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Jan 2023 • Couples
Ethnic travel arranged a fantastic 4 week trip for us in Laos and Vietnam. We really got to connect with the people, saw up close what life was like in both small bill up north and several towns and cities.the guides were from the areas we visited and were extremely knowledgeable.
Jan 2023 • Couples
We enjoyed the full program of our 3 days tour at the Mekong delta. The Programm was so fun and our guide Tom very knowledgeable. We saw lots of local places and Interacted with the locals too, while staying one night at their home. We can only recommend.
Dec 2022 • Friends
We went on the 7 day Ha Giang and Ba Be trip and can highly recommend it for anyone wanting to get off the beaten track and see rural communities and stunning scenery in North Vietnam. Every day was special but particularly memorable times were the walk down to our homestay from near Heavens Gate and the Sky Road which takes you along a high mountain track with incredible views. And a walk through jungle, boat ride and bike and bike to a cave at Ba Be.
The homestays ranged from quite rustic to having more of a guesthouse feel. We ate at homestays and local restaurants. The food was very tasty homestyle food with lots of different dishes to sample and it was fun trying out some local foods like bamboo and shredded green papaya (and other local veggies I've forgotten the names of). I'd suggest bringing along some tissues/toilet paper and soap or hand sanitizer as there isn't always some available. Also, if you're going in winter bring very warm clothes eg puffy jacket, gloves, hat and scarf (even if you are from a cold country!!)
I also can't give higher praise to our tour guide Vanh and our driver Mr Hoan who made us feel very well looked after. Vanh shared a lot about local cultures, the way of life and local folklore. Our hosts at the homestays were also generous and welcoming. Altogether an unforgettable trip!
Michelle
The homestays ranged from quite rustic to having more of a guesthouse feel. We ate at homestays and local restaurants. The food was very tasty homestyle food with lots of different dishes to sample and it was fun trying out some local foods like bamboo and shredded green papaya (and other local veggies I've forgotten the names of). I'd suggest bringing along some tissues/toilet paper and soap or hand sanitizer as there isn't always some available. Also, if you're going in winter bring very warm clothes eg puffy jacket, gloves, hat and scarf (even if you are from a cold country!!)
I also can't give higher praise to our tour guide Vanh and our driver Mr Hoan who made us feel very well looked after. Vanh shared a lot about local cultures, the way of life and local folklore. Our hosts at the homestays were also generous and welcoming. Altogether an unforgettable trip!
Michelle
Dec 2022
Ethnic Travel looked after us all the way from planning our trip whilst in the UK, to going on the tours to Ha Giang and Cat Ba Bay from Hanoi. All staff are super friendly and very knowledgeable. They were happy to adapt our trips to meet our requests and suggest options that they thought would suit us.
We spent 6 days in and around Ha Giang, having asked for a trekking tour to remote, ethnic communities. We trekked through stunning landscapes, meeting many local villagers. We stayed in remote homestays, enjoying wonderful food and hospitality. Our guide was very knowledgeable and brought the best out of our hosts in the village homestays.
Our second trip was to Cat Ba Bay. Again we were picked up from Hanoi (initally by mopeds before joining the bus!). We then enjoyed a relaxing and very comfortable 3 day cruise around the bay. We were looked after every step of the way (and way back).
I would highly recommend Ethnic Travel.
Carina
John
Arnold
We spent 6 days in and around Ha Giang, having asked for a trekking tour to remote, ethnic communities. We trekked through stunning landscapes, meeting many local villagers. We stayed in remote homestays, enjoying wonderful food and hospitality. Our guide was very knowledgeable and brought the best out of our hosts in the village homestays.
Our second trip was to Cat Ba Bay. Again we were picked up from Hanoi (initally by mopeds before joining the bus!). We then enjoyed a relaxing and very comfortable 3 day cruise around the bay. We were looked after every step of the way (and way back).
I would highly recommend Ethnic Travel.
