annergizer

just got back from a 15 day trip with Tonkin Travel. Thank you all those that praised this company. I agree 100%. This was a private tour - just my friend and I. It was cheaper than the other touring companies, and gave us the leeway to structure our trip to meet our desire to do a day hike in Sapa, see Vietnam, and spend 2.5 days in Cambodia at Siem Reap. All the guides were local and knowledgeable in each area that we were in. More information? Please feel free to contact me annergizer1216<>yahoo.com

good_life_traveling

look like a touting for an travel agency!

Kristina

good_life- If you'd clicked on her name, you'd see she's been posting a long time on Fodor's. A lot of people here have used and recommended Tonkin, myself included.

annergizer-I'm sure people would love to hear more about your trip. Why don't you consider doing a trip report?

travelblogger

Honestly I'm a member of several other forums and the OP's writing style makes me suspicious.

Kristina, genuine travelers have their own way of convincing others, regardless of being a newbie or a senior member. It's the content that says it all.

Kristina

travelblogger, I agree that the tone did sound like someone touting which is why I looked at the OP's other posts. I dislike people coming on here and doing that as much as anyone else.

The OP has planning question posts as well as many posts about previous travels. In addition, she has replied to other people's questions about Vietnam (and other places) without touting a specific company. So yes, if you look deeper into the content (of the other posts), it's not advertising, but it unfortunately sounds like it.

travelblogger

Kristina, this is exactly a tout thread.

Kristina

I see a tout thread as being posted by someone who either works for the company or has something to gain by posting for them. Usually they have just registered and have contributed nothing else to the forum.

I think Ann used them for her tour and was happy about it and wanted to share. There's nothing in her other posts to indicate otherwise. Again, Tonkin is very highly regarded here (and on other message boards) and recommended by many long time posters, including me. I have never seen Tonkin tout on this or any other board.

travelblogger, if you truly think it is advertising, please use the little triangle icon to report the post to the moderators. They are very good about removing people who are blatantly advertising on the forum. Let them decide.

travelblogger

My wife and I are not traveling until Feb and posts like this have something for us to learn from, at least we know how reputable and reliable the company is.

For your record, recently I had a glimpse of another 'report' on the same company on tripadvisor which frankly I couldn't understand what they were doing with the English language. Will PM you the link should you're interested.

RedKite

travelblogger, under another name I answer questions on the TA Vietnam forum on a daily basis and therefore few posts escape my eye. I have never seen an instance of touting by or for Tonkin Travel. Are you perhaps confusing Tonkin with TNK Travel, which is a quite separate company?

I have never used Tonkin because I do not like to be restricted to a set itinerary and therefore make my own hotel and transportation arrangements as I go, but a number of people I trust on TA have used that company and have only good things to say about it.

Kristina

Redkite-We didn't use them for a tour either. I did used them to book a few hotels (they actually had better rates than I could get by booking by myself), some point to point transfers and they assisted my with booking some flights on VN airlines because I could not get their web site to work.
They were very patient in answering my dozens of questions. They only took a small deposit in advance and we paid the balance on arrival. Oh, I also had them do our visa for us. So I guess I created my own "tour" sort of like the OP did.

I wish annergizer would come back and fill us in on her trip.

travelblogger

Redkite: I wasn't confused at all because, as previously said, I still have the link in hand now.

I have no intention of destroying the reputation of any companies but just want to keep the forum free of touts and once again I affirm that this is a TOUT thread.

good_life_traveling

hi Krist, actually i strongly agree with travelblogger, this post is clearly a tout although I know Tonkin Travel is an ok Agency. B

WillJame

I've really been enjoying this "Yes, it is" --"No, it isn't" thread. Even got me to look up "tout."
Definition is "to solicit (business, customers, etc.) or hawk (merchandise), esp in a brazen way." Can't see that Annergizer is soliciting or hawking, so let's hear WHY this is a tout thread.
If anyone who merely praises or recommends a company, service, hotel, or restaurant is touting, then Fodor's collapses, withers, and dies.

