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|We love to receive feedback from our guests--whether it be good or bad--because it helps us to continuously monitor the quality of our service and our programs. Selected mail appears below. The biggest flattery is when our guests return. About 30% of our customers come back for a second (and sometimes fifteenth) visit. We think that's pretty impressive!
We wish we had more time to keep this page up to date, but there always seem to be more important things to do on a website of this size. However, the statistics at the bottom of the page are updated more frequently than the comments..
I have traveled two trips with Purple Dragon in 2012. They are my only overseas travel with guides and accomodation arrangement. So the experience is very new to me but I found both trips were excellent. Different experience but both are good. Highly recommend your agent to all my friends.
October, 2012
I am extremely pleased and happy with the service I received from Purple Dragon and plan on using your services again in the future. My 3 day Myanmar trip was exceptional- good itinerary, excellent and competent guide and driver, adequate accommodations. Thank you.
The guides in Yangon and Inle Lake were really outstanding. The hotel in Bagan was wonderful, and the one in Inle Lake was outstanding--I could have stayed there forever.
I encountered few tourists in Myanmar--good for me, but an awful lot of travelers are missing out. My visit was a wonderful experience, and I plan on returning.
Paul B.
My first comment is that this was probably the best trip of my life (and I've travelled to lots of places around the world). The main reason is that I got to design my own trip. I travelled initially with a friend to Cambodia and used the Essential Angkor tour package. Our tour guide was "Rat" who was delightful and very informed. I extended this part of my trip by myself and Rat tailored the remainder of my Cambodia experience to my interests. We even took a dip near a beautiful waterfall. I then travelled to Laos and was met by "Xang". I arrived in the evening and was told that he would start our tour at 3 pm the next day. He did not give me any suggestions to occupy my time before he arrived and didn't tell me what activities were planned. I felt that I did my own research to come up with things I wanted to see. When we met the next afternoon, I had already gone to the National Museum (and it was part of the tour). Xang (and Purple Dragon) were accommodating and substituted another temple site that I wanted to see. He also arranged a hired van to take us to see some villages and the Khuang Sii waterfall. I really think this should be a regular part of the Luang Prabang package. I paid extra for it and it was worth it. I have a helpful hint about visa on arrival. Because I got a visa when I went to Cambodia but returned to Cambodia after the Laos leg of my trip, I had to get a second visa and needed another passport photo to re-enter. My initial visa was for a single entry only. I should have purchased a different type of visa because of the specifics of my air travel. This might be useful information to add to your "Before You Go" material. I could not have managed this complicated trip without Purple Dragon. Thank you!
Steve S.
Just writing to say a big thank you for the holiday package in Hanoi area, I must say when I first saw the price quoted, I did wonder if it was going to be worth the price, and my Credit cards wriggle off into a deep corner of my wallet, but I must say I was more than pleased with how it turned out. The cake was a nice touch, and Eddie was over the moon with the whole event, The guide was most informative, and saw that everything moved smoothly, even Taun come to see us off at the airport on our way back to KL.
Currently we are back in Hanoi, for four days as we need to complete the CP registration. I you are not aware, the ruled for UK CP, are you have to spend 7 full days in either Hanoi of HCM city, the day of arrival does not count, then they post the notice on the embassy notice board, if after 14 days no one has objected then you can get your CP. during that 14 day period you do not have to be in Vietnam, and if no one objected you get 3 month to return to the embassy to take the Oath.
we spent a week in Phuket at Patong beach, using the swedish owned Connect Guest house, whilst it may not be 3 stars, it really does have a nice friendly atmosphers about it, Eddie and I use it all the time now.
Anyway, thank you once again for the nice holiday, and I hope we can do business again with you soon.
Kindest regards
Your arrangements were seamless and the photo-taking opportunities were great. I thought the Halong Bay Quickie program could probably have lasted a little longer. But it is a long drive there and back so I guess it couldn't have been too much longer.
Overall I enjoyed my time there.
Glenn A.
This was my first tour with Purple Dragon, joining two good friends, Chris Jennings and John Limbourn, who have used your services many times. Your tour guides were excellent! Steven in Shanghai has a wealth of knowledge of the city, history and introduced us to local discussion group personalities. It was wonderful to have Steven accompany us to Huangzhou and Zhouzuang imparting his knowledge of these beautiful, more remote areas.
In Beijing, Raymond was quite outstanding! For someone so young, he has a great feeling for this city, and also possesses much knowledge of the city. His engaging personality and wonderful sense of humor is a great asset to your organization. He was of great assistance to me and very caring during a wet drizzly tour to the "Wild" Great wall when rain suddenly struck us during our climb. I cannot speak more highly of him, he is a treasure!
I will use your tour company again and will unhesitatingly recommend the company to others.
Kind regards,
Bruce D.
Returned on Saturday last from our trip to Shanghai and Beijing. Both Purple Dragon parts of the time there were great. Steven and Raymond, our guides were fantastic. Both very helpful and adaptable to our particular needs and wants as far as things to see went.
Steven very knowledgeable about Shanghai and incorporated some interesting sites. He has some great ideas about extending to other parts of China. Raymond was exceptional in what he changed for us from the set tour at our request. He is someone you need to keep as he has such a great personality.
All 5 places I have visited using Purple Dragon have gone very smoothly because of the people you have in each place. Thank you very much for having such great guys. Look forward to doing another tour in the future.
John L.
We thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Good guides.New Years party at the hotel was a surprise --- very nice ---- I had been concerned about it. Especially enjoyed the river excursion. I did not know that I needed clean fresh dollars and so that was a problem. I had to buy some using my Visa. Definitely glad I went.
I will be in touch about July in regards to booking a trip to India in late December. I have already done the golden triangle. Maybe interested in Varanasi.
Will probably be in Bangkok late June or early July. Hope to say hello then.
My guide in Phnom Penh Pongro did a great job in spite of being a little ill during my visit. Both guides (Pongro and Rath) were excellent and there was no question I asked that they could not answer, and I had a lot of questions. After departing Cambodia, I received a nice e-mail message from Rath of Siem Reap.
Douglas and Todd worked well to offer me a great deal for van, driver and guide to Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi. I appreciate the effort and industry courtesy. I look forward to a continued business and personal relationship with your staff.
Tyler A.
I really enjoyed the hotel (Maison d'Hanoi), the room was really nice, and the location was awesome. Tuan, or guide, was professional and punctual throughout.
The China trip was wonderful -- we both loved it!
Beijing was a lot of fun. Hotel G was terrific -- I did not want to leave that wonderful bed. I loved the place. The tours in the city were fine -- too many people at most places and a bit too hot -- but fine. The Great Wall was one of those near perfect days; I made it to the top and glad I did. We were the only people there and that made it also very special.
Dr. Steve
It's been a few months since I used PD to arrange travel in Bangkok and Myanmar. I've had some time to reflect. The good: Douglas was incredibly helpful, attentive and personable. He wrote me numerous (always amusing and warm) emails. At one point he even faxed me some missing documents on a Saturday evening when your office was closed. He has a fantastic knowledge of the whole SE Asia region, of the tourism industry, of how to approach gay travelers' needs and how to provide personalized customer service. My travel in Myanmar went off without problem. Meals, hotels and all of the travel logistics were perfect. Loved it. I had five separate guides there over 10 or 12 days. Min Min in Yangon in particular and Myo Kyo in Mandalay were exceptionally professional, kind and extremely likable. Both of those guys went the extra mile in every sense of the word. PD also provided me with a super professional guide in Bangkok.
The so-so & the bad. (Just for insight into what could be better --not to be mean):
Some of the itinerary details that Douglas left his staff to relay to me regarding my time in Bangkok were incoherent. When I tried to clarify with his his (male) office worker I got a snarl and a dismissal but nothing was any clearer. That struck me as unprofessional. I still didn't know which hotel nights or airport taxi runs were pre-paid and which remained to be paid. The biggest problem was never receiving etickets for the flights to Yangon --until Douglas had to go out of his way to fax them to me on a Saturday night (before my 7am Sunday flights).
I didn't like the Tarntawan Place hotel. I paid about the same to stay at Le Meridien, which is much superior. I found (some of) the staff blas?and snippy. I'd be too if I worked in a hotel, but that was such an unwelcome contrast to what I'd experienced for two weeks prior in Bhutan and at the other Bangkok hotel. Seemed some staff at TP take it for granted that a "gay clientele" means less need to be professional. Furnishings in room were nice enough, but the dark view of an alley was depressing.
My trip to Myanmar was overpriced, but good. My guides Min Min and Myo Kyo in Yangon and Mandalay were outstanding. My guide in inle Lake was excellent. But, I'm still looking back to the few days in Bagan and wondering why my guide there was so indifferent. If it wasn't that he was uncomfortable with a gay tourist it may have been that he resented having a single tourist (lower tip revenue). I've thought for months that I'd be fair and let him off the hook. But now, 7 months later, I'm still thinking he had some kind of problem that shouldn't have been made mine. C'est la vie.
Tim L.
Kevin was a great guide. He called me Saturday evening (the night before my tour) and asked if I had any questions about the tour we would take in general. I asked him about massage places and restaurants and bars and he promptly sent me a list to my iPhone. I told him I was interested in architecture, both British colonial and modern. I was not disappointed.
I do wish I could have met him upon my arrival in Singapore, although I realize that my flight arrival, at 1:30 am was quite late (or early, depending on how you look at it). Still, it's nice to connect a friendly face to the destination right away.
Singapore was an amazing tour. I wish I had stayed longer.
J. May
I enjoyed my time in Luang Prabang very much. I think my guide there is a bit lonely though. He did a great job making arrangements for us to drop off some supplies for kids in a village along the river on our way to Pak Ou. Also Phil did a great job dealing with our free day together in Bangkok. I had been wanting to see the Royal Barge museum for some time now and it was very nice to finally see it as well as the Princess Galyani funeral site before it was dismantled. And he was happy to make arrangements and accompany me to see Modern Dog one more time at that giant beer hall a little ways out of the center. I can't wait until my next trip later this year.
