Both the Hanoi and Angkor trips have been great. Everything ran smoothly and any changed circumstances responded to in a good way (e.g., bad weather....) I really appreciated your guidelines on appropriate tips for guides and drivers. I would be happy to recommend your services to others.

James A., Jakarta
January 08

I was ecstatic with the "Purple Dragon Experience" to the envy of my fellow travelers.  I wouldn't change a thing. Hope to see you soon.

Mark B., San Francisco
January 08

Bobby did a really good job setting up arrangements for tours and guides. Guides were very helpful and knowledgeable. the tours and guides helped make my trip a wonderful time.

Burke S., Houston
December 07

I thought the coordination of the local agents was incredible and made the trip worry free. I loved the fact that at a moment's notice we could alter our plan as we wanted.

Melvyn L., Los Angeles
November 07

Office staff very helpful in person and via email. Guides exceptional.

John L., Sydney
November 07

I knew I was paying a bit more when I chose your travel package compared to what I could have booked on my own for.  But, I knew I was going somewhere completely unfamiliar to me (Myanmar) and I trusted that your knowledge of the area would lessen the likelihood that I would encounter "bad surprises" during my trip.  This was no doubt was the case not just once, but many times during my trip!  From visa issues at the border to money exchange difficulties to avoiding problem-some in-country transportation, my guides were there to solve any and all problems.  I also received what I thought was fantastic personal service in deciding  the best way to spend the week I had available in this interesting country.  Thanks for planning a great trip!

Todd S.
September 07

YOU ARE THE BEST, DOUGLAS

Ralph Hyman
Little Rock - September 07

Ted and I had a fabulous time in Thailand. Thanks! We especially enjoyed Khom (?) in Bangkok. Everything went really well, except we had trouble with both our transfers in Chiang Mai. Either the hotel shuttle was not waiting on our arrival or we didn't find it before it left, and the hotel shuttle wouldn't take us to the train station on our way to Bangkok so we hopped into a pickup truck.

I think I mentioned this was my second visit to Thailand. My first one was with someone who was actually Thai, but this visit was way better, thanks to you and the guides. Next time Ted and I are around, you can be quite sure we'll be in touch.

Emery
September 07

Douglas,  I just wanted to let you know one more time how multi faceted, multi-cultural, quick of wit and adept you are. I returned to your company because of your high standards, breadth of knowledge and charming personality. Keep up the good work and know that you can create something just right for you. You are in charge of your universe.

Ed S.
September 07

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to thank you for another great trip to Thailand.  Although it was my first visit to Chiang Mai, I am certain that it will not be my last.  Tuu is a wonderful guide and with him I had an opportunity to see all aspects of the the city, especially those I would never have discovered on my own.  And, having had Tuu as my guide during my entire stay in Chiang Mai was another big plus.

Just a quick note to thank you for the excellent service. The guides you lined me up with were very professional and their knowledge of both the local scene and Thai culture really added a lot to my trip.  I would definitely use Purple Dragon again.

Tom
June 07

I wanted to give you quick feedback regarding my guides in Shanghai and Beijing.  Both were so great, personable and friendly.  I really was very happy with my guides as they can completely  make or break the experience.  I especially thought that Raymond Wu in Beijing was amazing-  I felt it was worth mentioning since he went above and beyond to accommodate my likes and dislikes.  Also, the gentleman in Shanghai (I forgot his name!) was excellent, funny, and never made me feel pressured to purchase anything at stores- rather discouraged bad deals and successfully helped negotiate good deals.  In both cases, I was very pleased, and I thought I'd give you a little feedback since I enjoyed the personal days on an otherwise demanding business trip.

Chris
May 07

I just got back this evening from PEK.  As usual, Purple Dragon didn't disappoint me.  The hotel was in a wonderful location and my guides were excellent.  I want to go back!  I am not quite sure when, but I will go back with Purple Dragon.  

My partner and I and another couple utilized Purple Dragon for three tours during our trip to Thailand and Cambodia.  We found the accommodations to be very nice and well-located, the guides to be extremely friendly, knowledgable and accommodating, and most of all, the entire experience to be hassle-free.  We would highly recommend Purple Dragon to anyone planning to travel to Southeast Asia.

