I used this travel agency-King Pearl Travel (close proximity to Ben Thanh
market) for full day tour of Cu Chi Tunnel and Mekong River. The duration tour
was 8am-6pm and price 1300,000 VND including entrance tickets, foods and
drinks.
I set off from King Pearl Travel with high expectations of the great
lunch and river boat expedition but it turns out to be the WORST travel agency
I have ever used.
Hence, rather than fantastic tales from Mekong River, I highlight what King
Pearl Travel has been doing.
1. They promise more
than they can deliver
This is the main reason I’m so disappointed by this travel agency. They
deliver less than what they had advertised in the travel brochures.
Front desk lady-Aina promises us we don’t have to spend any single cents
on full day tour of Cu Chi Tunnel and Mekong River. It ends up we have to pay
for our drinks during lunch times. Additionally, the lunch we have is ala carte
type but we realized it is necessary to share with tour members.
For example, four
fried popiah is served and shared with 4 tour members. Each member gets one
fried popiah. This is completely contrast Aina’s lunch description- “You have
everything for your lunch ranged from noodles, fruits, rice etc.
Her promises like bullshit
2. Forcing the tour
members writing his positive reviews of service on Tripadvisor.
Our tour guide, Lu requests us to review his good service on Tripadvisor.
According to him, the good reviews increase his year-end bonus. My friend wants
to review later when we back to the hotel plus WIFI issue. Lu without
hesitation demands my friend to review in the van and reassure my friend WIFI
is available. At that point, there's not much we can do.
I can’t help but think my own frustration for so called “fake”
reviews. In my opinion, the customers’ reviews must be truthful and fair. The
service providers have no rights to interfere the reviews. Moral lessons: not
all the reviews of Tripadvisor can trust. Some reviews can be liar.
The tour guide, Lu
Quick reviews under the "instruction" of Lu
3. Bring us to the
tourist traps to give tips and purchase products
We were taken to the bee farm. A lady then brings a wooden bee
crate. The bees were at work and Lu asks
us to snap photos. That’s it, nothing else anymore. The bees looking and taking
photos take 3 minutes. We then ushered to a table tasting the honey teas and
snacks. They just want us to purchase honey related products. Another stop we
had also request some “tips” to be given to the singers. They are terrible live performers as their
faulty and pretty low voices.
Cemetery next to the house.
Besides that, the river boat paddlers pretend
working hard in front of us and demand tips. My friend just gives the small
amounts as a grateful response to them. They startpestering us by saying “not
enough, not enough, 1 USD, 1 USD, 1 USD”. They were too pushy. I decide not to
give her by playing deaf. Plus, I expect this is the responsibility of the
travel agency to pay these boat paddlers wages so that we as the tourist don’t
have to pay. Importantly, I complain to Lu but he answers the tips you all give are very small amount, it seems invaluable in Vietnam. WHAT THE FUCK !!!
Pushy and commercialized boat paddler
Mekong river
Given the above information, my advice is doing the travel agencies research
thoroughly when you want to book the tours. Please don’t like me by taking the
travel agency that looking good at the paper. Below is the contact details of
King Pearl Travel.
King Pearl Travel
17 Thu Khoa Huan, Ward Ben Thanh, District 1, HCMC
Email: kingpearl17@gmail.com
Web: kingpearl.com.vn
0 comments:
Post a Comment