Testimonials

July 20, 2017
Anne

Thank you for all your assistance for our trip to Vietnam. We had a lovely time and our accommodations and tours were very good.

April 18, 2017
Vilas

I wanted to tell you that our trip went very well. You had planned the trip perfectly and all the guides in all the places were fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed every place and I like to thank you for all your efforts in this regard.

April 4, 2017
Holly

I am back from my trip to Bali and I want to thank you and your agency for providing a wonderful trip. The accommodations were 5 star and everything went perfectly smoothly to the pick up and drop off at the airport and the flights and everything. I am recommending you to everyone!

March 13, 2017
Shiraz

We returned from our trip on Thursday. We had a wonderful time. All the hotels, guides and sightseeing were excellent. The flights were pretty much on time as well. So we just wanted to thank you for all the arrangements and the itinerary.

September 17, 2016
Toni Powell and Terry Berger

Staying at the Crown Plaza at Changi was PERFECT end to a great trip! It was so nice to walk straight into the departure lounge when we left for the long flight home. The whole trip was wonderful and no problems with luggage or delays on all 12 flights. I can't recommend the Lumba Lumba dive resort more highly if you have other guests interested in Indo diving. The reef was amazing and food and service 5 star! Looking forward to planning another trip with you soon. Maybe Bhutan? Thanks for all the attention to detail from all your staff. Please let them know it was appreciated.

May 27, 2016
James and Debra

Thank you for arranging our trip to Nepal and India in April/May. Though it was hot (105-110 F), this trip was very special. Here are some observations: The cities in the Kathmandu Valley were fascinating. Earthquake damage from a year ago is still visible, but it doesn't distract from the beauty and history of Nepal. The Hyatt hotel was great and the local tour company was first rate: they greeted us when we arrived confused at night, and helped us through customs. Our guide was full of facts and stories. He directed us to good restaurants. In India our favorite guides were in Delhi (Ricky) and Varanasi (Bishnu). They were full of facts, but more important, they told us personal stories about Indian culture. They also had good recommendations for food. The hotels in India were comfortable, but the April/May off-season meant that hotels in Kajuraho, Ranthambore, and Jaipur were empty. Food at breakfast was extremely limited because there were only a few people checked in. The Alsisar Haveli in Jaipur was unique and beautiful but we were almost the only people in the former mansion. One disappointment was Agra. The Taj Mahal and other monuments were fantastic, but our guides weren't very personable. The ITC Mughal hotel was luxurious, but the food was the worst we found on the trip. It was bland, expensive, and there wasn't much choice. This hotel was full and other guests also commented on the bad food. Our contact in India, Amit of Diverse Destinations called us every few days during the trip to make sure we were happy with our guides and hotels. That was very gracious. Our driver for the days between Agra and Delhi was really special. Mr. Sharma was generous, funny, and courteous--every single day, even with all the crazy drivers (and camels, cows, and pigs) on the road. Etihad Air was ok. The food, however, was not. We have always enjoyed the trips Sayang Holidays arranged for us. This India trip was really great. Thanks again.

November 18, 2015
Karen Nourse

I thought I would write to you now as I know when I get home there will be so much to do, it will get put on the back burner and I probably will not get to it for a while. One day left before we return home and I can't begin to tell you how pleased we are with the tour, the tour guides, the accommodations, the flights and the total experience. I have already recommended your agency to a friend who has been hoping to do the same trip. Thank you for your patience and help with this trip. We have truly enjoyed the experience.

November 11, 2015
Maria Mendoza

I have meant to get this to you sooner but it is still only a week since arrived home from tour and I'm still a bit out of sorts. I wanted to let you know that the tour to the Wall that you organized was a Huge success. Everyone was absolutely delighted with it. Rocky our tour guide impressed us all and I believe he made quite a few new friends. Besides the obvious amazing Great Wall I have to say the Lunch that was provided was probably the best meal that any of us had while we were there. Totally Delicious and fresh and in a friendly and clean environment. So many thanks for your great work and effort.

July 16, 2014
Mark Lefcourt

First thing warmers I want to thank you for planning such a fantastic trip. Your guys have been wonderful. The accommodations great. Everything is been a total success. Thanks. I don't want you to waste your time but I mean you to plan the rest of our trip. We wanted to see if you were any good first. Clearly knew all. I'm not really a bad speller, it's my voice recognition. Hopefully you'll still understand this email. We booked a hotel in Bangkok for two nights. We will be leaving Bangkok on the 26th. We don't know if we want to go to Chang Mai, Chang Rye or Laos. Inshore we are looking for is an excellent elephant experience and the zip line tour. Nice. We are then thinking of going to Phucket. In Phucket we would be looking for about four nights and we would like to stay close to the center of the action. Also, we would love to stay in the Villa similar to the ones we stayed in Seminyak. I don't want to waste your time. I'm not sure about the Davis family will be on board. If nothing else, take your compliment. You have planned an amazing trip thus far. We are very happy. Mark.

