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!