Adrienne50

has anyone used Sinhcafe Tours when travelling in vietnam? If so, are they any good and is it cheaper to book in Vietnam or online before we go?

Kathie

It's always much cheaper to book on the ground. Note that in VN, there are dozens of places called Sinh Cafe, and all will tell you they are the original. If there is a particular agency you are sure you want to book with make a careful note of their address. There are many, many reviews of Sihn Cafe's tours over on Thorn Tree, some are rave reviews, some are rant reviews, depending on lots of things, including which of the Sinh Cafe's the person booked with. By the way, even the Lonely Planet guide warns people not to book the cheapest services they can find. You do get what you pay for.

Adrienne50

thanks for your reviews on Sinhcafe, they do not seem to be that good then. I think I will get a quote from Vietnamstay tours and a few others.

Simpletravelling

I must add some warnings on the Thorn Tree forum on Vietnam. Don't believe them totally. There are a group of people in the Vietnam travel industry who just post messages all day long to frighten off travellers using cheap travel agents or hotels.

There are more than 100 travel agents that do local tours in Hanoi. Heard most of them are ok and not as bad as those in the TT forum claimed.

Adrienne50

Thanks for that advice, I did wonder about that myself. Heard some good reviews about Sinhcafe but only if it is the genuine one,not the fakes, I have e.mailed the Sinhcafe 30 Hang Be St, Hanoi, is it genuine?

Mitch04

I think you either buy a tour before you go, with a company like Peregrine, or take your chanvces when you get there.

I used Handspan. It was not cheap, but it was reliable. Though it was by no means the most expensive. Its Halong Bay trip was exceptionally good (about $130US inc single supplement). Great cabin with private facilities, excellent guide, and more seafood than we could eat. I could have got a tour for $30, but I wasn't going to risk it.

I used www.vietnamstay.com for accommodation, and it was efficient and got me the cheapest prices I could find. A word of caution though..if using the older style hotel in Hanoi or HCMC, ensure that it either has an elevator, of that you demand a room on the 1st or 3nd floor...otherwise the stairs will become a pain in the ass. I had to climb 76 steps to reach my room on arrival, and immediately demanded a 1st floor room (which I got for an additional $5 a night, boosting the price to $35). Called the WIN Hotel, it was cheap, cheerful, spotlessly clean and had a balcony. Also well located.

fuzzylogic

Interesting post. The trouble is, of course, that so few people have taken tours at both the cheap and cheerful end, and the more lux - and so are thereby unable to compare.

So it comes down to personal prejudice/preference. Value for money is relative.

I'm planning a first trip to Vietnam later this year and am trying to work out how prices/facilities/value for money (ha ha) fit into the SE Asian landscape.

Is Vietnam what you would call a third world country? Well probably not. But even in Thailand $35 is not budget. The OP's question sort of implies budget.

I've come across Handspan - but again $130 is a lot of money. Mitch04 - What is it that makes a trip like that worth the extra 100 bucks? And is there a middle way?

In your experience, Fodorites - how would you compare the cost of travelling in Vietnam with that of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos?

Many thanks.

Mitch04

fuzzylogic - The Handspan trip was $100. I paid additional for the single supplement. I have seen, in Lonely Planet forums, for example, people complaining about the $30 trips. IE, the food was less than average, when it rained, water seeped into the cabin, and the guide was virtually useless. The bus down to Halong Bay was crowded and the air conditioning didn't work.

For me, the Cambodia/Vietnam trip was a oncer, and I wasn't going to risk my Halong Bay experience turning sour on me by penny pinching.

As things worked out, I could not fault the trip I purchased from Handspan. It was 10 out ot 10.

Simpletravelling

Hi fuzzylogic,

You see what I mean ? The same few people will promote Handspan and no other Company. Makes me feel skeptical about them.
Thats what I mean they charge up to 3 times higher. I have read from many in Thorn Tree that they paid US20 to US30 and see the same places feel that it's more worthy. If you are on a budget, you don't need to pay so much more for 1 or 2 nights, not even for a hotel room in Vietnam.
Vietnam is not a country so costly that you have to pay so much more for a tour and only Handspan is charging that much.

