You Say

Hi Caroline. Thanks so much for helping us arrange our honeymoon to Baros Maldives. It was brilliant. Everything ran smoothly thanks to your organisation. The speedboat transfer is a great introduction to the maldives and the resort itself was imm... read more

Hi Caroline. Thanks so much for helping us arrange our honeymoon to Baros Maldives. It was brilliant. Everything ran smoothly thanks to your organisation. The speedboat transfer is a great introduction to the maldives and the resort itself was immaculate, the villa was just perfect. All of the staff were incredibly helpful. The food was brilliant and the spa was just incredible. The snorkeling is a must! Thank you so much again for all your help!  read less

Dear Jo, We are now en route to BKK so I thought I would give you some feedback whilst our holiday is fresh in my mind. I have already completed the Trails of Indochina feedback form. We have enjoyed the visit and found all the arrangements worke... read more

Dear Jo,

We are now en route to BKK so I thought I would give you some feedback whilst our holiday is fresh in my mind. I have already completed the Trails of Indochina feedback form. We have enjoyed the visit and found all the arrangements worked very well and Trails of Indochina were very efficient and helpful throughout.

Hanoi – the Metropole is an excellent hotel and I would recommend it. The tour of Hanoi went well, mostly in the rain and both here and in Hoi An/Da Nang the weather was uncharacteristically wet and cold. We took the advice of the guide for two dinners and experienced local cuisine although the places we went were largely for tourists; however it seems that those restaurants aimed at the local market are unlikely to appeal to western tastes. The drive to Halong Bay was fine and the weather was better.

Halong Bay – excellent boat with very good facilities including a fitness room. The scenery was amazing and the food/service on board very good. On the second day we left the boat around 1100 which meant that we had more than enough time to reach Hanoi airport for the evening flight. An earlier flight would have been better but I understand that there was no alternative as there are only two flights each day.

Hue – the Residence was excellent with a superb pool and gym. Our guide here was very good and made the tour in Hue really interesting in beautiful weather. The drive over the pass to Hoi An was in rain/mist but enjoyable nevertheless.

Hoi An – the Life Resort Hotel was comfortable but clearly designed for good weather and sadly this was the start of a five day poor spell. I am sure it would have been good to have cycled to the surrounding beaches but the weather pretty much confined us to Hoi An which is an interesting town for a half day tour but once this is complete the main attraction seems to be the shops/market. A couple of days here was enough.

Fusion Maya – a superb hotel on a great beach which really needs good weather to be fully enjoyed. The Spa/gym were valuable alternatives to outdoor activities and we made full use of them. The staff and service were excellent. I’d certainly recommend the Fusion Maya.

Ho Chi Minh – the Majestic is a good hotel, small criticisms are that the breakfasts were not as good as previous hotels and the pool rather small. They gave us a very good room and the staff and service were good. The extra day we spent in Saigon was not really necessary but that was our choice. The half day tour to the tunnels was very interesting, as was the tour of Saigon and the latter can certainly be done in half a day.

Delta boat trip – it is a three hour drive but the visit was very worthwhile and the boat excellent. There were only 8 passengers so on a boat capable of taking 24 we had plenty of space and the crew made it very interesting, especially the shore visits. The food was great and I would certainly recommend the trip and the boat.



In summary I think your arrangements and choice of hotels went very well. Trails of Indochina are a quality tour operator and provide good guides and cars. We enjoyed the trip and would recommend Vietnam. It seems the weather we experienced in Hoi An/Da Nang was not the norm for the time of year and both places would have been enjoyed more in sunshine! At times of the year when the weather may be in doubt I would suggest that three days in Hue/Hoi An would be adequate for the Central area.



We stayed at the Davis Hotel in Bangkok and this was also a success. The hotel has good facilities and very helpful staff. It is situated in a part of Bangkok that is less frenetic than downtown yet the centre is easily accessed by taxi or the Skytrain.



Thank you for all the arrangements, I was impressed with all that you did and would certainly come back to you if we plan a similar type of trip, perhaps next year.



