Our Gate 1 "16 GEMS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA" journey from January-February 2026 was made truly exceptional because of our remarkable tour manager. From the very first day to the final farewell, he demonstrated a rare combination of professionalism, warmth, and genuine care that elevated the entire experience for every traveler in our group. What stood out most was his extraordinary kindness and attentiveness. He never treated the tour as a crowd - he treated it as a collection of individuals. Whether someone needed assistance navigating a busy airport, extra time boarding, help with dietary needs, or simply reassurance in a new environment, he anticipated concerns before they were even spoken. Every guest felt seen, respected, and safe, which is no small accomplishment on a multi-country journey. His depth of knowledge across Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand was equally impressive. He shared history, cultural context, language nuances, and local traditions in a way that was engaging rather than overwhelming. Temples, markets, and historic sites came alive through his storytelling - explaining not just what we were seeing, but why it mattered. His familiarity with local customs helped us interact respectfully with the communities we visited, deepening our appreciation for each country. Another defining strength was his strong relationships and connections throughout the region. At every hotel and tour location, it was clear he was known and trusted. Check-ins were seamless, special requests were handled gracefully, and small touches - preferred rooms, thoughtful pacing, insider tips - made us feel like welcomed guests rather than passing tourists. These relationships added a level of ease and authenticity that cannot be replicated by logistics alone. Above all, he created a spirit of camaraderie and confidence within the group. Long travel days felt organized and calm, unexpected changes were handled smoothly, and laughter was never far away. His leadership blended efficiency with heart - a balance that transformed a well-planned itinerary into a truly memorable experience. In short, he wasn't just a tour manager; he was the steady, compassionate presence that tied together the "16 Gems" of Southeast Asia and made the journey unforgettable for all of us.

Lindsay was a fantastic tour manager. His vast knowledge base about NZ is large, and he has an encyclopedic knowledge about NZ's history and the Morai culture. He willingly shared with us facts, stories, and interesting information throughout the tour which made the longer drives on the coach more tolerable. I'm always one to find at least one recommendation for a TM, but I really do not have any for Lindsay. His experience as a TM shows. I always pride myself on trying to stump the TM with a question, but with Lindsay but I could not as he had an answer for all questions. He added much value to our trip by recommending certain vendors for souvenirs along the way, restaurants depending on your desires, and always asked us if we had any questions that he could answer. He kept informing us by posting the next day's itinerary, and reminded us of upcoming events, their timing, and when we needed to be ready, all of which necessitated very few questions from the group. I would go out of my way to take a tour with Lindsay again, if that tells you anything.

My trip to Southern India...A Spiritual Culture was the best trip ever. This trip has an outstanding itinerary that allowed me to understand the way of life of the people who live there. All the sites, activities, food, and accommodations were great. Our tour manager, Raj, was outstanding and added to our experience. He went out of his way to make sure that all of us had personal experiences with the people and the culture. I have had some great tour managers before, but Raj was the best. He went above and beyond with all activities. Our driver Roger and assistant Gopi were also wonderful. Thank you Gate 1 for this wonderful experience. It was truly outstanding!

We loved our 47th amazing trip with Gate 1 to Sri Lanka! Our excellent tour manager, Eranga, was very organized and extremely patient with all of us and kept everyone on time. The highlights of our tour for me was the visit to the local school sponsored by Gate 1 Foundation and listening to the students sing and even a bonus dance number by the little girls, plus the climb up to Sigiriya where the top view was simply superb but listening to the history made it feel alive to be in such a wonderful place. Overall, another beautiful experience and memorable adventure courtesy of Gate 1.

The tour exceeded our expectations. The itinerary was perfect, the hotels were great and experience was very memorable. The local guides were knowledgeable and very professional. We have had very good tour directors on previous trips, but Tick was the best ever! He was consistently organized while always being upbeat and caring. He made his job look easy, while constantly smiling. We will definitely consider Gate 1 for future tours.

