Heart of Southeast Asian Culture Tour for Seniors

Our Zicasso travel agent did a wonderful job taking our requests and styling a complex, detailed itinerary. Everything worked perfectly. The guides all communicated with each other and the drivers were always at the expected locations. All accommodations were awesome and well-located. 

Beginning in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we visited Doi Inthanon National Park, the Doi Suthep mountain temple, and had an absolutely awesome time visiting with elephants at the elephant sanctuary, among other things. We even got to play with a two-week-old elephant. All our dining recommendations were awesome and we particularly enjoyed our time with the guides.

Next, we flew to Krabi for unforgettable views and relaxing beach time. Again, the resort was awesome. We even went mountain climbing on Railay Beach. My son got engaged at the New Year's gala at our hotel, which was spectacular; an unbelievable stay. We particularly enjoyed our time with the guide!

Next, we finished in Bangkok, where the highlight was riding in the tuk-tuks and doing a city food tour. Our guide was so awesome and knowledgeable.

Unfortunately, eight of the 10 of us then flew home, while my wife and I continued to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Our guide was such a good travel companion and we left Cambodia with a true knowledge of Cambodian life/history/temples. He was very forthcoming about his life growing up under the Khmer Rouge. Although a long day, the temple tour was unbelievable, culminating in Angkor Wat. Our hotel was awesome and blocks from the nightlife on Pub Street. It was such a great stay.

Next, we flew to Saigon. We were met by our guide, who noticed we were hungry and immediately stopped at a local street food vendor for our first foray into bun bo. It was so good. The mix of history, countryside visits, and city tours with our guide was awesome and she even left us with a customized pictorial of our visit. The other excursion that needs mention is the Vespa city and food tour. Our main guide was delightful, giving us a true taste of Saigon culture and food. The drivers were so great.  This tour finished with a surprise visit to a local bar/club, where we had front-row seats to an awesome Latin band for a nightcap. It was truly unforgettable. Also, we cannot forget our visit to the Cu Chi tunnels, where our guide did a great job educating and touring us through this unbelievable history.

Then, we flew to Hanoi to another awesome location. Highlights in Hanoi would be visiting the Hoa Lo prison, having dinner in a local family's home, and especially the Minsk backstreet tour. Our tour drivers were so awesome. This excursion really gave us a feel for the city/backstreets, as well as an idea of the frightening life of riding a motorbike through the city and back alleys of Hanoi. It was truly unforgettable. This tour finished with my knees about a foot away from the speeding train at Hanoi train station, another can't-miss site!

Next, we visited Ninh Binh for trekking, biking, and bamboo boating. The scenery was awesome and it was definitely a nice break from the busy city.

The trip finished with a two-night, three-day cruise on Hạ Long Bay. The scenery was unbelievable and the staff were excellent; so attentive and informative.

This trip truly was spectacular and we are so happy that Zicasso connected us with our agent to make all of this happen. We couldn't be happier with the entire trip!

During the trip, our Zicasso travel agent promptly responded to issues/inconveniences. Our guides in Bangkok and in Siem Reap were the best tour guides of them all, as were the foodie tour guides in Bangkok and Phuket. We truly enjoyed this trip.

Zicasso's travel agent and his team were great and did a great job of adapting to some health issues that developed in Saigon. Communication pre-trip was excellent. The guides were generally very good, especially in Saigon and Siem Reap. The experiences planned gave us an excellent overview of the countries and their histories and cultures.

Zicasso’s travel agency worked patiently with us over several months to organize a perfect four-country tour through Indochina, doing exactly what we asked, including a Khmer cooking class with a local chef.  

We were met on arrival in each county by an experienced English-speaking guide who was well-versed in the history, geography, and culture of each location, and they were just delightful people too. They took us to rural villages and through urban mazes to get a close look at the daily life of the citizens. We chatted with farmers in the field and had meals in local homes. Our agency booked amazing hotels for each stop, from an eco-lodge in the mountains of Vietnam to a spectacular seaside resort in Thailand. 

We had contact names and numbers for agency representatives in each country. They were incredibly responsive, even after hours, when we had a small medical issue. They gave us a completely seamless experience from arrival to departure, with no wasted time. Vacation time is very precious, so we prefer to work with professionals who know the area intimately and take the time to understand our objectives rather than pushing a canned itinerary.

We had a great trip to Thailand with our Zicasso trip planner. They set us up with a very helpful guide in Bangkok, who made it easy from the time we stepped off the plane, through all the temples, activities, night markets, tuk-tuks, and boats. 

Our hotel in Bangkok was great, with nice views and a nice breakfast buffet. We took the free hotel ferry to the shopping mall and it was a lot of fun. 

Our resort in Koh Samui was incredible. It had a great beach and pool. The elephant sanctuary and the cooking class were highlights. We would probably pass on Pig Island next time as it was very dirty and we saw pigs getting attacked.

Overall, we had a great time and the tour guide took care of us completely, from start to finish. 

Overall, Zicasso’s travel agent was excellent. The agent was very receptive to our requests, planned our trip very well based on our input, and every arrangement was seamless, without any hiccups.

Singapore is quite humid and can get hot, more than Texas. With walking everywhere, it can be uncomfortable, so perhaps plan to visit in the cooler months, based on local agents’ feedback.

Vietnam was a surprise in all dimensions. It had very good infrastructure. The travel agents took fantastic care of us and the trips to Ninh Bình, which included a bamboo boat tour, and Hạ Long Bay, with a private boat tour, were noteworthy and must-dos.

Bali was a magical and mystical land, with extremely polite and hospitable people and an extraordinary guide who was calm and facilitated our tour so well. The early-morning Mount Batur hike, though moderately strenuous, was worth it, as the sunrise was spectacular, and the trip to the Jagasari area was peaceful and so insightful. I highly recommend staying longer than the four days we stayed and perhaps changing the location to the coast and north side, as traveling within the island from one spot to another takes a long time. The highlight was the kechak dance performance. It gave us goosebumps.

The arrangements were wonderful, with great accommodations and transportation.

Thanks to our travel agent.