TripADeal Reviews

First 2 tour guides were wonderful especially Nam in Vietnam. Drivers very good in each country. Would have preferred flights direct from & to Sydney- much easier instead of flying into Ho Chi Minh then Hanoi. When returning home we flew Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh then onto Sydney. Each time we went to banquets one of our tour group at least ended up with stomach issues from food not being served hot. Overall very happy with Trip A Deal trip and look forward to another trip somewhere soon. Thankyou Trip A Deal - we made some great friends along the way

I loved EVERYTHING except the accomodation at the tea plantation. Our guide stover was amazing.

I loved the content of the tour. I like to immerse myself in the culture and everyday life of a country. We were so well looked after by all the guides who were knowledgeable and ever so efficient. Special mention to Leo in Beijing and Billy from Suzhou all the way to Shanghai. You may not realise what treasures you have in them but they made travelling so easy and they had a great sense of humour. I just don’t know how they do it! The bus drivers were very skilful and they had very long days - just brilliant. Thank you to you all.

I loved exploring the central Asia area and hearing about the history. Guides were very good, but the guide for Kyrgastan/Kazakstan made some comments I found deeply offensive: he accused Israel of genocide and said that the worst group he has had were Israelis. That is not the way guides should speak. I also found it difficult with all the walking and climbing, so had to sit out some of the sites, which was a shame. Another suggestion is less mosques. I know many of the palaces, colourful sites were destroyed but perhaps there are other things to see besides mosques. Even the ruins of special sites was good. Further, while most of the hotels and sites were great, there were some places where the toilets were disgusting - dirty holes in the ground. This is really not compatible with older Australians paying a lot of money for the tour. Overall, however, I loved the trip and would certainly do it again. Guides were helpful and our group was very nice. I really enjoyed this trip. Wish we could have gone with Emirates. China Southern isn't the best. At times the bus couldn't go into streets, which meant a lot of walking which I had a lot of trouble with.

The highlight of this holiday for me was visiting the Terracotta warriors in Xian. I was impressed with the hotels we stayed at in general. I was not impressed with the location of many of these hotels as they were so far from anywhere and we were often unable to find food options when we got back late from a day of touring. Unfortunately our group of 40 people was composed of a group of 30 people travelling together who totally controlled every aspect of this tour. They were late at every possible occasion, were incessantly noisy and disruptive and made it incredibly difficult for the guides to do their job. There were ten of us not in this group composed of five couples of people who were made feel like they did not matter and they completely dominated everything and made the rest of us feel intimidated. I know there's no way of knowing that this would happen but I would never do another trip like this after this experience. Another aspect that was there was so much time spent at places where selling products like silk, jade, medicinal products and tea . Unfortunately this large group spent so much time holding us up that we didn't get to see other things with enough time. The days were often so long that we missed meals and didn't enjoy the tour.

I was very happy how organised all our tour guides was. Always on time, always very helpful and they would do anything to help you. Very happy with the whole tour. Loved every thing about it. It was a very good experience, I will recommend TripAdeal to my family and friends.

I loved the variety of experiences and ease of having a guide in a country that has a language unfamiliar to me. The size group was cumbersome, the rooms in the Glory Hotel had significant cigarette smoke residue . This was managed by the tour guide Helen very well. I would expect the team who put the Hotel onto the itinerary to know of this earlier. Most Australians do not smoke and find residual cigarette smoke offensive. The time we spend in retail persuasion is a waste of time. I feel manipulated. Overall a good experience. This was my 2nd trip a deal. The smaller group in Vietnam made it a better experience.

Great Wall and Shanghai were the highlights and both guides, Jolie and Seven were excellent A bit disappointing was the blatant grab for sales at the jade and pear factories, promoted as learning about the production of these, it appeared to be a five minute discussion on production then go spend in the showrooms

Good schedule, not to much driving/early starts. Friendly and engaging guide. Guide offered extra activities which seemed better value than what were offered by Trip a Deal. Ha Long Bay boat did not match description/photos. Was a modern large ship. Very nice boat, but would prefer traditional junk style boat. Would prefer to travel further in Ha Long bay rather than spending all of the time in sight of land with 15 other boats nearby. Ninh Binh boats are not bamboo as described, they are made from metal. Pu Luong was the highlight, very relaxing in the mountains. Casa resort is one of many nearby, I expected something a bit more remote.

Overall the tour was great however there seems to be alot of itinerary variations depending on the guide you get. The other coach in our group did some sights earlier in the day however our guide in one instance took us out mid afternoon when the temperature in Agra had hit 47degrees. It was just too hot. We understand that guides don't control the weather but in the midst of a heatwave in India, they need to be able to adapt to suit their groups' best interests. Seeing the Taj Mahal and the Ganges in Varanasi were the highlights for us. Hotels varied with Crowne Plaza in Delhi being absolutely outstanding, as was Jaypee Palace in Agra. The Radisson in Varanasi is very dated so seemed to be the bottom of the bunch. The down side of these lovely hotels was the lack of alternative eating establishments which pushes the price of the holiday up substantially. There also needs to be more detailed information about tipping. We are happy we have ticked India off the list and grateful to have done it through Trip-a-Deal which allowed us to see the sights with minimal hassle. We definitely dont think we could have managed the same experience on our own. It made it extra enjoyable that we had such a good bunch of people in our group.

