1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

There were so many unbelievable moments it's hard to choose but the jungle trek across some of the most stunning waterfall scenery to meet the Sakai just takes the prize for me!

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Do it! Do it now!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Yes, we really used only local guides and restaurants and travelled to all locations on land.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

A fantastic experience, I have never had a holiday like it and will be using this operator again, I would like to put a special mention in for Oh, our Thai tour guide, who was both exceptional as a tour guide and as a friend. The experience of immersion into the Thai culture was totally enriched by his passion for his county and his enthusiasm for his work. Thank you (and Oh!) for a fantastic time.

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Many aspects of this holiday were memorable but exploring sea caves by canoe or by swimming into enclosed lagoons through dark caves by torchlight was a unique experience. Additionally, snorkelling over reefs was a new experience for us. The guides provided were excellent and showed great local knowledge.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Don't take too many clothes- we took far too many but the operator did warn us -so it was our own mistake. Money goes much further in Thailand than in the UK- if more is required there are plenty of ATMs available in the cities.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Difficult to say how much the local people benefited. Clearly, there was income for hoteliers and for local guides. I think it would be reasonable to say that the way the trip was organised did not impact in a negative sense on the people in the south.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Personally we found that the holiday got more interesting as it progressed; Bangkok at the start of the trip was less interesting to us than the southern Thailand aspects later on. The west coast islands were particularly interesting and in stark contrast to the manic New Year celebrations in Bangkok.

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

The 3 day extension to Angkor Wat temples was outstanding in its entirety. Superbly organised with the best guide (Joy) and driver we could have hoped for. The range of temples visited as well as the amount of time allotted to wander round was perfect. Our guide was very well-informed and eager to impart that knowledge, we really felt we learned something not just about the temples themselves but about the Cambodian people through our contact with him.

The most memorable part of this section of the holiday was definitely sunrise at Angkor Wat. The feeling of anticipation was incredible as we were led in the pitch black by torchlight towards the temple itself. Watching the detail of the towers emerge as we sat and drank our coffee (a lovely surprise from our guide) was breathtaking and allowed us to fully appreciate the scale and grandeur of what we about to explore.

The Southern Explorer was also a great experience. Though I had dreaded the train journey at the start of the holiday it turned out to be a fantastic experience, fairy lights and disco music in the dining car, and we slept really well! Visiting the Karhom waterfall was probably another highlight. Trekking through the national park felt like a real adventure and the reward - lunch and swimming in the pool of the highest fall, was well worth the effort. Stunningly beautiful.

Our guide for this trip (Mike) was warm and friendly with a great sense of humour and the rapport he had with the local people was lovely to see. We also appreciated his flexibility and his efforts to make sure that we were informed about any place that we visited. Any small problems (of which they were few) were sorted out quickly and efficiently. He definitely went the extra mile to make sure everyone was happy. What a guy!

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

For the Angkor Wat Extension: try to relax and have fun with the Cambodian people. There are a lot of little kids who will try and sell you things while you are visiting the temples and whilst staying in Siem Reap. This can be great fun if you get into the spirit of it. Make sure you take some single dollar bills (you'll need them!!) and remember there's plenty of time to look round, talking to the people (who's English is remarkably good) can make your holiday even better and give you a real feel of the place rather than a sense that you are just passing through. This would apply also to our trip in Thailand - and bring a torch (preferably a head torch) for the caves you will see!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Yes we felt the holiday benefited the local people. In Thailand we ate in local places and street markets, great fun and also gave the feeling that our money was supporting the local economy rather than foreign-owned establishments. Drivers and guides were also local which again added to our feeling of getting to know the country more personally even though we were only there for a short time.

4. Any other comments?

Leslie who sorts out your bookings etc. Really friendly, helpful and knows what she's talking about - a pleasure to deal with - what a star.

Overall, a really great holiday that we enjoyed immensely. Both guides were outstanding for different reasons and both should be commended for their work. Small group size worked really well and is so much more preferable to the large groups we've travelled with before. I love that this operator don't use Western establishments for eating etc. one of the many good things about Thailand is its food and it really let you appreciate it at its best.

Only one negative point with the Southern Explorer was the lack of things to do on a night. Though we appreciate that this was function not only of the places where we visited (which we expected to be quiet in comparison to tourist areas) and the size of the group, it would have been nice to have one night-based activity (even an optional one) to give some variation and liven things up a little. I must stress we weren't expecting - or in fact wanting to visit an environment like Krabi for instance but equally we did find it a bit dull on a night. Perhaps mentioning in the description of the holiday that it's quiet - so bring cards/games would be a useful addition.

I cannot fault the Angkor Wat extension, it was truly incredible, very well-thought out. I can't think of enough superlatives to describe it. Five stars without hesitation. Give Joy a promotion!

Four stars for the Southern Explorer but only because of the lack of things to do on an evening. Also it probably didn't have as big an impact on us as it would other people because we did similar activities the last time we visited Thailand. Overall though I would (and have) recommended it to my friends, we thoroughly enjoyed all the activities.

Overall, I would use this operator in preference to other tour companies who work this area without any hesitation. The personal service, well thought-out itineraries and well-informed guides make the holiday safe but not restricting and certainly a lot of fun. Small groups and the use of local services and restaurants means also you get a better feel for the country and its people than would be possible with bigger tour companies. I have already recommended this operator to my friends and family and hope they will be calling Leslie soon!