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Testimonials
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Hi Hai,
We're back home and are still remembering what a good time we had in
Vietnam. I just wanted to let you know how happy we were with the entire trip.
It was fantastic. I went on Frommers.com and posted my trip, I wanted to give
your company a good recommendation so others will use your services. I hope to
come back to Vietnam some day and see other places that we didn't have time for
on this trip.
Thanks again.
Elizabeth Davis
edavis1121@bellsouth.net
Visited Vietnam in Dec 2007 from
America
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Dear Jody,
Thanx SOOOOO Much for taking care of us, we all had a wonderful stay in Vietnam
- thank you for the help
in changing details last minute, my parents were very Happy. I have to say the
Terracotta resort is Just Fabulous great place to stay and highly
recommend, excellent staff great location and beautiful bungalows
down near the beach!!! Very Very Impressed.
Thanx so much again, Merry Christmas to you and all the staff there.
Kind Regards.
Ryan Mantell - Hong Kong
ryman75@yahoo.com
Visited Vietnam in Dec 2007 from
Hong Kong
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Dear Mr. Pham Tuyen
On behalf of Victoria Faust, Giles and Leslie Hogya, I would like to thank you
and your staff for the extraordinary tour of Vietnam that you put together for
us. We have absolutely no complaints. The one problem which occurred was solved
quickly due to your diligence and hard work.
I would also like to commend our guides as they were extremely detailed in
taking care of our needs. They went out of their way to explain and show us
examples of life in Vietnam in the various regions. They and the drivers were
always on time, and throughout they were flexible with daily changes in our
excursions. Everywhere we journeyed, everyone was friendly and obviously very
proud of your grand country. I had read many tour books before coming, but I
must admit that everything was much more wonderful than described by anyone in
the books. Words fail whenever we try to tell friends how wonderful our travels
were.
All guides took extreme care of our dietary requirements and made sure that the
restaurants they took us to were clean and very hygienic. All in all, the
restaurants choices were excellent and we enjoyed the food very much.
With regards to the individual guides, we especially liked Diem (In Hanoi) for
his professionalism and sense of humor. He understood our limitations physically
and was careful not to overtax us while trekking in Sapa. He was also very
patient with our slowness in getting organized in the mornings.
Mr. Chong in Hue and Hoi An was extremely knowledge and conveyed his enjoyment
of the historical sites that we visited. Also he and the driver immediately
returned to the hotel as Leslie had left something behind and brought it to the
airport before our flight.
In Nha Trang, our guide provided us with the needed information and knew when we
wanted to be left alone -- at that point in the trip, we all needed a rest from
the traveling and visiting places.
Tam in Saigon was a delight and extremely knowledgeable. He was more fluent than
the other guides and always had an answer to our many questions. He was very
relaxed and comfortable with us.
And all the drivers were excellent and careful operators. The cars were
fantastic, clean and well maintained.
All the hotels were incredible! and the staff at each hotel was very efficient
and friendly. Although the Duxton in Saigon initially seemed to be cold and too
corporate for our taste, we enjoyed our stay there. We did feel that the
breakfast there was not as good as at the other hotels.
I will recommend your agency to anyone interested in visiting Vietnam and feel
free to give my email address to anyone wanting a referral.
I plan on coming back to Vietnam in the next two years and will definitely use
your agency again.
Again, we all thank you very much for our fantastic tour of your beautiful and
great country.
Regards,
Patrick O'Rourke
Visited Vietnam in Dec 2007 from Canada
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Dear Mr Pham Tuyen,
I have just come back from my holidays in Asia. The reason of this mail is to
point out the VERY GOOD JOB, that you, your company, and your agents in Cambodia
and Laos have done. ALL WAS PERFECT.
The appointed guides in each city, were waiting for us in all the airports or
ports. Of course the car and driver were also there. We have never need to wait
for them in the different planned visits. They always were in our hotels 10
minutes before the scheduled time. They accomplished 100 % of the scheduled
visits, and also accepted some small additional requirements from our side.
No problems at all with the hotels. All the reservations were in order. Very
good services in all of them.
So, thank you very much, and hope you continue working in the same way !!!
Best regards.
Jorge Martin
silviazm2410@yahoo.com.ar
Visited Vietnam in Nov 2007 from Argentine
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Dear Mr. Pham Tuyen,
Thank-you so much for all you’re planning and preparing of our Vietnam trip. We
are back in New Zealand and had a wonderful experience in your country.
