Name: Exotic Voyages
Rating: 4.93

“Tran Thuy (Judy) organized our 7-week tour of Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos & Cambodia. She was so attentive to our every request. She followed our stated budget, made many changes to our itinerary (5 drafts) before issuing a detailed itinerary with all important details, contacts, times etc. etc. Even after we paid the full payment she was quick to respond to any concerns we had. In addition, when we arrived at each destination we received a letter indicating what times we would be picked up for various tours or to go to the airport. Evaluations were done throughout the journey and we were always met by someone at least 15 minutes prior to our pick-up time. It was so comforting to be met at the airport in-spite of numerous airplane delays. The guides all expressed how happy they were to work for Exotic Voyages. This was a journey of a lifetime. We would recommend Exotic Voyages highly and are very grateful to Thuy for all her efforts. Thank you very much, Joy & Tim Canada”

Exotic Voyages 5 star review on 20th November 2019

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Posted 5 years ago

“Exotic Voyages put together a wonderful itinerary for our 3-week tour of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from which we recently returned. A huge thank you to the staff at Exotic Voyages, particularly Diep, for a very memorable trip. Every detail was executed flawlessly. All rendezvous times and meeting places were honored and there was just the right amount of communication from Diep throughout our trip. I really appreciated Diep’s understanding of our travel goals and preferences all of which were met perfectly. For example, lodging, special trip selections and the amount of free time were just what we had in mind. I found the provided travel guides, who were all good English speakers, to be very accommodating, informative and pleasant. My husband and I are glad that we decided on Exotic Voyages to put this trip together for us and will certainly work with them on our next Southeast Asia trip.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“As a frequent traveler, especially international, one would assume I would leverage TripAdvisor often to both read, comment and review. This however is not the case. It’s not that TripAdvisor isn’t a good source, but I am not always sure if the people reviewing have the same taste or experiences as I have so I am less likely to trust them, and I assume the same is true when it comes to my reviews. It is for this reason I mainly leave reviews when the experience was either out of this world or truly horrendous and truly warrants the time expenditure. I may change this opinion in the new year, but this review of Ly from Exotic Voyages continues the same premise. The vacation we experienced in Thailand was not only absolute perfection, but it was so well organized that I believe anyone who books with her will achieve the same 5-star result. In this review, I will let you know how I found Ly and Exotic Voyages, the experience leading up to the vacation and some highlights of why choosing to book anywhere else is foolish. First, I found Ly through the app provided by Evaneos.net. I had never really used a travel agent before, because probably like you, I believed there were enough resources to help me plan it and I enjoyed the planning process. Plus, when you want to set a budget for yourself, you are a bit leery of the cost you will incur with the use of a travel adviser. I picked Thailand on a recommendation from a colleague at work and being curious about new travel apps I plugged in some basic desired outcomes into an Evaneos survey. A few hours upon completing the survey I was put into contact with Ly. She asked me several questions about what I wanted to experience in Thailand and while I wasn’t still completely sold on going, my curiosity led me to outline some basics I thought might be fun I saw in a couple YouTube videos. She returned a few days later with a 15-day private travel itinerary that not only fulfilled all my requests but added several unique experiences I hadn’t even considered. She and I had discussed at length on being able to experience life in Thailand and its unique culture, not just visit Instagram locations and she did not disappoint. To put how uniquely different this experience appeared, when Googling 15 day itineraries in Thailand, very few included half of what we were outlined to participate in. Over the next few weeks, Ly and I corresponded with each other as we added finishing touches to the vacation plan, mostly involving hotel selection and dinner plans, after which I submitted the deposit. Throughout this process she was always available, if I posted her a message, her response was either immediate or due to the time change, first thing in the morning her time. The only way to describe it, is that you have your own personal consultant. As this was 8 months before I was set to travel, Ly and I didn’t communicate much again until the trip got closer. A week or so before the