anyone used,"Trails of Indochina"?
 

Planning a trip to SE Asia and wondering if anyone has used the company, Trails of Indochina? If so, was it a positive experience? Thanks for any info.

I don't know that company. Is it based somewhere in SE Asia or is it based in Europe, No. America or Australia? If it is based somewhere other than SE Asia, know that they will contract out services to local providers (guides, drivers) and double the cost to you.

What do you want the company to do for you? Local companies may be able to get you better prices on hotels (though you should always make sure you are getting a good price by looking at some of the booking sites), but asking them to plan your trip usually results in recommendations that may not be to your advantage.

Where are you going? When? How long?

It is based in SE Asia. My husband and I are not seasoneed travellers and want to have a private tour for Vietnam and Laos. We would start in Saigon,continue up the coast to Hanoi and also to Halong Bay. Then fly to Laos for the main sights and then off to Cambodia. Cambodia I feel we can do on our own since we would just be visiting Siem Reap/Ankor Wat and then cruise down the Mekong for 7 days on a river cruise ending back in Saigon. Our trip will begin next in November so we have plenty of time to do some planning. Lori

It sounds like a wonderful trip.

A couple of pieces of advice: SE Asia is best seen at a slow pace. Limit the number of stops you make, as each time you change locations you lose almost a day (consider checking out of one hotel, going to the airport, checking in for your flight, waiting, flying, transfer to your next hotel, checking in, etc). When I plan, I figure a minimum of three nights in any location - that's just two full days - and prefer a three night minimum.

Also, consider how much you want a guide with you. A guide is not needed for any of the major cities in VN, nor for the main locations in Laos. Some people like to have a guide, and there are advantages and disadvantages. If you have an agent plan for you, they will often schedule you to be with a guide every minute. Personally, that would drive me crazy. So be very specific about what you do and don't want as you work with an agency.