HIGHLIGHTS OF LAOS 6 days (30 Jun - 05 Jul 2015)
Hi Anh
Thanks for organising our trip for us, we had a great time and have some fun memories of Laos.
Thanks very much, and we will be back in touch when we visit again in future.
Regards
Julie from Australia
BEST OF LAOS & CAMBODIA (6th Apr – 21 Apr 2015)
Dear Mr. Tuan Phan,
Now we are all back home.
I would like to thank ou again for the organisation of my trip.
All the hôtels were from good to excellent, except ETU where the rooms were not really clean and the foor was uneateble.
Our guides were good, especially Vilat in Pake.
Best regards
Bernard from Switzerland
Best Of Laos & Cambodia 15 Days (29th Mar – 11th Apr 2015)
Dear Mr Tuan Phan,
Firstly Happy New Year to you. I should have written long ago to thank you for the great service and to tell you what a wonderful trip we had to Laos. Everything was fantastic and I meant to write to tell you that.
Very friendly guide, punctual and knowledgeable, adapted timetable to suit our needs.
Regards,
Bren Moore from Canada
TOP JOURNEY IN LAOS & MYANMAR 10 days (22 - 31 Mar 2015)
Dear Anh,
Thank you for the feedback form.
They gave the trip five stars in all senses.
They were very happy with your services (also in beautiful Luang Prabang which they loved).
Everything went smooth and they will always remember this trip.
Regarding yesterday, Bangkok Airways cancelled their flight to Bangkok and they could only leave at around 19.00 PM.
You can imagine that they were very tired.
They are now in Krabi having a relaxing and fun time, finally with time to rest.
Wishing you all (and your team) the best,
I will keep you posted in the future with more requests,
Congratulations again on your work and attention to detail, it was a pleasure coordinating this trip with you,
Yours truly, from Portugal
Wonder Of Luang Prabang (2nd Jan – 4th Jan 2015)
Dear Tuan
Just want to say how much I enjoyed the 2 days and how well I was looked after. The organization was excellent and the guide Ken was very solicitous to make sure the trip was personalized for me and he took extra time so that I could do the things I wanted to do.
Best regards.
Marilyn Field-Marsham from Canada
Best of Laos & Cambodia 14 days (26 Jan – 8 Feb 2015)
Dear Hue good evening (in Italy),
we just came back from our wonderful tour in South East Asia! We absolutely loved the places and the people. We thank you very much for the perfect organisation of the tour and the choice:
-of guides (a special mention to our guide in Siem Reap)
-of Hotels (a special mention for PakBeng Lodge, Santi Villa, Vang Vieng FCC in SiemReap - we had to change the hotel in Siemreap- Memoire d'Angkor- because due to overbooking they left only a very poor room with no windows and very low ceiling , but the second choice was beatiful and fascinating and White House in PhnomPenh)
-of local your office people (a special mention for Miss Anong Chanthamath
-Luang Prabang office - she went with us to eat a night and took care of us very carefully and she is really a wonderful and skillful person).
What can we say more? We are completely satisfied and we were sure to find a really good and excellent service and it happened!
Thank you again : we surely suggest your company to our friends who wants to visit South East Asia and for our future travels!
All our best regards
Francesco Garini and Manuela Sangiorgio from Italy
LUANG PRABANG HOLIDAY from 13 April, 2014 to 15 April, 2014
We had a wonderful time with Mr. Joy. He was professional, interesting and most of all a pleasure to be with. Everyone in the family enjoyed his stories and knowledge of Luang Prabang. He took the time to answer all of our questions and made everyone feel special. The kids were asking why he couldn't stay with us for one more day.
On another note, the guide provided by the elephant sanctuary was not particularly friendly or knowledgeable. He did not readily volunteer information, instead we had to ask him questions about the sanctuary. He kept on telling us he would tell us the "rules about elephants" and he never did. He did offer us coffee 5 times thought, each time we declined. He also made me fill out a survey on his service, as he was standing nearby I felt pressured to give him a good report. We were not impressed with his service.
All in all, we had a wonderful holiday in Laos during Pii Mai. Mr. Joy helped to make our trip a very memorable experience, one that we will never forget.
Thank you Mr. Joy from Hong Kong!
Highlights of Cambodia and Laos 15 days. From 23rd Feb until 9th March 2014.
Dear Ms Mary D,
Had a very good flight back although in Cambodia we had tore apply for a visa due to changment of carrier.Since we had to make a new check-in at Phnom Phenh and had to collect our luggage. It was a bit annoying to have to make a visa for the short interval there, however all went well. Thank God!!!
Thank you so much for taking care of us during our Cambodia and Laos trip. We enjoyed our stay in These countries very much. Laos was very Special in many ways and all of us agreed that we made a very memorable trip.
Our best wishes and regards to all those who have made our trip so very pleasant..
Sincerely
Mariam & HR Zollinger from Switzerland
Xieng Khuang charity tour from 07 March, 2014 to 09 March, 2014
Sabaidee Thuy,
Thank you for doing all the preparations for the Luang Prabang tour. Mr. Chantavong and Mr. On were great on the trip. Couldn't ask for a better guide and driver. Just got back into Singapore. I will most definitely come back to Laos again...