Kathie

I think most "tout" threads are easy to spot. The person has just joined, the only post is in high praise of a company, hotel, etc. Or, sometimes, a person will join, make a few irrelevant comments then do their advertising. A tout is in the employ of the company they are posting about. A bona fide traveler singing the praises of a company is not a tout.

This post does not fit the mold. This poster has been here for two years, asked lots of questions in preparation for the trip, and this is the first post in praise of this company. While I always prefer if someone gives us at least a brief trip report, it's not a requirement of Fodors.

The regulars on this board are pretty vigilant about routing out touts.

Looks like a false alarm to me.

travelblogger

This is by no means a false alarm to anyone. Just noticed that both Kristina and Kathie joined Fodors in Jan 2003 and are protecting someone...

crellston

travelblogger - I do love a conspiracy theory, but you really are barking up the wrong tree by accusing Kathie and Kristina of having ulterior motives (i.e. "protecting someone..."). They are both long standing and respected members of this forum and, quite frankly, I am inclined to be more suspicious of the motives of a new member (say one who has only been around since Nov 2009!). You may well be right in your assertions re the OP but please do not resort to insulting the integrity of others who put forward reasoned arguments which do not happen to agree with your own point of view.

Kristina

Unbelieveable.

Both Kathie and I have been here much longer than Jan 2003. That's just when Fodor's made people register a username in order to be able to post here. So there's nothing underhanded going on here. Wow.

Anyone crying "tout" here has yet to actually say why they think it is so, taking into account the OP's prior postings and the definition of the word "tout."

Honestly, I just hate to see people accused of things they are not. And now that I too have been accused of something I am not, I dislike it even more so.

Crellston, thank you for your comment about people who <i>"resort to insulting the integrity of others who put forward reasoned arguments which do not happen to agree with your own point of view."</i> I agree. Just because one can hide behind the anonymity of the internet, doesn't mean they should be rude.

NeoPatrick

How bizarre. I'm a long standing member of Fodors myself and detest people who register here just to tout a company. But I'm just starting to do some Asia planning, came here to read some posts and get somebody with some strange axe to grind. I don't know any of these people, but anyone with an IQ over 15 could easily click on the posts of the OP and clearly see there is no way she came here to tout a company! That's just insane. Suggesting that anyone who works for a travel company has a writing style that can't be similar to a regular traveler is even MORE insane.

Now could we get back to the issue at hand? Discussing actual travel instead of bombarding a regular poster falsely accusing them of advertising would be a good start!

dogster

[copy of generic reply to all travblog's future posts]

I think it's time to call travblog out.

'I'm a member of several other forums...'

So why, trav - are you asking such dumb, dumb questions?

'Could any of you recommend a website that offers best rates on hotels in Cambodia?'

'I'm looking for a site where I can learn some greeting words in local language before I leave.'

'I've read somewhere that Vietnam requires 2 passport sized photos while Cambodia needs one only. Do I get it right?

'Is Phnom Penh worth a visit?'

and the doozy of them all:
'Since we plan to go on a long trip in Feb and possibly pack up pretty much stuff, we're wondering if, after each destination, it's possible to send our luggage to hotels in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia before checking in?'

'Just noticed that both Kristina and Kathie joined Fodors in Jan 2003 and are protecting someone...'

Travblog: I just noticed you joined this month.

Let me return to your quote:

'I'm a member of several other forums... and the OP's writing style makes me suspicious... genuine travelers have their own way of convincing others, regardless of being a newbie or a senior member. It's the content that says it all...'

We-e-e-ell, travblog, I think YOUR content says it all. YOUR writing style makes ME suspicious.

You seem to happily sniff out a tout, pour scorn on the integrity of others from a position of some imagined authority - while asking some of the dumbest questions in Fodor's history. Something ain't quite right.

So I hope you won't mind if I use the other 't' word to describe you. I wonder if can think what that word might be?

I'm on your case, as of now.

annergizer

OMG! Who knew I would set all this drama off?? AS you know, it is hard to plan a trip, esp if you don't want to be part of a busload of people! I only wanted to thank other Fodorites for mentioning this company and recommending it to others because - yes, they did a great job, and yes, I want them to continue to tour other travelers.

I am not a tout, but I play one on TV (old joke)
Annette