Mark S.
March 07

I have been a customer of Purple Dragon for a few years now.  As a single gay man who does not speak the languages of Asia, I probably would have been too timid to go.  However, Purple Dragon has permitted me to explore Thailand, Vietnam and Hong King, always with a skilled, intelligent, informed, friendly, and professional tour guide.  If I return to Bangkok, thanks to Purple Dragon, I feel I am ok on my own, but once I venture a bit further afield, I will be heading directly to the good offices of Purple Dragon.

What a great experience Mark and I have just had in Vietnam!  I'm in the Club Lounge in Taipei waiting for our flight ... and wanted to check in with you.

Richard C.
March 07

Mark and I thoroughly enjoyed Hanoi and Halong Bay - as usual, your recommendations were just perfect.  The Metropole is now at the top of the list of my favorite hotels in the world, and their breakfast is simply wonderful.  It may take me a while to get over being so pampered!  Halong Bay was a great thing to see as well, though it rained lightly for most of the time that we were there - a good excuse to return for another visit when the weather is better! Tuan arranged an incredible suite for us there (nearly as large as our house in SF!) so even with the bad weather it was a treat.

Thank you so much for having Tuan personally take care of us - he really made the trip the best that it could be. It is easy to see why he is your "man in Vietnam;" he is one of the best tour guides, and one of the nicest people that we've ever encountered on our trips.  He made us feel totally pampered at every turn; he had great suggestions that were always right on target.  He made everything go smoothly and made it all look effortless. Purple Dragon is lucky to have Tuan!  Working with Tuan was really like traveling with a local friend - he's the best!

I took a bunch of photos - if any are decent I'll send them in to the photo contest, and please feel free to use any on your website.

Thank you again for yet another great vacation. We'll be in touch about our a
Jeff W.
March 2007

Don and I want to compliment you on the services provided by Purpledragon during our Thailand visit December 22-January 5.

It was truly an amazing trip and the three guides we ended working with did an amazing job of helping us understand and enjoy our experience.

I was very pleased with my trip in Cambogia and with my French speaking guides. Since I was travelling alone, Purple Dragon has organised every very well for me. And hope in the near future I will be able to use Purple Dragon again. Best regards. Bernard (Switzerland)

Thanks for everything!  Everyone was extremely professional, helpful, and courteous.  Guides were amazing and I look forward to future vacations with your company. Many thanks!  Had a great trip thanks to your company.

Robert M.
December 06

I have used your service now for 3 years, under the former...banner and now under purple dragon. At no time have I ever felt that I was actually on a tour, but rather  visiting friends who were showing me around. The hallmark of your tours are your guides. They seem to take an  interest in you in addition to providing you very informative and fun  tours.  

Stephan S.
December 06

Dear Douglas,

it was a pleasure meeting you in Sien Rep, and let me repeat that I was really very happy with the arrangements that Purple Dragon did for me and was extatic with the tour guides that were present. All of them were very pleasent and knowledgeable. All of them were very attentive to my needs and weel-being. On top of that everyone of them was a very interesting person to talk to (and it is kind of important given the fact that you spend many hours with him)

I must signal my night guide in Luang Prabang (Mr. Duke, if I recall well) who , seing my interest in the people giving alms to the monks in the morning , offered to go to the market for me the next morning (at 5 am, i must add) and come to my hotel with everything prepared so that I could experience the giving to the monks. It was way above the call of duty and it is something that I will use to give xample of the really personnal and attentive service that I got. I would never have asked for such a thing--I did not even know that I could do it- and I appreciated very much the time and effort. This is not to say that I was not satisfied with the other guides: all of them , without exception were outstanding and would not hesitate to recommend Purple Dragon to my friends and use it on a next trip based on my experience of this year.

Please send my thanks to everyone of them. Also, send my thanks to Joe, who was very patient with me making the arrangements and a lot of help in the selection of side trips and Hotels.

Regards

Jean B.
November 2006

I absolutely love your company. I had used it once before under the (former company) name last year. I really appreciate the flexibility of the guides. One day on a tour in Bangkok it started raining hard so I told the guide I wanted to go to the shopping mall to buy some things. He helped me whizz through about 10 stores and get the best buys. I hate shopping, so this was a miracle because he saved me tons of time and also a lot of money.

The only complaint I have is I don't think your company should try to distance itself from the sex market. Many people such as myself come to Thailand because it is so welcoming to gays and has so many clubs to meet prostitutes. I do not understand why that has gotten such a bad reputation. As long as you practice safe sex, it can be a wonderful experience. I met a young man in Pattaya that I still correspond with. Even if nothing more comes of it, I feel very satisfied from the experience.

