CLIENTS FEEDBACK & COMMENTS
Australia ,Asia
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TOUR OVERVIEW

Welcome to... Clients letters... comments... feedback following their travel/holidays through Asia as arranged through Asia by Aileen Collins of TravelManagers Australia using the background John & Aileen have built in over 35 years of indepth experience with their ground-breaking company... San Michele Travel.

john_aileen.jpgWe sold in 2004..."retired" to the Gold Coast...
The purchasers of San Michele didn't understand the concept of "Client service" closed the doors in 2008... We bought back "the bones" and since then John's Asia Travel Experts WebSite has prospered whilst Aileen has gone from strength to strength... winning the prestigious industry award
"Best Travel Agent... ASIA... in Australia" two years running.

Hopefully these letters from clients will not only give you confidence in Aileen's work... but more importantly... show how rewarding and enjoyable is travel with thought & dependable planning.

If you'd care to read our "PROFILE for 2012/13" click here.

Letters and thoughts from our clients
Julie Donnell, March 2012, Villa Lumbung, Bali
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Donna Peck, February 2012, Bali
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Sandy Jackson & Family, August 2011, Villa Ottavia & Bali
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Teachers Group, October 2011 Sulawesi exploration/research trip Click Here
Sandy Jackson, May 2012
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Stephen Bird
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Katrina Thompson
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Naomi Archer, Bali - Seminyak, Bali Safari Park, Villa Puncak Bukit, Amed
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Dallas & Margaret Finney- The Trip! Sri Lanka
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Ed Smith, January 2012, Bali In Depth Tour
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Fiona Whiting & Family, January 2012, Vietnam
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Chris Moore, 2011, Vietnam
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Jules
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Brian
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Faye Chalmers
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Jayne Gaymer, March 2012
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Julie Moore, Bali, January 2013
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Daphne Sider, Ubud & Jogyakarta
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Nancy Outtram, Bali, October 2012
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Julie Donnell, March 2012
Hi Aileen,
Julie has left Bali  last night and said that she was very happy with Villa Lumbung and enjoyed her whole holiday in Bali and there was no single thing that could upset her holiday,  she also said that she would come back to Bali with her whole family in six month.
Regards, Ketut.
(Ketut Sarjana has been with John & Aileen as Bali representative for nearly 40 years... He loves meeting our clients and although "a little retired" he always does any "Island Trips" as driver/guide... His perfect English and genuine approach is loved by all.)

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Donna Peck, February 2012
Very Belated Thanks! - Bali

Hi Aileen,

I have been meaning to contact you since Matt and I returned from Bali in February, but time has just got away!  I came home and applied for a new job the same week, and have since started the new job and it's been very hectic!

Anyway, I just wanted to say "thanks" for organising our wonderful trip to Bali.  Matt and I had the most beautiful, relaxing holiday we have ever had!  The Komaneka at Ubud was AMAZING, you were right when you said the service was good!  The attention to detail from the staff was incredible... they were so friendly and could not do enough for us.  They gave us a complimentary massage and dinner in our villa on our last night... it was perfection!  Our villa was beautiful and we loved the fact the the geckos and frogs "lived with us".  We even starting talking to the gecko that was living in the roof above our bed as though he was a pet, pity we never met him!  The villa's bathroom was definitely a highlight, sitting amongst nature was indeed beautiful, as was the pool overlooking the jungle, where we enjoyed many an afternoon tipple.  The position of the resort could not have been better.  We loved the fact that we could just walk out of our "oasis" and be in the middle of !
 everything.  We took the opportunity to visit their Bisma property, where we used the gym and pool.  It's a beautiful place, but I don't think we would ever stay there, as I had said to you before, "we like to be amongst it all" and Monkey Forest certainly was all of that.  We even met Pak Komaneka the day we visited the Museum, he's had a very interesting life and the museum is very comprehensive.  What more can I say about Ubud....
the restaurants were amazing, the attractions were amazing, but most of all, we loved the people.  We loved interacting with them, haggling with them and living amongst them.  I can now understand why so many people visit Bali each year and sometimes don't come home!  The countryside is spectacular and we certainly packed a lot into our week there!  Ubud was an amazing place and we will definitely visit again.  Matt and I both shed tears as we said goodbye to the Komaneka staff!

