Durations: 13 Days - 12 Nights
Travel consultant: Hue Nguyen
Customer name: Laura Russo and Miranda Zuercher
Address: Switzerland
Start date: 2017-06-01
Finish date: 2017-06-14
Dear Ms Hue,
I herewith would like to thank you for the perfect organization of our trip in Myanmar. Everything was really special and it worked in a perfect way.
The program was fantastic and we could see a lot of things. The guides were wonderful especially the guide in Mandalay, the pa-o guide for Kakku and the guide in Bagan were fantastic and we would recomend them to everyone. The hotels were simply fantastic above all Myanmar Treasure Inle Lake and Red Canal Mandaly we liked very much. Only the room given to us in Amazing was not good as directly located near the kitchen and we couldn't sleep quite all the night (just for future customers it's important to know for you). The intern flights were also well organized.
Myanmar is a fantastic country and with your perfect organization we could love this country even more if possible.
We will recomend your agency to everybody will ask us in future and if we will go to Cambodia or Laos for sure we will write you again.
You do not have representation in Nepal perhaps?
Thank you very much again.
Laura Russo and Miranda Zuercher from Switzerland
Myanmar Discovery 5 Oct – 19 Oct 2012.
Hello Ms Hong
Firstly congratulations on your marriage hope you had a wonderful honeymoon. We were informed of this by your representatives in Yangon upon our arrival. Our trip was excellent; your planning and detail could not be questioned. Everything ran to schedule and we had no problems at all. I would (and will) recommend your tour company to others.
All our guides were very good; two we felt were outstanding they were; our first guide in Yangon - Aung Myo Win and our guide in Mandaly - Naing Tun Lin. We were all very impressed with the standard of our accommodation; Inle Lake; Bagan & Ngapali Beach we all beautiful. The Hotel in Yangon 'Yuzana Garden Hotel' has much potential. We liked the hotel as it has so much charm.
If the current renovations are done well this could become an excellent boutique hotel. I suggest you include this hotel in future tours; providing the renovations are done properly; as it is in an excellent location.
Our flights were all comfortable and on time; we were a little disappointed to learn that Air Bagan is owned by a General in the current Govt. We all knew some of our money would end up in Govt. hands but hoped to limit this as much as possible.
Once again thank you for organising our trip all our group enjoyed themselves immensly.
Best Regards
Nick Shirley from Australia
Myanmar Discovery 12 Oct – 31 Oct 2013.
Dear Hong,
I hope you are well and having a good day. Sorry for taking a long time to respond.
We had a truly wonderful time in Myanmar and would like to thank you for all the work you put in to organising our trip. Each of our guides were really friendly, full of information and highly professional and we would recommend them to anyone travelling to Myanmar. Our days were full and we feel we captured the essence of Myanmar and it's people and culture. Despite the last minute changes the hotels we stayed in for our tour were excellent providing us with a comfortable place to rest after a day's sight seeing. We will definitely recommend your company to our friends.
As part of our tour we included a balloon trip with Balloon's over Bagan and found this to be an excellent and memorable experience.
After our tour we stayed on in Yangon and were somewhat dissappointed with our hotel, the Yuzana Garden hotel. It is in a good location and the staff are very helpful and friendly but the hotel is in need of a lot of improvement (e.g. the breakfast, the temperamental elevator and the lack of water from time to time (in the shower).
We hope this information is useful to you and if there is anything else we can do please let us know.
Best Regards
Dan and Suse Rolf from Australia
Myanmar highlights 20 Oct – 26 Oct 2012
Dear Hue:
Here's my feedback:
1) Booking the vacation - 5/5 - All through internet , good , clear and fast communication and follow-up. arranging visa , hotels , transport etc...
2) Tourist Guides
a) Yangon - 4/5 - Took good care of us from and to airport.
b) Bagan - 5/5 - Took good care of us from and to airport. Additionally had that personal touch
c) Mandalay - 5/5 - Took good care of us from and to airport. Additionally the personal touch
3) Hotels :
a) Yangon - 4/5 - Very good hotel not much choice for eating places nearby.
b) Bagan - 5/5 - Good hotel , good choice of food (Kalatha chicken !!!) and very friendly and obliging staff.
c) Mandalay - 4/5 - Good hotel , good food at hotel and choice of eating places nearby.
4) Tour :
a) Yangon 4/5 - Suggest a visit to a good shopping mall - not just gems stores.
b) Bagan - 5/5 - could not ask for more.
c) Mandalay - 5/5 - could not ask for more.