July 09, 2014
Kris Newberry

Pannir,
As always we had a great trip. Everything went very smoothly. (We wished maybe we could turn the temperature down though.) Lakki, our guide, was very informational and more than attentive to all of our needs.
One thing I would forewarn people about is that although you have to remove your shoes at temples, bring socks to protect your feet. At Anuradhapura, it was so hot, we felt like we were scorching our feet - dashing from shadow to shadow. There was a lot to see there, but after a while we didn't want to subject our feet to more blistering surfaces. We would be find with a "drive by" of some of the stupas, especially since some don't look much different from the others. The next day of touring was much better when we wore socks in the temples.
Just a side note: Pens are a hot commodity in Sri Lanka. I guess it is kind of a status thing to be able to show your varying size pens with logos from all over the world. I did trade away my only logo pen for a basic ballpoint pen. We could have easily threw those in.
Our lodging everywhere was fine. We enjoyed the staff at Sigiriya the most. I think Sigiriya was one of my favorite spots. The beach stay in the middle of the trip was good for relaxing and recharging and we snorkeled and scuba dived there, which was very good.
We understand that services are not all in place yet in some parts of the country so we normally stopped at hotels for lunches and bathroom stops. More variety would be good, since we got a little tired of buffet lines. On our on we found a great little restaurant in Kandy. We also enjoyed the botanic gardens in Kandy.
We loved the two different safari days as the wildlife was very different between the two parks. We saw hundreds of elephants at Minneriya and water buffalo, a wide variety of birds, lots of crocodiles, monkeys and even a leopard at Yala.
So now we are home and getting back in synch with our time zone, but we had a great trip and thank you again for putting together such a well organized tour for us! Till next time, Kris

July 09, 2014
Susan K

Dear Sayang,

I just wanted to let you know that our trip was fantastic. All the arrangements played out very smoothly, the guides were terrific, and the cooking class was a real highlight. We loved all the hotels -- we especially were very impressed with the Ratilanna. The Sofitel Sukhumvit was the ideal location. We had terrific food and my daughter took some wonderful photos. I think her favorite thing was petting the tiger at the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai.
So thank you very much for all the great arrangements. It was a special trip!
Susan Kamei

November 8, 2013
Vera J

Hi Sayang Holidays,
I just wanted to let you know that we had a very good and interestng trip to Sri Lanka.
We received a complimentary bottle of wine our first night in Negombo. The waiter informed us that it was provided by Sayang Tours. We would like to thank whomever was responsible for it. There was no one to meet us at the airport in Columbo. A kind man at a car rental booth was kind enought to make phone calls for us and the problem was resolved. There was also confusion concerning our hotel reservations in Kandy, but that problem was also resolved satisfactorily.We really enjoyed the safaris in Yala National Park and were glad to have done that, instead of staying at the beach. As I said, we are not beach people, although I enjoyed Negombo. Our guide was adequate, but I did find myself feeling rushed at times and could have used more commentary. His English was good when he recited facts about various sites, etc., but there was some incomprehension when he was asked specific questions, none of which was complicated. However, his driving skills were excellent, which was very important on the two-lane roads with its many tuk-tuks, motorbikes, vehicles, etc, and the constant passing.
Our hotel in Kandy was very luxurious and in a lovely location on the river. However, it was rather isolated and far from the city center. I would have preferred more modest accommodations at a site, closer to the city center. I do like to get out and 'explore' on foot at my convenience when we travel.But overall, it was a very well put-together tour and Lee and I thank you very much.
Regards,Vera Jones

September 03, 2013
David Hults

My wife and I just completed an absolutely amazing trip through Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo), Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) and several other islands in Indonesia. The trip was incredibly well planned by Yoke with assistance from Pannir. Our guides and drivers were all first rate, the hotels and lodges covered a wide range of experiences, from a rustic lodge surrounded by monkeys to ultra luxury in Bali. Komodo Island is famous for its dragons, but they are rivaled by the snorkeling, which is the best we have done anywhere in the world. We had many inter-island fights, and thanks to Sayang’s careful planning all went well, despite an environment rich with potential for difficulties.

Sayang Holidays is simply speaking, the best. Our previous trip with them through Vietnam and Cambodia, while less adventurous, was equally well planned and executed. Note to first-time Asia visitors – seriously consider the Singapore stopover. The jet lag from the US can be daunting and Singapore is a great place to get used to Asian sensibilities.

