Middle East Culture Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

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

"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

"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

"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

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

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."