Carina
Dec 2022
Excellent 3 trips to the Mekong Delta, Tam Coc and Halong Bay! We have experienced over 20 tours with Ethnic Travel since 2005 and they provide wonderful experiences and great guides like Mr Van and Mr Long on these trips a few weeks ago. Also thanks to Ms Thu for her sensitive booking assistance. well done!
John
Dec 2022 • Couples
We made the sightseeing tour in Ho Chi Minh City abd the Mekong Delta for three days. Our guide Mr. Vu, although very young, he was very professional
and had a lot of knowledge about the City and the Mekong Delta. His English is superb, and we got along very well, which made the whole experience a lot more personal and pleasant.We would totally recommend doing the tour with him.
and had a lot of knowledge about the City and the Mekong Delta. His English is superb, and we got along very well, which made the whole experience a lot more personal and pleasant.We would totally recommend doing the tour with him.
Arnold
Dec 2022 • Friends
We went on the 5 days hagiang adventure tour with Ethnic Travel and had a really amazing time exploring the off beaten parts of Hagiang. The views were breathtaking, and for most parts it was just us and the locals going on with their daily lives. Food was really good, the homestays were comfortable and the hosts were all warm and welcoming.
Our guide, Mr Khanh, is very knowledgeable and passionate about his job. In our 5 days there, he brought us to many amazing treks where he shared a lot about the history of Vietnam, the lives of the ethnic minorities and the way of life of the Vietnamese. He also brought us to a lovely picnic lunch in nature where we got to try local Vietnamese snacks.
Our driver Mr Hoan is man whose actions speak louder than words. He doesn’t speak English but his little gestures show that he truly cares for his guests. He’s an excellent driver who navigated the winding mountain road like a pro - road conditions weren’t the best, but we never once felt unsafe. A reliable presence who’s always there waiting for us in the van after a long arduous trek with a warm smile on his face.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone who enjoys trekking and would like to explore the off beaten parts of Vietnam without having to share it with throngs of tourists. Indeed an experience of a lifetime!
Our guide, Mr Khanh, is very knowledgeable and passionate about his job. In our 5 days there, he brought us to many amazing treks where he shared a lot about the history of Vietnam, the lives of the ethnic minorities and the way of life of the Vietnamese. He also brought us to a lovely picnic lunch in nature where we got to try local Vietnamese snacks.
Our driver Mr Hoan is man whose actions speak louder than words. He doesn’t speak English but his little gestures show that he truly cares for his guests. He’s an excellent driver who navigated the winding mountain road like a pro - road conditions weren’t the best, but we never once felt unsafe. A reliable presence who’s always there waiting for us in the van after a long arduous trek with a warm smile on his face.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone who enjoys trekking and would like to explore the off beaten parts of Vietnam without having to share it with throngs of tourists. Indeed an experience of a lifetime!
Dec 2022 • Friends
We were brought on our 5 day northern loop Ha Giang tour by guide Mr Khanh and driver Mr Hoan. We had a wonderful time, Mr Khanh brought us to truly off-beaten paths where we’d walk for miles with wonderful sceneries without seeing anyone else other than locals going about their daily lives. He is also very knowledgeable and clearly cares for the ethnics minorities in his home country :) Driver Mr Hoan doesn’t speak much English but is always so smiley and warm, it was always truly a joy seeing him and his van after a long trek. Would highly recommend this tour for travellers who enjoy walking (a lot!) in places untouched by tourism, and getting a glimpse of local life through cosy, humble homestays (with delicious, homely local food) and forest picnics!
Dec 2022 • Couples
We went on two tours with Ethnic Travel.
1. Day trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh
Fantastic day. Minivan to Ninh Binh, boat trip along canal and under rocks (amazing!), short hike back, nice lunch at private home , and bike ride along back by ways through karst formations. Recommended.
2. Three days two nights on boat that left from Cat Ba Island to explore Ha Long Bay. What a truly wonderful experience. Bus, ferry and bus from Hanoi very organized. Lovely 11-cabin wooden boat with sweet and helpful staff and delicious meals. Great day in smaller boat exploring smaller bays, floating village (fascinating) and kayaking. We could easily have gone to a beach or swum from the boat, but it was pretty cold when we were there. The last day we biked to a small village and had our feet nibbled by fish—more fun than it sounds. This trip is a must do. It was the trip of a lifetime.
