Dear friends,
As promised, we come back to you to tell you what we liked so much about our trip:
– First of all, all the preparation and care you have put into presenting us with the program with a lot of details and respect for our wishes. It was always a pleasure to read your letters, so kindly and beautifully written.
– From our first reception by Haü at the airport until our last day, all the guides, drivers, and other service providers have always been absolutely punctual, welcoming, and caring. The meals programmed by you were all delicious and the hotel’s quality (with a reservation for the Saigon hotel). Perfect logistics, and a lot of human warmth.
We only regretted, after the fact, not having asked you for more homestay accommodation. The evening and night at Hiep (Halong Bay on land) were by far our favourites!!!
A small regret, for our arrival in Hanoi: not having access to a room and a bathroom, to rest a few hours after 11 hours of flight. Arriving around 8 a.m., we had to wait until 3 p.m. to be able to enter the room. Curiously, we had this opportunity every morning arrival by train.
– We were enthusiastic about the city of Hanoi and had a great pleasure staying there. Haü was an excellent and exciting guide. We talked a lot with him, about very diverse subjects, including important and profound subjects and this allowed us to better understand and know your country, in its current situation. He speaks French very well and it was very easy to exchange with him, whatever the subject.
Meeting you the day after our arrival was a real pleasure. The exchanges we had with you were very nice, what you told us about your agency, its values (the “solidarity” trip you had organized with all the staff, for example), the youth and audacity of your director, we really liked it. We think of you with pleasure when we use the placemats you have given us.
We really liked the land Halong Bay and Haü commented very well on the very original and moving Bich Dong Pagoda. (This is the one we preferred. As the trip progressed, we found that we were visiting a bit too many pagodas and temples, which were quite similar to each other except for the pagoda visited in Saigon with Phuong at the end of the stay). Very nice little bike tour! Great welcome to Ninh Binh!
Halong Bay was a very beautiful moment, and we were very lucky to have very good weather. Perfect cruise, in a not too touristy area, very quiet and quiet, great pleasure to go canoeing and swim in such a beautiful setting!
– The train journey (going) to the North was a bit difficult for my husband, given its size and the cramped sleeper car where we were (no room for suitcases!). But you quickly found a better solution for the return and we thank you again because it went very well. This stay in the North was great. The Discovery of the Sunday market of Bac Ha is magnificent! Victor was an exceptional guide too: in addition to his great kindness and perfect French, he has a very original and relevant personal reflection on many subjects and it was a beautiful human encounter! He, too, has taught us and explained a lot about your country. The journey to the Chinese border was also very exciting. Victor stayed with us until the train departed, with great kindness and thoughtfulness.
Very charming welcome at the Hotel de Sapa by very cheerful and benevolent young women.
– We were admiring and grateful for the welcome we received when the train arrived in Hanoi in the morning. Our host, whose house is very nice and welcoming, allowed us to sleep a little and rest in a very nice room and the breakfast he prepared for us was exquisite! We did not expect such a nice welcome for such a short time!
– Lovely welcome by our guide May and interesting tours to Hue, then Hoi An.
May is a talented photographer, she took beautiful pictures of us, which made us very happy.
We were very interested in visiting the Hoi An craft centre, and amazed by the know-how and kindness of the seamstresses who made a beautiful shirt for Michel in such a short time!
Very interesting visit to the shrine of My Son and wonderful homestay meal, with a warm and tasty welcome!
The centre of the country was not the favourite moment of our trip, but it was a beautiful moment though. Particularly friendly welcome at Hoi An Hotel. Nice evening in Hoi An illuminated with its lanterns.
Thank you for the nice idea of having us make lanterns!
– For the last part of our stay, you have chosen a beautiful personality! Phuong! Exciting and passionate, full of energy, she really enchanted us. She too enlightened us about your country, and continued to make us love it! Both in the discovery of the markets of the Chinatown of Saigon, as in that of the floating market of Cai Rang that she commented on a lot and very well, etc… Discover the richness of this Mekong Delta, with fruits, flowers, exuberant nature!
We really enjoyed the meal in the middle of nature.
We also had the great chance to experience the mid-autumn party in Can Tho: a wonderfully cheerful evening!
Impossible to tell everything, as we were happy every day, always discovering beautiful things, beautiful landscapes, and wonderful people.
We are inexhaustible with our friends about your beautiful country, and about the quality of your agency and your guides.
We hope to inspire in them the desire to contact you and discover with you your wonderful country!
A big thank you to you and your whole team: the quality of our trip is due to the help of many people who were all great!
We stay in touch with our guides, with whom we exchange photos: yes, it was a really beautiful encounter!
Sincerely,
Sophie and Michel Combe
