Africa Budget Nature Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"A trip to Israel last year got canceled because of the war and never got my money back. Tried to schedule another trip to Greece this time, and nobody has returned my calls and text messages in the last 10 months. My next step will be to go through the Business Bureau"

What travelers are saying

"This company is unbelievable. Firstly I get a cancellation of the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica trip. The compensation in comparison to a like for like trip was peanuts and the increase was 1000s more! Then I read numerous customers are getting switched onto trips without paying the difference. I ring them again and they promise to swop me for no extra charge. This was agreed with their team leader. I waited until getting a cabin on Fram without getting too excited but sure enough we were swopped and I was so excited and looking forward to the trip of a lifetime. Yesterday I got a devastating email saying ‘i am reaching out to you since regardless of his statement that we will be able to price match you, this request was denied by our Revenue department and we are not able to honour the price match.’ After speaking to this new team leader she had very little to say, no excuse or justification just she was sorry. There is no way we can afford the 1000s extra they are asking for the same trip. We are now left heartbroken for a second time. This company has no care or consideration for its customers and I for one will not use them again and I will tell anyone who will listen how shocking they are!"

What travelers are saying

"Italian dream or a nightmare? I had the misfortune of booking a trip to Italy, THE ITALIAN DREAM, package, with my wife through wingbuddy for June 6, 2004. After the first flight from Edmonton to Toronto went very well, when I was preparing to make my flight from Toronto to Rome, the airline informed me that I could not make the flight to Italy because my passport did not meet the necessary requirements. The Transat airline told me to contact Wingbuddy to re-book my trip when my passport met the requirements, which I did immediately using Wingbuddy's emergency email. I received the reply that they were very sorry but that I had to be patient because they would never re-book my trip or pay credits, and they canceled my trip to Italy on the first day, which for Wingbuddy means that the process ended there and the services ceased to exist. I couldn't come to terms with the idea of losing a $7,000 trip, because most of the services were not provided by wingbuddy, such as the hotels in Italy, the bus trips, the meals, the visits to the museums, and even the return trip to Canada which, from Rome, was scheduled for eight days after they canceled my trip without informing me. Despite the fact that wingbuddy and its partners never did most of the services, I was left without seven thousand dollars, which I had saved with a lot of effort over two years. This, was money that immorally ended up in the hands of people who only see the profit in front of them without caring how it is acquired. Wingbuddy never proves that it pays for its services in Italy because it doesn't even know which hotels its clients are staying in. I was out seven thousand dollars, but from what I've read in some reviews of other customers, I'm unfortunately not the only one in this situation. There are lots of concerns all over. I just wonder how long our government will allow wingbuddy to continue having these non clear procedures about payments for services it never provided to its customers because it doesn't even have proof of such. I will never recommend Wingbuddy, because it's an agency that specializes in selling products and then never takes any responsibility for what it sells. Wingbuddy's responsibility ends at the moment you pay them, a way before you take your flight. Finally, I want to say to Wingbuddy that I don't need your whining as an answer, or that you weren't to blame for anything that happened, or that you paid for the services in Italy, because that Wingbuddy will never prove for the simple reason that in my case it never was paid. If wingbuddy paid, use this space to prove that the hotel rooms in Italy were booked in my and my wife's name, and that Transat did not use our return seats to Canada to sell to other customers. Clarity of procedures should also be one of your priorities, so that you become a credible company that your customers can trust and feel proud of. Until you do, you don't deserve the slightest trust from potential customers. I think the best and safe way to visit Italy is to book our own flights and contact a local agency in Italy to do the same tour. As far as I know, it will be cheaper and safer. Eduardo Mesquita"