Simpletravelling

I received some info from a cyber friend from Vietnam.
According to him, there is no such thing as a genuine or fake travel agency. Everyone that is existence are genuine. Just that Vietnam business allows similar names.
If a name is not reputable, no one else would have used it.
Most of the people who claimed "fake" are from Thorn Tree's Vietnam Thread who is out to promote the overpriced Handspan.
I guess it is a conspiracy to tarnish the cheaper reputable companies.

Adrienne50

thanks for that advice, we are looking to travel to Vietnam and Cambodia for 3 weeks in August 2006, looked at tours from different companies, but have decided to organize our own travel/hotels,with good planning it's cheap enough! Just using day tours if needed.

Kathie

Simple, you need to let go of your issues about the Thorntree.

In VN, there are lots of agencies that use the same name and are not related to each other. You may want to call them "original" or "not original" rather than saying that the ones with the same name but not the original service are "fake," but the point is the same. When you have 20 agencies that all call themselves "Handspan" or "Sinh Cafe" the review of one of these places does not apply to others.

jodo

We like to travel independently when we are in Asia...that being said we have used VietnamStay two years running and have been very pleased...particularly with their in-country air fare prices....Also with the fact that we don't book all our accomodations-guides with them and they are gracious and accomodating on flights etc regardless. On this last trip I mentioned that the car/driver two years ago was not quite up to par...the agency responded with a late model car and good driver. (ie: they take constructive feedback to heart) In Saigon our contact was "Tuan"...who gave us his cell phone number as a personal contact should we need any help. Nice touch

fuzzylogic

thanks Mitch04 - Understand. But still find it strange that there is nothing between $100 and $30 - is there not a middle way? Can anyone recommend some such?

Yes - you get what you pay for. But I don't much care about rain and stuff, and food is a mega low priority as I don't eat much. So banquets are wasted on me!!! I do want a good portion of the trip spent being there instead of travelling there. In short I want a trip that will take me where I want to go and allow me to enjoy it while I'm there WITHOUT FRILLS.

I'm quite willing to accept that there is nothing pitched between budget backpacker and "lots of money to spend" folk. But if anyone knows that there is - here's the place to post!!!!!!

Thanks tons.

Simpletravelling

Hi Kathie,

I think you misunderstood me. I am not the one that call any one fake.

I mentioned I knew many same names can be used in Vietnam and I believe one need not pay up to 3 times more expensive.

My advice is go for the cheaper ones. Even if ripped off, one don't lost that much.

Kathie

When I was in Hanoi there were zillions of travel agencies in all price ranges in old town. Once you are there, you can take a look at the options. Fuzzy, there are certainly options between $30 and $100, but you'll need to go look and talk with people to choose one.

Simpletravelling

fuzzy,

Can visit www.vietnamtourism.com or org. It's an official website with over 100 tour agents in Hanoi.

You can email them but I wonder if they quote diffently by e-mail compared to walk-in.

Simpletravelling

Yes, it must be www.saigontourist.net. I remember someone recommended it in the Lonely Planet forum and some regulars there called the author tout or advertising. Some arguments followed and the whole message as well as the author got deleted.
Thats why I knew there must be some conspiracy in the Lonely Planet with some Vietnam regulars.
Those who recommeneded Handspan there will never get deleted but those on other travel agencies will get deleted for advertising.

JPham

I think it's business as usual, no matter what travel agency you book.

If you know off hand what you're looking for (and what you think is reasonable), then you can book online to save the hassle while on vacation.

The good thing with the travel agencies is that you can email and ask them blue to the face, then you can tell whether someone can give some decent service.

The good thing about booking on the ground, I believe, is that you can adjust with the weather better.
You can decide whether Ha Long Bay has too much fog, or even Sapa.

Maybe you can check with 2-3 travel agencies before your departure.
And book on the ground upon arrival.