vacation, Ly sent me some helpful tips and let me know last minute logistical items. She also provided me some helpful emergency numbers and she and I exchanged WhatsApp contacts just in case. We departed the US and landed in Bangkok safely upon which the itinerary began. When I say the itinerary she planned was detailed, this is an understatement. She let me know when someone was going to meet me from the airline, she told me when I would have a guide or not, she even let me know minor details about the hotels such as what was nearby or what restaurant I should consider. She even helped me with friendly info about our guides. Upon arrival at the airport we were met by a representative who walked us personally through customs, picked up our bags and walked us to our car. We were transported to our hotel, which besides them giving away all their balcony rooms, was exactly as described, down to the breakfast. The next morning, Ly gave us some jet lag recovery time upon which we were met by our tour guide to visit the palace. I would have added a trip to the national museum, as several of the locations we visited afterwards referenced that the originals were on displayed there, but that’s for another trip to Thailand. The following day we participated in a food tour on a recommendation from Ly. If curious about my review on that, search The Chili Paste Tour. This was something I wouldn’t have naturally selected for myself, but so glad we went, it was complete social immersion. After two full days in Bangkok we were off to Sukhothai. The flight alone is worth taking from Bangkok to fly into Bangkok Airway’s private airport and zoo, yes airport and zoo. If you haven’t picked up your luggage right next to a Zebra you haven’t lived. We were met by our guide, Nunn, and our driver, Ka, who were to accompany us for the next 5 days. Ly and Exotic Voyages picked out absolute gems of people. They were not only friendly, but full of stories on life and culture. It was if they were picked out just for us. The hotel Ly picked for us in Sukothai was gorgeous and the Spa was amazing, another selection I wouldn’t have found on my own. As for the tours we participated in, Nunn led us through Sukhothai on bikes. She and Ka drove us to Chiang Mai with lots of stops along the road to interact with local people and food vendors, a trip to a temple in Lampang and lots of information on local farming practices. With both of their help we really felt like we learned Thailand. Within Chiang Mai, Ly scheduled a full day with elephants, a special restaurant with multiple courses, found us an outstanding tailor to visit and an evening with the friendliest restaurateur. After our stay in the city before venturing to a beach stay, Ly encouraged us to stay at Khum Lanna. It was here that you feel part of the local culture and if I had known how magnificent this was, I would have suggested we extend for a couple more days. It is here that you learn about rice cultivation, local customs and food purchase and preparation all in a house that reminds you of Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson. When I retire, I want to be as happy and engaged with service as much as the proprietors of this establishment. Finally, Ly gave us the beach and she did this through a jaunt to Koa Yao Noi. Here she picked the most fabulous of hotels. We had a pool villa along with direct access to the beach. Besides the fact that this place is geared towards Europeans who want a lounging tropical vacation, without having to forgo any of their western ways, this hotel is a marvelous getaway. My wife and I used the pool constantly, rented a scooter and traversed the island eating at a remote Italian restaurant, took a long boat at the wee hours of the morning out to Hong island and just let go of the clock. This was a great exclamation point on a stellar vacation. This was the vacation that everyone talks about, but no one ever gets. It was stress free, it was the right balance of activity and leisure and it was beyond compare to any of my other once-in-a-lifetime vacations. Without Ly, I would not have had the relationships or experiences that I got and I thank Exotic Voyages for hiring people like her. Take my advice, if you are planning to go to Southeast Asia, don’t plan it yourself, get Exotic Voyages and Ly to take care of you. Trust me, they do. You won’t be disappointed.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“My agent was Van Ly and she was AMAZING!! After much research and digging online I came across Exotic Voyages; after my initial contact with Van Ly I knew this was the best choice for me. Her communication was on point and always readily available. Our itinerary was formulated based on what I had mentioned was important to us. Everyone from their company that we came across with was super kind and helpful. If you are like me and do not have time to plan a trip on your own reach out to them! They not only do all the planning for you they also make sure your trip is the best ever. We will definitely be utilizing them again upon our return to SE Asia :)”

