Customer reviews and what they say

From beginning to end this once in a life time trip was made possible because of the expert care and guidance I received from Rhian and the staff at Inside Asia Tours. As we opted to visit numerous places during our trip this could have been a very intimidating experience but instead was a truly enjoyable and memorable one. Rhian listened carefully to what we wanted from our trip and made sure we achieved it.

The tour was exactly what we needed and at a price that suited our budget.We thoroughly enjoyed it. On the one occasion we had a small issue the local office contacted us and resolved it promptly

Alastair was excellent from start to finish. He quickly produced an itinerary within our budget and adapted to suit us. He made great suggestions that we would have not otherwise tried (eg caving trek). He followed up as we got towards departure date to answer questions and while we were on holiday. When things did go wrong at one location (farmstay food poisoning) he quickly investigated and gave us compensation, including a meal out in Saigon (and Inside Asia took actions with hotel to prevent further occurences). He put in a lot of work for us. The other hotels he chose were superb: very comfortable and central and not too big.

From start to finish our trip was excellent. Very well organised and very professional. All the guides and drivers were always willing to go that extra mile to ensure that our experiences were as good as they could be. We were interested in Cooking classes and especially loved the private class we attended in Hanoi. This was our first trip to Vietnam so spent 3-5 days in each region. Loved our holiday

It 's very well planned by Rhian,am excellent travel consultant. All the places and accommodations, especially , the Hanokhouses recommended and arranged by her were super!

The service was very professional.Very impressed with our agent who truly listened to what we wanted. The tour package was put together with a lot of thought and took in our needs do to age and walking ability. The tour covered so many incredible aspects of all the countries. Some of our favorite things were the entrance to a private home....cooking at a private chefs house...making lanterns. Lots of fun and great memories.

Truly exceptional service and care to detail; not only with to the planning and organising of the trip itself, but also with regards to quick, kind, and professional care when dealing with concerns that occured during the trip. Cannot reccomend enough and cannot wait to organise my next trip with InsideAsia - I've never had a bad experience.

Service was outstanding. Guides were waiting at each airport and checked me into each hotel. Attentive to every need and question. Thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this fantastic trip.

If you're looking for a comprehensive trip to Japan, give InsideAsia Tours a good look. They were flexible and accommodating with the itinerary, they booked excellent guides and activities, yet scheduled enough free time. Hotels were top notch. They provided a mobile WiFi device which was so helpful for accessing translations, maps, e-mail and highlights to visit. They also provided a starter IC (subway, bus) card which gets things moving right away. Traveling to Japan is a special trip, and we feel like we have seen Japan's highlights, experienced its culture and sampled its food.

EVERY single person I interacted with from Inside Asia was over the top courteous, friendly, professional and seemed to love their job.
Even the hotels greeted me like I was a star and it was apparent they had been provided info on my likes, as the first hotel-- Pra Singh village in Chiang Mai, told me they knew I loved gardens and pointed out I had a balcony overlooking the garden. That hotel was my favorite.
The earthquake that occurred in Myanmar really had me worried as I was in Taiwan on my previous tri[. The day it happened, and I read the news, I thought I should probably email Inside Asia and ask. But I knew you guys probably wouldn't know any more than I did at this early stage... I'll email them tomorrow. And then before I could send an email, I got the email from your colleague advising me all was OK. That really said a lot to me about your company. Even though it turned out to be really nothing as far as Thailand was concerned, in those early days, it was not clear and to get the info from your people in Thailand and email me the next day, just lifted a thousand pounds of weight off my shoulders. Just can't emphasize that enough bc I'm not a scaredy cat, but early on things were not clear and I was to fly out the next day...I thought what if I get over there and things are bad and I can't get back etc. Just so important to allay people's fears with information from boots on the ground.
All the flights were perfect and easy to check in online and indeed someone was always waiting for me with a sign and a car. Again, I felt like a rock star being picked up!
My favorite part of the trip was Chaing Mai and Chiang Rai. The first day in Chiang Mai when Vicky picked me up at the airport, we went to the temple in the forest. That just blew me away-- it was like an Indiana Jones movie set! So many beautiful statues and buddhas in that forest setting. Then the Doi Suthep monk blessing was an experience I'll never forget. Vicky had already picked up food and flower vlessing for me. And then she videoed me getting the blessing. I still have the white string they tied around my wrist as a reminder.
And all the guides, being willing to take my picture, was such a nice gesture.. so kind. I usually don't like having my picture taken, but I actually did appreciate it alot. It's always tough as a single person and being older I just can't do selfies.
I am so glad you added in the guide going with me to Chiang Rai-- I enjoyed the drive and I think my mouth was open in awe for the first hour we were at the White temple. I just could not believe what my eyes were seeing.
The info packet and the info booklets about each destination were invaluable. The info in them was just what you want-- what the money looks like and the rough exchange rate, tipping guide, restaurants and a little about each town. They were just great and always with me. I didn't really see the value of what3words. I did download the app but then I didn't see the links in many of the sights that were highlighted. I ate at many of the restaurants recommended such as Condoms and Cabbages in Chiang Rai and got to see some live music.
The Chiang Rai guide was kind enough to swing by the Blue Temple on our way back into Chiang Rai. That wasn't even in the itinerary but I knew it was a little bit out of town and so I was happy he agreed to do that.
I never felt afraid anywhere except maybe a little in Bangkok. In Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai I walked all over the place. These smartphones are so wonderful and I just put in the GPS where I wanted to go and off I walked. The sidewalks are not that great, but I believe walking you get to see more and get a feel for the people. I walked at night too and never felt afraid.
I didn't really care for Bangkok, except for the longboat ride in the narrow canals and the gardens. That was wonderful. And at first I wondered why I didn't have any city tour but then I was so thankful we left the city and went to Ayutthaya. On my own I went to see Wat Pho and the huge reclining buddha and I also went to the Jim Thompson house.
The food was fantastic. And I was so glad to have so many guided food excursions. As you know, it's just not our culture here to eat from food stalls and I was worried early on about eating there due to hygiene and concerned I would get food poisoning or some GI thing. But even in Taiwan, nightly food markets are just part of the culture with people picking up their dinner after work on the way home. But having a guide gave me confidence and I never would have known what to order.
All the guides were very good. Each had their own strength and style, but hearing the history and information from a diff guide was a good way for me to get the gist of Thailand's history and culture. I learned so much about Thailand. Just a note that the little museum in Chiang Rai on the Hill Tribe people is excellent. Just so well done and the movie gives you an understanding of the different tribes. And the opium trade and how it was eradicated.
While I know I've commented I felt like a celebrity/rock star bc of all the personal attention, I know I paid for that and I also know now it was worth every penny as having that logistical side of the trip taken care of and me not having to worry how do I get to X or will there be taxis etc etc allowed me to take in more and focus on seeing and learning. It was so hot in Thailand, but every time I came back to the van, the driver was there with a cold bottle of water and a cold towel and the AC blasting in the van. Just so thoughtful!
Finishing on my own in Singapore was perfect, as it gave me a break from the scheduled routine and I could just go to gardens and admire plants! And thanks for including the Singapore guide.
I love having and using the Revolut card. It was accepted everywhere I went and I love that I don't have a big CC bill!
Thank you Robyn for setting all this up. And mostly for your skill in discerning what I would like and making this truly custom for me. It was just the right mix of activities. And I loved the fact that my time was used so well. I prefer to be on the go and rest when I get home.