Our week in Legian at the Mandira was fantastic too, although Matt and I were both a little "depressed" when we first arrived as our week in Ubud had been so amazing.  I suppose it was just that Legian is so different to Ubud.  It took us a day to "settle" into our new surroundings and by the end of the 2nd day we were embracing it all.  I think we were a little confronted by the "aussie" yobbo culture, but we got used to it.  The resort was beautiful and we got upgraded to a larger room with a courtyard and outdoor bathtub... very nice!  The staff were very friendly and very attentive.  The resort club was lovely and we retreated there most afternoons where we met some lovely people who had been to Bali many times and able to give us some tips on restaurants and places to visit. We certainly explored a lot and one day we even got up to Tambulan to a dive site, where Matt dived on a sunken US navy ship and I snorkelled for the first time in our lives.... a very memorable day!
 !  On the way we drove through through some beautiful countryside...
perhaps another trip!

Anyway Aileen, hope you and John are well.  I have just been checking out your latest info on trips to India, they look very interesting.  It's a place Matt and I have been interested in for some time.... perhaps next year, who knows!  Marie and John are both well, they are off to northern NSW and then Queensland to visit some of their children next week.

Thanks again for our wonderful, memorable holiday... Matt and I will definitely go back to Bali!

Best wishes,

Donna Peck (& Matt)

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Sandy Jackson & Family, August 2011
Report on Villa Ottavia, Puri Puncak Bukit & Villa Lalu

Hi Aileen,

We just arrived home this morning.  We have had the most fabulous holiday!!!  We have fallen in love with Bali, the people and the culture!!!!!

Thank you so much for organising such a memorable and wonderful holiday.  Everything was absolutely perfect.  The driver you organised, Ketut, is a wonderful man with a very friendly demeanour and always with a smile on his face..  He was extremely friendly and very knowledgeable about Bali.  He not only picked us up at the airport but took us to Pucak Bukit and back to Seminyak and then to the airport last night.  He was always waiting at least ½ hour before our agreed departure times and was so reliable.  We really enjoyed meeting him and were sad to say goodbye to him last night.

Our experience at Villa Ottavia was fabulous.  We had never stayed in a private villa with our own pool.  We were overwhelmed at how beautiful it was.   It was spacious, clean, great furniture and had a real distinctive Balinese flavour.  We loved the outdoor area and spent most of our time there.  The children thoroughly enjoyed having the pool to themselves and we enjoyed the privacy of such a beautiful surrounding.  The cook/housekeeper, Kedak is a wonderful woman.  She came in everyday at 8:00 a.m. (and was very punctual) to cook us a tasty breakfast.  Every morning we had a lovely fruit platter. She made us many different dishes such as banana pancakes, omelettes, and  cooked the best Nasi Goreng we have ever tasted.  She loved the kids,taught us some Balinese and even did our laundry.  Villa Ottavia is in a wonderful part of Seminyak, near all the great restaurants such as Trattoria and Rumours.  The beach was only about a 10 minute walk which we did many, many times.    We were truly sad to leave Villa Ottavia and everyone agreed we would come back again.