Everything went smoothly and exceeded our expectations.
Impartial the Metropole Sai Gon hotel was beautiful and the staff there were
very helpful. We very much enjoyed our guide at Cu Chi tunnels. He went beyond
just a tour guide and made it a true realization of where we were.
I will be sure to pass on your details of anyone I know that is planning a trip
to Vietnam in the future.
Thank you again,
Kindest regards
Julia Garcia & Robert O’Connor
Julia.Garcia@bayleys.co.nz
Visited Vietnam in Nov 2007 from New Zealand
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Dear Miss Hai
We are now back home in the UK following our recent visit to Vietnam.
We want to thank you for all your assistance in organising our tour, especially
for your very prompt responses to our enquiries. What we particularly
appreciated was the fact you only offered us available hotel options, unlike
other companies we also contacted. You also seemed to assess our needs very well
and pitched offers at an appropriate level. It was also very helpful to be able
to speak with you directly using your Skype number, especially as you have such
a good command of English.
 We were met on time at airport and taken to the Duxton Hotel in HCM City which
we found very comfortable.
On Saturday we went to the Mekong Delta on a two day trip, which we really
enjoyed. The driver and guide arrived early and were waiting for us in the hotel
reception. We had an excellent two days and Tom, our guide, was very
knowledgeable about the Delta and Vietnam in general, which was very
interesting. The driver (Mr Huan) was also first class. Lunches on both days
were very good and the hotel in Can Tho was good.
The drivers to take us to Mui Ne and collect us were both on time and the
vehicles used were both very good and comfortable. They were also excellent
drivers, so we felt very safe (unlike our previous time in Vietnam!).
 The hotel in Mui Ne was very good value for money, clean and very comfortable.
The position on the beach was excellent. It had really nice grounds that were
well maintained and we had a bungalow literally fifteen metres from both the
pool and beach. The beach area was also regularly cleaned by hotel staff. The
security was also excellent with guards constantly patrolling the beach area and
grounds, necessary when you are based on the beach. The hotel’s staff were very
helpful, although there was a limited English language capability.
There are also numerous shops and restaurants very near the hotel where prices
are good and there is a much better command of English.
Thank you very much for all your help – we would definitely recommend Aurora
Travel/Vietnam Stay.com to friends visiting Vietnam.
With very best wishes
Hilary and Ian Reed
ian.reed60@ntlworld.com
Visited Vietnam in Nov 2007 from England
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Dear Mr Anh Son,
Just a quick email to say thank you to you and your company for booking our
recent holiday in Vietnam.
It was our first time booking multiple hotels/transfers & flights via the
internet.
Everything went smoothly and we were very pleased with your service.
We would certainly use your service again and have happily recommended it to
others
Thanks,
Julie Friend
julie.stachzner@unitedgroupltd.com
Visited Vietnam in Oct 2007 from
America
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Dear Hai,
Just writing to say a big thank you for the great way you organised our recent
trip. All of the arrangements worked out really well, and your help in getting
all of the travel tickets and accommodation was very much
appreciated.
We had a wonderful time, and enjoyed Vietnam immensely, especially the friendly
people. Hanoi was a more enjoyable city than Ho Chi Minh, as you said, and Hoi
An was very relaxing and quiet, with great shopping and delicious food.
Our favourite was the overnight boat trip on the Ginger on Halong Bay. It is a
beautiful place, and the boat was very peaceful after being in the cities.
Once again, thank you for all your assistance, and we'll definitely contact you
again and refer your company to all our friends who are interested in travelling
to your country.
Kind regards,
Peter and June Shaw
peteshaw75@hotmail.com
Visited Vietnam in Sep 2007 from Australia
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Dear Ms. Ton,
I am sorry it has taken me so long to email you but on behalf of our group I
want to thank you for organising all our travel arrangements in August (14-21).
Our accommodation at the Rex Hotel was very pleasant and comfortable. We really
enjoyed our trip to the Mekong Delta and Victor was an excellent guide. I shall
certainly recommend Aurora Travel to friends that may be visiting Vietnam.
Thank you again.
Kind regards
Karen
fourbows@aapt.net.au
Visited Vietnam in Aug 2007 from Australia
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Dear Pham Tuyen,
Some days ago we came back to Spain again. We are very happy with our trip in
Vietnam and Cambodia. All the trip have been perfect, the organization has been
very good.