Glenn A.
Everything about the trip was excellent, with the exception of the hotel in Hoi An. Tuan, my guide, was superb - he went out of his way to make my visit enjoyable and was a genuine, kind person. He made the trip. The only glitch was the hotel in Hoi - An. When I checked in, they gave me a room with no window. I told them it was unacceptable, but they said too bad. When I told them that I was going to go back to Purple Dragon, their attitude changed and they gave me a room with a window that opened (this was incredibly important as the hotel was very moldy and the rooms needed to be aired out. This dialogue took about 30 minutes and was irritating. The Orchid hotel in Hue was fabulous!
Greg F.
Dear Todd and Douglas,
Just a quick line to thank you very much for another enjoyable holiday with Purple Dragon. As usual (no, as always) everything was wonderful. I look forward to my next visit to South East Asia, when I can spend some more time on one of your visits. Naturally I thanked my guide in person, but I would like you both to know how helpful and friendly he was, and he has talked me into the Siem Reap visit next time!
Once again many thanks!
Stephen (five time guest)
After my (delayed flight from) Newark the trip went well. The tour manager picked me up in Mumbai airport after my flight arrived as you had arranged. I actually had the opportunity to see some of the city on the way to the airport. We stopped once and got our of the van to take pictures.
Both Bob and myself enjoyed the trip very much. At no time did we worry about our safety or were worried about terrorism. The tour companies you employed were excellent and we especially liked the hotels in Agra and Jaipur. The guides were very good and we did pickup on a couple of them who we thought were closeted. To be gay in India is a very sad struggle.
Thank you for a great trip. David regrets not going. We will use you again in the future and I recommend your company to my friends.
Sincerely, Ray Z. (repeat guest)
Hi Douglas, just got back to Washington D.C. after a great trip to Asia. I thoroughly enjoyed the Hue and Hoi An segment, Tuan was a great guide and a lot of fun. I will definitely book with you again next time I'm over there. Thanks again!
Greg F.
Sorry it has taken so long for me to write and thank you for the fantastic tour you arranged for my sister and myself.
Our guide in Hong Kong, Ming, was a super fellow. He showed us all the sights, went shopping with us, and took us to all the local restaurants and markets. I knew it was where the locals ate when we happened upon his mother and sister in one restaurant. She was so excited hoping he had finally given up the gay lifestyle and was interested in women. He had never given a tour to women before, but he was such a joy.
All the flights, trains, and meeting us at the terminals went very smoothly. I can't say the trains were very good, but after seeing how the rest of the train cars were and the way others traveled, I can say the soft sleepers were the best option. You just might forewarn people that flights within China only allow a total of 20K for luggage. Our shopping took us over that.
Your guide in Beijing is the best. I see that you have a photo of him on the Beijing webpage. I loved him. He took us to see life in old China, ate like the locals, bargained while shopping, and was so entertaining. We were so grateful that he was able to go on to Pingyao with us. Please recommend Jet to everyone. I know when I go back to China, I will be using him as a guide again.
Ricky, the guide in Guilin, is quite unique....
Again, thanks for making this tour so great. I know it was a once in lifetime trip for me. I know I want to go back to China again and would like to take my husband. If there was a way I could teach English in China for the summer, I would go in a heartbeat. I have taught English in a high school here for 30 years, so I feel I am qualified. If you know of anyone wanting to learn English, let me know. I would even like to edit the writing. I don't know how many signs which were incorrect in the English translation. I would like to hook up with some companies and do editing via email.
Please recommend Jet, I do love the guy and he is terrific as a guide.
Hello Douglas,
I just wanted you to know what a wonderful time we had in China. Everything went smooth but best of all was Jet in Beijing. He is a wonderful person to represent you and your company. Don't ever hesitate to give him a person or a group to escort in China or anywhere else. He will always go that extra mile for the client....If we could have put him in our suitcase and taken him with us we would have.
Ricky that was with us the rest of the trip was good as well.... I give them both an A+.
Have a happy holiday.
Regards, Wilhelmina (Bonnie's Sister)
First let me tell you what a wonderful job you did for us in India. Second it was great to meet you in Tahiland. I think you did an outstanding job considering what you had to work with. LOL.
Thank you again for making the trip so wonderful.
Ken W.
Thank you for such a great website...your efforts are greatly appreciated from across the miles.
A belated thank you for a great first trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. We had a wonderful time and everything went smoothly. You have some very good guides, particularly Truong in Saigon, who did a fantastic job of combining the set itinerary with our interests in orchids, good food, love of Buddhist temples and learning about local culture.
Still sorting through almost 4,000 digital pictures taken between us. Will have to submit a few for the newsletter photo contest. Again, many thanks.
Again, many thanks.
Brian T.
Hello from London! Forgive me for not stopping by to say thank you for the terrific trip before I left Bangkok. I did try once when you weren't there and then with one thing and another and a second trip to the hospital I never managed to do it.
Your guide "Mr. Johnny" was very knowledgeable and nice and very accommodating of my sore knee. Always prompt for the pick ups and just couldn't have been better. We had some very good local food at a place he knew of and had a fine time.
The Victoria was superb and they showed up with a birthday cake for me (which you must have had a hand in...see attached picture) - a complete surprise. - I was just delighted by the whole trip. So thanks VERY much. I hope to be back in the new year since I am going to have to have something done about the knee, and I'll be in touch in the meantime.
Warmest regards,
Tim G.
Firstly thank you very much for the excellent tour you arranged for me, I really enjoyed the time spent in Vietnam and Cambodia. Naturally I thanked both of the guides, but need you to know that the service, support and help that they provided was unbeatable, I was really impressed.
As far as the river trip was concerned, I would not have missed it for the world, but actually there is not much to see, and after the first of four hours it became rather boring, so it is not something I would do again, but important that I did try it.
Finally, your guides are good sales men, I have been talked in to Siem Reap and Hoi An for my next visits to South East Asia. So you will be hearing from me again.
Once again many thanks for the wonderful experience provided by you and your team. Also a pleasure to actually meet you in Bangkok.
Stephen B.
I had a great time in Siem Reap, your guide there for me was Rath, he was just the best what a great guy and an excellent guide. I took him for his first helicopter ride!
I would like to go to Myanmar next time I use your services. Will be in Bangkok this Thursday for a few days so will say Hi at some point.
Regards, Peter M.
Since I got back from my holiday I've been swept up in work things and haven't had moment to myself.
Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I had a wonderful time in Luang Prabang and Siem Reap. Your guides were perfect, very professional and also very friendly - which is a winning combination.
I also want to thank you personally for all the help and advice you gave me to plan my trip. I'm already thinking hard about when I can return - and you'll be the first person I will contact! So thanks and if you ever need a customer reference let me know.
So, thanks again, take care and best wishes
Just to repeat what I said in person: We couldn't have been happier with our outing to Ayutthaya. Everything was arranged so professionally and went so smoothly, and our guide, Best, was a delight.
Thank you,
I want to thank all of you involved in my recent trip to India. Although it was short, it was much, much more than I expected. It was wonderful. But it wouldn't have been such a great trip if it weren't for all of you.
Thank you, Douglas, for getting me a fantastic itinerary when everything seemed to be booked up. Thank you, Virender, for your heart-felt welcome and farewell in Delhi. I also appreciated your calls along the way to make sure everything was fine. And a special thank you to my driver, Mr. Faroog Nadeem. You were an excellent driver and guide. I don't know how you managed to drive in the traffic, avoiding hitting cows, camels, people, trucks and other cars but you did it with all the expertise it takes to be a primo driver. I also appreciated your role as my guide at Khetri Fort; I learned and saw a lot!
Again, this is a journey I will always remember. My only problem right now is when do I return to India? I have tasted a little bit of this wonderful country and now I am hungry for more.
Just a short note to say how much Chris and I enjoyed the two tours we did with you in January.
Nicky was a great guide for our day in Bangkok.
Vi was fantastic as the day guide in Luang Prabang. Always waiting before time and very knowledgeable about Luang Prabang. Douk was incredible. What a great guy! Excellent as the night guide and really looked after us.
We took them out to dinner several times to say thanks. You have two fabulous people in them.
Is there any way I can get in touch with Douk. We have a present to send to him. Would I send it via the tour company in Laos or through Purple Dragon?
Dearest Douglas,
We would like to thank you so very much for such a wonderful trip it all went very smoothly. (Our guide was) wonderful and we will never forget the day you took us to Beng Melea and the waterfall it was truly wonderful.
I am totally inspired by Cambodia and intend to read and be more knowledgeable about your wonderful country.
We will certainly be recommending the trip to everyone we meet.
Have a healthy and prosperous 2008
Both the Hanoi and Angkor trips have been great. Everything ran smoothly and any changed circumstances responded to in a good way (e.g., bad weather....) I really appreciated your guidelines on appropriate tips for guides and drivers. I would be happy to recommend your services to others.
James A., Jakarta
I was ecstatic with the "Purple Dragon Experience" to the envy of my fellow travelers. I wouldn't change a thing. Hope to see you soon.
Mark B.,
Merry Christmas!
Having made my way to Khajuraho, I am preparing to fly to the last stop in Varanasi in a few hours. Really enjoying the riding, training, driving variety of travel. Ramada here has the sprawlingest palace of a hotel (formerly Holiday Inn) but the crappiest keyboards on the smallest business center this side of Taipei.
Onward and upward. All the best in 2008.
Bobby did a really good job setting up arrangements for tours and guides. Guides were very helpful and knowledgeable. the tours and guides helped make my trip a wonderful time.
Burke S., Houston
I thought that you might like some feedback from our experience with Purple Dragon in Cambodia and Thailand.
Cambodia was fantastic. I wish now that I had spent a couple of more days there at Siem Reap and explored the temples and countryside more.
