India Nature & Wildlife Tours & Trips

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

"My feedback on ATJ is based on a requested quote for a trip to a well-known destination in the Himalayas. As any prudent traveler will do before booking any overseas tours, I "do my homework" and "ask lots of questions" before booking a trip. Especially when there are many options and different price points involved. In this specific case, I called to inquire about a typical 8-10 day tour, and was sent a copy of a proposal from a previous client as a sample tour. As a seasoned traveler, I did some simple online research on the 5 star luxury hotels included on that tour, and after removing those costs from the quote, I quickly realized I could not justify the daily per diems being charged for just the driver, guide, meals, Government fees, and other in-country expenses. After an initial exchange of emails, I was told that future ‘revisions’ to the tour proposal would require a NON-REFUNDABLE deposit of $1,000 before proceeding further. Moreover, they requested this NON-REFUNDABLE deposit of $1,000 without committing to a fixed final price for the tour, even though the tour was only 13 months away. This meant the I as the customer, was totally exposed and at the mercy of any arbitrary price hikes the agency might choose to unilaterally impose at their will. I declined and respectfully asked for a tour proposal with the lower daily per diems they had advertised in an email to me as their ‘starting quote’. They chose not to provide that. Realizing that this company was not meeting my expectations, I booked a tour to this country with another reputable company that: (1) Didn't ask for any non-refundable deposit during initial discussions of the tour - much less a $1,000 deposit (2) Didn't leave the final price of the tour as 'open-ended' - subject to unexpected increases at the discretion of the travel agency, and… (3) Didn't have what I considered as excessive daily per-diems for all non hotel-related expenses (i.e driver, guide, meals, Government fees, and incidental in-country expenses). While I cannot comment on the company as a whole, my feedback does reflect my experience in the one and only interaction with this agency. Although I was willing to pay top dollar for a luxury experience, the daily per-diems I was quoted simply did not match the value I felt I would be receiving. Others can judge and decide for themselves if these daily per-diems and strict business practices are consistent with industry standards, and whether this is a good 'fit' for their own travel needs. I would only suggest you do your homework and compare with other reputable agencies before booking your tour."

What travelers are saying

"The trip to the Caucasus was both illuminating and fun. It was particularly interesting to visit all three countries, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, to try to understand the area and the problems they face from each country's very different perspective. The scenery in the whole area is breathtaking. The tour introduced us to many local people who were all very hospitable and generous. They welcomed us warmly and joined in our enjoyment of "having a go" at various crafts, e.g. bread making, felt-making, learning a bit of Georgian script, etc. In each of the three countries, religion is fundamental to their lives and visits to mosques, temples, churches, monasteries and cathedrals were a large feature in the tour. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone who likes an activity-packed holiday in places that are off the beaten track."

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!"

What travelers are saying

"We were very excited about our upcoming trip to Egypt with Encounters Travel; it exceeded our expectations in every way. Islam was an outstanding guide who took excellent care of us. Our hotels, the food, the itinerary were all exceptional. Highly recommend this tour."

What travelers are saying

"BUYER BEWARE!!! This company has a policy that if THEY cancel your trip…THEY get to keep your money and you get a credit the company. They cancelled my first trip..found out the hard way about their policy. Booked a trip…then had left over money so booked another…which they cancelled…again. Surprisingly…this time they offered a refund, but only gave me back the money I had put down…not what was left of “my credit”. So now I am forced to do business with a company I no longer wish to, that picks and chooses when to follow their own policy!! There are plenty of other travel agencies with similar tours…don’t give these guys your hard earned money for them to keep."

What travelers are saying

"It is a difficult job to make everybody happy all of the time, but you ladies do a superb job. We were definitely off the beaten path, and when following that path there are sometimes unexpected surprises, but every bump was handled beautifully."