David & Joanne Hults

Brookline MA

August 27, 2013
Doyice Cotten

Thanks Pannir.
This gives me a good idea of the costs. As I told you, we will not be going soon and I realize prices could change.
I will be in touch at a later date.
Below is a picture of us at the Swedegon Pagoda in Yangon. We were so impressed that we went back on our return to Yangon and toured it again on our own. Fantastic.

Doyice

March 28, 2013
Joan Campbell

Hi Kyunghee,

I'm home after a very long (but not unpleasant) flight from Hong Kong. You did a great job setting up my trip--everything was wonderful and planned so well. I think that the only problem now is that I will forever be a little spoiled and will expect this great service on every trip, all the time--people waiting for me at airports, great tours and wonderful hotels!

Thank you very much!

Joan

March 11, 2013
Dick Bump

My wife and I had a wonderful time in Sri Lanka. My most memorable moment was when I was walking down an interior stairway in the Thilanka Hotel in Kandy and I met a monkey walking up the handrail. When we met we both paused and looked each other in he eye and then the monkey continued on his way and so did I.

Our guide R.M.Priyanthai (Priya) was excellent. He is starting his own firm but still working with Butterfly Travel. He celebrated his 49th birthday on the second day of our journey and every member of his family and some friends called him on his cellphone to wish him a happy birthday. Whenever, he was through with us for the day he would be visiting Bed & Breakfasts to check out accommodations for future guests. No matter where we were people would come up to him to say Hello. If possible I would suggest without any reservation that you attempt to use him for any future travelers.

Dick Bump

March 08, 2013
Craig Srna

Yoke, We got home about 1:30 this morning.
I have to tell you that this ranks as one of the best trips I have ever taken. Our guide in Myanmar was excellent.
He had a super attitude and showed us a fun and great time. I figured when we got to Sri Lanka that there
was no way we could get a guide that was a great at Pan was in Myanmar. I was wrong. Our guide in
Sri Lanka was just as good.
I have our guides name and email in Myanmar but have lost the email of our guide in Sri Lanka. His first name
was Tashara (not sure about the spelling). If you have his name I wish you would send it to me as I would like to send
them both an email thanking them for the great time they provided us.
There is no way we could have seen all the things we did on a group tour nor had as much fun.
I really do appreciate the time you took putting this trip together for us. It is appreciated. I have never
enjoyed planning a trip with any other travel agent as I have had with you.
I asked you if you had a Walmart near you as I wanted to send you a gift certificate for all you did to get this trip
worked our for us. Since you dont have a store close I am mailing you a personal check that I want you to accept as a 'thank
you' for all your help and time. And this is for you, and not Sayang Holidays. Consider it a New Years present from me to you.
You are a great asset to Sayang Holiday and they should be very
proud to have you working for them.
Thanks again for providing us a great trip.
Craig Srna

February 15, 2013
Robert Lang

Thank you Sayang Holidays for helping us to plan a wonderful adventure to Vietnam, Loas and Cambodia! Our three weeks were filled with interesting tours and insights into the culture of the local people. Your travel staff, especially Kyunghee, were flexible in accommodating our requests and our trip was expertly planned for comfort and pace. The ICS guides were punctual and polite with concern for our every need. It was the perfect travel experience!

Robert and Marilyn
February 2013

February 15, 2013
Meg Haynes

Pannir,

I wanted to touch base with you to let you know Judith and I have returned from our trip safely. We had a wonderful time! Thank you for the arrangements - - all went quite well.

We did have problems with the hotel bookings. We were booked into king-bed rooms throughout. After our first stay at the Millennium in Bangkok our guide Dom straightened it out and we were given twin beds for our second stay. The same in the Chiang Mai suite. The solution there was to bring in a portable bed for me and put it in the living room. Not the best solution but it worked out after some back and forth with hotel management, our guide, and us. The resort was fabulous and the food outstanding. We truly loved it there. We were given twin beds at the Ritz Carlton in Singapore.
It is a marvelous hotel and Judith and I highly recommend it. Their customer service is beyond compare. Outstanding! The Millennium in Bangkok was okay but you might want to consider avoiding it in the future for other travelers. The room was super tiny and cramped with no place to put our suitcases, VERY dirty carpets in the restaurant and both rooms (we wouldn't walk barefoot in the rooms), food below average. I'm just sharing this with you for your future reference.

Overall, the trip was fabulous. The guides, pick-ups, drop-offs, tours, etc. were great. Everyone was super efficient, knowledgeable, friendly, and patient. All guides were willing to adapt to our somewhat limited mobility (we are getting OLD).

We are ready to go back! Matter of fact, we didn't want it to end.

