Small group tour in Vietnam

WE ARE PLANNING TO VISIT VIETNAM IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS. WE LIKE THE IDEA OF A SMALL GROUP TOUR WITH SOME FLEXIBILITY. WE'D LIKE SOME BUT NOT ALL MEALS INCLUDED AND SOME FREE TIME TO EXPLORE. WE WANT TO SPEND ABOUT THREE DAYS ON PHU QUOC BEFORE RETURNING HOME. CAN YOU RECOMMEND A TOUR COMPANY AND REASONABLY PRICED RESORT?

L. SAVAGE, INVERELL

Most small group tours give you the freedom to have some meals on your own, although this will probably happen for dinner only. In some cases you might be staying in small villages where dining with your fellow travellers is the only option, but in larger towns and cities, striking out on your own is no problem. Group tours are great at getting you through the must-sees with a minimum of fuss and time, but they do tend to keep you on the hop from dawn until dusk, since that's what most travellers want. If you want flexibility, you're better off spending time on your own before or after the tour, so Phu Quoc Island should satisfy that requirement. There are many tour operators with small group tours that might work for you. The list includes Intrepid Travel (intrepidtravel.com), World Expeditions (worldexpeditions.com/au), Insider Journeys (insiderjourneys.com.au) and Bunnik Tours (bunniktours.com.au). They're all different, some include biking or walking, others might focus more on culture and the culinary arts and they attract a different clientele. Take a look at their websites to see what appeals and check the reviews on TripAdvisor.

Quite a few of the resorts on Phu Quoc are big, multistorey affairs, and while they come with plenty of amenities that might not be your cup of tea – it's certainly not mine – one that I like is La Verandah (laverandaresorts.com), a luxury boutique property set in tropical gardens overlooking the beach.

Advance Saver rate for the period you plan to visit is around $200 a night including taxes, but not including breakfast. At the other end of the scale, Cassia Cottage (cassiacottage.com) is a little charmer and a garden cottage for two costs half that price, with breakfast included.