The highlight of our trip was staying at Pucak Bukit.  It was the most beautiful and majestic setting living right amongst the ricefields.  The house was beautiful and so spacious.  The gardens surrounding the house were outstanding, well-maintained and so beautiful.  The pool was sparkling clean and very large.  We enjoyed swimming in the pool, reading on the verandah and going for walks in the ricefields.  The whole atmosphere was tranquil and peaceful.  We felt like we had gone to heaven.  Ngurah and his family (the hosts) were fabulous.  They really welcomed us and made us feel very comfortable.   They were very gentle, very friendly and  very respectful.  They taught us many interesting things about Bali, including more Balinese words.  They really enjoyed being around the kids and nothing was too much for them.  Every night they put mosquito coils in each room and around the verandah as we had expressed concern about the mosquitoes.  The breakfasts were great with very large fruit platters to begin with.   We ate most of our dinners at Pucak Bukit and we had wonderful homemade Balinese meals with a Balinese dessert.   We were never left hungry which is a true compliment as we have four very hungry children including one teenage boy.  Ngurah was great at organising drivers to take us wherever we wanted to go, including Ubud, and let us do our own negotiating for price which we appreciated.  We never felt pressured to do anything or pay more than what we bargained for.  We hired a driver called Wayan for a full day and he was also such a gentle, friendly and wonderful man full of information about Bali.   We would highly recommend him as a driver whilst staying at Puncak Bukit.    The village, Mas, was such an interesting place.  We spent a full day walking around the village, interacting with the locals.  There is something very unique and special about Puncak Bukit.  It is truly paradise  and we know that if we return to Bali, we would like to spend as much time there as possible.  We were very sad to leave this special place.

Our final destination was Villa Lalu. On our first night at Villa Lalu, we were placed in a 2 bedroom villa in the corner of the property.  It was quite run down and nothing seemed to work.  The other 2 bedroom properties seemed very nice but this property was actually two separate villas that were adjoined by a connecting door.  It felt like this was their fall back property when all the other ones were full.   We asked if we could be upgraded to a 3 bedroom villa and the next day one was available and we moved to the 3 bedroom villa.  This villa was beautiful, very clean and had a great Balinese feel to it.  It was spacious and very comfortable and we were very happy.  We were very impressed and very appreciative that they actually bothered to move us.  The gardens at Villa Lalu are beautiful and extremely well-maintained.  The pool area is a lovely setting and the pool is sparkling clean and large.  We enjoyed this area a lot.  Most of the villas appeared to be occupied but you never felt like there were too many people around.  It was very quiet and tranquil.  The staff at the front desk and also the manager were very friendly and helpful.  We also enjoyed this location as we could walk to the beach in 10 – 15 minutes.  It was very convenient to be situated across the road from the Bintang Supermarket where we could buy water and snacks at a cheaper price than elsewhere.  The shops on Jalan Seminyak are great but there aren’t  too many restaurants within close walking distance.  But that really wasn’t a problem because Taxis are so cheap and accessible.  Our experience at Villa Lalu was excellent especially after we moved to a 3 bedroom villa.  We also very much appreciated our late check out.  This allowed us to actually enjoy our last day in Bali rather than feeling displaced.

I hope you were not too bored with my in-depth recount of our experience.  We do wish to thank you for organising such a wonderful holiday.  We could never have had such a memorable experience if you had not found us such fabulous accommodation.  We will be telling all our friends about your excellent service.  Also we will certainly be contacting you again for future trips to Bali and Asia.

Thanks again and best wishes for the future.
Regards,

Sandy Jackson

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Teachers Group, October 2011
Report from teachers group following Sulawesi exploration/research trip
Hi Aileen,

Thanks for your email. All back safe and sound. It was Fantastic! All went very well. we all had an unforgettable experience. Incito Prima  were excellent. We had a great guide and driver and enjoyed all that Sulawesi had to offer. Met with Sebastian from Incito and gave him the evaluation forms yesterday.  Accommodation and food all very good, but it was the unplanned things that  made the highlights. For example being last minute guests at a wedding and funeral. Stopping at our request to observe the bird life. (we had 3 really keen bird watchers). There was flexibility (leave earlier), skip some planned things to arrive at final destination earlier, particularly on the longer days. We did have some long days in the bus and a few of the group did have tummy upsets.  2 of the group left passports in safety deposit box at Rantapao and Incito did a great job of retrieving them! All the flights were great and did seat allocation as suggested before we left.  Thanks again for all of your great work Aileen. We will certainly contact you when we are planning our next trip. Please let me know if you would like any photos.

