Professional, Fun & Unforgettable - Easily the Best Tour Operator in Vietnam

How can I begin describing our tour and our time with Cap Van Phung besides it being: perfect? I think one of the best things about our experience is that we went in with zero expectations, we decided at the 11th hour of our first day in Ho Chi Minh to figure out a tour of the Mekong Delta and the Cu Chi Tunnels. We only had one day to do both and out hotel didn’t offer the ability to do both, we didn’t want to settle for just one option so after finding some wifi and looking on Google maps for a local tour operator we just stumbled on Roadstour because it was walking distance from our current location. We got to the office and no one was there but the reception put us in touch with someone at the company, we said what we wanted to do, that we wanted to do it tomorrow, arranged the price and in no time we were booked for the following morning to see both destinations. Easy. The next day a charming chap by the name of Phung picks meets us in our lobby and escorts us to the car (we had a private tour so it was just my girlfriend and I, Phung and the driver).

First stop was the Cu Chi Tunnels, on the way we had a great chat with Phung and got some great facts about Vietnam and got to know each other. We were the very first people at the Cu Chi Tunnels, which was fantastic because we got to explore the site with Phung as our guide in a very relaxed and undisturbed fashion, we learned a lot about the Vietnam/American War, real stories beyond the propaganda, thoroughly explored the site at our own pace and were practically done by the time the first tour buses arrived.

We then made our way to the Mekong Delta. Had lunch at a rest stop along the way at our leisure, great food, surprisingly delicious and authentic for a rest stop, and continued to the river. We took a private boat on the river to one of the islands, visited a coconut candy maker, had a donkey taxi ride, tried some delicious fresh local fruits, and took a row boat down one of the canals, truly feeling the vibe of Mekong that one looks for when visiting this area. The most special part of the trip came last though, Phung was able to take us to one of the more local islands, away from the tourists to meet an older gentleman and his family who are coconut farmers The old man invited us into his home and shared some fresh coconuts from his property we cut off the tree ourselves! The man, I his early 80s, was nothing short of sweet, hospitable and happy to entertain us. We learned about what real life was like for the local people and for this man and his family and when we finished our coconuts we walked back to the boat where we said our goodbyes and as the boat floated away the former Vietcong soldier gave us a hardy salute and waved to us until we were out of sight around the bend. This was a truly special moment and one I doubt can be arranged by other tour operators.

After a quick drive back to Ho Chi Minh City we arrived at the hotel just in time for an early dinner and Phung gave us a fantastic recommendation near Ben Thanh Market (I won’t spoil it, you’ll have to ask him yourself). After paying (and you can pay by card if you need to! Huge pro point!) and saying our goodbyes, Phung revealed he was the company owner all along (which we didn’t know since we didn’t research the company ahead of time) and confessed that he didn’t want to tell us at the beginning because he wanted to keep our expectations in check and show us the best time and demonstrate the level of professionality one should expect from any of his tour operators. Very valiant. Phung was very knowledgeable, well spoken, funny, unafraid to talk about more sensitive topics of Vietnamese culture and history, and someone I’d love to consider a friend to visit on my next trip to Vietnam.

That’s not where the story ends though. A couple days after our tour my girlfriend and I were on the island of Phu Quoc and arranged for transport to Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Less than 24 hours before our scheduled departure the company cancelled our transport completely and said they couldn’t help us find an alternative. Not knowing what to do and getting no help from the resort we staying at we turned to Phung who said we could contact him anytime if we needed help with something in Vietnam. Long story short, Phung helped us, out of his own kindness, to arrange a way to get to Phnom Penh. We could not have done it without him and thank him for being able to help us at such short notice. It just elevated the level of professionalism and care for his customers Phung is willing to go to. Remarkable.

TL;DR: If you are in Vietnam and are looking for the best tour operator, look no further than Roadstour Vietnam. Our one-day tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta was perfect, no stress and unforgettable. Cap Van Phung, the company’s owner, is nothing short a gentleman and a true professional, and the man to call if you are in a bind with your holiday in Vietnam. Thank you Phung, hope to see you soon and I look forward to buying you that beer someday!

Alex wrote a review

Zurich, Switzerland

Date of experience: February 2017

Trip type: Traveled as a couple