Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours)

Booked for July and gave them $12,000. They talked us into early arrival and then come back to us a two months later saying we can't offer. We have to keep our airlines a day early and now need to find transfer and hotel on our own. Would cancel but would lose $2,000 trip insurance. They talked us into us to arrive early and now cancelling and saying you are on your own. Can't imagine what else will go wrong.

I went to this adventure with my sister-in-law and we had the absolute best time! Our guide were all amazing and our trip leader Martin was exceptional! My sister-i-law had a fall the day we were to meet our group and Martin helped us navigate the urgent care, got her stitched up and stayed by our side until she was tucked into our room. What a waRead more about review stating My favorite OAT adventurey to meet your trip leader but also we knew we were set up with a caring and kind man from the start! This was a truly unique adventure with large cities and also the most serene scenery on earth!
I write this in the mist of the recent pandemic and hope that as soon as this all settles down we can take another trip with OAT. It will be hard to match this trip but we will try!

We visited Panama on this trip with OAT including walking through El Chorrillo neighborhood and listening to the stories of the survivors of the US invasion. We would recommend the movie "The Panama Deception," a documentary of the US invasion. It tells a different story that the US government and media reported at the time. Certainly more informaRead more about review stating Additional movie recommendation for Panama visitorstive that "The Tinker of Panama."
You can find the movie online at https://www.c-span.org/video/?467566-1/the-panama-deception

India was on my bucket list. I have travelled with OAT many times and knew if any company could show it to me properly it was them. The trip surpassed any expectation I could have imagined. We stayed in palaces and drove by shanty towns. India is so full of contrasts, all kinds of contrasts. Riots of scents, color, sounds, come at you all at once.Read more about review stating 2018 Heart of India The best food you will ever have, cheap custom made silk clothing, and monuments that float at sunrise. All this and more is waiting for you. DO NOT miss this trip, it will change how you see yourself, others and humanity.

This trip has been one of the best with OAT so far. The sightseeing, food, and most of the accommodations were very good. Our tour guide, Anuja Skaria, was absolutely outstanding. She went out of her way to take u to many places not included in the itinerary. She was most attentive to detail.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip led by a fantastic leader - Pum from Thailand. He was an excellent mentor for all of the local guides and allowed them to lead in their respective countries and stepped in only if something was not right.
I have several suggestions for those who might be taking this tour. The very best place to shop is the night Read more about review stating Interesting travelmarket in Luang Prabang. That is also the city that we enjoyed the most. We could have even stayed there another day. There were excellent restaurants there - an Italian one and a French one to name a few and the small hotel was delightful.
The Angkor Paradise Hotel in Phnom Penh had the best massages that we had anywhere. They offered a Swedish Massage for 1 hour and we should have had the 90 minute one as the time went so fast. That also was a lovely hotel.
In Vietnam, when you have the Mekong Delta discovery, try to have your trip leader give you time to shop at the place where you get on the boat and also return to that same place. We were able to have 15 minutes to shop there, which was not enough. Much nicer things can be found here than in the large market in Saigon. It is the only place where I was able to buy the embroidered T shirts than are so plentiful in North Vietnam, but found nowhere else in the South. You might have to ask to see them. I had purchased some of them 17 years ago in Hanoi and they are so good that after being washed multiple times, they look as good as new. The coconut
candy factory also has some good bargains.
Although we had previously toured 2 of these countries with OAT, this was a very good overall tour of the 4 countries.
Our return trip through was canceled because the Hong Kong airport was closed due to Covid. OAT allowed us to stay an extra day in Saigon and found us another way home. They went way above what we expected in helping us, keeping us informed, and paying for our extra day at the excellent Orchids Hotel in Saigon. This is why we continue to travel with OAT.

I am sure I completed a survey and gave this trip, particularly our Trip Leader Samson Mweta, highest marks.

Trip is great for people who enjoy nature, especially bird watching.

Phenomenal variety with talented hard working well informed resourceful leaders. You do need to do your homework for free days to make the most of this long interesting trip. If you are not a party animal once again being less of a party animal than my fellow OAT travelers you need to be prepared for the dynamics of being sober and serious with juRead more about review stating Vigorous long amazing tripiced up friends.

I have now been on seven GCT trips, mostly overseas and mostly where I was the Trip Organizer. At the time of my first trip that was this trip it was my first exposure to the GCT Tour Directors. I have loved all of my trips, however, of all of the Tour Directors, Maree Greenwood has stood out as the Star Performer in not only GCT trips but with anRead more about review stating Australia, New Zealand, and Fijiy company I have ever traveled. This lady has so much knowledge of Australia and New Zealand and is the most personable director I have ever met!! She works very hard for not one but all of her travelers!! She is the best. I would take this trip again with Maree!!

Fabulous trip
On Suez Canal Crossing: Israel, Egypt, Jordan & the Red Sea

I loved this trip, despite that it was (appropriately) cut short by the pandemic. It was my first group travel experience, having traveled fairly extensively before on my own or with one other person.. Visits and sites were so well thought out, and I greatly appreciated the trip’s window on every day life (the village visit and the dinner with a fRead more about review stating Heart of Indiaamily), current hot issues (at the time, oppression of Muslim citizens), and local experience (we had so much fun on Holi!). I knew little about India, and the trip whetted my appetite to learn more. I look forward to returning when the pandemic is behind us.

We alsotook the post trip option to Victoria Falls. Fantastic. Time was good as river was at about 75% so we oculd actual see intothe gorge. Animals were fantastic. We were about 2 weeks early for the Wildwbeasr running but we could see them all around us as we travled. . No phones so somebody would come to the tent and knock to wake us up - and bRead more about review stating Kenya and Tanzaniaring along coffee, tea, etc

Just so you know, you absolutely do not get wet on the Limay River Float Trip. We were looking forward to the trip so we could see the steppe (We saw no wildlife.) but we saw the steppe a lot as the main trip continued. The optional trip is not the only chance you'll have to see this part of Patagonia. It was a beautiful, relaxing trip with a goodRead more about review stating Limay River Float Trip lunch, but it's not a trip we would highly recommend.

My apologies for my tardiness in writing this review. I finally arrived back in New York on March 10 and went directly in quarantine and haven't come up for air since. It's amazing how little one gets done when one has so relatively little to do. New Zealand is simply the most beautiful place I've ever been, with the most sophisticated, funny,Read more about review stating Another perfect journey! warm and welcoming people. I know I've said that about most of the places I've traveled with OAT, but there is something magical that grabbed my heart about New Zealand. Certainly, Andy Glauser, our trip leader, was one of the biggest reasons. Her wit, good nature, executive abilities, wisdom and huge heart made us all feel empowered and cared for. There are so many places in the world that I want to visit and so little time, but I would definitely jump at the chance to return to New Zealand. Thank you for giving me one more "Trip of a Lifetime!"