Salam hangat
Dee Crosby

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Sandy Jackson, May 2012

Dear Aileen,

I don't know if you remember me but we booked a wonderful holiday to Bali last year with you.  We have 4 children and you booked such beautiful accommodation in Seminiyak and near Ubud. (The beautiful Puncak Bukit)

We are planning a trip to Singapore/Malaysia...  I don't know if you deal with these countries,  But if you do, we are very interested in sorting out our accommodation and travel plans...  Obviously we only want to spend a few days in Sinagapore as it is very expensive and there isn't really that much to see and do.  We are more interested in going to Malaysia and spending most of our time there.  We are happy to take a bus/train to Malaysia from Singapore if that is the cheapest mode of transport. We don't have any fixed ideas but we like the idea of spending a little bit of time inland and a bit on one of the islands for the beaches.

The children are 14, 13, 11, 8 years old.

It would be great if you were able to help us out as we so enjoyed our trip to Bali last year.  My husband said it was the best holiday ever!!!!!!

Look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Sandy Jackson

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Stephen Bird
India

Hi Aileen,
 
We had a fantastic trip, it all worked like clockwork. The drivers and guides were uniformly excellent.
The highlights for me were the Chambal river cruise and Varanasi for completely different reasons.
 
I’m sure you’ll have a great time, though it will be getting a bit warm by now. However, it will also be Mango season!
 
We noted some flight disruption issues with Kingfisher in the papers but our flight was unaffected.
 
Cheers,
Steve

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Katrina Thompson
Bali

Dear Aileen,

Your email regarding the Villa Experts sparked me into feeling guilty that I had not emailed your earlier!

I have been meaning to email you since our trip to Bali to say a huge thank you for all your help and understanding.  We had such a wonderful time and your help with Greg etc was just so great.

I also thought I would let you know for other families, that the suite rooms at the Melasti - although not fancy were a great size and having them overlook the pool was nice as we could sit on the Balcony and see the children swim.

Thank you again and I hope to be booking another holiday with you someday in the not too distant future!

Kind regards

Katrina Thompson

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Naomi Archer
Bali - Seminyak, Bali Safari Park, Villa Puncak Bukit, Amed
Dear Aileen,

Thank you for the wonderful Bali holiday you planned for us.  It was an absolutely amazing two weeks and we are already talking about returning next year.

It was perfect starting our holiday in Seminyak and we loved Villa Lalu. The staff were extremely friendly and respectful and the grounds and pool were meticulous.  We settled in quite happily and loved returning to our oasis at the end of a busy day exploring the shops.

Our driver, Ketut was a true professional and we looked forward to hearing him talk about his country and his life during our transfers.  It made the experience quite personal and we felt we had gained a new friend.

Our elephant ride at the Safari park will always be memorable as will be the experience of dining with the lions for both dinner and breakfast.  Our youngest daughter fell in love with the orangutans.

We all loved Ubud!  Puncak Bukit was absolutely incredible. We kept asking ourselves is this really happening.  The ever-changing view across the rice fields was one we never tired of.  Ngurah and his family were extremely accommodating and we were treated to several delicious meals while we were there.

Amed exceeded our expectations.  The water was the warmest we have ever swam in and made the snorkelling so enjoyable.  The variety and abundance of fish was amazing and we only wish our fitness allowed us to stay out longer.

Returning to Villa Lalu was like returning home and concluded our holiday perfectly.

A highlight for us was the lack of stress we experienced due to your thorough planning and organisation.  We are extremely appreciative of your knowledge and expertise and have already recommended your services to several friends. We will definitely be planning another holiday next year and look forward to your assistance.

