Experience Travel Group Traveller Reviews

Our second trip to Sri Lanka but to areas we had not visited before. We wanted to include the Jaffna peninsula and the unspoilt east coast.

Our travel consultant was very knowledgeable and came up with an interesting itinerary which covered the ideas we had and more. Our driver guide was superb, hotel choices excellent and would recommend this company to other holiday makers.

Classic sums it up. A well planned holiday full of great experiences done at a pace that was well judged. Flights, hotels and guides blended seamlessly to provide numerous memorable experiences. Difficult to choose highlights but Ankor Wat at dawn, overnight Halong cruise, and Ho Chi Minh city activities probably stand out. Not forgetting the 'Master Chef meets Generation Game', Red Bridge cooking school! All in all a memorable and fun holiday.

Experience travel group and in particular Lauren were a delight to deal with and Their attention to detail and personal interest in making this a an excellent holiday was outstanding. Their contracted guides were delightful and knowledgeable hosts who took the trouble to make minor amendments to itinerary timings to allow for special events (Tet) and to give us the best possible experience at crowded locations. Equally, the contracted drivers made us feel comfortable and safe in some, at times chaotic traffic. The company passes on to the guides the ages of the group travelling, in our case all seniors, a good move though we believe we confounded some of the guides by our agility! Finally, no holiday is complete without at least one minor hitch. In our case, I mentioned a couple of points to the company on our return: all minor, and primarily offered more by way of suggesting 'fine tuning'. The response, can only be described as 'above and beyond' what I might have expected. I have no hesitation in recommending this company to anyone.

After enjoying three excellent holidays to Sri Lanka, Burma and Cambodia with Experience Travel, we booked a fourth to Laos and were not disappointed. The trip was an 18 day adventure travelling from the rugged north-west to the flatter paddies of southern Laos where the Mekong River flows over a giant doorstep of waterfalls into Cambodia. In between were the splendours of the Mekong River, the city of Luang Prabang, the temples of Wat Phou and Vientiane, and the enigmatic Plain of Jars. Travelling by river and road in the north and the deep south was also an ideal way of experiencing smaller towns and rural life as well as appreciating the diverse ethnic make up of the country. We stayed in ten different and charming hotels which far exceeded our expectations. We usually left each one with regret that we were not staying longer at them. It was a great trip and a privileged insight into the life of this country.

We have come back to Experience Travel for several reasons. First, they've done their homework and really know about the countries they visit and the hotels on offer. Second, they are good listeners and readily adapt their tours for the things which especially interest us. Third, they seem well organised and have avoided the potential pitfalls posed by complicated trips such as this. Fourth, they work with reliable local companies that have provided us with great guides and drivers who are the key to the daily success of the trips.

We spent Four days in Siem Reap (Cambodia), Three days in Bangkok and Eleven nights in Phuket (Nai Yang). In Siem Reap we saw the temples of Angkor, Hidden temples, and a quad bike ride out into the Rice fields at sunset. In Bangkok we had an afternoon tour through various areas of the city of Bangkok. We experienced the various cultures on offer in Bangkok and saw some amazing sights. We also spent a morning on the 'food and culture' tour sampling various foods, desserts, and beverages that signify their culture. In Phuket, we spent eleven nights relaxing in the fantastic hotel Dewa Nai Yang Beach located in the national Park. Fantastic location with great beaches. For ourselves, this was perfect as we were away from the more bustling Pa Tong Beach which is popular for revellers. We independently hired a vehicle for two days where we experienced the rest of the island of Phuket. On doing so we saw all the sights Phuket has to offer and we really appreciated even more the location where we stayed.

Where do we start with Experience Travel Group?! Well, they are amazing. From the moment we made first contact, David Gookey went out of his way to tailor make an unforgettable experience for our honeymoon. We gave a small list of criteria and left the rest to David. What David came up with was beyond our expectations. The hotels exceeded what we were expecting, and got better and better and the honeymoon progressed. Davids planning of the trips went smoothly. One stand out point is the obvious relationship Experience Travel Group have with their overseas associates. Everything from start to finish was executed with precision from everyone involved. Would we travel again with Experience Travel Group? Yes. Would we choose David Gookey to arrange everything for us? Yes. Will we be recommending Experience Travel Group to people? Without a doubt. We have such confidence with David and Experience Travel, we will not look elsewhere for any travel in this part of the World. Its a real shame that they don't deal globally. However, im sure that's why they are so good at what they do

Four age 60ish ladies travelled well with the guidance and care of Experience Travel's on the ground guides & drivers. The hotel accommodations were well located and appointed and the restaurant recommendations by the guides were good local places.

Very responsive to all pre planning aspects, going the extra mile to help plan time and distance aspects so there was sufficient time to see each place visited. While we were on the trip there was a glitch with the names on passports versus the names the airline tickets had been booked in, but the needed change was handled well.

Unfortunately the accommodation at Casa Helonica although luxurious, meant access to our WC in Pagoda Gold bungalow was at the end of a path descending a few steps, negotiating a water pond and needing a torch to access it. You need to be aware of this before reserving. If we had been informed we would have refused this accommodation. The second bungalow called Ankor Temple offers a more convenient stay. We also experienced other unfortunate incidences during our holiday in Sri Lanka, too numerous to list which meant we came back with photographs documenting these rather than the great holiday we were expecting..

We were extremely let down by Experience Travel Group and would not recommend them. We felt the holiday was not good value for money.

Our trip was to see all the sites of Sri Lanka and this included Safaris and all the sites in the cultural triangle followed by a week on a lovely small Maldive Island called Koomandu. it was a wonderful experience. The hotels and food were incredible and just small enough to be homely but with very high standards

We live in Crete so arranged this by phone. The service was very professional and they got the itinerary to perfection. Our Chauffeur /guide was amazing and knowledgeable and became a friend for life. We saw so much and experienced such a great deal that cannot wait to arrange another trip. Sri Lanka was hectic but stunning and the Maldives provided the ultimate rest and relaxation. well done you are a credit to the travel industry with your expertise, service and friendship are first class

We spent 3 weeks in Sri Lanks, seeing most of the main tourist sights and staying in the most wonderful villas and hotels.

Experience Travel did a great job in arranging a fantastic holiday for us.

We had an absolutely fabulous time. Sri Lanka far exceeded our expectations it is a lovely clean green and friendly country. We would definitely visit again. The Maldives was as amazing as we expected.

Experience Travel were very good and arranged an excellent tour for us. We only had one unfortunate experience in the whole 14 days holiday.

Sri Lanka tour with a guide driver to visit some of main points of interest, would need numerous visits to see all the treasures. We enoyed the whole experience from the moment we left our front door in the Emirates supplied car to our return home in the same manor. The whole tour exceeded our expections with our the driver guide being excellent. The history of the country, the friendly people who could not do enough, the excellent food and the amazing unigue places we stayed all contributed to make this the best holiday yet. So many good memories.

Our operator knew the country well and this showed in the detailed itinerary that enabled to see everything without being part of the mass parties of the visiting tourists. Would recommend to all.