Laos Traveller Reviews - On The Go Tours

Amazing insight into Laos & Vietnam culture, country, people, food & history. Tour was cut short due to Covid 19 so we never made it to Cambodia. However the one thing to stand out during the holiday was the quality, professionalism and enthusiasm of our guide in Vietnam Mr Hung Do.

This was our second OTG tour in two years during which we experienced several guides and Mr Hung Do stands head and shoulders above the others. Unfortunately our holiday will always be remembered for the Virus, but right until we had to leave Mr Hung Do put his customers first and went out of his way to ensure our holiday was disrupted as little as possible.

I am a person who will always complain given half a chance, but on this occasion Mr Hung Do saved the day and I sincerely hope he and his family remain safe and well so that we can complete the tour with him when this is all over. ”  

I was delighted with this brilliant tour. Tuan has such expert knowledge which had taught me so much about Vietnam. He was meticulous in his arrangements of the tour. Everything was to timed perfectly, right down to smallest detail. I must also say that he is the kindest most caring young man with an extremely humorous personality which endeared us all to him. This tour exceeded all my expectations and I cannot thank you enough for a fantastic experience.”  

Hello On the Go Tours My name is Maryanne Zahra and I've just returned from your Bangkok to Angkor Wat tour. I just wanted to say it was spectacular, I loved every minute of it, even though the train ride was a little bumpy and I didn't sleep. I want to compliment your tour guides,, they are outstanding and should be highly commended for their complete knowledge of the areas they toured. I also wanted to say thank you to your guides because I'm vegan and without them I would have had an enormous amount of trouble understanding restaurants, they all went beyond what they needed to do for me, even calling up in advance to speak to the restaurant. I cannot wait to attend another On the Go Tour, I wouldn't travel with anyone else, thank you so much.Also I would like to compliment Ashley Flanagan from On the Go who looked after me, I had numerous questions and he answered efficiently and more importantly nothing was a problem, he went beyond his duty to find out information for me. Thanks again On the Go Tours - this is my 2nd tour with you and won't be my last Maryanne Zahra”  

Our tour was awesome, the organisation was superb from the minute we arrived in Laos to leaving Cambodia for home. The company is aptly named as we were "on the go" for the majority of the tour which was great as there is such a lot to do and see in the countries we visited.

There was activities arranged in each country we visited that we would never have done if we had arranged the trip ourselves, from working in the paddy fields in Loas, spending the night on a luxury junk in Vietnam and visiting the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake. I would have no hesitation in recommending this tour to others wanting to experience this part of the world.

Although all our guides were excellant and had a wide knowledge of their countries, I would like to mention, in particular, our Vietnamise Guide Mr Tran Tuan. He helped make this tour extra special with his memory (within half an hour he knew the names of the whole party of 19), his sense of humour and friendliness. He is a credit to his country and your company, therefore he is my nomination for a Tour Leader Award.”  

The whole trip to all 3 countries, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia was absolutely fantastic. It was everything I thought it would be and more. The places we saw were amazing and participating in local activities such as planting rice plants in Laos and cycling to a local farm in Vietnam to help plant vegetables were the highlights of my tour. Visiting Halong Bay was breathtaking. The trip was a success due to the professionalism of the local guides used who took such a pride in advising about their country and sharing their knowledge. All guides had their good attributes and certainly knew about their country but Tuan in Vietnam was outstanding. There was 19 people in our group and within 10 minutes he knew each one of us by name and any allergies excetra we had and he never forgot them. He ensured all restaurants were aware of any special needs. He was simply the best guide and used his great sense of humour to entertain us. On The Go tours were very well run and the organisation was plain to see. We had no issues whatsoever and I felt very safe and well looked after at all times. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone thinking about touring South East Asia on a group tour. There was such a lot to see that we were literally 'on the go' most of the time and although exhausted I would not change anything as it was simply brilliant. I would also like to vote for Tuan for a guide of the year award. He was a great ambassador for Vietnam and 'On The Go'.”  

Our tour of Vietnam was terrific - due in large part to our tour guide, Hung Do. Hung is the best guide I have experienced anywhere. Here are some of the things he did that made the trip terrific. Within about 5 minutes he knew who we all were (19 of us) and where we were from. It was clear he had studied in advance. He was exceptionally well organised; he always reminded us of the plan for the next day, where we would be, what the weather report was, what to bring, and challenges ahead. And he repeated the information to be sure we all had it!