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Posted 5 years ago

“This was the first time we worked with a travel agent overseas. We worked with Diep Nguyen from Exotic Voyages for a seventeen day trip through Vietnam and we were extremely happy. It was completely seamless and on point from the moment we landed to the day our tour ended. All of the drivers and guides were on time and knowledgeable. I can’t even imagine trying to arrange our itinerary on our own now that we’ve been there. Diep arranged everything with a really good balance of planned activities that allowed us to learn so much about the history and culture of such an amazing country and it’s beautiful people. All of our guides were professional and kind, helpful and willing to answer questions and share their stories with us. All of our tours were either only us as a couple with the guide or very small groups with a guide. I noticed other tours along the journey that made me thankful we went with Exotic Voyages. A couple of times we had questions about our itinerary and Diep was immediately accessible to quickly answer them. We traveled south to north through Vietnam and I know there’s a million things more we could of done but I feel like we got to experience everything we wanted to while we were there, and still had plenty of free time to explore on our own . Honestly, the entire trip starting from the guy who quickly got us through the airport (like 5 -10 minutes) to every driver to all of the hotels and home stays way exceeded our expectations. They helped us with the visa process which saved us a lot of time. The home stays were all excellent. The hosts were super helpful with suggestions and the meals were outstanding and just really fun. This was an anniversary trip and I would say Exotic Voyages kind of made it perfect for us. We both would definitely recommend them if you are planning a trip to Vietnam .”

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Posted 5 years ago

“My husband and I had always been set on visiting Thailand for our honeymoon. We travel frequently (domestic and internationally) but wanted some help in coordinating and navigating the country. We worked with Andy Carroll for several months leading up to our departure and really customized every piece of the honeymoon. Would highly recommend visiting Thailand and working with Exotic Voyages!”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Vietnam south to north Đánh giá về Exotic Voyages Đã đánh giá vào 12 tháng 3, 2019 qua di động Google Dịch This was the first time we worked with a travel agent overseas. We worked with Diep Nguyen from Exotic Voyages for a seventeen day trip through Vietnam and we were extremely happy. It was completely seamless and on point from the moment we landed to the day our tour ended. All of the drivers and guides were on time and knowledgeable. I can’t even imagine trying to arrange our itinerary on our own now that we’ve been there. Diep arranged everything with a really good balance of planned activities that allowed us to learn so much about the history and culture of such an amazing country and it’s beautiful people. All of our guides were professional and kind, helpful and willing to answer questions and share their stories with us. All of our tours were either only us as a couple with the guide or very small groups with a guide. I noticed other tours along the journey that made me thankful we went with Exotic Voyages. A couple of times we had questions about our itinerary and Diep was immediately accessible to quickly answer them. We traveled south to north through Vietnam and I know there’s a million things more we could of done but I feel like we got to experience everything we wanted to while we were there, and still had plenty of free time to explore on our own . Honestly, the entire trip starting from the guy who quickly got us through the airport (like 5 -10 minutes) to every driver to all of the hotels and home stays way exceeded our expectations. They helped us with the visa process which saved us a lot of time. The home stays were all excellent. The hosts were super helpful with suggestions and the meals were outstanding and just really fun. This was an anniversary trip and I would say Exotic Voyages kind of made it perfect for us. We both would definitely recommend them if you are planning a trip to Vietnam .”

