Travelers Amy and Chad share breakfast cooked over a fire, watching the sun rise across the valley.

Thailand and Laos, November 15-30, 2025
Chad and I had an amazing trip! We chose Thailand for this time of year because it seemed like it would have ideal weather compared to a couple other places we were considering. Raphael was very helpful in the planning stages. We changed things up a couple times to get things just right but it ended up fitting together very well.

We spent a few days in Bangkok, where I was able to meet up with a friend I haven’t seen in 22 years. That was such a treat. We then went on to Luang Prabang. We did have some rain here but our guide did his best to adjust as much as possible. Given that, I loved our time here. The Baci ceremony was really special. The hike we did with the school visit and entering the water falls from the top was perfect. The alms giving (even in the rain) was fascinating, and the food was wonderful.

Chiang Mai was next. The cooking class and the elephant experience were a couple of our favorite things we did. I was surprised by how much of a feel-good experience the time with the elephants was. We spent some time in the north west, near the Burmese border. A couple of favorite experiences here were the sunrise breakfast and the lunch by the river with a few locals.

Last but not least was a few days in Koh Yao Noi. This was our relaxation and beach time. We spent a couple days on long boats exploring the limestone karsts, so beautiful. We also rented a motorbike and cruised around the island each evening, finding a wonderful little bar to watch the sunsets. This is my second trip with this team and again they knocked it out of the park.

Thailand/Cambodia. End of October-Early November 2025
Our trip was great! All the accommodations, tours, flights and airport transfers worked out perfectly. (OMG! The VIP airport transfers are the best. I don’t know the exact cost of these, but they are worth every penny!)

We especially loved our suite in Surin, Phuket. I think we had the best location in the resort! Of course, the highlight was the time we spent with elephants in Chiang Mai. Daniel and his team did a great job, and all the tour guides were very knowledgeable and pleasant. Big thank you to the team. We did get a lot of rain, so maybe we should have waited till later in November for this trip, but locals told us this has never happened before. Thank you, Dan.

There simply are not enough superlatives to do justice to the incredible Thailand trip planned for us by Daniel and Raphael. The eight days we spent there on a family vacation was thrill after thrill, and exceeded all our expectations. This is even more amazing, as Daniel and Raphael were charged with putting together an itinerary that would satisfy three generations with a variety of interests.

Their suggestions of hotels (137 Pillars House in Chaing Mai, and Capella Bangkok) were perfect for us. We were treated very special in both places, which we are sure was a result of Daniel and Raphael’s connections. And the tour guides…fabulous! Both Sanee in Chang Mai and ‘Mr. T’ in Bangkok were knowledgeable, very engaging, and enthusiastic in showing us the best of their areas.

We began our trip in Chiang Mai with an evening excursion via tuk-tuk through the old town, stopping at markets and visiting Wat Chedi Luang. This was just the beginning of this adventure—on the following days we had a hands-on tie-dye class, where we each made our own scarf; a rafting trip and trek in Mae Wang National Park; and a fantastic lunch of local specialties that we helped prepare. A real treat was our visit to Patara Elephant Farm, where we got up close and personal with the elephants! We were able to walk with them, then feed, brush and bathe them (we ended up wetter than them!)—it is hard to explain how magnificent, and fun, this was.

From Chang Mai, we had the opportunity to go to Kanchanaburi, where we visited the War Museum & Cemetery, walked along the bridge over the River Kwai, had an hour-long ride on the train from the River Kwai through the countryside, and visited Hellfire Pass (rock cuttings constructed by Allied POWs during World War II).

On our way to Bangkok, there were stops at two markets: the Tha Kha Floating Market, where we traveled by paddle boat through the market and additional canals surrounding it; and then to the Railway Market (shops are set along the tracks and the vendors must pull in their awnings and goods when the train passes). It was exciting and somewhat surreal to have a train pass no further than a foot from you!

Our time in Bangkok was busy; we did so many things that it would take up most of this review. Just a sample, though: visits by tuk-tuk and canal boat to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho; seeing the amazing reclining Buddha; VIP tickets to a Muay Thai fight; a private boat trip along the Chao Phraya River that gave us an off-the-beaten-path view of rural neighborhoods, villages, and additional temples; an evening food tour through Chinatown, where we sampled everything from soups to dumplings to duck to desserts; and ended the evening in a rooftop bar with the most magnificent view of Wat Arun fully lit!

As if this was not enough, Raphael made time in the schedule to introduce us to one of the best tailors in Bangkok, where the entire family managed to buy custom suits, jackets, and coats within 3 days and 2 fittings!

Working with Daniel and Raphael was efficient and an absolute pleasure. Thanks to them both for one of the best (if not THE best) family vacations we have experienced.

My family and I returned two-weeks ago from a 19-day trip to Vietnam, planned by Dan and his associate, Hanh, who organized an absolutely amazing trip to celebrate my 50th birthday. We have a nine year old son, so we requested the trip be child-friendly, not moving around too much, and helping us experience authentic culture and daily life of Vietnam. We wanted to include some biking and fishing (my son’s passion). I am a cookbook author, so I was very interested in learning about the food. We also had some very specific special requests, like making sure our drivers and guides didn’t wear cologne, since we are sensitive to scent.

Hanh graciously accommodated all of our requests and created a perfect itinerary that let us see the country from north to south, without moving too often.

We spent three full days in Hanoi, staying at the Capella Hanoi. We absolutely loved this hotel! We spent the first full day enjoying the gym, spa and pool, just recovering from jetlag. The breakfast was unbelievable and the service unmatched.

Our guide for Hanoi, Duc, toured us around the city and the countryside for the next two days. There were so many highlights, including a city tour via sidecars, an evening street food tour and the bike ride through the country. Seeing the city by riding in vintage sidecars made a city tour so fun for a kid (and us). We got out to walk through some areas to see them more closely, like the wet market (so interesting!). On the street food tour, Duc led us to places we would have never found on our own, including one pho restaurant in someone’s home. And then he walked us through the alleys of Hanoi, letting us see how people in the city live. It was so impactful, especially on our son. On the bike tour, we got to make fresh rice noodles (a highlight!) and have a homemade lunch in a 300-year old home.

We then spent two days in Ha Long Bay, on the Violet Cruise Ship, one of the smaller cruise boats. Unfortunately, our weather in Ha Long Bay ended up being cool and rainy. We made the best of it, still going on all of the excursions to the caves (amazing) and the floating fishing village. But it was a bit of a bummer not to get to experience the beauty of this area more fully. We did get to spend a lot of time relaxing in our (very large!) cabin, gazing out at the water and the rock formations. The food on the boat was excellent.

On the return trip to the Hanoi airport, we took the sea plane. I don’t like small planes, but I was so glad we booked this flight! Seeing Ha Long Bay from the air was spectacular. Highly recommend, even if you don’t like flying.

We flew to Danang airport where our guide, Vu, met us with our driver, taking us to Hoi An, where we checked into the Anantara. The location of the Anantara is what makes it the perfect base for exploring Hoi An—just a short walk from the hustle of the town center. One of the highlights from Hoi An was biking out of town and into the countryside, where we visited a family on their small farm. It was so interesting to talk with them about daily life, see how they live and experience a little bit of farming. Our son helped plant vegetables and we all helped make Banh Xeo (yellow pancakes), a part of our bountiful lunch.

We brought school supplies with us from the United States to give to children in Vietnam, and Vu arranged for us to visit an elementary school and donate the supplies. And when our son expressed an interest in riding a water buffalo, Vu arranged a special trip to his home village, where we got to spend time with—and ride!—these gentle animals.

There were so many highlights from Hoi An, which manages to be a very charming town despite the hordes of tourists. Another highlight was visiting a local tailor, Yaly Couture, to have clothes made. My husband and son got matching suits made (plus a lot more). We took some clothes with us, and the rest they shipped to our home in the United States. Such a fun and unique experience!

From Hoi An, we took the Anantara Luxury train south to Quy Nhon. What a unique way to travel. We enjoyed a brief massage, a delicious lunch and a glass of champagne (for me) while we watched the countryside change. Before we knew it, the ride was over.

We then transferred to Zannier Hotels Bai San Ho, a beach hotel. It is paradise. We had booked a beachfront villa with a private pool, and it was absolutely worth the splurge. Every morning, our son opened the curtains and ran out to the beach while we took our time getting up. The private beach was perfect for walking and the surf calm (and warm). The food at Zannier was amazing, and my son and I did a fun cooking class with the head chef. We had planned a fishing excursion for our son, but the boat ended up not being available. Instead, we did a local tour, which ended up being a highlight of the trip. We visited a local market where we were the only tourists and got to see rice paper and rice crackers made (and got to help!). We learned how to make fish traps (and our son got to help weave the traps). Then we visited a fish farm where they let our son fish in the farm pens. It was catching, not fishing! And he had a great time. We appreciated the creativity in turning the experience into something he would enjoy.

From Zannier, we flew to Saigon for the last part of the trip. The Park Hyatt was a perfect place to end our stay, and we really enjoyed having the pool to soak up a little more sun before heading home. Our guide, Giao, was so flexible in catering the tours to our interests. The evening jeep tour let us see Saigon at night—a unique experience, and we also did a city tour on cyclos. Touring in fun and interesting ways made the whole experience so much more fun and entertaining for our son (and us!).

Here are just a few other overall thoughts about the trip. First, all of the guides were so accommodating in making sure to tailor the days to our interests and energy levels. That is really invaluable in making a trip more enjoyable—and memorable. Second, we didn’t have to think about any of the logistics of the trip. Every transfer was taken care of, and we always had someone with us to translate or show us the way. That takes so much stress off of a trip! When we were leaving Zannier to fly to Saigon, our flight time changed to an early morning flight. We asked Hannah (our in-country contact with Smiling Albino) to see if she could arrange a later flight. In no time, she had rebooked us on an afternoon flight and updated all of the transfers. We didn’t have to do a thing, except enjoy another morning at the beach.

If I could have changed anything about the trip, it would have been to listen to Hanh’s suggestions about visiting more of the countryside. Initially, she had suggested a few days in Sapa and another few in the Mekong Delta. We were worried about too much travel time, but I think we would have really enjoyed less time in the cities and more time in the smaller towns. A good lesson in trusting your planner’s expertise!

We loved our trip to Vietnam. We left with such a deep appreciation for our experience. When we decide it’s time to visit Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, I will definitely be calling upon Dan’s team again.

Hosts Nu and Yo were great. Nu probably more personal and knowledgeable. Chiang Rai (two days), Chiang Mai ( four days), Bangkok (three days). All flights were fine. Met each airport, transfers and all drivers on time and very good. CHIANG RAI- Stayed at The Legend. Old, tired, pretty grounds, staff unfriendly, food OK , would not recommend. Went to two temples WHITE and BLUE. (Both recent 20 years), tourist traps. Would not recommend. Black House was OK. Wood incredible. Artist-Sa-Ngiam Yarangsee was wonderful. Bought piece. Trip needed more of these authentic kinds of stops, less tourist traps. Our fault in explanation.

