GeoEx

GeoEx is a high-end travel service that literally doubles the cost of an already expensive vacation, but if you’re doing a dozen different things / locations in a strange, non-English speaking country, is worth it in order to ensure you have seamless handoffs from one activity to the next.

The good:

·      The guides met us inside security at the airport, facilitated getting passports stamped and customs clearance, and literally had us out of the building in about 10 minutes.

·       Totally nailed the hotels; some of the best places we’ve ever stayed.

·       Good “a bit of everything” itinerary, with a solid mix of cultural, adventure, and relaxation kind of activities

·       Solid, comfortable car in Siem Reap, along with a great guide that had an almost mystical ability keep us ahead of the crowds everywhere we visited.

·       Really great behind-the-scenes tour of a temple undergoing reconstruction with the World Monument Fund Southeast Asia regional representative, who was charming and informative.

The bad:

·       A few days that were over-scheduled with activities

·       Some out-of-date material in the itinerary

·       We had to work hard to give them money (really, we had to badger them for weeks until they finally accepted payment)

The ugly:

·       Most of the trip prior to Siem Reap, we were in a fifteen year-old, cramped, uncomfortable Highlander with a slow driver and a guide that left a lot to be desired; poor English skills, too much talking and not enough showing, not fully aware of the itinerary, and had some information that seemed out of date or wrong.

So, the good really did outweigh the bad, and I would give GeoEx four out of five stars … but that’s like giving a five star hotel four out of five stars, it isn’t what you paid for.