I loved how organised it was. The guides were most excellent. Totttaly enjoyed my first Tour experience.

Highlights were The Great Wall & the Terracotta Warriors however more time at both iconic locations would have been better. The most time we spent in a location was 3 hours which was at a knock off market place - almost everyone on the tour were baffled as to why less time was allocated to the iconic locations & the most at a shopping centre

Our guide was cultured, humorous and delightful Driver was safe and flexible re stopping and parking generous size bus Size of our group was 15 - perfect number Hotels were varied and interesting

Our guide Duc for the 10 days in the North of Vietnam was excellent. He was very attentive and aware of everyone's needs. He also asked for feedback constantly to make sure that we were happy with everything. Having the boat trip in Halong bay as just our tour group was amazing. It is a long way to go for 1 night. 2 nights would have been better. The food on the boat was beautifully presented although lacked in flavour and the meat and squid were rather tough. Being met at the airport and assisted through the domestic airline transfers was very reassuring. We loved the 3 days in the mountains at Pu Luong. The bus driver was amazing with all the narrow roads and crazy traffic. Best food was the Homestay lunch in the mountains. Worst food experience was probably the evening at the White rose restaurant in Hoi An organised by tour guide Lien where she ordered take away Banh Mi to have with our restaurant meal. It felt very uncomfortable using a restaurant table to eat take away food from a different restaurant. It was not good Banh Mi either. Tour guide Lam in Ho Chi Minh city was much more communicative than Lien. Duc was definitely number 1.

We had a good tour guide Zoom There could have been more free time and days allowed for Hanoi In my opinion 3 days in Pu Luong is far too much One day would have been enough

The trip to Flores was excellent as it showed the original, non-touristy side of Indonesia. The weather was against us for the sunrise and the beautiful view to be had at lunch however the rest of the trip worked well with the weather. The highlight of course was the visit to Komodo to see the Komodo Dragons. Even though it rained heavily at times, we managed to see the Dragons, even walking along the beach. For improvements I ask that more detail is provided in the itinerary regarding the difficulty of the climbs as we had 3 passengers over 80 years old and some in the late 70’s who struggled with the climbs. Even though they made the climb their slowness caused us to be late on several of the journeys, e.g. to the hotel etc. Also due to their age, they did not realise that timing was essential and their very long lunches were an issue. Something else to be added to the itinerary. There is only so much the guide could do as they were quite aggressive when told to “move on”. To be improved: the company to meet us at Denpasar Airport, Success Trans, is no longer at the airport. Our guide was 5 minutes late as we arrived early, so initially we had no idea who was to transfer us to the hotel. To be improved: Dianne Drake and I paid extra for our flights to depart from Brisbane. However we were flown to Sydney for the flight to Indonesia. The main issue was our return as the flight was Denpasar-MELBOURNE-Brisbane which is totally crazy. Why did we pay the extra for Brisbane as home port? The itinerary did warn us of the sub-standard hotel accommodation in Flores however it was pretty dire. The hotels in Denpasar and Ubud were amazing! Tour Guide - Ell was amazing. He did a fabulous job with explaining each event, having to switch things around due to the weather or late timing (due to long lunches), adding extra activities when the planned one failed due to the weather or complaints from the older passengers. He never lost his temper, was always polite to everyone and made the journey fun.

We loved it all except I feel we went to too many Cultural Villages as they are pretty much all the same. We loved visiting the DMZ & the national park in Sokcho were our highlights. As there may be a need to fill in a day maybe more free time would be welcomed. Our tour guide Jun was outstanding he was informative & helped everyone in any way needed. He was very considerate & caring.

What I loved: The trip was well organised, and the tour guides were knowledgeable and passionate about the history of their country. The highlight was the Great Wall of China and the ease of transport and information provided about the days. China Eastern Airlines were a great carrier. Suggestions for improvement: The hard sell of the jade and silk tours was a negative. The selling of alcohol on the bus trip in Shanghai was unnecessary and shouldn't be allowed. This was a '5 star' trip, yet the accommodation at Shanghai was more like '3 star'. Once we booked and paid for this trip, there was no communication for months! I thought that this was odd - I would suggest an email out a month after the booking is made, just to keep us 'in the loop'. Also, booking of seats on China Eastern Airlines was difficult. That is something that could be changed - why can't we be assigned seats when you book the trip for us? Surely that can be done on a group booking. Our first night we didn't arrive at the hotel until 2 am approximately, and the next day commenced at 9 am - which made for a tiring start to the trip.

First, why 0 QFF points will be added in 6 weeks ?? The FF points is a BIG incentive ! Meeting the guides was a highlight + China itself, Not as crowded as say Hong Kong but then we were traveling by our own bus. The ride on the suburban bus was interesting, like locals. I see why the trip is so 'cheep' you earn from the shopping kick backs. Its OK but I was not aware of this, I would have brought more cash and a big bag. Going to the varies 'shops' I expected to see the production of silk, not a sales room. No silk by the meter on offer! Jade, we did see two workers in a booth, not so pearls or tea. Traditional Medicine no idea of the training as it was a center of learning. The Shanghai Museum was fantastic but only about 30 min. The Bund was emotional, Dad was in the Navey visiting during the War and I recall his 'snaps' from the boat of the skyline :) He saw Chinees Opera in the streets so must have been November, Month of the Hungry Ghosts. Has a sandal blow out approaching the forbidden city, by the time we reached the exit new slippers ordered by our guide was in a bag waiting for me! WOW People were so friendly, FUN. I started humming The East Is Red and a group od older people all 'joined in" On the last day I finally found a national flag, my souvenir of each nation I visit.