I basically had to learn all the customs of the go-go bars by reading online, but I think it would be very helpful if a company such as yours provided more help and guidance in this area.

I will definitely be using your guides again when I am in Thailand and elsewhere. They were the key to making my trip very successful. Thank you!

Hugo V.
November 2006

I love travelling when you people are involved.  It's easy, comfortable, supported and just such a pleasure.  I'd like to see more stuff on the walls in that Tantawan office...it's a bit stark...but that's a personal taste thing.... and you don't want your gorgeous stuff confiscated... I was recently so delighted to know that my relationship with (our company in its former incarnation) had not faded with the advent of Purple Dragon....it's always heartening to be wanted !!  And that's smart business....Great to see people that I was playing with years ago still in the company ( JO ) and of course, that personal charm that is always a hallmark of the company's dealings.... It's a class act.  and that's worth so much to me...I'm not in the marketing or tourism game... what you boys are doing is fabulous for me...i'd like to help by offering improvement suggestions but I have none... I hope I will always be lucky enough to travel Asia with you...thanks with all my heart for such a joyful experience yet again!!!!  see you in December....

Glenn J.
October 2006

Thanks so much for an amazing two weeks. It was far more than I expected. This year I have been to China, India, Mexico, Hong Kong, Egypt but Thailand was the best. I wish in hind sight knowledge I could have dcone them all with you guys. My travel agent wants to see about sending small groups with Purple Dragon

I enjoyed the tours arranged and some I took as extras. I enjoyed the shopping, a lit of where to eat in each place would be useful, and club names as when on my own in Chiang Mai I was nervous to just take a cab and go to town. (Not alone) Mr.l Tuu was amazing and really looked after me but I did have some free time when I just stayed at the hotel. Lanna Mantra was fabulous but a bit far out and Chiang Mai is sort of spread around not concentrated in an area like Bangkok and PHuket. I would like to see long stays offered for a more laid back time away from the snow of Canada. All your guides were like friends to me!

Dear Bobby,

We have just returned back to the US after our trip to Vietnam.

I would like to thank you very much for everything. It was wonderful and all arrangements went very smoothly. We were very impressed with all the guides who were always on time, very friendly and knowledgeable. Especially Mr. Trung in HCMC.

I will not hesitate in recommending Purple Dragon to friends.

Kind Regards
August 2006

Dear Joe,

After visiting Bangkok, we continued on to Singapore. I returned safely to England last night.

Now, therefore, is my first proper chance to tell you how much we enjoyed our time in Bangkok.  Purple Dragoncertainly lived up to its reputation and I was very glad to finally have the chance of using your services.  The itinerary worked out just fine and provided us with a great introduction to a dynamic and vibrant city.  Whilst all your guides were excellent, I would particularly like to single out Mickey and Nicky.  Both impressed me with their knowledge and care, managing to be both professional and friendly at the same time.  Mickey, in particular, was especially helpful when our plans had to be flexible. He was booked from 10am to 10pm, but stayed with us even beyond that time to make sure we were alright and having a good time.

I am also grateful to you for all your assistance and for accommodating my extra requests.  I am already looking forward to my next trip back to Bangkok and to using Purple Dragon's services again.

With very best wishes,

Philip R.
August 2006

Dear Joe:

I wanted to write you and thank you and your staff for all of your wonderful help on our recent trip to Thailand.

We especailly wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed: Mr. Tee / Mr. Mickey / MR. M and our driver Aoot.

Everything was great/ great tours / we loved our Bangkok after hours trip and all of the advice we were given.

The highlight though had to have been the cooking classes. I only wish we had done more of them.

Again, many thanks from 2 very satisfied and happy customers.

Darrell S. and Randy L.
July  2006

Please express our gratitude to everyone at Purple Dragon.  We got back last night and had a wonderful time.  The hotels were perfect.  The guides were wonderful and the sights were incredible.

Our guide in Beijing was Raymond Wu.  He was a great guide who was very knowledgeable.  Once he got to know us, he catered the days to our interests and speed.  We were all sad to leave him at the airport as we felt we were leaving a friend.

In Xian, our guide was Jack Yuan.  He, too, was wonderful.  When he found out that I am a teacher and my school teaches about the terra cotta warriors, he scheduled a personal interview for us with one of the farmers who made the discovery in the 1970's.  That was a highlight of the day!

Thank you!

David Beal and Daryl Olson

Hey there...