His knowledge of history and geography of the country is excellent. And his personal stories added to the richness of the experience. Hung is highly proficient in English; he always made himself clear and was able to answers all questions. He would be a wonderful model for other guides in this area! Hung was always available for questions and trouble-shooting. Even when we didn't realise he was around (e.g., at dinners), I found him in the background making sure all was ok - e.g., orders were understood, food needs were respected, etc. Hung's personal touches were so appreciated. He checked on how people were feeling, made sure we had water, planned in advance to address any potential challenges, and made individual recommendations to help us planning each day. Finally (though I could go on and on) Hung's sense of humor and friendly personality made long days of touring lighter. He was engaging and remarkably up-beat throughout all 10 days. Please extend my sincere thanks to Hung for a wonderful, memorable trip through Vietnam. ”  

Mr Taun was very professional .full of knowledge and handle all situations calmly.Our time in Vietnam was hassle free and because of this (and Mr Taun) i will be going on lots more On the go tours in the near future.Every one on the tour left with wonderful memories and friendship.Not one person on the tour had any negative feelings or feedback about our time in Vietnam.

Thankyou On the go and Mr Taun ”  

Very knowledgeable and reliable. Provided great experiences and information. Awesome restaurant recommendations. If I could ask for the photos he took to please be emailed to me that would be amazing! Thank you again for a wonderful trip!”  

All the guides were great! We enjoyed this holiday and thought the hotels, food, guides, and transport utilities were of a high standard. While numbers in our group varied, there were few complaints from anyone.”  

Tuan was professional, knowledgeable, hard working, went above beyond and took care of us like we were family. He deserves recognition for helping make the trip so magical and flow so smoothly, thanks to his strong organizational skills and attention to detail.”  

Tuan was a fantastic guide as he was super organised and helped as soon as any of the group had a problem. He gave us good commentary on our bus and at sites and judged the group well and made he trip fun as well as interesting.”  

Pom was excellent. Very informative. His English was not the best but overall his other qualities made up for that.

A free day in Luang Prabang would have been better than the trip to the waterfall.

Not sure about the road trip to Vientiane. A plane ride would have been better allowing us to spend more time in that city. There are a number of tourist spots in Vientiane that we missed.

The excursions in Luang Prabang including the Elephant ride were excellent.”  

The tour was very well organised, the hotels were all very nice, comfortable and well serviced.

the guides were efficient, well informed and very helpful. I must commend Kein in Thailand, he was especially good at unifying the group, very knowledgeable about both political and general facts in Vietnam, he could answer questions about the people, plants, buildings etc. He was also kind and helpful on a personal basis.”  

What an amazing experience. Laos has been high on my list for many years and this tour did not disappoint. I just happened to arrive during the end of Buddhist Lent which I feel quite honoured to have been able to observe the local people in the temples as they were all still open to the public. The atmosphere was so festive in Vientiane! Vang Vieng was beautiful, would have loved the opportunity to go hot-air ballooning. An early morning spent on the Nam Song river was so peaceful. Luang Prabang was a wonderful way to end the tour. Exploring on foot, and enjoying all that nature has to offer.

Our guide Xang, for our tiny tour of 2 people, was very personable and not only enjoyed sharing his knowledge of the country and culture, but it was a joy to watch him seeing new things in his own country. His passion for his home was very evident.”  

Thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Laos. Our guide Lee was very knowledgeable and controlled his 6 senior travelers very well. Laos is a beautiful country and the people are very friendly. The only criticism I would have is the description of this being a 8 day tour, we thought it was really more of a 6 day tour but had a lovely time anyway. Thank you.”  

Tuan was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable and dedicated. He offered exactly the right amount of information: enough so we would have the context and understanding without overloading us with information so the main point get lost. We gave us very good advise for "extra" activities such as massage place, tailor place, etc. He was always ready to help and did the extra bit to turn a very nice vacation into a fantastic one. ”  

Thailand has been fantastic! Without the help of our wonderful guide it would be difficult to see all the things we have experienced and to understand the history and culture of this beautiful country. ”  

Our trip was truly amazing! We felt that all the guides opened up about their experiences growing up in their respective countries. We felt like we were well looked after. Practically all the rooms were above our expectations especially the one in Pakbang Laos where we had an incredibly view of the Mekong River.

Mr. Paiboon was our guide in northern Thailand. We felt that in addition to being our best guide that he also became a friend. Kim in Vietnam was very very close! It was a tough call.

We would and have already recommended On the Go to other people. Thanks for a incredible experience! Rick and Deb”  

We found Chenda to be very dedicated to her guide position in her home town of Siam Reap. Chenda's local knowledge and ability to impart that knowledge to us was exemplary. Not only did she impart fact, Chenda also told her own personal stories with humour and sincerity. Chenda's kindness was the quality that really stood out, in the way she assisted people around the various sites.

The only negatives were that the flight from Hoi An to Saigon was far too early ( had to get up at 3am) and the next days travelling was far too long. Don't think anybody enjoyed the next day. The free time on the last day was also severely reduced. We think that this was caused by the delay in the flight to Siam Reap however we were looking forward to free time for buying gifts etc.”  

Excellent and interesting tour. All guides knowledgeable and informative with John being by far the best. Only criticism would be that I prefer smaller groups - there were over 20 people in Vietnam and Cambodia. Also, would prefer not so much emphasis on spending time having lunch and latterly I felt we were on the bus too much.

