Middle East Culture Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"Despite the rain, the private and guided Istanbul food tour was terrific, engaging and delicious. The best part of the tour was our guide Furkan, who was so knowledgeable, about food and history and just a nice guy who was fun to be with. It felt like spending a day with a good friend showing us around Istanbul. All the places he took us were great, and the food was the top quality. We sampled cheese, clotted cream, menemen, Turkish pepperoni, kokorec, stuffed mussels, and a huge variety of authentic Turkish cuisines and kunefe dessert. The tour was my highlight of 10 days trip in Turkey. I highly recommend booking this tour early in your stay so you can use your knowledge for the time you are in Istanbul."

What travelers are saying

"Wonderful, we really liked it."

What travelers are saying

"Wonderful, we really liked it."

What travelers are saying

"Despite the rain, the private and guided Istanbul food tour was terrific, engaging and delicious. The best part of the tour was our guide Furkan, who was so knowledgeable, about food and history and just a nice guy who was fun to be with. It felt like spending a day with a good friend showing us around Istanbul. All the places he took us were great, and the food was the top quality. We sampled cheese, clotted cream, menemen, Turkish pepperoni, kokorec, stuffed mussels, and a huge variety of authentic Turkish cuisines and kunefe dessert. The tour was my highlight of 10 days trip in Turkey. I highly recommend booking this tour early in your stay so you can use your knowledge for the time you are in Istanbul."

What travelers are saying

"Our experience with Kensington Tours, specifically Lily Baffour was amazing. The planning of the trip was impeccable, she recommended a good time frame to travel, put together an unforgettable itinerary, was extremely timely in answering all of our questions. The hotels, transportation, private tour guide, and lunch were all included the price. We stayed at the Kempinski Hotel which far exceed our expectations. Our tour guide Pius was exceptional, he was VERY knowledgeable about the Ghanaian history and culture due to him the tours were life changing. We went on this trip with lifelong friends and were so glad that we shared this trip of a lifetime with them. We will definitely use Lily and Kensington Tours for future travels."

What travelers are saying

"Our experience with Kensington Tours, specifically Lily Baffour was amazing. The planning of the trip was impeccable, she recommended a good time frame to travel, put together an unforgettable itinerary, was extremely timely in answering all of our questions. The hotels, transportation, private tour guide, and lunch were all included the price. We stayed at the Kempinski Hotel which far exceed our expectations. Our tour guide Pius was exceptional, he was VERY knowledgeable about the Ghanaian history and culture due to him the tours were life changing. We went on this trip with lifelong friends and were so glad that we shared this trip of a lifetime with them. We will definitely use Lily and Kensington Tours for future travels."

What travelers are saying

"We particularly wanted to do this trip because of the abundance of wildlife we expected to encounter and selected this ship because they offered the kayaking experience. Overall, the weather was very good. Most people seemed like minded and were there for the adventurous experience. Accommodations Review They upgraded our cabin and we were very pleased with the amount of space and the amenities in the room. We appreciated the twin windows and being able to see humpbacks diving from our cabin. It was kept very clean and it was a treat to have our bed turned down with chocolates on the pillow each night. Meals Review We liked the variety and the quality of the food. There was always something new to try. The dining room staff was very professional and personable. Crew & Guides Review Solon was our Principal Trip Leader. He was incredibly professional and it seemed like he was constantly working to maximize the encounters with wildlife and scenery, taking advantage of all the weather opportunities and going to places that they don't often go. He worked very closely with the captain who was very accommodating and caring about us having a memorable voyage. Aymie and Andrew were our kayak guides. We went out to kayak 10 different times and were able to get to know both of them well. They worked hard to keep us safe and well informed. They made sure that we didn't miss out on any land excursions. We've had quite a few kayak guides over the years that we've paddled and we loved these two. Marla was the marine biologist aboard the ship. She was very enthusiastic and had a passion for marine mammals that was infectious. We loved listening to her presentations and looked forward to hearing her voice on the PA saying that there was another whale sighting. Colin, the geologist aboard the ship, was very knowledgeable and able to make difficult subjects understandable to the passengers. Itinerary Review The trip far, far, far, far, far, far exceeded our expectations. I had one "far" in the sentence when we left South Georgia Island after seeing 250,000 King Penguins at St. Andrews Point and added the second when we saw blue whales on two different days. The third "far" was added when we saw hundreds of whales for 6 hours along the iceberg, A68a. I added another "far" when we kayaked for over an hour with humpbacks all around and another "far" when minke whales were all around the kayaks the next day. The last "far" was added the day we didn't paddle since a leopard seal was all around the kayaks and then an orca came close. We had so many incredible experiences that we could never experience all of them in the same trip again. The guides told us that the close encounters that we had didn't happen very often and that we were very lucky that they all happened on our trip. The only thing that we didn't like was portions of the Drake Passage when it was a tad rough, but that experience gives us something to talk about. Transportation Review We made our transportation arrangements through another travel agency. Traveler Advice Make sure that you take sea sickness meds. Take advantage of every opportunity to see wildlife."

What travelers are saying

"Until Covid clears, I would steer clear of Backroads. We were partially through their June 2020 Costa Rica tour when a guest tested Covid positive. She and her husband were isolated. The rest of the group were offered wimpy masks. Nobody was offered Covid testing daily and masks were not required of the guests or staff. The guides kept repeating "not in the CDC guidelines." Our group of six decided that the Backroads response was inadequate so returned home mid-excursion. The hotel and food was excellent, but the provided bikes were inadequate. The front derailleurs were poorly adjusted, and most of the riders had the chains come off during the first ride. Hikes or bike rides were conducted in downpours. Disappointed for charging such a premium price."