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Lilian Nguyen

Born and raised in Hanoi, I grew up immersed in a city where history lives in its quiet alleyways, vibrant street life, and deeply rooted culinary traditions. From a young age, I found myself wandering beyond the main streets - exploring hidden corners, savoring local flavors, and discovering stories woven into everyday life. These early experiences shaped my passion for travel and my desire to share the soul of my hometown, and Vietnam as a whole, with travelers seeking meaningful cultural connections. As I grew into my role as a travel expert, my curiosity naturally expanded beyond Vietnam to other destinations across Southeast Asia - especially Thailand, which continues to captivate me with its vibrant cuisine, warm hospitality, rich traditions, and breathtaking natural landscapes. Today, I design journeys that go beyond sightseeing, thoughtfully crafted to help travelers truly feel, taste, and connect with each destination.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I specialize in travel across Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, with particular expertise in Vietnam and Thailand. With deep, first-hand knowledge of both countries, I design journeys that are fully tailored to each traveler’s interests, pace, and travel style. Whether you’re seeking cultural immersion, culinary discovery, relaxation, adventure, or a special celebration, my precise and highly personalized approach ensures every element is thoughtfully curated - so each trip feels seamless, personal, and truly memorable."

How did you get involved in travel?

"Alongside my love for travel, I’ve always been deeply interested in languages and cultural exchange, which led me to explore the linguistic field early on. I believed that mastering foreign languages would open doors to meaningful global connections. However, while I explored linguistics academically, I ultimately chose tourism as my professional path - where my passion and purpose aligned most naturally. Throughout my tourism studies and work as a travel consultant, the most rewarding moments have been hearing heartfelt feedback from travelers and knowing they felt genuinely happy and deeply connected to the journeys I curated. Knowing that these trips are often once-in-a-lifetime experiences drives me to continually refine my expertise, deepen my destination knowledge, and deliver travel experiences that are both seamless and truly meaningful."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"I have a deep passion for solo travel - it has taught me how small we are in the vastness of the world, and how endlessly rich and rewarding it is to explore it with curiosity and openness. One journey I will never forget was sailing in a small basket boat off the coast of Ly Son Island, on Vietnam’s South Central Coast. Surrounded by turquoise waters, salty sea air, and schools of fish swimming beneath the boat, I felt completely present in the moment. What made the experience truly special was the warmth of the local people, who welcomed me with the freshest seafood they had just caught themselves. It was a powerful reminder of how breathtaking my home country is, and how meaningful it feels to discover places where nature and daily life remain beautifully untouched."

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Recent trip reviews for Lilian

Great trip to Bangkok and Koh Samui!
Thailand | Jul 29 - Aug 6, 2026

Kerry
Kerry H.
New York, NY, USA | Reviewed on Sep 26, 2026
We had an amazing time in Thailand thanks to Lilian and Nana!
From the planning to the execution, all parts of this trip were fabulous. We wanted to travel once in our lives where we just showed up to the airport and someone had a sign with our names on it and just whisked us away and did all of the work for us. This was it! And... I'm never going back to organizing and planning trips myself. Planning a trip for a family of 4 with young adults/older teenagers can be tough. But, all I had to...
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We had an amazing time in Thailand thanks to Lilian and Nana!
From the planning to the execution, all parts of this trip were fabulous. We wanted to travel once in our lives where we just showed up to the airport and someone had a sign with our names on it and just whisked us away and did all of the work for us. This was it! And... I'm never going back to organizing and planning trips myself. Planning a trip for a family of 4 with young adults/older teenagers can be tough. But, all I had to do was communicate our likes and pacing style and Lilian planned it all! It was the perfect amount of sight seeing, adventure, and relaxation. Her hotel picks were fabulous were perfectly located central to the hustle and bustle with easy access by foot or train to anything we would want to see. I especially enjoyed Buri Rasa Village in Koh Samui. It’s a perfect size with not too many guests and just the right amount of gorgeous nature. If I ever come back to Koh Samui I would love to stay here again. And the NYSA hotel in Bangkok was awesome too. Their breakfast buffet was fantastic and had so many food options. I’m also very glad that I upgraded to the two bedroom suite because it was a splurge my family had never done before and that extra space and second bathroom provided such a luxurious feel that it was worth the extra money just for the memories of such an extravagant space. I highly recommend that room type for families of 4 with older children/teenagers.
Upon arrival in Bangkok our guide Nana and her driver took amazing care of us. Nana is very upbeat, high energy, and full of knowledge. We enjoyed her narrations along the drive to each activity as well as her excellent advice on things we could do and places we could eat after our day with her ended. She was able to effectively rearrange our scheduled itinerary due to some closures because of the King's birthday and we truly appreciated that flexibility. She really seemed in tune with what our likes were and adapted to our quite subdued nature with just the right amount of push to get us out of our comfort zone. We especially enjoyed her advice for the markets and suggestions for foods to try.
Thank you for making this the most amazing and easy vacation we have ever had. I truly enjoyed just waking up and having the day planned out and all of the transportation arranged.
Now that I have seen how the other half lives, I think all of our future vacations will need to be splurges like this! It’s an awesome way to travel.

