LGarabito

I'm thinking of booking a tour with Friendly Planet Tours, but trying to do research on the company before I book. Has anyone booked/traveled with them recently? Particulary the Thailand tour? If so, please advise of any pros/cons or tips you could give. Would love to hear any feedback from fellow travelers.

qwovadis

BBB's Business Business Review For Friendly Planet Travel Inc., Business Reviews and Ratings for Friendly Planet Travel Inc. in Jenkintown, PA.
http://www.bbb.org/washington-dc-eas...siness-reviews

Good company A plus BBB.org rating good experience in past

bit do not know about Thailand with them...

travelzoo.com good specials sales

with them and on other good companies at times

smartours.com

affordableasia.com

might sign up for their Top 20 to save...

Happy Hunting!

LGarabito

Thanks! i actually came across them from TravelZoo (love them) and i know TravelZoo promotes established companies. I was just curious to see if any fellow travelers have booked with Friendly Planet and wanted more insider knowledge i guess. I like to research everything to the "T" as much as possible before giving anyone my hard-earned $$

Kathie

Is there a reason you want a tour?

Thailand is exceptionally easy to do on your own.

LGarabito

The package i found is very affordable and includes airfare which is the major reason why im opting for this tour. I priced it out both ways (Tour vs. DIY) and had i chosen to DIY i would have easily spent 3x as more (the airfare is what's killing it for me). I've never experienced a tour and have always been a DIY traveler for many years so i figured i would try it once and see if i enjoy it. One of the other reasons i was really drawn to this particular tour is that once we arrive at each city on the itinerary i have the option of spending the day with the tour and participating in the included excursions or spending the day on my own. I particularly liked this, so im not forced to be with the tour 24/7. I figured Thailand would be best to try-out a tour and see if its for me.

I really wanna know if any other fodorites have booked with Friendly Planet in the past as i would like to get some insider info/tips.

Kathie

The airfare is one thing the tours can get a better deal on than you can on your own. The hotels, etc, you usually do better on your own. And the option to go it alone sometimes (or even all of the time) is a good one.

There have been reports on Friendly Planet here - use the advanced search function, asking it to search all replies.

shelleyk

Have you checked out smartours? I went to Thailand with them about 5 years ago and the trip was wonderful. They have changed many of the hotels since then, so you might want to check out the hotels on TA for any company before making a decision.

Note that for this year, the price of smartours to Thailand for 2 weeks is little more than the airfare alone on Korean Air, You cannot match the all inclusive tour price doing it on your own. So if price is an issue, and you don't mind travelling with a large group, the a tour is the way to go.

I posted a trip report on my Thailand trip with smartours. If you want to read the details of the trip, click on my name to find the TR.

LGarabito

Thanks Shelly! I will take a look at their site, although i have read that Smarttours and Friendly planet are sister companies. I appreciate your help!

shelleyk

They used to be, but not anymore, from what I have read. The airline and the hotels they use for the Thailand trip are different, although the itinerary is similar. BTW, smartours is spelled with one t.

dchal09

If it the trip to Kuala Lumpur, Borneo and Thailand, I decided to book it with my husband and am doing my own research for activities outside the group. I also found the total package reasonable so we'll see.

LGarabito

Hi dchal- no i didnt book your package- just the 9day thailand package and im looking to extend my trip and stay in Krabi versus phuket as i had the option of booking an extension on my own. Im also looking at booking activites outside of the group as well- hope you have a great trip! i know i cant wait for mine

rhkkmk

i looked at the tour and it is at best a rushed 2nd rate tour, imo... it would give you a small taste of thailand but that is all...

the price is fantastic... i tried to see what hotels they offer but i could not find that... my guess is that they are decent but not centrally located...

it will be a drive by this and a drive by that period... you will spend a lot of time in a bus..

with an extension on your own it might prove ok, but i would want a min. of 7 days extension at your cost not theirs with your choice of location and hotels..

LGarabito

@rhkkmk if you read the detailed itinerary on the site you will see the hotels. For Bangkok, its the Rembrandt Hotel. For Ayutthaya its the Kantary Hotel. And for Kanchanaburi its the River Kwai Resotel. I read reviews on all of them on tripadviser and they all have Very Good to Excellent reviews. Do you know if these hotels are centrally located?

I wasnt crazy about their hotel for Phuket which is why i decided to book the extension to Krabi on my own (im looking for recommendations for hotels in Krabi if you could recommend one!).

Of all the tours i found, they were the only ones that allowed me the option of doing the city-sightseeing with them or go off on my own. Which i really liked. But its more so the price that im going with the tour. Im getting the entire trip for less than the cost of the airfare if i were to book it on my own.

rhkkmk

rembrandt is just fine in fact....it has two of the best restaurants in bkk: indian and mexican (for a diet change). it is well located too off of sukhumvit, maybe at soi 18 or 16... sunday brunch at the indian one is fantastic--,make sure to try that restaurant--top floor.

for krabi look at the sheraton... i have stayed there several times and like it...it is not near any town...but there are local restaurants across the road---the thai one is excellent... good deal if you have any sheraton points plus cash.... also the amari vogue

LGarabito

Thanks! I have heard the Rembrandt has great restaurants and I'm looking forward to trying them! I was looking at the amari for krabi but I'll check out the Sheraton. I appreciate your feedback

rhkkmk

the amari is picture perfect, built into a hillside that leads down to the beach... no good if steps bother you...

the sheraton is large, but is beautiful in its own way...

fb

We have travelled with Friendly Planet to India/Nepal and Japan and both trips were great and a good value. We will be going to Vietnam/Cambodia with them in November and doing our own extension in Phuket. There are disadvantages to traveling with a large group, but for us, the added convenience made up for it. There are other companies that take smaller groups, but you pay more for them. Hotel quality is about the same. We did do Thailand on our own a few years ago and I agree that it is an easy country to travel in, but that was before the airline prices went skyward, so I can see why you might want to take advantage of the package.

LGarabito

Thanks for all the feedback. We decided to book with Friendly Planet and so far their service is pretty good. They just need to confirm our flights before sending me my final invoice. I also went ahead and booked the Amari Vogue Krabi for the second part of my trip and the manager has already responded to me and given me great information. Im really excited and i cant wait

Kathie

Have a wonderful trip!

rhkkmk

i hope you decide to rent a car while at vogue... it is remote from almost everything... its very easy to drive there and an nang is about 20-30 minutes away