We have just spent an amazing 9 hours with Xuan Tu and she exceeded all our expectations. What sets her apart from others is that she provides an experience rather than a tour, and when we said goodbye it was like saying goodbye to a long lost friend.
Firstly a bit about Xuan Tu. She is passionate, energetic, fluent in English, has a great sense of humour and cares deeply about people which included us as well as all the local people we enjoyed meeting.
We met her at our hotel and walked through Hoi An to a ferry that took us to the island. Before we got on the ferry she introduced us to Sugar Cane Juice which was a hit. We biked on the island where Xuan Tu introduced us to some wonderful people. We talked to craftsmen building boats, wood carvers, a lovely 85 year old caretaker of a temple and a lady weaving sleeping mats where we were able to try our hand at weaving.
The highlight on the island was spending an hour with a lovely family who made rice paper including the 95 year old matriarch. We were able to see how the rice paper was made, had a go at it ourselves, and spent an amazing time talking about their family, their history and similarities in our thinking.
When we came back to Hoi An we had lunch at Mr So’n. This is one place that is not to be missed and we will be returning there before we leave. The owners are lovely, prices are cheaper by about 50% than some restaurants in Hoi An and the food was incredible.
We finished with a boat trip on the river after sunset which was the icing on the cake.
Another aspect we really liked is that Xuan Tu supports hard working local people through her tours. There are no commissions or kick backs that we experienced with some tours we have been on. What you get is an honest and passionate guide who provides a very personal experience and through this helps her local community.
Along the way she gave us many helpful tips on food, shopping and price guides.
I can not speak highly enough of Xuan Tu. My tips are
a) book her early as she is in demand and if you leave it too late you run the risk that she has already been booked and
b) book her on your first day in Da Nang / Hoi An so she can give you information that will enhance your experience.
Thank you so much for an incredible day Xuan Tu. You have given us a fantastic start to our holiday and an experience we will never forget.
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Traveller: Rene_and_Rachel from Tripadvisor