Southeast Asia Vacation Review: Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Chiang Rai, Phnom Penh, Yangon, Bagan, Siem Reap, Angkor Wat

We requested proposals from 7 different providers.  After evaluating each proposal on cost and quality we selected this travel agency.  Their price was in the middle of the price range.  However we judged their value to be the best considering the creativity and quality of the activities proposed as well as the included hotels and amenities.

Our request for proposal included our age, mobility situation. desired trip length and countries to be visited.  We visited Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.  We provided our international flights to Phnom Penh and home from Yangon.  Our travel agency provided flights internal to SE Asia.  We were met promptly at each airport by a driver if we were just going to our hotel or driver and guide if sightseeing or activities were involved.  The guides handled all of our arrangements and everything went like clock-work.  They got the tickets, got us in the right lines or to the right door so that all we had to do was enjoy ourselves. Despite all the activities and sightseeing we still had time to enjoy our hotels and rest.

The activities were first-class:  acrobatic circus in Siem Reap, dinner and Thai dance show in Bangkok, floating market in Kanchanaburi, ride on the death train on the River Kwai, boat tour on the golden triangle river,  cooking class and dinner with a local family near Chiang Mai, two night luxury riverboat cruise from Mandalay to Bagan, sunrise balloon ride over Bagan, longtail boat tour around villages on Inle Lake and high tea at the old colonial hotel in Yangon.  All of these activities were wonderful and we will never forget them.

The hotels were all luxurious and had local flavor.  All of the rooms were spacious and the service excellent.  We spent the night in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mandalay, Bagan and Yangon.  We have had several river boat trips but our river boat trip from Mandalay to Bagan surpassed it with more spacious cabins and baths, better public spaces and better service.

Our travel agent worked with us back and forth promptly as we fine tuned our itinerary.  He made recommendations on tipping, currency and local customs such that the entire trip went smoothly and thus maximized our enjoyment of these wonderful countries.  I cannot recommend this agent and his company high enough to reflect our satisfaction with the trip he arranged.