Thank you Ethnic Travel and our guides Khanh and Lucky
1. Day trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh
Fantastic day. Minivan to Ninh Binh, boat trip along canal and under rocks (amazing!), short hike back, nice lunch at private home , and bike ride along back by ways through karst formations. Recommended.
2. Three days two nights on boat that left from Cat Ba Island to explore Ha Long Bay. What a truly wonderful experience. Bus, ferry and bus from Hanoi very organized. Lovely 11-cabin wooden boat with sweet and helpful staff and delicious meals. Great day in smaller boat exploring smaller bays, floating village (fascinating) and kayaking. We could easily have gone to a beach or swum from the boat, but it was pretty cold when we were there. The last day we biked to a small village and had our feet nibbled by fish—more fun than it sounds. This trip is a must do. It was the trip of a lifetime.
Thank you Ethnic Travel and our guides Khanh and Lucky
Dec 2022 • Couples
We made an unforgettable trip with Etnic Tours in the rural north of Vietnam. We made a loop from Hanoi to Ha Giang, Dong Van, Meo Vac, Ba Be, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh back to Hanoi in 9 days. Every day was different and full of nice surprises. The program was very well balanced with walking, cycling, boating, meeting the locals, visiting interesting places, relaxing and eating local food. Our guide Vang was fantastic. He spoke good English, thought along with us, told us a lot about Vietnam and its history, culture, nature and customs and brought us into contact with the local population. He made a lot of effort to meet our requirements, such as arranging vegetarian food and fresh orange juice. The host families were very interesting, only the bed was sometimes a bit hard. We ate organic and fresh food straight from vegetable gardens all week. We experienced a lot in just 9 days and would highly recommend Etnic Travel and especially our guide Vang. Although the weather in December was not too good - we hardly saw the sun and it was quite cold - its added value made our trip unforgettable. We'll be back soon. Vietnam and Etnic Travel are in our heart.
Nov 2022 • Couples
We have a trip in North Vietnam to Ba Be lake and forest around- amazing place. The forest meets the water. Nice, smiling people. Ha Long bay boat trip, very beautiful place. The trip in South Vietnam was to Mekong delta, Floating market, Ho Chi Min city and relax in sea resort. Strictly organized, good hotels, competent guides, good drivers, delicious food. It was a pleasure to travel with this agency. I recommend it to those, who want to touch the real life of Vietnamese people. Good luck!
Maya and Stoyan - Bulgaria
November 2022
Maya and Stoyan - Bulgaria
November 2022
Nov 2022
We loved our 6 nights and 7 days extensive tour with Ethnic Travel. Just brilliant. Very varied and our guide answered almost all our many questions. Quite adventurous without being outrageously so. Accommodation ranged from basic facilities in isolated home stays to en suite rooms and the highlight was our cruiser in and around Halong Bay with only our group of 8 onboard. Trekking, cycling, swimming, kayaking, cooking and even playing volleyball with the formidable but highly skilled and friendly local ladies.
We asked plenty of questions of the happy locals through our excellent guide and learnt a huge amount about Vietnamese culture, history and way of life. However don’t do the climb to Navy Point on Cat Ba Island unless you are reasonably proficient at climbing (and descending) pretty steep, rocky & often slippy narrow pathways through the jungle. Bikes were okay but could do with some maintenance but did not affect our enjoyment. The success of the tour does depend quite a lot on how much you interact and get on both with the guide, locals and other members of your group. Muck in and get involved. Partaking in the often offered local rice wine helps! Food plentiful varied, fresh & delicious.
Just do it!
We did the 2 day/1 night Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba tour just some days ago. It was totally amazing!
Everything was perfectly organised, we got picked up from the hotel, were transferred to Cat Ba Port in a small Van and there we got on one of the smaller cruises, with only 11 other people and very kind and entertaining guide.
