OAT tours
Jan 14th, 2003, 05:54 PM
#3
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We took an OAT trip in 2001 and had a wonderful time. To answer some of your questions:<BR> 1)we were not given a choice of hotels. All hotels were 4 or 5 star. We were very lucky in Beijing--our room overlooked the Forbidden City. <BR> 2) Almost all meals were included. We had one meal we had to pay for. (Except in Bali which was an optional extension) Our group enjoyed the meals which included a number of special meals. <BR> 2) our city tour guide met us upon arrival at the Beijing airport. When at the hotel we met our tour guide who was with us for the entire trip (except for the Bali extension). Our tour guide took part in all the city tours with us. <BR><BR>There are many companies which offer tours in China and I've read many good reviews of them on this site.<BR><BR>When planning our trip I read and re-read pamphlets from many of the tour companies before deciding on OAT. I selected OAT because they included Tibet and Bali, the Yangtze cruise was downstream (shorter cruise), and the trip included an overnight train from Beijing to Xi-an.<BR><BR>I'd suggest looking at a couple companies. Lay their itineraries out side by side, compare what each company includes, and then make a decision.<BR>We felt we recieved an excellent value for our money and made some great friends along the way.
Jan 15th, 2003, 05:42 AM
#4
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We have traveled with OAT on several occasions, both to Europe and to the Far East. They keep every promise they make, provide the best guides (Thailand, especially) we have ever used, take good care of any travelers who become ill or have health problems, use excellent hotels/lodges, and give good value for the money. Our trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam was superb -- and we would not hesitate to go with OAT again.
Feb 15th, 2005, 09:16 AM
#5
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In December of 2004 I booked a trip to India with Overseas Adventure Travel. I paid for the trip in full. The departure date was 4/1/05. On 2/8/05 they called to inform me that too many other people canceled for that date and they have rescheduled my trip. I specifically chose this departure date as it left on a weekend, and therefore minimized vacation days from work (as both my husband and I are employed full-time and have limited vacation time). They told me I could travel another date in April, however that trip departed on a Wednesday. That was not acceptable as we did not have the extra vacation days. I asked for my money to be refunded. They told me that there would be a $125 cancellation charge per person. In their opinion, my trip was not "cancelled" but rather "rescheduled". After numerous phone calls, and very rude agents, I got them to agree to not charge me the cancellation fee. Although I am still waiting for my entire trip payment to be credited to my credit card. My husband and I travel extensively, and it is difficult to arrange time away from work. I will never book a tour with them again. This policy is absurd. Had they politely refunded my money, I most likely would have rebooked for spring 2006. I did incur other out of pocket expenses for which I will not be reimbursed, such as for Indian Visas. Luckily I had not booked my air within the US yet, or gone to get the necessary vaccinations recommended by the CDC.