5) Overall experience -
5/5 - very satisfied. I got your name by Googling on the internet for a Myanmar vacation agent.
Initially I was a bit sceptical - unknown country , dealing with agent far away on the internet etc.. I picked Myanmar travels at random to try out. But as I started communicating with you through e-mails I got more comfortable and was convinced that I had made a good choice.
Thank you very much for making our trip memorable.
Gopalan Iyer from USA
Myanmar Discovery 14 Oct – 28 Oct 2012
Hello Hue, how are you?
Sorry it took me a week to get back to you (since we returned to Israel, that is).
Our vacation was magnificent! We had a wonderful time. Aside from the fact that Myanmar is beautiful, the guides and drivers were superb, they always were there on time to greet us, and they were informative, pleasant, and sensitive to our needs and desires. Everything worked like a clock! Yet the best part (and please forward this information to your superiors) was your handling of the "operation", from your first response to my initial inquiry, to your "real time" responses during the trip (I think we accumulated altogether about 60-70 emails between us altogether...). You have been responsive, patient, and so very informative without which, I am sure, we wouldn't have been able to enjoy the vacation as much as we have!
Going down to the detail level, and please do not take this as criticism but rather as a constructive feedback, please note the following:
- Our best guide, by far, was the guide in the trek. His name is Aung Aung Oo (I believe that he does not usually work for your company but he substituted for somebody else). An excellent young man which, if there is any way to convey to him our appreciation, it will be great.
- The second hotel in Yangon, East Hotel, like I wrote you already, was the worst!!! Toilets without doors make it very unpleasant. Yet the "compensation" - the last night in the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel was a great choice of yours, and a great way to spend the last night in Yangon. Thank you for that.
- I suggest that from now on you inform those who intend to go on a trek in this season to bring good trekking shoes. "good walking shoes" will not be able to handle the unbelievable amount of mud and some water enroute. I understand that in the dry season it is different, but not in or around the rainy season (luckily we had trekking shoes with us so all went well).
Once again, Hue, you have been wonderful and we are sincerely grateful Should we plan on another trip to this side of the globe I will certainly get in touch, and I will most certainly continue recommending you to others.
Most sincerely, I wish you all the best,
PS Attached is a picture of Nili and I, so that you know who you dealt with :-)
Ur Omry & Nili Omry from Israel
Myanmar Discovery 4 Oct – 20 Oct 2012
Dear Hue
Many thanks for organising our Myanmar holiday. We had a lovely time and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. We thought that the itinerary was well planned, balanced and flexible with all arrangements going smoothly and to schedule and that the trip was very good value with a minimum of fuss. We will certainly recommend your company to any friends planning to visit Myanmar.
Here is some feedback, none of which should be taken as criticism and most of which is minor comment.
We think that it would be advisable to indicate to potential customers that there are some aspects to travelling in Myanmar that would make it difficult for people with a disability (eg steep stairways, need to get in and out of boats, need to be bare-foot, broken footpaths and general lack of disability access). It would also be useful to warn customers that the trip to Golden Rock is strenuous and to take little luggage due to the crowded truck ride and need to be carried up the mountain on a palanquin.
We were impressed by the friendliness, kindness and openess of people everywhere and we never felt in danger even at night. However, we did sometimes feel uncomfortable intruding into religious institutions when monks and other people were at prayer and were sometimes unsure of the correct behavior.
There was often a lack of toilet facilities
It was extremely difficult to obtain postage stamps and to post mail.
It was difficult to change money outside the major cities.
It would have been preferable if the hotels had checked which of our party were smokers when allocating rooms with balconies.
We liked all our guides and drivers who were all friendly, caring and helpful. However, we thought it would have been useful to have been given their correct names beforehand.
We enjoyed the welcoming banquet and cultural performance. Our most interesting meal was when our guide in Mandalay took us to a local restaurant. We often had boring meals in the hotels and would have liked more local advice on other possible interesting restaurants eg in the suburbs of Yangon.
We thought that it was good that we had a few days longer than most tours, particularly in Bagan where we enjoyed both the sunset boat cruise and horse ride. However, we felt that we still did not have enough time in Yangon to explore the many interesting sights.
Clearly Myanmar is on the edge of major development which will gradually see improvements to infrastructure and the banking system which will solve many of the issues I have mentioned.
Once again, many thanks for organising our trip!
Cheers
Mr. Neville Humphris group from Australia
Myanmar highlights 16 Aug – 20 Aug 2012
Hello Jack,
I wanted to thank you for an amazing tour of Myanmar!
