Australia & the Pacific National Parks Tours & Packages Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"When I signed up for the Wonders of Costa Rica at a slower pace. The hotel listed in the itinerary for day 8&9 was a 4 star hotel on the beach called the Punta Leona. I'm not sure when but Road Scholar changed the Punta Leona hotel for the 3 star Villa Lapis Jungle hotel. I was shocked when we drove up to this dump. Others in the group wanted to leave and find another hotel. I had black bugs under that shower mat and the shower did not drain, Spiders on the wall and roaches coming out of the cracked in the bathroom. The bed was a thin mattress on a board and was hard as a rock. The food they put out was covered with a wrap but 15 minutes after the plastic wrap was removed it was covered with fruit flies. I passed on the open food bowls. The walls were real thin and the neighbors were real noisy until 11:30 pm. Others in the group complained about the late night noise, spiders and toilet seat being broken. I'm not sure where this place gets 3 stars. After I saw the roaches, I give it a 1 star. Road Scholar put us up in beautiful hotels and then they take us here. You can do better than this Road Scholar. The end the story, Road Scholar customer service called me about my concern and said they have never used the Punta Leona, (I sent her my itinerary that said PUNTA LEONA). She also said they haven't had any complaints about this Villa Lapis dump. After her call, I'm not sure if I'll ever travel with Road Scholar again. Enough said...."

What travelers are saying

"My daughter and I were repatriated because she contracted dengue fever. Though I do not hold Intro responsible for acts of nature, I do hold them responsible for the way they respond to acts of nature. Our 30-year-old guide could not handle an emergency and was busy with the other guests taking them on the prescheduled tours and taking care of his needs like going to the gym. My daughter had a fever on Saturday morning, which was reported to our Intro guide. We left Mexico on Monday and on Thursday the Mexico tour manager finally got back to me. It falls on Intro’s corporate policies and systems of support to help guests during emergencies. Their current systems at best are abysmal. Intro cannot expect a guide to deal with emergencies and manage the tour at the same time. They should have a support team for situations like this instead of leaving guests out to figure it out in a foreign country while the rest of the tour group is out having a fabulous time and the guide is unreachable my phone. I am in shock that Intro mishandled such a serious situation with 15 years in the business. The company dropped the ball multiple times but it is inexcusable to provide zero support during a medical emergency. I purchased the best insurance and I arranged and prodded and called and hussled to get my daughter care. In the meantime it was radio silence on Intro’s end. I had to pay over 1000$ usd out of pocket just to get basic care. I am appalled at the lack of care, compassion, and customer service. The only reason we stood a chance is because I made all the arrangements and I had excellent insurance. Intro endangers the lives of the people they are paid to serve through negligence and dereliction. My mistake after traveling to 28 countries on my own was thinking we would be safe with a tour company based in the U.K. and Australia. My daughter will be hospitalized for four days and three nights in the United States. She has had ongoing medical care because of the severity of the illness which Intro has minimized. There’s a reason why I took her out of Holbox immediately. The care she received in Mexico pales in comparison to what she is getting in the United States. During a tropical storm, Intro decided it was best to take us to an island that was on the coast, flooded, and remote. The conditions on the island were abysmal. Most of the island was in accessible by foot or vehicle because of severe flooding. Their drivers leave much to be desired in terms of safety. The accommodations are hit and miss as is the food offered. Some of the accommodations were great. Some of the accommodations were subpar. I brought my concerns to the guide multiple times only to be told that I needed to have requested an upgrade."

What travelers are saying

"My daughter and I were repatriated because she contracted dengue fever. Though I do not hold Intro responsible for acts of nature, I do hold them responsible for the way they respond to acts of nature. Our 30-year-old guide could not handle an emergency and was busy with the other guests taking them on the prescheduled tours and taking care of his needs like going to the gym. My daughter had a fever on Saturday morning, which was reported to our Intro guide. We left Mexico on Monday and on Thursday the Mexico tour manager finally got back to me. It falls on Intro’s corporate policies and systems of support to help guests during emergencies. Their current systems at best are abysmal. Intro cannot expect a guide to deal with emergencies and manage the tour at the same time. They should have a support team for situations like this instead of leaving guests out to figure it out in a foreign country while the rest of the tour group is out having a fabulous time and the guide is unreachable my phone. I am in shock that Intro mishandled such a serious situation with 15 years in the business. The company dropped the ball multiple times but it is inexcusable to provide zero support during a medical emergency. I purchased the best insurance and I arranged and prodded and called and hussled to get my daughter care. In the meantime it was radio silence on Intro’s end. I had to pay over 1000$ usd out of pocket just to get basic care. I am appalled at the lack of care, compassion, and customer service. The only reason we stood a chance is because I made all the arrangements and I had excellent insurance. Intro endangers the lives of the people they are paid to serve through negligence and dereliction. My mistake after traveling to 28 countries on my own was thinking we would be safe with a tour company based in the U.K. and Australia. My daughter will be hospitalized for four days and three nights in the United States. She has had ongoing medical care because of the severity of the illness which Intro has minimized. There’s a reason why I took her out of Holbox immediately. The care she received in Mexico pales in comparison to what she is getting in the United States. During a tropical storm, Intro decided it was best to take us to an island that was on the coast, flooded, and remote. The conditions on the island were abysmal. Most of the island was in accessible by foot or vehicle because of severe flooding. Their drivers leave much to be desired in terms of safety. The accommodations are hit and miss as is the food offered. Some of the accommodations were great. Some of the accommodations were subpar. I brought my concerns to the guide multiple times only to be told that I needed to have requested an upgrade."

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

"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

"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

"I recently took a trip to Kenya and I cannot imagine any other tour operator doing a better job. Let's start at the beginning. My flight from the US landed first in London and then a second flight was to have gone to Kenya. The airline nightmare began with AA being two hours late causing me to miss my next flight on British Air. BA had given my flight away before I got off the plan and had no acceptable replacement. I spent three days and nights at Heathrow airport forcing me to miss those days of my tour. I stood in lines hours long at the airport and my second replacement flight never left the ground after being held hostage in the plane for hours. I was ready to go home. My phone would not work much of the time in the airport, but I was finally able to contact Best Singles Travel. They figured out a way to arrange for a driver to meet me at the Nairobi airport three days after my trip began and take me to Samburu, a five hour drive where the group was then located. If it had not been for this effort in figuring out a way for me to meet my group then this trip would have been lost for me. And what a shame that would have been because once I finally arrived it was magical. I saw every animal as well as much of the countryside driving all over even with missing three days. The lodges were picturesque with monkeys playing on expansive grounds, wild birds and animals, beautiful colored geckos, mountains and streams in the background where the sun met a landscape expanding as far as the eye could see producing sunsets like those seen in National Geographics. Oh, did I mention the food? No US chemicals. Just organically grown and delicious. If anyone reading this decides to travel to Kenya then I hope you stop to see David Sheldrick's rescued baby elephants. I am grateful that Best Singles Travel and Patrick, our knowledgeable considerate tour guide, took the time, effort and resources to make the remainder of this trip happen for me because now I cannot imagine having missed it. This trip was organized, included lovely memorable hotels/lodges and attentive to our needs."

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!"