Middle East Local culture Trips

The itinerary was really good. All the hotels were of a high standard. Excellent Travel Director and Driver. The coach was new but the design of the seat belt stalks meant they dug into my leg. Would also have liked WiFi in the coach.

Japan has been on my bucket list for the longest time. This is my third Contiki trip. I’m still very happy and grateful that I had the opportunity to do this trip, because it’s proven to be the best one I’ve done so far. Shout out to Renee for being an incredible tour guide manager, as well as the amazing group of people I traveled with that made this trip impactful.

It is a great way to see all of New Zealand. The guide and bus driver were great. It was a long trip but it leaves you wanting to go back for more.

This has been an amazing trip, can't recommend it enough, especially if this is your first trip to India, it's a great introduction to get your bearings. Our trip was nine days and we covered a large geographical area in a relatively short space of time to see the sights in Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthamborne, Agra and Varanasi. To do this we travelled in a private minibus which was really comfortable and also took the public train to Varanasi and Delhi, the train was also really comfortable, spacious and clean , we also had a couple of small boat trips along the Ganges which were really special, so there was a good mix of transport it wasn't all minibus. The sights you see on this trip are stunning, and there are just so many to see. This is a busy trip but that's the beauty of it, you will get to see so much. The hotels we stayed in were of varying standards but mostly very good: Jaipur, Agra, Ranthamborne and Varanasi Hotels were all great and the breakfasts and evening meals in those hotels were really very good indeed. We were taken to some fabulous restaurants to eat in the evenings and the food everywhere we went was delicious and we didn't worry about what we were eating as every place we ate at had been vetted by our excellent tour guide leader. The group we travelled with were so much fun, we all became good friends by the end.

Liam, our guide, was absolutely wonderful. Very organized, outstanding communicator, and provided the perfect tempo for us to enjoy seeing many things without stress or being too rushed. The transportation was so comfortable! Our coach was in perfect condition and the driver was safe, prompt, and incredibly skilled at driving the small country roads we had the join of traveling down. I do think the drive down the Ring of Kerry was quite long but I am grateful for the beautiful scenery which I will never forget. The hotels were also well chosen, perfectly equipped, and the food provided as part of the tour was always excellent.

We loved this trip. Yes, some of the hotels were pretty average, yes a few didn't have hot water, and yes some had extremely inefficient staff, but that's not what you are going for. We got to visit the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati which should be on the itinerary. Each place we visited throughout the trip was very much worth the time and effort to get there. Even on the long drive days the stops didn't feel like just fillers that you might get somewhere else. Kaziranga National Park was a lovely day and we saw a lot of elephant and dozens of rhino. So much more than we thought we might, and at a lot closer quarter too. The trek down to the root bridges at Cherrapunjee was another highlight. It is a big effort as described in the notes and in other reviews, but worth every step. They are remarkable. We walk a lot, but never previously used walking poles, however, we did on this day and I'd highly using them. The hotel there is lovely with great views over the Sylhet plains into Bangladesh. Hornbill Festival was incredible and a massive highlight. Our guide, Pema, got us to the festival nice and early and we were able to experience all the tribal groups entering the arena to take their places, all singing, chanting, drumming. Absolutely wonderful and an experience we will remember for a long time. And a second day to fully absorb it. Amazing, loved it! The Majuli Island stay was another totally different environment. The ferry to and from is a great experience. The temple visits were beautiful and a contrast to the full on craziness of Hornbill Festival. It was also really lovely to be able to walk through small villages and meet local people. The day at Longwa village was another extraordinary time. Meeting the ex headhunters, a wander through the hilltop border village, a great lunch in a longhouse. So different from anywhere else we've been. And the last night in a lovely old colonial tea bungalow and time meeting the ladies picking leaves on the plantation was a lovely treat. Things don't work in this part of the world as you may be accustomed to, but just go with it and this trip will reward you with some extraordinary experiences.