Yes, I did gain a lot of insight on the culture and its history especially in Xieng Khouang... There are great archaeological discoveries to be made still... I cannot wait to tell of my hypothesis to some of my friends who are in field of research on history of our older cultures in the periods BC. It is in line with what they are slowly discovering in Central Vietnam and parts of Malaysia as well as in Singapore. I hope to see the progress of these findings within my lifetime. As for the orphanage, I'm really impressed. I've been to many places in Asia and around the world and so far, of all the S. O. S. Orphanage is the best run and most successful in its systems of education and care...
Will fill out the form some time soon and will definitely be in touch with you when I'm in Laos next time.
Khop chai lai lai
Stacey from Singapore
Highlights of Laos 6 days from 12th Jan 2014 to 17th Jan 2014
We really enjoyed our trip with your company, and were so happy with all the services that you provided for us, from accommodation to flights to travel arrangements and tours chosen. Would have no hesitation in recommending your company to our friends. Thank you for a great holiday. We so enjoyed our time, will definitely use your company again to book when we return to Asia.
Again many many thanks.
Thomas A Hearty & Gerard McErlean from United Kingdom
HIGHLIGHTS OF LAOS 9 days (31 Oct - 08 Nov 2013)
Hi
Overall it was an excellent experience for myself and my group of friends. Laos is a beautiful country and the people very friendly and honest. What helped me decide to join the tour with Laos Travel was the excellent rapport Mr. Anh Tran built up with me from the time of my initial inquiry. His thoroughness and prompt responses to my inquiries, requests and schedule changes is exemplary. This made me confident that I have someone truly professional I can work with and enabled me to sell the idea to my friends about joining the trip. Our guides Tony and Lab were very patient, knowledgeable and accommodating to our needs . The drivers Don and Maki (?) were very careful with driving us around and assisted with our luggage diligently. And, what a big surprise we had when we met MsAnong at the office and were invited to an excellent Laotian cuisine dinner complete with roses for my friend Chong Poh Lin in celebration of her birthday. It was a truly memorable evening.
Ms Anong is most invigorating to spend time with and very helpful with our shopping for souvenirs at the night market. Good staff is the key to a successful service business. I see that in Laos Travel and have asked Mr. Anh Tran for a travel proposal to Vietnam to which he had similarly responded immediately.
And now, to sell my next travel plan to my friends again......
Mr Louis Tan from Singpore
Laos & Vietnam Highlights (6th – 25th Nov 2013)
Dear Tuan
I am sorry it has taken me so long to write on our return home. The computers were playing up earlier in the week.
We just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work in making our holiday so enjoyable and the whole trip a memorable time. Thank you also for the very attractive plates which you gave us. It was good to meet up with you in Hanoi.
Many thanks again and with very best wishes from us both.
Ian & Hilary Reed from England
Laos Discovery (29th Sep – 11th Oct 2013)
Dear Mr. Tuan Phan,
This is the first day back in my office in Hamburg and I just want to write to you immediately.
We really enjoyed our trip to Laos. You organized everything perfectly and in every situation we could rely on your assistance. Thank you again.
Our new driver, who took us from Khong Island to Pakse did a very good job and the guide was kind and showed us the Khmer Temple. It was a great experience.
We are sure to come back to Asia again and would like to contact you again in 2014 /2015 latest
Have a nice week.
Regards from Hamburg - Germany
Karsten Peters-Eberhardt
Highlights Of Laos (30th Jun – 5th Jul 2013)
Hello Tuan!
Thank you for our wonderful trip in Laos! Your staff were all courteous and welcoming and we hope to return one day to explore the south of Laos.
Kind regards
Jan from Australia
Laos & Cambodia Discovery (18th – 27th Jul 2013)
Hi
How are you?
I just wanted to say a big thank you to you for our most wonderful trip to Laos and Cambodia in July. we had a superb time with great guides especially Joy in Luang Prabang and our guide in Siem Reap whose name escapes me. They were so accommodating and attentive to our childrens needs. We will highly recommend your company especially after my initial nerves and i will rcommend to contact you direct
Once again thank you and we will be back
Jane and pete davis from Australia
Laos & Cambodia Highlights (9th – 17th Sep 2013)
Dear Mr Tuan Phan,
We wish to congratulate you for the excellent organization of our trip
We would like to include the comments of the experience of our trip on your website but we don’t know how. Please tell us how
We want to contact again in the future directly or through our friends.
Jorge Creus
Maria Luisa Fernandez
Barcelona
Spain
Traveling period: LAOS EPXERIENCE 11 DAYS (20 Nov 2013 - 30 Nov 2013)
Ms. Thuy,
We just got back from Saigon yesterday after 3 flights with a total elapsed time of more than 24 hours. Still in the jet lag mode!
Thanks for reminding me about our comments on the Laos trip. Here are some general comments. There would be no need to identify the names of the guides. They are intended as general advice for your company (and the guides) to provide better quality of the service.
