thank you – Journeys Within Tour Company

Thank you from Wendell Alderson & Ken Nather

Posted by Courtney Ridgel on April 12, 2017 (Updated: 2017-04-20) | 1 Comment

*Photo Credit: Wendell Alderson & Ken Nather*

Our mission is to make each and every trip a unique and memorable experience, so we especially love it when we hear back from guests and get to see their photos. This note and these photos are from Journeys Within guests, Wendell Alderson and Ken Nather:

We loved our holiday in Vietnam and Cambodia. You did a great job picking out hotels and things for us to do that matched the way we travel. There seemed to be enough down time for Ken and I to explore on our own which we love to do. Thanks for that.

We really enjoyed the moped tours of the HCMC and Hoi An. That was one of our highlights.

The staff at every place was stayed was above and beyond our expectation. Everyone so very nice and accommodating to us. Ending our holiday at a beach resort was perfect. Loved the place we stayed.

I liked having some flexibility as well. When we got to Siem Reap it was very hot in the afternoons. After speaking with the guide we changed our bike ride to a morning ride instead of an afternoon ride. We drove to the village for the tour and that was great and the next am at 7 we did a bike ride around Angkor Tom and the jungle area. That was perfect. Each day there we were done touring/biking by 2pm and back at the pool with a drink in our hand.

The bike rides were leisurely and very beautiful. I know we would never have seen these areas without the bike rides. We loved our lunch the day we did our bike ride outside of Ha Noi. We learned how to make spring rolls and even shopped in the market for the ingredients.

Thanks again for wonderful holiday.

Best, Wendell & Ken

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Thank you from Stephanie Whitehead

Posted by Courtney Ridgel on March 29, 2017 | Leave a comment

*Stephanie, Heather and Michelle with Narla in Siem Reap*

We love hearing back from our guests after they’ve traveled and we especially love seeing their photos! Our goal is to make every trip amazing and perfect, and it really makes our day to see it happen. Here is a quick note from Stephanie Whitehead about her trip last November:

Dear Andrea,

I’m not sure where the last three months have gone and I do apologize for not writing sooner. I traveled with Journeys Within in November with two of my friends Michelle (U.S.) and Heather (Australia) and wanted to thank you and your staff for an absolutely amazing time!

From the time we landed in Bangkok to the time we left Siem Reap everything was so well organized and just fabulous. Our guides, Well in Bangkok and Sina in Siem Reap could not have been more friendly and knowledgeable. Although we are all independent gals, I have to say we felt very looked after and safe at all times. We used the suggestions on your cheat sheets extensively for spa, restaurants, activities and shopping. Your friend Pisey at the market was lovely… bought several things at her stall as well as a couple of nice things from Douglas at Trunkh! I especially enjoyed our time with JWOC and our evening with Narla, Makara and friends.

By the way, I have to mention that the staff at the Kralanh Petite Villa were so friendly and accommodating, a definite asset to your property list! Everyone we met helped to make our stay so very special.

I hope to travel with Journeys Within again in the future… maybe Laos and Myanmar? I’ll have to see if I can get the girls on board!

Cheers,

Stephanie Whitehead

(Vancouver, Canada)

*Stephanie, Heather, Michelle and Well in Bangkok*

Thank you from Ann & Ashley Olin

Posted by Courtney Ridgel on March 21, 2017 | Leave a comment

*Ann and Ashley Olin sporting stylish palm hats with a local shopkeeper*

We strive with every tour to make sure that our guests to enjoy the trip of a lifetime in Southeast Asia, and we love seeing their photos and hearing their feedback. Here is a wonderful note and photos from Ann & Ashley Olin:

First of all, I wanted to say how happy I was with the entire tour — from Thailand to Laos to Cambodia, and finally, to Vietnam. The service, the knowledge and professionalism of all your guides exceeded my expectation — from the time they met us at the airport to the time they dropped us off for our next destination. Will highly recommend Journey’s Within to friends and family.

