Review: Thailand, Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh City, Bai Tu Long Bay, Bangkok

My husband and I decided on a custom trip to Indochina to celebrate our 32nd anniversary. As an avid traveler I always prefer to do my own planning, but dealing with the logistics of covering 4 countries in 24 days where there are 3 alphabets I was unable to read did not sound overly appealing. I compared 4 travel agencies in both the U.S. and Asia. Having utilized Zicasso once before, I selected one of their recommendations as the best fit. Our travel specialist, who is the founder and co-owner of his company, was a newcomer to Zicasso. He was professional, thorough, and accommodating in designing our customized journey. From our initial phone conversation to the extensive emails I sent, our trip evolved over 6 months of planning. Throughout the process, our agent responded promptly to countless questions and truly listened to my input and needs.

We requested a fairly fast-paced trip with some downtime at the end to relax. We wanted to have a variety of hands-on activities and authentic cultural experiences with an opportunity to get off the beaten path and away from crowds of tourists. Although I had done extensive research on my own, our agent offered many additional suggestions tailor made to enhance our travel. He was open to and appreciative of honest feedback (even during the trip), always striving to provide the best possible travel experience. Our vacation took us to Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Tre (along the Mekong), Hoi An, Ninh Binh, Hanoi, and Bai Tu Long Bay. The trip included 6 internal flights, a 2-night cruise, 4-5 star hotels, 3 food tours, 2 shows, expedited visa service, private guides and drivers, and all entrance fees and activities. Food, when included, was abundant and delicious. All hotels were excellent and beautifully appointed.

There were a few glitches during our journey. Since I had worked as a tour guide myself, having enthusiastic and engaging guides was a top priority for me. We had fabulous guides in Luang Prabang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi- guides whose knowledge, passion, and personalities made their culture come to life. Several others, however, did not measure up, and this was a huge disappointment. Since the company is based in Vietnam, I wondered how much control they had over guides selected in other countries. Another problem we encountered is that, after a flight delay, there was no official to meet us at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City for expedited visa service. We contacted our travel specialist in Hanoi who tried his best to help us, but we still spent over 2 hours getting through the process. As an apology, he upgraded our hotel room in Hanoi for 3 nights and treated us to a luxurious dinner. Sometimes there are unforeseen hiccups while traveling and we were most grateful for this kind gesture.