We enjoyed our trip of a lifetime to Southeast Asia. The itinerary was set at a perfect pace; the hotels were stunning and so much was included in enhancing the day with included tours and wonderful food. A big thank you to our Tour Manager, oh who was professional, organized and knowledgeable. Nothing was too much trouble and his kindness showed through!

My New Zealand trip has been my favorite of all my Gate 1 journeys. The itinerary covered both the North and South Islands and lasted more than 15 days, yet it felt much shorter thanks to our outstanding guide, Kevin. His humor, quick wit, and warm personality made every day enjoyable. It was truly a pleasure to have him leading our group.

Best vacation EVER!! My family was thrilled with every aspect of the vacation. Our guide/docent, Kevin, was attentive, informative, professional yet personable and a ton of fun! We will be returning to Gate 1 in the future.

5 star experience Nu was the best guide I have ever experienced in my 50 years of travel. He did his job with style and grace where others would have crumbled under the circumstances at times. I will book my tours with Gate1 for Asia based on when and where Nu is guiding.

The trip was awesome. Guide Phil was great and our bus driver Josh was the best. NZ is a wonderful country with the friendliest people. Thank you!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Southern India trip. Srini, our Tour Manager, was very knowledgeable, organized, patient, and accommodating throughout the tour. He even gave us a short recap of the past day's activities before informing us of what to expect of the current day. I learned so much about India's history, culture and religion. He made sure we were safe and comfortable throughout our travels. Sultan, our driver, and Raheem, the assistant, were very helpful and friendly. Srini was a multitasker - guiding throughout, taking pictures, and organizing all the accommodations. and always present in answering all our needs. He even had a Laughing Yoga to start our day. It also helped that everyone in the group was very nice! This tour is one trip I will treasure for a long time!

Just got home from Southern India trip! It was amazing. Raj was an amazing tour guide! He was spot on. We did so much and he was so knowledgeable and kind. My 10th- gate 1 and never disappoints!

Hide was our TM. He was the best I have ever had. His instructions were clear, every detail was covered. He went above and beyond on several occasions especially offering extra evening tours to acclimate us to each hotel area. I was so impressed by Hide's organization skills, patience and compassion.

Our tour manager, Tracey, was incredible. I was traveling with three others, and typically I am the one who manages the details of the trip, and makes sure things go smoothly for us. With Tracey, I was able to fully relax and enjoy myself without worrying. I felt taken care of, and that I wasn't missing out on anything as she had done the research and provided us with a plethora of information ahead of time, even providing a well-thought-out list of activities to do in our free time. This is my fourth Gate 1 trip, and I can confidently say that Tracey is an absolute gem and elevated our vacation experience like no other. Her thoughtfulness and thoroughness towards each travelers' needs, goals, and priorities was remarkable. If it were possible, I would wish that Tracey could be our tour manager for all of future tours.

Our vacation to New Zealand was spectacular! From the moment we arrived until we walked through security to fly home, we were well looked after. Another trip of a life time, another great Gate 1 tour. We are already booked to go to Australia next year with Gate 1! Thank you, thank you, thank you! My mom and I will talk about this trip for the rest of our lives.

It was fabulous!!! I cannot say enough about our Chinese tour manager, Maggie!! She was so helpful, informative and just the best!! I would recommend this tour highly.

Hiroko our guide on our Japan Discovery tour was awesome! Her knowledge, communication skills, personal stories and just everything she did was top notch.

I wanted to say how much I enjoyed our Uzbekistan itinerary. It was an amazing country and I learned a lot. I would like to specifically mention our Tour Manager Kamola. Her knowledge of the history of Uzbekistan and the subject matter were excellent, and her youthful energy was refreshing. She worked hard to make sure we had a great experience. This was our 13th Gate 1 and obviously won't be our last. Thanks again for another great trip.

Our trip was even more adventurous and enjoyable than we ever imagined it could be. Our guide, Mark was the best guide we have ever had on any trip with any company. Mark taught us about Uzbekistan culture, climate, ecology, education, medical care, history, people, religion and more. Also, assisting Mark was Fax, who was so knowledgeable and prepared and both Mark and Fax spoke from their kind hearts.

