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Private Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour with Christine for 1 USD

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Private Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour with Christine for 1 USD
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Store Reporientalcolours on 28/04/2014 - 00:50 orientalcolours.com (670 clicks)
Last edited 09/05/2014 - 21:58

TOUR ITINERARY

Your walking tour begins in Hanoi’s largest covered market - Dong Xuan martket at around 4 pm. Breathe in the aromatic scents wafting from street hawker stalls selling everything from exotic fruit to seafood. Led by a local guide, hear stories about the ingredients and history of Hanoi’s food culture and northern Vietnamese specialties.
After sampling fruit and street snacks at the market, continue walking to Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Visit a local restaurant to watch the chefs at work, then dine on a famous local dish of pork crepes, called banh cuon.
Then take a wander down Hanoi’s atmospheric lanes of houses, shops and street stalls, we will try "bun cha" or Hanoi "Pho", up to your personal preference.
Your tour will ends with a visit to one of Hanoi’s best-kept secrets, a tucked-away cafe with amazing views over Hoan Kiem Lake. Here you can try the local favorite, egg coffee. Your tour ends here at around 7 pm, so you can either continue exploring on your own, take a taxi or ask our guide or directions and suggestions.

TOUR RATE

1 USD/person, minimum booking of 2 people

Group size: max 4 people

TOUR INCLUSION

English speaking guide
Meals with dishes as mentioned
Entrance fees for mentioned visits

PAYMENT AND BOOKING

Due amount of 1 USD is payable in Cash on your touring date
Please notice us you are from "OZ BARGAIN" in your Enquire Form

Tours on every Monday and Thursday
Booking period from 27th April 2014 to 27th May 2014
Traveling period 5th May 2014 to 25th December 2014
Booking must be done latest 5 days in advance

Travel Bun Cha Egg Coffee Hanoi Street Food Phở Vietnamese Food

Related Stores

Oriental Colours
Oriental Colours

closed Comments

    • Store Reporientalcolours @ Oriental Colours on 28/04/2014 - 01:04
      +10

      Yes, Grum, the normal rate is 30 USD, the 1 USD rate is the deal we offer for OZ bargainers as part of our promotional campaign. :-)

      Christine

        • cacbm on 28/04/2014 - 18:49
          +2

          $1 might be below minimum wage in Vietnam, but how do you know how much they are paying their employees?

          Just because 7-11 runs a promotion on $1 Slupees, it doesn't mean all 7-11 employees get paid $1.

  • highdealer on 28/04/2014 - 02:01

    If it is really for $1 and include all the meal as mention then this is a great deal, any one of those meal will cost you more than $1 already.

  • mmcs on 28/04/2014 - 06:11
    -2

    including meal? I don't think so.

    • Store Reporientalcolours @ Oriental Colours on 28/04/2014 - 06:15
      +6

      Yes, Including meals mmcs, but there are limit bookings for maximum 4 tourists/time and 2 times per week. So first come, first serve.

      I will be in charge of this, by the way. :-)

      Christine

  • Daabido on 28/04/2014 - 07:01
    +5

    And after I pay USD$1 for a multi-hour guided tour by an English speaking tour guide, eat out at a multitude of places with delicious food, one might ask…

    What is the catch? Don't say there isn't one, because if you do, your Store Rep badge will have to be replaced with one that says Saintly Monk.

    • devilbabies on 28/04/2014 - 07:28
      +2

      43% of people in Vietnam live on less than $2 per day. (statistic from 2008)

      they probably appreciate tips and might get kickbacks from addition stuff you buy

    • XucCac on 28/04/2014 - 07:34
      +4

      The catch is U HAVE TO BUY A TICKET TO VN!! LoL

    • Store Reporientalcolours @ Oriental Colours on 28/04/2014 - 07:49
      +26

      We are new and small travel agent, you can see our team here:
      http://orientalcolours.com/Oriental-Colours/Our-Team/Our-Tea…

      We are of course not doing business without a purpose. Our aim with promotions are to increase the awareness of our brand and to get more travelers to use our service and try our best to get good reviews. This promotion has this aim over profitability.
      The competition in the travel market is harsh, and we are yet a small fish trying to get bigger.