Flights out were fine although we had problems with the catering. I requested vegetarian meals both on the flights and on the tour. Although the tour guides were aware of our dietary requirements and they were all very good at ensuring that our requirements were met, the airlines were not informed of our dietary requirements. KLM staff were very helpful in trying to accommodate our requirements with one cabin attendant giving us some of his meal!”  

I have been on various tours but I can honestly say that the Bangkok to Angkor Wat On the Go tour was the best tour that I have ever done! We had a number of tour guides throughout the journey and each tour guide made a very positive impression. The handover from one tour guide to the next went very smoothly and we were well briefed as to what to expect. All the tour guides were efficient, attentive and extremely knowledgeable about their specific country/region. We were very well looked after. The hotels we stayed at were also fabulous! (This was very important for me as the hotels used by some tour operators are not always of a high standard.) I would like to specifically mention our tour guide in Vietnam, Tran Dinh Tuan ("Tuan") who went above and beyond to ensure that we had the best holiday ever. We really enjoyed his sense of humour and his anecdotes. He went to a huge amount of trouble to keep us amused on the longer bus trips. He is extremely knowledgeable - an absolute expert in his field! I would like to give him my vote for tour guide of the year.”  

Dear Mark,

I received your e-mail details from your call centre.

My sister and I completed the above-mentioned tour in December 2014 and it was fantastic in every sense of the word. We both believe it is the best tour we have ever experienced to date and would recommend it to others.

During our travels we were looked after by no less than 7 very competent tour guides, 2 in Thailand, 2 in Laos, 1 in Vietnam and 2 in Cambodia.

However one of these tour guides stands out head and shoulders above the rest and we would like to vote for this particular person to win the Tour Guide of the Year Award.

The person to whom we are referring is Mr Tran Tuan who took care of us through the Vietnam leg of our tour. Tuan is very passionate about the work he does and exceptionally knowledgeable. Furthermore, he has a wonderful sense of humour which was appreciated by every member of our group. We felt that he walked more than the extra mile to make our stay in Vietnam a very memorable occasion. Despite the reading we did in advance of our trip we both came home very enlightened by all the information that Tuan shared with us about Vietnam. His students are very lucky to have such a committed man guiding them through their studies in tourism.

So please pass on our huge vote of confidence to those involved in making those important decisions on recognition and reward. ”  

I accompanied a group of 25 people to Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane. The itinerary was excellent. However, if we had the luxury of time, we would have added another day in Luang Prabang and another day in Van Vieng. We loved both areas and would have liked to spend more time in each. The drive from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng is extremely difficult, filled with twists and turns, and washed out road, but we enjoyed the scenery and glimpses of local life and would not have changed it. Accommodations and meals were excellent, as were all tours and activities included. We did add an elephant ride and feeding the monks which I would strongly recommend.

Pom was our guide. He did everything possible to ensure we maximized our time and our experiences while in Laos; fine-tuning our plans from day to day. He shared his love for his country, his people, and his culture with us and we were so fortunate to have him as our guide. He is kind, considerate and animated. His command of the English language is very good although some clients had difficulty at times understanding his commentary. I clarified a few key ideas and we were off and running. I would not hesitate to recommend the tour to other clients. ”  

Excellent tour with great guide, very pleasant surprise with it all, especially as I am usually an independent traveller.”  

Great tour! We would like to commend Kien is the best of the OGT's guide after we had 8 tours with On the go up to date.”  

Love the lunch on the river boat, very authentic food, delicious. Guide is very friendly and helpful.”  

Morning Charlie,

OTG have outdone themselves yet again with yet another fabulous tour. Pom was an excellent guide and was super helpful and informative throughout the trip, even to the point of offering me options when part of our activities included something I have a great fear of, but his manner put me at ease and helped me embrace my phobia. I left my completed questionnaire with him on my departure date.

I've voted for OtG with the British Awards (putting my London office's postcode in that required field).

Many thanks for all your valuable assistance ”  

Very professional guide and driver - both went out of their way to help. Nice clean vehicle, safely driven and a guide who was both knowledgeable and possessed a sense of humour. Would happily tour with these guys again! Especially liked the Grand Hotel and the elephant crossing. ”  

This was my first trip with On The Go Tours, and if all of OTGT's trips are this well-organized and the guides are as knowledgeable and friendly as Vanh, then I hope I can participate on more trips. Vanh is an exceptional guide. I learned quite a lot about Laos and its people during the trip thanks to Vanh's explanations and answering all of our questions. Both Vanh and Mr Keo took very good care of us throughout the entire week. I was very impressed by Mr Keo's driving skills, especially in the difficult mountain passes. I was also very impressed with Vanh's command of the English language...

Thank you very much! ”  

Really enjoyed Cambodia, had a fantastic time. Great food. ”  

Excellent driver and guide. Very happy with both and On The Go once again! ”