Testimonials

The trip that we planned in Myanmar with Asia Pioneer was excellent. My wife and I along with another couple of really good friends started planning the whole trip with one of the travel agents (Kata) and she took care of every single aspect of the trip, tailoring it to our needs and requests. They made us feel really special throughout the entire planning/booking process. Visiting Myanmar was even more exciting than we thought, as we got to know local people and we got a good glimpse of the local culture and traditions. Our trip schedule included visiting monuments, breathtaking landscapes, amazing little towns, getting to know locals (which was by far the most pleasant experience and the beautiful nature that surrounds this nation. Asia Pioneer and its tour guides had a determinant effect with their undoubtable competence, precision,kindness and efficiency in making us appreciate this country going far beyond our expectations. Congratulations to this travel agency I would certainly pick them again, for their availability, their fair prices and unique way of doing.

I spent ages trying to get the right trip to celebrate my husband’s big birthday and by chance came across reviews for Asia Pioneer. How lucky I was! Kata responded immediately to all e-mails and took into consideration all the things I had planned to visit and fitted them into a well-organised trip. I was apprehensive having never been to the Far East before let alone using a travel agent from a country I did not know. I needn’t have worried. Our good friends came with us as we travelled from Laos to Vietnam, took in all the places we wanted and then on to Angkor Wat. Kata organised it perfectly. We had 25 days of varied activities from an Elephant sanctuary in Laos, then to Vietnam where we went hiking in Sapa, in the mountains, on to a 5* junk for Halong Bay, down through Vietnam to lovely Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh and then to the jewel which is Angkor Wat. We crawled through both Vinh Moc tunnels(which we thought were the best), Cu Chi tunnels, learnt loads about the war and each countries customs, history, fears and aspirations, it was truly an amazing trip.
Every hotel was at least 4*, we could not fault the choice of any of them. The drivers were all very safe, and supplied water and fresh towels each time we entered the van. The guides were brilliant, their English was good and their knowledge superb. The highlight for all four of us was in fact a trip on the Mekong Delta, with a night on a sampan. We just loved it. We were looked after superbly, taken off the boat to a market and cycled round the town, the bikes being carried on the sampan. It was first class travel and such a lovely way to spend a day and a half, floating down the Mekong tributaries watching life go by….we did not want it to end. Also being an private tour you can adjust your timetable so if you decided you did not want to do something you just opted out or did something else.
I cannot praise Kata enough. She was very attentive and came to see us at Hanoi, which was lovely. I can only highly recommend this company with no hesitation. Thank you Kata for making our special trip so very special.
Sandy Smith

We found Inochina Pioneer on Tripadvisor and we were not disappointed. Lam and his team were fabulous. Every detail was taken care of and we never needed to worry because “they are flexible”. We went to 5 cities in VIetnam and Cambodia 15 days- lots of moving – but every driver and guide had all of the details and we were never left to fend for ourselves. As a veteran solo traveler – what a treat to have someone take care of me and my husband. Biggest decision was where to eat! Hotels were great. The guides were all knowledgable – we became friends with each of them by the end of each city. I recommend Asia Pioneer highly and we are starting to plan our next trip with them.

