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Lilli, Australia, Tour in November 2016

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As a group of 4 young adults we could not recommend Xuan highly enough. During our time with Xuan he was so accommodating and passionate about his country, with such a contagious positive outlook on life. He ensures that you get the most out of your trip, by sharing his vast knowledge, helping adapt your itinerary and introducing you to a side of Vietnam that most tourists would never experience.

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Evelyn, Philippines, Tour in April 2017

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We are a group of 14 adults and Xuan is our most able tour guide for 3 days. The first time I met Xuan was when he picked us up at our hotel to start the first day tour. He speaks fluent English and made me feel comfortable with him. As arranged, a private van was provided so all 14 of us will be together. The van was roomy, clean, with wifi and water for all of us to beat the scorching heat of the sun. We went to Mekong Cai Be on our first day. Xuan came earlier on call time. A professional way of treating respect for the time of his guests. Xuan showed concern when on our way, asked us if we had breakfast. Because we did not have one, he brought us to a restaurant where we had great Vietnamese chicken noodle pho. Though breakfast is not part of our itinerary, Xuan is very flexible with time. We took a boat to cruise Mekong Cai Be, stopped at a floating market and had a variety of delicious fruits like banana, mangoes, dragon fruit, pineapple, jackfruit and coconut juice too! We got off the boat to a local house to watch how locals make coconut candy, rice paper, rice pops, rice wine and snake wine. A special treat for us, we had a long walk by a fruit farm and had lunch where a special Vietnamese menu was served. On our way back home, the van was waiting for us when we got off the boat. The next 2nd and 3rd day tour were spent in Cu chi tunnels, cricket farm (where we had crickets for lunch), war museum, Saigon city hall, post office, Notre Dame Cathedral. A not-to-miss adventure is the foodie tour. Everybody had a great time. The evening was capped by coffee at a Vietnamese coffee shop. Xuan is a great tour guide. He is one professional, knowledgeable, witty, and pleasant person. I would rate him a perfect 5 star. We had no regrets only good times with Xuan. Thank you Xuan for creating a memorable trip for us.

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MaythamTravelers, United Kingdom, Tour in February 2017

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We travelled to Saigon in February 2017 with great expectations regarding our tour of the Southern Central Highlands, Saigon and the Mekong Delta and thanks to Xuan our experience far exceeded those expectations. From the minute we met Xuan at the airport until we parted company eight days latter at the Super Dong ferry terminal he never stopped smiling or making sure we were enjoying ourselves. Xuan is very good at sharing his knowledge, love and enthusiasm for Vietnam in a fun and relaxed way. Our trip included visits to a family run fish farm, a homestay with a lovely family in Ba Loc, rides along the Cambodian border and in central Saigon together with a fantastic Foodie tour on scooters. We visited many quiet sites and backwaters as well as busy markets and towns. Although the main route for our trip was planned before we arrived in Vietnam Xuan was flexible and accommodated last minute changes of plan and frequently came up with impromptu ideas and route changes throughout. A major advantage of a tour with Xuan is being able to get closer to local life and thanks to his knowledge we experienced many fantastic lunches in local restaurants and cafes not visited by tourists. We have no hesitation in recommending Xuan for any length of tour in Vietnam and hope to be able to see more of Vietnam with him in the future.

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TW, USA, Tour in April 2017

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This is my 2nd tour with Xuan, we spent the day visiting the Mekong Delta. Xuan is very passionate about Vietnam and loves to share everything with his guests. Even though he has visited these places many times, he is still very enthusiastic and ensures we don't miss any details. It was obvious that he enjoys sharing his country with his guests and would do everything possible to make sure his guests gets the best out of these tours. I would recommend him to anyone looking for guided activities.

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Jennifer, Norway, Tour in April 2017

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An amazing guide: to see everything in Saigon in a safe, comfortable and adventurous way! We had a wonderful time in your beautiful country and Xuan was a perfect guide! From the moment he picked my family up at Saigon Airport to the return, we felt we were in good hands!! A first class service, that I would even recommend for those of my friends who only stay at the Four Seasons and fly business class.

We came in tired from our long flight from Oslo, Norway and there was Xuan waiting for us with a smile. We were then whisked away to have a nice tour around the city, in a clean, modern, air conditioned black van. We visited a beautiful temple, then drove around the different districts and then concluded at the War Memorial Museum. This was a nice way to become familier with the city and its history. We were travelling with our 10 and 11 year old boys, so this was a perfect way to see Saigon in a "no stress" and safe way. We then went to our hotel for a few hours to rest and to swim in the pool. That evening, Xuan had arranged 4 girls on scooters, to pick us up for the evening food tour. This was wonderful!! The girls were extremely safe with driving, especially with my young boys and the food was amazing!! This was absolutely one of our highlights of our entire trip! This was a must do!! My boys...and my husband are usually, extremely picky with food, but they tried everything and loved must of it! Wonderful experience. The next day, we were picked up promptly by Xuan, where we then drove out to the Mekong Delta. Very interesting day to see this beautiful area. We took a boat trip down the river, visited some local people and then had a peaceful lunch on a local farm. This again was a wonderful day with Xuan, he was knowledgable, attentive and lots of fun!! We had a great day. That night we went out for dinner on our own: drinks at the Rex and dinner at Cuc Gach. The next day, we continued our touring with Xuan in our luxury black van, to the Cu Chi Tunnels. This again was a fun day with Xuan, we stopped at a pig farm on the way, had a nice tour at the tunnels and then even had time for my little boys request for "rainbow sherbert" ice cream from Baskin Robbins before we caught our flight to Con Dao Islands and then further on to Hoi An.

I would rate Xuan a 5 star private guide! Thank you! Our family of 4 had a wonderful visit in your beautiful city and I would highly recommend Xuan.

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