On the boat we had a lovely room with big windows to overlook the scenery, the food was delicious and the crew was watchful and polite. The booking through Ethnic travel was very easy, they responded quickly after our short timed request and even organised us a bus to Hue for the next night.
We can highly recommend this travel agency!
We asked plenty of questions of the happy locals through our excellent guide and learnt a huge amount about Vietnamese culture, history and way of life. However don’t do the climb to Navy Point on Cat Ba Island unless you are reasonably proficient at climbing (and descending) pretty steep, rocky & often slippy narrow pathways through the jungle. Bikes were okay but could do with some maintenance but did not affect our enjoyment. The success of the tour does depend quite a lot on how much you interact and get on both with the guide, locals and other members of your group. Muck in and get involved. Partaking in the often offered local rice wine helps! Food plentiful varied, fresh & delicious.
Just do it!
We did the 2 day/1 night Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba tour just some days ago. It was totally amazing!
Everything was perfectly organised, we got picked up from the hotel, were transferred to Cat Ba Port in a small Van and there we got on one of the smaller cruises, with only 11 other people and very kind and entertaining guide.
On the boat we had a lovely room with big windows to overlook the scenery, the food was delicious and the crew was watchful and polite. The booking through Ethnic travel was very easy, they responded quickly after our short timed request and even organised us a bus to Hue for the next night.
We can highly recommend this travel agency!
Nov 2022
We recently booked two tours with Ethnic Travel. One to Cat Ba Island and the other one doing the Ha Giang loop in the North. Both tours were so much fun and left us with great memories. For the tour in the North we booked the easy rider option. First we weren’t really sure if it is the right thing to do it on a motorbike. In the end it was the perfect choice for us as we were able to enjoy the ride on the back of the motorbikes and soak in all the great scenery and people without windows in front of us. We always felt 100% safe. Moreover, we were really lucky as we had a great guide and second driver. Being from a farm, our guide knew all kind of plants and was very open-minded to talk to local people. It was a pleasure to be with both of them.
Nov 2022 • Couples
First we did a three day trip to Mai Chau and Ninh Binh, which was excellent. Hiking, biking, boating and a good guide and driver. Then we did a six-day trip to Ha Giang and Ba Be Lake. I had done this trip several times before, but our super guide, Cho, found lots of new places to explore and short hikes to do every day. The homestays were each a bit different, all with terrific food. The driver was very careful too. Altogether a memorable trip.
Helen
Helen
Oct 2022 • Friends
We did a 5 day, 4 night Mekong Delta trip with Ethnic Tours. Everything on the trip was fantastic, from the food to the activities. We espeically enjoyed our accommodation in an ancient house. Our guide, Cong Thanh (Travis) was just amazing. He was knowledgeable, friebsly and fun. He made sure everything went smoothly, was always available to answer our questions or help us with anything we needed. Travis explained many nuances of Vietnamese culture and language, as well as Vietnam's history. I would recommend a trip to the Mekong Delta with Ethnic tours and would certainly book with them again (in fact, we did a day trip to Hoa Binh the day after we returned from the Mekong).
Oct 2022 • Family
My package was originally booked in Jan 2020 for Oct, 2020 2N 3D Ha long and Bai tu long bay. However the tour could not commence in Oct, 20 due to covid. After Vietnam opened its border from 15.03.22, I contacted Ms. Thu, she was initially not sure where to book as post covid her own boats were not functioning so she gave me some options and eventually 2N3D lan ha bay tour was booked for Oct this year.
We visited her office immediately after reaching our hotel in Ha noi and paid her a balance of 192€, her husband was kind enough to get the Vietnamese currency of the remaining 73€ we were carrying in a very good exchange rate. She also advised me to visit the local market which was a few hundred meters from her booking office. Next day the pickup van appeared right on time and took us to Cat ba island and from there to the harbour and from there a speed boat picked us up and took us to the main cruise.