This was a once in a lifetime trip with my boyfriend and my Mum. I wanted everything to be perfect and with the help of Lam we had nothing to worry about. My Mum was travelling from the UK and my boyfriend and I from Australia. Lam helped to arrange transportation from the airport for the three of us, with our guide Huan meeting us at our different arrival times.
We started off in Hanoi where Huan did a fantastic job of guiding us around. It was then time to head up to Sapa. The overnight train was the only part of the trip that was not the greatest – it was cold and there were no extra blankets, and a little daunting as wasn’t quite sure where we were getting off. Thankfully on this trip, we got off at the end of the line. They are doing work on the tracks so the train was later in than expected, but we were met by the most wonderful guide, Maya. Maya made our trip to Sapa simply unforgettable. She had an incredibly warm personality and very quickly became a part of our family. We even met her Mother, Grandmother and Sister-in-law. She gave us a real opportunity to find out what it is like to live in Sapa – no question was ever too much. We had a trek into the villages whilst in Sapa – we weren’t expecting it be 12km, across rivers – but we look back now and treasure that time with Maya and her family.
We returned to Hanoi on the overnight train and jumped on the mini-bus to Halong Bay. (Each time we ended our train journey, there was a hotel arranged for us to have breakfast and a shower – they really had thought of everything). Halong Bay wasn’t quite what we were expecting. Huan made sure we got onto the correct boat (there were plenty) and we could start relaxing on the calm waters. The attractions we visited were what everybody else was doing so you did feel a little bit herded but it is a minor detail. The food and staff on our boat were great.
After Halong Bay it was back to Hanoi to catch the overnight train to Dong Hoi. This was a little nerve-racking as we were getting off mid-train journey – most people were going on to Hoi An. We awoke to ensure we got off at the right stop but once again there were works on the train line so it was delayed. We arrived in Dong Hoi and were very pleased to see our guide, Vu. Vu was a fountain of knowledge. We spent 6 days with him touring the caves at Dong Hoi, driving to Hue, Danang and then onto Hoi An. Hoi An is simply beautiful – not surprising that it is a ‘cultural heritage’ spot. I managed to have clothes made for me in Hue and Hoi An – I was told about this prior to arriving in Vietnam but wasn’t quite sure – it was awesome. I had 3 items made for me in 22 hours – incredible!
We had to say goodbye to Vu as we flew down to Saigon, where we were met by Tam. We were sad to say goodbye to all of our guides but each one was just as helpful and caring as the last – I am not sure how Asia Pioneer have so many wonderful tour guides but they are an absolute credit to the company.
Saigon was not quite what we expected – so busy. It was a little bit of a shock as we hadn’t been in a city since Hanoi and this was even more hectic – scooters everywhere! And I’m not kidding…. Tam was wonderful in showing us around and then onto the Mekong Delta. I was really hoping to see the floating market but we didn’t have enough time for that in our trip. The only bit I personally was not comfortable with was the small boat down the river – but I needn’t have worried, we were perfectly looked after once again (it was just a bit rocky getting on and off with my camera!).
So this was our 14 day trip in a little detail! It was incredible – what we thought was going to be a once in a lifetime trip has really made us think about visiting other areas around because we know we could do this with Asia Pioneer.
Our thanks go to Lam, Huan, Maya, Vu and Tam – without each one of these incredible people we would not have had the most amazing holiday.
As you can probably tell – I would recommend this company to anyone wanting to visit Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos – in fact I have already….

We’d travelled to Vietnam previously in 2010 arranging everything through a UK tour operator who in turn, sub contracted the tours to a large Vietnamese company. They were good but, this time around in 2013, we wanted a slightly more “unconventional” itinerary (one of our choosing and with some quirky destinations as well as the more predictable) and we wanted some flexibility to change things if we needed to once in Vietnam. Lam , the manager and our contact at Asia Pioneer did an absolutely first class job for us. From our initial emails (always quickly and fully answered) to some Skype calls and then to our experiences on the ground in Vietnam, they were superb. The guides they arranged for us were great (‘Linh’ in Hanoi and ‘Nam’ in the Delta area). They were more than just ‘guides’, in fact, they were great company and that was a major factor in our enjoyment on this holiday. They organised our tours for us in Hanoi and also in the Mekong Delta area (on a fairly untypical and really enjoyable itinerary). I’d have no hesitation in using them again. Big thanks to Lam and his guides. They did a great job for us.

My family went on a week-long tour by Asia Pioneer earlier this month. It was wonderfully arranged by Mr Duong Dai Lam, who was most considerate and responsive to our suggestions. The thought and care put into our tour package was very impressive. Despite visiting 4 locations in 7 days, we never felt rushed; the sight-seeing was both well-paced and relaxing. We were quite pampered as we were shuttled from place to place in a private van (our family consists of 7 members). During our trip, we were also thoughtfully supplied with our own mobile device and sim card with which to contact our tour guide and operator.

Much of our time was spent in the company of our invaluable tour guide, Mr Nguyen Giao Linh, who was very fluent in English. He was quite invaluable, providing knowledgeable narrative and cheerful help whenever needed. He was also extremely flexible about adjusting the tour schedule to our needs, for which we are truly grateful. Through Mr Linh, we were able to get a street view of Hanoi and a better picture of the quiet beauty in Vietnam.

A brief overview of our tour package: Hanoi, day trip; Mai Chau, village home stay and excellent home-cooked Vietnamese cuisine; Ninh Binh, day trip to historic sites and the beautiful and peaceful Trang An Grottoes; Halong Bay, 3 days 2 nights. Sightseeing Halong Bay simply cannot be rushed! We were very glad that IP had arranged for more time spent cruising this majestic site. The views were truly breathtaking and the staff onboard took every care to ensure each meal a delicious experience.

All in all, the service provided by the team at Asia Pioneer was excellent. We have been strongly recommending their service to our other family members and friends. When (not if!) we return to Vietnam, we will definitely be calling again on the Asia Pioneer team for their professional help and expertise.