Red Lantern Journeys

Just over a year ago, in October 2009, I decided that my next big trip would be to Southeast Asia. I’d been poking around the Internet for the better part of a year deciding what I wanted to see and the approximate order in which I wanted to see it, and all that remained was deciding how to book my travels. Although I’d never worked with a travel agency before in planning a custom trip, I felt that this would be a good place to do it as I had absolutely no idea how to find guides, airport transfers, cooking schools, etc. in, say, Luang Prabang or central Vietnam. Additionally, I wanted to ask some friends along on the trip — I like traveling in small groups — so I needed a travel agency that would not only put together a custom itinerary for Southeast Asia, but one that could show me how much it would cost not only for my partner and myself, but how much more it could cost for 4, 6, or more passengers.
I don’t know why I originally contacted Red Lantern Journeys — it’s been a year and I can’t remember — but I think it was because their Web site looked trustworthy and it was clear from Puget Sound newspapers that they were actively working with local groups to book travel (Washington State trade delegations, I think?). At any rate, I sent them E-​mail in November 2009 laying out my proposed itinerary and asking if they could not only price it out, but also do so for different numbers of passengers and different quality levels of hotels.
They could. I began working with Ciara, a Red Lantern Journeys agent, and she was unfailingly professional, friendly, helpful, and quick to respond to my E-​mail. By the end of the first week, we had a firm itinerary read to present to my friends with fixed costs, which is exactly what I was looking for. By the end of January 2010, we had a final number for our group and had all put down deposit money on the trip.
We took that trip to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand in September 2010, and thanks to Red Lantern Journeys, absolutely everything was perfect. We had good guides that spoke excellent English, private transportation with cold water at all times, luxurious hotels, excellent tours, and all kinds of extras like an amazing cooking school in Hue and a fine cruise of Ha Long Bay. After giving RLJ the basics, they set it all up: all of the connecting flights, the hotel reservations, you name it. And best of all? It was good value for money. Having traveled a lot on my own, it didn’t cost that much more to have them arrange it all for us, and I’m glad they did.
If you’re thinking of traveling to Asia, do yourself a favor and talk to Red Lantern Journeys. They’re dependable, professional, honest, and above worth the money. I wouldn’t hesitate to book through them again should I ever return to Asia.