The Hotel was fantastic. So comfortable. excellent service. It was great to be in a place which was the center of helping young people gain skills for life. The staff were wonderful. i will be recommend this hotel to anyone I know who goes to Siem Reap. It is good to know that one's money stays in the country and does good for the young people. One evening we had dinner there and children from an orphanage came and did traditional dances. They were great. And we loved their dancing and music. It would have been nice to have been able to actually meet them to say a personal thanks. Again it was good to be able to assist with a donation the work of the orphanage and their passing on the traditions of the Khmer people.
Our guide...was very good. We did temples the first day, the country trip the second and Angkor Wat and others the third. He had good knowledge, knew the best places for photos, took us to good places for meals. We asked on the last day if he know of a handicraft place and he took us to Angkor Artists. That was terrific. Once again, beautiful quality coming from young people learning the ancient crafts of their people. They are producing some beautiful works. I read in the Bangkok Airways magazine about a Land Mine Museum, and I asked the guide about it. So we visited it on the way home from the River trip. That was a sobering experience. I was very pleased we did that.
Our driver was very good. Especially on the long and difficult drive to the River. I felt completely safe in the car. The road was bad in parts, and he was very careful.
Krabi was such a relief after Pattya which I found so sleazy. Krabi, while lots of tourists, is quieter and not so aggressive in the tourist sell as are Pattya and Phuket. We enjoyed the trip to the islands very much. The day was overcast, but it was still fun and beautiful out on the water. The hotel - Krabi Resort - was very comfortable, good breakfast. The staff were friendly and helpful. The setting on the bay with the islands was wonderful.
Day trip to Ayutthaya Ancient Kingdom was interesting. I guess I was expecting something like Angkor Wat etc, so there was a level of disappointment. But that was because of my expectations. Our guide was very ood... it is home. What we did see was interesting and the guide had a very good knowledge of Buddhism and the connection with Hinduism ad well as Chinese traditions. We did the river cruise which took an hour - it was interesting, but I think that we probably should have by passed that and visited more ancient sites of the kingdom. But still I did enjoy the river trip. From the boat we saw St Joseph's Church and I asked if we could stop there, which we did. We found a nun on the grounds who kindly opened the church - It was interesting to learn of the Portuguese history of the place.
So thank you for making our trip to Cambodia and Thailand so enjoyable. Cambodia blew my mind away. It was a fantastic experience. Thank you to your staff and people you engage at the local level to assist. Top marks to all.
With kind regards,
Maurice S.
Maurice S.
I thought the coordination of the local agents was incredible and made the trip worry free. I loved the fact that at a moment's notice we could alter our plan as we wanted.
Melvyn L.,
I just wanted to let you know how much fun I am having. I had a tough first few days while I was in Bangkok as I picked up some sort of bug and ended up with an ear infection. I saw the hotel doctor last Monday at the Sukhothai and he gave me some medicine which appears to have eventually worked.
I enjoyed the Khorat trip a lot even though it was mostly driving. Khun Gai is hilarious and we got on very well. We discovered that there is a gay bar in Khorat. Our driver, Khun Chiang, was also great. I enjoyed eating our meals together and sharing dishes just like actual Thais. The Royal Princess Hotel was not so impressive though.
Phnom Penh surprised me. It is so very different than anywhere I have been. I wasn't sure anything could rival Bangkok traffic but it seems like Phnom Penh does albeit in a different sort of way. I could never drive there, but our driver was excellent. I learned a lot about Cambodia from Mr. Pongro who is a very interesting and totally sweet guy. I miss him and our driver already. We attended the Salt bar 3rd anniversary party on Saturday night. The place was packed with cute Cambodian guys as well as a lot of westerners. The show they put on was full of bad drag, but the Cambodian guys loved it. I think they are not used to having any sort of entertainment like that there. So, while I am pretty jaded and not a drag fan, I could appreciate what it meant to the people there. All the neighbors seemed to enjoy it too.
Unfortunately we got rained on quite a bit here at Angkor today and it looks like the forecast is for rain the rest of the week so I may be getting fairly wet here.
Also, for some reason the Sukhothai upgraded me to a deluxe suite on my return night there. That was nice, but it is too bad I was only staying for a few hours since I had such an early morning flight the next day. But they get a big thumbs up from me for upgrading me both times.
Glenn, Washington DC
Office staff very helpful in person and via email. Guides exceptional.
John L., Sydney
Douglas, I wanted to thank you for your help in setting up my trip to China. Your guides (Peter in Beijing, Raymond in Beijing and Jack in Xian) were fantastic and went out of their way to make sure that all my needs were met. In addition, I had questions/issues related to the Beijing airport and your local manager in Beijing, Jack, went out of his way to help me.
Thanks!!! Brian H.
Douglas & Nut-
Thank you for yet another great vacation! Mark and I thoroughly enjoyed our latest visit to Thailand thanks to your great suggestions and impeccable arrangements. As always, the tour guides were all outstanding - Nicky and A in Bangkok and Tuu in Chiang Mai. Purple Dragon really has a great team!
Dinner with you guys on our last night was definitely one of the highlights of the trip as well - what a great, fun restaurant. Of course, as I said that night, who is at the table is so much more important than what is on the table, and we couldn't have asked for better company!
J & M, San Francisco
I knew I was paying a bit more when I chose your travel package compared to what I could have booked on my own for. But, I knew I was going somewhere completely unfamiliar to me (Myanmar) and I trusted that your knowledge of the area would lessen the likelihood that I would encounter "bad surprises" during my trip. This was no doubt was the case not just once, but many times during my trip! From visa issues at the border to money exchange difficulties to avoiding problem-some in-country transportation, my guides were there to solve any and all problems. I also received what I thought was fantastic personal service in deciding the best way to spend the week I had available in this interesting country. Thanks for planning a great trip!
Todd S.
Ralph Hyman
Ted and I had a fabulous time in Thailand. Thanks! We especially enjoyed Khom (?) in Bangkok. Everything went really well, except we had trouble with both our transfers in Chiang Mai. Either the hotel shuttle was not waiting on our arrival or we didn't find it before it left, and the hotel shuttle wouldn't take us to the train station on our way to Bangkok so we hopped into a pickup truck.
I think I mentioned this was my second visit to Thailand. My first one was with someone who was actually Thai, but this visit was way better, thanks to you and the guides. Next time Ted and I are around, you can be quite sure we'll be in touch.
Douglas, I want to let you know one more time how multi faceted, multi-cultural, quick of wit and adept you are. I returned to your company because of your high standards, breadth of knowledge and charming personality. Keep up the good work and know that you can create something just right for you. You are in charge of your universe.
Ed S.
A quick note to thank you for another great trip to Thailand. Although it was my first visit to Chiang Mai, I am certain that it will not be my last. Tuu is a wonderful guide and with him I had an opportunity to see all aspects of the the city, especially those I would never have discovered on my own. And, having had Tuu as my guide during my entire stay in Chiang Mai was another big plus.
Bangkok, of course, was everything I expected and more. It is unfortunate that my trip to Ayutthaya with Mickey had to be cut short because of my "tummy" problems. But, many thanks to Nut for allowing me to have Em as my guide for most of my days in Bangkok. With Em's decision to move to Canada, I wanted to spend as much time as possible with him. However, I must say that his colleague Bond has the right personality and qualities to make an excellent Purple Dragon guide. The three of us spent the day in Koh Kret together and had a great time. I look forward to engaging his services on my next visit to Bangkok.
Please convey my greetings and thanks to everyone in the office and I look forward to utilizing the services of Purple Dragon to plan another wonderful trip to Asia.
Rodney T.
Just a quick note to thank you for the excellent service. The guides you lined me up with were very professional and their knowledge of both the local scene and Thai culture really added a lot to my trip. I would definitely use Purple Dragon again.
I wanted to give you quick feedback regarding my guides in Shanghai and Beijing. Both were so great, personable and friendly. I really was very happy with my guides as they can completely make or break the experience. I especially thought that Raymond Wu in Beijing was amazing- I felt it was worth mentioning since he went above and beyond to accommodate my likes and dislikes. Also, the gentleman in Shanghai (I forgot his name!) was excellent, funny, and never made me feel pressured to purchase anything at stores- rather discouraged bad deals and successfully helped negotiate good deals. In both cases, I was very pleased, and I thought I'd give you a little feedback since I enjoyed the personal days on an otherwise demanding business trip.
I just got back this evening from Beijing. As usual, Purple Dragon didn't disappoint me. The hotel was in a wonderful location and my guides were excellent. I want to go back! I am not quite sure when, but I will go back with Purple Dragon.
Thanks for booking this wonderful experience for me.
James M.
My partner and I and another couple utilized Purple Dragon for three tours during our trip to Thailand and Cambodia. We found the accommodations to be very nice and well-located, the guides to be extremely friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating, and most of all, the entire experience to be hassle-free. We would highly recommend Purple Dragon to anyone planning to travel to Southeast Asia.
Mark S.
I have been a customer of Purple Dragon for a few years now. As a single gay man who does not speak the languages of Asia, I probably would have been too timid to go. However, Purple Dragon has permitted me to explore Thailand, Vietnam and Hong King, always with a skilled, intelligent, informed, friendly, and professional tour guide. If I return to Bangkok, thanks to Purple Dragon, I feel I am ok on my own, but once I venture a bit further afield, I will be heading directly to the good offices of Purple Dragon.
What a great experience Mark and I have just had in Vietnam! I'm in the Club Lounge in Taipei waiting for our flight ... and wanted to check in with you.
Richard C.
Mark and I thoroughly enjoyed Hanoi and Halong Bay - as usual, your recommendations were just perfect. The Metropole is now at the top of the list of my favorite hotels in the world, and their breakfast is simply wonderful. It may take me a while to get over being so pampered! Halong Bay was a great thing to see as well, though it rained lightly for most of the time that we were there - a good excuse to return for another visit when the weather is better! Tuan arranged an incredible suite for us there (nearly as large as our house in SF!) so even with the bad weather it was a treat.
