A tour is about so much more than the sights you see. It’s just as much about the people you meet – especially your guides.
But who are the people who show you around, share their knowledge, and tell you about life in their home country?
In our ‘Meet our guides’ series, you can get to know some of the people who work at our destinations a little better.
In this post, the tour takes us to Vietnam, where you’ll meet Hanh and Chi. They’ll talk about the joy of working as guides and what they hope you’ll take home with you after a tour in their home country:
The local culture and the people you meet along the way.
Hanh
We meet Hanh in the Mekong Delta, where she comes from and works as a guide. She has been a guide for 10 years and loves meeting people from all over the world. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and, as a guide, has the opportunity to give guests an insight into her culture and life in her home country.
When we ask her about her favourite places to show visitors, she doesn’t mention a major attraction or a particular city. Instead, it’s the truly local experiences she highlights: everyday life in local communities, where something as simple as planting rice can become part of the experience.
Hanh greatly appreciates seeing people work hard to improve their communities. One of her most memorable experiences as a guide was seeing a local family receive financial support to build a house. For Hanh, it was a wonderful moment to see how happy they were. To her, it is a great example of what tourism can mean for a local community.
When guests leave, Hanh hopes they take their memories of the simple things and the local Vietnamese culture with them.
Chi
Chi originally thought he would become an English teacher.
However, as tourism in Vietnam grew, his teaching ambitions gave way to working as a guide – a job he has now had for more than 15 years.
Like Hanh, Chi is also from the Mekong Delta, although he now lives in Ho Chi Minh City.
One of the things Chi loves most about his work is the opportunity to introduce his home country to his “international friends” and give them an insight into the many different sides of Vietnam. At the same time, he gets to learn more about culture, history, and everyday life.
He explains that, in the past, he often found that many travellers primarily associated Vietnam with the Vietnam War. That is why it is important to him to show guests everything else Vietnam has to offer:
“Vietnam is a wonderful country with beautiful landscapes. And I also think we have some wonderful people,” he says.
However, when we ask Chi what he hopes guests will take home with them from their tour in Vietnam, it isn’t the landscapes that top the list. It’s the memories of the people.
“We always hope that guests return home with fond memories of the Vietnamese people,” says Chi, who is proud of the kindness of his fellow countrymen.
Want to experience Hanh and Chi’s Vietnam?
Dreaming of experiencing Vietnam and getting closer to everyday life in the country?
Explore our tours to Vietnam, or contact our travel specialists, who are ready to help you find the perfect tour.
Read part 1 of our series ‘Meet our guides’ about Madeal Simba from Tanzania as well.
TourCompass – From tourist to traveller