Thank you
Naomi and family

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Dallas & Margaret Finney
The Trip! - Sri Lanka
Hi Aileen,
Sorry I have been slow in getting back to you. We have been working through pre-arranged comittments. Dallas has had his first successful cataract operation.

Our holiday was a great success. We had no hitches or problems. All connections, accommodation, and flights were good. Our chauffeur and guide was an excellent driver on congested, narrow roads. We felt confident with him and enjoyed our conversations about religion, politics and culture.

The Sri Lankans were kind, generous and sensitive. We loved their warm open smiles.

I had a conversation with a small squirrel at breakfast at  Mount Lovinia over a  piece of bacon! Sigiriya Village and Kandy were outstanding experiences. The Buddhist attitude and temperament was everywhere. After visiting the Buddhist  Tooth Temple in Kandy we  returned to out Randholee Hotel and sat on the balcony in the late afternoon and watched the sun go down. Buddhist monks from the valley below were chanting and we felt waves of tranquility and peace ascend from the valley floor and flow over us. I told Dallas "that I thought I could become a Buddhist". His reply was,"I thought you would say something like that". It was very special and we will never forget this experience. Your encouragement and  description was 'spot on'.

We enjoyed the cultural contrasts between Sri Lanka, Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. The food was excellent but different in each place.

Dallas and I are very appreciative and want to say thank you very much for putting together such a great holiday.

Kind regards,

Dallas and Margaret

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Ed Smith, January 2012
Report on Bali Indepth Tour From Ed Smith & his wife
Ed has had many years experience as Tour operator in Australia He was manager of Adventure World for many years..He chose Aileen & John for his “BIG DAY OUT...a Look at the real Bali”
Aileen,
Thank you so much for your recommendations. We had a wonderful & very memorable day.
Ketut & I chatted about the days in the late 70”s when I ran the Treasure Tours office in Sydney for Aart Van Sarloos & he was already working with you & John.
Look forward to chatting on my return and so sorry we didn’t have longer in Bali. The Masseuse asked how long I was staying in Bali & almost fainted when I said “Just for the day”!!!
Warm regards,
Ed

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Fiona Whiting & Family, January 2012
Report on Vietnam trip

Hi Aileen
We are home and had a wonderful time..
Thank you for your organisation it ran like clockwork.. the drivers were so punctual and helpful

The hotels in Hanoi and Hue we would use again, especially in Hue( what a place) -  the Hoi An resort was lovely and the people were a delight but it was a little way out of town and I think we would look for a place where we could walk to town next time but then I did ask for beach time which is exactly what it offers.

I am already planning  the next trip and will contact you to help out !
Are you on Trip Advisor?

Thanks again it was a great experience made better by your organisation and the staff of Trails of Indochina.
Best regards
Fiona

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Chris Moore, 2011
Report on Vietnam
Dear Aileen,

Finally I have a moment to sit and reflect on the travels of 2011.

Firstly Vietnam / "Trails of Indochina "
We would highly recommend 'Trails of Indochina ". They were at all times reliable, efficient, supplied comfortable transport and good drivers. There was always a driver and an interpreter. The interpreter had a good command of  both the English language and the history of Vietnam. Drivers were happy to stop along the way  if requested, along with toilet and food stops.  The young man in Han-oi, who met us at the train station, had slept at the station since 4am , our supposed arrival time. He was there with a smile on his face when the train eventually arrived at 9.30am!!!

H.C.M city:
* Pickup very efficient
* Lan Lan hotel was ok however there was a lot of confusion because it was a one way street and Lan Lan 2 was also in this street. Certainly plenty of street action and proximity to markets and traditional eating places.
*The few days here were plenty.

