Handspan

Hi,

Has anyone used Handspan to tour Vietnam? Their website looks good.

Handspan

Yes! We%26#39;ve just returned from touring and booked pretty well everything with them (half before we left and the rest once we were there). They were fantastic - very professional and well organised, friendly staff, good guides, good prices.

Handspan

I%26#39;ve had some quotes for tours from my agent and tonight looked up the cost booking direct over the net and can%26#39;t believe the huge difference in price even going through Handspan. Since I%26#39;m restricted on time I think I would still need to book in advance, are there any places/hotel you%26#39;d recommend I go? The more I look the more places I want to go! Can %26#39;t wait to get there.

Piers

Depends on how much time you have (we had 5 weeks) and what your interests are - do you want to see people or sc.enery or histric sites. But the key things to see (in order) are in my opionion:

1. Halong Bay

2. Sapa

3. Hanoi

4. Hoi An

5. Mekong

6. Saigon

If we had to focus on one area we%26#39;d probably spend the time in the North (Sapa/Hanoi/Halong Bay)

Regarding Hotels that we booked through Handspan:

Oscar Hotel (HCMC) was OK - the room we had had no external window, which really messed with our body clock, and a second rom we had on the second stay also was just below the kitchen and a bit noisy. But hotel was clean and comfortable. If we were staying there again we%26#39;d probably ask Handspan to book us into the next price bracket room at this hotel.

On the Mekong tour we did we opted for the lower price hotels - one just outside Chau Doc (which was OK but only just!) and the Asia Hotel in Can Tho (small rooms but comfortable). To have gone to the next option (Victoria Hotels) would have cot us around $200 more .. we didn%26#39;t miss the extra comfort!

Majestic Salute (Hanoi) was good - clean, comfortable etc. Ditto for the Hong Ngoc 1 ($50/night) which Handspan booked for us when we extended our stay but couldn%26#39;t get a room at Majestic Salute. In fact the latter was probably marginally better and cheaper (and there was a sensational restaurant up a lane way next door!)

Topas Eco Lodge outside Sapa - this was one of the highlights of the trip. We stayed three nights, but two would have been OK. Can%26#39;t remember the cost but it was quite reasonable, espec as it was inclusive of meals and treks. We%26#39;d probably ask Handspan to book a better quality sleeper on the train (or book us all 4 beds in the cabin) as the Night Train was one of he few disappointments we had.

Then off to Halong Bay for 3 days 2 nights on Dragons Pearl - wonderful - this was THE highlight - great boat, fantatsic food and a handspan guide on board as well. If time is limited the overnight trip is fine.

Somewhere in here we did a side trip to Cuc Phong National Park and stayed in a guesthouse in the park - pretty basic but OK. Part of a package cost, but I don%26#39;t think it costs much (probably around $20)

In Hue Handspan booked us into Huong Giang - a resort right on the river - we got a riverside room for $66 a night - very nice!

In Hoi An - Vinh Hung Riverside Resort (aka Vinh Hung 4) - at $52 a night this was sensational value and a really nice place.

We then splashed out and stayed at Sofitel Vinpearl at Nha Trang for 4 nights. The resort is a bit of travesty really (it%26#39;s on an island and is fairly crass) but it was also a great place to stay - rooms are great, pool is fantsatsic, beach sensational and the service excellent.. Cost was $127 a night and it really is a solid 4-5 star place. Some of the pricing for extras is over the top (we managed to rack up a $100 laundry bill in four days) - but access to and from the island is easy.

Then Novotel Dalat ($58) - small but comfortable rooms and nice ambience. Only problem was a dog close by that sounded like it was being tortured at 5.00 am both mornings.

We then finished back in HCMC - we treated ourselves to a suite at the Rex for around $170 a night (we stayed 2 nights). We figured it was a good way to end the trip and we were not disappointed. I think the standard rooms would have cost around the $70 - 80 mark. We%26#39;d probably pick it over the Oscar if we were going again.

Hope this helps - overall we got the feeling that Handpsan had checked out most if not all the places, and the rates we got were usually on a par with what you could get via Asia Rooms.

If we were doing the trip again we%26#39;d go straight to Handpsan and probably choose to stay at most of the same hotels.

Hi Beagles,

Many thanks for all that information. We%26#39;re only able to spend a maximum of three weeks away so I was wanting squeeze as much as possible in but on reflection maybe it would be better to cut down a bit and have time to really see and enjoy places.

Did you do any internal flights? Wondering if I should book them before leaving, maybe get Handspan to do it or risk getting a better deal once there.

We booked the internal flights through Handspan - they were pretty cheap. Hanoi-Hue $66, Dannang-Nha Trang $44. Dalat - HCMC $35. Also, all the flights we caught were pretty full, so leaving it until you get there might be a bit risky and not sure you%26#39;d save anything much.

Hi Piers

Can definitely recommend Handspan - we returned yesterday from two weeks in Vietnam, used Handspan to book internal flights, Halong Bay cruise and a hotel in Hanoi. They are honest, professional, friendly, knowledgeable - everything you need!

Enjoy your holiday ;o)

Sue

Hi Sue,

Thanks for that. What sort of itinerary did you have for two weeks? I want to do as much as possible but on the other hand I don%26#39;t want to rush around and not get time to really enjoy it.

I am looking at booking Halong Bay cruise with Handspan from here. The only doubt I have is that along with credit card details they want a copy of my passport and copy of both sides of credit card.

Did you have to do this? Just worried about identify fraud and have I actually got the real Handspan site. Appreciate anyone else who has done this.