Vietnam and Angkor temples

Hi Dinh,

Sorry it's taken a bit long to get back to you, but having to catch up with work, etc, has taken all our time and energy!
First things first - a big thank-you to you and your team for a fantastic holiday. Everything - and I do mean everything - that we wanted was there, and we both felt that it was great to have a private tour that, although was run to a schedule, gave the flexibility that allowed us to spend more time at places we found really interesting. It was a really special way to celebrate our 25th anniversary, and we can't wait to come back (maybe 2017?).

Please give a big thank-you to all of the guides and drivers - they made a huge difference to the trip, being very friendly and knowledgable. Talking with other groups and couple we met, it was very obvious that the people we had with us were amongst the best around.

It's been very strange when people back at home have asked us what we enjoyed the most, and we haven't been able to answer them. We really can't pull out a highlight as each area and place we visited was so special.
When we met in Hanoi, you said to list out anything that could have made the whole experience better. That's been tricky, but if we are really tough then a couple of things, mainly out of your control:

Officials at airports are quite intimidating. Immigration officers anywhere in the world are never friendly (that's not their job) but they did spend a long time staring at passports, which begins to make you wonder what's going to happen.Quality of cars was very good - however it would have been nice to have kept with the same size of car (we started with a Toyota Fortuner in HCMC, and then a Toyota MPV for the remainder of the trip) as it adds an element of consistency. Not an issue for us (as we said, all the cars and drivers were great) but the consistency would be good.Some pre-trip info - simple things things like currency exchange rates, sample prices, key phrases (hello, thank you , good bye) would be useful. The guides filled this in very well, but I always like to know how to say hello, please, and thank you wherever I go.Air conditioning at Sunshine Resort. We had to call an engineer because we thought it wasn't working. However, we worked out that we had to leave the curtain pulled shut and leave one of the room keys in the slot by the door to ensure that the aircon ran through the day which then meant it was nice and cool for sleeping in the evening.

What was really good:

The whole experience of pulling the itinerary together. Everyone we dealt with was really friendly and knowledgable, and we both felt that we were listened to and that we ended up with the trip that we wanted.Guides - can't say any more than what a fantastic bunch they were. They were very aware of us, whether we were getting tired, hot, thirsty, etc, and gave us plenty of options that we felt we were always in control.Drivers - again, great guys. Felt very safe, and the cold drinks, help with luggage, etc.Hotels - all were excellent (except for the one minor comment above). Check-in / out was very simple and straightforward - and the guides always helped with this so everything was very simple and straightforward.Ha Long Bay Cruise - excellent. Only downside was only one night on board (we know for next time!).Friday night in Hanoi - beer, fried food, pho ga, night market.....

Both Ali and I cannot think of a better holiday, and wholeheartedly give a heartfelt recommendation for Jewel Tours - we told everybody we met on holiday, in Abu Dhabi, and here how fantastic all the arrangements had been and what a great time we were having. Please feel free to use any comments on your website and literature - and if there is anything we can do in the UK please let us know. I'm also going to write a wrap-up on the blog, so I'll give you guys a good write-up on there (and please feel free to direct persons there as well).

One thing we did notice was the large number of australian tourists we met - have you made any contacts in that market yet?

Finally, it was really great to meet you in Hanoi and share a few beers. Let us know when you're planning to be here for WTM 2016 and we'll give you a few ideas for places to stay in Brighton as well as giving you a tour around the area as well.

Many, many thanks - and look forward to seeing you again,

Andy & Ali