I’m usually not a huge fan of tours, as I find that they often involve well-worn itineraries filled with tourist traps. However, the private day tour of Hoi An with Xuan Tu Tours is an exception. I went with Morning Option 2, which included a visit to Hoi An’s oldest living couple, vegetable farms, a ride on a water buffalo, a ride in a water basket, and a motorbike tour of the villages and less touristy regions around Hoi An (I think Morning Option 1’s itinerary sounds just as fun, but I went with Option 2 on account of the water buffalo!). Lunch was essentially up to me – I was craving Banh Mi so my guide took me to Banh My Phuong which was featured on an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. Then, after lunch, the afternoon was spent grabbing coffee at a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, watching a series of mini-traditional performances, and walking around / into various attractions in Old Town Hoi An. Overall, the tour was a good mix of fun, learning, cultural experiences, local interactions, and good eats.
My guide was Hong, who was both very friendly and a fantastic guide – she was organized, punctual, and provided lots of context during and in between the day’s various activities. I could have seen a few of the stops on my own, but Hong’s descriptions and storytelling made the visits so much more interesting than if I had solo’ed it.
If you’re looking for a tour that does well to blend local experiences with insight into Vietnamese culture and a few tourist attractions, then definitely check out Xuan Tu Tours and Hong!
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Traveller: JonW1989 from Tripadvisor 