We are very happy with the hotels, the food, etc. Specially, we would like to
congratulate to the guides. All they are very kind and friendly, and they have a
good knowledge about the country, the history, etc.
You don't doubt if some friends of our would like to visit Vietnam we'll
recommend them your agency.
Thank you very much for all to you and all the team.
Regards
Victoria Andrade Querido Pham Tuyen,
Hace un par de días que hemos regresado a España. Nuestro viaje a Vietnam y
Cambodia ha sido muy satisfactoria. La organizacion ha estado muy bien y ha
resultado todo perfecto.
Nos han gustado mucho los hoteles, la comida, etc..En especial, me gustaría
felicitar a los guías, todos ellos han sido muy amables y simpaticos, y han
demostrado tener mucho buen conocimiento del país, su historia… ect., lo que nos
ha permitido, además de pasarlo bien, adquirir muchos conocimientos.
No dudes que si alguno de nuestros amigos piensa visitar Vietnam les
reomendaremos vuestra agencia.
Muchas gracias por todo a ti y a todo el equipo de Aurora Travel.
Saludos,
Victoria Andrade
vandrade@renfe.es
Visited Vietnam in Aug 2007 from Spain
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Dear Mr Anh Son,
This email is to say thank you for the wonderful service you provided and all
you did to ensure our time in Vietnam was unforgettable.
Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Vietnam this morning and we are now in
Singapore, however the time we spent in your country was absolutely wonderful.
All our accommodation bookings were perfect and we thank you for all the effort
you put into ensuring this. The complimentary dinner in Hoi An was very much
appreciated and we certainly got a big surprise and enjoyed it very much. The
tour to the Mekong Delta was fabulous and we really enjoyed getting to see how
the Vietnamese live in the region and the trading on the market.
Thank you again for your wonderful service, we will certainly recommend you to
all our friends and family.
With kindest regards
Georgina and Craig Slattery
gjslattery@yahoo.com.au
Visited Vietnam in Aug 2007 from Australia
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Dear Van,
Well how quickly the time has passed since our wonderful trip to Vietnam and it
has been remiss of me not to write to thank you sooner. The whole trip was so
well organised and everything went according to plan, even my granddaughter
waited to be born until after we had returned home.
As you know, we flew Jetstar and were pleasantly surprised that some of the crew
had also chosen the Windsor Plaza as their accommodation in Ho Chi Minh. The
hotel is excellent and it is well worth getting an executive room for the
laundry and "happy three hours". The buffet was also very good and taxi rides to
city very cheap. (We didn't use the free shuttle) The shops downstairs were also
good. We were all so impressed by our guide Ta Cong Vinh. He really made our
experience in Saigon so special as his knowledge and help when two of us
suffered from the heat on the first day was more than we could have expected. We
enjoyed all the tours but I would urge fellow Australians who are of our vintage
(50s-60s) to visit the Long Tan Memorial. None of us were Veterans but we all
found it a very moving experience and our local guide Hung contributed to that.
Nha Trang was a pleasant break after the hustle and bustle of Saigon. Our guide
was Liem and he was very amused by our attempts at speaking Vietnamese.
Unfortunately we were not able to visit Mun Island as we were told the sea was
too rough but we had a speed boat ride and massages etc on an island and then
visited the fishing village where we had a lobster lunch.
We were disappointed we could not snorkel but had a nice day anyway. Dianne had
her birthday at the Ana Mandara and we celebrated with champagne and a beautiful
cake...thank you.
Hoi An was our favourite place and the Life Resort was also excellent. Hoang Anh
Lieu was our guide and again we were very happy and he looked after us well.
Some of us found the midday heat very oppressive for walking but we enjoyed our
tours. I celebrated my birthday at the cooking school which was great...thank
you for the beautiful flowers. We had some shoes and clothes made and will
definitely return.
Nguyen Tam was our guide in Hanoi and again we were spoilt. He accompanied us to
Halong Bay and what a wonderful time we had on the junk. We were surprised by
the quality and quantity of food and that our cabins had air conditioning. One
of our party did not eat seafood but she was well catered for as well. Our time
in Hanoi was limited but hopefully next time we will spend more time there. The
Melia was very nice.
