clients' reviews

Hello Ngoc Tu,

After coming back France we still have all the images of Vietnam that accompany us.
We were delighted with our trip. Everything went so well and matched our expectations.
We wish to present our wishes for the New Year of the Serpent to all those who worked on the organization of our trip.

In particular, we wish the drivers who have driven us and the guides who have accompanied us so well by being attentive and available a year of good health, joy and prosperity for themselves and their families. Please send them our Happy New Year wishes, please.

Mrs Kaih in the north, Kaih-Antoine in the center and Tinh in the south knew each in his own way to make us discover some different aspects of Vietnam and Vietnamese and make them love us.

We thank you again for your kindness and hope someday to come back to your beautiful country, and that day we will ask for your help to organize our trip
Thanks again and Happy New Year to you all

Anny and Luc Zicola

Hello,

We have an enduring memory of our trip to Vietnam, and without you, I do not think the experience would have been so diverse and rewarding.
You have shown great sensitivity to our needs and concerns and these qualities have established a climate of trust for the duration of our stay.
I see that the situation for your agency looks good for the coming year and we are happy for you.
Too bad for those who can not count on your great skill as a guide!

Yvon, Diane and Noella

Dear Guide,

A big thank to you for your management of the group and all the logistics.
We had no unwelcome wait during transfers.
You gave us your hand to your country, its inhabitants, its culture, in excellent French.

Thank you for your smile
Thank you for everything!

Hello,

Here we are back in the Paris. Tomorrow, the daily routine will resume with the resumption of work ...

However the memories of this trip will remain long in our minds and in our conversations.
As promised, a small summary of the impressions of the trip ....

What about the organization? Just perfect! 
It corresponded perfectly to our expectations ... I found that my requests were heard and taken into account throughout the preparation phase of the trip ...
Indeed, We had booked the plane since November 2011 ... and started contacting agencies around December and then with the end of the year holidays here and Tet in Vietnam, we restarted our preparations in March 2012 and, the time of the exchanges, to know what one wanted ... etc, we would go towards a proposal when I found the address of Guide Francophone on the internet ...
And there, we immediately found that the exchanges were fast, clear, precise and that, especially, my request to have the possibility to carry out family research while visiting Vietnam (with times and free meals) was heard and taken into account ...
In addition, you had interesting suggestions (like the North off Sapa) .. and always suggested without imposing anything ... It was important for us.
It is these quick and personalized responses that have seduced us ... then having been able to easily get on the phone during my difficulties in making a transfer to your bank account, has totally reassured us.
The support in its entirety:
We feel totally accompanied and appreciated to be able to call for any question we may have and have a listening and an answer right away.
We really enjoyed seeing you before we came back to France and you asked for our impressions of this trip ... This shows the interest you have in those who seek your services.

The guides?
What can we say that we have not already said? ....
We found each of them different but all nice overall ...

For my part, I really appreciated Quang's investment in my family research in Hoang Hoa, your support in my with explanations during our tours of Hanoi 
We invite you to discover Vietnam and a base to understand its culture, its religions, the history and to better approach the rest of the trip. Perhaps we would have the poser more question? But the contact with him, although far from being unpleasant, did not seem to us enough personal or natural for questions to emerge ...
Hanoi, Ninh Binh or Halong Bay and I think it's also a question of personality; a small group like our tendency to be more demanding in the human relationship than a group of 20 or 30 people, especially with a guide who accompanies several days.

We greatly appreciated the skills in the knowledge that in the human relationship of Khai ... We propose to be warned and we knew it would seem "out of the ordinary" compared to others ....
The fact of having made the part of Vietnam (the north with the minority ethnic groups ... the homestays ... the landscapes of dreams) which has a charm with him, a magic moment for all.

For Hue and Hoi An, we tried not to make any comparison with Khai of course and we appreciated Anh Tuan, nice guy who made us discover these sites in a very interesting way. He proposed us activities for the two free days we had in Hoi An but we preferred to lead them as we please between strolls in the old town, making clothes and shoes and beach ... He found us to accompany us to Danang airport for us fly to the central highlands.

At Buon Ma Thuot, we were welcomed and supported by Quoc, a young guide passionate about his region and the vegetation with a very good knowledge of the ethnic groups both from the center and the North. He is very pleasant and full of humor with the dynamism of his age.
As Joëlle pointed out, it would have been interesting to schedule another visit or activity to fill the afternoon after the elephant ride and before our plane at 18h. We had suggested in Quoc the village of Tur which Khai had spoken to us, but it would have been necessary to anticipate with the appropriate authorizations. It is the only small flat.