China is an amazing country to visit, clean, friendly and safe. The modern seamlessly blends with ancient wonders. The gardens are glorious, with tree lined walking paths through flower meadows and along the numerous waterways. China is also a shopper’s paradise. The tour was well organised and our tour guides; Nina, Jack and Jessie went over and above to care for us and ensure we had a wonderful experience. The Warriors of China tour gave us a taste of China. We are already planning our next visit, either the Heart of China or Treasures of China’s Silk Road.

The trip was fantastic. Very well organised snd we saw many interesting sites and features. The food, the country and the people were great.

Accommodation was very good. Very clean and comfortable. Amazing value for money. A lot is squeezed into the 10-day trip. Our tour guide Sunny in Shanghai was very helpful and organised. I would suggest each tour guide hand out a card to each traveller when we first meet, so we have a contact name and number if we get into trouble. Things like the connecting train trip seat allocation could be written on that card as well. On our trip we were verbally given a seat and carriage number, and they ended up being incorrect. It spoilt the train trip and made it very stressful. The service on the plane was excellent. It was stressful when out domestic flight in Shanghai was cancelled, changed and delayed resulting in my husband's luggage not making the flight to Australia. It was couriered out to us that evening which was much appreciated

I loved the variety of activities. Sometimes our guide talked a bit much. The food while good was a bit too much at times with a cooked lunch and dinner. It lacked variety The accommodation in Sandakan was a bit ordinary everything else was won’t

loved our tour of sri lanka with our group of 21 people When we arrived at the maldives as a group we were then split into a group of 7 and a group of 14. Very disappointed that we went to two different islands. The one we stayed on was small and I dont know how you could call it a resort when it had no pool to swim in. I cant swim in the sea so was very disappointed that we had not been asked about this beforehand. Will never book with tripadeal again although I have in the past. Now I dont trust them to give me what they promised. Also the bar fridge quoted it would be free to use but we had to pay for anything we took. I would like to be compensated for that part of the trip

Holiday was great. Well organised Fantastic guides. Nina, Jessie and Jack. The optional tours were great I thoroughly enjoyed the food And plenty of food at breakfast Hotels are working hard to cater for westerners.

Vietnam was great lots to learn there about history and some beautiful lodgings. Great to a guide and great experiences I believe for the whole group. Cambodia was eye-opening and great to hear the stories they help to all the Americans wasn’t able to crawl through the trenches but could see what they were doing Thailand was a great time to relax and reflect and build on friendships that we had made on the trip Centro need to keep the meals hot in the breakfast delivery and there was a bit of a sewage smell around the place other than that it was a lovely place. Sometimes there’s a little bit too much put into the silk factories pottery. I’m not sure whether the next country you go to is aware that we’ve been to those before. At least when we stop at the garage is the 7-Eleven have safe food and they have beautiful ice creams.

Overall the trip was great. Optional tours though - weren’t optional, they were forced. And if you don’t want to participate, you were left behind and made to find your own way back to the accomodation. Or if your luggage was on the bus, forced to do the tour because you had no other option. Too much money had to be spent after the fact. First tour guide Cindy was lovely. Although walked way too far ahead of the group and at no point while having her, ever checked that everyone was together prior to departing, almost leaving one behind at the zoo at one point. 2nd guide Lili, was abrupt and dismissive. When asked a question you were told to wait or made to feel like an idiot for asking. She gave too much information at once and therefore created confusion. The “extra shops” she took us to were clearly shops that she gained a kick back from and offered no value to anyone in the group at all. The Great Wall day + the optional tour for summer palace and the zoo was simply too big of a day. We understood that the days would be big, but not to that point. Not after arriving and getting 3 hours sleep the night prior. Cindy gave us all headsets to wear day 2. On the last day then requested $12 payment off everyone for using them. At no point was this even advised prior to handing them out. Again, more money. Lili was more concerned about what her friend summers group was doing and wanted to make sure we arrived with them at places. Food wise, it’s great if you love Chinese food, otherwise no real western options other than kfc and Starbucks with the occasional dominos available. Accomodation was better than expected. Although some rooms absolutely stank of smoke. The best was the hot springs in Beijing. I’d go again, but I’d be standing my ground re the optimal next time and hope I got better guides.

Loved seeing the probiscus monkeys, out in the wild. Elopura average. Tour guide did not help get to know group, no name tags to know. We were supposed to go out to for evening dinner on day 2, but this was not organised or discussed until next day when guide Flo said there were enough eateries around hotel! That would have been one way of getting to know other group members. Resort in Sukau (cabins) were average as were the meals. One boat cruise, it poured for the whole 4 hours (waste of time), even the boat operator said we would not find much. Disappointing. Loved the bird cage cave even though smelly. Perkasa hotel great. Kundasang and Sandakan memorials were outstanding, which is what i wanted to see. Hilton hotel and their breakfasts were excellent. Bus broke down (part of experience). I had Borneo belly for 2 days; guide did not inquire how I got on if I needed anything. ON the whole the guide Flo was average. She did have a lot of knowledge that she gave us of Borneo. I have been on other Trip a deals, this was a little disappointing

The trip overall very well planned and the accomodation was excellent. The only down side was the quality of the Radisson in Pretoria, STH Africa. The shuttle bus failed to come to the airport for our transfer and the rooms were very ordinary. The train was a great experience and the food amazing. Some consideration needs to be given to the flights as the routes taken were definitely not direct and a waste of time and our carbon footprint print was increased due to the routes taken we’re via Singapore. Throughly enjoyed the trip.