It was very helpful when the guides assisted us at check in both at the airport
and at the hotels. All in all I cannot speak too highly of the whole trip and
have already recommended your company to friends wishing to travel to Vietnam. I
am keen now to return but also to see Cambodia and Laos. I will contact you
again when we decide to return. Thank you again so much for your organisation.
On behalf of Dennis, Julie, Dianne Brian and Harry.
Kind regards,
Shirley Robson
shirlden50@hotmail.com
Visited Vietnam in Jul 2007 from Australia
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Dear Mr. Pham Tuyen,
We are sending you this message to thank you for the marvelous trip you
arranged for us in your lovely country and in Cambodia.
As you will remember we were a bit reluctant to hire everything on the Internet,
but now we have to admit that it was a great choice, as far as you gave us
everything we had agreed on. So thank you again for all your great work.
We were really happy with all the guides and drivers, who were very kind and
great professionals. The only thing we were a bit disappointed was about the
boat cruise along Perfume river, as we were expecting a ride “along” the river
with some folk music but we just crossed the river to the other shore and were
stuck there for an hour listening to music. Well, that was just a drop of water
in a fantastic trip.
I would like to tell Mr. Ngo Duc Dung, our guide in Hanoi and an amazing guy,
that I lost his e-mail address. Maybe you would be so kind as to give him my
address, as far as I promised to send him a couple of photos and I would like to
keep my word.
As you can guess, we have recommended your company to all our friends and
relatives because we think this is the best way to say thank you.
Best regards from Barcelona,
Elisa and Eduardo
elisasancho68@hotmail.com
Visited Vietnam in Jul 2007 from Spain
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Dear Ton Nu Thanh Binh,
I met you in your HCMC-office at the end of April. I got a refund for a taxitrip
that had fallen through. You very kindly gave me tips for good restaurants in
HCMC and you also gave me a map of Vietnam.
I went to all the restaurants you mentioned me. One was a restaurant with a very
long menu with all kinds of meat on offer ranging from snake and scorpions to
crocodile and kangaroo.
The other restaurant was a very popular restaurant across from the Reunification
Palace.
Although my reaction is very late I still want to thank you for your very kind
help. I found Vietnam a great country with very kind people. After 4 weeks of
travel through Vietnam I did not want to go home anymore, I wanted to stay.
Thanking you again, with kind regards,
Annelies Nieuwenhuizen Segaar
ANieuwenhuizenSegaar@AlphenaandenRijn.nl
Visited Vietnam in
Apr-May 2007 from Holland
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Hi Jody,
On behalf of my family we would like to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH for a lovely
holiday!!
We were very happy to see your company attend to our needs promptly and the
drivers were always courteous and on time!
We will happily recommend your services to any-one we know that will holiday in
Vietnam!
Thank you again!
Kindest regards
Lisa Garbutt
Visited Vietnam in
Jul 2007 from Australia
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Dear Mr. Pham Tuyen,
Now that we are back home in Chicago, I just wanted to thank you again for
organizing all the arrangements for us. Everything worked according to plan, and
whenever changes were made it was with our interest in mind. We found all of the
hotels very comfortable, the meals excellent, the guides well-informed, helpful
and courteous, and the locations we visited exceptionally beautiful and
interesting. We also found the cost of the trip very reasonable. If you are in
need of a reference, don't hesitate to use my email address.
Best wishes,
Larry Garner
rgarner@condor.depaul.edu
Visited Vietnam in
Jun 2007 from America
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Dear Mr. Anh Son,
Just a note now that we have been back for a couple of weeks to say that all parts of the trip went well and you
organization went well.
Thank you for your help.
When we come back we would be very happy to use your agency again. We particularly enjoyed Hoi An and staying at the Victorian.
Thank for your assistance.
Mel and Ann Clark
aclark@labyrinth.net.au
Visited Vietnam in May 2007 from Australia
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Hello Mr. Tuan,
It’s been quite some time that I’ve been to Vietnam, but I’m still travelling, that’s why it took so long to get back to you.
I just wanted to thank you for the great trip you’ve put together for me. Everything was really fantastic organized even with the many changes I’ve had, and your Hotel choices have been perfect!
If you want to use me as a reference I’m very happy to do so. And if I come again to Vietnam there is no question I would book my trip again through you!
Thanks again and take care
Martina Augenstein
Visited Vietnam in May 2007 from Germany
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Dear Jody, Trang, Binh,
We would like to thank you for helping us with our holiday to HCM city
and Phu Quoc. Everything was great and it was a pleasure meeting Trang
and Binh in the HCM office. Those tips on good restaurants were well worth it!