Just got home yesterday from our AMAZING trip....We'll write you in the next couple days, but just wanted to let you know that everything was awesome!  All of our guides, representatives and drivers were great...The trip certainly exceeded our expectations!  Not an easy trip...but definitely rewarding nonetheless...

Thanks again for putting together a great trip and we will highly recommend you to any of our friends planning any travels to Asia...We also will probablybe interested in a China trip next year....still in early stages of talking about it...but that is what we're thinking right now.

Take care and talk to you soon!

Gary and Richard
Los Angeles
April 2006

Hi Douglas,

I just finished my trip and arrived back home. I wanted to let you know that my tours with (Purple Dragon) were outstanding!! Tuan, in Hanoi and Trung, in Hue and Hoi An, were both outstanding guides. Not only did I see all the tourist sites, they took me to places that there were no tourists and places that I wouldn't have ever found on my own. Both were very professional and both had a great knowledge of the areas they guided me in. I enjoyed all of my time with them. They made me feel comfortable and showed me a great time. Of course, I offered both of them to see my room but both politely declined the initiation in the hotel lobbies. I stopped at the Figo in Siem Reap but it was really early in the evening and it had just opened. I was hoping to say hello. I also stopped by the PD office in BKK but it was late and closed. It looks like a great location. I wished you would expand worldwide. I'd use your service everywhere. Anyway, thanks for providing me a great trip. I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope to do more business with you in the future. thanks again.

Mark
March 2006

Aloha Douglas - first let me tell you how proud you should be of your services, they are first class and of your guides.  They were amazing.  I will share more with you once I get back home.   But I had to thank you for great guides.

Aloha,

Tim M.
Hawaii,USA

Just a short note to thank you so much for the excellent service I received from your company.
The tour to Ayutthaya was fantastic and the guide, Jew, was really great. He had a fantastic knowledge of everything and he was really well spoken in English. I sincerely appreciate the fact that he gave up his New Year’s day to take me on the tour and I had a great time with him.

I am planning to go back again in April and I will certainly use the services of your company again.

Thank you also for booking me into the Siam Heritage. It is the best value for money hotel I have stayed in in Bangkok and I will always go back there again.

Kind regards,
William

I want to tell you that we were extremely pleased with our trip via UTOPIA TOURS to Ayutthaya today and most especially commend our wonderful, knowledgeable, friendly, and gracious guide Tee.  He was truly first-class and did all he could to provide us with a remarkable and fascinating day that will long be remembered.  I am very happy with UTOPIA TOURS and will absolutely recommend you to any other people I know who might at some point travel to Thailand.

The Tuesday trip to the Floating Market and Nakom Prah was also very nice although it took us 3 1/2 hours to return to our hotel from 4:oo-7:30 thanks to the worst traffic I have ever seen in my life - I guess that's life in Bangkok.  The tour guide, Nick, was very pleasant as well.

Thank you for everything - I will certainly be in touch again on future trips to Bangkok.

Very Kindest Regards,

LEE

I just wanted you to let you know that our trip to Myanmar was wonderful.  I think we could have stayed at all the locations for several more days.  When it was time to move on, we both wanted to stay longer.  We found the natives to be very friendly.  Our accommodations, tourguides and drivers were all top notch.  We thouroughly enjoyed the trip and want to return again. Thanks.

Ed

We just returned from Hanoi. Everything went smoothly and all arrangements were well handled. The guide in Hanoi, Tien, was excellent as was the driver, Tu. Tien was prompt, polite, knowledgeable, and flexible. His English is excellent. The tour was well planned and we experienced a good variety of sites. On the Bangkokside everything was well organized and easy. Thank you all for a professional job.

We gave Tien some suggestions on handling meals. We think that it would by useful to offer the client a choice of restaurants when they are arranged by the tour. As an example, on the way to Ha Long we stopped for lunch in a restaurant set up for tours. The food was good, but the experience wasn’t very interesting. On the second day before coming back, we persuaded Tien to take us to a more local place not set up for tourists. The food was better and the experience was much more interesting. I realize that not all groups are interested in doing this type of thing, but I think that it would be good to offer the choice in advance with a clear explanation of what the menu might be and the pluses and minuses of each choice.

Thomas F.
Krabi, Thailand

Doug,

Take away its two paved roads and assorted electronic gadgets and I doubt that Marco Polo would flinch on a revisit (to Luang Prabang). Experiencing this unique city brings you out of the face-paced modern world into a sense of timeless wonder.