Thank you so much for having Tuan personally take care of us - he really made the trip the best that it could be. It is easy to see why he is your "man in Vietnam." He is one of the best tour guides, and one of the nicest people that we've ever encountered on our trips. He made us feel totally pampered at every turn; he had great suggestions that were always right on target. He made everything go smoothly and made it all look effortless. Purple Dragon is lucky to have Tuan! Working with Tuan was really like traveling with a local friend--he's the best!
I took a bunch of photos - if any are decent I'll send them in to the photo contest, and please feel free to use any on your website.
Thank you again for yet another great vacation. We'll be in touch.
Jeff W.
Don and I want to compliment you on the services provided by Purple Dragon during our Thailand visit December 22-January 5.
Everything was exactly as planned; transportation provided was always on time, the guides in each city were helpful, informative and fun to be with.
Our accommodations were more than satisfactory ... Of course we plan to return some time and we'll avail ourselves once again of your services.
Thank you for making this trip unforgettable!
Robert K.
It was truly an amazing trip and the three guides we ended working with did an amazing job of helping us understand and enjoy our experience.
I would like to have my editor include your company in a travel piece for our printed and online version of the magazine. Should i have him contact you?
Morgan Sommer
January 07
I was very pleased with my trip in Cambodia and with my French speaking guides. Since I was travelling alone, Purple Dragon has organized every very well for me. And hope in the near future I will be able to use Purple Dragon again. Best regards.
Bernard (Switzerland)
Thanks for everything! Everyone was extremely professional, helpful, and courteous. Guides were amazing and I look forward to future vacations with your company. Many thanks! Had a great trip thanks to your company.
Robert M.
I have used your service now for 3 years, under the former...banner and now under purple dragon. At no time have I ever felt that I was actually on a tour,but rather visiting friends who were showing me around. The hallmark of your tours are your guides. They seem to take an interest in you in addition to providing you very informative and fun tours.
On behalf of me, and those who have travelled with me and used your services in the past, I would just like to say thank you for the valuable, professional and fun service that you provide.
Stephan S.
Dear Douglas,
It was a pleasure meeting you in Siem Reap, and let me repeat that I was really very happy with the arrangements that Purple Dragon did for me and was ecstatic with the tour guides that were present. All of them were very pleasant and knowledgeable. All of them were very attentive to my needs and weel-being. On top of that everyone of them was a very interesting person to talk to (and it is kind of important given the fact that you spend many hours with him).
I must signal my night guide in Luang Prabang (Mr. Duke, if I recall well) who , seing my interest in the people giving alms to the monks in the morning , offered to go to the market for me the next morning (at 5 am, i must add) and come to my hotel with everything prepared so that I could experience the giving to the monks. It was way above the call of duty and it is something that I will use to give example of the really personal and attentive service that I got. I would never have asked for such a thing--I did not even know that I could do it- and I appreciated very much the time and effort. This is not to say that I was not satisfied with the other guides: all of them , without exception were outstanding and would not hesitate to recommend Purple Dragon to my friends and use it on a next trip based on my experience of this year.
Please send my thanks to everyone of them. Also, send my thanks to Joe, who was very patient with me making the arrangements and a lot of help in the selection of side trips and Hotels.
I absolutely love your company. I had used it once before under the (former company) name last year. I really appreciate the flexibility of the guides. One day on a tour in Bangkok it started raining hard so I told the guide I wanted to go to the shopping mall to buy some things. He helped me whizz through about 10 stores and get the best buys. I hate shopping, so this was a miracle because he saved me tons of time and also a lot of money.
The only complaint I have is I don't think your company should try to distance itself from the sex market. Many people such as myself come to Thailand because it is so welcoming to gays and has so many clubs to meet prostitutes. I do not understand why that has gotten such a bad reputation. As long as you practice safe sex, it can be a wonderful experience. I met a young man in Pattaya that I still correspond with. Even if nothing more comes of it, I feel very satisfied from the experience.
I basically had to learn all the customs of the go-go bars by reading online, but I think it would be very helpful if a company such as yours provided more help and guidance in this area.
I will definitely be using your guides again when I am in Thailand and elsewhere. They were the key to making my trip very successful. Thank you!
Hugo V.
I love travelling when you people are involved. It's easy, comfortable, supported and just such a pleasure. I'd like to see more stuff on the walls in that Tarntawan office...it's a bit stark...but that's a personal taste thing.... and you don't want your gorgeous stuff confiscated... I was recently so delighted to know that my relationship with (our company in its former incarnation) had not faded with the advent of Purple Dragon....it's always heartening to be wanted !! And that's smart business....Great to see people that I was playing with years ago still in the company ( JO ) and of course, that personal charm that is always a hallmark of the company's dealings.... It's a class act. and that's worth so much to me...I'm not in the marketing or tourism game... what you boys are doing is fabulous for me...i'd like to help by offering improvement suggestions but I have none... I hope I will always be lucky enough to travel Asia with you...thanks with all my heart for such a joyful experience yet again!!!! see you in December....
Glenn J.
Thanks so much for an amazing two weeks. It was far more than I expected. This year I have been to China, India, Mexico, Hong Kong, Egypt but Thailand was the best. I wish in hind sight knowledge I could have done them all with you guys. My travel agent wants to see about sending small groups with Purple Dragon.
I enjoyed the tours arranged and some I took as extras. I enjoyed the shopping, a lit of where to eat in each place would be useful, and club names as when on my own in Chiang Mai I was nervous to just take a cab and go to town. (Not alone) Mr.l Tuu was amazing and really looked after me but I did have some free time when I just stayed at the hotel. Lanna Mantra was fabulous but a bit far out and Chiang Mai is sort of spread around not concentrated in an area like Bangkok and Phuket. I would like to see long stays offered for a more laid back time away from the snow of Canada. All your guides were like friends to me!
Tim D.
Dear Bobby,
We have just returned back to the US after our trip to Vietnam.
I would like to thank you very much for everything. It was wonderful and all arrangements went very smoothly. We were very impressed with all the guides who were always on time, very friendly and knowledgeable. Especially Mr. Trung in Saigon.
I will not hesitate in recommending Purple Dragon to friends.
Kind Regards
Dear Joe,
After visiting Bangkok, we continued on to Singapore. I returned safely to England last night.
Now, therefore, is my first proper chance to tell you how much we enjoyed our time in Bangkok. Purple Dragon certainly lived up to its reputation and I was very glad to finally have the chance of using your services. The itinerary worked out just fine and provided us with a great introduction to a dynamic and vibrant city. Whilst all your guides were excellent, I would particularly like to single out Mickey and Nicky. Both impressed me with their knowledge and care, managing to be both professional and friendly at the same time. Mickey, in particular, was especially helpful when our plans had to be flexible. He was booked from 10am to 10pm, but stayed with us even beyond that time to make sure we were alright and having a good time.
I am also grateful to you for all your assistance and for accommodating my extra requests. I am already looking forward to my next trip back to Bangkok and to using Purple Dragon's services again.
With very best wishes,
Dear Joe:
I want to thank you and thank you and your (colleagues) for all of your wonderful help on our recent trip to Thailand.
We especially wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed: Mr. Tee / Mr. Mickey / MR. M and our driver Aoot.
Everything was great/ great tours / we loved our Bangkok after hours trip and all of the advice we were given. The highlight though had to have been the cooking classes. I only wish we had done more of them.
Again, many thanks from 2 very satisfied and happy customers.
Darrell S. and Randy L.
Please express our gratitude to everyone at Purple Dragon. We got back last night and had a wonderful time. The hotels were perfect. The guides were wonderful and the sights were incredible.
Our guide in Beijing was Raymond Wu. He was a great guide who was very knowledgeable. Once he got to know us, he catered the days to our interests and speed. We were all sad to leave him at the airport as we felt we were leaving a friend.
In Xian, our guide was Jack Yuan. He, too, was wonderful. When he found out that I am a teacher and my school teaches about the terra cotta warriors, he scheduled a personal interview for us with one of the farmers who made the discovery in the 1970's. That was a highlight of the day!
Thank you!
David Beal and Daryl Olson
Hey there...
Just got home yesterday from our AMAZING trip....We'll write you in the next couple days, but just wanted to let you know that everything was awesome! All of our guides, representatives and drivers were great...The trip certainly exceeded our expectations! Not an easy trip...but definitely rewarding nonetheless...
Thanks again for putting together a great trip and we will highly recommend you to any of our friends planning any travels to Asia...We also will probablybe interested in a China trip next year....still in early stages of talking about it...but that is what we're thinking right now.
Take care and talk to you soon!
Gary and Richard
Hi Douglas,
I just finished my trip and arrived back home. I wanted to let you know that my tours with (Purple Dragon) were outstanding!! Tuan, in Hanoi and Trung, in Hue and Hoi An, were both outstanding guides. Not only did I see all the tourist sites, they took me to places that there were no tourists and places that I wouldn't have ever found on my own. Both were very professional and both had a great knowledge of the areas they guided me in. I enjoyed all of my time with them. They made me feel comfortable and showed me a great time. Of course, I offered both of them to see my room but both politely declined the initiation in the hotel lobbies. I stopped at the Figo in Siem Reap but it was really early in the evening and it had just opened. I was hoping to say hello. I also stopped by the PD office in Bangkok but it was late and closed. It looks like a great location. I wished you would expand worldwide. I'd use your service everywhere. Anyway, thanks for providing me a great trip. I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope to do more business with you in the future. thanks again.
Aloha Douglas - first let me tell you how proud you should be of your services, they are first class and of your guides. They were amazing. I will share more with you once I get back home. But I had to thank you for great guides.
Just a short note to thank you so much for the excellent service I received from your company.
