Guide profile:
Introducing the REAL Vietnam is what I do. I love introducing visitors to the "non-touristy" sights, sounds, smells and sensations of this alluring country; her peoples and her places!
Yes, I can guide you to all the popular tourist locations ... but let's also have a look into the way lives are lived here and the people who live them. The REALITY.
Originally from Australia, I first "discovered" Vietnam in 1990 and have been living here since 2000.
Recent reviews of this tour guide:
Steven N.
Hi Shane, Thanks again for a great start of the trip. It was a great visit and we enjoyed ourselves.
Quick question - You showed us a hand motion with the palm up and fingers up where you shake the hand to signal "no". What does this mean?
All ratings/reviews »
Tour guide services/sample itinerary:
I specialize in customized, individual and small group "inclusion tours" into life in Vietnam. My specialist knowledge is Modern Vietnamese History (1900-2000; I'm an amateur historian) and the insights I've gained by living here for more than 20% of my life!
What I do differently is not be afraid to show you the REAL Vietnamese people, places, attitudes and opinions (for better or worse) ... and make you feel comfortable with that.
My own integrity means more to me than money, so I have a strict "NO KICK-BACK POLICY! This is a BIG problem in the Vietnamese travel industry. I boycott people & places who "offer me a cut" ... of YOUR money ... to introduce you to them!
As a Vietnamese speaking Westerner, I can also interpret and negotiate on your behalf. This can mean in-country savings for you.
REALITY TRAVEL!
We've all seen & loved or loathed reality TV programs. Yet when on holiday overseas, too many people do not want to know about the reality of their destination ... they want something "the same as home but in an exotic location". If that is what you want, don't contact me! REALITY TRAVEL is about becoming a part of the country you are visiting ... NOT JUST LOOKING AT IT!!!
If you would like to get "INSIDE" Vietnam, contact me! If you don't want to see the good, the bad, the funny & the sad aspects of life in Vietnam and the Vietnamese people & culture, then I suggest another guide or destination!
Transportation by tour guide:
Yes, by foot, bicycle, taxi, cyclo (a type of trishaw), motorbike, hire car, ox-cart, ferry, motorbike taxi, official or black-market mini-buses, row-boats, motorized ferries, sampans, junks, even coracles! It all depends upon the destinations you want to visit and activities you want to do.
Private sightseeing & group tours offered by this guide:
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The Long Tan Legacy Tour
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Price Per
Person
275.00
USD
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A Day in the Life of Saigon
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Price Per
Person
120.00
USD
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Real Rural Home-stay, Tây Ninh
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Price Per
Person
145.00
USD
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Tour guide interests:
Very esoteric! With a background as a Vietnamese-to-English translator, writer, educator and former military intelligence analyst, I traveled the Asia-Pacific extensively for about 20 years before settling in Vietnam. I have some knowledge, interest and/or opinion about almost everything!
My passion is to introduce normal, average Vietnamese people to normal, average people from the rest of the world. I get enormous satisfaction from "connecting" people who think their Worlds are very different ... but usually aren't so far apart!
Reviews of this tour – by clients who booked!
Steven N.
03 Jun 2010
Hi Shane, Thanks again for a great start of the trip. It was a great visit and we enjoyed ourselves.
Quick question - You showed us a hand motion with the palm up and fingers up where you shake the hand to signal "no". What does this mean?
Tour Guide Comment:
Thank you Steven. That gesture is how VN communicate "Not interested." It is usually very successful.
Alan H.
12 Jan 2010
Shane was a fabulous tour guide and I would highly recommend booking this tour. We had Shane on the first day of our trip and this was a really good idea as he was also able to give us some tips for the rest of our travels throughout the country. Leading up to the tour Shane and I emailed quite a few times so that he could personalise the tour. The day with Shane was certainly the highlight of the tour and we saw things that we definitely would not have seen if we were left to our own devices.
Tour Guide Comment:
Thank you both. Knowing what you did & didn't want to do really helped. You deserve some credit for your own research & thinking too. Love to see you visit again.
Ron T.
07 Sep 2009
Shane was proactive about learning my interests and very attentive to them. He was also an accomplished driver of his scooter in Ho Chi Minh City traffic, but that is not an experience for the weak of heart. More seriously and importantly, he was knowledgeable about and sensitive to the Vietnamese culture.
Tour Guide Comment:
Thank you Ron. I hope you came away with a deeper understanding of Vietnam & a desire to come back to see more. Enjoy your holiday & we hope to see you and your wife back here next time.