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Reviews 823
D. Mackintosh
Feb 19,2024Would NOT recommend this Solo tour due to: 1. ‘Safari’ is not an accurate description. Wilpattu park is not ‘known’ for its leopards according to our driver, who had lived there all his life and had never seen a leopard! Morning drives started in the park too late for any early potential leopard sightings and no dusk drives - optimal times for leopards! 2 drives in same part of park! Saw only one elephant, some peacocks, one group of buffalo and deer. A herd of elephants possible in Minneriya Wildlife Park, Habarana, at an extra charge! No visit to Yala. 2. The ‘cookery lesson’ was only a demonstration-NO selection of own ingredients and preparing and cooking own meal as stated in itinerary. 3. Visit to Nuwara Eliya: brief visit to tea factory. No opportunity to see how pickers picked the tea - only through the bus window. 4 The Blackpool hotel rooms do not all have a balcony. 5. The tour guide made an derogatory statement about Moslems, which she was aware of as she said she would not have been able to say such a statement in a previous group as it included some Moslems - outrageous, racist and extremely unprofessional. 6. All evening meals were buffets, some reasonable some dreadful. No offer of ‘fine dining’!
Sandra
Feb 18,2024Our recent trip to India surpassed all our expectations. We enjoyed every second as everything was beautifully organised. The Cox and Kings representatives took good care of us in every city. The guides were extremely generous in sharing their expert knowledge and we felt very safe with the drivers as they navigated their way through traffic. The hotels and staff were superb and when we did once have a request to change rooms the issue was dealt with immediately and without question. We return with unforgettable impressions of a country so rich in history, culture and innovation. Everyone we met and spoke to before and during our trip was kind, helpful and considerate.
Heather
Feb 15,2024An excellent tour which covered the significant archaeological and historical sites on the West Coast of Turkey. The hotels were mostly excellent. The bus tour was comfortable and provided excellent wifi. The guide was extremely helpful. The small tour (17 people) made it more personal and less stressful.
Alan and Jen
Feb 14,2024Can only give 4stars at the moment, we have been on the tour yet which may change the rating either way. The booking process and help from the staff so far as been very professional.
Janet
Jan 30,2024We went on the splendours of chile group tour. This tour involved 11 flights which were all on time, all the connections met and none of our luggage was lost. The hotels we stayed in were all comfortable with reasonable facilities and when we chose to eat in the hotels the meals were good, however the service in the Altiplanico San Pedro de Atacama was exceedingly slow, the food arrived eventually and was tepid the portions were very small and is was very expensive. All the local guides who accompanied us were very informative however our main guide for the holiday Jose was not very organised and never answered our questions. All the places on the itinerary were amazing including the Easter Island extension. It helps if you speak some Spanish as English is not widely spoken and most of the menus in the cafes snd resturants were on QR codes which you had to upload onto your mobile phone these were all in spanish.
Ms Ann O'Brien
Jan 23,2024The Pakistan group tour was faultless. We had an excellent tour manager and the C&K rep who accompanied us throughout the tour, Diana Driscoll, was first class. I hope she will do other tours. The hotels were good and the food was good. We had an armed police escort, but it wasn’t necessary, as the Pakistani people were delightful and welcoming. I wish C&K would put on a follow up tour of other parts of Pakistan.
Marcus Hunter
Jan 17,2024This was our second escorted tour with Cox and Kings so our expectations were high and we were not disappointed. The itinerary was varied and stimulating and covered a wide area of the north west of India. Our guide was superb. He soon established a rapport with our small group and provided an interesting and informative commentary throughout. There was a fair amount of travelling internally by train, coach and plane which was essential for us to see as much as we did. However we felt that a further internal flight immediately after arrival from the UK could have been avoided with a different itinerary. Also, a minor quibble, the written itinerary we were given was badly organised; the sequence was wrong in places and there was repetition of sections. Overall, a truly memorable experience.
Will Curtiss
Jan 15,2024A wonderful holiday made really good by the organisation and a really professional and lovely driver (Basir). Problems caused by BA’s inflexibility over rebooking due to the war in Gaza meant that we (C&K and us) did not receive what was actually paid for.