Mekong Eyes
* All arrangements very good: bus trip to boat and meeting with " Mekong Eyes" crew. Crew, especially tour leader, always mindful of any danger or difficult situations and took good care of all guests.
*Three days a very good amount of time. This allowed for a variety of land and boat experiences.  Some guests joined just for a day and we were pleased that we were not getting on and off along the way.
*Crew/staff/facilities on the boat were excellent. Cabins very comfortable.  Presentation and variety of food wonderful,  although far tooooo much for us, full lunch and dinner!!!  We asked for a fruit platter for the evening meal and once they understood it wasn't because we didn't like their food, were happy to oblige !!!!
* A really wonderful experience. A nice combination of river travelling and exploring on land. There was also some choice regarding cycling trips and walking. Comfortable boat and amazing river life.

Dalat
* Be prepared for a long haul out of the city. It took 3 hours to get out of Saigon, the traffic is chaos !!!   Most people would fly I think ? A good way of travelling though for a first experience.
* The owners of the hotel ," Thien An" were beautiful people, kind, quiet and thoughtful. The breakfast superb. Even though it is described as being out of the neon lights and away from the noise, it is actually opposite a bus parking area so was quite noisy. We had a large room on the 3rd floor right at the front of the hotel. A very good room but very noisy with the windows open. I suspect the city is sprawling rapidly!!! especially in peak season. Still a nice  enough place to stay and very reasonable price.
Certainly during July, which is possibly a low season, the area around and above the market looked more interesting.  We found walking around Dalat very easy.  After 10 hours travelling by car to get to Dalat we were more than happy to be amongst the local people and stay around the town.
The owner of the "Thien An" had a connection with the "Trong Dong" restaurant and they delivered great take-always. We also ate at their restaurant,  breakfast only meal available  at the "Thien An'. Trong Dong owner and food excellent, catered for vegetarian eaters, and patronised by more locals than foreigners. 15 minutes walk from 'Thien An' hotel. Two other friendly places ' Le cafe De la Poste,' part of the Dalat Du Parc, Heritage Boutique Hotel{ since 1932} and  'Tu Anh's restaurant 'Peace Cafe-Bar ' 57 Truong Cong Dinh St. http://tuanhcafe.com. Confusing as there are several 'Peace' cafes. Very entertaining owner and good food, western and Vietnamese, Italian coffee!!
There seemed to be a lot of small friendly restaurants in central Dalat.
The market area was amazing and very easy to access.  The walk  around the lake was interesting and a good way to view day to day life and Vietnamese tourists. The train trip out to Trai Mat village was well worth the experience even though it can be a lot of waiting, all fun.

Mui Ne
An absolutely beautiful place in every way:
* very scenic drive down the mountain to the coast. A continually changing landscape as we travelled down the mountain. Even though it was considered the rainy season we had sunshine every day. The ocean not so inviting, quite brown and disturbed, nevertheless water warm and sandy beach.
* "Sailing Club" now called "Mia Resort" absolutely beautiful. Reception area traditionally decorated, airy and spacious.  Wonderful welcome, mango sorbet and cold face cloths !! Great position on the south of the beach stretch so, especially during July, relatively quiet  and very much a place for rest and relaxation. 10 days here were quite luxurious for us BUT well worth every cent. The attention to detail whether it was the bungalows, garden, reception, laundry, food, was fantastic, even to the farewell chocolates and checkout reminders the day before leaving.  The staff were friendly but considerate of personal space. The breakfast, an amazing variety and choice, was unsurpassed anywhere on the trip through Vietnam,{ and there were many good ones}  served with finesse, beside the pool looking towards the ocean. The local life around the beach was fascinating with the opportunity to see the traditional round basket fishing boats coming to shore each morning with their evening's catch. A photographer's dream. The resort also had push bikes to borrow. The road along the coast was generally flat so it was an interesting way to go a bit further!! Once again we found the local area more than enough to explore and inspire us, as well as lazing around the beach and pool. Spa area also very beautiful with a unique touch, in more ways than one!!
The food was so delicious at the resort we ate there several times even
though it was relatively expensive.   The other restaurant that had
delicious food, was efficient, busy, very friendly staff,  interesting restaurant design,  much more traditional and very popular with Vietnamese/ Chinese, was the "Peaceful Family "restaurant.  It was very close to the resort, only a few minutes walk on the other side of the road.
We can highly recommend this accommodation.