Chiang Mai- Stayed at Rachamankha Hotel- Absolutely wonderful. Great large room, great staff, good food, great service, lovely architecture, interior design and furnishings. Pamela loved the textile experience and the interaction with its unique owner. Elephant Farm was great as was the run around town-especially the coconut pancakes (street food) We should have done more street food. Our fault. Pamela worries! Everyone do more street food. Very good, different, safe AND fun.

Trip to border and water trip very enlightening. You need different vendor for water trip. Steps to boat very dangerous not only for me, anyone else. No railing on lower multiple steps BANGKOK- Stayed at Siam- Also absolutely wonderful, Incredibly large room, layout almost confusing but still great, staff very accomadating, almost too so. Good food, restaurant and dock, a little too far. Could use one more elevator. Great lobby bar. Front desk very helpful. Manager very welcoming. Pamela enjoyed Thompson tour. Mark enjoyed Siam’s free water taxi to different spots.

Overall it was a very good experience. I should note my I have some difficulty in walking which did limit some of the experience. Hosts and drivers were incredibly accomodating. Overall as I understood local costs, I thought the pricing was too high. I might try again with a greater understanding of the individual costs by item. Thanks for great experience.

WOW! This trip was beyond incredible. While the food, scenery, and activities were outstanding, the biggest takeaway for us was a deep sense of gratitude. Seeing different ways of life was eye-opening, and I wouldn’t change that experience for anything. Learning Thai was also a highlight—I had so much fun practicing with the kind and welcoming locals!

Bangkok was the perfect start. Our guide, Ann, was fantastic—flexible, intuitive, and always adjusting to our pace. The foodie tour was a highlight, and our longtail boat day felt wonderfully off the beaten path.

The elephant experiences at Anantara were unforgettable, and upgrading to the Jungle Bubble was the best decision we made—it’s a must for elephant lovers! I also deeply appreciated the transparent, nuanced discussion with veterinarian Nissa about ethical elephant tourism. It was truly a bucket list moment to hang out with the elephants and feed them.

The road trip to Chiang Mai was stunning, with breathtaking temples and an unforgettable visit to a hill tribe in Fang. Our driver, Wat, was a little wild on the road, but that seemed to be the norm! Chiang Mai itself was a wonderful surprise—clean, vibrant, and not at all what we expected. Skipping Lampang for Chiang Mai Life & Legends was the right call after a long drive, and we loved Pedal Lanna and Doi Inthanon for the mix of adventure and culture.

Skipping Phuket for Koh Yao Noi was hands-down the best decision. The island felt authentic, unspoiled, and full of natural beauty. Riding scooters around felt safe and fun, and our GEM Must took excellent care of us. John Gray’s sea canoe tour was another highlight—paddling into a secluded, deserted cove felt magical! The only downside was seeing food waste on the boat, which was disappointing given how many in Thailand go hungry.

Everything about this trip was seamless—transportation, logistics, and the level of care we received. We barely touched our own luggage and felt like celebrities the entire time. Thank you for the incredible planning and patience with our itinerary changes. This truly was the trip of a lifetime!

Travelers Ted and Kathie Embacher, surprised by a wandering trunk.

We just returned on March 9 from a wonderful adventure in Thailand and Cambodia planned by Raphael and Dan. Everything was executed flawlessly with fabulous guides who were always prompt and greeted us with a smile. The adventures that we decided on did not disappoint. Although our schedule was jam packed, there is not one thing that we wish we had left out. All of our hotels were wonderful as were our flights within the countries.

Raphael communicated with us throughout our planning process and made suggestions and adjustments to our plans. He always answered our e-mails promptly and listened carefully to what we needed.

Perhaps the fact that we took over 1,500 photos of our trip says more than our words ever could. We had one amazing experience after another as we viewed the beautiful Wats, drifted through floating markets, visited old towns, ate local foods, played with elephants, walked through the large local markets and kayaked through caves into surreal lagoons.

We made a few local friends who we are now Facebook friends with.

Our guides were knowledgeable, friendly and prompt. Mr. Yo saved Kathie’s life in Bangkok when her long skirt got caught in an escalator and he was well prepared with a pair of scissors in his backpack to cut her out. Tiger executed our WOW moment in Cambodia and made it so special. I’m not easily overwhelmed, but our special dinner on a beautiful wooden boat while cruising slowly through the floating villages on Ton Le Sap created a life long warm memory. Sanee in Chiang Mai became a good friend, as well as our guide. She was truly special. And NaNa in Phuket took us to the best small food places where we ate Thai food that we never knew existed and tasted fantastic, including a small stall that had a Michelin mention!

Thailand and Cambodia are beautiful countries and the people are among the kindest we’ve encountered. They are definitely places to see before you die and Raphael and Dan’s group are the folks to take you there. Our trip created lifelong memories (not that we’ll need memories with the 1,500 photos that I took).

Ted and Kathie Embacher
Thailand and Cambodia
February 21-March 9

Liane and her family cycled near the sculpted-face structures of Angor Wat.

This is our 3rd Wendy Perrin trip and it was nothing short of remarkable. Four cities in 12 days was an ambitious request and Daniel’s colleague Raphael delivered an itinerary that fun, exciting and luxurious. The travel coordination between cities was top notch and made transitions seamless and stress free.

Our guides in each city went above and beyond to curate experiences tailored to our interests. Our trip through Bangkok with Ki, bike ride in Cambodia around Angor Wat with Camera, walking with the elephants in Anantara Resort, and our snorkel tour of the Phi Phi islands are just a few examples of this. The service and value of our trip truly exceeded our expectations. Can’t wait for our next adventure with Wendy!

Our experience working with Dan’s company to plan our 3-week exploration of Vietnam was fun, professional, creative and exciting from the first team Zoom meeting to the last. We were showered (as in monsoon season downpoors) with attention from the entire team…all of it professional and with a great attitude.

We have very specific likes and prefers-not when we travel and they were fantastic at understanding and accommodating all of these to whatever degree Vietnam allowed.

They were constantly available with any questions and addressed any concerns immediately with very satisfying resolutions.

We would share with future Vietnam travelers to manage expectations of traveling in a Communist country that is still (rapidly) developing. Accommodation quality varies significantly from area to area and the quality of some of our guides was not at the level one would expect for the price-tag given experiences in nations with more developed tourist industries. However, ALL of the Vietnamese people were delightful.

We traveled from Feb 2 – Feb 21, 2025. We started in Hanoi which was very grey, heavy with clouds (but almost no rain) and cool. We stayed at the Capella which we loved. We found Hanoi and the surroundings very interesting. We drove 6 hours up to Ha Giang to stay at P’apiu Resort and found that not worth the drive or expense, but understand that we live in the Rocky Mountains so we were underwhelmed there. Ha Long Bay was gorgeous. We were provided with our own private boat and delightful kayaking excursions. More social people would likely equally enjoy the shared-boat experience.

After the North, we flew to Danang (the fast-track service at all airports is highly advised) and stayed at the Four Seasons. We loved Hoi An and doubled our wardrobe with custom-made outfits. All cooking classes were so fun. Then we drove from Hoi An to Hue area, did a very fun bicycle tour along the lagoon. In Hue we stayed at The Pilgrimage which is, surprisingly, the best place to stay in Hue (local government challenges)—but Hue is a must-see for the imperial ruins of the last emperor.

After which, we flew to Saigon (HCMC), which was our least favorite city. Nothing bad about it, but also not particularly unique or special. Do not stay at Hotel Les Artists. It’s fine—but not luxury. The traditional music experience with Mr. Truc and Mrs. Ngo was very special.

The street food and markets are wonderful to see. The food is much more bland than we expected (thinking something along the lines of Thai food), but it is clean and fresh and made with love.

We travel extensively and, full-disclosure, expensively—and Vietnam would not be in our top 10 places for a world travel to visit. But we still had a wonderful time with those wonderful people and Dan’s team certainly helped us create beautiful memories.

Working with Dan and Raphael for our family trip with kids ages 15, 18, and 21 over the December 2024 holidays was a pleasure. They were very responsive, easy to work with, and patient. We made four stops in Thailand and Cambodia—Bangkok, the Golden Triangle area, Siem Reap, and Phuket. Angkor Wat and the temple area around Siem Reap and the elephant camp in the Golden Triangle were true stand-out stops for our family. In particular, our guide in Siem Reap, Vuthy, was very personable, warm, and knowledgeable.

The only stop we made that we wouldn’t recommend to other travelers was Phuket—the traffic to get anywhere is very frustrating. That said, one of our favorite activities of the trip was sea kayaking into caves off of Phuket so we are very happy we had that wonderful experience. Early in our trip, Raphael reached out to let us know a new direct flight had started between Chiang Rai and Phuket which meant we could skip the stopover in Bangkok. That truly improved our trip, saved a lot of time, and we were happy and impressed by their attention to detail.

We loved our guides!! Their expertise, knowledge and flexibility was so appreciated. We felt welcomed from the first minute we got to the airport in Thailand.

Our experiences were incredible—hiking, biking, rafting, and taking a cooking class—we were immersed in the culture. We were guided in the airports for our internal flights. The company thought of everything and allowed for our very unique experiences.

Thank you!! I would highly recommend them.

Travelers Jeff and Lisa Wellen on Thailand’s breathtaking Maya Beach.

What a fantastic and incredible vacation to Southeast Asia thanks to Dan and his entire team. This is the fourth time we have used travel advisors recommended by Wendy and it is the fourth time they have exceeded our expectations.

From the first phone call with Dan and Raphael until the last host helped us get on our plane back home to the States, the entire team was outstanding. During the planning stages, Raphael listened to our needs, made necessary adjustments, and gave us wonderful guidance to ensure the trip was tailored to our needs and desires.

We started our trip in Bangkok with our wonderful host Nemo. Her passion and energy were contagious. She made adjustments based on weather and current events, and blended all of our tours to create one seamless incredible experience. The most significant of those adjustments was she made sure we saw The King’s Royal Barge Procession, which is a significant cultural event in Thailand that takes place on the Chao Phraya River, which was right next to our hotel.

Next we were off to Phuket. The Surin Resort was just outstanding. The views from the hillside resort were awesome and the staff were exceptional. Raphael’s suggestion of the John Grey Sea Canoe tour and the speedboat ride to Phi Phi Islands were great.

We then traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia, where Vuthy showed us around Angkor Wat and other temples. Angkor Wat at sunrise was an indescribably beautiful experience. The next day we biked through the rice fields and countryside of Cambodia and finished with a private boat ride and picnic lunch on board around Tonlé Sap lake. The temples were awesome but getting out of the city is something you must do if you visit Siem Reap.

Then we were off to Hoi An where Vien showed us a wonderful time in the Old Quarter whether that was eating street food, shopping, or riding around town on scooters. We also did a cooking class where we prepared and cooked a meal, then ate the meal on the side of a beautiful river and finally received a foot and back massage. It was a trifecta of fun.

Finally, we ended our trip in Hanoi where Dat showed us a great time. One of the craziest things we did was ride scooters around Hanoi. An exhilarating experience to say the least. Then we went to Ha Long Bay for a one-night boat trip around the picturesque limestone mountains that rise out of the waters. It was a wonderful way to end our 16 days in Southeast Asia. Another great suggestion from Raphael.

