An ideal way to tour Vietnam

My husband and I have recently returned from a 3-week tour of Vietnam, organised by Mr Lam Duong of Indochina Pioneer. It was our first trip to Vietnam, and we relied on Lam’s first-hand knowledge and expertise to guide us in planning our itinerary. We travelled from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, visiting the Mekong delta (overnight cruise), Dalat, Hoi An, Hue, Sapa, Halong Bay (overnight cruise) and Ninh Binh.

Lam was extremely friendly and helpful, responding promptly to all my emails, making changes and additional suggestions as requested, and carrying out my wishes with regard to accommodation, etc.

The trip went off seamlessly as planned. We were met at each destination by a guide and a private car with a driver. The guides were reliable, knowledgeable, helpful and friendly and spoke good English. They were also flexible with the itinerary if the need arose. The drivers were punctual and courteous, and their expert local driving skills meant that we always felt safe, even in the most challenging traffic conditions.

We were happy with all our hotels. They were clean, comfortable, included good breakfasts, and were well situated close to the main tourism areas, enabling us to walk to restaurants and places of interest during periods of free time. We only had occasion to complain once during our trip, when we were unhappy with the hotel room we had been allocated. As soon as Lam was told, he immediately contacted the hotel and we were moved to a more suitable room.

I would unhesitatingly recommend Indochina Pioneer if you are considering a private tour in Vietnam or other neighbouring countries.