Hoi An
A magical lantern city. If we could choose only one destination in Vietnam it would be Hoi An, especially in low/shoulder season. The accommodation, Vinh Hung Resort, on the peninsular, beside the river was an excellent location. We upgraded to a riverside bungalow rather than poolside. The riverside bungalows were quieter, but more importantly had the benefit of a veranda facing the river with both a nice afternoon breeze and a view to interesting river life. Very good breakfasts catering to all nationalities. Also a fresh fruit platter in the room each day. Some afternoons there  was  free traditional food tasting in the garden and this was a great inclusion and a very good way to really experience their food and it's preparation. The walk to the town centre was a pleasant 10 minutes or a very easy cycle ride. Bicycles available right outside the Resort. Cycling early in the morning was a wonderful way to see the local activity;  markets, commuter boats on the river and just generally the day to day activities of the people. A good time for photos. It was also quite easy to cycle a few kilometres  in any direction out of town without feeling unsafe. It was also an easy 20/ 30 mins bicycle ride to the beach.
A beautifully calm beach with glorious views to mountains and cliffs. Long sandy beach.
Even though the hottest part of the day is the afternoon, it was a good time to walk/ cycle  around the streets because nearly everyone was sleeping. I found it a good time to explore and look at things without having to buy!! Generally everyone was very friendly and Hoi An was certainly a place where it is possible to dream away a couple of weeks without too much effort. Another photographer's dream location.  There was a wide variety of food opportunities from very cheap to quite luxurious.
One very special place we had recommended from the "Vinh Hung 1 Hotel" was "The Secret Garden" restaurant. We would never have found it without directions from the hotel. A place to eat for a special occasion, us anyway. Also advertises traditional music after 7.30. Easy directions from "Vinh Hung" 1 Hotel, just ask. Some of the locals didn't know how to find it!!! Hidden down a small lane.

Hue
We agreed with the decision to over night in Nha Trang, no need to stay any longer,  and then catch the train. Having now done the train trip during the day I would either take a driver or most likely fly to Hue. As the trains are shared sleeper berths  it's very hard to see out the windows from the top bunks. A long journey during the day, not to be able to enjoy the scenery.  Even bottom berths are challenging and our berth companions, although friendly to us, had a continual stream of stay in visitors !!!!
Good choice of accommodation,  interesting to experience the trainees at "Villa Hue". An easy location and very comfortable hotel. Hotel owner/ manager{ VIP anyway} went out of her way to ensure any problems very quickly solved,eg bicycle chain came off my bike quite a way from the hotel !!! this was resolved successfully without fuss and with a smile.
Once again we did a lot of walking, even around the walled citadel, and found the 4 days went quickly. We decided to pay a higher price, $25 to charter our own boat on the river. Only error we made was not walking far enough away from the booking office so the boat owners could get the whole amount. Sometimes easier said than done!!! Anyway the journey on the river was well worth the price and also gave us a lot of bargaining power on where we went and what we saw. We found a lovely cafe with a photographer artist, not far from our hotel , the Mandarin Cafe, 24 Tran Cao Van St.
It had snacks, drinks, meals and was a small traditional  place where you could sit and watch the local and tourist action. Tried a couple of the other vegetarian restaurants mentioned in Lonely Planet however this was much better than those.

