Review: Solo Southeast Asia Tour, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Bangkok, Siem Reap, Chiang Mai, Hoi An, Hanoi, Patara Elephant Farm

The trip was a dream.  It honestly ranks up there with my top 2 or 3 most cherished travel experiences.  For my energy level and interests, the itinerary and selection of excursions were really perfect.  I loved the beautiful, historic grittiness of Hanoi, the contrasting low key charm of Hoi An, the unexpected excitement of Siem Reap, the northern culture and fascinating temples of Chiang Mai, the beachy feel of Phuket and the metropolitan cultural intensity of Bangkok.  Hanoi, Chiang Mai and Siem Reap were my favorite cities.  The food everywhere was delicious and cheap.  The hotel breakfasts were consistently sumptuous.  Most of the guides were exceptional.  Particularly outstanding were my guide in Siem Reap and the guide in Bangkok (not sure how to spell her name, but she was a class act!)!  

My impression of the hotels ranged from really nice, centrally located with well appointed rooms to all-around extraordinary!!  

I was beyond impressed with my agent.  She was super responsive and accommodating.  I had a flight issue in Bangkok and sent out a mass e-mail due to concerns about missing a highly anticipated excursion.  My agent was among the first to reply even though she was in a drastically different time zone!  I am her big fan!  The sister company in SE Asia was fairly good.  First of all, I was not aware that they would be so involved, but this was a welcome surprise.  I was greeted with updated dossiers in each city, friendly drivers, a bottle of water and a phone call from a local rep to check in on my satisfaction.  The guides were a little variable, but overall, were quite good.  Particularly outstanding were the guide in Siem Reap and the guide in Bangkok!