Middle East City sightseeing Trips

Two couples and four seasoned single travellers from UK and US soon gelled together as a group. As several reviewers have said before a few advance days in Singapore would have helped with jetlag and acclimatisation. Plus note on this tour, that whilst the Singapore Entry Card can be applied for just prior to travel, the one for Malaysia has to be applied for within three days of crossing border. This is a little more complicated and fiddly on a mobile phone, but our ever helpful local tour guide Sam was there for those that struggled. The Singapore tour was well worth it, even in the hot humid conditions, and the evening light shows are not to be missed. Food experiences and shopping is available for all pockets. Local Malay people are very warm and welcoming, although some other regional visitors can be less polite and culturally unaware of the concept of a queue. Crossing to Malaysia was generally trouble free and currency can be changed just over the border. First stop Malacca is there for your colonial history and the Hotel Puri is a perfect compliment to this. On to KL and again plenty of history and the sort of shopping opportunities that a big city can provide. There is an amount of coach travel between locations, but Sam broke this up by covering several topics and explaining local customs etc. Also at several rest stops he would bring on board yet another tasty exotic tropical fruit or local snack for us to try, but not the durian thankfully. Then moving to the homestay, which although a little sanitised for the visitor, was very enjoyable, but perhaps the accommodation was a little too basic for some. Next the Cameron Highlands then provided respite from the heat and the hotel was pure luxury in comparison. The tea plantation visit was actually very interesting and if the group had not bonded before, they did over the evening Malaysian Hotpot! A pleasant few days in Penang followed, with evening entertainment and dancing for those brave enough, and then on again to Langwaki Island. Here some of the group decided to slowly roast on the beach or swim in the pools, whilst Sam arranged trips for the rest. A highlight was feeding bananas by hand to the local monkeys, as part of a small boats tour in the Northern Mangroves. The last night was a farewell sunset boat trip, a food buffet, and a chance for a swim, water polo, or even a ride in a super speed boat. A varied and enjoyable holiday, resulting from a group of strangers that soon became friends and held together by Sam our guide, who dealt with any issues in a calm and professional manner.

There was too much to see and do. It was a wonderful trip but six cities should be cut back to 3. Italy is a beautiful county with so much ancient history. The tour company treated us really good, the guide was wonderful and the bus driver was impressive. I would recommend it to anyone but warln that there is a lot of walking and standing. I did bring a foldable stool which relly nice to have.

I had an amazing trip. Our trip manager and driver and were so knowledgeable and I felt totally taken care of the whole trip. They weren't just there to do their jobs but went out of their way to make the experience enjoyable and exciting. I really appreciated the history talk and presentations made because it gave so much more context to he places we were seeing and made me appreciate the countries even more. They kept things smooth even during chaotic situations and made sure we got the most out of our trip. Great people and so professional

It was absolutely wonderful to be on this tour thru Spain and Portugal. I like Sevilla with its old town and cathedral, but I was mesmerized by Cordoba an old Mosque - Cathedral and 2000 years old Roman bridge we walked thru. I also loved Toledo that I visited 20 years ago, but it looked to me much better. Barcelona stole my heart - Sagrada Familia is build up and gorgeous. Spanish People are wonderful to be with - warm, funny and happy, the food is delicious - paella and the restaurants are great. Forgot about Valencia - old town and modern Art and Science Center built by Santiago Calatrava (Oculus in New York City is his as well) Portugal is a bit different and people more reserved. I was happy to be there and see Columbus' and Vasco De Gama's graves. Great tour, recommend to all.

I have seen and experienced so many wonderful places, people, food and entertainment. The holiday was packed with more than I had expected but allowed enough free time to recharge batteries. Our guide was very efficient, kind, thoughtful and helpful. He was extremely knowledgeable and funny. We were very lucky to have him. Plus, I was with a group of lovely people and enjoyed their company.

The trip is very aggressive, but the sites and activities are amazing. It’s challenging to be in so many hotels however, that’s the only way you can see both islands fully. The food was amazing. Our driver was very kind and skilled. Our guide was animated, funny and made the long rides bearable.