The guides were fantastic, helpful and knowledgeable. The flight times however did not maximise our time in country, very frustrated and disappointed about this.

Great holiday we saw so much in our 20 days, great tour guides very informative & we learnt so much about the history, culture & way of life in Vietnam. We had so many great experiences & memories, trip a deal was great, hotels were nice, & clean the guides gave us recommendations where to eat & things to do in our spare time. A beautiful country & people will definitely return.

Flo, the tour guide was fantastic, ample food and good accommodation. The activities were well planned and safe! Great trip, highly recommended.

The tour was well organised, the guides were good and knowledgeable, the hotels were good. All in all, a great trip!

The upside of course the Kruger National Park and Victoria Falls as the highlights. The local driver/guide are competent to share with us the history of the 2 major sites. However the downside was the accomodation at the Umbhaba Eco Lodge where essentials in a room were missing such as bar fridge especially for those guest that’s on medication and requires the medicines to be in a cold place, NO room chair but it’s a bar stool. The flight back to Australia bit too long with 3 legs and a 6 hr layover in Johannesburg. I know there a ways to improve on this matter

Loved our tour guide Yusuke, and our driver Captain (can't remember his name) Both were brilliant! Yusuke was exceptional at presenting loads of information, in an interesting and fun way. He answered all our questions with patience and clarity and went above and beyond to accommodate all interests. Yusuke also took it upon himself to ensure we saw and experienced everything possible, in our limited time...we went flat out most days and felt happily tired at the motel each evening. Some may find that a bit overwhelming, but we think most people appreciated the opportunity to really immerse themselves in everything Japan. Perfect example is Yusuke's willingness to throw together a final day excursion, rather than have us sitting around for hours, waiting for our flight home. It actually turned out to be one of our favourite days. *Perhaps, for those who have a very late flight, this excursion could be offered on every trip? Our Captain was the happiest, most accommodating, most polite and caring driver we've ever had. His driving skills are also exceptional - we never felt worried or unsafe in his capable hands. Our accommodation on the first 3 nights, Futako Tamagawa Hotel, was by far, the best hotel on the tour. Highly recommend keeping that as the Tokyo accommodation (apparently that was the first time it has been used). All the others were fine, but that one stood out as the best. Would happily recommend this tour as an excellent introduction to Japan.

Loved everything Great tour leaders and we were really were looked after Great tour group so many memories and laughs

not much room for improvement as our tour guide explained so much to us we felt that we were emersed into the whole experience

Itinerary was good. Our guide Hiro was great. Some hotel rooms were very cramped - one room (hotel after Mt Fuji) was so small we could barely squeeze between the bed and the wall. Some breakfasts did not cater for western diets (eg. Cereal muesli). Otherwise, a great job.

well organised,easy and comfortable hotels can be better

I realise that a lot of the stops such as jade Pearl and silj factories were to encourage people to buy but we seemed to stay longer than necessary. Some memorable stops was dinner in Old Beijing at persons home and the canal boat ride in little Venice. The hotels while a good standard were often a bit remote with nothing much close by. That said the whole trip was good value for money and certainly gave a good Insight into China.

Our holiday was perfect Well planned and tour guides were outstanding so knowledgable friendly which made our experience so memorable Our tour guide was Lori Holland America zaandam. Was great aswell

It was an absolutely wonderful holiday and this was mainly due to the Tour Guide, Lara Lee and driver Mr Lim. Lara's information was very detailed and covered everything we needed to know. One thing it might be worth letting people know is to take a small overnight bag with them to put items in for their last night in Busan. That morning Mr Lim takes their large bags and drives them back to Seoul so that people only have a small train to carry onto the bullet train. The only change I would make to the schedule is to miss out the visit to the International Market on Day 6, as it's not that good and most people were quite tired by then anyway. Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed my time in South Korea and the trip. The only other thing I would change is the ability for people who are joining the tour and live in Perth to be able to make their own flight arrangements as it would have been easier and take less time for me to travel directly from Perth to Seoul rather than having to go to Sydney first!

The Rockies was brilliant as well as Whistler. I think staying Banff would have allowed more time to enjoy the environment. Also the first night of accommodation in Calgary is in the middle of nowhere. $35 dollars from the airport but another $30 to go into town. The cruise was a brilliant add on. Our tour guide Lori was exceptional. The information provided on Canada’s history and development was fascinating.

We loved all full itinerary including all the optional tours Zhangiajie & Guilin experience was very good.

With the price of the trip we were a bit skeptical but was absolutely amazed how well organised and the amount of activities it included. The Great Wall was incredible and the forbidden city was eye opening. A huge thanks to our tour guides Summer and Vicky who did a fabulous job. I have highly recommended this trip to friends and family who will be coming next year!

Flight was with Jetstar and was really bad and cheap. We were supposed to have food but we had $15 voucher. So embarrassing.