Please also pass on our best to our guide Sang who went out of his way
to look after us and took us to see the Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta. Loved it.
We have already recommended you to friends, and we'll definitely be back in the future.
All the best to all and have a good week.
Brenda and Antony
brendawong5@gmail.com
Visited Vietnam in May 2007
from America
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Good Morning Ms Ton Binh,
My husband and I stayed at the Majestic Hotel over the weekend, as per your recommendation.
I just want to thank you so much for suggesting this hotel - it was brilliant - we had a lovely suite on the
Executive floor and the staff were so helpful and friendly.
I will recommend your company to my friends here in Malaysia and in other parts of the world, to contact you when they want to travel to Ho Chi Minh. I will also recommend the Majestic Hotel too. Both your service and their service were first class.
We had a really good time and thanks again.
We will probably travel to Hanoi at some time in the future and I'll contact you when we decide to go.
Kind regards,
Catherine
Catherine Boyle & Mauricio Orozco
cmtorozco@yahoo.com
Visited Vietnam in May 2007 from Malaysia
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Dear Aurora Travel,
I just wanted to thank you Mr Tuan for the excellent service that was provided to us for both our tours
taken from Ho Chi Minh on the 16th and 18th March 2007.
Our young guide Tom was very informative about the Cu Chu tunnels & Tay Ninh and was willing to answer any questions our group had as a few were first time visitors. As some of our ladies were older and slower he was a very patient young man.
Thank you Tom.
Our guide on the Mekong tour was a very funny & loud man named Sonny. We had recognised his voice from hearing him rounding up his tour group at Cu Chi. We were laughing at how loud he was and how he kept his group moving. Well we were more than happy that he was our guide to the Mekong. He had all the ladies singing on the way. I think they actually wore him out. He was very informative and he made what was to be a very long day seem a breeze. We had a great time, but unfortunately we must have missed the busy time at the floating markets even though we left really early. It was great to see the river life and everyone wanting to show us their children.
I enjoyed all aspects of both tours and we all enjoyed the great lunches that were included. Oh and of
course the cold tiger beers helped with the heat.
Vietnam is a destination that I will definitely be returning to with my husband & son. I cannot wait to show them the sites and the great hospitality that was shown to us on this trip. I think it is not only important to talk about what we saw and did on our trip but also to comment on the friendliness of the Vietnamese
people that made our trip memorable.
Thank you Vietnamstay for providing a great service and thank you to the Vietnamese people for opening your hearts and your country to us.
Yours Sincerely,
Kellie Knox
jkn94338@bigpond.net.au
Visited Vietnam in Apr 2007 from Australia
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Dear Hoai Van,
I am now back at work but I would just like to let you know what a wonderful time we had in Vietnam.
Everything you organised for us was perfect.
I really love everything about your country and can't wait to visit again. We were both very sad to leave.
We especially enjoyed the kayaking in Halong Bay and the trips we took with Long, our guide in Ho Chi Minh. He was excellent. All of the hotels were beautiful with lovely service.
I hope I will be in touch with you again when we are organising our next trip!
Thank you for everything.
Kathryn and Gordon
kathryn.topp@gmail.com
Visited Vietnam in Apr 2007 from England
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Ms. Hai,
I again wanted to express John and my thanks for a truly great trip and great
job in organizing on your part. I cannot say enough about how pleased we were
with Aurora Travel.
The itinerary was very diverse and enable us to see the different areas of North
Vietnam. Mr. Ha, our guide, was great and a credit to the company. His knowledge
and skill as a guide was very evident.
We will definitely recommend you to our friends that want to deal direct in
Vietnam and also let Maria (Interlink Travel) know how pleased we were with the
services and professionalism of Aurora travel.
JoAnn Filipe
joann.filipe@msa.hinet.net
Visited Vietnam in Apr 2007 from Hong Kong
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Dear Mr. Tuan,
We have just returned from a wonderful trip to Vietnam. All the bookings and arrangements you made for us went smoothly and we were very impressed with the quality of transport and hotels. We had a great time and we will definitely recommend your travel agency to anyone else we meet who is planning a visit to Vietnam.
Thank you very much for your help.
