This was easily one of the worst travel experiences we’ve ever had. We joined the Contiki Malaysia & Singapore tour expecting a structured, guided group experience. What we got was an overpriced, disorganised itinerary with minimal support and virtually no added value.
Communication from Contiki was almost non-existent. We didn’t hear anything from them until three days before the tour started. The welcome email we eventually received was vague and missing key information—most importantly, the flight details we needed for immigration. As a result, we were stuck at the airport in Malaysia, unable to fill out arrival cards and waiting over half an hour for our tour leader to respond with the basic info we should have received long before departure.
There was no proper welcome, no group introduction, and no attempt to bring everyone together. Since half the group had already done a Thailand leg of the tour, the rest of us were treated like an afterthought. It felt like two separate tours awkwardly jammed together. There was zero sense of community or cohesion.
The itinerary itself was mostly unstructured free time, with very little actual guidance or input from the tour leader. Instead of meaningful cultural experiences or support navigating the destinations, the focus seemed to be on pushing overpriced optional excursions. No local context, no advice on dress codes, customs, or even basic travel etiquette—it was as if we were on our own from the start.
To make matters worse, Contiki had the nerve to include a suggested tip of $3 per person per day in the pre-trip email. That might be understandable if we’d received excellent service, but in this case, it was completely unjustified. It honestly felt like a cash grab on top of an already overpriced tour.
We had even booked an extra night at the starting hotel before the tour and simply asked to stay in the same room. Rather than helping, Contiki told us to handle it ourselves—a small request, but one that reflected a consistent lack of care or service throughout.
At multiple points during the trip—including at airports—we were left completely on our own, with other travellers having to take on the role of organising logistics because the tour leader was nowhere to be found. It often felt like there wasn’t a tour leader at all.
We paid nearly £1,000 per person for this experience, and we genuinely regret it. With the lack of structure, support, and local engagement, it felt like we just paid for some hotels and bus rides. We could have planned the exact same trip ourselves for half the cost—and done a better job.
This tour was so bad it made us consider ending our entire trip early.
If you’re considering booking with Contiki, especially for Southeast Asia, don’t. This tour was a rip-off, badly managed, and completely out of line with what was promised.
