Japan Uncovered
Tour was very well organised and the guide was very experienced and knowledgeable. A good mix of the main tourist sites in the big cities and some smaller cities and towns that were less crowded. Sometimes long days starting early but I didn't mind that because it ensured we got to see more places. Some things could be improved - the quality of the hotels varied, although all were OK and no specific issues with any. The food was generally good but the Japanese food could have been more varied and showcased more of the amazing food available in Japan - many days had very similar bento box style meals.
Dec 04, 2024
Kruger to Cape Explored
This holiday was a great introduction to South Africa. It combined beautiful scenery with wildlife and insight into the history of the country. We travelled right down to the Cape of Good Hope. The Wendy Wu guides were excellent and made the experience better.
Dec 04, 2024
Grand Tour of Indochina
In the main everything was very good and well organised. All the guides were excellent very knowledgable and spoke good English so easy to understand.
The majority of the hotels were of a good standard apart from one.
The hotel we stayed in the last night in Vientiane Laos was very poor. Terrible location in fact I would not walk out. Facilities non existent the bar was on very darkly lit street and comprised of a table on a pavement with 5 chairs. Rooms not much better I would say 2* rating.
The buses and drivers all excellent.
Restaurants all very good and excellent food.
The only criticism from our point of view we did not have any free time to explore
The places we stayed. It would have been good to have at least a full 1/2 day
Free time in the main cities such as HANOI.
Overall it was an excellent trip and we saw amazing places which we would not have done if we had tried to do this independently.
Dec 04, 2024
Japan by Rail
Excellent tour by train but non-stop. The hotels were of a high standard as it would appear they catered for the business people sector. The guide was very knowledgeable and very caring. My main criticism is that we were too far from the centre of town on many occasions and the hotels didn’t have a bar or social area where the group could meet and relax after a full on day. I am aware that Japan doesn’t have a drinking culture but there wasn’t even a coffee shop in the hotels where we could meet up. Our group was from three different countries and got on very well. I believe the tour could have stopped in Tokyo with some trips out so that we could have immersed ourselves in the art galleries and museums and the funky eating places at night, plus some serious shopping. The last few days travel didn’t enhance the tour but made it exhausting for limited sightseeing. We had to live with belongings for three days and nights whilst our main luggage was taken separately ahead, with no toiletries allowed in this main baggage. We were extremely disappointed with the last meal in the Brewery in Soppora. It was smokey, loud and the average age of the group hadn’t been considered for its appropriateness as a venue and didn’t offer us the opportunity to relax together as a group to say our farewells.
The trip ran like clockwork, stepping off one train and walking seven steps across the platform to catch the connecting one.
The trip could have been cheaper if we had finished our tour in Tokyo as we wouldn’t have had to fly from Soppora to Tokyo to get back to the UK.
All in all I enjoyed this tour very much but the points I have made could have turned a good trip into an outstanding one.
Dec 04, 2024
Thailand Highlights
Thailand the country, the people, the sites were all lovely We visited temples, palaces, elephants, tea plantations, hill tribes, floating markets, museums and the Burma Railway memorials. We had four river trips in different type of boats and traveled as a small group in a coach then later five in individual very comfortable minibuses with our own drivers. Every hotel we stayed in offered a different experience , but we always had large, comfortable and clean accommodation with excellent and breakfasts service. We had opted to spend 5 days in Cambodia, in the two Major locations where we had our own guides and drivers , two more river trips and, as elsewhere well organised air transfers. Every one looking after us was kind and helpful, Natalie even arranged for me to visit a war grave of a villager who was a POW and was buried a few miles from the war grave cemetery on the itinerary while the rest of the group was in the museum.
We wanted to explore two new countries and for us it was an amazing experience.
Dec 04, 2024
Discover Japan
A memorable holiday that delivered what it promised. Having an excellent guide made all the difference. Great organisation throughout the tour.
Dec 04, 2024
Scenic South Korea
The holiday certainly covered many scenic sites in
South Korea and was very busy, we had an excellent guide who worked very hard to ensure we got the most out of the holiday. It helped having all the meals provided which meant no hunting for lunch etc options. Some days were very hectic interspersed with half days travelling to meet our next destination. I have no complaints at all but please be aware ware this is a full on holiday which I enjoyed immensely. Looking back I would like to have had time for a hanbok experience, but we had time pressures to get to the next site. The guide gave us a comprehensive and knowledgeable history of South Korea, both past and more recent, she was exemplary and hard working.
Dec 04, 2024
Booking Experience for Secrets of Saudi Arabia
Matt was very helpful. Answered all my questions arranged for a pre tour and adjusted flights to give best options.
Dec 04, 2024
Grand Tour of Indochina
A busy 28 days visiting all the main sights in these three countries, there were so many highlights. The comprehensive itinerary was carefully planned to give a good mixture of culture, history and landscape with some relaxation time. Nearly all the excursions were included and so were the meals which meant that no time was wasted wondering where to eat. The National ****** for each country was very knowledgeable and described personal experiences from their country’s past which added to our understanding. If you have time for a 28 day trip then this is the one to choose.
Dec 03, 2024
Angkor to the Bay
An amazing, once in a lifetime trip., extremely well planned to include the maximum experience of Cambodia and Vietnam.
However as an 80 year old I found it very tiring, not enough time to relax between trips. Far too much time and emphasis on food. Every evening and lunchtime we were taken by bus to a different venue and a huge meal, including two really second rate Italian restaurants. Apart from that the food was good, just too much, why did we need two huge meals everyday, it would have been more beneficial to have time to relax and eat in our hotel - even unwind around the swimming pool.
Dec 02, 2024