1. I have filled in the comments on the forms given by the tour guides after each segment of the trip, but I would consider the feedback on those forms are superficial, since the timing and conditions are not right for the travellers. For example, how can one fill the from while sloshing around in the car seat...the writing would be all crooked. In addition, giving the form back to the tour guide is awkward since the travellers would not want to hurt the tour guide's feeling (he or she would be tempted read it before giving it to the company, or simply just throw it away, if the comments are so bad...This is simply my interpretation). 2. I simply don't like checking the boxes on the form.
3. Flight: Since Laos is still in its developmental stage, it would not be expected to provide "international level of services". But overall, the service provided by Laos airlines is fine.
3. Laos Visa: This could be simplified by providing better instruction to travellers before landing in LuangPrabang. The visa application could have been filled in ahead of time (but the form downloaded from the Embassy could not be printed on a full page). There is really no need to get the passport size picture taken, since the visa counter at the airport would accept photocopy of the picture on the passport (for a fee of $1.00). In fact, the main page of the passport would provide most of the information required for the visa application, including the picture. There is also a $1.00 service charge (over the $42 application fee) which I did not know about. The line to the visa counters is rather confusing...Traveller need to go underneath a rope (no opening) to go to the next counter for payment. Why not just have one counter with an entrance and exit like in Cambodia which has a much simpler and more user-friendly visa application system at the border.
4. Hotels: In general, the quality is not up to modern standard, especially hotel with a heritage status: uneven and squeaky floor and outdated facilities. One hotel (LuangPrabang) has a movable screen to shield the bath tube from the bed area (privacy issue) and turning on the light in the wash room/bath area would disturb the partner sharing the room, but at least this hotel is located on the river bank with many restaurants within walking distance. There were several water supply interruptions.
Hotels in Vientiane and Pakse are more solid and the outside (especially the one in Pakse) look nice, but the room facilities are not up to modern standard. The hotel in Vientiane is located in a neighborhood that is not enticing for a nice stroll to local restaurants. The one in Pakse is too far from the "downtown" area. So travellers would likely be trapped for dinners. By the way, the restaurant on the second floor has practically no customers (we went in and walked out. Most people would seem to prefer the one on the main floor, where they also serve breakfast. Thre are only tut tuts in Pakse (no taxi) hence the ride would be smoky and dusty.
5. Hotel staff: Just a few people who could speak English well enough, but the overall service is good.
6. Internet: Difficult to connect to the Internet and very slow response. The Internet in Laos is not up to modern standard. It's not plug-and- play like those in Saigon (the free Wifi at the Continental Hotel was excellent, no password required).
7. Tour guides: Except for one in LuangPrabang (he's good and have the skills to cater to travellers), their skills as a tour guide would need significant improvements.
- Communication in English: I would expect a basic level of proficiency. Perfection is not really required, but the communication has to be clear.
- It always good to provide the name and cell phone number on a sheet of paper, just in case there is a need for the travellers to contact the tour guide.
- Similarly, the tour guide should contact the hotel reception in case of delays due to unforeseen circumstance. It's always good for the tour guide to come at least 5 minutes before the pick-up time.
- Pick-up time should be indicated by the Travel Agency on the itinerary (e.g. Tour guide will pick up traveller at say 8:00 am in the hotel lobby). If there are some changes then the tour guide should inform the hotel Reception desk, so that the travellers know what to expect.
- Better communication between tour guides. There seemed to be some miscommunication from one to another.
- Tour guide should explain to travellers what are expected (e.g. walking away in the airport with the passports and boarding passes to another area without informing the travellers is not a good thing). The correct sequence would be to give back to passports and boarding passes to the travellers first, then explain to the travellers that he or she will check to see if Security would be open for screening.
- Cruise: The logistic of this cruise is not good. Too much time is required to reach to cruise boat. Bus rides are long, and the small boat ride to reach the cruise boat was too long. In addition, because of the small size (one row in the middle) it was not stable enough to make the passengers feel safe. The boat ride from from the main boat back to Pakse was better in a sense that the transfer boat was bigger hence more stable (travellers would feel safer).
Clearer instruction is required on the itinerary, particularly the pick-up time at the hotel. Some explanation such as: to meet at coffee shop to have some tea/coffee while waiting for other passengers. The tour starts at 9:30 am, by bus (duration?), then by small boats (duration?) to reach the cruise boat, etc...
- Food: Except for one dinner (large fried fish with rice) in the LuangPrabang hotel dining area that (on the river bank in front of the heritage hotet), the food in Laos cannot be compared with the food in Vietnam (much better in Vietnam). The food on the cruise is so-so. They should cut down the number of the dishes and concentrate on the quality of the fewer number of dishes. More "light" fruits such as water melon, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, etc. for breakfast (and after meals) would be welcome. Bananas would be considered as "heavy"/starchy fruit.
I think this would be enough a feedback from me. I am not picky, but since I have travelled extensively I am in a position to compare service from different countries/localities. Hope that these comments would be useful to you and your company. Thanks for your assistance for this trip.
Best regards from Ottawa.
Bob Truong, from Canada
