Testimonials

Lam helped me organize a trip for my husband and I to Myanmar (Burma) in July. My first trip with Asia Pioneer was with my family of 4 last June to Cambodia and Vietnam and second trip was with my high school students (14 photography students) in March (also to Cambodia and Vietnam). All the trips have been fantastic, and I trust Lam to organize all the details!

We spent 6 days in Myanmar beginning in Mandalay and then to Bagan, Inle Lake and Rangoon. Each place was unique and the short (20-40 minute) flights made it easy to get from one location to the next. Myanmar is changing very fast, so we felt lucky to visit now. There are many new cars on the road and lots of construction. Hotel prices are rising very quickly as well. Travel to Myanmar is not the same as other parts of Southeast Asia as the country does not have the same infrastructure. However, meeting people, learning about Buddhism and the country’s complex history and culture, sampling Burmese food, and seeing the mix of old/new everywhere made it worthwhile. Our guides were very hospitable, and I especially recommend Mr. Aung Min in Mandalay and Mr. Moe Zaw around Inle Lake. Lam did an excellent job choosing hotels which were of the same standard as my other trips to Vietnam and Cambodia.

If you are planning a trip to Myanmar, I do recommend booking through Asia Pioneer because there is a shortage of hotels in Myanmar now that it has opened up to more tourism. In Inle Lake for example, hotels book up months in advance during the high season and festival times. Lam also booked all our internal flights (which were always on time…..never mind the size/condition of the airplanes and airports……you get used to it…….). Lastly, he is familiar with the hotels and can ensure quality which is not necessarily the same standards as other places that have seen more tourism.

Abbiamo fatto, in due, un viaggio in Vietnam e Cambogia organizzato dalla Sig. ra Kata Trans dell’Asia Pioneer. Il viaggio, di 20 giorni, è stato studiato apposta per noi, seguendo le nostre esigenze e richieste, ed è stato organizzato comunicando via e-mail con Kata Trans prima del viaggio, che ci ha sempre risposto nel giro di poche ore e con grande efficienza.
L’agenzia è eccellente, il servizio è molto professionale. Ogni nostra esigenza è stata rispettata, le guide sono molto professionali e parlano un ottimo inglese e gli hotel scelti sono di ottima qualità.
Tutto quanto concordato è stato rispettato e non abbiamo avuto contrattempi.
Le auto erao comode e gli autisti molto professionali.
Asia Pioneer ci ha fornito un telefono cellulare e Kata si è tenuta in costante contatto con noi.
Grazie ancora a Kata e alle guide che hanno reso la nostra vacanza davvero indimenticabile!

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We travelled to Vietnam originally to be a part of a choir contest but our group of 30 then did extra travelling beyond the festival. As you could imagine there were 30 people each with their own arrival and return dates, requested itinerary and special needs. Lam was brilliant, sending us not just timely quotes but different costed options. My family were travelling for 4 weeks in total in Vietnam and we would ring Lam with a few days notice and say, we want to go see this waterfall, can you organise a car and driver and the quote would be on my email by the end of the day. Lam even met us when we arrived in Hanoi and took us out to lunch. Experienced travellers might want to skip the guide and just stick with the driver. The guides were all great but I prefer the extra engagement that comes from doing it yourself. If you like being looked after at every step then go with the guide.

From the moment we were met at the airport by Cong, our 8 days in northern Vietnam flowed seamlessly from one attraction to the next. Cong was so knowledgeable about his hometown and the surrounding area, and was so patient with our many questions. And by the end of our trip, it was sad to say goodbye to him. This company not only organized a fabulous itinerary, but they know how to hire good people. (Not to mention that booking numerous excursions through the company cost less than if we had booked all these side trips on our own – an added bonus 🙂

If all the reviews for Asia Pioneer sound too good to be true, they are not in the least exaggerated. Lam was absolutely amazing through months of planning travel through Vietnam for a numerically changing group. The number of changes that people made as they fine-tuned their plans got hair-raising at times but Lam was the soul of expedition, patience and pleasantry. And the service on the ground once in Vietnam was at the same impeccable standard. The drivers were excellent and we felt safe at all times. The guides were the best I’ve experienced. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they took their duties of care very seriously. When I left Vietnam I felt like I was saying goodbye to family. The guides we were with the longest had tears in their eyes when we said goodbye, as did I.

I’ve worked in and around the tourism and hospitality industry for 20 years as both an hotelier and journalist, and have had some amazing – and abysmal – experiences in terms of tour companies, but Asia Pioneer raised the industry bar to an entirely new level. From my initial email enquiry back in January, through to farewells at Hanoi airport in May, the service, attention to detail and personalisation was exceptional. Quyen created a bespoke itinerary that took us on a whistle-stop 10-day journey to Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, Hanoi and Halong Bay, which pressed all the right buttons in terms of my holy grail of travel experiences – local culture, people interaction and exquisitely authentic food. I could wax lyrical about the trip for far longer than the allowed word count, but the highlight – apart from the scenery, history, people, cuisine – and meeting Quyen for lunch on our last day in Hanoi – was his passion for what he does and desire to showcase Indochina in the best possible light. Other tour operators would do well to take a leaf out of Asia Pioneer’s book. Outstanding in every respect – thank you Quyen; Laos and Myanmar next for sure!