I have been going to drop you an email since I returned but as soon as I landed it was time to take charge of a charity event I chair every year for an orphanage in India. As soon as that was over, I flew to Dallas to see my grandkids. The littlest one, had broken his arm while I was on my trip and I couldn’t wait to hug him! I’m finally home for a month and trying to catch up!
I wanted to tell you how wonderful all the tours were in both Vietnam and Bangkok…and how absolutely special the trip to Cambodia was! It turned out that Cambodia was my favorite part of the trip. I never dreamed that Angkor Wat would be so spectacular. The flights weren’t real punctual or at great times or always the greatest equipment (Vietnam Airlines) but it all became part of the adventure. Silk Air was the best as far as service, food and quality. The two guides we had in Cambodia were FANTASTIC..my group wanted to bring them both home with them. They both spoke from their heart and made what happened in their country so relevant for all of us. What survivors those people are! I especially appreciated Nim in Angkor Wat….he was so accommodating and really tried to help me out with the group requests. He seemed to take it in stride if I told him…well, they don’t want to do that now or they would rather go for a swim! He just helped me make it all work! For such an extensive trip, it really was a wonderful experience for everyone and they truly appreciated the work involved.
A few suggestions: Each guide had a different sign they held up…one city it was Mr and Ms Kelley…one it was Steven Kelley….those with Kelley on it we were all able to spot. The one that didn’t work was when we were disembarking in Singapore, the guide was holding a sign that said “Seabourn Group”….well we went right by her because we were no longer with Seabourn plus that was the logo/sign Seabourn used for everyone going on Seabourn Cruises ship arranged tours. All it took was a quick phone call and they called her and she came looking for us…but my suggestion would be that the same group name be used throughout a trip so the guide was always easy for everyone to find!
The Raffles Hotel in Angkor Wat was beautiful and the dinner was exceptional. Unfortunately, it was extremely hot that evening and there were absolutely no fans, misters, or anything in the area where they seated us. It made it extremely uncomfortable and it was such a shame because it was wonderful food and a beautiful event. I think that a five star hotel should be able to get better ventilation around the area and improve the experience. I would appreciate if you would pass my remarks on to Raffles.
We loved Le Residence….I’m really glad that you picked that hotel as the experience was so much more exotic and reminded me of a hotel I stayed at in Bali. However, their bartenders need to go back to bartending school…the bar service in general was sub par! Which was surprising as the food service and variety to the menu was wonderful! Everyone just loved it there and Carla, the general manager was really friendly and outgoing. We all loved our rooms and just laughed about the inconsistency in the drinks!
The luggage service at the terminal in Singapore worked out fantastic. It was so freeing to get rid of all my big suitcases and fly with one bag between my husband and I. Luckily, I had printed all the information you emailed me because the guide didn’t seem to realize that is what we were doing first. She quickly figured out the logistics and took us to the terminal where we would be coming into on our return, and had us use the service there. It was really pretty quick considering all 14 of us checked bags! I highly recommend it…it was a great solution.
You might have heard that we skipped our first dinner in Angkor Wat. Everyone just wanted to get to the hotel…it was 730pm at night…no one wanted to stop for a dinner after a long day of touring plus flying. The way I read the itinerary, I thought it was a dinner arranged at the hotel. When we realized it wasn’t, everyone opted to go to the hotel as we were hot and sticky so they wanted to shower…then find a light meal at the hotel. By that time we had experienced enough local food that it was fun to order pizza! Great pizza at Le Residence!
Anyway, all was great…and I wanted to thank you and your staff for all your hard work on the itinerary. Singapore was a relaxing, enjoyable end to the trip for everyone. Really sad on our ship itinerary, it was very foggy in Halong Bay and my clients really did not experience the beauty of that bay. I was disappointed for them!
Thank you again for organizing such a wonderful trip in Cambodia. If you ever need a referral or would like to have me talk to an agent on your behalf, I would be happy to give you a great recommendation!
Sincerely,
Margaret Kelley