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Posted 5 years ago

“I initially planned on organizing & planning my honeymoon to Thailand on my own, which is doable, but I am SO happy I decided to go with Exotic Voyages. I was hesitant initially to work with an oversea's travel agency, I was unsure if I was going to be taken advantage of. After reading reviews of the company I decided to at the very least reach out and see what they had to offer. I got in contact with them in June of 2018, over 6 months prior to our honeymoon and was surprised to get such a detailed response from Phuong Anh. After several revisions of the proposed itinerary (revisions based on my time frame shifts and interest shifts) we settled on our final itinerary. My favorite thing about using EV is that I had complete freedom to book as much or as little through them as I wanted. Our itinerary ended up being heavy on tours while in Bangkok, Kanchanaburi & Chaing Mai and very light once we got to Phuket & Koh Yao Yai. Phuong Anh (PA for short :) ) was incredible the entire process, she was very quick to respond to all of my questions in great detail and took care of all of the booking of hotels, domestic flights, tour guides, drivers, etc. The only thing I booked myself was our international flights, but PA would have done that as well if I needed. From the minute we arrived in Thailand we had 1st class service, we had a personal attendant take us from our arrival gate to a no wait customs officer (that saved a ton of time as there was a HUGE line) our baggage was taken from the baggage carousel straight to our private driver and we made it right to our hotel :) My husband unfortunately got very sick on the flight over to Bangkok (not in relation to any of the travel, just bad luck) and was down and out with a 103 fever. Our tour guide happened to call just to say hi and introduce herself when we got in and was very accommodating when I asked to move our scheduled tour for the next day. We ended up combining the rescheduled tour with another tour so that we didn't miss out on anything which was great! Every guide we had was so friendly and super knowledgeable. I will 100% use them again in the future if we end up traveling to another area that they work.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“We just concluded a customized 10 day tour through Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Mai Phuong with Exotic Voyages planned this amazing trip for us. This was our second trip to South east Asia with Exotic and Mai and they did not disappoint. As usual, Mai was extremely patient with us as we went through several iterations of a proposed itinerary and Mai helped us customize the schedule and activities to our specific needs. The hotels, tours, adventures and the local guides were all great. The trip was hassle free. The drivers, tour guides and operators were always punctual and flexible enough to accommodate all our requests. Exotic even arranged for a turn-key Visa for our family for all 3 countries. The added expense of this service was well worth it because of the expedient service and convenience, and I would highly recommend it. I recommend Exotic and will seek Mai and Exotic’s services for our next trip. Thank you again for a great trip Mai!”