*Ann & Ashley Olin learning to weave palm fronds*

There is, however, one particular guide that Ashley and I were most happy and impressed with, and that is Tai. Tai was more than just a guide to us. He had become family while we were under his care. Tai was helpful, knowledgeable, and I am impressed with his command of the English language! One of the highlights of that particular segment of our journey was taking a cyclo to meet his family — that was special. Then we also got to meet his lovely wife on our way to Saigon, and he was our date for Valentine’s Day! Tai certainly went above and beyond what was called for. It was also helpful that him and Ashley are close in age, so having two young people with me made me feel young.

*Ann and Ashley Olin with Guide Tai and his family*

The hotels and its staff were lovely and the activities you booked for us were excellent. We particularly enjoyed the cruises and meeting the locals in various villages, which gave us an enriching experience of the culture in each country.

*Ann, Ashley and Tai with a local shop owner*

Thank you all so much for all your hard work and for such a memorable trip!

Kind regards,

~ Ann Olin

Thank you from Michelle Trader and Family

Posted by Courtney Ridgel on March 21, 2017 (Updated: 2017-04-09) | Leave a comment

Our ultimate goal for each and every tour is for our guests to enjoy the trip of a lifetime in Southeast Asia, and we love seeing photos and hearing their feedback when they return home. Here is a wonderful note and photos from Michelle Trader’s family:

Dear Andrea and Journeys Within Team,

We are home! Andrea, working with someone like you, who had actually lived in the region, was invaluable. You spent quite a bit of time working with us to create an itinerary that fit our family’s interests. We were looking at a very ambitious schedule given the short amount of time we had and all we wanted to see, but you and your team helped make it feel seamless. We want to thank all of you for helping to make our trip one of the most amazing adventures we have ever enjoyed. You were all there, every step of the way, keeping in touch and making sure all was well and things were running smoothly. We felt well taken care of. You were even on top of the pillow emergency in Hoi An! J The JW crew surpassed our expectations in every way, through to the end of our trip.

*The Trader Family Receiving a blessing from a monk*

We can’t say enough about our kind, wonderful, knowledgeable guides. We kept thinking the next one could not possibly be as wonderful as the last, and each time we were proven wrong! They were always flexible and willing to go out of their way every time we expressed a special interest or desire to see or experience something. We will never forget them. Each of them added something extra that only they could have contributed, sharing their own personal stories and experiences with us. Tai played the flute for us while we were on a boat ride on the Mekong and gave Ben a Kung Fu lesson. How does it get better than that? Their impressive knowledge of each area made our experience so much deeper than it ever could have been without them and made our time in each location all the more memorable.

*The Trader Family making friends at Patara Elephant Farm*

We really can’t say enough good things about our experience with you and your team. You helped us create an outstanding family trip and lifelong memories!!

Thanks so much for everything,

Michelle, Wayne, and Ben Trader
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TripAdvisor Awards = Ice cream party!

Posted by Andrea on February 16, 2012 | 2 Comments

Thank you again to everyone that stayed with us at Journeys Within, and who wrote such nice reviews on TripAdvisor. And because of all those reviews, we were awarded not one, but TWO Travelers’ Choice Awards this year! We were awarded one for being in the top 25 hotels with the best service in Asia, as well as a top 25 best bargain hotels in Asia.

Not only did we receive these awards, but we have also made it back into the top 5 hotels in Siem Reap, coming in at number 4!

We could not have won these awards without your fantastic reviews, but we could not have gotten those reviews without our amazing staff. They always come to work with a smile on their face and the aim to make sure each and every guest has the perfect stay. They are the ones most often mentioned in your posts, so they very deservedly got a reward for all of their hard work! This week we had an ice cream party in their honor, and everyone loved it!

If we manage to make it into the top 3 on TripAdvisor, the staff will have an even better surprise waiting for them! So keep writing those reviews for us, because not only does it help our business, the staff loves treat days!