      Christine

      • Chroma on 28/04/2014 - 11:35

        It seems legit to me, and is an even better deal than the "free" tours you see all over the place where the guides are carefully trained salespersons who get you into a corner you with the "you don't have to BUT" starving artist guilt trip near the end. I'd rather give $20 to a good tour guide who is asking $1 with no catches than give $1 to a 'free' tour with a free guilt trip. I'm guessing there are many others who would do the same.

        • muzzamo on 28/04/2014 - 11:57

          What makes you think that this isn't this sort of tour?

        • Store Reporientalcolours @ Oriental Colours on 28/04/2014 - 13:04
          +2

          Hi muzzamo,

          We are aiming for bigger goals then earning the living on this 1 USD deal.

          Here is some reviews of tourists traveling with us recently for your reference:

          "I greatly enjoyed this Vietnam tour. Christine and Sophia were very good to deal with, pleasant, efficient, knowledgeable and generous.
          I was pleasantly surprised with several free accommodation upgrades, especially to the five star Star Light boat!
          Christine was very accommodating when I wanted to change aspects of the itinerary and was very helpful in providing suggestions on other places to visit in Vietnam and also allowed payment of balance on arrival as credit card payments were not available at the time.
          The cost is very reasonable and you don't need to worry about anything generally.
          You need to be a bit flexible as the day tours did change from the original itinerary a couple of times due to weather or other factors but I did not feel like I missed out on anything."
          John G.
          (14 Day tour in Jan 2014)

          "I would like to thank Christine for the wonderful booking and Tho for the follow up in Vietnam itself. We are very happy with our tour and if I am very keen to do a Laos trip in the future with oriental colours if they can perform like this again. Love to both you girls. Dori F."
          (12 Day tour in Feb 2014)

          "This was my very first trip to Hai Noi, Hue and Hoi An and it was wonderful thank to Oriental Colours and, in particular, Christine. The service I received from Christine was the best service I have ever received! She was very professional, friendly and extremely helpful. Not only she arranged all tours for me in those three cities I visited (which were excellent), she also accommodated all my additional requests (which were quite a few) and helped me to arrange my visit to three orphanages without any issue or additional costs to me. She even accompanied me to visit the children in Ha Noi and arranged for others to assist me with the same in Hue and Hoi An. Everything ran so smoothly from the time I contacted Christine to the end of my holiday without much effort on my part; and the best thing was I had no headache in organising this trip because all I needed to do was to hand over my requests to Christine and she did everything for me to perfection. I am extremely happy with your company and Christine's service including all of the tours you offered and the little cost I have to pay in comparison. This was a perfect trip! I will definitely use your company again and will not hesitate in recommending Oriental Colours and Christine to everyone. Thank you for making my trip so enjoyable! Please keep up with the good work
          Fond regards,"

          Vicky L.
          (14 Day tour in Feb and Mar 2014)

          Christine

        • nismo on 28/04/2014 - 13:13
          +3

          Since the purpose of the promotion is about awareness and getting good Reviews, it's in their interest to provide what they are offering, without any dodgy hidden extras.

          Otherwise, what will the reviews look like?

          How well will they achieve their goals if they don't provide what's in the offer?

          Deal sounds good to me. $1 isn't much to risk either, especially if you are already planning to visit Vietnam this year.

  • theworks on 28/04/2014 - 07:19

    I didnt try egg coffee when I was there! (and I had a ton of coffee).

    I wonder what the catch is. Do you ask for tips at the end? a positive rating on a review site?

    • Store Reporientalcolours @ Oriental Colours on 28/04/2014 - 08:00
      +15

      You should try egg coffee next time visiting Hanoi, this is a good place for trying it:
      http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g293924-d146…

      Tipping is optional, and we are not going "to ask" for it, as we aim for satisfaction and reviews.