The whole experience was wonderful. Our tour guide, Kara, and bus driver Ben were extremely knowledgeable and so much fun! The places we saw were mind blowing. Maybe try to start the journey closer to Yellowstone and not Seattle and maybe go to Mount Rushmore which would have been close.

Holiday was well planned out and fantastic tour guide Fotina and bus driver Robert made this a wonderful tour , Tour was fantastic so much to see and do only suggestion would be more days at 1 hotel if possible was nice to stay 2 nights in 1 hotel just a break to recover from full on tour

We loved our holiday, it was quick and fast paced. but we picked an 8 day trip. The accommodation was wonderful, and were in great locations to get around on your own. We did feel we could have spent more time in some places, but we did have a couple of public holidays. We also had 36 people on our bus, so alot of people to get on and off, and you can't always hear the guide when walking. The hillside villages - we would have loved just even 30-60 minutes more time there. it was rushed, and The Royal palace was a fast paced visit as it is so big. But we loved our whole tour and our guide was very knowledgeable and lovely. Maybe guides could ask if anyone has questions, as I think there are things we would love to ask and other people on tour would like to know as well.

It was well planned & easy to follow the itinerary. Guide & driver were excellent

Heather our guide had excellent experience with lots of lots of knowledge. Our destinations were fantastic always on time. her commentary kept us entertained.. the sights were incredible. Lake Louise,Banff, glacier National Park and Whistler has to be seen to be believed. Alaska’s cruise through the inside passage was fantastic. Holland America zaandam had excellent food and service. Connecting flights could be better timed And Air Canadas cabin service needs to improve.

Loved the itinerary, the hotel's and riads as a whole, however the 1 big negative was the transportation bus! It was far too cramped for the big klm days, the seats were not very wide and only made to fit small females rather than large or even average Australian males. We were 16 in our group so no spare seats to ve able to spread out The back seat of 4 was very uncomfortable every day for everyone The air conditioner worked intermittently, we constantly had to ask for it to be checked I wouldn't like to be doing this tour in the middle iof the Summer heat in that bus situation Our tour guide was liovely and on the whole was good, he kept us together as a group, was very knowledgeable, very accommodating, and helpful However at times his instructions were not altogether clear which may have just been a language barrier but we occasionally had to ask for clarity As a couple we had massages in 3 different riads and unfortunately they did not live up to their menu and were not good value. Attention to the quality of the treatments provided defintely needs to be improved

The memorial

The guide in Peru - Yenrri = was excellent. He engaged well with the group and shared his vast knowledge of Peru - the people and the places we visited. He is the reason we rate this holiday as "Excellent". The other guides we had in BA and Rio were good but the guide in Iguazu Falls was poor. He gave us basic information and treated us like a school group telling us off and hurrying us along constantly. The places we visited on this tour were all great places. The hotels were average but adequate - except for the hotel in Rio. This did not even provide an electric kettle in the room to make tea and coffee. I notified TripaDeal twice of my dietary requirement being a vegetarian. This was always provided to me at the meals we had as a group on our itinerary however TripaDeal did not notify the airlines and I was therefore unable to have a meal on the numerous flights we had on this tour. This was VERY disappointing as another lady who was gluten free had her special meals brought to her on the flights. Another disappointment for me was the cancellation of an excursion I had pre=booked and pre=paid for. My itinerary showed that I was booked on the Express Inca Trail one day hike to Machu Picchu however on arrival in Peru our guide said I was not booked on it. I had also been told pre-tour that my option to do Rainbow Mountain was cancelled due to no-one else booking to do it. I was given a refund for this tour - however on meeting others on our tour I was told that they were booked on the Rainbow Mountain excursion. Our guide Yennri communicated with TripaDeal office and managed to book me on the trip to RM once I paid for it again. I was grateful to him for arranging this. But I was very disappointed in the poor communication with me from TripaDeal regarding these excursions as they were the main reason we booked this SA tour. I am yet to receive a refund for the Inka Trail hike that was cancelled. We would like to comment on the "tipping" that was required on this trip. While in Peru we all contributed the required amount to cover all tips to Yenrri who took responsibility to distribute the tips to the bus drivers and guides during our stay there. This was a huge benefit to us all but in BA, Iguazu Falls and Rio it was left to us to do individually. This proved to be very time consuming and confusing working out different currencies and amounts and getting access to banks to get local currency. It took up so much time that people started calling this a "TipaDeal" tour instead of a "TripaDeal" tour. The consensus was that this should be included in the price of the trip before commencing the tour as we would have all known what cost was involved and the hassle of it all could be eliminated. Lastly, we need to comment on the flights to and from New Zealand. We were extremely disappointed that TripaDeal does not take into account that if a New Zealander joins this tour, there is a direct flight from Auckland to Santiago (and Santiago to AK on the return flight). We were flown from AK to Melbourne then Melbourne to Santiago which involved flying back over NZ where we had just come from. This meant we flew an extra 8 hours than was necessary. When travelling to the other side of the world this made the travel extremely tiring while being unnecessary. Other than the negatives mentioned above, we did really enjoy this tour and the places we visited however there is room for improvement by TripaDeal.

