Dear Lan

Many thanks for your note and for all of your assistance in both planning and organizing our trip in Vietnam and Cambodia and for being available to us during the trip.

First, let me say that you have a beautiful country. It was a privilege to be able to see so much of Vietnam and to have the opportunity to meet so many people throughout our visit. I was impressed by people’s openness, kindness, and pride in their country. I particularly enjoyed our time in Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An and in Hue.

With respect to car and drivers. They were all excellent! We were really impressed w the guides’ knowledge and openness to sharing the history of the county and their own experiences of living in Vietnam. Two who were particularly outstanding was Thong in Hanoi and Lam in Cambodia. I also want to recognize our driver in Cambodia who was also very kind and thoughtful.

We enjoyed many of the activities, including our trip to Ninh Binh, cooking class, Vespa tour in Saigon and trips through various markets. With respect to the itinerary, I think it could have been more clear w regard to the amount of driving. For example, we did not understand that after driving to the Me Kong delta we had another 3 or 4 hour drive to the next place. While we enjoyed the floating market I am not sure it was worth the drive there and back. I think I would have preferred an extra day in Ho Chi Minh.

Janis and I were very comfortable going out on our own. As such we didn’t need an itinerary that was full of activities. Fortunately, we were able to talk to our guide and make changes as we went along.  For future clients, you may want to ask if they would like a full or partial day of activities. This could help you in planning.

Overall the hotels met my expectations with a few exceptions.  I would rate the Indochine Palace, La Siesta Hoi An, Emeralda as 5s. The La SiestaClassic Ma May in Hanoi, Hanoi Pearl and Muong Thanh in Can Tho as 4. Overall, in terms of best hotel experience I would say that the hotel in Hoi An was the best. The management and staff were absolutely great and the location both beautiful and close to activities. We were even able to spend a day at the beach.

We chatted already about the Tara in Cambodia. It would be a 2 at best. While the restaurant and lobby were lovely the rooms were very old and tired. The bathroom shower and safe didn’t work well and overall it didn’t seem very clean. It was clear from our time in Cambodia that as a country it continues to be struggling to rebound from COVID 19.

The hotel in Saigon, the Liberty Central, could have also been better. While the room was functional and clean, it was clearly a business not a 4 star hotel. Whereas their sister hotel, where we we could use the pool (our pool was closed) and where we had a drink on the rooftop patio was a 4 star hotel. Had I been staying their longer, I would have asked for a change. That is the challenge for us as guests, we are only in the hotel for one or two nights and can manage through the night; however, the reason that we use a tour company is that they verify the quality of the hotels for us in advance. I hope that you accept my comments as feedback that helps you in planning future trips.

I will be more than pleased to  do a review on Trip Advisor and to recognize the excellent service you provided. Indeed, I have already recommended you to a few friends who are considering a trip to Vietnam and my husband and I are thinking of going next year.

Again, thank you for all of your hard work in making our trip a success.

Nancy