Pete and Elaine
Vietnam
Couple
Please see above for the feedback I gave to our local agent here in Vietnam.
Excellent to quality service.
I have included a few recommendations and suggestions but overall very good and well planned
Best parts:
Hi Huyen,
A very happy New year to you your family and all the staff at Absolutely Asia.
Firstly many thanks for organising a great trip, we have had a wonderful time.
I always take the time to get back to your operators how things were, good or bad, so here goes.
Arrival in *********, very good Son was there to meet us as we came out of arrivals, and help us with check in at the hotel.
Hanoi**************, as I told you previously we were not very impressed. It is being refurbished so there was a lot of noise in the corridor outside our room in the afternoon we arrived and the roof top bar was not open again due to refurb work.
Position wise it was great, as were the staff and the breakfast was very good.
******************* hotel, beautiful. Excellent room, great outlook, when the fog lifted. Very enjoyable tours with Son. Good food and the staff were very helpful and always smiling.
***************** hotel, we were not impressed with this one. It's very rundown and in need of updating, it's is in a great position for the local attraction and the view was wonderful but there is nothing to do in the evening ( possibly because of TET most places were shut ).
I think it would have been better to stay in the city, in a better quality hotel and where there is more to do at the end of the day.
Son was very good taking us up the 500 steps to the viewing point and to the sampan tour, he organised everything very well.
**************** at Ha Long bay, absolutely wonderful. Faultless in every way, they looked after us from the minute we arrived until we got in the car to return to our Ha Long hotel.
The food was amazing the activities were great fun the boat was 5* in every way.
The hotel in***************** is good, nice and modern, lovely room, massive bed .
We are only herr for one night and it's a nice place.
The hotel staff were not as welcoming as they could be, when we arrived, but I expect that is because not many can talk English so it is difficult for them.
In respect to Son the guide and Son the driver, they have been great, very helpful and courteous, lots of fun to be with and informative.
One comment I would make is that when clients are in and area where the weather is bad, as it was in Pu Luong and Ninh Binh, rather than taking the clients back to their hotel it would be good if after completing the planned activities, the guide offered to take clients to see or do something in the local area. In these places there was nothing to do, once we dropped off at the hotels, so it was a little boring.
But overall it was a wonderful experience we will have lots of great memories and endless photos to show our friends and family, many thanks to you and ask your staff for putting the trip together for us.
We will certainly recommend using your company to are friends of they visit Vietnam.
Regards,
Peter and Elaine,
Evaneos
Thank you for your feed back! See you around the world!
Travellers33
Vietnam
Couple
This has been a good trip designed to add on to another tour provided by someone else. The highlights were the time at Halong Bay and in Hoi An, but that's because we like smaller places. Hanoi and HCM are very busy!
Best parts:
Everything worked as promised! Guides all exceptional!
Worst parts:
Nothing to dislike, really! The tour in HCM city was a bit curtailed as the Cathedral is under repair, but that happens!
Evaneos
Thank you for your feed back! See you around the world!
Cosecha del 59
Vietnam
Private group
The best part was the Halong Bay day in Hanoi and the biking in Hoi An. We miss do more country side.
Best parts:
The trip was great and everything was as expected.
Worst parts:
We didnt find worst parts. Some of the hotels were not the quality we expected but bearing in mind that we were not in the same place long time it was fine
Evaneos
Dear Cosecha del 59,
Thank you for your feedback! We are more than happy that you enjoyed your trip to Vietnam and we are looking forward to see you again soon!
Yours sincerely, Your Evaneos Team!
Albert K.
Vietnam
Family
This was a perfect tour for a first time visitor to Vietnam with 3 weeks of time. It was not obly culture focused, exactly what we had asked for. It was a good combination of the cultural and historic sites, meeting the local people, getting a feel for where the country stands. We cane back very happy!
Best parts:
Many!! Cooking class near Ho-Chi-Minh, food tour in Hoi An, boat tours with the kids, Rikshah through Hanoi
Worst parts:
Halong Bay - nice cruise ship (although not quite up to the standard ‚luxury‘ as advertised), but food was not great.
M
Vietnam
Friends
Going to Vietnam was a childhood dream of mine. I am a babyboomer. We first arrived in Hanoi. Then went to Ninh Binh, then to Ha Long Bay, back to Hanoi and flew to Danang and visited Hue and Hoian. Hoian was a discovery. Beautiful place to visit. We then flew to Ho Chi MInh, Cu Chi Tunnel. Then we left for the Mekong Delta and Can Tho, back to Ho Chi Minh to fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia. The whole complex of Angkor Wat is grandiose. All activities in Cambodia were special and interesting.