The tour to Ayutthaya was fantastic and the guide, Jew, was really great. He had a fantastic knowledge of everything and he was really well spoken in English. I sincerely appreciate the fact that he gave up his New Year's day to take me on the tour and I had a great time with him.
I am planning to go back again in April and I will certainly use the services of your company again.
Thank you also for booking me into the Siam Heritage. It is the best value for money hotel I have stayed in in Bangkok and I will always go back there again.
Kind regards,
I want to tell you that we were extremely pleased with our trip with to Ayutthaya today and most especially commend our wonderful, knowledgeable, friendly, and gracious guide Tee. He was truly first-class and did all he could to provide us with a remarkable and fascinating day that will long be remembered. I am very happy with your company and will absolutely recommend you to any other people I know who might at some point travel to Thailand.
The Tuesday trip to the Floating Market and Nakom Prah was also very nice although it took us 3 1/2 hours to return to our hotel from 4:00-7:30 thanks to the worst traffic I have ever seen in my life - I guess that's life in Bangkok. The tour guide, Nick, was very pleasant as well.
Thank you for everything - I will certainly be in touch again on future trips to Bangkok.
Very Kindest Regards,
I just wanted you to let you know that our trip to Myanmar was wonderful. I think we could have stayed at all the locations for several more days. When it was time to move on, we both wanted to stay longer. We found the natives to be very friendly. Our accommodations, tour guides and drivers were all top notch. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and want to return again. Thanks.
We just returned from Hanoi. Everything went smoothly and all arrangements were well handled. The guide in Hanoi, Tien, was excellent as was the driver, Tu. Tien was prompt, polite, knowledgeable, and flexible. His English is excellent. The tour was well planned and we experienced a good variety of sites. On the Bangkok side everything was well organized and easy. Thank you all for a professional job.
We gave Tien some suggestions on handling meals. We think that it would by useful to offer the client a choice of restaurants when they are arranged by the tour. As an example, on the way to Ha Long we stopped for lunch in a restaurant set up for tours. The food was good, but the experience wasn't very interesting. On the second day before coming back, we persuaded Tien to take us to a more local place not set up for tourists. The food was better and the experience was much more interesting. I realize that not all groups are interested in doing this type of thing, but I think that it would be good to offer the choice in advance with a clear explanation of what the menu might be and the pluses and minuses of each choice.
Thomas F.
Take away its two paved roads and assorted electronic gadgets and I doubt that Marco Polo would flinch on a revisit (to Luang Prabang). Experiencing this unique city brings you out of the face-paced modern world into a sense of timeless wonder.
The depth of my experience and increased enjoyment of my trip I largely give to the help of my guide, Douk. His attention to detail and 110% effort allowed me to put my hand on the pulse of this exotic place. Douk not only served as a good guide, but also as good company, as well.
Go to Luang Prabang and go with him.
Douglas L.
To the Management of Purple Dragon Tours,
Pierre and I are just back from our first trip to Thailand. To be honest, I was nervous about the experience and felt the idea of having a personal guide would be restrictive. We dont frequent clubs and bars and so I felt that we would not benefit from a guide. Thankfully I was proven so very wrong.
The service all the guides provided was excellent. Each had their own unique spin and insights on this wonderful land . From Thailand's history, to its rich spirituality to culture to plain old-fashioned fun shopping they made this trip so very very memorable. All the guides were professional and a credit to your company.
However, as difficult as this is, I must single out one guide for praise. Bobby has an incredible knack for reading people and within a few short hours had completely revamped the day so it would be more memorable and personally meaningful. I was the one who was reluctant to travel, but thanks to Bobby's wisdom and infectious pride in his homeland, I cannot wait to return to the Land of Smiles.
There is service that is professional. There is service that is personal. Then there are experiences that go beyond the norm and so it was with Purple Dragon.
Many many thanks,
Adrian and I returned to the US a couple weeks ago and I realized I never wrote to thank you for helping us with our trip to Laos. I know that with the Laotian government blocking tourists at the last minute, and with the problems you had with Settha Palace, this trip made a lot of work for you.
I appreciate you getting us into the Novotel and doing all the work needed to make this an enjoyable trip.
We really enjoyed meeting Air, and he was a wonderful guide. I think we were a little unusual for him -- I don't know if he gets a lot of couples, but I am sure he doesn't get many guests like Adrian who is originally from Laos and speaks Lao. As you might guess, we were able to learn even more about Vientiane. We really enjoyed getting to know him, he is a wonderful young man and we hope to see him again some day. Please pass along our best wishes (and our e-mail address) to him.
Thank you again Ake for all your help. We had a great time and will definitely work with Purple again in the future.
Warm regards,
Just a quick email to thank you very much for the wonderful time in Hanoi and Ha Long. It was excellent, the guide, Tuan was so helpful and made the holiday so good. I have of course thanked him, but want you to know how pleased I was.
Next time to Vietnam I would like to travel from Saigon to Hanoi, overland, perhaps you could organize something like that? I'll contact you again, when I can think about dates etc.
Once again, many thanks!
Hi Douglas,
We have now returned home after our holiday in China and Hong Kong.
We would just like to say we had a great time with our guide Barry in Hong Kong, he showed us exactly what we wanted so once again many thanks.
Tim & Tom
I'm writing this from Hanoi. I just wanted to tell you I really love the hotel, and the city! So far, everything's been really great. I also wanted to mention that my guide, Tien, couldn't be better! He speaks English very well, and he's a superb guide. If the guide in Saigon is one half as good as Tien, I'll be delighted!
All the best,
I want you to know know what an excellent experience I had yesterday. My guide was Ti. I apologize that I do not know the correct spelling of his name, but that is in Thai, anyway. He was very pleasant and knowledgeable and he did everything possible to make sure that I had the information that I needed and that I was able to see the things that were of most interest to me. We started out at 11:00 am and we didn't get back to the hotel until 8:30 p.m., so he spent quite a bit of extra time with me. At the end, because it was so late, he could have simply put me in a taxi back to the hotel by myself, but he came all the way back to the hotel with me. I asked him if I could pay him extra because he had taken so much extra time, and he would not allow me to do that. I want to let you know that he is an outstanding employee for Purple Dragon. Because of his helpfulness and professionalism, I have a very positive idea of your company, of Bangkok, and of Thailand. Please thank him for me very much. If it would be helpful for me to send a letter to formal letter to anyone about my positive experience with him, please let me know and I will do that. If that is the case, please also let me know his full name so that I can write it correctly in the letter. Please know that I have almost never been motivated to write this sort of letter or e-mail about a service I have received, but this was really exceptional.
Thank you for your assistance,
--Geoffrey R.
Hi all at Purple Dragon,
My partner and I have finally returned home to Australia and we would like to give comments on our Languid Luang Prabang tour we experienced in March.
FANTASTIC!! is one of many words to describe everything.
Our day Guide, Champou was terrific - such a nice person and so full of information. Our night guide Doik (maybe not the correct spelling of his name..) was an absolute delight and charming.
Overall we were totally delighted with Luang Prabang and have intentions of returning and spending a lot more time in the delightful town.
We would like to recommend that travelers visit the Lemongrass Restaurant in Luang Prabang, run by 2 Belgian guys...lots of style and charm.
We loved the Villa Santi hotel. Not only is very pleasant , the staff were always smiling and a delight to look at.
We have, and will continue to recommend you to our friends here in Sydney. Please pass on our wishes to the Guides in Laos.
Till next tour! Cheers,
Colin G. and Ian A
This is Wayne O. Last Wednesday afternoon you set up a personal Gay Bangkok tour for me for that same evening. As you may recall I was seeking advice on where to meet professional, stable Thai guys. You picked Watch as the tour guide and he was the perfect choice. We had a lovely diner discussing the dynamics of my "target" group and then went touring. It turned out to be one of the nicer evenings of the trip and I look forward to counting Watch and his partner as long term friends (in the proper sense of the word).
Ake, thank you for your fine help. Working with you was a delight and you certainly did right by me. Please pass on to Watch my respect and gratitude.
Wayne O.
Dear Ake,
I have just returned from Vientiane to Bangkok. I wanted to write and thank you for making the arrangements. I had a really great time in Vientiane with Air and his friends, really enjoyed it. It is a shame I did not spend longer in Laos, so save it for another time.
Best wishes,
Kop Khun Krap for a terrific trip to Laos. I'm back and fighting the jet lag, sore throat, post-trip depression, etc., but wanted to let you know what a great time I had; thanks again for putting it together on such short notice!
As I said, it was a great trip. Everything went very smoothly, as it did in Cambodia last year, which I know is not a given in that part of the world.
I must admit, I was not too impressed with Vientiane; if I had it to do again, I would have preferred only one night there, and the extra night in LP. LP really knocked my socks off! I've fallen in love with that place -- what a wonderful, beautiful, peaceful town, huh?!! I wish I were dreaming of writing a book or something; it seems like the perfect place for a writer or artist or something to call home for awhile creating his masterpiece, and I would love to do that there :-) Now just need some sort of inspiration....hmmm....
I really want to let you know how great a job my guide did. He was terrific, the best Purple Dragon guides I've had yet. He's not only a very friendly and sweet guy, but he really seemed to enjoy spending the time with us. He has very good "technical" knowledge of the sites, and his English is more that adequate, but what I like the best was the way he would just chat with us about life in general, living in Laos, etc. By the end of the trip, I felt much more like I had a friend showing me around town than that I was with a tour guide. We got to talking so much sometimes that I felt guilty; we often got way behind schedule, and not only did he not make me feel like he was anxious to finish up for the day and get off to his friends, but he always seemed willing to go as long as we wanted. I guess some of your clients may prefer a more "formal, professional" tour guide, but not me (and I suspect the same would go for many of your clients); I think I learned plenty of the factual info about what I saw, but also got a chance to understand a bit of Lao life, which, frankly, is probably more important to me. In short, Champou was great; I think he is a real asset to your company.