Dan and his team have put together fantastic tours but the best thing was how the hosts made the black and white words on the itinerary pages come alive. His handpicked team of hosts made us feel special from the moment we met to our hugs when saying goodbye.

Finally, I want to thank Wendy, Dan and Raphael for the unforgettable WOW Moment they gave to my wife and me. They arranged a beautiful candle lite dinner on the Surin beach for our 31st wedding anniversary. The hotel staff was amazing, and it is a memory that will last a lifetime and such a fantastic way to celebrate our special day.

Dan and his team showed once again why everybody should use Wendy’s WOW List. THANK YOU!!

Mark and Sandra Questad learn how to eat pho in a private home.

A huge thanks to Dan for giving my husband and I a true 5-star vacation experience! After several Zoom calls and numerous emails of fine tuning the details, we set out on our trip to Vietnam and Thailand May 20th to June 3rd, 2024. It was a dream vacation for us and to say Dan’s team went above and beyond our expectations would be an understatement. We were given what I would call “white glove treatment” from the time we landed in Hanoi to the time we departed in Phuket. Every single transfer, from airport to airport and all the tours and excursions in between, was done with premium service. We rode in the best chauffeur-driven vehicles and had the most knowledgeable guides who seemed passionate about what they do. Our tours and every excursion was done privately (they remembered we prefer private tours and they nailed it!). Our accommodations were just as we hoped…boutique style or luxury, close to town where we can walk and mingle with the locals to experience the food, coffee shops and culture.

Hanoi was wonderful and we loved our junk boat stay on Halong Bay. But the highlight was definitely the seaplane ride back to Hanoi with stunning views of the bay. Our guide Duc did phenomenal, and we really enjoyed the modes of transportation we took around the city. The 2 young drivers who joined our guide, my husband and I and rode motorbikes with us made the trip so memorable. Really great kids! They chatted with us as we rode along, asking questions about our life as they shared about theirs, and they felt like old friends. We stopped by a private home to sample Pho with them and they showed us how to eat it. What a fun cultural experience it was and exactly what we love doing. It gave us a realistic peek into the everyday life of the locals.

In Chiang Mai we were in great hands with Berm. He showed us around his city and brought us to the night market where we sampled many local culinary delights and tried some exotic fruits, ending the evening with a lovely dinner on the river. We toured the countryside on bicycles and saw the area from a different perspective as we stopped for coffee at a local coffee roaster, visited local markets and ate lunch at a small restaurant. It gave us a nice glimpse into life in Chiang Mai. Berm was very personable and easy to visit with. He was flexible with us if we wanted to change some of the stops up a bit on our afternoon tour one day and accommodated us well. The elephant sanctuary visit was certainly memorable. The passion and knowledge the trainers have was evident and it gave us a new appreciation for the gentle giants (even if our ride into the mountains and over to the waterfalls was a bit intimidating!). We loved staying at the beautiful Tamarind Village and walking to the incredible Sunday market.

Bangkok was amazing and we really enjoyed our guide Kei. She took expert care of us and gave great attention to detail. Our accommodations at the exquisite Hotel Siam were our absolute favorite, from the service to the beautiful details at every turn. But Kei truly made this stop a top-notch experience. She paid special attention to details and gave us an amazing tour of the city. She catered to us and took such wonderful care, making sure that every bit of food we sampled and every place we ate at in Bangkok that day was covered. We were not expecting that. She was so kind and generous. We loved the private long tail boat tour on the canals. (My husband loves anything on the water and they must have caught that detail in the planning? Several details involved boats/water activities.) We took a tour along the canal, just the 3 of us, as she showed interesting things along the way and stopped to have us walk along the little alleyways to catch an inside glimpse of life. This is exactly what we love…seeing how the locals live. We stopped as she chatted with an older couple who happened to be her friends’ parents. They invited us into their home, proudly showed us around and offered us fruit from their tree and chilled, cut-up fruit at their table. That was so special! We loved our “Cooking with Poo” experience and the cultural part of shopping for the ingredients in the slums of the heart of Bangkok’s market. Kei was flexible with her schedule and plans, while still making sure we covered areas she felt would give us a great “Bangkok” experience, but asked us what we would like to see and do as well. We had some great dining and food sampling (from China Town to one of her favorite restaurants on the water, and it was lovely!). We are foodies and our tour guides covered that every time :) We toured the flower market and visited the Icon Siam for incredible rooftop views of the city.

Phuket was the last stop and that was intentional. An email from our travel coordinators asked me if the schedule was too much when I mentioned we were falling into bed tired every night. They said they could adjust the schedule. I said absolutely not! We want to do as much as we can! Phuket was going to be our relaxing, beach part of the trip. And it was wonderful! We spent 1 full day with John Gray Sea Caves, touring the caves. And once again, we had a huge 45-person boat all to ourselves. My husband and I were blown away as they kept assuring us in their broken English “Just the 2 of you! No one else!” They catered to us and rolled out a huge spread for lunch and dinner. It was very impressive, and we tipped them well for taking such attentive care of us.

As you have read, I can’t say enough about how incredible our whole trip was and the coordinators get the credit. Dan’s team was so great to work with! From the first Zoom call with Dan to the last tour guide making sure we were taken care of at the airport. Every step of the way was first class. Their team is amazing and went above and beyond our expectations with it. I highly recommend Dan’s company.

A woman delivers Thai snacks to April Milford and her family. Photo: April Milford

I recently returned from a family trip to Thailand for my son’s graduation. I worked with Dan Fraser and his team. Though I’ve worked with many terrific travel advisors recommended by Wendy, I was blown away by how responsive Dan and his team were. They replied to my emails right away and if they were busy they sent a quick email telling me when I could expect to hear from them. They were amazing and made planning this trip a true pleasure!

We started our trip with two nights in Singapore, since we decided to fly Singapore Airlines, and then spent a week in Thailand. Though we would have liked to have explored more of Thailand, I knew that for us three cities in one trip was the right call, so we stayed in Bangkok and Phuket. The hotels Dan suggested were beautiful. We had several private tours in Bangkok and saw all the beautiful temples and landmarks, but the highlight of our time there was our boat tour through the canals. We had a private long tail boat that took us through the different riverside communities making several stops to see temples, markets and for lunch. Right before lunch we were surprised with an incredible WOW Moment when two small canoes pulled up alongside us. At first we didn’t realize they were there specifically for us. One canoe offered us coconuts and then the other made us special Thai treats (not easy to do while staying balanced on the water) which we were given along with a bottle of champagne. We loved it. Thank you Wendy!

We had two tours in Phuket, including one at an Elephant Sanctuary for rescued and retired elephants, which was great. The plan was to then have two days to relax at the pool and beach at our beautiful resort.

I would highly recommend Dan, Bank and the rest of their team if you’re planning a trip to Southeast Asia. They made planning our trip so easy.

Tony Ford-Hutchinson and wife Jane in Bangkok, with Wat Arun aglow in the background.

Despite having visited all the surrounding countries, for some reason we have never got beyond Bangkok airport! A two-day board meeting in Bangkok gave us the opportunity to combine this with a two-week trip to Thailand. The beginning of May is not peak tourist season and was hot. However, we lucked out as a bit of rain up north reduced the air pollution levels and the real rains started just after we left. We worked with Dan to figure out where to go and what we liked and did not like, and decided to start with Bangkok and then spend time in Northern Thailand at Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

The key to a personalized trip like this is the guides. We had two exceptional guides, Kob in Bangkok and Berm in Northern Thailand. Both were extremely flexible, very knowledgeable and took us to all sorts of interesting restaurants to try all the different Thai cuisines. In Bangkok on Day 1 we toured the creative district (Jane got two dresses made using a contact from a friend) and explored the waterways of Bangkok with a private longboat. Day 2 we explored all the key sites in Bangkok and on Day 3 we drove out to Ayutthaya, the ancient Siamese capital. Other highlights of Bangkok were a foodie’s tour around Chinatown, a cooking experience for Jane while I was in meetings and dining at two of the top 50 restaurants in the world, Gaggan Annand and Le Du.

We then flew up in the evening to Chiang Mai and stayed at the wonderful 137 Pillars House. On our first day we went up Doi Suthep, the mountain overlooking Chiang Mai, and explored the temples around there. The weather had cleared as a result of rains and we actually had great views. In the evening we drove around Chiang Mai in an electric Tuk Tuk and ate local specialties in the night market. We had specifically requested to learn about some of the textile weavings for which Northern Thailand is famous. Dan arranged for us to go to Studio Naena to meet Patricia Cheeseman, a renowned textile expert and author, where we had hands-on experience with tie-dying with natural indigo dye. The next day took us north of Chiang Mai for hiking and bamboo rafting down the Mae Tang river.

Our road trip to Chiang Rai was no ordinary road trip as we skirted the Myanmar border, stopping at various points including cooking lunch in bamboo containers with the Lahu hill tribe. In Chiang Rai we stayed at Pa Sak Tong (at very off-season rates!) where we had a whole 3-bedroom villa to ourselves complete with exercise room, steam room, private pool etc. To look after our every need, we had two excellent cooks, Nid and Kwanjai, and three outstanding butlers, Tai, Benny and Pleaw, all this on 28 acres looked after by 13 gardeners and overseen by the estate manager, John Dunbar! Needless to say, we tried to maximize our stay on the villa, although we did make a day trip to the Golden Triangle where we set foot in Myanmar, Laos and Thailand all on the same day. Another bonus for this location is that the dining experience at Native Food Lab is a short walk from the Villa. All in all, an amazing trip and thank you to Dan and his staff for organizing everything.

Exceeded Expectations. This is why I go through Wendy’s WOW List.

Communication was immediate and efficient. Dan and Raphael asked lots of questions and listened, really listened to what we were looking for in this trip to Thailand. Then Raphael put together this amazing well-paced itinerary. His friendliness, knowledge and attention to detail helped ease the process. He had arranged for the VIP service at the airport, which avoided the long line up at immigration. Car and driver were waiting with cold towels and refreshments in the car, and we were whisked away into…Bangkok traffic.

Hotels were first class and Raphael’s recommendation of The Siam was spot on. What a lovely boutique hotel. An oasis in Bangkok. Excellent service and beautiful rooms.

It was our guide Mr. Yo and driver Mr. Pop that made our trip fun and seamless. Friendly, kind, knowledgeable, attentive and very patient. They were with us from the beginning to the end of our trip. Mr. Pop had a stash of coconuts in the trunk every day and we had a fresh one every time we returned from an outing. He learnt quickly how much my husband loved them. They would stop along the way at different roadside stands and suggest we try something we would not know to ask for. Delicious Thai snacks or ingredients like Tamarind…what a revelation! Spotted some monkeys and they turned the car around, picked up some food for them and patiently waited for them to clamber down from the trees and take it from our hands. It felt very local and special.