Regards and thank you,
Meg Haynes

December 21, 2012
Jim and Laurie 
Pannir,

Thank you for resolving this for us.
I also wanted to send a thank you for a very well organized vacation. I was impressed that a family of five was able to travel to Asia, with relatively little time to prepare, and have all transfers, visa letters, guides, lunches, excursions and adventures go off without one mistake. The guides were all extremely professional and friendly.
A few notes that may assist you with future customers.
Saigon: The tour that we ended up taking was different than the one originally planned, but turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip.
The day in the Mekong Delta was fantastic. I will get you the name of the tour operators as I think they are pretty new.
Halong Bay: This is an amazing site, albeit a bit of a drive each way. I would prefer this in the summer, but trying to figure out how to incorporate some more time there would be great since the drive isn’t short.
Hotels: I would definitely recommend all of the hotels that you booked for us. They were very comfortable, clean and nice.
Hanoi Puppet Show: Unfortunately this wasn’t a big hit with anyone.
Elephant Rides: This was an event that I was worried about because it has the potential of being very disappointing, but I was proven wrong. An excellent adventure for a family.
Thank you again for your help, you’ve earned another client!

Jim and Laurie

December 21, 2012
Brandon Zhao 
Hi Awe,

Thanks for the follow up. The trip was awesome! We had a lot of fun. The tour guide was very good and very friendly. The sites we saw were amazing as well, and very memorable. We thoroughly enjoyed each day's agenda. Hotels were mostly very good and comfortable. The only hotel I would suggest switching out from the package is the Eden Resort in Beruwela. even though the hotel looked very nice and generally good service, it lacked a few things that put it a few notches below the other hotels, such as very slow service in the restaurants, check out was also very slow, lack of complementary wifi, and constant rolling blackouts in the hotel. I would suggest using Club Bentota or Hotel Bentota Beach as possible replacements, as Judy and I had the chance to visit.

Also, we were able to get seats in the exit row for both round trips to/from Sfo. Thank you for organizing that. Also, thank you for the honeymoon cake to start our trip, that was a very kind and thoughtful gesture, we very much appreciate it.

All and all, we had a great experience. Will definitely recommend you and your agency's service to our friends and family. You will hear from me again for my next vacation as well!

Thank you again, and happy holidays.

Brandon

December 21, 2012
Elyse/Michael Rosenblatt
Hi Awe,
I just wanted to get back to you regarding the great job you did in orchestrating our recent trip to Myanmar. Michael and I really enjoyed the country. We were very pleasantly surprised to have your guides/drivers always on time for airport pickup and dropoff. The guides were all fun to travel and learn from. The hotels were all good (high point was the Inle Lake Resort) - hotel in Mandaley was a bit disappointing since it only had a roof adjacent view, but, in general, they were all fine. We also liked the itinerary that you put together for us.
Thanks again for all your help and travel tips - it was all much appreciated.
We will be happy to provide your name/agency to our friends for forthcoming trips.
Happy Holidays!
Best,
Elyse/Michael Rosenblatt

October 11, 2012
Kris Newberry
Pannir,
Thank you for getting me the information for Gretchen. I really enjoyed talking with her and it sounds like she can put together the "perfect" Africa trip for us. Maybe we'll be back to bug you the summer of '14 for Myanmar or India. I attached a picture of our core group and others. We've really enjoyed our Asia trips with your company and will refer you to others. This is Pat, Mom, and I left to right at the Golden Triangle.
Thanks for the memories! -Kris

Jun 12, 2012
Barbara Flynn
YOU ROCK! You and your friend Ricardo got both of us aisle seats across from each other on the flight out. The trip was great. James from Butterflies and Elliyam our guide/driver met us at the airport. James had flower leis for us (like Hawaii!). We thought all our hotels were charming. Our safaris were amazing--we saw 2 leopards! Even our tracker was beside himself. All in all it was just a fabulous trip and we cannot thank you enough.

Looking forward to our next one.

B

Jan 13, 2012
Andrew and Bruce

Hi Yoke,
Just want to let you know that so far, our trip has been amazing. We love Thailand and wished that we have more time to spend here. Bangkok was a lot of fun. Our tour guide there was fantastic!!!! Please let your tour operator in Bangkok know how happy we were with Mr. Victor. He was knowledgeable, accommodating and he made sure that everything went well. Our side trips were a lot of fun as well. Enjoyed Ayuthaya, the floating market and the river Kwai. Victor even arranged for us to see a cultural show and a ladyboy show! Lol. He accompanied us to the airport on our last day in bangkok and made sure we went through the security line before he finally left! He even talked to the counter agent at Asia Air to let our overweight baggage through without paying extra!
We are enjoying Phuket as well. Elephant ride was a lot of fun ( I even got to ride on the elephant's head and be the "driver"!). The "white water rafting" that was on our itinerary wasn't quite white water rafting---was more of a slow bamboo rafting down the river. Bruce and I were laughing the whole time that it's the white water rafting equivalent for the AARP set since you know that Bruce turned 50. The Novotel in Phuket even placed a birthday cake in our room for Bruce! What a pleasant surprise.
Btw, the dinner cruise that you arranged for us at the chao phraya river was fantastic and we really enjoyed it....thank you.
Heading home tomorrow. Gonna go enjoy more Thai food now....love the street food.
-Andrew
P.s. Bruce says he loves you!!!! We will both post on Facebook what incredible vacations you plan out for us and to use you in any of their travel needs to asia. Wish you also could arrange tours to non Asian countries!