Han- Oi
The overnight train from Hue to han-oi was a good idea, and we had very considerate young western backpackers to share with. Travelling at night means you are mostly sleeping anyway. It was a bit confusing at the railway station as to which was our train as there was a lot of delays due to very heavy rain. We eventually arrived in Han-Oi several hours late but our trusty' Trails of Indo China' guide had slept at the station for several hours and was waiting smiling.
the' Boutique Hotel Elegance' was only a short drive from the railway station and the reception from this hotel was amazing. The room we stayed in for the first night was ok but very dark with only a window on the inside of the hotel so since we were there for 5 nights we requested an upgrade to the front of the building. This room had an alfresco area at the front of the room towards the road with closing glass doors. It had a table and chairs with a large stone area with plants. We often ordered room service in the evening and ate out here in candle light.  This was an excellent room  and not that much more expensive. The location of the hotel was excellent and the management and staff absolutely wonderful. The included breakfast was once again delightful with a large variety of western and Vietnamese food, both hot and cold. The breakfast room was a lovely place at the back of the hotel on the first floor. The staff efficient and friendly.
There were lots of interesting walks around the city and once we got used to the road crossing code we has a great time exploring all the areas in the walking vicinity. A very busy and fascinating city. It didn't matter if you got lost, just part of the adventure. The lake was an easy area to establish location. The Vietnamese people were happy and friendly. A safe and enjoyable city. The 5 days here were excellent. Glad we stayed here and didn't try to Halong Bay this trip.

Brian has made a DVD for you so I will send that as well. I hope this is not tooooooooo much information for you and is helpful in some way.

As always, best regards. I will do each trip separately. Bali next.

Chris Moore

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Jules

Hi Aileen

All visa done and we are ready to go. Can't wait for some R&R.

Thanks again for making the everything so easy. You offer the best service

Jules

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Brian

Hi Aileen,
 
Great to hear from you and thank you for your good wishes.
 
What can I say? Vietnam was fantastic! I can praise “Tours of Indochina” highly enough! Everything went like clockwork and your accommodation recommendations were spot on.
 
One of the best experiences of my life.
 
My warmest regards Aileen,
 
Brian

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Faye Chalmers

Hello Aileen and John
 
Happy New Year!
 
I have referred Denise and Neil Armstrong to you – they are looking for a trip to Vietnam. I said you would find a balanced vacation for them -one is intrepid the other a resort type!
 
I referred the Valentines to you and they are so happy with all you have done for them – I should have gone to India with them, but we were just back from Europe and you can’t do everything.
 
Keep up your excellent service
 
Best Regards
 
Faye Chalmers

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Jayne Gaymer, March 2012
Jeeva Klui Lombok
Hi Aileen
Just letting you know that we have arrived home safely from our lovely stay at Jeeva Klui! Thanks so much for organising such a great holiday for us, we had a wonderful time!! The resort was just beautiful, very relaxing.
Thanks again
Im sure you will be hearing from me again to book our next holiday!!!
Cheers
Jayne

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Julie Moore - Bali January 2013
Puri Raja

Hi Aileen,
Would just like to thank you so much for your advise and booking our trip everything was just perfect. The boys had suits made up from the tailor u recommended and they were great and the price guide line was very helpful best family holiday we have had so thank you again

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Daphne Sider - Ubud & Jogyakarta
Ipah & Phoenix

Hi Aileen, we want to thank you so much for booking us the best hotels in Ubud and in Jogjakarta. Both the Ipah and the Pheonix were great. wow, how about the gin slings at Pheonix. Also the transfers were seamless, you did a wonderful job and it made our holiday all that much better!

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Nancy Outtram - Bali - October 2012
Seminyak & Sanur

Dear Aileen
Wow !! Thank you for the holiday it was fantastic. Absolutely loved The Breezes hotel in Seminyak. We had room 101 and our own private front courtyard and just a walk to the pool. Loved the shops there, especially “Animalie’ clothing. The Villa we went to was great and meeting Ann and David. 
Also as Bruce and I had never been to Sanur that was also lovely. Huge pool.
Back to school next week but we had a great time.
Thanks again
Nancy

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