Activity Reviews
Symbolic temples & Klong tour
Symbolic temples & Klong tour
Bangkok

It was a hot and steamy day but the temples were worth it! So extravagant and ornate. It is a feast for the eyes indeed!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Samui Elephant Sanctuary (Joining morning visit)
Samui Elephant Sanctuary (Joining morning visit)
Ko Samui

This is a lovely elephant sanctuary where you mostly keep your distance and just observe. You are able to prepare food for the elephants, feed them and pet their trunk, but you mostly get to watch them in their natural state. There is no prodding or coaching of the elephants, and you do not bathe them or get in their way.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Premium Angthong Marine Park by VIP joining speedboat (Mon/Wed/Sat)
Premium Angthong Marine Park by VIP joining speedboat (Mon/Wed/Sat)
Ko Samui

This was a really fun day. The weather was perfect, the water was warm, and the captain and his crew were accommodating and safe. The walk up the stairs is memorable indeed! And so worth it for that view.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Railway Market & Floating Market
Railway Market & Floating Market
Bangkok

This is an absolute MUST DO activity. The drive there allowed us to see more of Thailand than just Bangkok and Nana's commentary along the way filled the drive with so much knowledge and information about Thai history and culture. The railway market is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the canals take you through so many different styles of homes and shops along the water. We could have spent all day wandering through the markets... and I don't even like to shop or bargain! It is that great.

Quality of Experience
The sites, the smells, the people! There is so much to see and enjoy at the markets.
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
From The Oldest To The Coolest
From The Oldest To The Coolest
Bangkok

Awesome locale with new and fun artwork and hipster-ish sites. Enjoyed the hidden chocolate shop and all the Instagram worthy pics.

Quality of Experience
I wasn't sure about this part of our itinerary, but I am really glad that Lilian suggested it. We had a great time seeing this part of the city and really enjoyed the sites and walking around neighborhoods.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Nana really knows her way around and was able to show us some really interesting sites. Her lunch restaurant choice was phenomenal.
Transport
The driver was always there to pick us up and drop us off right on time.
Island Organics Thai cooking Class Koh Samui (Joining Class)
Island Organics Thai cooking Class Koh Samui (Joining Class)
Thailand

Phenomenal! Chef Lat is full of energy and so fun to cook with. Her assistants help to pace the cooking, and you always feel like you have someone helping you. The food we made was delicious, and the tour of the organic garden was awesome!

Quality of Experience
Awesome experience. Knowledgeable chef, patient staff, and very fun and informative.
Food
Delicious!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Courteous and helpful.
Transport
on time and safe,
Local specialist: Lilian Nguyen
Lilian
Lilian Nguyen
Local specialist in Vietnam | Replied on Oct 01, 2026

Hi Kerry,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a thoughtful and detailed review! It truly means a lot to me❤️ I’m so happy to hear that you and your family had such a wonderful and relaxing time in Thailand, and that the itinerary, hotels, and experiences were a great fit for you.

It was an absolute pleasure helping plan your trip, and I’m especially glad that Nana took such good care of your family along the way. Wishing you many more wonderful travels together, and I hope we’ll have the chance to plan another adventure for you someday 😊

Warmly,
Lilian

Lillian was amazing with helping to plan a fa...
Thailand | May 10 - May 24, 2026

D
David F.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on May 26, 2026

Lillian was amazing with helping to plan a family trip to Thailand and Vietnam. She was patient and very attentive to every detail in the planning process and the trip was amazing. I highly recommend her!

Local specialist: Lilian Nguyen
Lilian
Lilian Nguyen
Local specialist in Vietnam | Replied on May 30, 2026

Thank you so much for your kind words David 💗

It was truly a pleasure helping you and your family plan your journey through Thailand and Vietnam. I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed the trip and that all the planning came together to create such a memorable experience.

Thank you as well for your patience and trust throughout the process. Working with wonderful travelers like you is what makes my job so rewarding.

I sincerely appreciate your recommendation and hope to have the opportunity to help you plan another adventure in Southeast Asia in the future!

Warmest regards,
Lilian