Namibia Luxury Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"This was out first trip with KE and part of a longer stay in China. We had a fantastic time and the trek was the highlight of our extended holiday. The scenery was stunning and enhanced by the heavy snow fall we got at second camp. Whilst unexpected, the tour leader was able to modify our schedule and we completed the trek by staying at the second base camp for an extra night. We had active and passive acclimatisation and didn’t suffer from any altitude sickness. The days were relatively short in terms of walking but that was good as it left time to adjust the schedule when the unexpected happened. Whilst walking poles are listed as recommended, we think they were essential. Also make sure you have a good quality thermal sleeping mat as it is cold at night. The only negative is the use of single use plastic which is common throughout China. In summary a fantastic adventure and the panda bears are very cute too!"

What travelers are saying

"First, let me say our tour guide Tomomi S. is hands down THE best tour guide I’ve ever had - knowledgeable, fun and made great efforts to ensure that we were comfortable and happy (MTSobek tour guides are independent contractors. Tomomi also works for other Adventure/Tour companies) Secondly, Japan is beautiful, clean and the Japanese people are very welcoming. The hiking in the national parks was amazing. It could have been a truly five-star experience if MtSobek had not cut corners so egregiously. The website said (at the time) group tours are 5-22 people. The tour gets canceled if the minimum is not met. When I paid there were TWO other people booked-a mother and daughter duo. Shortly before our departure date I called to see if the tour would be cancelled. I wanted my money back but Mt Sobek was “pleased to say that the trip would not be canceled”. In other words, I could not get a refund. At the last minute a guy named Matt signed up so there were four of us. Five days into the trip Matt left and took a train back to Tokyo. I said to him “You realize Mt Sobek is not going to refund you”. He said, “I don’t care, Mt Sobek scammed us.” With tax, the tour costs $11,645 for 13 nights. For that price there is an expectation that the accommodations Mt Sobek chooses would be decent and clean. We all fully expected a ‘traditional Japanese experience’ which often means no private bath and 8 out of the 13 nights we slept on futon mats on the floor. However, Mt Sobek consistently booked us in the cheapest Ryokans (hotels) in each area in which we travelled. Most of these hotels were unclean and very out-dated. One Ryokan they booked us in was listed on a hotel website for $40 USD/night when there were much nicer accommodations nearby for $100 USD/night. (The Japanese yen is way down, the luxury Park Hotel in Tokyo was $200 USD/night. A comparable hotel would have been about $800/night in Austin.). We were the only people staying in several hotels that accomadated many more people. The most egregious example of MtSobek’s booking the cheapest rooms is when we were booked at a large traditional ski lodge at the base of a spectacular mountain. It was beautiful on the website but had two very different wings. One wing was modern, clean and beautiful with simple beds. The other wing was very old (similar to a cheap Motel 6 that had not been updated since the 1970’s). The carpet and bathrooms were disgusting and like many of the Ryocans where we stayed the futon mats seemed as though they had not been cleaned In 30 years. Only after our tour guide checked us in did we realize we had been booked in the cheap rooms. I asked Tomo why. Immediately someone from MtSobek reached out to me and said, “gosh, I’m sorry you did not realize you were going to have a traditional Japanese experience”. Really? “Traditional” experience depends upon one’s budget. In the US, “traditional” to some people may be the Marriott, a Motel 6 or the Four Seasons Hotels. We were paying for a Marriott experience and received the one-star Motel 6 experience. Upon arrival in Tokyo I expected to be met at the airport by a driver (as many tour companies do). However, several days before our arrival dates in Tokyo, MtSobek sent an email telling us how to locate taking a city bus from the bustling Tokyo airport. That is interesting if you do not speak Japanese. MtSobek cleverly uses great photography and elaborate descriptions of the national parks and the hiking while using terms like “traditional Japanese experience with tatami-mat sleeping” to disguise sub-standard accommodations. At one point we were looking on-line at the very hotel where we were staying and did not even recognize it from the website pictures. The hiking was amazing. The group size was disappointing with just the three of us. I would absolutely recommend a hiking tour through Japan, just not with MtSobek."

What travelers are saying

"Just returned from India & Shimla solo travellers trip. A fantastic time was had by all, we did so much in 2 weeks. Thank you to Riviera for your great organisation and always there to help if needed. Special thanks to Matt our tour guide for all the laughs, information on the places we were seeing, keeping us all in check (if he could ha ha) and his great organisation and compasion if needed. I would greatly recommend Rivera Travel and cannot wait for my next trip with them in September to the Kerala Backwaters. Keep up the good work all."

What travelers are saying

"Wonderful and flexible service throughout the whole planning process. Gave great recommendations as well as insights. Go2Africa definitely goes the extra mile to satisfy our needs. Thank you Maureen :)"

What travelers are saying

"This we hoped would be the holiday of a lifetime for myself and my family and we chose Ker & Downey Africa to organize it for us, we were not disappointed. They listened to what we wanted and came up with an itinerary which proved to be perfect, something for everyone young and not so young. Communications were excellent, when a problem arose they dealt with it quickly leaving us very happy with the proposed solution. This was not a budget holiday but we were happy that it was good value for money, we got what we paid for. From the time we landed on African soil we felt that Ker & Downey were looking after us, they were there for us all the way not for one moment did we have to worry, stress free we asked for and that is exactly what we got. The lodges they chose for us were perfect, we could not have asked for more, the memories we brought home are priceless. Thank you Ker & Downey Africa for organizing our dream trip."

What travelers are saying

"Travelling in a really complicated moment, Jumbari always beside us. All was perfect and clear, before and during the trip, no problem during the safari. The team on the place also great and Botswana is a natural paradise"

What travelers are saying

"Excellent service from start to finish. Probably the most memorable trip I've ever been on and can't fault Wayfairer or the ground handlers in Vietnam."

What travelers are saying

"In planning for a safari trip, we learned of Adventure to Africa at a travel show in NYC. We knew the countries we wanted to visit and discussed the trip with several travel companies, large and small. Adventure to Africa listened to our objectives and budget and made proposal to meet them. Others gave us off the shelf options. Adventure to Africa recommended breaking up the safari camps with visits to Cape Town and Johannesburg in a way that made the trip much more enjoyable than we first intended. The Safari camps spanned a variety of ecological areas and a variety of bush camp operators. All of the activities suggested were ideal and reservations accurate and timely. This is the first time in our travels an adviser checked up during the trip to assure everything met our expectations, much less twice. We found the recommendations made were helpful and exhibited broad and deep experience. Restaurants suggested ran the gamut from fine dining to exotic to an excellent, if humble, fish house on a pier outside of Cape Town. The Cape wine tour was excellent and customized to our needs. We will recommend Adventure to Africa to anyone planning a trip to Africa."