The depth of my experience and increased enjoyment of my trip I largely give to the help of my guide, Douk. His attention to detail and 110% effort allowed me to put my hand on the pulse of this exotic place. Douk not only served as a good guide, but also as good company, as well.

Go to Luang Prabang and go with him.

Douglas L.

To the Management of Purple Dragon Tours,

Pierre and I are just back from our first trip to Thailand. To be honest, I was nervous about the experience and felt the idea of having a personal guide would be restrictive. We dont frequent clubs and bars and so I felt that  we would not benefit from a guide. Thankfully I was proven so very wrong.

The service all the guides provided was excellent. Each had their own unique spin and insights on this wonderful land . From Thailands history ,to its rich spirituality to culture to plain old-fashioned fun shopping they made this trip so very very memorable. All the guides were professional and a credit to your company.

However, as difficult as this is, I must single out one guide for praise . Bobby  has an incredible knack for reading people and within a few short hours had completely revamped the day so it would be more memorable and personally meaningful. I was the one who was reluctant to travel, but thanks to Bobby's wisdom and infectious pride in his homeland, I cannot wait to return to the Land of Smiles.

There is service that is professional. There is service that is personal. Then there are experiences that go beyond the norm and so it was with Utopia Tours.

Many many thanks,

Aidan and Pierre

Adrian and I returned to the US a couple weeks ago and I realized I never wrote to thank you for helping us with our trip to Laos. I know that withthe Laotian government blocking tourists at the last minute, and with theproblems you had with Settha Palace, this trip made a lot of work for you.

I appreciate you getting us into the Novotel and doing all the work neededto make this an enjoyable trip.

We really enjoyed meeting Air, and he was a wonderful guide. I think we were a little unusual for him -- I don't know if he gets a lot of couples, but I am sure he doesn't get many guests like Adrian who is originally from Laos and speaks Lao. As you might guess, we were able to learn even moreabout Vientiane. We really enjoyed getting to know him, he is a wonderful young man and we hope to see him again some day. Please pass along our bestwishes (and our e-mail address) to him.

Thank you again Ake for all your help. We had a great time and will definitely work with Purple again in the future.

Warm regards,

William

Just a quick email to thank you very much for the wonderful time in Hanoi and Ha Long. It was excellent, the guide, Tuan was so helpful and made the holiday so good. I have of course thanked him, but want you to know how pleased I was.

Next time to Vietnam I would like to travel from Saigon to  Hanoi, overland, perhaps you could organise something like that? I'll contact you again, when I can think about dates etc.

Once again many thanks

Hi Douglas

We have now returned home after our holiday in China and Hong Kong.

We would just like to say we had a great time with our guide Barry in Hong Kong, he showed us exactly what we wanted so once again many thanks.

Tim & Tom

I'm writing this from Hanoi. I just wanted to tell you I really love the hotel, and the city! So far, everything's been really great. I also wanted to mention that my guide, Tien, couldn't be better! He speaks English very well, and he's a superb guide. If the guide in Saigon is one half as good as Tien, I'll be delighted!

All the best,
Glen K.

I wanted to write to you to let you know what an excellent experience I had yesterday. My guide was Ti. I apologize that I do not know the correct spelling of his name, but that is in Thai, anyway. He was very pleasant and knowledgeable and he did everything possible to make sure that I had the information that I needed and that I was able to see the things that were of most interest to me. We started out at 11:00 am and we didn't get back to the hotel until 8:30 pm, so he spent quite a bit of extra time with me. At the end, because it was so late, he could have simply put me in a taxi back to the hotel by myself, but he came all the way back to the hotel with me. I asked him if I could pay him extra because he had taken so much extra time, and he would not allow me to do that. I want to let you know that he is an outstanding employee for (Purple Dragon).Because of his helpfulness and professionalism, I have a very positive idea of your company, of Bangkok, and of Thailand. Please thank him for me very much. If it would be helpful for me to send a letter to formal letter to anyone about my positive experience with him, please let me know and I will do that. If that is the case, please also let me know his full name so that I can write it correctly in the letter. Please know that I have almost never been motivated to write this sort of letter or e-mail about a service I have received, but this was really exceptional.

Thank you for your assistance,

--Geoffrey R.

Hi all at Purple Dragon,

My partner and I have finally returned home to Australia and we would like to give comments on our Languid Luang Prabang tour we experienced in March.