All the local restaurants were excellent and we were introduced to so much more than Pad Thai and Green curry. Another of Raphael’s gentle suggestions was the tasting dinner at the Baan Phraya (instead of the dinner cruise I asked for), it was (chef’s kiss) mind blowing. Market and Cooking class with Chef Poo was outstanding and we came away with lots of recipes and respect for the work she does in her community.

Another evening that stands out amongst so many stellar ones was when we visited the biggest flower market in Asia where we were introduced to many native varieties. Yo bought a bunch of lotus flowers and in the temple courtyard he patiently showed us how to fold the petals of the lotus flower three different ways as an offering at the temple. It was so serene and spiritual listening to the monks and locals chanting.

I cannot recommend Dan’s team enough!

Many thanks to the wonderful people who helped make this an incredible experience.

We just returned from an amazing 12 days in the far east, visiting both Thailand and Vietnam and including 5 cities total (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Hoi An and Saigon). From the moment we landed to the moment we departed our trip was flawless. The travel planner, Dan, and his team (shout out to Khun Ti!) were fantastic to work with before we left. They listened to and responded to all of our concerns and suggestions and came up with an itinerary that was right on spot. We greatly appreciated their suggestion to travel at the end of February as we avoided holidays, poor weather and the hazy season. The hotels we stayed in were truly some of the most luxurious hotels we have ever enjoyed and the service was top-notch. All of the hotels included breakfast and each one was beyond delicious, plentiful and authentic. The food everywhere was terrific, with a bit more spice in Thailand than Vietnam. We especially enjoyed “pho” for breakfast!

All of our local hosts were fluent in English, extremely knowledgeable and overly concerned with making sure we had everything we needed. It was so helpful to have them as we navigated each city, and they showed us all the local favorites, from the markets to stores to food and to the delicious egg and salt coffee that Vietnam is known for.

The highlight of our trip was a visit to the elephant rescue in Chiang Mai. Wow! The project was so well managed and allowed us to spend five hours with the four elephants that have been rescued, including a 6-year-old baby boy elephant. It was a surreal feeling to walk alongside an elephant while feeding them bananas out of our bag and ultimately joining them in a swim in their watering hole. Must do!

Having our trip planned by such a competent and on-the-ground team made for a perfect vacation. We felt safe and supported the entire time and cannot wait to travel back to this magical place again. The people, culture, food and vibe were so enjoyable, kind, and lovely! Thank you to Dan and his fantastic team!

Just back from our 3rd trip booked through one of Wendy’s fabulous travel arrangers. In this case we worked with Daniel Fraser’s office for a 3 ½-week itinerary that started and ended in Singapore with Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Luang Prabang, Siem Reap, Saigon, Hue, Hoi An, and Hanoi in between.

Dan and the team did a great job attending to all of the details, especially the VIP arrival treatment in the many airports we traversed. The diversity of the trip was amazing, starting with a festive New Year’s Eve party at 137 Pillars in Chiang Mai. A great rock band interspersed with traditional Thai dances performed amazingly well. Other events included fabulous street-food adventures in several of the cities, ringside seat in Bangkok for Muay Thai boxing, a cruise on the Mekong River from Luang Prabang to the Pak Ou caves (with a stop at a whisky distillery whose bottles contained snakes and scorpions—a bit too much for my taste), sunrise at Angkor Wat, incredible acrobats at the Phare circus, thrilling rides in several cities on cyclos, tuk-tuks, and scooters, and various museums and places that are etched in memories of those of us that grew up in the Viet Nam war era. Lots of lessons to be learned from that time.

But perhaps the most interesting part of our visit involved a dinner and musical performance at the Ben Xuan Garden House. When we saw this on the agenda, we thought OK, that could be a nice evening. Well, the host, Camille Huyen, is 6 generations removed from the emperor and is an incredible artist. She designed the home using bricks from the rubble of the destroyed Imperial Palace area, has her paintings on display throughout the home and provided vocals alongside some fabulously talented musicians whom she personally selected and developed from the local university. After the performance we were treated to an amazing dinner and wonderful conversation with Camille and Ngo Truong Dinh, her husband and a former banker during their time in Switzerland. This evening was one of the more remarkable events of many years of travel around the world. If you make the trip to Viet Nam, this is a must-do!

This was the second time we used Dan’s office. They helped us plan the trip of a lifetime to Vietnam and Cambodia. We loved all the hotels and the excursions. The guides were fabulous. I would go with anything they recommend. They really got what our family wanted to do and where we wanted to stay. We did a wide range of activities, including motorcycle riding through Hanoi and visiting a family farm in Hoi An. Siem Reap was magical! Dan and his team were always available and responded to all my emails immediately and professionally. We love them!

Dan’s team was fantastic and we had a wonderful trip in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. I can’t recommend them more highly. Dan is the best!

We highly recommend Dan’s office, which provided great guides, hotels, and activities for our family trip to Thailand and Laos. They planned a fun and memorable WOW Moment in Bangkok, but also incorporated other nice surprises. Even though it wasn’t on the itinerary, our guide Son took us to a large festival at a university in Chiang Mai after the day’s planned bike ride through the countryside, which ended up being my son’s favorite activity. We were the only tourists, and Son surprised us with foot massages. We also loved the visit to the Patara elephant camp. I’ve been to several elephant camps, and this was my favorite. I’ll never forget the time I spent with a baby elephant. In Bangkok, Nadia took us to a rooftop bar with stunning views and a great tour of old Thailand through the canals; we felt like we were out with a friend. In Laos, Kham treated us to a baci ceremony and a dance performance to wish us luck for our journey home, which wasn’t an official “WOW Moment” but definitely qualified as one. He also took us to meet with a shaman in a Hmong village.

Dan’s recommendation of the Six Senses on Ko Yao Not for the beach part of the vacation was perfect, especially since I’ve already been to other resorts in southern Thailand. The hotel staff is amazing, and the views from the villas and the main pool are incredible (check out the website). We also enjoyed visits to the resort’s chickens and feeding the goats, and of course, an amazing private boat trip to Phang Na Bay. The Luang Prabang Rosewood hotel rooms, many of which have views of a natural waterfall, are also lovely. We recommend the hotel’s alms-giving experience with Noi at a nearby village with no other tourists (at around 5:30 a.m.), which is booked through the hotel. We hope to return to Thailand and will definitely plan our next trip through Dan’s team.

Our family (4 couples) just completed a trip to Thailand in November of 2023 which had been postponed from April 2020 due to COVID. We relied on Dan’s team to advise us and make arrangements for our 12-day adventure. We began in Bangkok, which I was hesitant to include because it is such a big city. We loved it, much different than we expected because our guide Nemo took us to so many small local villages and we experienced daily life along the river, traveling in long boats rather than cars. The beautiful Siam hotel was a fantastic choice right on the river so we could hop on a long boat for a lot of our sightseeing. We learned a great deal about Thai culture by visiting temples, royal palaces, amazing markets such as floating – flower – produce – local crafts and merchandise in addition to thousands of food vendors selling delicious tastes to sample. Our guide Nemo was very accommodating, knowledgeable, friendly, truly loved and cared about the Thai people and really wanted to make sure we had the best experience.

We took a short one-hour plane ride to Chiang Mai in the north and checked into The Four Seasons Resort. A much slower pace and quite beautiful. Our guides “Moon” and “Sun” as we called them (officially Mr. Mont) were great, full of information and truly were able to show us their culture through visits to temples and markets. They made sure we tasted our way through Chiang Mai also. We had one day at the Patara Elephant Farm, which was very educational and certainly got us out of our comfort zone by being an elephant caretaker and rider. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.

We took another one-hour flight to Phuket to finish our Thailand stay at a gorgeous private beach house at Trisara. We were not aware that the home came with so many staff to wait on us! We did venture into Phuket one evening for the night market but did more relaxing here. One day we had a chartered boat take us out to the Phi Phi islands for a picnic lunch and scuba diving/snorkeling. The crew was awesome, the weather did not cooperate, however, and we ended up racing to shore early as a result of a thunderstorm. The scuba diving and snorkeling did get completed but some of the gorgeous sights have to wait for another visit. The owner of the charter still managed to bring out a birthday cake in the rain for our son-in-law and when we returned to the house, our staff had decorated in honor of his birthday!

Our guides this entire trip were flexible, able to improvise if needed and just plain fantastic, the transportation and transfers were flawless. We all enjoyed our first visit to Thailand; felt very safe, always smiled watching the locals maneuver through crazy traffic on scooters, felt comfortable trying so many different foods at the markets, so easy to exchange money, sweet people. Dan’s office was great to work with and planned a very memorable trip for us. Highly recommend!

The Elephant Nature Park outside Chiang Mai, Thailand. Photo: Traveler Bruce Tylock

We are forever spoiled on traveling based on the amazing trip that Dan and Obb planned for us. We just got back from 11 days in Thailand and loved every minute of our once-in-a-lifetime trip.

I had a last-minute business trip scheduled in China, so my husband and I decided to add on a vacation in Thailand — a bucket list destination for us. Normally I begin planning our vacation trips months in advance. However, with the short lead time of about 2 weeks due to my last-minute China business travel, we decided to use Wendy Perrin’s travel service. We were matched up with Dan and Obb, focusing on Southeast Asia travel. We corresponded via email and had a video call where they learned our travel preferences. We wanted to focus on food, culture and markets, and Dan and his team were able to pull together an itinerary that met our expectations. We were very impressed with the detailed itinerary we received prior to the trip.

Our trip started seamlessly. I was coming from Beijing, China and my husband was coming from Houston Texas. We met in the airport within 20 minutes of our flights arriving in Bangkok. We were whisked through immigration using the fast-track service and met by our first guide, Dao. She quickly learned our preferences and did a great job adjusting the activities to our speed and interests. We had a great time experiencing the street food of Bangkok and enjoyed her suggestion of taking us to a “local” pad Thai restaurant that was delicious. Thail street food is amazing. We ate many things but skipped any food preparation with bugs. Surprisingly, we thought that American Thai food is close to but not as good as what is available in Thailand. We also loved our longboat tour to see the sights in Bangkok from the river. From the water, we saw the Wat Paknam giant Buddha that was incredible and one of many highlights from our trip!

From there, we were off to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. We loved our guide, “Yawan,” for this portion of the trip. He knew so much about Thai culture and history, and we enjoyed talking with him. Our hotel in Chaing Rai was very remote — at first we thought it was too quiet, but it wound up being perfect for unplugging and relaxing after a few days in busy Bangkok and traveling. Yawan knew that we liked coffee over tea, and he took us to several delicious coffee shops in the mornings. We loved our hike through the tea and coffee fields in Chiang Rai. Yawan knew all the different types of plants along the way and it was very interesting to see all the different herbs, fruits, and vegetables growing along the roads. Yawan also helped us arrange a great dinner at the Cave restaurant outside our resort in Chiang Rai. Finally, we had a great stop at the Elephant Nature Conservation Sanctuary Park outside of Chiang Mai. The stories behind some of the elephants were heartbreaking, but it was good to know that they could live out the rest of their lives being well taken care of by the staff at the camp. Each tour group was accompanied with a tour guide. We were totally impressed with our tour guide, “Johnny,” detailed history of each elephant’s struggles and why they ended up in the park.