Our cruise was with Cozy boutique cruise and the experience was really awesome, beautiful landscape and very good food. The crews on the cruise were really helpful and polite, we really enjoyed the cruise, we also went to Viet hai village twice though it was once in our package. The village was picturesque and I will never forget the cycling from little harbour to the village through hilly roads. We were not brave enough to do the kayaking, however they took us to the beach by their small boat where we enjoyed our late afternoon.
They also took us to a floating fishing village. On the third day they dropped us to the harbour and Cozy Boutique Cruise's local agent in the harbour arranged our return to Hanoi via "Goodmorning catba" bus. Thu's pickup van was delayed and we didn't wait for her van to come to the harbour. Overall it was a very nice experience and at a reasonable price.
We visited her office immediately after reaching our hotel in Ha noi and paid her a balance of 192€, her husband was kind enough to get the Vietnamese currency of the remaining 73€ we were carrying in a very good exchange rate. She also advised me to visit the local market which was a few hundred meters from her booking office. Next day the pickup van appeared right on time and took us to Cat ba island and from there to the harbour and from there a speed boat picked us up and took us to the main cruise.
Our cruise was with Cozy boutique cruise and the experience was really awesome, beautiful landscape and very good food. The crews on the cruise were really helpful and polite, we really enjoyed the cruise, we also went to Viet hai village twice though it was once in our package. The village was picturesque and I will never forget the cycling from little harbour to the village through hilly roads. We were not brave enough to do the kayaking, however they took us to the beach by their small boat where we enjoyed our late afternoon.
They also took us to a floating fishing village. On the third day they dropped us to the harbour and Cozy Boutique Cruise's local agent in the harbour arranged our return to Hanoi via "Goodmorning catba" bus. Thu's pickup van was delayed and we didn't wait for her van to come to the harbour. Overall it was a very nice experience and at a reasonable price.
Oct 2022 • Couples
We highly recommend Ethnic Travel for planned travels in Vietnam! Ms Thu is a wonderful travel agent who wants the Client to have an authentic and unique experience in Vietnam. Ethnic Travel planned our 4 days/5 nights motorbike Tour for the Ha Giang Loop.
We were by ourselves with our drivers and were very pleased and always felt safe with them since they are locals. The homestays were very lovely, the food amazing (always with vegetarian options) and the nature is magnificent. One of us got sick during the Trip, but Ethnic Travel was always keen to find the best solution for us and our current location. They were very flexible in changing our tour plans and were available 24h. PLUS: the Office in Hanoi is also a bookstore :) 10/10!!!
We were by ourselves with our drivers and were very pleased and always felt safe with them since they are locals. The homestays were very lovely, the food amazing (always with vegetarian options) and the nature is magnificent. One of us got sick during the Trip, but Ethnic Travel was always keen to find the best solution for us and our current location. They were very flexible in changing our tour plans and were available 24h. PLUS: the Office in Hanoi is also a bookstore :) 10/10!!!
Aug 2022
We went as a Western family to the 2 day Black River and Mai Ha excursion. We had the best time ever. The whole service was fantastic from booking until the end. The team reached us and guided us on some adjustments to fine tune the trip to us. The final result was one of the best experiences of our lives. Experiencing the true Vietnam with local people, off the beaten path locations a true cultural interchange and landscapes that are deeply imprinted in our memories.
Our guide Khanh was extremely helpful, polite, professional and took us to amazing places with no tourists around. And was able to adjust the trip to some unexpected weather surprises making this experience even more special. His constant promise was "still more beautiful ahead" and he always delivered.
If you're looking for an off the beaten track, authentic experience of Vietnam with true professional service, then look no further.
I can only start saving so that we can return ASAP!!!!
Thanks for everything Ms Thu and Mr. Khanh!
Our guide Khanh was extremely helpful, polite, professional and took us to amazing places with no tourists around. And was able to adjust the trip to some unexpected weather surprises making this experience even more special. His constant promise was "still more beautiful ahead" and he always delivered.
If you're looking for an off the beaten track, authentic experience of Vietnam with true professional service, then look no further.
I can only start saving so that we can return ASAP!!!!
Thanks for everything Ms Thu and Mr. Khanh!