June 8 , 2011
Lauren and Nick

Dear Pannir:

Nick and I returned from our amazing Bali vacation last week and we are still over the moon! What an incredible vacation you gave to us both. I can't say thank you enough for the hotel recommendations. Both the Nusa Dua Beach Resort and the Kupu Kupu Barong were incredible and exactly the look and feel that we were hoping for. The tours were a fantastic way to see the island and on the last day, we even enjoyed a private tour. I greatly appreciate your attention to detail and communication. This has been the best vacation of our lives and I look forward to turning to you in the future for our next Asia vacation.

I will highly recommend Sayang Holidays and yourself to anyone interested in what we were lucky enough to enjoy!

Best wishes,

Lauren and Nick

May 4, 2011
Diego

Dear Yoke, Thanks for everything The whole trip has been impecable without any problemas at all. If we happen to travel to asia will not hesitate in contacting you. Hotels were great. Tours also and Singapore Airlines flights one of the best I ever had.

Only thing to remark is that Kuala Lumpur city tour was very poor. It was from ten in the morning until one pm and half of the tour we were taken to arts an craft center to buy things and chocolate factory to buy. Both no interest at all, We were looking for sightseeing.

Malacca tour was ok. I strongly recommend to stay one full day there becaus there is plenty to see.

Siem Reap tour guide was great, hotel Ankgor Century was very good. Ankgor Wat tour was amazing and Ton Le Sap Lake tour is very shocking for the common tourist. Is a very primitive place with a lot of poverty. We are use to it and we understand. But maybe americans are not used to it.

Hope the feedback is useful.

May 4, 2011
Walthalltravel.com

Just wanted to thank you for all you help. The trip was fantastic and was more than we could hope for. The services and guides provide by ICS were great and took us to more places than the itinerary called for. As we flew into each city there was our guide and driver waiting with there sign. The hotels were good quality hotels and the hotel employees were nice and helpful. The only exception was the Mandalay City Hotel which was a decent hotel, but thought they would provide A/C and hot water at their convience as they were not full and it cost money to run these items. After some arguing and threats they decide they could provide the services that had been paid for.The Singapore Stopover people and tours were great and a real value. I would highly recommend this trip and your services to anyone considering Myanmar.

Be sure and tell any clients who might be going that the cashiers at the hotels and restaurants want perfect dollar bills. They don't want any folds are creases in any money. Most of their money looks like it has been thru a trashing machine but American money must be perfect.

December 23, 2010
Marilyn & George.

Pannir,

Everything that you arranged for us was great! We really enjoyed our visit to Laos. The country is beautiful and the people are very friendly and helpful. The accommodations were very nice, especially 3 Nagas Hotel in Luan Prabang. It is well located and the room and staff were excellent. Thanks for your help in planning our trip.

November 3, 2010
Jane H.

Hello friends, Just a note to let you know we are back safely from our trip to beautiful Sri Lanka. We had a wonderful time and were well taken care of by Butterflies. Our guide, Pria, was excellent and considerate at all times. The agency (Dashon) called frequently while we were traveling about the country just to check on us and see that all was going well. Our accomodations were excellent and the scenery spectacular. We can't praise our guide who was also our driver, well enough for the excellent care he gave us. Thank you for a wonderful trip.

October 24, 2010
Sandy

Good afternoon! I wanted to let you know that our trip to Singapore and Nepal was fabulous! My husband and I consider this one of the best trips we have ever been on. We added Bardia Park to our trip and although it took
8 hours to get there it was worth it! Everything went without a hitch and I would recommend Pannir and Sayang Holidays to everyone! I look forward to travelling with you again.

September 18, 2010
Margaret

I wanted to take a moment to let you know that our trip to
Singapore and Vietnam was wonderful. We were so well taken care of by Sayang Holidays, Singapore Air, and ICS. The guides (we LOVED Tuyen and Tien), the hotels, the food, the sights, and even the weather (though hot - as expected) were perfect. Everything went smoothly,all connections made, all promises kept and we couldn't have enjoyed it more. We were able to meet our daughters birth family as planned and, as you can imagine, that was a momentous occasion. Your attention to detail, prompt replies, and professionalism helped us have a trip of a lifetime and we thank you so much.