Andrew and I relished every moment of our time in Yangon, Bagan and Inle Lake. Min Min, Mr.Zaw, and Thandar Oo were so kind, professional and knowledgeable and we became fast friends with each. Thank you for allowing us to meet these wonderful people!
We were unable to return Min Min's feedback form, but we wanted to share with you that he provided excellent service in all areas. Also, we lost Min Min's email address and would like to send him photos from our trip. Could you share his email with us?
Thank you again,
Mr. Andrew & Mrs Jennifer Holmes from United State
Myanmar Discovery 15 Aug – 30 Aug 2012
Dear Ms Nguyen
We would like to give you some feedback on our trip to Myanmar. We have been home three weeks now but are still feeling happy.
Everything was very fine.The local guides and drivers were excellent. Your Myanmar office organised everything well; we were met every time we arrived at a different place and always taken to the airport when we left.
The Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan guides were just wonderful and we felt that they became our friends by the time we left them. They are all specially good, in different ways. The young Yangon driver - who also took us to Kyaiktiyo and then back to Yangon via Bago - was simply fantastic. He thought of many comforts for us as well as being an excellent driver. The driver from Heho was a man older than we are with a lovely, crinkled smiling face who also thought of many extra little things to show us and some great photo opportunities: also a very good driver.
All the boats and their drivers were also fine. Everywhere we were looked after with plenty cold water to drink, hot tea, towels, umbrellas: we were always made comfortable.
The hotels were also very good indeed.
The Strand in Yangon was worth every cent of the extra money we paid; it was lovely and the staff were excellent. It was a great location, being easy to walk to the market, to other restaurants, to change money etc. The food was very good indeed and everything else (drinks, massage etc.) was very reasonably priced for the high standard provided. It certainly is world standard, with that extra care that comes in places like Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia etc. Our Yangon guide told us about going across the river to a village and we did this when we had a few days free time just before we left. We spent a big morning on the other side looking about in bicycle rickshaws. Our Yangon guide advised us how much to pay and it was right.
Myanmar Treasure Resort at Inle Lake was excellent. Everything was perfect there and the hotel was in such a delightful location. Again, the staff were better than good: they treated us so well and, at the same time, they were fun and always laughing and making jokes with us. Again, we felt as though we had made friends. In fact, we are friends with some of them on Facebook (as we are with the guide from Yangon).
In Mandalay, the Hotel by Red Canal was also very good. It was comfortable and delightful and, again, the staff were wonderful and we are still friends with some of them. The hotel, although it is as good as the others, is in a very remote part of the city. Please add 5000 kyats for every taxi trip from there to the centre of the town. It was OK when we had the driver and guide, but for on our free days, it wasn't possible to walk to the market or other places, especially as it was quite hot.
The food in Hotel by Red Canal was all Indian and not good. We have given the hotel feedback about this - there should be more Burmese choices.
But! Almost next to the hotel is a great new Myanmar resturant called Canal Mandayay Restaurant. It is new and it is FANTASTIC. Please try and recommend it to your clients as it's worth it (and they didn't pay us to say it or ask for feedback in TripAdvisor). It's just very good!
I have to tell you that one of the reasons we went to Myanmar was to try to find some people I had met there 32 years ago. And in Mandalay we met them. You can see them on UTube and Facebook. They are called the Moustache Brothers and also the Par Par Lay Dance Troupe. We didn't tell you before in case there was trouble because of the politics in Myanmar. But it was a very happy reunion and we all remembered each other after so many years. We are now sharing email addresses and will never lose our contact again.
So, in Bagan the Hotel by Tharabar Gate was as good as the others; its gardens are stunning, the open-air restaurant is a great location. The playing of Myanmar music by performers is a real plus. The fresh flowers arrangements on the bed each night had to have a photo every time: they were so beautiful. The food was good. The foyer is very special too - the decor is just right for Bagan. We did feel that we might have been charged too much for our laundry (compared to Inle Lake), but perhaps it was our mistake.
The negative feedback is very small: going to Hanging Rock from Kyaiktiyo. The truck is exciting and a very good adventure. Not comfortable at all, but great fun. Ms Nguyen, after the truck - that is no leisurely walk!!!!!!!!!!!!! A person who is not young, or who is not healthy, CAN NOT make this walk from the truck to Mountain View Hotel. One could have a heart attack. It is very difficult! We took sedan chairs and that was fine. Even people much younger than we are, took sedan chairs. It was embarrassing, but it it good for the sedan chair carriers because in 5-10 years, there will be a cable car and who will feed their children then?
