Jacq and Pete Conway | Sapa, Cat Ba island, Halong Bay | Vietnam

Itinerary: Sapa trekking & home stay and Trekking Cat Ba National Park & Kayaking Halong Bay - Vietnam
Date: April 05 - April 13, 2009
Nationality: Belgium

Hi Julia,

We had the most enjoyable 2 weeks in Vietnam. Everyone we met was so friendly, and the service was excellent too! The trek in Sapa was what we really came for, but Halong Bay almost beat it for its beauty. The kayaking was superb! It was so good to have some of the busy locations to ourselves first thing in the morning. The food was just amazing - almost too much really!! Think I will have to go on a diet!!

The 3 guides you provided, Mr. Than (Hanoi), Mr. Lan (Sapa) & Mr. Qyuen (Halong bay), were all great guys, who were most knowledgeable and were happy to introduce us to the local customs and a few words of Vietnamese. Nothing was too much trouble for them. We would recommend any of them. The driver you gave us to Halong Bay, was fantastic...he did not use his horn once!! Very smooth, relaxing ride!

Gao Bai Hotel, Hanoi was very good. Service excellent, friendly & helpful. Front rooms a little noisy, but fun to look down onto the street below! Chau Long Hotel, Sapa, was in a great location, but I felt the service could have been in bit better/friendlier for the level of hotel. Sunrise resort at CatBa was in a beautiful location, and the restaurant was quite reasonably priced for a hotel. Good service.

The welcome dinner at The Wild Lotus, Hanoi, was magnificent! We were expecting something a lot less grand, so thank you for organizing this for us! And the Indochina Sails junk in Halong Bay (upgraded) was just so unbelievable Pete & I thought it must have been a mistake!! The train to Sapa was an experience I won't forget! Not the best sleep but lots of fun!!

Last but not least, thank you to you Ms. Julia! You organization skills from our first inquiry to this follow-up were so professional and helpful. It made us feel very comfortable to know the answers to our many questions before we arrived, and all the transfer connections were perfect. It made the trip run so smoothly, we had more time to enjoy the sights and less time to worry about the details you took care of.

Pete and I would be more than happy to recommend yourself and Active Travel to anyone looking to travel in Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos. I have already given your name to my sister in HCM, as she may look to go to Laos later this year. I also mentioned you to a few travellers I met in CatBa, who had a bad experience with another agency. As mentioned, I walk with a group of women in Sydney, who travel alot to go trekking, so I will let them know your details if they are looking to go to Vietnam. Please also feel free to use any of this email as a recommendation for your services.

We wish you, your family and your new baby all the health and happiness. Best wishes and good luck for the future.

Warmest Regards,

Jacq and Pete

Jacq & Pete Conway
9 Rofe Street
Leichhardt NSW 2040
02 9560 3775