Sally Lock and family.
sallydlock@yahoo.com.au
Visited Vietnam in Apr 2007 from Australia
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Dear Mr. Pham,
We are now back in Hong Kong after our extended journey through Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao. We wish to
thank you for preparing such a fascinating trip.
Vietnam , without doubt, proved to be the highlight with its vibrant,
industrious and friendly people.
Cambodia and Lao can learn a lot from their neighbor.
HOTELS:
Best hotel was the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi.
The Victoria hotels are in need of general improvement if they are to retain their Deluxe category.
Inter-Continental in Phnom Penh failed to provide packaged breakfasts, as promised, before our 5 hour
boat trip to Siem Reap.
GUIDES:
Best overall was Vo, our guide in Hue and Hoi An. Dzem was also very good in Hanoi.
The tour guides were also more professional in Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh with a much superior command of
English. All were very knowledgeable and friendly. The service was prompt and professional. However, we did
encounter a serious problem with communication especially in Cambodia and Laos. Poor
English pronunciation meant that much of the input was not understood.
FOOD:
We enjoyed the ethnic foods and experienced no problems with upset stomachs. One
recommendation would be to provide similar but alternative fixed lunch menus so
as to offer greater variety. (an additional charge could be added to the cost of the drinks)
TOURS:
Provided us with a great insight into the culture, history and daily life of the peoples in Southeast
Asia. Perhaps some tours might be seasonally adjusted, such as the day trip to Halong during the wet season.
In Siem Reap we had no opportunity to visit Tonle Sap Great Lake nor the Royal Palace in Luang Prabang which
has been closed on Tuesdays for the past two years. Obviously the local guide should have been aware and
adjusted our schedule accordingly.
These are meant as constructive comments after what proved to be sixteen memorable days. As previously
mentioned Vietnam proved to be the highlight.
Again, many thanks for allowing us into your world.
I very much appreciate the your own efforts in helping to finalize our itinerary.
With best wishes,
Peter Henwood
pjh147@yahoo.com
Visited Vietnam in Mar 2007 from Hong Kong
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Ms. Jody Le,
Thank you for the wonderful service you provided my group during our travels to Ho Chi Minh and Nha Trang. I threw you so many curves and last minutes requests. You handled them professionally and made for a very successful trip.
The Au Lac hotel in Ho Chi Minh was excellent. Location, value, staff, cleanliness and security. I was very happy with the facilities. Please visit the Texas Barbeque located a couple of blocks down the street. Great food, atmosphere and value.
The Sunrise Beach Resort in Nha Trang was first class all the way. A great value, location, staff, cleanliness, security. The tour desk and guide was great. I cannot describe what a wonderful breakfast buffet they provided. A great way to start the day.
I like trains and the 5 Star Express Train from Saigon to Nha Trang was excellent. It took 8 hours so not the fastest but it did provide a look at the country you could not get from an airplane flight. The train staff was great and it was comfortable. Aurora arranged the tickets and made this a success.
I will give you all the details of my next trip and let you make all the arrangements. You are the best and I have the confidence and trust that you will take of all our needs.
I must not forget to thank the wonderful people of Vietnam for being so kind, friendly and courteous. I was impressed with the way they respect each other.
Thank you again I look forward to working with you on the next trip.
William W. “Rusty” Grubb II
American from South Korea
rusty_grubb@yahoo.com
Visited Vietnam in Mar 2007 from America
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Dear Van,
It was very nice to meet you after so long chatting on the computer .
Thought you may like a few comments on our holiday in Vietnam.
After clearing immigration & customs at Ho Cha Min we made our way to the public area to be greeted by Nguyen Dinh Khoa with a big smile and a warm welcome.
We found Khoa to be very knowledgeable and his English was good. (As you know he is married to an English lady).
Khoa had shared a flat with an Australian before he was married and some of his comments were 'pure' Australian :-o).
He fed us information during the ride to the hotel which was interesting as it saved us asking too many questions.
The hotel (Windsor Plaza) was very good and the rooms were a good size and we didn't feel cramped. The extra
we paid for the happy hour drinks & food on the Executive floor was well worth the price because
after a busy sight seeing day it was very pleasant to relax. My only negative is that we tried to educate the staff to place white wine in the fridge a few hours
before the start of Happy hour as it was frustrating to wait while a warm bottle was placed in an ice bucket to cool down - which
could take over half an hour. Nothing worse than warm white wine :-o)
Khoa accompanied us to the reception on checking-in and was an asset with translation to tell reservations that we were booked in to the executive floors.