September 3, 2010
Patricia

Zeeky - we arrived home last night from our wonderful trip to Southeast Asia! I thought you would like some feedback:

1. our accommodation in all locations were great - we had a ground floor room, overlooking the ocean at the Mirage in Bali - heavenly

2. the transfers went smoothly with the exception of our departure from KL - the driver dropped us at the wrong terminal and we had to take the bus from the international terminal to the LCCT - we had built in enough time and the fare was reasonable.

3. Indochina services in Bali was exceptional - our guide, Lanang and his driver Badung were friendly, courteous and took us to wonderful places.

4. Singapore Air was the best - efficient and professional - we will use Singapore Air in all future trips to the Far East and Southeast Asia. Air Asia was good as well.

Thank you for your help in making this a trip of a lifetime!

August 29, 2010
Veronica

GOOD MORNING ZEEKY,
FUNNY YOU READ MY MIND. I WAS ABOUT TO E-MAIL YOU THIS WEEK-END ABOUT OUR TRIP.
IT WAS A VERY HECTIC TRIP BUT WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE MY FOLKS ESPECIALLY MY MOM. SHE LOOKS GOOD FOR A NINETY YEAR OLD LADY. STILL VERY ACTIVE AND GOES TO CHURCH EVERYDAY WITHOUT FAIL. I REALLY ENJOYED BEING WITH HER ESPECIALLY. SINGAPORE WAS VERY CLEAN AND PEOPLE ARE SO DISCIPLINED,A LITTLE TOO EXPENSIVE. BALI IS A DIFFERENT STORY. WE HAD A PROBLEM COMING THROUGH THE AIRPORT ON ARRIVAL. AFTER PAYING FOR THE VOA, WE HAD TO WAIT FOR 2 HOURS IN LINE TO GET THROUGH. FINALLY, WHEN IT WAS OUR TURN,WE WERE ASKED FOR MONEY OTHERWISE THEY WON'T STAMP OUR PASSPORT FOR CARLOS HAD ONLY ONE WHOLE PAGE EMPTY. THE LAST PAGE AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH EVEN THOUGH IT IS STILL UNDER THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND WAS CONFIRMED BY THE SINGAPORE AIRLINE SUPERVISOR IN THE AIRPORT IN SINGAPORE. I HAD TO GIVE THEM CASH US DOLLARS AND THEY ASKED FOR MORE. IT WAS IN FRONT OF HUNDREDS OF PASSENGERS AND THEY WERE NOT ASHAMED AND VERY BLATANT. I WAS SO DISGUSTED WITH THEIR CORRUPTIONS. I WAS THEN WORRIED ON TOURING BALI THAT WE HIRED A PRIVATE CAR FROM THE HOTEL FOR 12 HOURS TO SEE BALI. IT MADE ME FEEL SAFER KNOWING THEY WERE FROM THE HOTEL. FROM ARRIVAL, I DID NOT TRUST ANYONE AFTER. IT LEFT ME SUCH BAD TASTE OF THE COUNTRY. I DID ENJOY SEEING THE COUNTRYSIDE OF BALI AND CARLOS EVEN WENT SCUBA DIVING. I DID TAKE THE ODISSEY SUBMARINE DOWN SINCE IT WAS ONE OF ONLY TWO IN THE WORLD. THERE IS ONE IN HAWAII WHICH I DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE WHEN I WAS THERE.
SO LONG AND THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO LET ME KNOW OF UPCOMING PROMOTIONS FROM SINGAPORE AIRLINES. I AM BACK TO WORK AND TRYING TO MAKE THE MIGHTY DOLLAR AGAIN. TAKE CARE.....VERONICA PS..I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOUR COMPANY..GREAT WORK,ZEEKY..AGAIN THANKS !!!!!

May 5, 2010
Kathy

I thought you might like to see what we look like. From left to right-Gretchen,Nancy, Kathy, Mollie and Barbara. This was taken in Nha Trang. It's usually beer in out hands, not ice cream. I am emailing with three different Vietnamese, two young women who are about to be English teachers and our guide from Nha Trang. We found most young people very eager to speak American English. When they learn it in school it is often incorrect. Their language doesn't have tenses or plurals. I could never speak their language because I can't hear the tones. One guide showed us a chart he had made for "TAM".
With the tone marks it had ten different meanings. I could distinguish maybe three sounds. All of our guides were excellent, but the younger ones were much easier to understand. Thank you for another wonderful trip.
Kathy

March 25, 2010
Candy and Patricia

Pannir, the trip was fantastic. Everything went perfectly without problems, and we loved Borneo. It's a great place to visit! We were incredibly lucky and saw a huge male orangutan in the wild, as well as a mother and baby! Plus lots of orangutans at the rehabilitation center, and tons of other animals. They put us in a different lodge at the river, the Myre Resort and it was fantastic. We highly recommend it for future clients. It has just re-opened with new management and their location is top notch, and the lodge is gorgeous.