Best parts:
The best parts about our trip was the quality of service we received from each and every guide, chauffeur and hotel staff. We were spoiled by all of them. Hotel accommodations were really clean and comfortable with a lot of luxury. But the sceneries and architecture and culture that we saw and experienced was the best part. Vietnam and Cambodia are two beautiful countries.
Worst parts:
This country is sooooo far. It took us 24 hours to get there and 36 hours on the way back. Way too long!!! We really need teleportation. The heat and humidity are also exhausting. Needed to plan more relax down time because of the heat.
The food was not as good as I thought it would be. It was also difficult to have my food allergies accommodate. People don't seem to believe that food allergies are serious.
Vp travels
Vietnam
Couple
Our guides enabled us to see very popular tourist destinations without tourists! We visited Cambodia and Vietnam going to the main cities as well as venturing inland to visit some rural communities.
Best parts:
Our arranger listened to my requests and tailored a tour that exceeded my expectations.
We felt our visit benefitted local people but wasn’t exploiting.
Worst parts:
I didn’t find the communication platform easy. In particular I struggled to find what i had written.
The trip itself was great.
BW
Vietnam
Family
All of the hoped-for highlights were covered.
Best parts:
communication with agent was excellent and ground organisation was very good. Also pleased with the hotels selected.
Worst parts:
Rainy weather.
JD
Vietnam
Friends
We wanted to see a bit of everything; beautiful countryside, ancient and recent history, hill tribes, and nature. We succeeded. We loved that we were able to customize our trip. For much of our trip we were accompanied by a guide and driver. We loved being able to ask them questions and they were always willing to talk candidly. Highlights were Ha Long Bay, Sapa, the Bac Ha market, Hoi An and Cat Tien National Park. We took the fast boat to Phnom Penn. We were accompanied by a guide who made crossing the border into Cambodia a breeze.
Best parts:
Vietnam was a revelation. I had no idea I would enjoy it so much. We loved our overnight boat trip in Ha Long and Bai Tu Long Bays. We loved the beauty of the Sapa area and interacting with the ethnic minority people. The Sunday Bac Ha market was a definite highlight. Hoi An was amazing, despite being overcrowded. The Cu Chi tunnel visit was well worthwhile.We really enjoyed Cat Tien National Park despite the many leeches. The lodge there was my favourite place we stayed.
Worst parts:
Hanoi and Saigon are so loud and busy. We spent as little time as possible in the cities. The overnight train from Hanoi to Sapa was an experience but I got no sleep at all. If you go to Cat Tien National Park, make sure you have good leech socks that go up to your thigh. The ones they give you are not adequate.
totoks101
Vietnam
Solo
Hanoi was fun and our guide was awesome and even took us to try egg coffee where Sen met us. The overnight train to Sapa was an adventure and our roommies on the train were French and were great. I loved the trek in Sapa. My friend had a lot more issues though. It was hot and we were not really given a lot of breaks. The shuttle back to Hanoi was great in meeting new people. Ha Long Bay was fun. The cruise started a little rough. The guide on the boat, Mr. Lee, kept focusing on how much money we spent and felt like I was in school and being punished for not studying. However, once the cruise was underway things improved greatly. We were treated great once back in Hanoi and were set up to get on the train to our next destination to see caves! The booking company took us to the train, we had extra blanket, and snacks! We were met at the station, given breakfast, and then off to caving! LOVED it. If i were to do over, I would not have done Sapa and spent more time at the caves trekking and exploring. Really amazing. We were then taken to Hue. The hotel was super cute and they gave us a welcoming drink and snack to occupy us while people were checking in. Bell boy was awesome. Next day the pass on to Hoi An was fun and our time at Marble Mountain was great. Old town Hoi An was CRAZY packed with tourists. But our guide showed us where to release lanterns. We went back later and went up/down the river. Was a lot of fun. Loved all the night markets we went to on the trip. Our basket boat tour was fantastic! Our guide was fun and we had a blast. My Son was fantastic. Everything i had imagined. We were then off to Dalat. Our guide was always excited and having fun. My only disappointment is I thought we were going to see more of the coffee farm and processing of coffee. But that was nobody's fault, I should have done better research. I also thought the wine tasting was part of the tour, so was surprised we had to pay, but that was just a simple misunderstanding. We ended the trip in Saigon. Guide was nice and had some good suggestions. My favorites were night markets, My Son, the caves, and even the overnight train.