We were then onto the final leg of our trip in Phuket and Dan/Obb saved the best activities for last! Our guide Pong gave us a great overview of Old Town Phuket and took us out for some delicious food at some local favorite restaurants. The next day was our favorite excursion of the whole trip. The John Gray sea kayak tour was the highlight of our trip. Dan had asked us before we left if we wanted to do a private or group sea kayak tour. We said it didn’t matter, and Dan arranged for us to have a private tour — and we are so glad he did! Without question, the private tour was far superior to the group tour — thanks for making the right choice for us, Dan — it really mattered. We had a huge boat and two guides all to ourselves. The food on the boat was wonderful (and plentiful!) and the guides did an amazing job taking us around. Everywhere we looked was incredibly beautiful, and we will forever remember the night kayaking where we made an offering to the water goddess and got to see the luminescent phytoplankton, which was an amazing sight! It was tough to follow up the sea kayaking, but we also had a great time at our cooking class the next day. Chef Pui at the Brass Wok was so much fun to talk with about food and restaurants, and she showed us how to make several delicious Thai dishes. I’d always been intimidated by Thai cooking. However, when I arrived back home the following week I headed to the Asian grocery store for supplies and was able to reproduce the same delicious dishes that Chef Pui taught us to make.

It was very thoughtful that our guides in the different areas communicated with each other so that it felt like the guides already knew us when we arrived. When we told Dao in Bangkok that we were interested in getting some kaffir lime leaves to take home with us, she contacted Yawan in Chiang Mai, who gave us a bag of dried lime leaves from the tree at his home.

Our accommodations were all top-notch, and our rooms were upgraded at the various properties — no doubt to the connections that Dan and his team had made with the hotels. The private pool that we had at our hotel in Phuket was the icing on the cake to an already perfect trip. Our drivers were all great during the trip, comfortable vans with plenty of A/C and well stocked with drinks and snacks. It was so nice not having to worry about transfers between the hotels and airports.

Dan and our guides also suggested we use the Grab app (aka Uber of Thailand) for times when we were on our own. This is a must-do for anyone in the area and much easier than trying to negotiate with taxis. We were able to see some areas off the beaten path. It was a little spendy but worth every cent for the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Thanks again to Dan/Obb and their team, and thanks to Wendy for connecting us with him. We would highly recommend for anyone considering a trip to Southeast Asia!

Dan Fraser and his team (especially Hahn) were extremely responsive and organised a wonderful trip for my Mum and I. They listened to all my concerns regarding mum’s mobility at 80 years old and planed an interesting itinerary that was paced well enough for her to enjoy. There was not a hitch during the entire trip. All the accomodation was excellent and the drivers and private guides went above and beyond expectations. The 2 guides we had were well versed in the local knowledge but also extremely patient and gentle, helping my mum up steps, into cars and letting her take her time with any activity. It was wonderful to see Hanoi and Halong Bay and a very easy flight to Hue and Hoi An. All the locations and activities were ideal for what we wanted. Noting Mum tires easily in the heat (& some days it was 42 degrees Celsius) the activities were never more than 3 hours in one go, which worked well for our requirements. Asia can be a harder place for senior travellers to navigate but the itinerary set was great for Mum. Having a trip planner was essential to be able to see the amount of things we did but have the comfort of private cars and guides who could adjust anything if needed at a moment’s notice. It was Mum’s request to go to Vietnam for her 80th and she loved it. It was a special trip thanks to the thought and care Dan and his team put into arranging it. I would highly recommend them and the team they use for anyone interested in visiting Vietnam.

Dan, our WOW List contact, his associate Bank and Dan’s whole team named our 15-night trip from June 4th through June 18th, 2023 the “Thailand Grand Slam.” After my wife, 26-year-old son and 23-year-old daughter and I experienced this long-time bucket list Thailand adventure, the only word I’d add is…Perfection!

Briefly, things we loved about our experience with Dan’s office…

1) The most comprehensive, informative and interesting pre-trip package we’ve ever received.

2) “Fast Track” International Airport arrival and departure service enabling us to skip the long immigration lines and expediting us through customs was fantastic! Moreover, all domestic airport transfers were an absolute pleasure and so easy (I didn’t have to think! Lol!).

3) Incredibly well planned and, equally important, paced trip.

4) Amazing guides who understood and applied the “art” of being an effective guide.

5) Extremely comfortable air-conditioned vans with excellent, safe drivers and always well supplied with cold waters, cold towels and snacks.

6) The suggested hotels and our ultimate choices were some of the best we’ve stayed anywhere in the world.

7) The food recommendations from “street food” to Michelin restaurants were all delicious. Moreover, those meals, all breakfasts as well as several lunches and dinners, included as part of our paid itinerary, were exceedingly generous.

8) Flexibility — Due to how we were feeling at certain times we wanted to make some last-minute itinerary changes and Dan’s office made it easy for us and was always very accommodating.

9) Our son needed to go to the hospital in Bangkok. He’s fine and thank God his issue ultimately turned out to be minor than major, but until we knew we were scared. Dan’s team, our amazing guide, the Hotel Manager, the Dr. who came to the Hotel and the Dr.s who were waiting for us when we arrived at the hospital exhibited a Master Class in poise under pressure, responsiveness, sensitivity, calming and reassurance. We will always be grateful and never forget how Dan’s office handled this very stressful situation.

10) The pricing for everything (i.e. Hotels, room choices, breakfasts, several lunches and dinners, private guides, drivers, tours, transfers, Fast Track, tickets, internal flights, etc.) we received per our itinerary we thought was extremely fair and in fact lower than what we expected. Bravo!

Bottom line, we LOVED our Thailand experience that Dan orchestrated and executed on our behalf. We HIGHLY recommend them and no doubt will work with them again.

For those who like more detail, hotels and highlights, is below…

We stayed 3 nights each at 5 different locations. Our first 3 nights per Dan’s smart suggestion were in KOH SAMUI island at the Four Seasons, enabling us to rest and recover from our long journey, 2 flights and 20 hours of flying, from New York City to Thailand. Moreover, it gave us ample time to acclimate to the 11-hour time zone difference. The Four Seasons was one of the nicest we’ve ever stayed at, dramatically built into a mountain and offering incredible views of the Gulf of Thailand. If a room with a view is very important to you, as it is to my wife and me, the Panoramic Ocean Pool Villa room, there are only 3 of them, was absolutely amazing and arguably the nicest hotel room we’ve stayed anywhere. Those first 3 days of leisure were just what we needed to start the trip.

BANGKOK was next for 3 nights, where we stayed at The Siam, a stunningly beautiful boutique Thai-themed hotel on the Chao Praya River. The River View Suite here was perfect. Highlights include but are not limited to an amazing “street food” experience; a private longtail boat ride exploring the very diverse and fascinating riverside neighborhoods; learning about Buddhism from our outstanding guide through some significant temple visits; tuk tuk rides; ringside seats to Muay Thai fights at the famous, historic and modernized Rajadamnern Stadium; and a Ladyboy Show (the “Hava Nagila” number had our entire family hysterically laughing and was unforgettable!). We had a blast in Bangkok with long days and nights by design.

It was a welcome reprieve to then go to the northernmost part of Thailand, CHIANG RAI, beautifully nestled in the misty mountains bordering the countries of Laos & Myanmar (Burma) at the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak rivers. We stayed at the Anantara Resort Golden Triangle. We loved our Three Country View Suite. Everyday we all enjoyed the expansive, heated and inviting infinity pool overlooking the 120-acre elephant reserve. One of our absolute favorite experiences during our entire Thailand trip was our 90 minutes with Anantara’s elephants — “Walking with Giants.” Our family has done a lot of memorable animal experiences over the years (i.e. Big 5 in Africa; Tigers in India; Gorillas in Rwanda; Chimpanzees in Mahali; Penguins in Antarctica; Polar Bears in the Arctic; Migration in Tanzania; Giraffes at Giraffe Manor; Kangaroos on Kangaroo Island; Whales in Alaska & Mexico; et al) but this 90 minutes with the elephants at Anantara was especially special. A must!

We took a 7-hour relaxed scenic road trip with some memorable experiences along the way from Chiang Rai to our next 3-night stay in CHIANG MAI. The most of which was our visit and lunch with a remote (and primitive) Lahu hill tribe village comprised of 200 members who literally live off the land. They prepared from scratch one of the best meals we had in Thailand. From start to finish this hill tribe village visit was fascinating and fun for us…and them.

We arrived at the Four Seasons CHIANG MAI. Simply exquisite. We’ve stayed at many Four Seasons all over the world and we all agreed the Four Seasons in Chiang Mai & Koh Samui are #1 and #2 on our list, in no particular order. Our Upper Rice Terrace Pavilion rooms overlooking the stunningly beautiful resort and the Four Seasons’ own rice paddies was phenomenal. Highlights were a 30-kilometer bike ride with our amazing guide through the beautiful countryside; visiting the Old City; seeing and learning about some unique and historical temples, but perhaps most of all a private session we had with an English-speaking Buddhist monk where we could ask him anything…and we did. Truly enlightening.

Our final 3 nights and also per Dan’s smart recommendation we stayed in the Phuket area, to relax and recover from the past touring and to rest up for the long journey home. Dan suggested several hotel recommendations, one of which, The Six Senses, was located on the nearby island of KOH YAO NOI in Phang Nga Bay. Dan described it as “sublime.” After spending 3 nights I could not agree more. The Six Senses built into a mountain with incredible, dramatic and awe-inspiring views of Phang Nga Bay and the limestone islands felt surreal. Their infinity pool at the very top of the resort has the best views and is the nicest infinity pool we’ve ever experienced. We loved our Panoramic Ocean Pool Villa. All in all, mesmerizing! Dan’s team also arranged a half-day private longtail boat and sea kayaking tour in Phang Nga Bay; exploring the islands, visiting “James Bond Island” and sea kayaking through caves was an awesome highlight.

On our final night dinner our kids remarked to my wife and me, “This was an EPIC trip! You guys did a GREAT job planning it!” We replied, “We love hearing that and greatly appreciate it but…Dan & his team did ALL the planning!”

THANK YOU Dan & team!

The trip was seamless. Our initial flight from MSP to Seoul was delayed, so we missed our connection to Bangkok and had to take a later flight. We communicated with them from Korea as we were in transit and they were there to greet us at 1 AM! Great service! The trip involved 3 internal flights and several hotels as well as guides throughout, and everything was executed perfectly. The guides struck a great balance of providing structure but adapting to our wishes on the fly; I highly recommend Dan Frasier and his team!

In February, several friends and I volunteered at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand. After our week there we wanted to spend more time traveling on our own, so we called Dan Fraser.

Our instructions were minimal… a leisurely pace with some hiking and biking and small, beautifully designed hotels.

Taking it from there, Dan and his experience planner, Bank, put together a perfect itinerary with just the right amount of activity. They suggested three nights in Chiang Rai, three nights in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and the last three nights in Bangkok.

In northern Thailand, we hiked through coffee and tea plantations, through rice paddies and cherry orchards. A highlight was a visit to the Royal Villa and Gardens In Doi Tung. Learning about Mae Fah Luang, the princess mother who developed this area, was fascinating as well.