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Posted 5 years ago

“11 of us toured Vietnam for 10 days. It was a special trip, as 6 of our group had "visited" 50 years before while stationed at Phan Rang as USAF Pilots. Mai Phong of Exotic Voyages arranged our entire trip and did a wonderful job. Our guide in Vietnam, Tran Quoc Dung (or "John", as he suggested we call him) met us upon arrival at the airport in Ho Chi Min City and travelled with us during the entire trip, including our visits to Nha Trang, Da Lat. He spoke excellent English, was patient, had a great sense of humor and very knowledgeable. His help at the airports we used was invaluable. The hotels Mai arranged for us were excellent, as were the in-country flights, side trips, the restaurants she suggested and hotels (with 1 exception, which was known in advance and due to a limited choice of locations in Phan Rang). Afterwards, my husband and I continued on to Bangkok, Thailand and Singapore, where Mai's arrangements and the guides she provided were equally outstanding. We couldn't have asked for better service from a travel agency!”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Evaneos connected as to a local travel expert to plan a customized trip to Thailand, and Exotic Voyages created a spectacular experience. Our hotel accommodations were incredible, our guides were friendly & knowledgeable, and having a private driver and car made the day-to-day more convenient. We had the perfect balance of free time and planned activities, and the activities (i.e., food tours, elephant farm, floating markets, etc) were all amazing! Our travel expert was very responsive while planning the trip and during the trip. I would recommend Exotic Voyages without reservation, and I will absolutely be using them again for a future trip.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Our group had a special purpose for this return trip to Vietnam and that was to return to the US air base at Phan Rang where the US Air Force pilots were 50 years ago. Six air force fighter pilots and family members were on this trip. In addition to going to the air base, the tour included getting a flavor of Vietnam by visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Phan Rang and Dalat. Mai Phong worked with us for many months working out the specifics. We could not have asked for a better organized tour---great tour guide, modern transportation, and hotels that met our expectations except for one which we knew about ahead of time and with limited hotels in Phan Rang, we were accepting of this. We would highly recommend Exotic Voyages.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Our group had a special purpose for this return trip to Vietnam and that was to return to the US air base at Phan Rang where the US Air Force pilots were 50 years ago. Six air force fighter pilots and family members were on this trip. In addition to going to the air base, the tour included getting a flavor of Vietnam by visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Phan Rang and Dalat. Mai Phong worked with us for many months working out the specifics. We could not have asked for a better organized tour---great tour guide, modern transportation, and hotels that met our expectations except for one which we knew about ahead of time and with limited hotels in Phan Rang, we were accepting of this. We would highly recommend Exotic Voyages.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“We had never heard of Exotic Voyages, and were hesitant using an online service over a Kuoni type of tour operator. However, after so many five star reviews on T/A we submitted an enquiry with just the briefest of briefs. Three weeks travelling around Asia to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. - boutique hotels - a chance to sample real local culture and real cuisine... Within a couple of days we got an email from Diep Nguyen (who is fantastic). She prepared a very detailed itinerary and quotation, with no pressure to commit. After a couple of minor alterations we agreed to go ahead. We booked our own flights from UK to Bangkok, then Diep arranged everything else. All hotels, internal flights, tour guides, private drivers, visas, and entry to temples/areas were all sorted by her. We seemed to get a complimentary room upgrade at every hotel on our 21 night journey - maybe Exotic Voyages has some sway with these places. We had a couple of hotels bump us up to their honeymoon suites for some nights - which is just what a tight-fisted Englishman likes to hear! We seamlessly visited Bangkok, Siem Reap, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Yangon and Bagan. We were very lucky to have the chance to share a beer with Diep in her home city of Hanoi, whereupon she very kindly gave my wife a wonderful gift from a local craft shop. We cannot wait to return to Asia again - definitely using Exotic Voyages. We absolutely loved all of the areas we visited, especially Bagan and Siem Reap.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“We had the most amazing trip to Vietnam; music, art, river excursions, a cruise, city exploration, jungle trekking, and my favorite, beach time!! Hoa Tran is an excellent agent who customized our trip. She worked hard to fill all our wishes and my husband did not make it easy- he had some very specific requests. Hoa made everything seamless and was in constant contact to make sure we were happy. The hotels and food were great and our guides were kind and open to discussion. Learning about local people is the best part of any trip; our guides and Hoa were such a pleasure to get to know. I would definitely book with this company again.