This was our first overseas trip apart from a cruise to NZ years ago so nothing to compare with and we loved it - Highlights were 1. Tuscany 2. Cinque Terre 3. Venice & absolutely loved Jesolo. It was really nice staying for 3-4 nights in the same hotel and doing the day trips. Nice to tick main sights off the list but didn’t really enjoy Rome - far too busy! Great time of year (May) to go would have been unbearable in mid summer. The optional lunches in Florence & Bologna were lovely (Florence best)

Overall great value for money. 2 longish days on the bus at the end of the land tour, but sightseeing, tour guide (Lori) and cruise were all exceptional.

Excellent trip with great driver, Warren and guide Alina, who both went above and beyond. Great excursions. No improvement needed.

very satisfying experience. very lucky with the weather, very nice breakfast every day 👍 very good guide Rajesh and bus driver 👍 easy everywhere! I would like to be told upfront about tipping the guide and bus driver - make it clear before you book the dill !!!!

The biggest highlight was our excellent tour guide Hirohito - his English and his knowledge is exceptional and nothing was too much trouble; he always kept his cool and entertained us with stories on the long bus trips. I Particularly enjoyed the Cormorant fishing, the small historic towns and meeting a real life Geiko in Osaka - both optional tours. I liked having the option to find small authentic eateries on our own most of the time, but it would have been nice to have one group dinner on the first or second night to meet everyone. Also, we all assumed we were getting a bullet train from Hiroshima to Osaka, but we drove 3 hours to get to the train station for a 15 minute ride. I would have been happy to pay more for that - but I understand it was about the logistics of getting our luggage and the bus to Osaka would be tricky. Probably should make it clearer in the itinerary so everyone isn't surprised.

What I loved was the exposure to the culture, the opportunities to interact with locals. Also enjoyed the quality of the hotels. However, the locations of some hotels was very poor and inconvenient. I did not enjoy the long haul driving between locations. Estimated transfer times were grossly inaccurate. There was one day where we drove over 6 hours to view a very basic temple, for a short period of time. A huge part of that day was used up in travel for very little return. The quality of the second bus on our trip was poor and uncomfortable for long journeys. I suggest high speed rail could have been utilised more. Some parts of the itinerary were poorly planned with too much time wasted getting to and from the attractions, resulting in little time at the attraction. The guides were energetic and passionate. They were there to meet us at the airport and train station. They got us onto buses and to the hotel in good time. They did their best, however, their local knowledge was superficial, when asked for more details on the attractions they struggled to give it. As a result I did not believe they deserved the full suggested tip amount and I gave what I felt was appropriate for their service. They would benefit from further training and more in dept knowledge of the area activities and history.

I loved getting into the countryside to experience the nomad pastoral life in the steppes and the desert. The landscape features like Flaming Rocks; Limestone cliffs, Desert sand dunes, Orkhan waterfalls and the cabin camp accommodation;. Our drivers and guide were lovely men- very considerate skilful driving and the guide excellent and fun to be with; the nomad family visits showcased simple homes and lifestyle but gave a real insight into the challenges of their life and strength of culture. The camel ride- fun. Eagle hunter great photo opportunity. our group of 9 was great as we got on well and not unwieldy. Brilliant adventure!

Norway was our highlight Lots of free time Would have liked more time in Bergen Probably should say that it is so expensive compared to Australia for meals and drink

The two guides were amazing. They were caring and nothing was too much to ask. The opportunity to walk on the glass bridge at Zhangjiajie was memorable. City walks at Chingqing was breathtaking. Korean bbq lunch was great - good tasty meal.

Ease of booking. Communication from Trip a Deal including important information place tickets etc. Group of travellers were amazing and became a special family almost instantly. Choice of tours especially Halong Bay was perfect. Hotel quality was exceptional. Local guides very personal and knowledgeable in particular Som in Siem Reip. Perfect holiday without a problem. Greatly appreciate your excellence Trip a Deal. Job well done. Thank you.

The sites and exhibits and optional extras on this trip eete excellent- just the right mix and only the one stop where we felt a little pressure for purchasing (nice for those who were interested in this though) We loved our guide (Lara Lee) and driver (Mr Kim) lovely kind people who looked after us no end. Also our group was rather large at 28 but with a brand new very modern big bus it was no problem

Busan the highlight. Jeju a bit of a let down. Seoul good, DMZ very good, Sokcho very good. For me, a little too much shopping free time overall but probably suits the women. Guide and driver excellent. Logistics excellent.

Overall the trip was extremely enjoyable and exceeded expectations. Our Tour director (Alina Kouvchinova )provided great support and insights into the various locations and historical events associated with the places we visited. Her knowledge and insight made the journey one to remember. Warren Woodward (Wozza) our coach driver went out of his way to make the journey safe and accommodating with his time outside of his daily responsibilities.

Very knowledgeable guides, quality hotels and great organisation.

The destination of Canada and USA / Alaska was amazing and provided daily highlights. The cruise was excellent with Holland America. What made the trip even better was our tour guide Alina and our bus driver Warren. They both had amazingly positive attitudes which set the tone for the trip. Alina’s organisation and doing extra things like games on the bus, providing home made tea each day and taste testing for various local products was great. We have been on several organised tours and Alina was the best tour guide we have ever had.

Loved everything. The scenery was great, the activities were excellent. The trip was well organised. Could not have been any better.

It was a dream ( bucket list ) come true. Alaskan cruise was amazing , The tour prior to the cruise was very educational with beautiful scenery and memories which will last a lifetime time. Thank you TAD.

