Just returned from a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. Asia Pioneer consultant Kata Tran prepared our incredibly full and detailed three-week itinerary that included Hanoi, Sapa, Ninh Binh, Halong Bay, Siem Reap Cambodia, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Ci Chu tunnels, and Phu Quoc island. I was at first a little concerned that it was a bit more than my family of six could chew. And while the trip was ambitious and at times exhausting, I would not have done much, if anything, differently. Asia Pioneer and the three private guides — Tony for Hanoi, Sary for Siem Reap, and Dat for Saigon — truly made the trip a once in a lifetime experience. The guides and drivers were always ready at the appointed time and took us to places I never would have considered had we not used guides. They were unbelievably knowledgeable about Vietnamese history and culture, spoke excellent English, were incredibly patient, and were just great people to talk to. The hotels were all excellent, and the vans very roomy and comfortable.

For a trip of this length, I expect that at some point, something will go wrong. That was not the case. As just one example of the amazing service we received, on one occasion, we arrived at our hotel at 11:00 pm. The front desk said that our breakfast was not included which I did not believe to be the case. I emailed Kata at 11:30 pm to let here know of this relatively minor misunderstanding. She responded to my email at 12:10 a.m. to let me know she had already spoken with the front desk and straightened everything out. On our last day, we had an early morning flight and had to leave the hotel at 5:30 am. Anticipating that we would not have time to eat, Kata had the hotel prepare box breakfasts for the trip. Truly exceptional. Now having done the trip, I would not ever do it again without using Asia Pioneer as my guide.