Next, it was on to Siem Reap, where we visited the UNESCO World Heritage site Angkor Wat, along with several other temples. The town itself was a surprise, with upscale hotels and sophisticated restaurants. We really enjoyed our visit to Theam’s Gallery, where Cambodian artist Lim Muy Theam and apprentices are reestablishing Khmer art and culture.

In Bangkok we stayed at a lovely small hotel right on the Chao Phraya River that was in walking distance of the royal palace.

We loved our morning bike ride through neighborhoods and temples in an area of the city not often frequented by tourists. In the evening we enjoyed a tour of the local food scene with many opportunities to try unusual fare! Fermented fish, water beetles, and live shrimp if you are brave enough!

Our last morning was spent at a Floating Market about an hour outside of Bangkok. This was very touristy, but a lot of fun… a way of life that we couldn’t have imagined!

That evening we celebrated our wonderful adventure with drinks and dinner on the 59th floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel. It was the perfect ending to a great trip.

More important than anything we saw were our guides, who made each destination come alive for us. Moon, Woodsey, and Tee were incredibly knowledgeable and a joy to be with! We enjoyed getting to know each one of them, and always felt so well cared for.

Dan and Bank created the perfect trip and kept in touch with us throughout our visit. We would highly recommend Dan’s team for your next Southeast Asian adventure!

This was truly a trip of a lifetime. We really appreciated all the little extras included throughout—the unexpected free massages; all the included meals; the lovely happy birthday messages (whether cards or flowers spelling out HBD on the bed!; the fruit baskets)—we felt so cared for throughout, whether with the lovely snacks and cold towels in the vans or just the willingness of the all the guides to go above and beyond, to listen to us and adapt our itineraries, to usually spend more hours with us than indicated on our schedule. Dan’s guides are all top-notch personality-wise, knowledge-wise and language-wise. Also, the logistics were impeccable—getting through immigration, all the flights, transport, guides meeting us on time—etc. It made for a totally stress-free experience in every way.

Some of the highlights/most memorable moments of the trip, and a few things that might be improved:

In Vietnam:
The food was UNBELIEVABLE and Lam, our guide, helped us dive into the cuisine—he took us to some wonderful restaurants, ordered for us, and was always super-enthusiastic, which made us enthusiastic too. (He couldn’t convince me to try worm pancakes, though I did try finger snails in Saigon) :-)

Hanoi—we loved this city, especially the old part; going around on motorbikes with the college students driving was a huge highlight, as was sharing coffee with them and talking about their lives and finding out their perspectives. I think we were both pretty surprised at the poverty and the level of repressiveness of the government in all of these countries—something that I was very aware of throughout.

Outing: Cycling to Co Loa Citadel: I’d say this outing was a bit disappointing for a few reasons—several things on the itinerary for that day (noodle making) were no longer valid after Covid so we didn’t do them, including having lunch at the home of two artists. Also, it was not the most scenic ride—lots of trash along the roads, etc. We were a bit disappointed that throughout, our trip didn’t have as much of a focus on contemporary art and architecture as we had hoped—but all the positives outweighed that.

Heritage Cruise to Halong Bay, 2 nights, 3 days: very enjoyable/gorgeous scenery, and we enjoyed the excursions to the village and caves; very pretty vessel and fun to meet fellow travelers. Obviously touristy but can’t be helped—spectacular scenery and everyone wants to see it.

Hoi Ann: Lovely, lovely city and our guide, Minh, was absolutely hilarious and so lively. Highlights here for us were the very early 5 am trip to the fish market at dark, followed by coffee and bahn mi at Minh’s favorite place with all the locals, and an early-morning walk on the empty streets of Hoi An. We loved the Allegro Hotel (though rooms pretty small but lovely) and spent some enjoyable down time at their gorgeous pool.

Motorbikes to My Son were totally fun—so great going through the villages—always something interesting to see and the site itself was amazing. The bamboo boat excursion was pretty touristy; could have skipped.

Another highlight was going to the tailor shop Yali: Both my husband and I had many clothes copied; he had gorgeous shoes made and the whole place was just AMAZING. I feel like I got a whole new gorgeous wardrobe in 24 hours.

Yet another highlight was a trip to an organic farm—my husband literally did a dance in the field with one of the older women working there who had us hoeing and seeding—and we LOVED our cooking lesson there. The food we made was amazing, the teacher was so charismatic; despite her not speaking English, we really connected; and the foot massage at the end was a lovely surprise.

Saigon: I think we were most struck by the Cu Chi tunnels and surrounding museum and exhibits—so unbelievably haunting and really pointed up the brutality of the war (and made it clear why the Americans lost). Our guide, Long, gave us a great narrative throughout; he was also a great food guide, taking us to some incredibly local places, including a seafood place where I tried finger snails. We loved our evening motorbike ride, too; especially getting off to see people socializing, sitting on the ground and drinking coffee and chatting, right on the curb; and the people who lived on the houseboats; we also did a sidecar excursion the next morning which was fun (but maybe not in tandem with motorbikes—too similar—but we enjoyed those guides too and especially loved going to the neighborhood where the Americans built houses for locals in the 60s and talking to the people who have lived there since then.

Other highlights of Saigon were a trip (off the itinerary) to the former government building/palace—loved the mid-century modern architecture and all the war-related memorabilia. It was also super interesting to note some of the different attitudes toward the war in the north and the south—that still remain to this day. There is a thriving art scene in Saigon and another highlight (not on our itinerary) was going to the Quin gallery, where the Vietnamese-American woman there spoke with us about emerging artists and showed us their work.

Cambodia: Our guide, Barang, was so knowledgeable and really made an effort to educate us, and arranged what was, for us, probably a highlight of our trip: Driving through a fishing village about 90 minutes from Siem Reap, getting out and interacting with so many adorable children and friendly people, taking a gorgeous boat ride to Tonle Lake where we felt so far away from it all, and, as I mentioned, arranging an AMAZING dinner in a stilted house with a Cambodian family, with Champagne as the sun set. We were thrilled.

Angkor Wat was of course amazing, but what we did also diverged from what the itinerary promised—we were supposed to go to more far-flung temples first, then see Angkor Wat midday after the tourists left; instead, we saw it first thing (peak crowds) followed by the Bayon temple (which was my personal favorite), and one more with the trees growing through which we absolutely loved.

Another highlight was going to see the “circus” in Siem Reap one night—amazing. Intimate, beautiful, great athleticism and showmanship. Highly recommend.

We also loved Treeline Urban Resort—the art and design, breakfast and staff and our room—all perfect. Spent a bunch of time at the pool there too—was a great place to relax and beat the heat.

Thailand:
Phuket—the Surin and its beach were of course gorgeous. I do think if we were to do it again, we might want to go to a more off-the-beaten-path, more rustic-type place (perhaps in Krabi?). But the room, service, beach, pool, etc.—impeccable. Unfortunately, I had a bit of stomach trouble for one day, but the staff was incredibly solicitous and it was a great place to lay low and recover.

Chiang Mai: Not to play favorites, but Berm was our favorite guide of the trip! :-) So easygoing, so solicitous, so kind, such a wonderful personality and sense of humor—we felt comfortable and easy with him always. He was also great with FOOD—a real foodie, he introduced us to kao soi (I need to find some in NYC!) and ALWAYS kept us eating well. Weirdly, given our expectations, Chiang Mai wasnt our favorite city (maybe we were expecting more beauty? or the fact that it was hazy and v touristy?), but we loved our first evening with Berm, where he basically took us to his favorite street-food stands and we made an amazing meal of it.

We did a few things we could have skipped, like going to a Karen village, which was kind of sad and touristy, and going to a market nearby that also felt like a tourist place vs. all the authentic markets we saw….

Doi Inathon mountain hike was terrific. Loved it and we had a lot of laughs with Berm. Beautiful despite the haze. I do think it’s considering that March is not the ideal time to be in Chiang Mai—the haze was palpable. It didn’t especially interfere with our fun but there are definitely better, more beautiful months to be there, as well as in Mae Hong Son.

Finally, Kanlaya’s Aerie guest house in Mae Hong Son was AMAZING. Worth a visit in and of itself. Perfect way to end the trip—we ate there every night and really got to know owners Philip and Gail; Philip advised us to do our exploration of the nearby caves at dusk instead of in the morning (as scheduled) so we could see the swifts entering the caves and flying around madly, and that is something I’d HIGHLY recommend. We loved walking around the village near the hotel; also loved the boat ride to the long-necked women village, but I’d say I had some mixed feelings about it—I’m glad I went but also felt very touristy—gawking at the locals which felt kind of odd—but in general, loved learning about all the hill tribes in this area—not sure if there is a better way to immerse in a more authentic way?

To sum up: Dan’s office might want to replace a few of the more cookie-cutter things (bamboo boats; tourist villages) with more tailored, behind-the-scenes experiences. On other trips we’ve arranged through Wendy Perrin, in Cuba and Morocco, we went into artists’ studios and homes to talk and see their work; met architects and had meals with them; met writers who had lunch with us (both of the latter in Cuba), and did some very unique things that we could never have done on our own. With a trip like this and an outfit like Dan’s, would have liked a bit more of those kind of totally bespoke touches that get us meeting people and really immersed in the culture.

All in all, we will HIGHLY recommend Dan’s services to our friends; the guides and logistics and everything else were just top-notch—it was a luxurious, stress-free, beautiful trip filled with lovely surprises and adventures. We will remember it for the rest of our lives.

Dan Fraser and team did a very good job of helping us plan a trip back to Thailand. My wife is Thai, but due to the pandemic and work, we hadn’t been to Thailand for many years. We knew that we wanted to spend our time in the South (Krabi, Islands or other ideas) and in Chiang Mai, with some time in Bangkok for my wife to visit family before we left. I had been clear that we wanted to spend at least 4 nights in any location we visited, because we too often come back from vacation tired, because we want to travel everywhere and see everything. Dan convinced us that we had never really seen or enjoyed Phuket, even though we had been there (passing through) before. He suggested that we spend time on Koh Yao Yai (a one-hour speedboat ride from Phuket) and then suggested several resorts, which he felt would let us experience a completely different side of Phuket. He suggested a few options for resorts in Chiang Mai, all of which were beautiful. All of the resorts we chose were beautiful, unique and we may not have found them on our own. Dan & team put together a few tours for us, one in Phuket, two in Chiang Mai and one in Bangkok. The guides were truly excellent (there was one who we felt was just ok, not bad, but nothing special). They were very knowledgeable and were happy to go off the planned itinerary and take us to special sights and locations when we spoke about areas of interest that wouldn’t usually be covered in the tour. All logistics were handled flawlessly. We are very grateful to Dan and team for helping us plan a smooth and enjoyable return to Thailand.

My trip to Thailand in late January was extraordinary, and no way would it have been possible without Daniel and his associates.

