FIVE STARS!My travel companion, Suzanne Mic...

Vietnam | Oct 23 - Nov 12, 2023

FIVE STARS!

My travel companion, Suzanne Michael, and I cannot say enough good things about our experience working with Hien at Realistic Asia. First, Hien and her staff were always immediately responsive (even on weekends despite the 10-12 hours time difference) and helpful as we planned the 20-day trip from Seattle, WA to Vietnam and Laos.

Suzanne worked on most of the planning with Hien. Suzanne had received several suggestions from friends who had travelled in Vietnam and Laos. Hien and her team carefully created an itinerary that included Suzanne's suggested sites and areas to visit. Hien also provided very useful suggestions for visiting other areas, taking into account seasonal weather, the physical requirements (e.g., walking up trails in Sapa), and the logistics of visiting a myriad of places. The trip required knowledgeable trip planners who were familiar with the type of transportation required between sites, length of travel days, and realistically, given our ages (70's), how to visit as many of the sites as possible within our 20-days trip schedule.

Hien arranged all the hotel accommodations, guides, and drivers; and made complex, important logistical suggestions involving domestic/international airlines and long-distance drivers. During our travels – all the logistical arrangements she made worked seamlessly.

The accommodations Hien and her team booked for us in Hanoi, Hue, and Luang Prabang were wonderful. The staff in each hotel were warm, welcoming, and very helpful. Hotels were very well-maintained and perfectly located for the site visits we planned. The guides were excellent - extremely knowledgeable of the historical and geographical sites we visited, and very proud of their culture and history. They shared so much with us, we loved their enthusiasm and learned much from them.

When Suzanne became ill with severe gastroenteritis, dehydration, and nausea, Hien immediately found us alternate accommodations (to supplement our reserved stays at original hotels in Luang Prabang, and Hanoi), and assisted with the flight from Laos to Vietnam. She also arranged a guide and driver to assist us in Hanoi upon arrival from Laos.

Hien was always in touch with us as we endured our difficult illness situation - she made sure that we were accommodated as comfortably as possible. She also ensured that we had a guide and driver to the Hanoi airport on our home journey. The guide was very efficient. Because Suzanne was very weak, the guide made sure that we got through the Hanoi airport check-in as efficiently as possible and arranged for a wheelchair to get her to the boarding gate and to have a wheelchair at subsequent airports in Hanoi, Taipei and Seattle airports.

Since returning to the USA, Hien has maintained contact to check on Suzanne's health, and to work closely with us to provide the myriad documentation required by our travel insurance companies to get reimbursement.

Suzanne and I are deeply grateful to Hien and her team for their knowledge and skill in creating our itinerary, and for their support and follow-up during this very difficult period of illness. We highly recommend her, Realistic Asia and Kim Kim to others interested in traveling to SE Asia, and give Hien, Realistic and Kim Kim five stars.

Best regards, Barb Crook

Suzanne · Nov 17
Barb says it all - Hien was just terrific in planning our trip and in helping us when I fell ill. She and her staff are outstanding travel agents, and extremely thoughtful in working with her clients. I enthusiastically recommend her services and her agency. Hien, many many thanks for all you have done for us. I will always be deeply grateful. Warm wishes, Suzanne