Inside Vietnam: Grand Circle Travel
Dates: November 2005
This was our first trip with Grand Circle Travel. At the time, we didn’t know about Overseas Adventure Travel (Grand Circle owns and runs OAT). Grand Circle is a ‘big bus’ tour for older folks and OAT is small groups and much more active.
Please also note that I am writing this post many years after having taken the trip to Vietnam.
For that reason, I strongly suggest you read more recent reviews and evaluations posted by travelers who have taken the trip more recently. I was 53 when we took this trip – way younger than the typical Grand Circle traveler. It was still a great trip. You’ll see from this website that we have taken many subsequent trips with OAT and many other travelers share my opinion that the tour to Vietnam is one of the best trips to take.
$100 FIRST TIMER DISCOUNT
If you are considering the Vietnam Tour with either Grand Circle or Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), feel free to take advantage of this special savings (It works for either). When making your reservation, simply say you were referred by Jesse Slome (Customer Number 932019) and they will deduct $100 off the lowest available price. This works just one time on your first trip. No catch and it’s just for your first trip.
MY REVIEW
First of all … if you ask Mindy … I think she will tell you this has been her favorite trip. It definitely ranks up there for me. And, it clearly is still one of the travel bargains available.
It’s a wonderful country to visit. We loved the food (even me who lives for desserts … and they don’t really eat sugar there). We loved the shopping (even me … I would go back there today to shop again). And, we loved the people. They have been through many wars — including the last which they refer to as “the American War”.
BOTTOM LINE: Vietnam is one of the few places I would revisit again. If you go, I really think you’ll feel the same way.
That said, I am sure many things have changed in the 12 years between when we went and today when I’m writing this. But, as I’ve said, I’ve talked to many people on our subsequent tours and they regale you with stories of great bargains. When we arrived we changed $60 for 1 million Vietnamese Dong … making us instant millionaires.
TIP: If you are considering a trip with either Grand Circle or Overseas Adventure Travel, I strongly recommend reading the various reviews. For example, one of the travelers recommended bringing $1 bills with us. We brought $100 and had a great time buying all kinds of little stuff from local street vendors, etc. Fellow travelers will share tips not in the guide book the company sends you.
I wish you a wonderful trip.
IF YOU DO USE MY REFERRAL CODE TO SAVE $100 – why not send me a quick note to say hello. I always like to hear from folks who love travel as much as we do.
Email me: jslome @ aaltci.org
I couldn’t imagine seeing China in any other way (than a guided tour). This is a huge country and to really see as much as you’d want to, you need a knowledgeable guide leader and this Overseas Adventure Tour really exceeded my expectations (with one exception, food … but that’s really easy to overlook).
MY TIP FOR TRAVELERS: Make the most of your free time. Maybe it was our tour travelers or the guide but many people didn’t explore on their own. But if you really want to experience a country, I believe you need to. So, when we had free time in Beijing, I said I wanted to ride the subway. Once the guide realized I was serious and a few others asked if they could join me … he agreed to guide us (which was helpful). It’s a great system by the way. We also went off to explore shopping malls and supermarkets. If you really want to experience the real China, don’t just hang out in the hotel. There was nothing like having young kids come up to touch my arms (they aren’t hairy by American standards … but apparently they are by Chinese standards).
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE CHINA AND TIBET TOUR: Pretty much everything. You really cover the country and this is a BIG country undergoing huge transformation. You see cities and rural countryside. I loved spending the evening in a farmer’s home watching TV (he didn’t speak a word of English and I don’t speak Mandarin). No worries, there is a universality among humans. And, watching my wife do Texas-style line dancing with Chinese farm wives was a real hoot. You will cover an enormous amount and while it seems overwhelming, it wasn’t. It was exciting and made the trip an incredible value.
And, Tibet … what a truly unique experience. I could write 1,000 words and not adequately cover how much I enjoyed Tibet. I would say this was really the highlight of our visit because it held so many unexpected surprises. And, it was especially great to meet the people who 
live under Chinese repression. Oh, by the way — this is a photo of the Potala Palace and be ready to climb up all the steps to gain access. BUT, this is a not-to-be missed experience!