We then went to Saigon where Truong welcomed us and took charge. After the enchantment of the North, the South (and even the Mekong Delta) seemed very bland.
For my part, I found that there was a real disappointment to make this city without history and so Western after living three weeks actually cut off from the West in authentic places but it was our choice to start from the North. You are not for nothing, of course!
I found Truong very interesting in these explanations and appreciated his availability to help me communicate with my family from Saigon.
However, I have struggled with his direction and omni-present both physically and orally but this opinion is binding only me, of course, and my friends Joelle and Daniel may have another.

Drivers? all very nice and reassuring. We really appreciated the contact with Manh, the driver from the North.

Accommodations? Largely in agreement and even beyond our expectations both hotel and homestay. I admit that the homestay I missed in the second part of the stay. The contact is so warm and authentic!

So here is a recap as sincere as possible on the whole trip.

Conclusion
This trip had for me 2 objectives: to try to find traces of the families of my parents and to know sufficiently Vietnam in its authenticity to want to return there ...
The objectives have been achieved beyond our expectations since I found more than traces of my family: I found a family and I already know that I will come back soon!
We had, moreover, had some "bonuses" with a favorable weather, the possibility to see the hype of the rice, a karaoke party, multiple opportunities to make " sức khỏe", and (should we remember it?) Some defeat card games with Khai! ... you'd have to be very demanding to complain !!!!!

We had the best guide in Vietnam ... .but maybe we would have the pleasure of having his student next time?
In the meantime, I wish you to stay as close to your customers, as much to their listening and especially as listening to their heart ... this is what makes you unique in your genre.

"Cam on" for everything and even short news will please us.

Looking forward to seeing you again,

Maimouna

Hello,

We thank you for your good performance. Yes we are back in France, tired but happy with our trip. The return to life in France is a bit difficult and we are not yet fully recovered from the time difference but it will come. We went back to work very quickly.

We are in the process of writing our little report that we will send you as soon as it is finished  but we will have to be a little patient because we have a lot of work at the moment. Anyway we do not forget you and will come back to you soon.

Send hello from us to your team.
See you soon

Sincerely

Sylvie and Christophe

Hello,

A big thank to you for this beautiful stay rich in colors, landscapes and improbable meetings and for which we wish to bring our testimony.

If you hesitate to decide on the speaker to choose to make your journey and well do not hesitate! You knocked on the good door !
Indeed, as far as we are concerned, we hesitate between several proposals of stay

The responsiveness and availability of Mr. Tu as well as the information obtained from the correspondent on Toulouse (Mr. Barrau), were decisive in our choice for Authentik VietnamTravel.

In the end, a tailor-made trip perfectly set with escapades (off schedule!) And amazing encounters!
We left with a couple of friends from Hanoi by night train, direction Lao Cai for a 7 day trip from 8 to 15 March 2013.
The first hike in the region of Sapa, we immediately immersed in a  very colorful exotic (despite the absence of sunshine for 7 days!) world

Black Hmongs, Hmongs and Red Dao, welcoming ethnicities randomly encountered country roads in the middle of beautiful rice terraces landscapes (not yet in cultivation, however, a little early for the season.
The markets of Can Cau, Bac Ha, a festival, a symphony of colors, traditional costumes, "small" crafts, smiles and laughter for authentic live and festive markets.

Direction Ha Giang then Dong Van and Meo Vac through grandiose wild landscapes shrouded in fog (sometimes thick!) Very impressive (steep roads, be careful chills!). A breathtaking panorama! Mountains completely carved over the centuries on the backs of men. Recesses, with the Tay and their house on stilts, the discovery of their way of life so spartan and yet so rich, their spontaneous invitation to share a glass of tea. The unexpected meeting of a group of women celebrating the "International Women's Day" around glasses of rice alcohol quickly intoxicating .........

End of course on Ba Bé, two nights homestay, cruise on the lake, beautiful, peaceful, the rhythm of rural life with the transplanting of rice, the return of a herd of buffalo, a girl who makes her homework on his doorstep, a ceremony of end of mourning and his participants all dressed in white, happy to come down the spirit of their deceased home, the drums all night and then the rooster, the roosters, without whom Vietnam would not be and who sing (a little early!) everywhere and even on Hanoi!

This milestone program, your availability, your kindness and your love for your country, seduced us and allowed us to understand it a little better and to take a little bit of it in our hearts.

Thank you for everything!