      We consider this a a marketing expense, we could chose to spend huge amount of money of google adwords, facebook campaigns or do some direct marketing to potential customers, it is beneficial to them as well as enabling highest exposure of our services and people.

      • [Deactivated] on 28/04/2014 - 10:42
        +3

        Keep the good work up Christine! If I was going to Vietnam, I'd definitely drop in. I love seeing people working hard for an honest living.

        Also guys, for people who are asking for photographs, if you go on to their web site, you can find an image of their food, e.g.:
        http://orientalcolours.com/Destinations/Vietnam/Hanoi---Nort…

      • theworks on 28/04/2014 - 11:52

        Good answer. Hanoi is lovely, next time Im back Ill give the eggy coffee a 'crack'.

  • SmiTTy on 28/04/2014 - 08:17
    +2

    Sounds like a good deal.
    All those meals are simple so I wouldnt think $1 USD is not do-able in vn. Portions might be smaller than usual but bowl of pho can be had v cheap (relatively)

    If the tour guide is good then give a tip (& write a review if u can be bothered) not an unreasonable ask. If you didnt think they did a good job then dont

    Genuine bargain imo

  • L4M3G4M3R on 28/04/2014 - 08:41
    +1

    We are in Vietnam in October…will check my dates to see when we are in Hanoi.

    • Store Reporientalcolours @ Oriental Colours on 28/04/2014 - 14:12
      +1

      Then remember to reserve an afternoon on either Monday or Thursday for this foodie tour, we will be "zigzagging" around the hectic Hanoi city center while enjoying some local delicacies and sharing experiences over a cup of coffee.:-)

  • Wolfy on 28/04/2014 - 09:58
    -6

    $1 tour is good, but there are at least 3 companies offering the same service for free.
    I booked with Hanoi Kids for my visit later this year.

    • rapoot6 on 28/04/2014 - 10:19

      Pics or it didnt happen.

    • tonka on 28/04/2014 - 10:28

      Free meals too?

    • guyvb on 28/04/2014 - 10:31
      +1

      We booked with Hanoi Kids for our first day in Hanoi a few years back. Can't recommend them highly enough. No pressure for tips / money / anything, we were happy to shout their meals during the day and gave them a donation for their organisation at the end.

      • Tickled on 28/04/2014 - 11:18
        +1

        Seconded for Hanoi Kids. We were lucky enough to use them twice earlier this year (Feb). One of the best things we did in Vietnam by far

    • Chroma on 28/04/2014 - 11:37
      +5

      See comment above on "free" tours. Anyone from an economy like Australia's who can afford flights to Vietnam and is complaining about a $1 tour not being a good deal on the basis of price alone is a clown at best.

      • Wolfy on 29/04/2014 - 13:29

        Providing information about the #1 ranked 'Activity in Hanoi' on TripAdviser with 615 "Excellent" reviews and 33 "Very Good" reviews (total of 654 reviews) has nothing to do with being a clown:
        http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g293924-d175…

        The company advertising here has 0 reviews posted, so it's not so much about the cost but about the quality of service.

    • ZzRice007 on 28/04/2014 - 11:40
      +1

      Free tours to their restaurants and shops where you pay the 1000% surchage. p.s. do your shopping in Saigon.. Ha Noi is king at overcharging foreigners.

  • jackofspade on 28/04/2014 - 10:42
    -1

    Off topic - Is there a place in Sydney CBD that sells Banh Cuon?

  • zrach on 28/04/2014 - 11:26

    Anything for HCM?

  • jv on 28/04/2014 - 11:27
    -1

    Not sure if it's worth paying the airfare to get a cheap meal…

    • mafmouf on 28/04/2014 - 13:12
      +1

      If you stay there it is!

  • muzzamo on 28/04/2014 - 12:01

    My experience of these things is that this is how it will go down.

    1) The tour guide will be friendly.
    2) The tour contents probably be good, subject to point 4)
    3) You will be asked/expected to tip $5-$20 USD at the end
    4) You will probably stop at a gift shop (tourist trap) at some point, with a mandatory 30 minute stop.
    5) Other stops that they take you may be offering kickbacks as well.
    6) You will end and start the tour at their travel agency, where you will have the opportunity to purchase any/many of their other tours.