Okay, that's it. Hope the feedback's useful. But thanks again, both Angkor and LP have been amazing trips for me. I'm still thinking seriously about Vietnam, and, if you haven't blacklisted me yet as a major pain-in -the-butt, I may well be back in touch about that -- you run very much the kind of tour I like, and I suspect you would do me fine in VT too!
Take care,
Just want to write and say thank you for all of the work that everyone at you did to make our trip to Vietnam a good one.
First of all we want to comment on both of our guides. In Ho Chi Mihn City we had Nyuen. He was always on time and lots of fun. Nyuen was very cognizant of our feelings and well being. He took us to eat in local restaurants and cafes, that we might not otherwise have known, which helped to give us insight to the people and culture of Vietnam.
The hotel was very nice. Centrally located, very friendly staff, and a delicious breakfast every morning with lots of fresh fruit and wonderful Vietnamese coffee.
In Hanoi our guide was Tran. He was also very professional, friendly, and attentive to our needs. On the part of the trip where we were able to choose among three excursions, we chose the Perfume Pagoda. Tran was great fun, a good sport and very knowledgeable of the history and architecture of the area. We took turns rowing the boat, on the canal leading to and from the temple, which made for lots of laughs and great photos.
The Hanoi Hotel served up a huge breakfast buffet every morning with good Asian and Western food. The staff was friendly and professional.
We would absolutely book a tour with you again. Hopefully we will, in the not too distant future, for another trip to Southeast Asia.
Best regards,
John U. and Daniel W.
Back from Hanoi and Bangkok this morning - both Somboon and I enjoyed our trip, thank you for your organization.
'River' was an excellent, courteous guide who tried to be as helpful as possible on all occasions - a very nice chap with superb English, as I am sure you know. Anyway, he is an asset to Purple Dragon.
How our Customers Rate Us
We send a questionnaire to every guests after their trip. We really do read them and then we compile all of the responses for quality control purposes. Here is how our guests rate us as of 11 December 2012. (Sorry we are a little bit slow at compiling data since we are busy taking care of customers so we do not update these statistics as often as we probably should).
Not long ago it was our pleasure to help you with travel arrangements in Asia. Since Purple Dragon is growing and always trying to improve, I hope you will not mind giving us your feedback and impressions by answering a few simple questions below. Just click "reply" and fill in the blanks below.
Did we respond to your initial request promptly? [99.4%] Yes [.46] No [0] I don't remember
Before your trip we probably sent you a Reservation Summary and a final Confirmation. Please tell us whether these were
How would you rate the person in our office who handled your reservation details?
How about our guides?
How would you rate our hotels?
Which best describes the value of your Purple Dragon arrangements?
How would you rate Purple Dragon as a whole?
Thailand | Cambodia | Vietnam | Laos | Myanmar/Burma | Singapore | China | India
Nepal | Bhutan | Honeymoons | Wellness & Beauty | Adventure Travel


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Code: Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel As Integer) On Error GoTo Exit_Form_Open_Click With DoCmd .Hourglass True .SetWarnings False .OpenQuery "qry Mar Geology Data" .OpenQuery "qry Apr Geology Data" .OpenQuery "qry Graphing Query" 'These are update queries that I am currently running because my data 'relies on some Excel sheets from another department that I import for 'calculation purposes. .SetWarnings True .Hourglass False End With If DLookup("[Allowed Usernames]", "tbl Database Admins", "[Allowed Usernames] = " & [UserNameControl]) Then ' I have also tried various punctuation options based on examples on the 'boards. The [Allowed Usernames] is the field with usernames in the table 'called "tbl Database Admins", and [UserNameControl] is the textbox on 'this form, which is generated via a module that queries the windows 'username, in my case that is which matches an entry in tbl 'above. Me.Modify_Budget.Visible = True Me.Modify_Forecast.Visible = True Me.Modify_Calculation_Factors.Visible = True Me.Daily_Data_Entry.Visible = True Me.Email_Report.Visible = True Me.Email_Report_Text.Visible = True Me.Modify_Email_List.Visible = True Me.Database_Admin_List.Visible = True Else Me.Modify_Budget.Visible = False Me.Modify_Forecast.Visible = False Me.Modify_Calculation_Factors.Visible = False Me.Daily_Data_Entry.Visible = False Me.Email_Report.Visible = False Me.Email_Report_Text.Visible = False Me.Modify_Email_List.Visible = False Me.Database_Admin_List.Visible = False End If Exit_Form_Open_Click: DoCmd.SetWarnings True DoCmd.Hourglass False Exit Sub End SubI have attempted some error trapping within both if options, but the msgbox's that I put in did not appear at any point. It seems as if the condition of the if statement is as far as it goes, and the form will open with all options visible no matter who logs in, whether they are in the database admin list or not.
Code: Dim intWarrantyIncrement as integer intWarrantyIncrement = ??? (tblDatabaseDefaults - WarrantyPeriod)I think I may just be being thick!!!

subset: commoncrawl


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Take a journey with a little German girl. Read about her meager beginnings as the daughter of refugees from Poland, all-girl camps, bombings, Russian and American soldiers, and a new life in the United States. It's not a "rags to riches" story, but rather one of perseverance. She spoke little English when she arrived in America after traveling alone and on a military ship. She faced the hardship of an alcoholic husband, no family assistance, but blessed with friendships and persistence. This book was written to record her history as a legacy for her children and their children. It is a gathering of photos from her father, her children, and her own records placed into one book to be shared by all.
I recently developed a motto, "Your history is your legacy." I worry about this digital world as photo albums lie abandoned and memories become lost through the generations. My passion has become to convince you to take the time to talk to family and put their stories and photos in a unique book that will last a very long time letting great-great grandchildren truly know their stories. If not, those photos are trashed and doors are closed. Just take this amazing journey to preserve what is yours. I am here to help.
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"She Loves Me" Published December 15, 2015
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Flying with Wooden Feet Published May 03, 2014
King and I Published November 15, 2012
The King and I Published November 03, 2012
Jenna and Roger's Wedding Published May 15, 2012
Pippin at Greenbelt Arts Center 2012 Published April 18, 2012


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Download REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY video
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Download REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY streaming video in flv, mp4, avi formats direct easily on Savevid.com.
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Have you ever assembled a chassis and questioned the proper way to install and secure your rear axle? Or maybe you have struggled with axle movement and wondered how to correct this issue. This short informational video walks you through how team PRC recommends you secure your real axle for not only eliminating movement, but optimizing performance as well!
Kart racing is a dangerous activity and should only be performed by trained and licensed professionals. It is the users sole responsibility to determine the overall safety of the products they use. Obtaining higher speeds and performance from your chassis increases the risk of injury. Wiggins Kart Shop, Inc. and/or Phantom Racing Chassis does not assume any liability from manufacturing and/or advising its customers in chassis performance.
Customer notification...
Please note that Phantom Racing Chassis does not continue research and development on chassis models that are not currently in production. This includes any ongoing development of setup details. Therefore, any setup related advice that is given by the PRC staff on previous models is based on historic data and may be considered to be out-of-date.
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Besides Valentine's Day, February is also American Heart Month.
Heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined, and Friday February 7th is National Wear Red Day.
Red is the color of our hearts, and on this day Americans are urged to wear red to show their support for women's heart health.
Stress is one factor that contributes heavily to heart disease, and since practicing yoga relieves stress it is in turn good for your heart.
As parents, you can motivate your kids to incorporate yoga into their daily lifestyle. This will help them start good habits early in life and help prevent future health problems such as heart disease.
Encourage kids to breathe deeply in and out through their nose when they are upset or under stress. This type of breathing can influence the heart rhythm through the central nervous system and helps to calm down the body.
Balancing Stick Pose (Tuladandasana) is a great yoga posture to practice this month and beyond. It sends high-speed blood pouring into the heart, cleaning out all the veins and arteries and strengthening the heart muscle.
In addition, the American Heart Association has many activities for kids to raise their awareness of heart health, including
- creating a family health tree
- tips on drinking and eating healthy
- nutrition knowledge
- tips to get active.
In Pacific Palisades, you can participate in the 2014 Greater Los Angeles Heart Walk, sponsored by the American Heart Association.
The money that is raised through this walk will be used to fund the valuable research, education and advocacy efforts of the American Heart Association.
By educating and encouraging healthy heart habits for their kids, parents are paving the way for a life long tradition of children's health and fitness for the future generation of our youth.


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This month's DVD
Gnome Ubuntu Remix 12.10 and Linux Mint 13 KDE
Canonical's persistent efforts to perfect the new age Unity desktop for Ubuntu Linux has gotten them in trouble with lots of long-term users, but the Ubuntu project is always quick to point out to the critics: "This is Linux. If you don't like the desktop, change it!"
As it turns out, the Ubuntu project actually builds its own Gnome-based Ubuntu, and we are bringing it to our readers with this month's DVD. Gnome Ubuntu Remix 12.10 is a full version of the latest 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" Ubuntu release that boots to a default Gnome 3.6 desktop.
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Fedora 24 Released
The whole distro gets rebuilt on glibc 2.3
Canonical Announces Cross-Distro Support for Snaps
Ubuntu Vendor tries to solve app packaging and distribution problem across distributions.
ownCloud Forked
Founder of ownCloud launches the Nextcloud project.
HP Enterprise Unveils a Futuristic Computer
Will The Machine change the way future programmers think about memory?
CoreOS Announces Distributed Storage System
The new Torus distributed storage system is available under an open source license on GitHub
Google Beats Oracle in the Android Lawsuit
Juries decides Google's use of Java APIs Was Fair Use
Linux is the Largest Software Development Project in History
But if you are not using the latest Linux kernel, your system is insecure.
Linksys Says Yes to Open Source Firmware
Home routers will give room for custom firmware but still comply with FCC rules
OwnCloud Founder Resigns
Frank Karlitschek will continue to lead the open source ownCloud project
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS released
"Xenial Xerus" comes with a new packages format and several improvements for the enterprise.


