Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

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!

Ted and Kathie Embacher | March 15, 2025
Ted and Kathie Embacher surprised by a baby elephant.

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

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