The trip was fantastic. Great tour guide: Indika. Terrific group. Highly enjoyed this trip and I am looking forward to my next adventures with G1 and Discovery

Fantastic trip! I had a wonderful time travelling with G1 to Sri Lanka. G1 made sure that I had a safe, yet exciting experience. Indika was an amazing tour guide, and he brought positive energy. I appreciated Indika's sense of humor, knowledge, and passion. I would gladly travel with G1 again!

Tom has been an amazing tour manager and he made our first visit to China and our first tour with Gate 1 an amazing experience. He was very attentive to our needs and did all the "little things" that made the experience so much better. Please thank him again for us and we look forward to our next Gate 1 tour!

Just wanted to give extra kudos to our tour manager: Raj. He went over the top to assure our tour was excellent. I know Gate 1 doesn't let who are the tour guides when booking, but if you did, I'd be signing up for everything he offers! Our drive Deva and assistant Prince were also excellent and made sure we safe and well cared for.

Our trip was amazing!! Eka was a fabulous tour manager. Everything went seamlessly from my perspective. Our group of 19 connected and became close knit early in the tour which added to the enjoyment. Again, Eka went above and beyond and we were all grateful for all of the knowledge she shared about the history and life in Indonesia.

I wanted to commend our Tour Manager/Director Davron. Knowledgeable and excellent leader. A great problem solver and adjusts whatever the needs may be. the other staff of Gate1 who assisted us are excellent. Xavier has been very helpful in so many ways, from picking us up in the airport to assisting in orientation. Hotels are excellent, one suggestion for Panarams hotel is more selection on breakfast menus. Those restaurants were selected and food is amazing. The tours and places selected are mesmerizing. The drivers are excellent. Thank you. Keep up the great work!

I recently completed Gate One's Spiritual Tour of South India, and I want to express my deep appreciation for the excellent way in which Stalin and his crew treated our group with such professionalism and sincere care. He is the consummate tour guide, effectively educating and entertaining the group while also keeping us comfortable and safe -- a most formidable task that he does with such grace that he makes it look easy! My three travel friends and I greatly enjoyed and appreciated his many entertaining and enlightening stories about India. Stalin gave me a greater understanding and appreciation of India, and for that I am so grateful. I also appreciate how he created a harmonious and committed atmosphere within the group that made the whole trip such an enjoyable, enlightening experience!

My wife Elyse and I want to take this opportunity to share our experience with Tracey, our Tour Manager: This was our fourth trip with Gate1, and by far Tracey was the best Tour Manager we've had. She was always there for everyone, and helped us experience New Zealand in ways we couldn't have imagined. We are back home now and already miss her.

The trip to China was wonderful. We had an excellent Tour Manager Susan. Her leadership skills are superior and she is very attentive to the various needs of the tour participants. She kept a solid team harmony with tour group and always look out for our safety. The vacation experience was excellent because of the help and guidance from Susan.

We just finished our 14-day Japan w/ Hiroshima trip. It was fantastic and one of the top trips we have taken. Our guide Nobuko was attentive, though and went out of her way to make our trip exceptional. Nobuko had extra evening city walks, not schedules on the agenda, to give us the full flavor of Japan. We got a chance to see the stores, city life, restaurants and hidden eating establishments that had the best food smells. One of our guest travelers was looking for a certain doll to bring home and Nobuko called around the city to locate it. Nobuko handed out pamphlets and marked maps showing our activities and walking routes for the day. They were very much appreciated and helped us to stay on task. She strived to make all of our wishes come true... I recommend everyone put this trip on your bucket list. You will not regret it.

I wanted to highlight that while our Japan vacation was exceptional, what truly made it unforgettable was our tour guide, Akane. I hardly know where to begin-she was warm, kind, respectful, thoughtful, incredibly organized, and made us feel as though we were part of her own family. She was absolutely outstanding and has likely set our expectations far too high for any future tours. Simply amazing.

