We can’t say enough good things about Rachel and Asia Pioneer Travel. From our initial outreach to plan our 2+ weeks stay through the follow up once our trip ended, Rachel was consistently in touch ensuring every inquiry, request and detail was handled meticulously. We truly felt like we had a partner vested in our experience every step of the way. Every tour guide was knowledgeable and helpful, every driver was courteous and on time and every transportation vehicle was roomy, comfortable and clean, very much delivering on what we hoped and expected. We had started our trip with a few days in Ho Chi Minh City, followed by an AmaWaterways cruise up the Mekong Delta into Cambodia. From there we travelled to Hanoi, then Halong Bay and back to Hanoi. Our original plan included DaNang and Hoi An, however, Rachel smoothly adjusted the itinerary to accommodate our concern about the weather on the central coast and our wish to spend a night on a cruise of HaLong Bay. The Stellar of the Seas ship Rachel booked for us was so impressive (food, suite, staff) and the beauty of the area so breathtaking, we opted to stay a second night, prompting yet another significant change to the schedule, all of which Rachel handled with utmost professionalism. We loved the hotel choices she made and particularly staying at the Allure Hotel in the Old Quarter of Hanoi; highly recommend that to experience the vibrancy and liveliness of the city in a lovely boutique hotel. The authentic Vietnamese meals arranged for us were perfect in letting us taste high quality, beautifully prepared pho as well as a multi-course meal in a casual but upscale-styled restaurant (Lan Ong in Hanoi). We appreciated both the presentation of multiple excursions each day, and even more, the flexibility to pull back so that we had time for R&R. In Hanoi, we visited the Ho Chi Minh complex, sat cafe-side as the train passed by on Train Street (the guide knew the schedule and exactly where to situate ourselves!) and the Hao Lo prison. All were very much worth our time though we were forewarned that 60% of the prison was undergoing renovations; still glad we saw it. In Ho Chi Minh City, we toured the War Remnants Museum, the Post Office and walked around Notre Dame; all very worthwhile.

We will recall the endless scooters and the dizzying traffic circling major intersections efficiently; the bustling neighborhoods; the countless storefronts and sidewalk cafés where locals sat on low stools chatting, eating pho, and yes, looking at their cell phones. But above all, we will remember the smiles, the warm welcomes, and the joy with which the people of Vietnam and Cambodia shared their storied and rich heritage and often heartbreaking history. Truly the trip of a lifetime, thanks to Rachel and Asia Pioneer Travel.

Our tour was organized from landing to departure with Asia Pioneer Travel. Communication was good and they answered all the questions we had before we traveled. All the landmarks we wanted to see was incorporated and organized beforehand with a full itinerary planned and executed. Staff was very accommodating to our needs, we wanted a hotel with a balcony in Hanoi which we were very satisfied with when we stayed. In Ho Chi Minh we wanted to stay closer to the center which they also accommodated us with. All transport apart from our international flights was booked beforehand, including an internal flight. The trip would have been much harder to plan and a lot more stressful if we tried to do it on our own. The food tour hosted by their local guide in Hanoi was the highlight of our tour, we dined at all the small local food spots for a genuine street eating experience. If we do another tour of South-East Asia we will definitely make use of their services again. If you want more economical options or higher end luxuries just speak to their consultants, we wanted a comfortable experience without going too pricey and they found the perfect balance for us.

We are a couple in our 60s, and Vietnam has always been on our bucket list. Knowing very little about how and where to travel, we researched many travel agencies to help us plan our trip of a lifetime. We settled on Asia Pioneer Travel. And more specifically, Rachel of Asia Pioneer. We provided Rachel with ideas of where we would like to travel and she put together an unbelievable in-depth itinerary. Some of the regions we wanted to see were unfortunately inundated with heavy rainfall. No problem though. We contacted Rachel and she went to work ( in record time I might add) and, with our input, provided a great alternative. In all, we changed our itinerary 3-4 times. The changes were mostly as a result of talking with other travellers visiting areas that were of interest to us. For example, we asked Rachel to book us on a specific 2 day cruise in Ha Long Bay. Once on the cruise, we realized that 2 days (one night) was not sufficient enough to take in the beauty of the region. One quick message to Rachel and within hours she cancelled some already booked itinerary and kept us on the cruise for another day.
Rachel’s English speaking and communication skills are impeccable. In addition, she would always be available via WhatsApp ( phone or text). Meeting up with Rachel in Hanoi was the icing on the cake. She is truly genuine and it is very obvious to see that she wants only the best for her clients. Each and every time we changed our itinerary, Rachel would provide an incredible updated schedule. Our tour also included private drivers to bring us to different venues and regions.
In my honest opinion, we could have not experienced such a wonderful trip without the help of Rachel and Asia Pioneer. She did it all for us, from booking planes, hotels, site seeing, cruises, recommended dinners, etc. All favourable selections and surprisingly at very little cost.
Thank you Rachel for making our dreams come true.
We will return to Vietnam and you will be our first point of contact.

We had an absolutely fabulous trip to Vietnam booked with Asia Pioneer Travel! Our travel specialist, Lizzie, was amazing. She took all of the things we wanted to do, and built us a wonderful 17 day itinerary. It was completely customized with private drivers, English speaking guides, and activities that got us off the beaten track and tailored to our requests to hit both tourist and not so touristy areas. Everything was well organized, so no time lost waiting around for group tours, allowing us to fit in extra activities when we wanted. It was a great blend of planned activities, and free time to explore on our own. Can’t say enough about the local guides we had in different areas of the country. Meeting them and learning about all the culture and history of each area was really what made the trip so wonderful. All of the accommodations suggested and booked by Lizzie were top notch. Wonderful food, hospitality and locations. We started planning the trip months in advance, and Lizzie had great communication throughout. Always available with any questions we had prior, as well as during our trip. Had to make some last minute changes due to flooded areas and she was on top of it at all times. Would definitely use Lizzie and her team at Asia Pioneer Travel again!! Thanks for making this an unforgettable bucket list adventure!

Wir sind 3 Wochen mit APT durch Vietnam und Kambodscha gereist;eine unsere bisher
am besten organisierte Reise! Nichts ging schief,alle Guides waren sehr,sehr freundlich und gut informiert.
Wir können Asia Pioneer Travel nur wärmstens empfehlen!

I stumbled across Asia Pioneer Travel when looking for a company who could put together a holiday for myself and my two sons. I am so glad I did, from my first contact with Tracy, all the communication before departure and every single day of my time in Vietnam, I was so impressed with the quality of service. Tracy was so wonderful and put together a holiday for us that will be a highlight of my life and unforgettable, both for myself and my boys. Each guide along the way was amazing and the tour was personally put together for the things we would enjoy most. I highly recommend APT and Tracy, thank you so much.

Asia Pioneer Travel gave us exceptional service. Attentive, responsive, listened to what we wanted and put together a fabulous holiday that met exactly what we said we wanted. They helped with both long term and short term requests for help and advice. We cannot thank them (especially Chloe) enough for the wonderful trip they gave us.

Our Vietnam accomodation was fantastic! Great location, so clean, well appointed and amazing staff. Breakfasts were wonderful and service was faultless. Chloe put together a wonderful itinerary, the places we visited were amazing, it was well paced so we weren’t too tired but felt that we saw everything we wanted to see. Our guide was amazing. She was knowledgeable, friendly but gave us space to explore and discover things for ourselves.

The Mekong river cruise on the Victoria Mekong was honestly faultless!! Boat was lovely, food was fantastic, itinerary was well paced and interesting. But the staff!! AMAZING! Every single one of them were incredible. They absolutely made the experience unforgettable.