Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is situated in the Southern part of Vietnam and offers many interesting tourist attractions. My clients, a Filipino couple but long time US citizens, knew they wanted to cruise the Mekong River, see the famous floating market and do a tour of the city. They want to have 2 days of sight-seeing and stay 3 nights in Saigon.
I went ahead and got to know them a little and deduced the kind of vacation that they want:
1 - combination of laid-back and sight-seeing
2 - the full, authentic experience
3 - a good hotel to stay in
4 - would like to stick to their budget, but willing to spend more for the best experience
5 - would enjoy private tours more than with a large group
So on I went with a thorough research and found out that there are two floating markets, Cai Be and Cai Rang. Cai Be can be visited for a day tour but Cai Rang would need an overnight stay since it is a 4-hour drive from the city.
Here is a comparison of the two:
I went ahead and got to know them a little and deduced the kind of vacation that they want:
1 - combination of laid-back and sight-seeing
2 - the full, authentic experience
3 - a good hotel to stay in
4 - would like to stick to their budget, but willing to spend more for the best experience
5 - would enjoy private tours more than with a large group
So on I went with a thorough research and found out that there are two floating markets, Cai Be and Cai Rang. Cai Be can be visited for a day tour but Cai Rang would need an overnight stay since it is a 4-hour drive from the city.
Here is a comparison of the two:
Cai Be Floating Market
PROS:
* We will meet the preference of two-day sight-seeing tour
* Cheaper package since this is a day tour only
* They will get a good hotel discount for staying three straight nights
CONS:
* This is a smaller floating market, with lesser boats and thus, lesser things to see
* I saw some YouTube videos and personally, I wasn't impressed.
* We will meet the preference of two-day sight-seeing tour
* Cheaper package since this is a day tour only
* They will get a good hotel discount for staying three straight nights
CONS:
* This is a smaller floating market, with lesser boats and thus, lesser things to see
* I saw some YouTube videos and personally, I wasn't impressed.
Cai Rang Floating Market
PROS:
* This is THE floating market: many colorful boats, plus the world's best noodle soup per Chef Gordon Ramsay
* They get to see and experience first-hand the authentic Mekong way of life
* This is what they really want to experience
CONS:
* We will extend to three days of sight-seeing instead of two
* More expensive package since this is a 2-Day tour
Knowing my clients, the decision was easy. We'll definitely go for the Cai Rang Floating Market 2-Day tour. I wasn't wrong because they really loved the itinerary I made for them.
DEALS I GOT THEM:
1 - 32 USD savings on Philippine Airlines flight vs. original airfare budget with convenient flight hours
2 - 16 USD discount on hotel accommodation and airport pickup
3 - 50 USD discount for their amazing tours
4 - They will stay at a nice 3-Star Hotel with 2014 Excellence Award and 90% Positive Customer Reviews by TripAdvisor, walking distance to the famous Ben Thanh Market.
5 - All their tours are private tours, and they will be treated like VIP's during their Saigon Highlights Tour and Mekong Delta Tour.
6 - The best tour provider/guide/driver who is also their photographer and will give them CD's of their photos and videos during their tours. Apart from actual memories, this is the best souvenir they can get from their trip. They will have a worry-free time and just enjoy the tours, like they are supposed to.
7 - They will get to taste Mrs. Di Hai's delicious noodle soup as proclaimed by Chef Gordon Ramsay
8 - They will experience an authentic Mekong Delta Tour. No tourist traps, no mandatory factories to visit, just the real thing.
9 - They have a lot of free time to shop and rest, even time to get a full body massage before they head back to Manila
The best thing about this is that they did not spend time to get these deals, I did all the itinerary research, communications, availability of services, and even booked their hotel for them. All they had to do is buy their airlines ticket. I also provided them with a list of all important contact numbers, recommended taxi company, things to bring, wardrobe recommendations/restrictions, etc.
The whole package cost them only about 1000 USD for the best airlines, best hotel and the best tour provider. This is a trip they are looking forward to - one that matches their personalities, their lifestyle and their budget. To top it all off, they got more discounts than how much they would pay me for my services. Indeed, they are very excited and I can understand why! I am even jealous that I'm not taking this trip myself.
* This is THE floating market: many colorful boats, plus the world's best noodle soup per Chef Gordon Ramsay
* They get to see and experience first-hand the authentic Mekong way of life
* This is what they really want to experience
CONS:
* We will extend to three days of sight-seeing instead of two
* More expensive package since this is a 2-Day tour
Knowing my clients, the decision was easy. We'll definitely go for the Cai Rang Floating Market 2-Day tour. I wasn't wrong because they really loved the itinerary I made for them.
DEALS I GOT THEM:
1 - 32 USD savings on Philippine Airlines flight vs. original airfare budget with convenient flight hours
2 - 16 USD discount on hotel accommodation and airport pickup
3 - 50 USD discount for their amazing tours
4 - They will stay at a nice 3-Star Hotel with 2014 Excellence Award and 90% Positive Customer Reviews by TripAdvisor, walking distance to the famous Ben Thanh Market.
5 - All their tours are private tours, and they will be treated like VIP's during their Saigon Highlights Tour and Mekong Delta Tour.
6 - The best tour provider/guide/driver who is also their photographer and will give them CD's of their photos and videos during their tours. Apart from actual memories, this is the best souvenir they can get from their trip. They will have a worry-free time and just enjoy the tours, like they are supposed to.
7 - They will get to taste Mrs. Di Hai's delicious noodle soup as proclaimed by Chef Gordon Ramsay
8 - They will experience an authentic Mekong Delta Tour. No tourist traps, no mandatory factories to visit, just the real thing.
9 - They have a lot of free time to shop and rest, even time to get a full body massage before they head back to Manila
The best thing about this is that they did not spend time to get these deals, I did all the itinerary research, communications, availability of services, and even booked their hotel for them. All they had to do is buy their airlines ticket. I also provided them with a list of all important contact numbers, recommended taxi company, things to bring, wardrobe recommendations/restrictions, etc.
The whole package cost them only about 1000 USD for the best airlines, best hotel and the best tour provider. This is a trip they are looking forward to - one that matches their personalities, their lifestyle and their budget. To top it all off, they got more discounts than how much they would pay me for my services. Indeed, they are very excited and I can understand why! I am even jealous that I'm not taking this trip myself.