FANTASTIC!! is one of many words to describe everything.

Our day Guide, Champou was terrific - such a nice person and so full of information. Our night guide Doik (maybe not the correct spelling of his name..) was an absolute delight and charming.

Overall we were totally delighted with Luang Prabang and have intentions of returning and spending a lot more time in the delightful town.

We would like to recommend that travellers visit the 'LEMONGRASS" restaurant in Luang Prabang at BAN Xieng Mouan house 01/11 St Sakalin........telephone 856-5140 092...its a new cafe bar run by 2 Belgian guys...lots of style and charm.

We loved the Villa Santi hotel. Not only is very pleasant , the staff were always smiling and a delight to look at.

We have , and will continue to recommend you to our friends here in Sydney. Please pass on our wishes to the Guides in Laos .

Till next tour! Cheers

Colin G. and Ian A

This is Wayne O. Last Wednesday afternoon you set up a personal Gay Bangkok tour for me for that same evening. As you may recall I was seeking advice on where to meet professional, stable Thai guys. You picked Watch as the tour guide and he was the perfect choice. We had a lovely diner discussing the dynamics of my "target" group and then went touring. It turned out to be one of the nicer evenings of the trip and I look forward to counting Watch and his partner as long term friends (in the proper sense of the word).

Ake, thank you for your fine help. Working with you was a delight and you certainly did right by me. Please pass on to Watch my respect and gratitude.

Wayne O.
Washington, D.C. USA

dear Ake,

I have just returned from Vientiane to Bangkok. I wanted to write and thank you for making the arrangements. I had a really great time in Vientiane with Air and his friends, really enjoyed it. It is a shame I did not spend longer in Laos, so save it for another time.

Best wishes,

Simon R.

Kop Koon Krap for a terrific trip to Laos. I'm back and fighting the jet lag, sore throat, post-trip depression, etc., but wanted to let you know what a great time I had; thanks again for putting it together on such short notice!

As I said, it was a great trip. Everything went very smoothly, as it did in Cambodia last year, which I know is not a given in that part of the world.

I must admit, I was not too impressed with Vientiane; if I had it to do again, I would have preferred only one night there, and the extra night in LP. LP really knocked my socks off; i've fallen in love with that place -- what a wonderful, beautiful, peaceful town, huh?!!  I wish I were dreaming of writing a book or something; it seems like the perfect place for a writer or artist or something to call home for awhile creating his masterpiece, and I would love to do that there :-) Now just need some sort of inspiration....hmmm....

A couple things:

First, you may have heard that a friend joined me in LP.  I wanted to let you know that I wasn't trying to pull a fast one with you guys on this.  I had told a  friend of mine from LA who has been traveling SE Asia for the past 6 months (and for another few) as a backpacker, "finding himself" (I know, I know, but he's only 30!! LOL) about my plans and to let me know if we were going to overlap.  I got an email from him the day before I left Vientiane saying he was in Chiang Mai (and bored!) and thinking about coming to LP, and he had worked it out by the time I got there.  Your guys were great about making it work out so that he could join me (and stay in a great place, we both loved sala prabang, and for him, esp compared to the crappy guesthouses he was used to).  They charged the extra bed fee for the room, which is fine; if you need an additional fee for the rest of it, just let me know, i'm happy to pay; it was nice having a buddy to share that special place!

Second, I really want to let you know how great a job my guide, Champou Inthavondy did. I gather he is pretty new with you guys, so I'm guessing feedback is esp important, so I just wanted to let you know he is terrific, the best of the utopia guides i've had yet.  He's not only a very friendly and sweet guy, but he really seemed to enjoy spending the time with us.  He has very good "technical" knowledge of the sites, and his english is more that adequate, but what I like the best was the way he would just chat with us about life in general, living in laos, etc.  By the end of the trip, I felt much more like I had a friend showing me around town than that I was with a tour guide. We got to talking so much sometimes that I felt guilty; we often got way behind schedule, and not only did he not make me feel like he was anxious to finish up for the day and get off to his friends, but he always seemed willing to go as long as we wanted. I guess some of your clients may prefer a more "formal, professional" tour guide, but not me (and I suspect the same would go for many of your clients); I think I learned plenty of the factual info about what I saw, but also got a chance to understand a bit of Lao life, which, frankly, is probably more important to me. In short, Champou was great; I think he is a real asset to utopia.

