Asia Luxury River Cruise Cruises & Packages Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times. They are the best! You become family. I can’t wait to sail with them again!"

What travelers are saying

"I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times. They are the best! You become family. I can’t wait to sail with them again!"

What travelers are saying

"Horrific experience. What was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime for my Mom and I two years ago turned into a nightmare. We saved up for years for this trip. It was $16K for both of us (just for the tour) - this is ridiculously expensive. I thought it would be a quality tour with great transport. Nope. We travelled (outside of the trains) by public transport the vast majority of the time. They only paid for one taxi when it was raining to get from the hotel in Kyoto to the train station. I’ve been on 10+ tours around the world and not having planned transport was a shock. The worst part is - my Mom got sick and tested positive for Covid in the night before the official tour began. We texted our tour guide and she told us she “didn’t know what the tour company’s policy was because Covid guidelines kept changing in Japan.” This despite Inside Japan’s website stating that they had a clear COVID policy. The worst part was that she told us to make sure that we didn’t tell any hotel staff that my Mom had COVID, because they could “kick us out.” !!! When I asked where we would go, she mentioned something about the government having quarantine facilities but she didn’t know. We were freaking out at this point and were also told that we had to change rooms the following day because we weren’t scheduled to stay in that room (since we were supposed to have been setting off on the tour.) My Mom, who was quite ill and feverish at this point, was told that we would have to sit in the tiny lobby (where the only seating was an uncushioned, backless wooden bench) from 9:00-3:00 because they could not get us a late checkout/early checkin for our replacement room. I called the US phone numbers for the tour company for hours begging to have them get us late checkout. They “would look into it” and get back to us. By this time it was about 3am so, desperate, I called the so-called “emergency” line for Inside Japan listed in our tour notes. Well, the automated message that I received was in Japanese with no option to listen in English of to leave a message. Long story short. I don’t fault the company for not allowing to continue on the tour because my Mom had Covid; I fault them (and am still EXTREMELY angry two years later) for abandoning us with no information or solutions. It was, quite honestly, traumatic. We finally met up with the tour group for the last two days (on our own dime) and the found out that the tour was not what anyone expected. The other guests in the tour were disappointed in the hotels (we were supposed to stay in a hotel with our own private onsens; this did not happen); the lack of proper transportation, and the “gruelling” pace of the tour and walking expectations. One woman said they had tracked at least 25K on foot each day. This on a tour that was quoted to me as “the tour with the least amount of walking - very minimal” by the salesperson at the company. I had specifically inquired about this because my Mom has trouble walking. I was reassured (incorrectly) that she would be absolutely fine; when in reality, if she had been well enough to go on the full tour, there’s no way she would have been able to handle the level of walking. In short, this company is only out for a money grab and does not care about their guests. It was insanely overpriced and a complete letdown in all aspects. Never, never book a tour with this company."

What travelers are saying

"Wilderness Travel is the BEST company to choose for the Galapagos Islands! We went as a family of 7 and every expectation was blown out of the water. Their team in the office quickly and thoroughly answered all our questions leading up to the trip (and we had a lot), and once we arrived we felt like we had the islands entirely to ourselves! Obviously, the animals were incredible (I was able to see everything on my "wishlist"), but the trip leader is really who made this a once in a lifetime trip. Fernando was kind, patient, funny, and an encyclopedia of knowledge (of course I've forgotten 90% of what I learned already!) He would give short "presentations" at the end of most days explaining the history of the islands, the geology, evolution, Darwin, and how modern politics affect tourism (for better and worse), which added a whole other dimension to our experience.. The boat crew was also magical. We were welcomed with tea and hot snacks immediately after returning from snorkeling excursions, fresh juice and fruit after walks in the sun, and feasts every night with a shocking amount of variety in meals. We were also traveling with a young child and the staff was extremely helpful (even offered babysitting during dinner) in making our trip as easy as possible. We were on the boat "the Passion" and there was a wonderful outdoor dining table that we ate at almost every meal, giving us nearly 360-degree views of the islands as we sailed to the next destination. It's one of the nicest yachts I've been on -- multiple different areas to lounge, a big screen TV/movie area, spacious bedrooms, and there was even a HOT TUB on the top floor! We would go back again in a heartbeat!"

What travelers are saying

"Delighted by the experience."

What travelers are saying

"Delighted by the experience."