Rosamond Howard
Jan 13,2024Wonderful trip to see the ancient sites & experience the majestic River Nile in comfort. Four nights on the very superior boat was an absolute treat, very good food & delightful staff. All tours were escorted, entrance tickets provided & transport by coach, all seamlessly done. Cox & King available at all time and escort through airports much appreciated. Enjoyed the company of our small group.
Suz
Jan 08,2024We had an fantastic holiday in India. We chose Cox and Kings because of the itinerary, as they use short internal plane flights to move around the country for the first destinations rather than long trips in a bus or on a train that other companies use. The itinerary is very packed and involves many early starts. Our guide, Rachit, was excellent. Very helpful and knowledgable, we were a large mixed age and abilities group which he organised very well. My comments re the office in the UK echo other reviewers. I found it frustrating that we could not book our plane seats until close to flying which meant all the best seats were booked. And also had to chase up our final documents which were incorrect when they arrived, but this was swiftly rectified. We will definitely use C&K again. Re India, it is an amazing country to visit, the Golden Temple with its community kitchen was a particular highlight and I will never forget Varanasi. A great tour.
Chris Rigby
Jan 05,2024Good holiday, but I wouldn't describe it as high quality travel as they describe it as a company. San Jose hotel, not in a good area on a dual carriage way. Tortugeuro brilliant, needed to stay longer, cut out the Cano Negr Day ( 4 hours driving for a river trip which is little different to this). Also, the stay needs a dawn river/wildlife tour, not an afternoon one as was arranged, though our guide brought it forward to 8.30 am. He also gave us a garden tour - fabulous; hummingbirds, bats, toucans, leaf cutter ants. Well done Allan. Lunch stops which were included - the food was basic, unlike Jules Verne lunch stops! Selvatura walkways - wonderful. Though take care if you struggle with long walks, no warnings were given and some of our party struggled to keep up. Hotels are all outside the towns, little opportunity to walk into the local villages/towns and support the local economy and find lovely little eatery places too. Plan these in with taxis etc if needed. Cloud forest, is a wonderful flora and fauna experience. They also have hummingbird feeding stations - just amazing. Journey to Manuel Antonio took 7 hours, not 5! All journey times are out, all took longer than the itinerary suggests. Parador is a fabulous end to your stay, with great flora and fauna in the hotel grounds too, sloths and red macaws. However, the garden rooms although look lovely on the website, there is an issue. The rooms themselves are beautiful, but some have patios with an 8' chain link fence at the end of it, you feel like your sitting in a cage. We were moved as were others, but then had building work on the tennis courts, but it was better than the fence. The disappointing thing here was that we had a Cox and Kings staff member on our trip evaluating hotels, the trip etc to improve their knowledge of the holiday and area. However, she took no interest in seeing what the issue was for fee paying guests and to feedback to the company (she had a business suite)! If staff accompany a trip they should maintain a professional distance and operate covertly, or if they openly chat about being with Cox and Kings etc, they should take an interest and see what actual deal fee paying guests receive. She also took everyone's phone and emails to set up a Whatsapp group, which was beyond her remit as an employee. A good holiday, but could be massively improved with a couple of hotel swops and lunch stops and tweaks to the itinerary.
Moiya Northall
Jan 04,2024I had no previous experience of this type of holiday so had no expectations. The whole trip was a wonderful and magical experience! I loved the hotels, especially Dev Vilas and the hotel in Udiapur. Our team was brilliant! So polite and efficient. Our guide, Prem Sharma was excellent. So knowledgeable with a very engaging manner and a great sense of humour! Would recommend this tour to anyone
Keith B
Jan 03,2024We enjoyed our three country holiday tour of South America and would recommend the itinerary that C&K has put together. There were a large number of internal flights but this is to be expected given the places that are visited and the distances that have to be travelled. Be prepared for both hot and cold climes (even in the same places, eg. Atacama desert) and sudden changes in the weather (eg. Patagonia). We found all the local tour guides to be very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. There were plenty of opportunities to go on further trips during the 'at leisure' periods and the quality of the hotels was first class. All in all a great tour.