Let’s start from how it came about. I impetuously signed up for a one-week cooking trip in the Bangkok countryside starting on February 2, led by two women I know. After my husband said he wasn’t interested in accompanying me I asked myself if it would be worthwhile to go all the way to Thailand and not experience more of the country. I’ve never been to Southeast Asia so I decided to add on a day or two to get used to the time change (a mere 12 hours]). I thought about that for a while and then said to myself, why not some more time. After all, the cost of the flight is the same. So I went to the Wendy Perrin website and connected with Dan. We took our time planning as I knew nothing about Thailand.

I arrived in Bangkok at 6 am on a Sunday and my driver and guide dropped me in the mountains the following Thursday early evening. I had five absolutely wonderful days in Bangkok and environs, and got to feel, taste, and experience the city in a way I never could have by myself or with a group.

I loved every minute of my solo adventure. I had the most wonderful guide, Dao (pronounced Dow, which means star in Thai), who was completely devoted to me. With Andrew Clark’s assistance at the agency, we planned a very busy five days, from the moment I landed (literally). With a dedicated driver and Dao, we did the city and accomplished much of what was planned. And that was part of the beauty of it: We could improvise. Dao called for me each morning at my hotel, the charming Riva Surya, an inspired choice suggested by Andrew, neither too upscale or downscale, in a neighborhood, and right on the river.

A longboat from the dock at my hotel took us to various neighborhoods along the Chao Phraya River. I loved visiting a floating market about an hour south (by car) of the city. I loved tasting all the delights of the city. Dao knew everything and everyone as we explored Chinatown one evening.

My birthday fell during my visit and it was strange to be without family on that day. But Dao was there in the morning to greet me with gorgeous roses and we shared a special drink at night. Dao let me into her life a bit: It’s special when you feel like you are getting to know someone from such a different culture and it allowed me to imagine living an alternative life.

By the time I was dropped off I felt that I had “done” Bangkok—not that I wouldn’t go back in a heartbeat.

Many people have asked me if I really needed a private guide. The answer is definitive: yes. I never would or could have done this on my own. Thank you all for making me feel so welcome, and safe, and being so accommodating. I can’t recommend the services of Dan’s team enough.

We were really very glad we worked with Dan’s office when planning our trip to Thailand and Cambodia. This trip was originally scheduled for 4 people before COVID; three years later, we were down to 2 (the others had a baby and couldn’t come), with less time to spend than before. We had changed physically, too, in those years. Thus, the trip had to be completely recrafted as well as rebooked. Our agent worked closely with us, finding ways to make things accessible and fun. The deposits we paid before COVID were all safe and secure during the shutdown, and we never had a moment’s worry about loss. The hotels were wonderful; the guides were flexible, knowledgeable, and really good company. Dan’s office is particularly adept at scheduling to avoid crowds—we never felt like we were part of a mob—closer to private viewings. They are also highly flexible as you go through a day: If a venue is unexpectedly jammed, or traffic is more (or less) than expected, our guides re-arranged the days, suggested alternatives that would be less frantic, and generally worked with us to make sure we got the most out of every day with the least frazzlement or annoyance. We traveled to hill towns that are not widely visited and saw unusual small local temples, markets, fields, schools—not just the cities. We got a real sense of the huge diversity of these countries. It was wonderful.

One suggestion: Be very clear about any physical limitations when you plan. A few of the activities we scheduled sounded good on paper, but ended up being more strenuous than we were comfortable with when it was hot and steamy out. Our guides were wonderful about re-arranging our plans as we went, but we could have avoided this by being more explicit at the outset.

In summary, this was a wonderful trip. The flexibility of our guides and the support from the head office made everything go smoothly, even when circumstances changed and we needed to adapt what we were doing or how we were doing it. I highly recommend Dan’s team.

Outstanding tour through Thailand starting in Bangkok with a stay at the Siam, a truly unique boutique hotel that is very peaceful within the walls from the chaos outside in the city. As a solo traveler, Mr. T made me comfortable as we toured the nighttime in a tuk tuk and ended with a beer on a rooftop patio overlooking the river. Fast track at the airport is a godsend.

Four Seasons Golden Triangle is one of the top 3 most atmospheric resorts I’ve ever stayed at, with an unbelievable luxury tent for your room. My room, 14, is next to the Burma Bar for happy hour but the farthest from the restaurant and pool, a walk on an up-and-down path of 3/4 mile, so be aware that you will get exercise if you stay in the teens rooms. Mine had a tub on the deck but this is NOT a hot tub. It’s filled with water when you arrive but it’s cold water and if you drain and fill with hot water it takes a good 20 minutes. My opinion is the outside tub rooms are not worth the extra cost given that it’s basically a wood bathtub. Excellent food and acceptable wines on the all-inclusive program. Wines in Thailand are extremely expensive due to their taxes. Staff here is exceptional, just a perfect place.

137 Pillars in Chiang Mai this time instead of the Four Seasons Chiang Mai, and I was glad I stayed there. In town vs 30-45 minutes out of town for the FS so you can walk to the night market and restaurants. Stayed in a William Bain suite that was beautiful and incredibly spacious—huge. Another very quiet, elegant hotel in a city with very good restaurant, outstanding staff especially up in the dining room. I loved my guide from Dan’s office, Mr. Eak; he took me to his house to meet his family and show me his motorcycle collection and then on a bike tour through the countryside and nighttime tour of the city.

Then to Phuket for beach time at Amanpuri, the original Aman resort, and still gorgeous. Perfect service, extremely friendly staff, excellent food and wine, and a stunning beach. Room had a pool, unheated, so I only got in it once as it was shaded most of the day (901). Beautiful views from this room of both Surin bay and the next one north. Very large room with really nice bathroom and dressing area. Loved sitting outside overlooking the beach for a lazy lunch. Day boat trip to the Phi Phi islands, very nice snorkeling, rough ride over and smooth coming back—the opposite of boat trips on Maui. Take some Zofran prior to the trip if you get motion sickness.

Last stop was a quick overnight at the Peninsula Bangkok, which I’ve stayed at several times over the years, a classic luxury city hotel, nothing amiss, love having dinner and breakfast watching the boats ply the river.

This is the second SE Asia trip that I have used Dan’s team and I highly recommend them.

My husband and I wanted to go to Chiang Mai and Phuket, and revisit Bangkok, so we used some points and hired Dan Frasier to fill in. We were very pleased. Everything went extremely well. I have mobility issues after multiple joint replacements, and Dan was extremely caring and arranged an itinerary that would be easier on me. For example, we did a canal tour in Bangkok, a tuk tuk tour in Chiang Mai, and a speed boat tour to the Phi Phi Islands in Phuket. We loved 137 Pillars in Chiang Mai, which Dan suggested. With 11 flights and 5 hotels in 13 days, all was perfect. His transfers were waiting for us everywhere, as were the tour guides. It was truly amazing. I highly recommend them.

We are very glad to have chosen Dan’s team for our honeymoon planning. They were responsive throughout the entire process, gave us great guidance on off-the-beaten-path excursions, and overall helped us to create a lot of beautiful memories! You can feel confident that you will enjoy your trip without headaches or scheduling snafus, and the guides on the ground will be friendly, flexible, and extremely knowledgeable. Thanks so much for everyhing!

We worked with Dan’s office based on your recommendation, and they were terrific. They were flexible when we needed to postpone our planned trip to Vietnam in April 2020 due to COVID, and on several subsequent potential dates, until we actually got to go with our adult daughter in early December 2022. The two-week trip went without a hitch and included some truly special private experiences with local families. Each guide had a high level of expertise, spoke English well and brought something unique to the table for each of us. We feel like we really got to cover the country from north to south and never felt we were not in safe hands — even when hanging onto the back of a motor bike in Hanoi or Saigon. There were several times when our domestic flights were delayed or canceled and Dan’s office handled the logistics professionally. After action-packed days, we ended the trip at a Six Senses resort for some R&R, which exceeded expectations!

Our trip was arranged by the fabulous folks in Dan Fraser’s office. Dan and Som were amazing to deal with. Nothing was too difficult for them to do or arrange. Last-minute changes were no problem.

Where to start? Let’s start at the beginning. Thailand was amazing! Bangkok was a great intro to the food, culture and hustle-and-bustle of a large city in Southeast Asia. The temples were beautiful, the cities and towns incredible! Then Cambodia—Angkor Wat is beyond description. The ancient history and the stories of recent history, though very sad, were fascinating. Lastly Vietnam—what a diverse country! From the large cities, to the small towns and the mountains of Sapa. All so different.

One of our main focuses was the food. We asked our guides to take us to their favorite restaurants and street-food stalls. We wanted to eat like the locals, and indeed we did. We ate crickets, river worms, bamboo worms and even balut! All the more “standard” local food was even more delicious than expected.

Speaking of our guides, all were superb!! Knowledgeable and lots of fun! We toured on foot, by bicycle, motor scooters, kayak. Our long walks in the mountains of Sapa were exceptional, exploring caves and many local villages!

This is a highly recommended trip and and Dan’s is a highly recommended tour company. Thanks to Wendy and team for hooking us up with them.

We unexpectedly found ourselves with several free weeks at the end of the summer and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity for a two-week vacation. We contacted Dan Fraser and his team to plan a trip in Thailand for my kids (16 & 18) and me. Unfortunately my husband was unable to join us for this trip, so I asked that the itinerary be geared to teenagers (minimize temple visits, etc.).

Dan and his planning team (Sidney in particular) were responsive and easy to deal with. They pulled together a memorable trip in less than 2 months. They were extremely accommodating when we arrived 24hrs late due to a series of flight delays (huge thank you to Cranky Concierge for helping us reach Thailand each time we hit an obstacle with our flights). Our guide in Bangkok even bought my son some basic clothes when his bag arrived 3 days after we did.

We wanted to see Thailand, not sit on a beach, so opted to skip Phuket and the islands. Instead we visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai with an amazing side trip to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat. We were incredibly lucky in that this area of the world is just re-opening from Covid and many typically very crowded sites (Grand Palace, Angkor Wat, etc.) were relatively empty and we were really able to explore. The lack of crowds was good for us, but these countries rely on tourism so hopefully things pick up with the lifting of restrictions. The teen-friendly activities included food tours, kayaking in Cambodia, bathing and riding elephants in Chiang Mai, and mud skiing with the monkeys outside of Bangkok. The kids would say that we still visited too many temples but will admit that the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) in Chiang Rai is a fun one to see.

Logistically, I liked that we had the same guide and driver the entire time we were in each location and not someone new every day. And we could contact the home office over WhatsApp at any time. The hotels were amazing and the vehicles always had sanitizer, cool drinks and snacks, which really helped in the heat of summer.

Overall, we had a fantastic trip! We had a few activities that didn’t quite work out as they should, but that’s traveling. One of the most disappointing was the floating markets, which was a highlight of a previous tour of Thailand, but it was empty this time around. And I think the highlight of any trip to Thailand is the elephants in Chiang Mai—do not miss!

We are extremely happy with our decision to go to Vietnam and Cambodia. We are lucky to have been able to see this part of the world before the masses of tourists come back. Our trip planner was excellent. We started off with a few emails back and forth. He asked me about previous trips we had done in southeast Asia. We then had a Zoom meeting for about an hour to discuss. After that we had many emails back and forth to solidify the plans. He listened to our goals, previous experiences, etc. and worked these ideas into our itinerary.