We were then shown to the 24th floor and the check-in was handled smoothly by the hotel staff. At this point Khoa left us and promised to meet
us in the morning at an agreed time. He was always on time for collecting us and accompanied us to the airport at 0400hr for our 0600hr
flight to Hoi An. I don't know if this was in his contract but regardless, we appreciated the fact that he was with us at the flight
check-in.
The visit to the Reunification Palace made a big impression on me as I didn't realise the connection with the films, newsreels I had seen & books that I
had read, until I looked out of the window from the third floor when it hit me that I was looking down on the gates that the tanks smashed through in the 1970's. It was interesting to see two tanks parked near the gates as museum pieces.
The tunnels were interesting - I even attempted to get down one but when the side started to push against my shoulders I checking out :-o)
The Mekong Delta trip was very interesting and the lunch very entertaining - we had elephant ear fish - unusual for us. The restaurant guide was funny.
Brought home coconut candy & kitchen implements made from coconut wood - had to declare to Australian Quarantine but they let us keep everything.
We did like the fresh water bottles as we boarded the bus - perhaps you should mention this as a positive for using your company. Some of my group had their own with them & were very pleased that such a little thing had been considered by Aurora Travel.
The hotel in Hoi An was fine, and the pool was much better than the Windsor. The rooms were smaller than the Windsor & the storage space for our
clothes limited. We liked the 'period' feel of the hotel but did object to being asked to pay for a sachet of coffee & milk for our room. I have never been asked
to pay extra for room coffee at any other hotel in the world. I mentioned this in my comments on the 'Guest response sheet'. Later in the day a supervisor
called me and said that she had read my comments and that she would be taking my suggestions up with her Manager. She had a positive attitude and I
appreciated the fact that she had read my comment sheet.
The guide (Pho, I think was his name) was good. His English was not as good as Khoa but we didn't have a problem understanding him. He met us at the airport with the same warm smile as the Ho Cha Min guide, and again he gave us detailed cultural information about the sites around Hoi An
without us asking. After Marble Mountain we stopped at a small cafe suggested by Pho and had lunch. A very Vietnamese experience which we all enjoyed because most of the communication was in sign language as the owner showed us what to do with various dishes. The beer was cheap :-o) - as was the food.
The boat ride to the various villages which specialised in wood or clay products was relaxing after such an early flight.
The cooking class was a laugh - especially for the men as we were all fat fingered trying to make rice paper - it was a nice surprise when I realised that we
wouldn't actually be eating what we 'cooked' but that we would be having a proper meal prepared by the restaurant school. Most of us took advantage of the tailoring skills of Hoi An. Shirts, men & women's shorts, jackets etc - I found the staff of the tailoring place I used -
41 Le Loi
(the branch shop of the main shop with the silk worm exhibition) very helpful & efficient. Pho arranged for us to have a table at 'Cargo' restaurant overlooking the river which was a very enjoyable evening as the food was great, the evening warm & the
wine cold. Being outside and two floors above the street and the river enhanced the whole evening.
On leaving Hoi An Pho made sure we were checked in properly for the next flight, before saying goodbye - very reassuring.
Ha Quang Phuong met us at Hanoi airport again with a smile and a warm welcome.
The Hoa Binh Hotel was much better than I expected (it is listed a three star) with a French feel about the place due to the old furniture etc. the rooms were large with a small sitting area. A very good strong shower which I enjoyed.
The cyclo trip gave us a feel of the town and we were enchanted with the water puppets - I don't think I have seen such skill with puppets and I enjoyed the music being so different
than the Western style.
The 'Cha ca' restaurant was different - we didn't quite understand what we were getting to eat. We thought it was a 2 or 3 course fish meal similar to a western style restaurant.
It was only later that is dawned on that it was a single dish restaurant and they turned over the tables quickly. It was similar to a European fondue meal, very pleasant
dish and funny for all of us to use chop sticks (most of us can use the sticks but not as skilful as a local). The wine was cold ! :-o)
Halong Bay was spectacular and the junks clean and comfortable. The junk staff were very friendly and keen to please without being intrusive. We all enjoyed the junk
experience very much. I am glad I took your advice and stayed over night as my first thought was to try and do it all in a single day ! We are not of the age to
race three hours, have a quick look around and then another three hours back to Hanoi . . we are all too old and need to take things much slower than we used to just a few years ago. The mind is willing but the body lets us down.