Great value. Opened my eyes to the advances China has made on all fronts. Excellent guides… Robert and Walker.

Knox in Hanoi was great if a little hard to understand. Ho Long Bay fantastic. Nin Binh great. Pu long wrong accommodation for 90% of the people on our trip. 20 or so steps to reception. 20 30 steps to our room and 120 steps to the restaurant where we had breakfast and lunch and dinner. The steps were made of rocks or stone and were very difficult. Knox Suggested to quite a few of us to stay at the resort and swim on the day we went to the caves. Hip our guide in Hoi An was a character and really made our stay memorable. T our guide in HoChi Minh was the opposite. Other than picking us up from he airport we didn’t see him. The group that went to the tunnels enjoyed the experience but we were told that morning that they would return and pick us up for our walk around the city At 2 pm but they got back early and they left without us at 1.30 because the bus driver had to take or pick up people from the airport. It would have been nice if he had arranged a boat trip on the river for us. It was a 30 minute cab ride from the hotel to the city and I feel the hotel was chosen because it was 10 minutes from the airport not for and other reason. Our guide certainly didn’t look after us We were very disappointed with the flights. We should have flown straight from Sydney to Hanoi. And on our way back straight from Ho Chi Minh to Sydney not the way we were rerouted each time. Making the extra flight added too much time to each trip. Could you fly people in north qld through Cairns to Singapore to Hanoi?

Awesome tour guide and driver, tour was perfect

This was our first holiday organised as a tour. We thoroughly enjoyed the ease of the holiday and the fact things were planned for us. We were apart of an amazing group of people that made our trip even more enjoyable. We also enjoyed having time to do our own thing. We felt an extra day in Ho Chi Minh would have been great. The option of coconut boat rides in Hoi An and floating village in Siem Reap would have been great. Overall we had a great holiday and hope to book another trip soon.

Loved going to places that would have been extremely difficult alone and without a bus, we felt some the tour could have started at Hiroshima as it felt like we did a lot of extra unnecessary travel going from Tokyo to Kyoto all the way down and back to Osaka. Everyone on the tour agreed we would have been happier to pay extra money for a longer trip on the bullet train to have less time on the bus as there are lots of long trips. We were disappointed as our tour guide often didn’t know how to answer questions we had and we ended up just googling them. We were also unhappy as we were harassed for their tip on the last few days the bus were “reminded” that the tour was coming to an end and they would appreciate a bonus on a certain day. We had not had the chance to sit down and organise our tip yet and later recieved a text message from our tour guide asking do we have the bonus sorted yet. The next morning at 7:30am our guide was at our door knocking we did not answer as we were still getting ready and knew why she was there and felt that was inappropriate. at breakfast she then asked again and we did not have it with us at that time we told her we would get it to her by tomorrow morning as we still had 2 days left of the tour. She then stated she would rather it now and followed us up to our hotel room and waited out the front for it, as we are a couple we have our tip in one envelope she then asked us this from just one of us, we did not appreciate being asked where the tip was that many times let alone followed to our room. Due to that we only provided a much smaller tip than we would have provided. We felt there could have been more activities rather than the large amount of shires we would have enjoyed zoos or other attractions like the Nara deer park which we ended up doing on our own along with most members of the tour doing the same.

The tour guides Jolie and Seven were both excellent. They were both knowledgeable, organised and approachable. Seven in particular was a really lovely person who we really enjoyed having as a guide, the whole group thought he was great. I'd be very happy to do another tour with him. Both drivers (Beijing and Shanghai) were very safe and skilled drivers. Suzhou was beautiful and it would have been nice to spend more time there.

Fantastic country to visit, so much to see and do. Our tour guides were very knowledgeable and offered so much information on where to eat and where to shop. We loved to see the difference between the busy cities and the relaxed Ha Long Bay and Hanoi.

This was our first holiday overseas and were not confident to organise all the transport, accommodation and sightseeing in a foreign country. TripADeal organised everything which provided us a less stressful holiday allowing us to immerse ourselves in the experience of Italy. The guide for the trip, Thomas, was very patient and knowledgeable. He organised the sightseeing and ongoing narrative during the trip. The highlights were the medieval towns were visited and Rome where we visited the Colesseum and other amazing historic places.

Loved the add on to visit singapore, the ease of using your vouchers were easy and problem free. The tour was seamless with all details covered to make a stress free holiday. Tour guides were mainly really helpful and insightful, with great knowledge of their countr. Phany Hang was particulary wonderful as he had a lot of insightful knowledge to tell at all the sites we visited and on trips on buses, looking at the country and lives of the people. Interesting tidbits on every day life and history of Cambodia. We had a fantstic time. Thankyou.

I loved the great wall, not many people say that i have walked the wall.

Our TripADeal Incredible China Tour was truly the trip of a lifetime! Every part of the journey was wonderfully organised, filled with amazing sights, fascinating history, beautiful scenery, delicious food, and unforgettable experiences. A huge and heartfelt thank you to our incredible guides who made this adventure so special. JoJo in Beijing was absolutely amazing — so knowledgeable, caring, enthusiastic, and passionate about sharing the history and culture of her beautiful city. She made every moment exciting and memorable, and her warmth and energy were appreciated by everyone in the group. For the remainder of the tour, Peter was simply fantastic. He kept everything running perfectly smoothly and always made sure everyone was happy and comfortable. His sense of humour was the absolute best and brought so much laughter and fun to our days — he truly made the trip even more enjoyable. And of course, a very special thank you to all of our drivers, who navigated us safely and comfortably throughout the entire journey. Their professionalism and care were greatly appreciated every single day. This tour exceeded all expectations and left us with wonderful memories and new friendships. I cannot recommend this experience highly enough — thank you TripADeal, JoJo, Peter, and all the team for an unforgettable adventure through China!