Also, your peple from the Myanmar head office seemed very nervous when our plane from Signapore was late so we arrived late with our money to pay for the balance of the trip. I think they phoned the guide many times to see where we were. They were polite but obviously very keen to get the money. Please do not mistake me, we were happy to be rid of that cash as well!!
One last comment: there are no sunsets to be seen in the wet season in Myanmar. It was a big joke with all of our guides.
Thank you for organising the best holiday we have ever had.
With kind regards and very best wishes to you.
(Dr) Robyn Hallim & Leslie Bastock from Australia
Myanmar Holiday 14 days (9 Jun – 22 Jun 2012)
Good morning Hue
Thank you for your e.mail and we very much enjoyed the farewell dinner, the food was good and the staff very attentive.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Myanmar, but regretfully 2 weeks in not sufficient time to really get to know the country or the people, although I understand we were very lucky with the weather. We went out into the community as much as possible and everyone we encountered was only to keen to assist and we felt safe at all times. All the transfers were waiting for us, the cars were clean and the drivers polite and helpful.
Perhaps the only helpful hint I can think of us is that we found the 'process' through the internal airports different to the international airports that everybody is used to, and therefore perhaps printed guidelines to tourists as to what to expect and what the process is at these airports would be useful, but we did see other tourists who were struggling to understand whether or not it was their flight which was leaving. By our last flight we fully understood the 'sticker' system and knew what to look out for. The maps that you provided at the beginning was well used by the end of the trip.
Your company provided us with everything that we asked for and were especially supportive through the issue of the lost wallet, keeping in touch with us and advising us of the best action to take. This event in no way detracted from our enjoyment of the trip.
I know there is a great interest in this country about holidays to Myanmar and I would be happy to pass on your details to anybody I know who may want to visit your country.
We may well come back to you to visit again or to one of your other destinations!
Regards
Karen Williamson from England
Vietnam & Myanmar Tour 10 March – 26 March 2012
Hong,
We really enjoyed our time in Vietnam & Myanmar but we were sorry to not be able to do the balloon ride. Nobody can control the weather though. It was very nice to meet you in Hanoi as well as everyone in the Yangon office.
Thank you so much for the set of lacquerware--they are just beautiful & we will think of you whenever we use them. We also received a disk with many pictures of Myanmar from one of our guides & 2 Myanmar bags from the Myanmar office. Even though there were a few mix-ups along the way, we had a great time & will recommend your offices to our friends.
I've attached the instructions from my bank so you can wire the refund from the balloon ride. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks for all your help,
Chris
Myanmar Treasure from 7 March – 19 March 2012Dear Hong,
Thank you very much for your email!
The organization of the tour was very good. The guides and drivers where always on time and very friendly! That was perfectly ok for us!
Best regards
Uta
Myanmar Highlight from 29 Feb – 15 March 2012
Thank you also very much for all your help and support. We have had a great time in Myanmar. We definitely will the Country to visit and also your Agency. All went well, just some small issues we had to clarify, what we did with your office in Yangon directly. All tour guides and drivers have been very good. We had a great great time. All the very best. We will contact you again for our next holiday to Asia. Dou you have already a suggestion for us? E.g. Laos or Cambodia....
Best regards,
Claus
Myanmar Highlight from 28 Feb – 4 March 2012
Thank you for your email and of course for creating a wonderful trip for us. We loved Myanmar. Our three guides and drivers were really terrific. We enjoyed all of the amazing sites. We had very good meals and good accommodations. I took about 3000 photos in the 5 days that we visited. I only wish that we had the time for your longer tour. I would have enjoyed visiting Inle Lake.
You can see some of my Myanmar photos at: www.PBase.com/creativeimages
The Myanmar photos are in three galleries - one for each city that we visited.
Thank you again!
Joel Gilgoff
Sedona, AZ
Angkor Wat to Bagan 12 days (25 Jan – 5 Feb 2012)
Dear Ms. Hue,
I would like to thank you and Myanmar Travel agency for organizing the trip "From AngkorWat to Bagan" for our group of four at the beginning of this year. I would like to underline that our trip was professionally organised on every stage, location of hotel rooms was perfect, guides were very kind and opened to small changes to the program. We did enjoy the trip and we will recommend it to our friends.
Thanks a lot for your great support.
With kind regards,
Małgorzata Chrusciel, Warsaw, Poland
Myanmar Discovery 14 days - (30 Dec 2011 - 12 Jan 2012)
Dear Hue
I would like to express our satisfaction about our tour.