This is my 16th Gate1 tour and I have always experienced wonderful tour directors. However, the tour director, Gloria, for this 15 Day Amazing China tour is by far the BEST tour director I have ever had. Her competence, positive spirit and timely follow-through skills are exceptional. Every detail was perfectly administered. Just wanted you to know your tour directors are very good but Gloria is GREAT!

Had a fantastic trip to Nepal and Bhutan. Outstanding tour guides. We all fell in love with Bhutan and how Arun shared his love for his country and life in the Buddhist country. We met school children over dinner. Our time was cut by one day due to weather conditions. Arun made every effort to make sure we didn't miss out on our itinerary . We didn't want to leave this beautiful country of peace and harmony.

I just want to extend my raving review of our Japanese tour guide, Hiroko. I have yet to meet a person as dedicated, kind, generous, compassionate and hard working as she is. Her attention to detail is impeccable. Her in-depth knowledge of Japanese culture and history is inspiring. We were very lucky to have had her as our guide. She made our trip unforgettable and she is the epitome of Japanese hospitality. SHE IS A GREAT GATE1 ASSET!

This was our 13th Gate 1 Travel trip. We had a wonderful time visiting South Korea! We saw many of its important sites and learned about the country's history. We enjoyed meeting many Koreans and eating the Korean food. Darren, our Tour Manager, was excellent, as have been all the other Gate 1 tour managers in the past.

I would like to add that Dovran was a wonderful tour manager. He was extremely knowledgeable and expressed that information beautifully. He was always attentive and cared for the safety and concerns of every member of our group. We were very happy to have him as our tour manager!

We had a fabulous trip, exceeded our expectations!! We absolutely loved China and now with a 10 yr visa we plan to visit again. I would love to see G1 introduce more different China itineraries in the near future. China is a fascinating country of history, culture, and huge cities both old and very new. There is so much to learn there. Our TM , Juliet, was fantastic! She was extremely organized, efficient, knowledgeable, warm , friendly , and caring. It was so much fun to be in her "family". We lucked out with her as our TM. We enjoyed a very nice group of travelers to share experiences with. All parts of our trip went flawlessly and the local guides were all excellent. The hotels were all beautiful and we enjoyed so much delicious and varied food typical of the different regions. Hiking on the Great Wall , the Forbidden city in Beijing, viewing the Terracotta warriors, and seeing the pandas chopping on bamboo were definitely highlights. The Yangtze River cruise was great to relax after busy days of travel and sightseeing. My husband, an engineer, was especially excited to see the three gorges dam, largest in the world. Finishing with Shanghai was like an encore! Amazing city of mixing old and new. Definitely a showpiece of China and a wonderful finale to an unbelievable journey! Thank you G1!!

We just finished the China Discovery Tour. We have been on several Gate 1 Travel tours and they have all been very good. This China tour, we have to say, ranks at the top. It was the best tour we have been on and, in no small part, to our fantastic tour guide "Joe." Without a doubt he is the best we've ever had. His language skills were excellent. He was attentive, thorough and always generous with his time. He was always calm even in the most stressful situations. And he had wonderful sense of humor and just a joy to spend time with. We hope he gets this feedback and is told he is the best. Overall the trip was wonderful but "Joe" our guide was excellent.

I just finished the New Zealand tour with Kevin. When a tour is excellent (the bus, the bus drivers, the agenda, the hotels, the food, registration), it's hard to stand out. Kevin absolutely stood out. For this tour I expected an advanced wikipedia article with pictures. Kevin gave us a fun, entertaining, incredibly knowledge packed two week immersive experience in New Zealand. Staff we talked to whispered that we were lucky we got Kevin. Bus drivers hinted we got the best in Kevin. Everything went perfectly from Kevin being a catalyst bringing the tour together to quietly solving numerous issues. (One member of the tour left his phone in a bathroom, then we left. Soon, problem solved without disrupting the tour.) Kevin's jokes and friendly personality were second to none.