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A few quick questions for Chief Engineer Junichi Furuyama—the mastermind behind the redesigned Lexus IS sport sedan.
01/31/2013—A few weeks ago, Lexus revealed the 2014 Lexus IS at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and IS Chief Engineer Junichi Furuyama was there to see the launch of his latest creation—as well as tell Lexus Enthusiast editor Kevin Watts about his next-generation Lexus sports sedan:
Watts: First of all, how did the LFA influence the development of the IS?
Furuyama: While the LFA was being developed, we spent long hours test-driving on German and Japanese speed circuits. From there, we were able to collect information and gain insight on what it takes to make a car safe and fun to drive, the kind of things we wanted to do with the IS. With all that experience, we have lots of valuable new findings and understanding, and that information was very helpful in terms of developing the new IS.
What were the key improvements you wanted to make with the 2014 IS?
We set out to provide dynamic performance while increasing rear comfort and space. To showcase dynamic performance, we tried to increase the agility and make sure the car has a quick and accurate response to driver input. In order to achieve this, we had to increase the body rigidity. We used new laser welding technology and extensive use of adhesives in the manufacturing process to increase overall stability when the car is in motion.
Can you tell us about some key differences between the 2014 IS and the 2014 IS F SPORT?
In terms of the exterior, the grille, front bumper, and wheel design are all different. Inside the IS F SPORT, there are sport-styled seats and an exclusive trim. The big difference, though, is the instrument panel. For the speedometer, we utilized the moving dial design that comes from the LFA.
As for performance, the engine and transmission are the same in the standard IS and IS F SPORT editions. For the IS 350 F SPORT, we did additional sports tuning to the suspension, adding SPORT S+ mode as a fourth setting to the Drive Mode Select. When you turn the dial to SPORT S+ mode, the adaptive variable suspension can give the feel of a sports car.
Final question: Was it a challenge to balance the luxury experience with the stronger performance?
At the first stage of development, we focused exclusively on creating a fun-to-drive car. For that purpose, we almost decided to forget about everything else. Once we were able to achieve greater body rigidity, we achieved some wiggle-room to find the balance between luxury and performance.
First inset photo by Kevin Watts
Legal Disclaimers
Vehicle shown may feature optional equipment.


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STARmeterSEE RANK
Up 30,609 this week
Tony Schiavone (II)
Tony Schiavone was born on November 7, 1957 in Craigsville, Virginia, USA as Noah Anthony Schiavone. He is an actor and producer, known for Halloween Havoc (1994), Showdown: Legends of Wrestling (2004) and Ready to Rumble (2000). He has been married to Lois Schiavone since June 6, 1981. They have five children. See full bio »
Born:in Craigsville, Virginia, USA


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2233 Northwestern Ave Ste AWaukegan, IL, 60087 United States(847) 244-1830
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Hoover's Inc., a Dun & Bradstreet Company puts you on the fastest path to business. Hoover's offers proprietary business information through the Internet, data feeds, wireless devices, and co-branding agreements with other online services.
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CHATSWORTH, Calif. - Video Team has released No Man's Land: Interracial 11, the latest volume in the AVN award-winning all-girl series.
Director Anton Slayer shot the interracial extravaganza in HD with a top-notch cast led by Gina Lynn, Eva Angelina, Jada Fire, Ruby Knox and Marie Luv.
"The No Man's Land series is one of the hottest all-girl lines on the market today," said Metro sales manager Russ Pascale. "NML: Interracial 11 has a lot of star power, and the action is the hottest to date. This is a true representation of the NML line and its place in the market."
NML: Interracial 11 co-stars Daisy Marie, Tori Black, Erika Vution, Lana Croft, Megan Monroe, Sammy Rhodes, Priva, and Sindee Jennings.
The 2-disc collector's digipak set offers the movie in 16x9 widescreen, along with a selection of extras that includes BTS footage, photo gallery, and trailers. An exclusive bonus disc contains eight Video Team scenes featuring "girls around the world."
Video Team is distributed by Metro Content. For more information, visit www.metrocontent.com.


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The journalists covering former Attorney General John Swallow's spreading scandal (dare we say Swallowgate?) are among the winners of the Better Beehive Awards, handed out by the Alliance for a Better UTAH.
Better UTAH specifically named reporters Robert Gehrke of the SLTrib and Eric Peterson of City Weekly for their work in covering (and uncovering) the story that ultimately led to Swallow's resignation. Investigations into Swallow continue.
Other winners this year are:
Utah Parents Against Gun Violence, who worked with the Utah Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics to develop a gun safety campaign to protect kids.
Medical doctor and Utah Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights, was honored for taking a principled stand supporting medicaid expansion.
Provo was honored for hosting its first gay pride festival.
Linda Hilton, director of community outreach for Crossroads Urban Center and director of the Coalition of Religious Communities, received the award for two decades of advocating for Utah's poor.


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"The mind becomes a witness to Absolute Truth and spiritual perception dawns. Although it is something that must happen within my mind it seems very far away." –Karin O'Bannon, "The Moon and the Mind." (iynaus.org/articles-essays/moon-and-mind)
Karin O'Bannon, among the earliest Iyengar yoga teachers in Los Angeles, died June 10, 2013, in Louisiana, several months after she was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Her teachings always placed philosophy first and foremost, although she also had a keen eye for precision in poses, both hers and her students'.
She had been a yoga teacher for more than 30 years, including at the Iyengar yoga conference in Washington, D.C., in May 2012. She achieved the teaching rank of Iyengar Senior Intermediate 3 in 1996.
She trained yoga teachers in Southern California beginning in the mid-1990s and served on the national Iyengar Yoga National Association board. She influenced students across the globe, from Los Angeles to Louisiana and Georgia to Taiwan to Rishikesh, India.
She left Los Angeles in 2003 to teach in Rishikesh. There she taught students from around the world. She once said that it gave her renewed appreciation for the value of demonstrating a pose to teach, given so few of her students shared a common language.
She was honored in 2006 by the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles with a scholarship created in her name to help students study at the Iyengar institute in Pune, India. She returned to the United States a few months later, settling in Shreveport, La. She continued to teach workshops around the world, including Malaysia, Taiwan and Canada.
She also returned to Los Angeles to teach workshops. At one, focused purely on philosophy, she said that she considered Yoga Sutra 2.15 to be the "axial aphorism" for the entire text.
"The wise man knows that owing to fluctuations, the qualities of nature, and subliminal impressions, even pleasant experiences are tinged with sorrow, and he keeps aloof from them. " (Translation: Edwin F. Bryant.)
The Los Angeles area community learned of her illness in early April when visiting teacher Manouso Manos read an e-mail she had sent to be read to us. Upon her death, The LA institute published her message the day she died. She wrote, in part:
"I "grew up" at IYILA and my teacher, best friends, and dearest students are still a part of that community. IYILA is a special space. By that I do not mean the place itself but I mean the teachings that are within its walls. Preserve that space by letting it change and evolve to serve the students and community."


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Thursday marked the end of the Pliny The Younger triple IPA beer that the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa offers for only two weeks of the year. As in previous years the beer was well received with hundreds of microbrew enthusiasts waiting for hours in line each day to enjoy it.
The beer that is currently ranked number three out of 250 beers on BeerAdvocate.com has a bold, assertive flavor because of the extra hops that are used in double and triple IPAs (India Pale Ale).
In a previous article on Pliny The Younger, beer fans talked about waiting in line to get a glass of the microbrew that is made in a limited batch with only a certain quantity offered each day.
Sitting out in the patio of the brewpub was Ryan Haggerty, who took a bus with 40 other beer club members from Stockton. "It's phenomenal, I wish it was publicly released," speaking of the beer he said.
Frank Quacinella the Czar of the beer club was leaving after four hours of enjoying the various beers. "Oh, it was great. We had an absolute, incredible time. The beer passes (sic) everybody's expectations. The palate, the whole experience was awesome," he said.
Because of the fire code only 160 people were let in. Those not in the first group of drinkers faced anytime from a short to a six hour wait. One person not in line but in the thick of the crowds was the hostess at the brewpub.
This was the third day on the job for Elena Valle. "It's been really, really busy but really fun. I was a little apprehensive at first but everyone has been in really great spirits," she said.
Talking with her last Wednesday she said it was much busier than her other days of work on Sunday and Tuesday. As a hostess she was meeting hundreds if not thousands of people. "I've met people from Canada and England."
Although she has frequented Russian River Brewing Company before she started working there, this was her first year of trying Pliny The Younger. "I think it's really good, it's really strong," Valle said.
Gary came from Benicia for his first time to try the highly lauded beer. "It's all about The Younger," he said pointing to the crowd down the long bar. He described himself as a Guinness drinker but still admired the very different beer he was trying. "It's really good, it's really strong and it's really good going down. It's a nice beer."
Someone living in the same city as the brewpub was David Manning. He was familiar with the other beers offered there and was ecstatic about the special beer. "The difference in bitterness between the (Pliny) The Elder and (Pliny) The Younger is marked and delicious, so you want to have more of that Younger, it's really fantastic, smooth, delicious and slightly sweet fantastic beer,"
"What binds everybody together is this incredible opportunity to drink this Younger," he said.
Eddie Vessel from Fremont waited in line for five hours with his friend Dan Doherty of Newark. "It's delicious, well worth the wait and I'll do it again next year," Vessel said.
Comparing this year's Pliny to the 2012 batch he said it tasted similar. "Awesome as usual." While it is "definitely" his favorite beer there he planned to have other beers. "I plan to sample some of the sour beers after that including the Defenestration (what the brewpub describes as a "hoppy, blonde ale"),"Vessel said.
His friend Doherty echoed what other drinkers had to say. "It's delicious, well worth the wait now that I'm here."