The Ha Hoi restaurant where we had lunch in Hanoi was beautiful. The food was great and the setting just right. We all liked the lunch and even thought of going back
there for dinner but it rained in the evening which made us change our minds and eat in the hotel.
Breakfasts - very important for us to start the day as we often skipped lunch to save time.
The Windsor had a great range of food, both European & Asian and a stand alone 'eggs to order' area - the best of all three hotels.
The Hoi An had two choices of cereal, orange juice, limited fruit choices - they did have a stand alone 'eggs to order' which was good.
The Hoa Binh Hotel - no choice of cereal ( they didn't have any) the eggs were pre-cooked (fried &
omelets) and were always cold, as was most of the 'hot' food such as fried rice, sausages, bacon etc. The worst breakfast of the three hotels.
Didn't mean to bore you with too much 'breakfast' info but you may have similar comments from others which may help in the future when talking to the hotels re buying rates.
Our holiday was very good & Aurora Travel gave us everything they promised and I will (I have already) recommend Aurora to people in Australia, we had a great time
and hopefully we will return in a few years time - if we do I'll be in touch with you at Aurora.
I wish to express my personal thanks to you for all your help during the past year, and in making the arrangements go so smoothly and giving me confidence that Aurora would do what you promised - doing business, I believe, is all to do with relationships and trust, not just price - thank you Van,
kind personal regards
Geoff Woodland
On behalf of all eight of us in the group
woodlandagency@bigpond.com
Visited Vietnam in Mar 2007 from Australia
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Dear Ms. Thuy Trang,
I am writing this to thank you for all the arrangements you made for us while we were in Vietnam. We just came back to Vancouver, and we really enjoyed the stay in Vietnam, such a beautiful country and nice people. I will refer any of my friends who wants to travel to Vietnam to you for your quality service.
Again, thanks very much, and hope to do business with you again in the near future.
Sincerely
Derek Yeh
Visited Vietnam in Mar 2007 from Canada
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Ms. Ton Binh,
I want to say thank you to you and your colleagues at Aurora travel for arranging our travel in Vietnam during the Tet holiday. Because of your tireless help in arranging out Vietnam
domestic travel we were able to enjoy a great vacation. Beyond simply purchasing the required tickets on our behalf, your advice and suggestions were most welcome and accurate.
As you may know I was a little nervous doing business over the internet with a firm I had no previous dealing with. My concerns turned out to be unfounded
and all of my experiences with you indicate that you are a person of honesty and high
integrity. It was a pleasure to work with you. If you need a reference for a potential client in the future, please don't hesitate to refer them to me.
I am attaching a travelogue describing our travels which my wife Linda wrote after our trip. It contains her impressions and
thoughts about our trip to Vietnam and I though you might enjoy reading it.
Again, thank you for all your help. Best wishes for a Happy New Year.
Until next time,
Dr. Bill E. Higgins (on behalf of all five of us travelers)
3610 Louis Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303 USA
phone: 650/ 813-9779
email: dr.bill_higgins@yahoo.com
Visited Vietnam in Feb 2007 from America
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Dear Ms. Dzung,
I have just arrived back home after the Thailand portion of our trip.
I wanted to tell you how happy we were with Aurora Travel. Our trip in Vietnam and Cambodia was fantastic! The hotels, food, activities
were wonderful. All of our guides were excellent. I would like to
mention the guides that we felt were extra special.
We loved Binh, our guide for the Hue/ Hoi An portion. He was knowledgeable and we loved his company. We always felt well taken
care of and that our needs were considered. Five stars for Binh.
While in HCMC, I was a little sick. Long, our guide, took care to get me to a doctor. I really appreciated his care and response to my
situation. He was also a great guide.
Sorn, in Cambodia, was a great guide. He had so much information to share with us about his country and its history. Both Joel and Sahib
are photographers and Sorn was very helpful because he knew the best
places around Angkor Wat for photographing. We also enjoyed his company.
The guides that I mentioned played a big part in making our tour so special.
Please feel free to use me as a reference. I hope to return to Vietnam and explore more. When we decide to come back, I will
definitely contact Aurora Travel.
Thank you for all of your effort in putting our trip together.
Yours truly,
Satya Khalsa
satya@cox.net
Visited Vietnam in Jan 2007 from America
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