jonbarb709

We are planning a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam in January 2011. Any recommendations of a tour agency. I know we can do an Independent Tour - do not want this. I would like a tour that also takes of air to and from the US.

flgirl0817

You may want to check out Gate 1 Travel, SmarTours, Friendly Planet. For small group tours there is OAT and Odysseys Unlimited.

I am taking the Gate 1 to Vietnam because last year I went to
Thailand and Cambodia, and I don't have that many days I can be away.

Good luck with your research.

rhkkmk

you could do most of what you want on your own for less money and see way more and stay in nicer places

flgirl0817

rhkkmk,

They asked specifically asked for a tour group. They know they can do it independently, but do not want to.

Kathie

You say a tour agency - do you want a group tour or do you want an agency that will set up an individualized trip for you?

flgirl0817

Kathie,

Ooops, my bad. She did state agency, not group. Sorry

sf7307

Not really your bad flgirl. The poster said agency, but also referred to an Independent Tour as something they don't want to do, and a "tour" that is something they Do want to do. Confusing.

flgirl0817

sf7307, you're right the OP was a little confusing. I hope they can clarify what they are looking for and we can help them.

jonbarb709

Sorry for the confusion. I do not want an independent tour. A Group Tour with an agency.I have checked with Smartours - all sold out for the month of January.Looking at Gate 1, was hoping for a couple of more days. Have not counted them out. Do not like OAT. Most of the tours (Independent ones) you have to get your own transportation to and from US. Prices are really high and it becomes a little more troublesome when you arrive in one place and leave from another, you spend a lot of time just on transportation. We have done many trips on our own (Bali, Hungary, Prague, Mexico,Hawaii, etc) but some like Vietnam/Cambodia become more of a chore than a vacation. And although there are many trips you can do on your own and cheaper (rhkkmk) when you throw in transportation like Smartours does it is hard to beat their price. We travel almost every other month. At least 3 times overseas a year, a couple of places in the states and Hawaii every year for Christmas. 2011 is supposed to be V/C with a tour; Bali in March on our own and Budapest in July on our own. We also do long range planning. Thanks for the help, sorry it was confusing.

floridagal2

Too bad Smartours is already booked. We are going with them in April. However, I know someone who really enjoyed the Friendly Planet tour...you might want to consider them. We met this person this past April on our Smartours Israel trip. That was the first time we took an escorted tour and we did enjoy it.

jonbarb709

Thanks floridaga12. We looked at Friendly Planet and of the 16 days 4 of them are 1 night stay. Have not ruled it out but would like something more than 1 night stays. Odysseys Unlimted have risen to the top. Still checking it out.

nurit172

Why don't you try to contact a local travel in Vietnam for yourself ? I think this will be cheaper, and they can design the itinerary as your request. There will not be any trouble if you have already had the international air tickets and visa to Vietnam. For the visa to Cambodia you can get upon your arrival at the airport, it is easy. My friends and I did the tours to Vietnam and Cambodia like that several times. Everything was good.

jonbarb709

nuriti172, We have contacted local travel in Vietnam. The concern is international air. You have to get it on your own. From Florida, air runs from around $1500 up (that includes taxes), while a tour with transportation included from some US tour agencies is a much better deal. Unfortunately the time we want to go the tour groups are already sold out.

sf7307

jon, have you actually checked, because honestly, we find the opposite to be true -- we always do better when we price things out on our own (the one exception being hotel prices in Egypt, where local agents get better rates).

jonbarb709

To: sf7307. Here is a list of places that I have checked with for Independent - NO travel arrangements from US to Vietnam or Cambodia, you have to make them on your own and it is high. You tell them the places you want to go, they set it up (Hotel,guide,local transportation - its for 2 people. No transportation from US to and from.
Independent tours, these places set up tours based on where you want to go:We have checked: Vietland Discovery Tour; Vietnam Today Travel; Green Papaya, Discover Indochina, Indochina Odessay; Vietnam Space Travel, Kim Tours, Sayang Holidays, Kumuka. Prices for these are reasonable but when you get transportation on your own it jumps up really high. We have also looked at going all the way Independent, Going total Independent: Getting your own transportation to and from US and to and from countries, getting Hotels, getting drivers -- we have looked at it its just gets too big of a chore with what we want to do; 3 countries (Vietnam, Cambodia and maybe Laos) a number of cities in each country. The flights get to be the real problem, you just get one and you find out the connection is not there for the next one, or you want 3 days in the hotel and only 2 is available. We have gone total Independent in other countries, Prague we did on our own, Hungary, we did on our own, Bali we did on our own, and a couple of others.
Places we have checked with package tours to VN/Cambodia with transportation: Smartours - sold out for January for both areas, they have flights from Californai and NY both sold out. Gate 1. They are sold out for early January but late January is open but the price is $1000 more for 2. Friendly Planet - not bad but too many 1 night stands. The number of places we have looked for flights are all the regulars: Orbits, Travelocity, and a host of others. There are also a few other airlines we have checked . All the prices are too high, I mentioned before we travel almost every other month - why we can do this is because we spend a lot of time looking for good deals. We don't have a lot of money but what we do have we make it stretch. So sf7303 to answer your question: HAVE I ACTUALLY CHECKED. YES I HAVE ACTUALLY CHECKED MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES. As for hotels, our experience has been the opposite. Agencies have got lower prices. We stayed in Candidasa in Bali in a Time Share, we wanted to go back the next year but just for 4 days, our price, was $72 a night plus tax. Passion Asia got it for us for $41. Same was true for Prague and Heviz (Hungary). As I said before - we check everything.

arthurames

Flying for reasonable prices anywhere seems almost impossible. We are booked on Amadeus River Cruises in Jan 11 starting in Hanoi ending in HCM. Might check out AMA

jonbarb709

I thought I would give you an update on "air cost". I contacted another Tour Agency. They have a very nice trip and although air was not offered they would get the ticket. From Orlando to HCM and return: $2800 each. And yes that was Economy. Now that's high.

Kathie

On the west coast, people often go to a travel agent that caters to VN, Thai, Cambodian immigrants for good prices on tickets. You might be better off breaking your journey in LA to get a good price on airfare. That is, you'd buy two sets of tickets: one roundtrip from your home airport to LAX, the other RT from LAX to HCMC.

sf7307

Well, I picked two random dates in January (12-26) and on Expedia you can go for $1531.90 including all taxes.

jonbarb709

SF7307. I was really expecting a comment on have I "actually checked". I also pretty shocked at the $2800 price because I also have gone to Expedia and Orbitz, and others. Now I am not sure where your trip started or ended. Almost all of the trips I have checked start in one place (HCM) and end in another Siem Reap.(just an example) Which means you probably have to center around Bangkok as your main hub.. So you fly into Bangkok then go to HCM, go on your tour, and then you fly out of Siem Reap to Bangkok. The tours regardless of which one unless you are on one that takes care of transporttion, does not pick you up until you get in country. Now you must make sure the connections are just right or you end up staying in Bangkok coming or going. Been there done that, don't want to do it again. The trip - a vacation, now turns into a chore - that is why, way back on August 25, I asked if anyone knew of a tour, one that did all the work, all I have to do is pay my money.
Kathie, the same thing, have looked into the LA, connections are the problems. Connecting in and out of LA. If its not right you end up staying over in LA and then maybe even in Bangkok. So before you even started your tour of Vientnam and Cambodia you have 2 extra days in hotel, plus meals, plus taxi.
I want to thank everyone who gave it a shot, I really appreciate all the info. I know I am being picky but in order for us to travel as much as we do, I do look for the most "bang for my buck". Thanks again.