(Also, a quick word about our night guide, Douk.  He wasn't to the same level as Champou, but he was very good also. After he described the various restaurant options to us, my friend and I both let him know that we were much more interested in trying some of the streetside food stalls at the nite market (we had plenty of imodium available, hahaha) so he happily took us around that, ordered some terrific stuff for us that we would never have found ourselves, and generally made sure we had a nice time. We even went back to the stalls the next nite the food was so good (much to the delight and surprise of the stall chefs, who didn't seem that used to Western guests!) He also very kindly bought and cleaned up a basket of bananas for me to offer to the monks the next morning during the morning alms march (which I understand got him up at 5 am) and joined me there, which was very special experience for me, and, I think, was above and beyond the call of duty.  I gather he's tried some day tours and may not yet have the factual knowledge necessary, but I think he has the desire to make sure the guests have a nice time and will make a good day guide if and when he does get the stories down.

Okay, that's it; hope the feedback's useful. But thanks again, both Angkor and LP have been amazing trips for me.  I'm still thinking seriously about Vietnam, and, if you haven't blacklisted me yet as a major pain-in -the-butt, I may well be back in touch about that -- you run very much the kind of tour I like, and I suspect you would do me fine in VT too!

Take care,
John

Douglas,

Just want to write and say thank you for all of the work that everyone at you did to make our trip to Vietnam a good one.

First of all we want to comment on both of our guides. In Ho Chi Mihn City we had Nyuen. He was always on time and lots of fun. Nyuen was very cognizant of our feelings and well being.  He took us to eat in local restaurants and cafes, that we might not otherwise have known, which helped to give us insight to the people and culture of Vietnam.

The Spring Hotel was very nice. Centrally located, very friendly staff, and a delicious breakfast every morning with lots of fresh fruit and wonderful Vietnamese coffee.

In Hanoi our guide was Tran. He was also very professional, friendly, and attentive to our needs. On the part of the trip where we were able to choose among three excursions, we chose the Perfume Pagoda. Tran was great fun, a good sport and very knowledgeable of the history and architecture of the area. We took turns rowing the boat, on the canal leading to and from the temple, which made for lots of laughs and great photos.

The Hanoi Hotel served up a huge breakfast buffet every morning with good Asian and Western food. The staff was friendly and professional.

We would absolutely book a tour with you again. Hopefully we will, in the not too distant future, for another trip to Southeast Asia.

Best regards,

John U. and Daniel W.
San Francisco, CA

Back from Hanoi and Bangkok this morning - both Somboon and I enjoyed our trip, thank you for your organization.

'River' was an excellent, courteous guide who tried to be as helpful as possible on all occasions - a very nice chap with superb English, as I am sure you know. Anyway, he is an asset to Purple Dragon.

Regards,

David and Somboon
London

How our Customers Rate Us

We send a questionnaire to every guests after their trip. We really do read them and then we compile all of the responses for quality control purposes. Here is how our guests rate us as of 14 May 2008:

Not long ago it was our pleasure to help you with travel arrangements in Asia. Since Purple Dragon is growing and always trying to improve, I hope you will not mind giving us your feedback and impressions by answering a few simple questions below. Just click "reply" and fill in the blanks below.

Did we respond to your initial request promptly?
[100%] Yes [0] No [0] I don't remember

Before your trip we probably sent you a Reservation Summary and a final Confirmation. Please tell us whether these were [81.4% ] very simple and easy to use, [18.6%] a little confusing at first but I figured it out, or [0] difficult to understand and use.

How would you rate the person in our office who handled your reservation details?
[20%] Absolutely incredible [68.3%] Excellent [10%] Good [ 1.7%] Average [0%] Need Improvement

How about our guides?
[27.1%] Absolutely incredible [49.2%] Excellent [15.3%] Good [3.4%] Average [5.1%] Need Improvement

How would you rate our hotels?
[19%] Absolutely incredible [41.3%] Excellent [20.6%] Good [1.6%] Average [0] Need Improvement [17.5%] I did not use your hotels

Which best describes the value of your Purple Dragon arrangements?
[1.6%] Too expensive [56.5%] Expensive, but a good value [9.7%] Average [27.4%] I got a lot for my money [4.8%] What a bargain!

How would you rate Purple Dragon as a whole?
[16.7%] On a scale of 1 to 10 you guys are an 11 [40%] Outstanding! [35%] Really good [8.3%] Good [0] You need improvement [0] I'm disappointed in my Purple Dragon experience  [0] You guys really stink!