Best parts:
Our POC that planned and coordinated the trip, Sen, was AMAZING! She helped us plan a great trip and was always checking in on us to make sure things were going well and helped to resolve any issues/concerns. Our guide while in the Hanoi region was also amazing. I liked the overnight trains, the caves, the fact we were taken to local places to eat instead of the 'safe' places most tour groups take foreigners. Really enjoyed our hotel in Hue. The bellman was super attentive.
Worst parts:
Nothing on the trip was really all that bad. Our guide in Sapa is probably better matched to guys. He was really nice and a good guide, but not very attentive really. Saigon started a little rough with our guide, but improved throughout the day. Now that I've been to Vietnam I would have planned things a little differently, but the trip was still amazing. Managing expectations is probably the hardest part for a tour company. We had some expectations based on our trip the previous year to Laos, but we did not check if our assumptions were correct, so can't fault any guide or anything.
Jacques from The Netherlands
Vietnam
Couple
Vietnam is a good destination, but for private trips a programme outside the touristic hotspots is recommendend . Apart from Hoi-An this was achieved by the local agency (Ms Huong our local agent)
Best parts:
Good operational execution. Transport, hotels, guides were punctually available. Hotel in Hue (La Residence) was superb. Guide in Hue and trip to DZM were good and interesting
Worst parts:
Too little time in Hanoi. Upgrade of room in Alantara resort in Hoi-An (100 U.S. dlrs per night)
o
Vietnam
Private group
Halong Bay, Mekong river and Delta visits + staying at Sokha Roth hotel and Villa Santhi Resort are memorable life events.
Best parts:
We had a tailor made tour to Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao. It was well planned and had a great time in Halong Bay and along Mekong River. We did not like the war museums as it brought us tears. We enjoyed local markets and street food. One of the team member was well looked after from nut allergy when providing meals.
The food and hotels are very good. We had English speaking knowledgeably, friendly tour guides apart from Phnom Penh.
The transport and the drivers are good too.
Worst parts:
Visiting war museums.
Evaneos
Thanks so much for your trip feedback! We are looking forward to helping you with your next trips! :) Kind regards, Rachel
Julie
Vietnam
Couple
It's impossible to see and do everything in Vietnam in just two weeks but we tried to experience the highlights starting in the North and ending in the South. This is a country of wonderful, warm, hardworking people and I thank them greatly for allowing me to visit and experience a brief part of their culture, food, and way of life.
Best parts:
I really enjoyed all the accommodations that were recommended. They were all centrally located and were really comfortable. I especially loved the city of Nha Trang. It was so peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of the larger cities and the beach was just so beautiful. The cruise along Ha Long Bay was also very relaxing and the scenery was incomparable.
Worst parts:
There one excursion in Hoi An that was listed as a back of a motorbike tour but when we were picked up by the guide, it was actually a bicycling tour. This was an issue because I don't know how to ride a bike but I gave it a try. Within the first minute, I crashed into a wall and fell and cut my hand. The guide was excellent and worked very hard and he accommodated me by letting me ride on the back of his bicycle and I thank him for that but the miscommunication of the tour itself put a damper on that excursion.
bartholomew
Vietnam
Family
The trip plan and timing which were arranged by Vuong Duong were exactly perfect.
We thought sofitel metropole was worth it in terms of location and wonderful pool
we liked the bike tour--even though it is touristy, it was fun to get a sense of hanoi
we liked all three of our tour guides---perfect english and great attitude
our locations over two weeks were: halong bay, hanoi, sapa, cambodia angkor wat, hue, hoi an, ho chi minh cuty, meekong delta
Vuong duong came to our hotel on day one to make sure we were comfortable with all the arrangements---grwat service, very smart and honest and attentive. Gave good advice.
Best parts:
ha long bay cruise
hoi an
Worst parts:
the cities (hanoi and ho chi minh) were a little too busy for me
C Portugal
Vietnam
Family decision
We organized it with the help of sen from the agency
A bit short but very good spots
Best parts:
Hera cruise and Halong Bay and nanam retreat were the best
Also the town of Houston an
Worst parts:
I didn’t t like the allegro hotel in Hoi an
DenisBYR
Vietnam
Couple
The boat trip to Halong Bay and on the Mekong river were excellent. The other private tours were well organized and the guides very accommodating. We decided to cut some of our long days short as we were not adjusted to the heat and found it very exhausting. However we missed very little and saw the most interesting and important sites.
Best parts:
Everything met our expectations and we were especially please that the Evaneos agent in Vietnam was able to set up our itinerary at relatively short notice. It included everything that we wanted to see.
Worst parts:
There was very little to dislike with only minor annoyances like flight delays.