Cécile and Michel MARGAIL

Hello,

We discovered by chance a small agency, run by Mr. Tu
Sincerely, I was skeptical, being used to organizing our travels and meetings, but Mr. Tu is just a mine!
He knows, loves his country and makes you meet people at random of the trip.
He makes sure that people open their door with a smile and share a tea with you with ease.
He has the answers to all the questions you ask yourself about Vietnam and the Vietnamese!
I will not hesitate to advertise his agency to my friends and acquaintances.

We returned home very satisfied with our trip to Vietnam, especially days spent in the center and north of the country, accompanied by the guides of Agence Authentik Vietnam.

Everything was perfectly organized, the hotels well chosen, the appointments always punctual; Our guides were very competent, educated and efficient and, importantly, they spoke French very well. The sites chosen and the knowledge acquired gave us all satisfaction ... We can only recommend this young agency.

Thanks to Mr. Ngoc Tu who passionate us by his knowledge of the history of Vietnam.
In the region of Hoi An and in the northern mountains, our guides introduced us to another very picturesque face of the countryside.

Hello,

First of all I apologize for the unscheduled sending of part of my email last night. We have not forgotten you, and not a day goes by without us discussing our stay with you again and the wonderful impressions your country has made for us. We have a hard time sorting our many photos, (+2000) we are still over 1000, but it's like a film that scrolls before our eyes and revives our memories.

Regarding the questionnaire, points 1 to 4 will be treated by Jean who was the initiator of this trip and who discovered you on the net (what luck for us!). But you answered yourself in point 4: Customized planning according to the desires of the group with a local agency that has a deep knowledge of his country.

Making local people work: this is part of a process that I fully share. Why go through a French intermediary who only buy services and propose a program too classic.

1. Our comments on the custom circuit?
You have developed a very balanced program, with alternating strengths and activities taking into account the movements and small fatigue strokes of our group of seniors.
Apart from the essential tourist visits which could have been even more intense, if we had been able to add a few more days, the more intimate approach of the populations of the north-west was for us a very strong moments of our trip.

2. Comments on the guides during the tour:
The guides, perfectly French speaking, were of a very good level.

3. The choice of restaurants ranging from "road" to more touristy establishments was perfect.
Vietnamese cuisine was a discovery by the quality and freshness of the products, the wide variety of dishes without forgetting the refined presentation. We constantly evoke it with nostalgia and boast of it to our friends.

4. Our comments on accommodation?
Excellent overall level, the "syndicate" hotel included, not to mention the beautiful junk in Halong Bay.

5.Our comments on the vehicles.
The use of a smaller vehicle for the northern mountain circuit was very judicious. The condition of the roads was sometimes adventurous and in my opinion the shock absorbers of the bus tired, but the splendid landscapes compensated the jolts!

6. Our suggestions for improving your benefits?
Personally I did not appreciate the costume party, it seems obligatory for tourists and I would have liked more free time to HCMC to discover the district of Cholon and go in the footsteps of Marguerite Duras, but apart these few points, the program was perfect.

7.Our impressions?
No conventional operator could offer us a program as rich and varied as the one you have developed.

8. Of course we are talking and talking to our friends and relations about our wonderful trip to Vietnam and the excellent experience with AUTHENTIKVIETNAM TRAVEL and especially with our great guide Tu.

Best regards

Jean-Pierre and Marita
 

Good evening Tu,

Firstly, a big thank to you for the photos: it seems at once so close and already so far!

In response to your request, here are my personal impressions of this wonderful trip. Of course you know that our good king Jean organized our meeting and it was he who took the "risk" of choosing you!

For my part it will be difficult for me now to integrate a classic travel agency, because the quality of the services you offered us was very frankly awsome.

I really enjoyed being able to visit the northern villages while spending time with families, and for a moment, feel close to them.
The restaurants were well chosen: alternating between popular restaurants where we have an impression of sharing with Vietnamese and the resto in the evening when we played the "tourists" ... ..
The hotels were very luxurious and each day was perfect and enjoyable.

Regarding the vehicles there are no more reproaches possible (fresh water very popular) the only downside could concern roads that you have not had time to redo, your improvements on this side there are therefore to predict.
The overall impression that emerges after a month of this circuit, for me, is to have felt both "motherhood" so safe and at the same time free (with Monique we keep a memory of our trip in rickshaw motorcycle!).

You responded exactly to the demand I had: to see classical Vietnam with the unavoidable visits, to understand the history of this country with cultural religious political influences and to have a feeling of authenticity at times: all in three weeks!

I hope that from your side you have not had too much trouble adapting to this group of curious little old people who want to stay fit to continue to open their eyes to other ways of life, and others wonderful landscapes .
I promised you to talk about it around me and I hope to convince some  to follow.