Thank you for once again planning a perfect trip for us.

March 23, 2010
Owen & Martine

Hi Yoke,

Just a little note to let you know that our trip went very well and we had a great time revisiting all those places we called home many years ago. The flights were fine, we even got upgraded to business class on the trip from Bali to Hong Kong.The hotels we would highly recommend are the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, still perfect, the Jimbaran Puri Bali, a small but very lovely hotel on a nice beach and the Langham Yantze hotel in Shanghai, a very good hotel that had been renovated in the 30's style ( when it was built ) extremely well located for tourists ( walking distance to a lot of places of interest ) and a very good deal at US$160 with breakfast ! The Goodwood Park Hotel in Singapore however had been refurbished very cheaply and was barely clean, it has lost all of its charm and we would not recommend it. The nearby Shrangri-la is much nicer. Hope all is well for you and thanks again for your help.

Martine and Owen

March 15, 2010
Susan B.

Yoke,

My friends and I highly recommend the Bali Spirit Resort and Spa. It is about a ten minute shuttle ride out of the town of Ubud (shuttle provided by the hotel). The hotel is traditional Indonesian style-- very open, and built along the side of a hill so it terraces down to the different levels. It is not very large, but beautiful with a river running along next to it. I would go back to it in a heartbeat. You might want to check it out yourself.

On our trip to Borobodur we had lunch at the Aman Resort in Central Java. Talk about plush-- you might want to check that one out too.

Anyway, thanks so much for your help. We had a great time!!

Best,

Susan

December 29, 2009
Jeffrey

Long, long way back -- 21 hours or so. Trip of a lifetime though, capped off by doing scuba for a week with my
two sons off the Gili Islands in the South China Sea.

Just wanted to let you know that all the arrangements you and Pannir set up for us worked flawlessly. In Phuket, Bali, Lombock and Singapore the transits were always reliable, always on time and always user friendly. All the ferry tickets were in hand just when they needed to be. Perfect!

I want to thank you and Pannir for making this happen so smoothly. It definitely made this adventure run with far less stress than might otherwise have been the case. please forward this to Pannir if you would. I know he did alot of the leg work here and I would like him to know how appreciative lily and I are for his efforts.

December 24, 2009
Judith

Dear Pannir,

My sister Meg and I enjoyed a wonderful visit to Cambodia. Thank you for arranging another great trip.If anyone should ever ask for a recommendation, please don't hesitate to have the potential traveler contact me. We tell everyone who asks that if
they want a well-organized adventure, they should contact Sayang Holidays. We were particularly impressed with our guide Tuni, during the first part of our trip, and our stay at Knai Ban Chatt Resort in Kep.

December 2, 2009
Meg

Judith and I have just returned from our trip to Cambodia and I wanted to let you know that we enjoyed every minute of it. The itinerary was with many interesting sites; we had a wonderful time. Everything went so smoothly for such a complicated itinerary, we were amazed. We shouldn't have been having been on another trip planned by you a couple years ago. The hotels were fantastic. We did change a couple of things to accommodate our aging bones but were happy that the people in Cambodia were willing to meet out needs. They were delightful to work with.

Thank you for arranging such a memorable trip for us. Your efforts are well appreciated.

July 10, 2009
Nancy

Hi,

David and I are back from our wonderful trip to Singapore, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Everything went so smoothly! Connections were made, flights on time, hotels ready, and wonderful wonderful guides throughout. Thank so much for making this happen!

We will be sure to recommend Sayang Holdiays to anyone considering a trip to Asia. We also want to specifically recognize Sothy, the guide in Cambodia, who made the area come alive and was so informative and serene. The staff at Lotus and Kuching Hilton were wonderful, too.

Thank you again for your work and patience, and we hope to contact you for another trip.
Next stop, India????

December 2, 2009
Candy & Patricia

The trip, as always with Sayang Holidays, was flawless! We had a wonderful time, everything went perfectly, and we loved Myanmar! We also really loved our upgraded hotel rooms! What fun that was. Thank you so much!
We can't wait to see where you take us next!

November 27, 2009 
Tom

My wife and I have been using Sayang for years and couldn't be happier with the service they provide. We come up with all kinds of special requests for Yoke (our agent there) and she always comes through. Their packages are great values. They have an extensive knowledge of Asia. And will customize any trip.

