Asia Escorted Tours and Guided Trips

This was a lovely and varied trip through very beautiful and rural Laos to the amazing temples of the Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia. It was a mix of beautiful hilly countryside and jungle, amazing waterfalls, cultural sights, incredible temples, and monasteries and cruises on the Mekong. We visited small remote villages, and cycled around sleepy and picturesque island of Don Khon in the 4000 islands area. Our guide was excellent and accomodation was good and often very well or beautifully located (but not always quite up to Western standards as Laos and Cambodia are developing countries.) It is a full on trip with some very early starts and long bumpy driving days. Also if you have dodgy knees, please be aware that many of the temples and waterfalls require climbing up and down sometimes a couple of hundred and more rough and uneven steps. But the guides do help you and you can take your time, and you can always opt out but still be in beautiful countryside and view from the bottom. Also take roll- on deodorant and insect repellant as you will not be allowed aerosol sprays on the train journey to Vientaine. I would thoroughly recommend this trip.

Two couples and four seasoned single travellers from UK and US soon gelled together as a group. As several reviewers have said before a few advance days in Singapore would have helped with jetlag and acclimatisation. Plus note on this tour, that whilst the Singapore Entry Card can be applied for just prior to travel, the one for Malaysia has to be applied for within three days of crossing border. This is a little more complicated and fiddly on a mobile phone, but our ever helpful local tour guide Sam was there for those that struggled. The Singapore tour was well worth it, even in the hot humid conditions, and the evening light shows are not to be missed. Food experiences and shopping is available for all pockets. Local Malay people are very warm and welcoming, although some other regional visitors can be less polite and culturally unaware of the concept of a queue. Crossing to Malaysia was generally trouble free and currency can be changed just over the border. First stop Malacca is there for your colonial history and the Hotel Puri is a perfect compliment to this. On to KL and again plenty of history and the sort of shopping opportunities that a big city can provide. There is an amount of coach travel between locations, but Sam broke this up by covering several topics and explaining local customs etc. Also at several rest stops he would bring on board yet another tasty exotic tropical fruit or local snack for us to try, but not the durian thankfully. Then moving to the homestay, which although a little sanitised for the visitor, was very enjoyable, but perhaps the accommodation was a little too basic for some. Next the Cameron Highlands then provided respite from the heat and the hotel was pure luxury in comparison. The tea plantation visit was actually very interesting and if the group had not bonded before, they did over the evening Malaysian Hotpot! A pleasant few days in Penang followed, with evening entertainment and dancing for those brave enough, and then on again to Langwaki Island. Here some of the group decided to slowly roast on the beach or swim in the pools, whilst Sam arranged trips for the rest. A highlight was feeding bananas by hand to the local monkeys, as part of a small boats tour in the Northern Mangroves. The last night was a farewell sunset boat trip, a food buffet, and a chance for a swim, water polo, or even a ride in a super speed boat. A varied and enjoyable holiday, resulting from a group of strangers that soon became friends and held together by Sam our guide, who dealt with any issues in a calm and professional manner.

My husband and I had an exceptional trip to Cambodia. Our tour guide, Phe Try, was fantastic- knowledgeable, kind, funny, and incredibly attentive. We genuinely couldn't have asked for a better person to show us around Cambodia. He explained everything with remarkable clarity and generously shared his personal experiences of living under the Khmer Rouge, which added profound depth to our understanding. The itinerary was excellent, offering a wonderful variety of experiences. From Angkor Wat and other beautiful temples to jungle walks with an ex-hunter who taught us to spot animal footprints and recognize wildlife calls we would have otherwise missed- every day brought something memorable. Our drivers were equally outstanding, always greeting us with cold towels soaked in lemongrass oil and fresh water after our explorations. The pacing was perfect. We had ample time to relax and explore Cambodia at our own pace, making the trip rich with fascinating discoveries without being exhausting. If you want to experience Cambodia authentically- not superficially- and gain a genuine sense of what this country is truly about, this is the trip for you.

First, I have to say that our tour guide John Phem was amazing. He always went above and beyond during the entire trip. We had several road trips and flights and all went smoothly. We were well fed and hydrated the entire time and were greeted daily with hand towels and bottles of water. I cannot say enough good things about John. Also, the local tour guides in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand were very good. Chen in Cambodia and Pat in Laos were very informative and thoughtful, and A in Thailand also went above and beyond. She helped us shop carefully in the local markets. My only critique is that we were a little over-programmed. I would have liked a little more free time at the hotels. We stayed in beautiful places but felt we could not enjoy the amenities because we were always on the go. I do like that Collette builds in impactful excursions and visits to local homes, however. They provide for an enriching experience. If there were a way to provide those and allow for a little more free time that would be perfect. Thank you for a special trip. I highly recommend it and Collette to family and friends.

The most amazing trip I've been on! It had the perfect mix of city and traditional experiences, and I truly feel like I got to experience the best parts of South Korea.

I enjoyed every moment of the trip. The daily itinerary was very varied and well lead by our guide Tra and his assistant guides in Laos. The hotel's were well chosen and conveniently situated for independent sightseeing. I thoroughly enjoyed the included farewell meal, the best vegetarian food all trip!