While the focus was on the beer, it came with a long wait. Those in line found the camaraderie with other microbrew enthusiasts made hours waiting bearable and enjoyable.
Some of these people will return next year, wait in line again, trade stories and finally taste Pliny The Younger 2015 and hope for a similarly rewarding glass of beer.


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New Museum Blog – Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
- Unlocking The Curious Vault: A scientist and an artist collaborate to create "Neural Networks"
- Summer Solstice
- Wow Factor: how we created a Community Engagement Program that makes science fun
- Out & About in District 10 at the 9th Annual Miami International Agriculture, Horse & Cattle Expo
- Cotton Candy and Science: Out & About in District 11 at the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair
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Tag Archives: Best Buy Teen Tech Center
Surgery – LIVE!
What happens inside an operating room during a surgery? Unless you're a doctor, nurse, or the patient, you probably have no idea. But students recently got the inside (and we mean, really inside) view during a field trip to the … Continue reading
Tuesday Tunes
The Museum is like a second home for many students in the Upward Bound Math & Science program. In addition to actively participating in the program on the weekends through the academic year, as well as over the summer, to … Continue reading
Posted in For Students, In the Museum Tagged Best Buy Teen Tech Center, Upward Bound Math & Science Leave a comment
AstroJam: Mission to the Future!
AstroJam: Mission to the Future event last weekend was all about showcasing the links between science, technology, and imagination. Some of the science and technology imagined in science fiction stories – hover crafts, smart robots, and bionic limbs – have … Continue reading
Feel the Force: Hurricanes and other Hazards
We are now officially in hurricane season, and the Museum's Feel the Force: Hurricanes and Other Hazards event was a chance to experiment with weather instruments, meet real hurricane hunter pilots, remember the tragedy and survival of Hurricane Andrew, … Continue reading
Posted in In the Museum Tagged AOML Hurricane Division, Best Buy Teen Tech Center, Curt Sommerhoff, FIU, FIU Rotary, How the Weather Works, International Hurricane Research Center, MAST Academy, Max Mayfield, Miami-Dade Corrections, Miami-Dade Emergency Management, Miami-Dade Ocean Rescue, Miami-Dade Public Library, Mike Mogil, National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, NBC-6, NOAA, P-3 cockpit, Radio Disney, Ron Magill, Salvation Army, Tsunami Tim, Univision, WPLG-Channel 10, WSVN-Channel 7, Zoo Miami Leave a comment
Capturing our Colorful Cosmos, Part 2
One of the great things about the Museum is that it's not only a place where you can try things and experiment with things, but it's also a place where, in many cases, those "things" are the REAL things. With … Continue reading
You're Invited! – Student Film Screening (February 9)
You're invited to a film screening at the Museum! Students in the Museum's Upward Bound program have been serving as Eco-Ambassadors to south Florida's unique environments, and with support from a State Farm Youth Advisory Board grant, have created their own Public Service Announcement videos. These … Continue reading


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Undoubtedly, this phone will be amazing. It'll be interesting to see what they do. I hope this phone has a Super AMOLED + HD screen. LTE and Quadcore is expected! If the SGS3 is an Exynos Quad-core with the Cortex A15 and not 9 then I will buy this as my next phone, on or off contract.
This is all I wanted to hear about galaxy s III and i am very very satisfied already even though the phone hasn't been fully announced yet i love you Samsung!!!
via BGR


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Stock Downgrades: Dunkin' Bull Run Done?
Justin Sharon
Wall Street ratings agencies set the tone for today's stock market.
Five short months into 2013, the
planet's best performing stock market of 2012
can't afford to wipe its backside
. So investors may eventually give our own bull run the bum's rush. For now, however, let's just marvel at how far — 146%, to be precise — we have come from the
Haines bottom
. (Not to be confused with
(HBI), an underwear stock that is now up 102.82% in the past year, having finished at a fresh historic high on Friday.) A new
iPad commode
will be scant consolation for both Caracas and Cupertino, especially after
Apple Inc.
(AAPL) imploded 4.4% in a week when the
(^IXIC) added on another 1.82% to finish at its best level since 2000. 13 years ago Sisqó — whose
briefs would make anyone blush
— topped the pop charts and
(CSCO) briefly boasted the world's best market cap. 13 years on, the former remains firmly a one-hit wonder but the latter, fresh from jumping a
(^DJI) best 14.9%, may have more staying power.
No top-tier economic data due today, but earnings announcements are expected out of
Campbell Soup
Qihoo 360 Technology
TiVo Inc.
(TIVO), and
Urban Outfitters
Acquity Group
(AQ): Shares gets downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform by William Blair.
Bank of America
(BAC): The blue chip, a key
(^DJI) component, is cut to Market Perform from Outperform at Keefe Bruyette, which would take profits after a recent breakout to new highs.
Bank of Ireland
(IRE): Deutsche Bank downgrades its fellow financial to Sell from Hold.
Bed Bath & Beyond
(BBBY): Shares are taken to Hold from Buy at Jefferies.
Capella Education
(CPLA): Stifel reduces its recommendation to Hold from Buy.
(KMX): The auto outfit gets cut to Market Perform from Outperform by William Blair.
Cavium Networks
(CAVM): CAVM is now Market Perform from Outperform at JMP Securities.
Children's Place
(PLCE): Susquehanna reduces the retailer to Neutral from Positive.
: Keefe moves money manager
(BLK) to Market Perform from Outperform and downgrades discount brokers
Charles Schwab
(SCHW) and
TD Ameritrade
(AMTD) to Underperform from Market Perform.
Dunkin' Brands
(NASDAQ:DNKN): The donut stock is lowered to Neutral from Buy at Longbow. Shares, which have surged 33.84% over the past year and hit a fresh peak last week, are due a breather. The stock is, accordingly, off 1.3% this morning.
(EFX): Shares get downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs.
Fast Food
: Chili's owner
Brinker International
(EAT) and
Ruby Tuesday
(RT) are each reduced to Market Perform from Outperform with Wells Fargo.
Kansas City Southern
(KSU): The railroad is slashed to Sell from Hold at Stifel.
Leap Wireless
(LEAP): LEAP gets lowered to Sell from Hold by Deutsche Bank.
(LOW): A steep valuation, allied to store execution issues, sees Oppenheimer reduce the home improvement retailer to Perform from Outperform.
(MSTR): JMP Securities moves the tech stock to Market Perform from Outperform.
(NTAP): NTAP is now Underperform from Neutral at Robert W. Baird, which cites both competitive and structural issues.
Red Hat
(RHT): RHT gets reduced to Market Perform from Outperform with a $54 price objective at BMO Capital Markets. Sharp recent stock price gains, especially amid softness in many key metrics, are unsustainable the broker believes.
(SNDK): The stock is clipped to Neutral from Buy at Nomura.
(SNV): Goldman Sachs slashes its fellow financial firm to Sell from Neutral.
(THOR): THOR gets taken to Neutral from Buy at Goldman.
(See also:
Stock Upgrades: Priceline Is Going Places
New Stock Coverage: MusclePharm Can Bulk Up Your Portfolio
No positions in stocks mentioned.
The information on this website solely reflects the analysis of or opinion about the performance of securities and financial markets by the writers whose articles appear on the site. The views expressed by the writers are not necessarily the views of Minyanville Media, Inc. or members of its management. Nothing contained on the website is intended to constitute a recommendation or advice addressed to an individual investor or category of investors to purchase, sell or hold any security, or to take any action with respect to the prospective movement of the securities markets or to solicit the purchase or sale of any security. Any investment decisions must be made by the reader either individually or in consultation with his or her investment professional. Minyanville writers and staff may trade or hold positions in securities that are discussed in articles appearing on the website. Writers of articles are required to disclose whether they have a position in any stock or fund discussed in an article, but are not permitted to disclose the size or direction of the position. Nothing on this website is intended to solicit business of any kind for a writer's business or fund. Minyanville management and staff as well as contributing writers will not respond to emails or other communications requesting investment advice.
Copyright 2011 Minyanville Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Official Site
When Push Comes to Shove
Unrealistic Espionage Film Better Kept Under Wraps
Directed by Paul McGuigan, this sci-fi thriller is based on real-life U.S. government research in the 1940s, including the CIA's MKUltra experiments to test human mind-control abilities. The world of Push revolves around this same concept—but just like the MKUltra program in the 1970s, the film seems to fall apart.
In Push, the Division is a government agency transforming citizens into an army of psychic warriors, with deadly results for those who refuse to participate. Nick Gant plays Chris Evans, a "mover" or telekinetic who has been hiding in Hong Kong since the Division murdered his father ten years ago. Dakota Fanning is Cassie Holmes, a 13-year-old "watcher" with the ability to see the future. She seeks Chris to help her find Kira—a "pusher" played by Camilla Belle—who holds the ability to influence others' actions by implanting ideas in their minds. Possessing the most dangerous of all psychic powers, she is instrumental in ending the Division's program. But Chris and Cassie must act quickly: Division agent Henry Carver, another pusher who is played by Djmon Hounsou, will stop at nothing to prevent them from finding Kira and ending the program.
When it comes to movies about covert government operations and mind control, films like The Manchurian Candidate are acclaimed not only for their convincing storyline but for their superior acting as well. This is not the case with Push. Crossing the lines from reality into science fiction, it's bound to attract more of a cult following rather than mainstream audiences. We were highly disappointed with the leading and supporting role and had hoped for more of Dakota Fanning's acting skills to shine through. While showcasing a few interesting skyline views of Hong Kong, it was not enough to sustain a two-hour movie that only left the viewer hungry for more.
Reviewed by Alain Gayot and Katrina Romero
From raucous parodies to classic offerings such as Some like it Hot and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, GAYOT's Top 10 Comedies are a must-watch.
Getting your energy fix doesn't have to mean sacrificing your health. Try the healthy alternatives on GAYOT's list of the Top 10 Energy Drinks.
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