All was very well organized starting with reception on Yangoon arrival, the visit to the different places, and all the rest. Hoteles were excellent expecially in Yangoon, Bagan, and Like Inle. A little lower class than expected one in Mandalay. A special mention for the guides and driver. All them very prepared in explaining all the details and very kind and friendly attitude always available to our request.
In Yangoon. Mr Naing Zao and driver Jin Htwe Dai
in Mandalay: Mr Sai Wunna
in Bagan: Mr. kjaw Swa Win
The guide of Lake Inle was not at the same level.
Finally we are very happy with our Tour and your Company and we hope in a near future to have the chance for organize with your cooperation another tour in Laos.
Only one suggestion: all the hoteles asked a voucher on our arrival that we dont have: I think important to give to the customer together with air tickets also hotel vouchers.
Once again thank you very much for our splendid vacation.
Best regards
Carlo Gandini from Italia
Myanmar Highlight: from 21 Jan 2012 – 28 Jan 2012
Dear Hong,
Yesterday, Jenn and I have arrived back in singapore for our trip to Myanmar. we wanted to thank you for having arrange such a perfect tour for us, we both liked it very much and a very happy with all your arrangements. the guides were very knowledgeable, the drivers good, the hotels fabulous, and we have seen so much of the country ...all in all we had a great time. so thank you !!
Ms. Caren Bergmann from German
Myanmar Discovery - 22 days from 19 Dec 2011 to 10 Jan 2012
Dear Nga Vu
Thanks for the wishes. I got back to work this morning so have only seen your email now.Thank you for organising my Myanmar trip. I had a wonderful time!Wonderful people and country. Still a long way to go in terms of tourism and infrastructure butthat will happen now that the country is moving forward.In terms of organising and service I must complement VTT for superior delivery.Hope to use your services in the future and I will recommend your company to others traveling to your wonderful country.Roz
Roz Wooldridge from South Africa
Myanmar Highlights - 5 days - from 06th August 2011 to 10th August 2011
Dear Jackson
We returned from our Myanmar trip yesterday and I wanted to thank you and Victoria for making it a very enjoyable holiday. The arrangements were great all through and we will retain the pleasant memories for a long, long time.
BestSharat
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Myanmar Highlights - 6 Days - from 22 June 2011 to 29th June 2011
Our trip was wonderful. The guides were very knowledgeable and helpful, and we loved each place we went. The biggest problem was not being able to use our cash!! We will recommend your company, and we are also interested in a future trip to Laos. Thanks for all your help.
Ms. Patria Senner from Singapore
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Highlights of Myanmar - 22th June to 26th June 2011
Hi victoria,
I just got home. thank you for the vip service that you have rendered to us. i am definetely will recommend yangon to my friends. we really enjoy your company.
Mr. Felix Tiu.
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Myanmar Holidays - May 19th 2011
Dear Jackson,
It was a wonderful trip. I enjoyed every bit of the tour, thanks to the very good arrangement and your wonderful guides and drivers. Your guides acted professionally, were very helpful, and made my visit memorable. Thank you once again.
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Myanmar Holidays - May 2011
Hallo,
We, Remco and Barbara, visited you in May in Yangon office for some urgentadvice.
We would like to thank you for helping us even during a free day and organizedflight tickets and gave us very useful information.We both enjoyed the country although we only had 16 days. But with your greathelp we made the best out of it.
I beleive we gave you all our fresh feedback when returned back to Yangon, butif you would like to hear some more experience please do not hesitate tocontact me. I am about to send updated info to Lonely Planet, which I can sharewith you as well if you like.
I will share the photoalbum I made, please feel free to use them for yourwebsite.
I am pretty sure we will meet in the future! I wish you great success and funand would be happy to hear about you.
Cheers,Barbara and Remco
Ms Barbara and Mr. Remco from Netherland
Myanmar May 14, 2011
by Barbara Perger View Album ---------- Play SlideShow
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Myanmar Discovery 9 Days - Sept 4th 2010
Hi Tan,
We made it home, finally! It was a long layover in Tai Pei--- but worth the safe trip home. I hope you had a wonderful last day in Myanmar.
Traveling through Myanmar was like walking through a dream. Thanks so much for all you have done for us. It was a fantastic experience, and I'm fired up to get out and promote these trips to the schools this fall.
I hope all of your business details come together smoothly. Please let me know when your logo and slogan are ready for copyright. I'm happy to help protect you against corporate fraud!
Thanks much. I'll be in touch.
Alethea
Friendship Tours WorldLaura Russo and Miranda Zuercher from Switzerland.