Having Kat as a tour guide was exceptional. She made the whole trip fun , exciting, hassle free and lots of laughs and entertainment, overall a very genuine attentive kind person.she tended to everyones individual needs making a whole 12 days one of the experiences....felt like a part of the family. Sites and activities were amazing.....with a tour guide like Kat can't go wrong

The organisation of the trip was exemplary and the itinerary perfect.

The trip was magnificent from start to finish. The hotels were excellent, all 5 star, with great facilities and restaurants. The guide was extremely knowledgeable, professional, approachable and accommodating. The driver and other staff member were also excellent. The upgrade in The Maldives was spectacular and an incredible experience.

Well paced and ticked all my bucket lists as far as animal encounters. Sarah was a wonderful guide and her sense of humour was perfect for an Aussie group. Level of fitness challenged some but it was perfect for me. Perhaps rating fitness required could help some to make better decisions. Food was excellent and accommodation styles ranged from standard to luxury. I’ll certainly be doing trip a deal again. Many of fellow travelers have done multiple trips so was able to get some good tips for further travel. Flights were well paced and instructions were good in support of getting to airports. Big 👍 from me

Great driver and tour guide really ensured that this tour did absolute justice to a fabulous itinerary

We just completed the 5-Star Jewels of The Nile. We highly recommend this trip. The experience and effort gone into providing an amazing experience for the entire group was incredible. Our tour guide Hamesh was fantastic, he worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this trip amazing, his Egyptian history and cultural knowledge was excellent. Hamesh was easy going and flexible with our itinerary, working hard to accommodate everyone. High recommend!

An interesting and varied tour with an excellent guide (Sarah, Borneo Travels) on a comfortable bus with a very safe driver (Mr Wan) and great accomodation.

This holiday gave a taste of what Vietnam offers.The tour guides had excellent knowledge of their area and were helpfully and great people.

Tour-guide staff very knowledgeable and helpful.

A very interesting cultural experience encompassing 3 countries - Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia. The scenery was amazing - Plitvice Lakes, Dubrovnik by the sea, caves in Ljubljana, Lake Bled in Slovenia- all amazing. I found Sarajevo sobering, medieval castles intriguing and towns interesting. A great experience.

Loved it !!! Flight with Juneyao airlines was good. Seating was a bit tight but the food and drink service was great. Tour guides Eric and JoJo were a bundle of information and went above and beyond in making sure we experienced everything and that our, and all the tour group got to see what we requested. There was no pressure selling and I was comfortable not buying the things I wasn't interested in. The days were full on but had to be for us to fit in everything I enjoyed the fact that the whole group came from Australia and we all returned at the same time. The accommodation was exceptional and the buffet breakfasts were amazing. I was apprehensive about booking online but I found it to be easy. I had read some of the reviews but noticed that Tripadeal had made improvements and listened to the concerns....well done 😊 I did have to ring tripadeal before our trip and the staff were fantastic, friendly and answered my questions. I'll definitely be using you again.

The complete package was fantastic. Tripadeal has a winner. Richard Peres our courier in Sri Lanka was one of the best we have ever had. His care, friendship and support was beyond all expectations. All the hotels chosen were of the best, and we rated at 5+ star. The over water bungalows were exceptional on the Maldives. To be able to watch fish and reef sharks swimming around under your villa was great. Our golf buggy driver, Thushara was always on call and treated us with speed and courtesy. We would certainly like to do more TripaDeal tours if they are equal to this trip experience. Thank you.

Excellent tour overall. Especially Jojo, our tour guide for the Shanghai trips. She speaks fluent English, is very friendly, and exceptionally organised. She was also incredibly generous with her knowledge and consistently went above and beyond what was required of her role.

From the start to finish booking was so easy with the staff to ensure the customer service was excellent, From talking of to landing in China was great, The tour guides were outstanding to make the trip as comfortable and homely as possible, the tour guide in Beijing Jessica was one of the boys lol ,John in shanghai was outstanding with his knowledge of the history what he shared with everyone was in my opinion WoW this was my third trip in 18 months still working on going again unbelievable history, thx Trip a deal for the trips and the history lessons learnt...... special sing out to Jessica in Beijing and John brother from another mother in shanghai,,be back soon

A highlight was the day tour to Nagasaki, another was the boat tour to see the whirlpools. The opening times should have been checked prior to offering the visit to Naoshima Art Island as most museums were closed thereby reducing the value for money for this optional tour.

Fabulous tour made all the more special by our excellent tour guide Rita. She made sure everyone was well looked after and the places we ate at served great food. She even organised a cake for one of the group’s birthday at our final night dinner v

Well organised trip from start to finish. Fabulous tour director Heather Haskell and driver Lily. Felt welcomed & safe. All hotels, especially Whistler, were exceptional. The Zaandam was absolutely delightful. Staff everywhere was unbelievable. All tourist activities lived up to expectations.