Welcome to Ancient Orient Journeys

Worked with Vinh Nguyen at AOJ to customize a two week trip to Cambodia and Vietnam for family with three teenagers. Vinh was very patient creating several different versions of the tour until we came up with the final agenda which met all our wishes. He was able to give great advice on what would work with our interests. The trip went smoothly from start to finish - and Vinh checked in regularly to make sure all was good along the way. The visas were taken care of quickly when we arrived with his VIP service. The drivers were careful and always ready when we were, in clean air-conditioned vans. The guides were delightful, spoke very good english and were very knowledgable about the area, people, and history. The hotels were excellent - always great customer service, with nice facilities. And the food was plentiful and delicious and the guides were always careful to accommodate our vegan and vegetarian eaters. 

What we enjoyed most about our trip was the ability to discover the culture. Vinh arranged for us to experience local daily life - cooking, eating, planting, fishing, making local crafts, and even riding on the back of Vespas in the crazy Ho Chi Minh traffic. 

I would highly recommend taking a trip with AOJ and Vinh Nguyen. We could not be happier with the experience we had.

For the past 3 years Vinh Nguyen at Ancient Orient Journeys (AOJ) has arranged and organized the in-country travel experience in Vietnam for our Faculty Led Program at San Jose State University. Each year has been an extremely positive experience for our students due to the care with which Vinh has planned our trip. We travel to 3 different areas of Vietnam, and I have depended on him to find us safe accommodations and excursions in each location, and I have never been disappointed. He has worked tirelessly with me to fulfil my wishes about the experience that I want the students to have. He finds us beautiful and safe hotels, amazing guides and bus drivers, and fabulous excursions. Vinh is extremely responsive, both before and during our trip. While in Vietnam, he checks in frequently to make sure everything is as it should be. I know that I can reach him if I need assistance for anything. He is the reason that I bring my students back to Vietnam each year.  It is with utmost trust that I recommend Vinh and AOJ.

We just returned from a wonderful trip to Vietnam and Cambodia organized by Mr Vinh at AOJ. It was nearly perfect. All the arrangement, transfers and accommodation were seamless. The tour included the usual stops but had many unexpected gems. Some highlights were the homestay in the Mekong Delta, the resorts Hoi An Boutique,and Emeralda (where we wish we could have spent extra time). We also liked The Saigon Morin. Some other unexpected highlights were Sophie's art tour, the music house in Saigon and the Mekong Delta tour. The Cambodia part of the trip had many unexpected highlights including a trip into the countryside, a fabulous hotel and a terrific guide. I should also mention that the restaurants that were part of the tour were mostly fabulous and the recommendations made for other meals met the standards of our foodies co-travellers.

The very few 'disappointments' were the overnight in Halong Bay. The weather (not controlled by AOJ was so-so but so was the boat and the guide. But the experience was totally overshadowed by all the guides who were all exceptionally helpful, flexible and attentive. They even arranged to retrieved a bag I forgot in a hotel. All the guides were proficient in English but one guide was a little difficult to understand. All in all I would definitely recommend this outfit for being totally professional, flexible and delivering a terrific trip.

We spent two weeks touring Vietnam and had a wonderful time. Our experience could not have been possible without Vinh and the AOJ team.

We worked with Vinh planning for the trip. Throughout the entire process, Vinh was superb. His professionalism and attention to details eliminated any concerns we may have had initially since this was very different from our usual beach resort vacations.

All the tour guides assigned to us were also excellent. They were knowledgeable, attentive, accommodating to all our needs, and such nice people. We had so much fun with everyone. 

We also had the opportunity to visit a local family in Hue to learn about the culture and enjoyed a family meal. We highly recommend the experience. The only point we would’ve liked to be different is that we had expected to have dinner with the couple that owns the house. But instead we only dined with the husband while his wife cooked and served our meals. We understand this may have been the culture but would’ve liked to have them both at the dinner table.

We loved Vietnam. We definitely like to return since there’s still so much more to experience. And AOJ is the only tour company for us.

We had a wonderful two week trip through Vietnam and to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Vinh did an outstanding job of recommending places to visit and activities all along the way. His recommendations for hotels and restaurants were always excellent. The four guides were extremely knowledgeable and took very good care of us. Our favorite guide was Thang in Hanoi, but they all were friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable in their beautiful country. 

I had never taken a trip that I did not do the research and book hotels and plan where we would go and what sites we would visit. Vietnam and Cambodia were countries I did not feel comfortable visiting without some guidance. Ancient Orient Journeys took care of all bookings, most meals, guides, in-country flights and in-country transportation. It made it a relaxing, enlightening, stress-free two weeks.

Hi. I'm Jay from New York City.

Ancient Orient Journeys provided me with a trip of a lifetime. Three countries (Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos), six locations, six hotels, four domestic flights, six separate guides and six drivers, all executed without a hitch. It was one of the most satisfying mind-expansive vacations I have ever had. From Angkor Wat to the Killing Fields of Phnom Penh, the Tomb and Temple visits in Hue, the street food of Hanoi to the Mekong Delta, Buddhist caves and Buddhist alms giving in Luang Prabang, Laos, were just some of the daily highlights. But what was amazing was the organization. There was always someone at the airport, hotel and all the many sites to guide me. I felt well taken care of and safe which allowed me to focus on the fascinating culture of Southeast Asia. I cannot recommend AOJ highly enough.

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip? 

The temples of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, S-21 and the Killing Fields, War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels, and morning exercise in parks in Ho Chi Minh City Hue Temples, Khe Sanh, , Hanoi (chaos and French influence), Luang Prabang (serenity, beauty, daily 6am alms giving of residents to the Buddhist monks). Really liked all my guides. All very different personalities but learned a great deal from all of them.