Our guides throughout the trip also got to know us and honed our days/tours to our specific likes. For example, we like to try all the foods. Our guides did not disappoint. Throughout the trip we went to various markets and even stopped randomly on the side of the road to try things. We had a lot of fun trying some very interesting things! We wanted to have some suits made for my husband, so for 3 days in a row, we made time to go to the tailor for fittings. We wanted to experience everything we could, so even when a torrential downpour interrupted the end of our street-food scooter tour (instead of taking a taxi back to the hotel in the rain), we rode through the streets of Saigon in the rain on the scooter…so much fun and we were soaked! When I said I really wanted to find mangosteens, we did, even though they’re out of season. Etc, etc. I could give so many more examples. Our guides really were at our disposal and were happy to modify. I decided last minute that I really wanted to see Angkor Wat at sunrise. No problem, done! One of our guides even took our laundry to get done while we were on our cruise in Ha Long Bay so we didn’t have to pay the exorbitant costs at the hotels.

We ate at wonderful restaurants, street food, market stalls, and in the homes of local villagers. One of my favorite experiences was a hot pot lunch at a local’s home near the Chinese border in Bac Ha. We bonded with the local hosts, chatting with facial expressions, hand movements and of course our guide translating, all the while drinking home-brewed plum wine. We also cooked food both at a local’s home and at a cooking class.

We learned so much more about the Vietnam war. We met a Vietnamese pilot who shot down 2 American planes during the war. What an interesting and moving interaction that was. We visited the Cu Chi tunnels, the War Remnants Museum, and a hidden weapons bunker.

We partook in the Vietnamese coffee culture on numerous occasions in every city. We stayed active, hiking, biking, and kayaking. We visited a couple schools, one planned ahead of time by our guide and one impromptu. We used multiple modes of transportation… trains, planes, automobiles, tuk-tuks, cyclos, rickshaws, motorcycles and scooters. We met locals in bars, eating street food, in locals’ homes, drinking coffee, etc. We saw beautiful landscapes, historic architecture, ancient ruins, modern architecture, etc. We learned about the Khmer Rouge and visited the S-21 prison. We awed at the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat. We did all of this and more with the help and knowledge of our incredible local guides or hosts, as Dan’s office calls them. Host really is a better description than guide. Our hotels were all wonderful. All of our transfers were meticulously timed. Even when our flight from Vietnam to Cambodia was canceled, we were booked on another flight before we even knew there was a problem.

And then, the surprise for me was our WOW Moment. We had a special tuk-tuk ride to the start of our boat ride. On the boat ride on the river we had cocktails, appetizers, entertainment with a traditional singer and a musician playing the Dan Tranh, (which we got to try our hand at), and even lit lanterns. All of that was followed by an incredible multi-course dinner at a beautiful restaurant where our musician was playing another instrument. Everyone involved was amazing. Even the weather cooperated and it didn’t rain! Thank you Wendy!

Dan’s team did a wonderful job. I would definitely use them again and recommend them to friends and family. If you’ve considered a trip to Southeast Asia, do it now!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Dan did an absolutely incredible job of making our December 2021 trip to Thailand unique and unforgettable. As seasoned travellers with a healthy budget, we expect top service and want to be shown places/experiences off the beaten track. Thanks to Dan, we got routes, visited destinations and met locals that blew our minds. I even ended up buying great contemporary art pieces from a little art gallery we visited along the way (something I would not typically do). When I chatted with friends who have been living in Bangkok for more than 20 years and told them about our experiences, they weren’t even aware of a majority of the places we visited. My wife and I can’t stop talking about our incredible time with Dan’s team. Thanks again, Dan, you are the best. And, of course, a big thanks to Wendy and WendyPerrin.com. It will continue to be our go-to site for the best guides around the world.

Kae on Dan’s team planned a wonderful adventure for my husband and I. We traveled through Thailand, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Yao Noi, and island near Phuket. The trip planning was so easy as right away the hotels and activities fit exactly what we asked for. I tried to give as much info as possible about us and what we like to do and this proved to work well and our expectations were exceeded. Each hotel was an oasis. Our guides were very engaging and so enthusiastic about showing us their cities.

Ms. Ann in Bangkok was a delight. Not only did we see all the major sites but she adjusted on the fly to help us find some intriguing contemporary art galleries. We had a very memorable food and dinner tour through the streets of Bangkok’s Chinatown.

In Chiang Mai, Mr. Ack was equally fun and took us on a bike tour through his village. We saw flower fields and tried our hand at rice planting. As well, he took us to a favorite place for coffee, lunch, foot massages and a super interesting fresh market tour tasting new foods and delicious exotic fruits. In both cities my husband enjoyed some impromptu jam sessions with local pop music enthusiasts. They were so happy to have a guitar-playing visitor. It’s those unexpected moments that make for such a memorable trip.

The Six Senses Yao Noi was a luxurious spot to finish our trip. We had an exciting day boating to the local islands, enjoyed wonderful massages and a cooking class where I was the sole student. The food was delicious and staff so kind.

Thank you Wendy, Dan and Kae!

We absolutely loved our trip designed by Kae in Dan’s office. We built the trip together. There is not one thing that we did not love about our trip. The guides, drives and excursions were all top-notch. Kae was available throughout our trip. We had no challenges at all. We HIGHLY recommend Dan and his team for trips to Thailand.

The trip to Thailand was possibly our best family holiday ever because of the great things that we did as planned by Dan. The local guides, Pe and Noom, did a wonderful job of bringing the culture to life. From Temples to food markets to the elephants and kayaking down the Ping River. They asked a lot of questions while planning the trip and it showed because it was right for us. We felt very well taken car of when moving between cities which took any stress of travel out of the equation. I highly recommend using Dan Fraser.

I worked with Stephanie, on Daniel’s team, to tailor a 2 week trip to Thailand for my husband & I, mindful of our budget, and she knocked it out of the park. We felt well taken care of and felt she really understood the types of hotels we wanted to stay at, places we wanted to visit (elephant sanctuary, Wat Rong Khun – white temple, etc.) and suggestions for places to eat. They even made reservations for us at Gaggan, voted the best restaurant in Asia. It was one of the best meals we’ve ever had!

Our guide in Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai, Berm, was very knowledgeable and so enthusiastic. When we told him we were foodies, he took us to the Sunday walking market and had us try all sorts of street food – it was all phenomenal.

Would highly recommend them and would not hesitate to use them again.

Daniel and his staff were extremely responsive through the entirety of our trip. We booked two hosts for the different areas we were visiting and they were well versed and gave us the local view we were hoping for.

Thank you for a wonderful honeymoon! We’d certainly recommend using for trips where you want your logistics, hosting experience sorted for you.

Dan Fraser and his team knocked it out of the park. Last year we had to end our trip early to Thailand due to an injury. We were determined to go back and finish our trip. Throughout the planning stages, I could tell they had processed our likes, dislikes, style and preferences and that had been used to craft our new trip. We added Saigon, Hue, and Hoi An to the beginning of our trip for a 15-day adventure. We stayed at fabulous luxury hotels like the Park Hyatt Saigon where we were upgraded to a suite and the St. Regis Bangkok. We stayed at historic properties like La Residence in Hue and a swanky boutique hotel Rachamanka in Chiang Mai furnished with antiques. All of our private guides and drivers were knowledgeable, personable, and flexible. We seldom waited in line, so all the temples and sights without the crowds. Dan calls their guides hosts and they do just that. Go to the market? You get opportunities to try local drinks and fruits. At the temples, you get to participate in local customs and traditions. We are foodies and we had such amazing lunches at non-tourist places. Dan’s office team also helped us make reservations at two of the top restaurants in the world, Gaggan, and Nahm. And when we had a mini-crisis of food poisoning, our guide was there to make sure I got the treatment I needed and figured out how to reconfigure our next day so that we still got to see the main sights. The transfers between cities were seamless. One of my most favorite moments was at Ayuthayya when I dressed in traditional clothes and wandered amongst the temple ruins. Dan and his team not only gets the big things right but the details that take a trip from great to lifetime memories. Thank you, Wendy, for making this introduction.

Our trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam was excellent. Daniel Fraser’s staff were all really good and helpful and did an excellent job planning the trip. Some of the guides were better than others but overall very well-planned. My only complaint was with the accommodations on the junk boat in Ha Long Bay. It was an old boat with a very tiny room. I did not realize that you could do a one-night stay on these boats or even take a speedboat to see the Bay. I was only given the choice of the two-night cruise and assumed that that was the necessary time to see the Bay and the only option. In hindsight, I’d rather pay more, take the speedboat everywhere, and save the other two days for a place that absolutely requires it.

My wife and I traveled to Thailand in January for our honeymoon and Daniel and his staff were amazing. We had many planning calls to discuss what we wanted to do on our trip. They were accommodating to any requests and changes we wanted to make. Their suggestions were spot on and all enjoyable. They were easy to contact and responsive. What went above and beyond was the fact that they put together a beautiful book which included our itinerary, some history of the country, helpful words and translations, food and attraction suggestions, contact info, and more. Overall really spectacular job!

My travel companion had an injury that required us to cut our trip short, but Dan Fraser and his team were with us at every step and their help was invaluable.  We had an amazing few days, pre-accident.  Their pre-trip planning was detailed, comprehensive, responsive, and well done.  We were offered several private experiences such as a private monk blessing and early access to Wat pho, a visit to a private collector’s antique collection, private boats through the canals, and more.  Our guide in Bangkok was beyond amazing and was so caring and accommodating.  We truly had a local experience.  They obtained reservations at two of the best restaurants on the Top 50 in the world list.  Dan Fraser made sure we had anything we needed.  We have experienced several trips in the past arranged by your WOW List travel specialists, and I can assure you that Dan is up to your caliber of travel specialist. We plan on completing our Thailand adventure with him in future.  Wendy, thank you for the recommendation.

Daniel and Stephanie helped us create a completely individualized tour of Southeast Asia that included Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The pre-trip planning was highly collaborative, and their responses were informative and timely. The accommodations they booked were fabulous – real sanctuaries well located in the center of everything. The different guides and drivers were top notch and amenable to tweaks in the itinerary based on our desires. Some of the special experiences were so unique including the fabric workshop and elephant experience in Chiang Mai, bicycling and kayaking a few times and riding motorcycles in Hanoi. The assistance in our several airport arrivals and departures really helped us remain relaxed in what can be a stressful situation. I’d highly recommend Daniel and his team for their professionalism, knowledge and fun attitude.

Thanks to Daniel Fraser and his team, we had a wonderful time in Thailand. Our guide Poy and our driver were excellent, and the itinerary was fascinating. Poy was knowledgeable and easy to understand. She was able to modify things to fit with our interests and was totally responsive to our needs. She was always early to our rendezvous and would spontaneously go out of her way to do nice things for us. She and the driver made our visit to Thailand a great time. We would recommend her to anyone. Having a guide and driver is the absolute best way to see a country.