Our guide Kami was amazing, her youth and exuberance were contagious along with her impressive knowledge of Uzbeki history. She's a keeper! Also one of the most autonomous group of travelers I have had the pleasure of going on a journey with. Enjoyed the whole trip very much!

Our trip to Australia was fantastic, my wife Debra and I enjoyed the places and activities we went to and saw. Our guide, Tracey, was attentive to our group, she was well prepared, our daily activities were detailed in daily activity sheets that she provided for us every day. Tracey did an outstanding job making sure that all our questions were answered and that she included everyone in all the new experiences we were enjoying. She did a great job. The small group size, 12 people, was wonderful. We would use Gate 1 in the future for vacation again.

We have completed Discovery Gate 1 tour in Uzbekistan. It was amazing from start to finish. All we wanted was just to stay longer in this beautiful country. Our hotels were very good and exceeded our expectations. The food was great in variety and full of local flavors. Our tour manager Davron was simply the best. He was well organized and so helpful in every way possible. His English language and communication skills were excellent. Besides being a perfect tour manager, he acted as a guide throughout the whole journey. He is very well educated and professional tour guide. His knowledge of the history and culture of Uzbekistan and the surrounding countries of the South Asia region is outstanding. We also had an excellent very professional driver who provided a great service all the way through our journey. Thank you Gate 1 for organizing this wonderful tour.

My Gate 1 Travel trip to Uzbekistan has been a wonderful experience. The people are very welcoming to visitors. The country is clean & safe. Uzbekistan is truly a melting pot of many cultures. The food is good. Several languages are spoken here. Traveling with Gate 1 exposes visitors to the beauty of the land, people, & their religion. The history of Central Asia goes beyond the Silk Road. Visiting Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, & Samarkand feels like stepping back through time portals to the ancient world. I will remember Uzbekistan as the land of beautiful blue tiles. When night falls, the lights come on, and these places become magical palaces against the dark sky. Our tour guide Davron is friendly & cordial, hard worker, & immediately attentive to any of our needs. I especially appreciate his descriptions & explanations of historical events. Although he gives the tour in English, I was impressed by his ability to speak in & out of several languages. I would highly recommend visiting Uzbekistan in October. Good weather, friendly people, good food & the country has an amazing history!

After 13 trips with Gate 1, we believe Mei was our best-ever tour manager. They all have been very good to excellent but Mei took the extra step to be superlative! She was super organized, very friendly, humorous at the right times and extremely knowledgeable. She went above and beyond at every stop to make the whole group comfortable. She is one of a kind! Also, the tour was excellent and the hotels were amazing. The itinerary was thorough and covered all the "must-sees." The immersion into the culture was fantastic and more than we had hoped for. This is a trip of a lifetime! Thank you, Gate 1!

This trip to Japan was awesome! Our Tour manager Fumi absolutely made this trip fantastic! She was so well organized and full of knowledge about her home country. Fumi gave out terrific maps and also a printed copy of our daily itinerary along with a spreadsheet for the entire trip. Never before has a Tour Manager given out such vital and helpful information! We hope to return to Japan with your new south Japan tour maybe next year. As always Gate 1 you exceeded our expectations. Thank you to all of you at Gate 1 and especially to Fumi.

Our recent SE Asia trip was outstanding. Vit was exceptional as the tour manager as he worked very hard to ensure we had a great experience. I would also want to point out Hoan, our Vietnam guide as being excellent and offered us the opportunity to ask tough questions and he provided us with the history of Vietnam. Both Vit and Hoan had excellent English skills and great sense of humor. In fact, all of our local guides provided us with tremendous knowledge and excellent service. A special shoutout to the bus drivers for their excellent skills too. I was thoroughly impressed with the hotel arrangements and Baya Classic boat in Halong Bay. This is our second Gate 1 trip and won't be the last. Thank you to the team at Gate 1 for making our Gems of SE Asia the most memorable, educational and culturally exceptional trip. We have a new outlook on the people of Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Please know that without Vit and our guides, this would not have been possible.