    These tours can be great when their motivation is 6). These tours can be terrible when they take you to tourist trap after tourist trap where you can buy overpriced gifts on commission.

  • alterego13 on 28/04/2014 - 12:16

    Too bad about booking dates/travel dates. I am in SaPa at the moment going to Hanoi tonight.
    But great work Christine!!
    The people here are amazing!!

    • mafmouf on 28/04/2014 - 13:13
      +1

      ENVY! Watch out for locals in Sapa. They will follow you everywhere.

      • alterego13 on 28/04/2014 - 16:10

        Haha..they already followed us to the 3 villages on the trek…tried to persuade us buying their stuff but are mostly harmless and very helpful on the trek!

        • mafmouf on 28/04/2014 - 16:13

          Yea, they are quite friendly and have quite good English too. The only real issue is the smell from the bags and clothing they make. Looks great, the smell is forever lingering. Have fun!

        • alterego13 on 28/04/2014 - 17:34

          Haha..you do know what those clothes are made of right? ;)

        • mafmouf on 29/04/2014 - 09:59
          +1

          If I do, I have forgotten. I have seen them it in the distant villages soak it in the purple stuff. Was a while ago though haha. Should I stop eating when I read your next reply?

        • alterego13 on 29/04/2014 - 11:44
          +1

          lol no need to stop eating :) you'll probabaly crave for taco-bell or ice cream after knowing it is made from 'cannabis sativa' :D

        • mafmouf on 30/04/2014 - 09:11

          Lol Taco Bell. So random. Haven't seen one of these since 2000?

  • Gribbles on 28/04/2014 - 12:53

    Looks really good Christine!

    I'll be in Hanoi in August, so will certainly consider.

    I've also had a look at some of the other tours you offer, such as to Sapa.

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 28/04/2014 - 15:21
    +2

    As much as I hate sounding cynical (but I am) I would say that the if I split the $7.50 lunch special at my local Thai restaurant (Vietnamese is not as prevalent) into 3 (~50000 dong) I would still have 50-100% of the meat and vege portion of a typical Hanoi Old Town restaurant (or any tourist trap in Nha Trang or elsewhere for that matter).

    If I left the touristy and/or wealthy areas the prices would decline dramatically as expected, but the strange thing was that the portions increased in size (especially with regards to the non-carb filler portions)?!

    Unlike in Thailand I never reached that "sweet spot" where portions and quality increase with cost so I never spent 120,000 dong (or ~$6) on food without regretting it. I almost never eat fast-food in Australia but even in Vietnam an imitation Zinger sub from Lotteria for 18,000 dong had more filling than street-stall chicken rolls in Vietnam (where they would often cost 20,000 dong around tourist areas).

    So while Vietnam in general can be very cheap I would probably get higher-quality, more varied and more balanced nutrition in Kuala Lumpur for 6 ringitt than 40,000 dong would get me in Hanoi (but maybe I wasn't looking hard enough).

    Update: And I forgot to mention - photos in menus almost never, ever look even close to what you get (makes McDonalds look honest). But the difference in portions and appearance can make for quite amusing spot-the-difference photo opportunities. If the portions shown on the website are accurate then that's already a crazy good deal.

  • Last Seen on 28/04/2014 - 15:22

    I haven't personally toured with Oriental Colours but I can highly recommend taking a street food tour of Hanoi (I went with another guide whom I won't name in this thread out of respect to the OP). Taking a food tour of this city is a fantastic experience and being a foodie, probably the highlight of our trip.

    Fwiw, my wife and I are quite adventurous eaters but it's one thing to be willing and another one entirely to actually find the best places to snag street food.

    In terms of travel, wait for a Scoot/AirAsia sale or search flights way in advance (airasiaplus.com is helpful) and get a 'fly-thru' or 'Scoot-thru' fare to Hanoi. Easy to book and can be very cheap. Oh and… [responsibly] drink copious amounts of bia hoi

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