With kind regards

Michael

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Dear Lyndsey We got back on Monday and I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for your help in choosing and organising our trip to celebrate John’s 50th birthday. We had a fantastic time. Everything went smoothly, the flights w... read more

Dear Lyndsey

We got back on Monday and I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for your help in choosing and organising our trip to celebrate John’s 50th birthday. We had a fantastic time.

Everything went smoothly, the flights were on time, transfers well organised and we even had a friendly BA hostess on the return flight! Business class out on Air Mauritius was very good, better than we expected. Great staff, comfortable ‘beds’ and good food.

The Oberoi in Mauritius was wonderful. They upgraded us to a private villa with a pool which was just amazing. It was delightful having an swim before breakfast every morning. I am now spoilt for life and will not want to stay anywhere without one! They ensured John had a wonderful birthday on the 28th starting with a champagne breakfast at our villa, flowers in the room and a chocolate birthday cake at dinner. Nothing was too much bother for the staff – the service was excellent; staff very friendly and the food was good. We enjoyed the complementary activities including the cookery class, wine tasting, yoga and tai chi. The sunsets, which we watched from the beach with a drink, were unforgettable. The only negative was swimming in the sea. The reef is very close to the beach and there are strong currents close to shore. This makes it difficult to swim at the beach. However, there are two lovely swimming pools (one for adults only). It was a great place to chill out. We will definitely go back.

Makanyane was perfect – we loved it. John was like a ‘kid in a candy store’. The staff are amazing, again nothing is too much bother and they all make you feel so welcome. The game drives were great (our sightings included a cheetah, elephants, lions, white rhinos, black rhinos, hippos, hyena, jackals, zebras, giraffes etc. and birds too numerous to list). The chef, Mauritz, deserves a special mention. The meals were fantastic – equivalent to good London restaurants. We also really enjoyed our night outdoors in the hide, though did not get much sleep with lions roaring, hyenas laughing and an amazing lightning storm! The whole experience was wonderful. While there we meet one couple for whom it was their 11th visit and another on their 7th visit. I can understand why – they manage everything so well and seemingly effortlessly (which I know is hard work behind the scenes). We cannot wait to return.

I would recommend both the Oberoi and Makanyane without hesitation.


Thank you.



Kind regards



Fiona

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Just returned from best holiday we've ever had. Westin in Dubai excellent hotel including service and food. Reception desk could communicate better. Then on to Velassaru in Maldives can only say idyllic, friendly with service and food options exce... read more

Just returned from best holiday we've ever had. Westin in Dubai excellent hotel including service and food. Reception desk could communicate better. Then on to Velassaru in Maldives can only say idyllic, friendly with service and food options excellent. Don't go with tight budget in mind as you are a captive audience (specifically water excursions) on an island! Still sad to leave, would definitely recommend and look to return. Thanks Johanna for arranging our holiday of a life time.  read less

Sea Change was the perfect start to our honeymoon. The accommodation is fantastic, with beautiful sea views and complete privacy on your own seafront deck. The owners are wonderful, so helpful and welcoming. We only wish we didn't live so far away... read more

Sea Change was the perfect start to our honeymoon. The accommodation is fantastic, with beautiful sea views and complete privacy on your own seafront deck. The owners are wonderful, so helpful and welcoming. We only wish we didn't live so far away so we could return!  read less

Firstly, I must commend Karen Martin for her helpful recommendations & alternative suggestions as well as for her patience during the 'choosing' stage for our holiday. She is an absolute star. I am a closet travel agent and spent time researching... read more

Firstly, I must commend Karen Martin for her helpful recommendations & alternative suggestions as well as for her patience during the 'choosing' stage for our holiday. She is an absolute star. I am a closet travel agent and spent time researching other options/prices and this must be very frustrating!

We are return visitors to the Maldives and the resort, Constance Halaveli, was as good as it was the first time (which was also recommended by Karen) and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to other travellers. The staff are tremendous, the food is superb and the villa & facilities are first class. Whilst there are 90 villas attached to or on the island, you never feel as though there are this many guests given the villa facilities (each one with it's own pool etc.) and dining options. All three restaurants serve excellent food - our favourite though was the Jing for the location and the style/quality of the cooking not to mention the service.

We are already planning or return!!  read less