My wife and I just returned from touring Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hoi An. Xuan Tu was our guide (friend) for the latter two cities, and we had the best time ever! First, Xuan Tu has a sparkly, fun-loving personality, and she loves to kid around – it makes for a very comfortable atmosphere. She is very amenable to creating a tour to fit your needs, whether they be history-related, shopping-related, cultural, or whatever! We asked her to show us some highlights of Da Nang and Hoi An, and to take us to some non-touristy places to see the “real” Vietnam. The tour she put together used cars, bikes, and ferries. We visited Lady Buddha, Marble Mountain, My Son, Old Town (Hoi An), and rural villages all in 1.5 days. Her knowledge of history is impressive. She has a vast network of contacts, including temple caretakers, food vendors, villagers, wood carvers, boat makers, shop keepers, etc., and it’s clear they all enjoy her company. She will bargain for good prices for you in the markets, also, and her meal choices are yummy (not yum!) – we went back to a place we never would have eaten at initially because it wasn’t a restaurant (more of a hawker market place – like Singapore and didn’t know about food quality), but it was scrumptious, and it saved us some money. We hope some friends of ours will join us for another visit to Vietnam next year, and we really hope Xuan Tu will still be available. Great guide!
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Traveller: 474ord from Tripadvisor 