Judith’s I watch Creed
Jan 02,2024Our experience was great due to the efficiency of the itinerary and guides and especially the driver Fajh ( not sure of spelling) who accompanied us for most of our trip, he was outstanding, particularly his careful driving skills and always getting us to places in good time. The only one mistake was when there was no one to meet us at the new Goa airport, a little daunting after an early start and 2internal flights. All was resolved after calling Cox and Kings New Delhi but it was a little stressful. We loved the Safari Lodges especially Evolve back which was exceptional and would have enjoyed another night there, along with The Serai Bandipur. The Safaris were very good too, along with the Botanical Gardens tour and a good guide. Everywhere we visited we enjoyed immensely along with the hotels. We found the terminology misleading in Mysore, we were expecting an evening food tour ( stated in the itinerary) of Street Food when in fact we were taken to a type of everyday restaurant called Street Food. Thank you to Vasu who collated the trip it really was most enjoyable. Overall a really lovely holiday with great experiences.
Philip
Jan 01,2024Very well organised. Hotels generally up to promised standard. Tour guides were excellent, first class. Good itinerary. One thing we were disappointed about: Cox & Kings made no effort to pre-book seats on airlines so we (and rest of party) had to make our own arrangements and we didn't get the ticket references until a couple of weeks before we left which made it difficult.
BGR
Dec 31,2023As we have learned to expect, the level of service from the Cox and Kings team was excellent. In particular, Ewa Machnic was particularly helpful and industrious in putting together our tailor-made trip to the Galapagos - and kept us informed of flight changes and was helpful about the necessary adjustments. The local organisations and staff on the ground were well-chosen and efficient, and the whole trip worked seamlessly.
Customer
Dec 30,2023Excellent trip to the Golden Triangle and Shimla. Fabulous hotels, perfect itinerary, great tour manager throughout.... and it is a real bonus only having a maximum of 18 in a group. Lovely mix of people too. Fabulous
Jean
Dec 30,2023A great holiday - I loved it. Super organisation, everything ran like clockwork. Allan, our guide, was amazing and extremely knowledgeable. Saw a super array of animals, including sloths - how the guides see them still baffles me!
Judith Miller
Dec 30,2023We booked a tour of Nepal and then joined the Grand Tour of India with an add on for Shimla at the end. We were away for an entire month. Cox and Kings organised the entire trip from start to finish, it was faultless the transitions between many different changes of country and venue were handled with efficiency and professionalism. (8 internal flights 4 international flights bus, train, tuk tuk, rickshaws and boat journeys later). The standard of guiding for all parts of the trips was exceptional but special mention needs to be made for Suzan in Nepal who found the restaurant I wanted from the vague information I gave him from a visit 20 years previously. Dan in Pokhara who showed us the beauty of the Himalayas. Our driver in Nepal was incredible in negotiating the highway. In India Prem deserves a special commendation for getting my laptop back when it was lost at Amritsar airport. His diplomacy in managing the differing needs of a varied group were put to the test and not found wanting. The accommodation and service was always of the highest standard, the food delicious be it from a street vendor or a top class restaurant. (We did not get ill on this trip) Things that could benefit from review are: Often the hotels were not in an area where you could easily walk out to eat or enjoy the local environment, this would be helpful if they were more centralised. Sometimes the Hotels were style above function in one of the most magnificent in Udaipur we had no water in the morning. Perhaps the shopping experiences could be negotiated with the group, one carpet shop is enough!! and not enough time in the most amazing textile shop in Jodhpur. The trip to Rathambore outside of the season for spotting tigers should be an optional extra as the likelihood of seeing tigers is negligible the time could be better spent elsewhere. The range of temples monuments and experiences visited were diverse, vibrant and colourful and encompassed the true spirit of India and Nepal. It is difficult to name the favourites but: Pokhara and Bandiphur are on my list of most breathtakingly beautiful places in the world. I think the Golden Temple in Amritsar beats the Taj Mahal. The Wagah ceremony is a must do The Ganges has to be seen to be believed. Shimla and the rail journey there has got to be one of the most romantic settings in the world. Sitting in the Embassy Cafe est 1942 lower bazaar watching an electrical storm come across the valley whilst drinking Himalayan coffee and cake was a memory that will stay forever.
David Stephens
Feb 26,20249 day trip with 6 different hotels, car hire, flights - all worked perfectly. No problems. Trip booked within preset budget. No problem in making changes where requested. Good communication.