We just finished an amazing 18-day trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. Winston Dinh was our travel designer. He went above and beyond his duty to make sure that we had a perfect trip. He was always available to respond to our request and/or questions. We could not ask for a better travel designer.
The only one thing we wish that our hotels in Da Nang and Hoi An would-be walking distance to the center of night light activities. Other than that, we were very happy with our hotel arrangement.
We already planned for your next trip in 2025. Winston will be the first person that we will contact to help us with our next trip. Thanks, Winston, for a job well done.

Well…we just arrived home from an ammazing experience in Vietnam and Cambodia.
Our Travel Designer, Stella Nguyen did a great job of putting together an itinerary and agenda that meet our needs, wants and desires. The logistics were flawless for the duration of our trip; however, prior to confirming the itinerary with us, there were numerous logisitical changes that were made ahead of our trip. These changes were mainly related to booking flights with the domestic airlines – Vietnam Air, Viet Jet, Bamboo and Cambodian Airlines. None of these changes were a result of Stella or APT’s logistical plans rather it’s due to the constant changes made by the airlines operating with a developing country. As such, if you’re reading this review, Viet Jet we were told by other domestic travelers is known as the “I’m sorry” airline as they constantly change schedules, encounter delays and / or cancel flights with little notification. SO, if you are planning flights, the most reliable airline is Vietnam Air.

As for the work Stella put into our trip, overall we are very pleased with her efforts and the accomodations that APT made for us. Stella even made the effort to welcome us upon arrival in Hanoi and presented us with a very lovely welcome gift! During our trip, we did request a few adjustments to some of our plans and the response from Stella and our guides was amazing. A request would be made and within an hour or so, we would get a response and confirmation! Well done!

As for our guides: Eric in Hanoi; Larry in Saigon / HMC; and Phat in Siem Reap! They were all awesome! They all readily offered up suggestions and recommendations to make our trip enjoyable and all were very accomodating to our needs and unique requests during our adventures. The only thing to be aware of, if you’re into the shopping scene, especially in Vietnam, the guides will take you to shopping places – i.e. lacquer stores, silk products, and pearl stores – that are tourist traps! Not sure if these are government run / supported operations or something our guides are mandated to do. Suffice to say, this is definitely not something our group enjoyed as prices are high, great variety of product offering but lack an “authentic Vietnamese feel”. The only nice thing about these places is that they have really clean and free washrooms!

Having said that, during our free time, we did manage to wander and explore the streets of Hanoi, Saigon and Siem Reap on our own and we did managed to spot many unique Vietnamese / Cambodian stores that seemed to offer more authentic products at significantly better prices. Something to think about.

As for Eric, Larry and Phat, they all spoke english and we had little trouble understanding them. All were knowledgeable about the area, places they took us too, and demonstrated a really passion and love for their country! Great job guys! We will definitely look you up again when we return to Vietnam and Cambodia.

The only suggestion I would make, please clearly explain to future tourists the rules that visitors are expected to follow when visiting temples and other places (i.e. HMC Memorial). Don’t be ashamed or afraid to explain these rules! As an experienced traveller, nothing get me more angry than to see tourists disrepecting the rules of another country and culture. Instead, you should be proud of your culture and the requirements to show respect! Tourists are considered visitors in your country and as such should abide by these rules, customs and traditions that you hold dear to your hearts and make your country and culture unique!

Overall, APT provide a wonderful experience and we would highly recommend their services for a customised and unique experience!

Special thanks to Lizzie Pham and the Asia Pioneer Travel Team for an incredible experience in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand in November 2024. They were always available from our original booking through our travels, and selected knowledgeable, professional, and friendly guides and drivers. My wife and I had the trip of a lifetime. My sister had made a similar trip, with Asia Pioneer, in February and strongly recommended them. We had considered a large tour group and realized, that for approximately the same price, we could have our own private tour. Our ability to be flexible was an advantage not available to large tour groups. Every day was well planned and full of sights and activities. What made this trip extra special was our experience with the local culture which was an important goal. We will always remember taking a Vespa tour through Hanoi learning about the local religion, tasting fruit in the market, and fully appreciating the significance of the tea culture. Biking around a small island on the Mekong Delta, being rowed in the small waterways, making candy with a local family, and catching our own fish to eat for dinner was a highlight. Exploring a local Cambodian floating village and sipping coconut milk while on a floating restaurant (with caged crocodiles) just added to the adventure. Taking a tuk-tuk around Bangkok walking through the Flower market and watching them make Pad-Thai (my favorite) and eating it was yet another “WOW”. The nighttime was yours and with local car or tuk-tuk service being inexpensive we were able to have drinks, on the rooftop, at the famous Caravelle Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, enjoy Hanoi street food, Pub Street and the Phare Circus in Siem Reap, and eat incredible street food in Bangkok. We are so glad that we had the Asia Pioneer TravelTeam manage this remarkable journey.

A heartfelt thanks to the Asia Pioneer Travels team for their exceptional effort in crafting a seamless travel experience. From curating a detailed itinerary to managing all bookings and ensuring everything went off without a hitch, the team demonstrated professionalism and dedication. The tour guides were not only friendly but also incredibly knowledgeable, adding depth to our journey. It was truly a wonderful and memorable vacation. We’ll undoubtedly turn to Asia Pioneer Travels for our future adventures. Thanks again for making this trip extraordinary!

Our trip to Vietnam, a wonderful country, was our first experience with Asia Pioneer Travel. And we had an unforgettable holiday! Annie, thank you so much for this! You are a professional! And on top of that you are a special person! As you said, we hope that our paths will cross again!
Annie, you are the best! Thank you once again!

We had an amazing holiday, the guides chosen for us were all exceptional, very knowledgeable and interesting. The hotels were also very good, they were exceptionally clean with very comfortable beds, good showers and amenities, and lovely staff. The customer service we received from Asia Pioneer travel and in particular Annie Phung was amazing, she even came to meet us at our hotel in Hanoi, bringing gifts, which was so above and beyond what she needed to do. We would definitely recommend Asia Pioneer and Annie Phung to anyone interested in traveling to Vietnam and SE Asia.

Our trip to Vietnam was amazing, thanks to Asia Pioneer. It was well organised and coordinated. Their communication is super and you will be treated like a king or queen. I love the tour guides, Cong and Hong, they are very respectful and ordely. Cong was amazing, I remember I didn’t have a good attire to get into one of their memorial place, he took me around town to get a shawl to cover myself. I enjoyed Vietnam thanks to Asia Pioneer. I recommend them