What travelers are saying

"Italian dream or a nightmare? I had the misfortune of booking a trip to Italy, THE ITALIAN DREAM, package, with my wife through wingbuddy for June 6, 2004. After the first flight from Edmonton to Toronto went very well, when I was preparing to make my flight from Toronto to Rome, the airline informed me that I could not make the flight to Italy because my passport did not meet the necessary requirements. The Transat airline told me to contact Wingbuddy to re-book my trip when my passport met the requirements, which I did immediately using Wingbuddy's emergency email. I received the reply that they were very sorry but that I had to be patient because they would never re-book my trip or pay credits, and they canceled my trip to Italy on the first day, which for Wingbuddy means that the process ended there and the services ceased to exist. I couldn't come to terms with the idea of losing a $7,000 trip, because most of the services were not provided by wingbuddy, such as the hotels in Italy, the bus trips, the meals, the visits to the museums, and even the return trip to Canada which, from Rome, was scheduled for eight days after they canceled my trip without informing me. Despite the fact that wingbuddy and its partners never did most of the services, I was left without seven thousand dollars, which I had saved with a lot of effort over two years. This, was money that immorally ended up in the hands of people who only see the profit in front of them without caring how it is acquired. Wingbuddy never proves that it pays for its services in Italy because it doesn't even know which hotels its clients are staying in. I was out seven thousand dollars, but from what I've read in some reviews of other customers, I'm unfortunately not the only one in this situation. There are lots of concerns all over. I just wonder how long our government will allow wingbuddy to continue having these non clear procedures about payments for services it never provided to its customers because it doesn't even have proof of such. I will never recommend Wingbuddy, because it's an agency that specializes in selling products and then never takes any responsibility for what it sells. Wingbuddy's responsibility ends at the moment you pay them, a way before you take your flight. Finally, I want to say to Wingbuddy that I don't need your whining as an answer, or that you weren't to blame for anything that happened, or that you paid for the services in Italy, because that Wingbuddy will never prove for the simple reason that in my case it never was paid. If wingbuddy paid, use this space to prove that the hotel rooms in Italy were booked in my and my wife's name, and that Transat did not use our return seats to Canada to sell to other customers. Clarity of procedures should also be one of your priorities, so that you become a credible company that your customers can trust and feel proud of. Until you do, you don't deserve the slightest trust from potential customers. I think the best and safe way to visit Italy is to book our own flights and contact a local agency in Italy to do the same tour. As far as I know, it will be cheaper and safer. Eduardo Mesquita"

What travelers are saying

"Our 8th OU tour was to Switzerland. We visited many sites in Switzerland, Austria and also a quick stop in Germany. O.U. takes all the stress away by using outstanding Tour Directors who handle everything. Our T. D. Kiara was fantastic! She worked flawlessly throughout the tour, even when we were stuck in Zermatt after a flood. I highly recommend O.U."

What travelers are saying

"SWITZERLAND-ON-FOOT Tour Start Date: 06 SEP 24 The tour was a hike and rail tour through much of Switzerland. There were about 15 people in our group and we had a veteran guide from Costa Rica. The weather wasn’t always favorable, but the guide and group were flexible enough to try and work around it, and when that failed, laughed and enjoy what we were dealt. Overall, it was a pleasant two weeks. The very disappointing part was the Adventures Abroad office’s lack of organizational support. I had booked a hotel room with Adventures Abroad for two extra nights before the tour and had paid my invoice in full almost four months before the tour began. I was shocked to receive an additional invoice for the two extra nights less than 2 weeks before the trip began because “the hotel costs for Zurich have increased quite a bit.” Even though I paid my full invoice in May, the hotel wasn’t booked until weeks before my scheduled arrival When I questioned this, the office responded, “The hotel room was an oversight that should have been caught but was not.” They were admitting that it was their mistake but were not accepting the extra cost. Of course, at this late date, I had no other choice but to pay the additional $184. Adding to this incompetence, I had been told that the Swiss Rail Pass that was part of the tour, would be sent to me 30 days in advance. I was considering a possible pre-trip excursion and taking full advantage of the rail pass. When it was about 20 days before the trip, I asked about the rail pass and received this curious response, “In the past we have had them ready 30 days prior, but due to travellers requesting early passes or extended passes, we have changed this to 2 weeks prior.” I was never informed of any change. In the end, the Swiss Rail Pass didn’t show up in my email until about ten days before the tour began and only five days before I departed from the States. Any additional benefit for the rail pass was lost. As bad as that was, there were some in the group who arrived in Switzerland and didn’t receive the rail pass until after they got to Zurich. One reason to take an organized tour is for the organization and confidence of having a professional watching out for all of the various parts of the journey. Adventure Abroad failed miserably. Adventures Abroad has a large portfolio of trips, but sadly, they seem to be unable to competently manage all of them. I’ve learned my lesson and will avoid any Adventures Abroad trip again."

What travelers are saying

"A great emotion, the one I experienced on June 15th at 6:12 in the morning, when I reached Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Five days of ascent, to reach those 5895m, done every now and then with the doubt of not being able to make it, of being overcome by altitude sickness. But, pole pole (slowly in Swahili) we arrived to enjoy the dawn of a new day and, why not, of a new me. All of this would not have been possible without the fantastic Eco Africa Climbing Team. A group of guys who made us feel part of a family from day one, people always available to help with any difficulty or need. Throughout the trek they spoiled us with abundant and always different meals, which was certainly not easy for them from a logistical point of view. Every time we reached the camp they were ready to wait for us with hot tea and the tent ready, even when the weather conditions were not the most favourable. They always supported us morally with songs and dances and this too certainly helped us achieve our goal. Each of them deserves a big THANK YOU, with the hope of being able to meet them again in the future for a new adventure. Thanks also go to Fredrick for all the availability shown in supporting us with the transfers and for having changed the Safari program at the last moment to allow us to take our return flight, without giving up anything of our adventure."

What travelers are saying

"Excellent tour guide & great choice of locations. Staff in head office - particularly "Lucky" who went the extra mile to assist when we need it."