The transfers at the airport as well as they tours they provide (through Indochina Services) are alway private coaches with very personable guides. Their primary airline is Singapore (which can't be beat).

May 5, 2009
Samantha

I can not say enough good things about Sayang Holidays. I've used them four times - all for crazy adventures in Bali, Indonesia. They're the travel company for those who want to get to where they're going, but not be forced to engage in the big group tour thing. Exactly what I want in a travel operator. For a flat price you get airfare, transfers, a driver to take you from this place to that, small one on one tours with a guide, and the best hotels the island (or wherever you're visiting) has to offer.

Easy to use and friendly staff. I'll use them again and again and highly recommend for your next SE Asia adventure.

September 2, 2008 
AB

This is an excellent place... Pannir is excellent and very knowledgeable and is extremely nice and helpful... as well as the other people in the office..

they specialize in trips to SE ASIA... Indian, Malay, Singapore, Indonesia, and Cambodia, Laos... o ya and how can i forget Thailand and Vietnam...

we went on a two week trip to Malaysia and Singapore.. and the whole package they specially made for us was wonderful..

I highly recommend them for your next trip....and also...they are in partnership with Singapore Airlines.. so you can get wonderful rates, with the top airlines in the world.

June 27, 2007
Cathline

I just wanted to thank Yoke for helping us plan a great trip to Bali. The hotels were great. We especially liked the Grand Mirage in Nusa Dua and Sahadewa in Ubud. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were able to have a problem free trip. Thank you for all of your hard work.

December 21,2009
Anup

A fabulous tour operator for South-East Asia. We chose them (via the website of Singapore Airlines) and were very pleased with the entire process and journey.They have a lot of pre-made tour packages to countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, etc.

The office staff was courteous and professional and we were able to book a rather complex tour package without any problems. The prices are very competitive. We went to Taiwan, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia in the space of a month with their booking.

The local tour operators arranged by Sayang Holidays in Malaysia and Indonesia were very professional and helpful. I would definitely use them again for any travel to this part of the world.

March 17, 2009
David Olson

We had a fantastic time. Hotels and tour guides were great! OK, so now that we are home, I am thinking about Mongolia :-)

January 25,2009
Shari O'Brien

Hi Yoke,

Just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you for arranging the fantastic trip to Malaysia and Singapore for Rodney and me. Everything went off without a hitch and we were very pleased with all the arrangements. Special thanks for getting us the seats we wanted on Singapore Air. Thanks again, and I'll be in touch next year for our next Asia holiday.

November 21, 2008
Elaine Jacobs

Dear Yoke,

My sister Kathy and I had such a wonderful in Bali. Thank you for your help and especially for your patience. Our Bali contact, "Jack", was so helpful, patient, and kind. We love his personality. He made us feel safe and comfortable on all of our excursions. The seafood dinner in Jimbaran was so plentiful and delicious! Everyday in Bali we had a fun, interesting experience. We even me Ketut Liyer, the medicine man in the book, Eat Pray Love. Our hotel rooms were wonderful too, especially the place in Ubud, Santi Madala. We both wanted to spend more time in Bali. I guess you will be hearing from us again at some point in the future so we can explore more of Bali. I already shared my experience with some of my friends. They want to go!

October 8, 2011
Pat Vinroot

Dear Pannir,

Our trip was perfect! From the airplane, to the hotels , to the guides. Everything went like clockwork. Not one glitch. The guides were wonderful(all four of them) and the hotels, especially the Inle Princess were wonderful. While at the Inle Princess we met the manager (who is married to the daughter of the owner) his two St. Bernards, two of the sweetest Burmese cats,belonging to the resort and a monkey that lives on the property.

Burma is very beautiful, all of the people were lovely and the sights-unbelievable. I never felt unsafe and I hope more Americans will travel there. I hope to be able to return to see some of the minority areas. We were there when a major festival took place on Inle lake and got to be part of that which was most exciting. I learned a lot about Buddism and saw at least 4000 temples and and more Buddas. One day we told our guide in Bagan that we couldn't handle any more pagodas and wanted to be with more of the people and he took us to a small village(where we had to cross a large c reek on Bamboo sticks and went to a village where a lot of people lived. They were so happy to see us and we talked to them, saw their homes, children followed us around and it was one of the highlights of the trip. There is a lot of poverty there but the people are extremely happy people.

Feel free to recommend this trip to people wanting a real cultural experience. I would be happy to talk to anyone who is thinking about this trip but might have some hesitation. I do not think that the internet truly gives the picture there. People told us not to go that the government there benefited from the trip. This is true to some degree but the people in tourism benefit along with people who make handicrafts and others. Everyone I talked to there said "tell people to come."

Thank you again for everything you did planning the trip. It is one of the most meaningful trips we have every taken.