South America Swimming Trips & Packages Small Group 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

"I had an amazing time on the Costa Rica starter trip. This was my first time traveling solo and U30X was a great way for me to safely see another part of the world and meet new people. Our trip leaders were Adrian and Delphine; they were very knowledgeable and fun. It felt more like we were just hanging out with our friends who happened to know a lot about the country rather than following around tour guides."

What travelers are saying

"Our trip started off with a lunch at Maya Gardens. We went to see the poultry in their pens while waiting for lunch, thinking it was a petting zoo. The poor birds did not have water or any indication that they ever had water. One of the turkeys was lying on it's side looking very sick. No one would give them water when I asked them to. The lunch was so awful I did not eat meat for the rest of the trip. I sent a video to Angela Bailey telling her this is not what we want to see when on a conservation trip and she acted like I was lying. Our guides were lazy and not caring about us. They took us to overpriced markets to get fleeced by the sellers there. At the anti-poaching farm tour, we had to walk over a bridge with wires on it, to keep wildlife in. One of our travelers, who was 65 years old, tripped over it and had to go to the hospital. No one warned her about the wires. Then, trying to get off the safari trucks, she was so very very sore and no guides helped her to get out of the truck. Completely appalling. The guides had very poor communication skills that worked for Discover Corps. I was forced to get vaccinated while in Kenya, because the laws changed while we were there. I asked if I could try to get out of the airport first and if I could not then get the vaccine. Discover Corps said "If you choose to do that, you are on your own". The conditions of medical in Kenya is not like the US and it was awful. The airport didn't even ask me for my vaccine card on the way out. DC could have worked with me on trying this first before forcing me to get this vaccine in a poor 3rd world country. Also, my vaccine card had the wrong date of birth and my name did not match what is on my passport. The doctor tried to get me to tip the nurse giving me the vaccine. The guides dropped us off curbside at the airport and left us there to navigate. I will NEVER use this company again. They did not have my back on anything that happened and Angela Bailey never contacted me to follow up about my experience after this trip was over."

What travelers are saying

"When my partner and I went on a whale watching trip with Sea Kayak Adventures five years ago, we concluded that it was one of the best things we had ever done - especially the encounters with the grey whales in Magdalena Bay. I decided that I wanted an excuse to visit the whales again and I found this in a plan to go back with my family so that we could introduce them to my family and share their joy in this trip. As always, when organising such a treat, I was desperate that it would be as good a second time. I need not have worried, under the expert guidance of Monica (who amazingly had been a guide on our first trip) and Fabian our family group were wowed by whales that swam close, sky-hopped, breached and swam to our boat, rubbed against it, looked us in the eye mammal-to-mammal and then let us rub their skin. Wow oh wow! My niece even discovered that one whale had shared two of its sealice with her! Simply amazing and thanks to Monica and Fabian for sharing their knowledge, enthusiasm and expertise with us, and to Vicky for the excellent food."

What travelers are saying

"Thank you for diligently planning and coordinating my travels during a crazy time. I didn't think I would feel comfortable traveling internationally, but after going through it, I'm ready to go on my next trip abroad. The Argentinian side of Patagonia was spectacular and the weather and views to/from Fitz Roy completed my vision of the Patagonian mountains. Our group felt very accomplished. Ushuaia was a completely different environment, reminding me of San Francisco - cooler and with beautiful mountains. The team at Ushuaia (Jorge & Marcella) were super accommodating and they made my excursions more enjoyable. The other group participants were all local Argentinians and made me feel welcomed - I've made new friends along the way. I will definitely recommend Ushuaia to anyone traveling to the region. The hikes were equally challenging and the service they provided was excellent. It was a great way to end the trip! Thank you again for the adventures and I hope to see you again soon."