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“I've traveled a lot, worked as a travel agent and lived abroad. Authenticity quickly became a the most sought-after quality of all of my travels. I want to meet the locals, stay in a place that feels reflective of the destination I travel, taste the real flavors, and learn the history. When I sat down to plan my Thailand honeymoon for my husband and I in the middle of planning a wedding, I just as quickly realized that there would be no way I'd have the time or the resources to achieve the dream honeymoon I desired. Knowing the value a travel agent/agency can bring to a trip, I began searching online for the best. That's when I found Exotic Voyages. Their reviews impressed me so much that at first I was skeptical. However, that worry was soon squelched when my initial inquiry immediately matched my trip-wish list with Thuy - an expert in the region. From the very beginning, Thuy was an absolute pleasure to work with. She asked all the right questions, honored our budget and made the best recommendations. Communication was almost solely via email and couldn't have been easier. After taking the time to ensure she completely understood what we were looking for, she delivered our preliminary itinerary showed our trip was mapped to perfection and filled with the most exciting adventures and hotels. The payment process was easy enough - especially if you are paying with credit card (which I recommend anyway). Paying with credit card will incur a small extra fee, however, your credit card, ideally one with built in travel benefits, should contain some trip insurance, which essentially washes out the international fee. By the time we left for our trip, we were excited, comfortable and prepared - thanks to Thuy. But anything can look good on paper, right? Not until we landed in Bangkok and were met by our own personal airport concierge did we realize just how seamless our trip would be. We had the most wonderful guides who accompanied us and our bus driver on our private transfers throughout the country (except internal flights), both of whom delivered the most exceptional service (don't forget to tip!). Our trip truly went off without a single hitch - and that didn't happen by accident. Every details was carefully crafted and designed for us. And what I was extremely appreciative of is that I never felt like I was on a 'tour,' I simply felt like I was being led throughout the country by good friends. We couldn't be more grateful to have discovered Exotic Voyages and to have worked with Thuy. We will absolutely be using Exotic Voyages for future travel!”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Our genius planer was Mrs. Mai Phuong (MP). She organized a 19-day outstanding vacation in Thailand and Vietnam for our group of four couples. At first we had three days in Bangkok where we experienced Songkran - that was a splash to remember. The hotel was beyond words with roof top bar and infinity pool. Then our amazing guide Mr. Boon and the driver drove us to the Floating Houses at River Kwai for two nights, on the way we saw railway market and floating market. I have no words to describe the place we met at River Kwai - this hotel and surrounding is unbelievably beautiful. All of us wanted to stay at least one more night. After a beautiful stay at Kwai our guide took us to the airport and we landed in Hanoi, Vietnam for three nights. We had service from the minute we landed and EV staff did all the work for us since they had arranged express VISA for the group. The hotel was really well located and luxury. Our local guide Mr. Drung was absolutely wonderful with great sense of humor. After Hanoi we drove to Halong Bay for one night cruise. We will never forget that night. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is beyond everything we have ever seen. We had cooking class on the boat and saw amazing caves in the cliffs. After the cruise our guide and driver picked us up and we drove to the airport and flew to Hue for two nights and Hoi An for four nights. This area in Vietnam is absolutely stunning. We drove through the famous Top Gear road, had a trip to the Golden Bridge and French Village, we cycled with our wonderful guide, Mr. Handsome, we sang in the bus, we tried local food, coughed fish like the locals and so much more. Our guide thought us some local songs and we had a really great time with this new friend of ours. We finished our trip in the island Koh Samui, at the beach, walking in the sand, snorkeling, elephant riding and relaxing in an outstanding hotel in a walking distance from the town. At the end of our stay we were picked up and driven to the airport. We had one day in Bangkok before our flight back to Iceland. NOT ONE failure in all this planing!! Excellent local private guides in every destination, big private buses and drivers (bus for 20 prs. even though we were only 8 prs.), seven destinations/hotels and five flights. Our guides, Mr. Boon in Bangkok, Mr. Drung in Hanoi and Mr. Handsome in Hue/Hoi An - We can not thank you enough, thank you for a great fellowship. Luxury holiday and hotels at a reasonable price from the first minute until the end of the service. All entrees was included, always breakfast, and many lunches and dinners with locals. We can not recommend Exotic Voyage highly enough! We are looking forward meeting you again :) Thank you!”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Bui Chi was my agent.. She planned great rip for my family.. We visited Hoi An and Hoi Chi Minh City.. The hotels, tours and guides were all just what we wanted.. I highly recommend.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“The wife and I have traveled all around the world and speaking with her we think this trip was one of the BEST. Our custom made trip planed by Hoa TRAN from EXOTIC VOYAGES was exceptional.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“We want to THANK Exotic Voyages!!!!! For our best trip ever, They Organized our private trip to Hanoi, Saigon, Siem Reap, Bangkok and Singapore. Everything was perfect starting with LY our travel agent ,from the guide waiting for us at every airport when we left the airplane doors , the trip to the Hotels, The Hotels, The Tours, The Guides,The Drivers, The Food. We haven't a single complaint , it was beyond our expectations!! LY from the begining understood our preferences and planned accordingly. Keep up the Excellent job that you are doing. Thanks again!!!”

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Posted 5 years ago

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