http://beta.tripreviews.com/ TripReviews - be in the know before you go! Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:31:17 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/images/tripreviews_logo_white.gif http://beta.tripreviews.com http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Mexico/mayan-riviera/mayan-riviera
And to the person who complained about the resort earlier, of course the workers will try to teach you Spanish (or 'Mexican' as you put it), as that is the language of the country! I highly doubt you would like it if people from other countries came to your homeland and tried to insist that you speak their language. Come on.

Go here, it's fun!]]> Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:15:37 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421492 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Peru/lima/lima Fine restaurants with delighting dishes, plenty of historical and cultural atractions and many options for going out at night. Friendly people and nice weather specially from December to April is perfect for going to the beach and get a good tan while praticing sea sports like surfing or sailing. Just 8 hours away from the Andes mountains plenty of skiing, hiking and mountain climbing opportunities; with stunning landscapes where lakes and rivers meet the blue sky.
You can get to the Amazonas jungle in as little as 6 hours through a good highway
and get to Cuzco and its legendary Machu Picchu ruins after a 1 hour flight.
Being Lima also located at the center of the South American Pacific Coast you can use Lima International Airport as your hub to connect to any worlwide destination.
Prices are quite good compared to other destinations around the globe.
I definitively would go again but with family or friends and for a longer time!]]> Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:40:24 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421481 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Dominican+Republic/punta-cana/occidental-grand-hotel-punta-cana Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:51:11 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421464 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/India/goa/goa
Recently, after watching some beautiful views of Goa on television, I have decided to explore this place. So, i had planned a trip to Goa in the month of February this year. I was lucky to witness the colorful Goa carnival for the first time. It was really stunning. Local Goan residents, all dressed up in vibrant attires danced on the main street of Panjim.

Beside witnessing this, I had also visited Bondla national park , Anjuna flea market and some Portuguese mansions etc.

If you want some more info on Goa, just visit goa-travel-tourismdotcom because this site has helped me lot in making my travel plan. ]]> Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:39:23 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421450 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/India/goa/goa
Recently, after watching some beautiful views of Goa on television, I have decided to explore this place. So, i had planned a trip to Goa in the month of February this year. I was lucky to witness the colorful Goa carnival for the first time. It was really stunning. Local Goan residents, all dressed up in vibrant attires danced on the main street of Panjim.

Beside witnessing this, I had also visited Bondla national park , Anjuna flea market and some Portuguese mansions etc.

If you want some more info on Goa, just visit www.goa-travel-tourism.com because this site has helped me lot in making my travel plan. ]]> Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:36:35 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421449 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Saint+Lucia/lucia/lucia
We booked a vacation from Toronto to St. Lucia on May 27th through Escapes.ca and the carrier was Westjet Vacations. At the time my husband inquired about travel insurance as his mother has been battling ovarian cancer for 4 years and had been ok for the past 3 years but as a precaution we thought it prudent to take out the insurance. However we were told that because it was a preexisting condition, that the insurance would not cover the trip. Although shocking and unbelievable, we accepted this and booked. DID ANYONE ELSE KNOW ABOUT THIS CLAUSE?

Unfortunately on June 20th, my mother in laws health deteriorated significantly and she has been hospitalized and we were told that it was not a good idea for us to leave the country. She passed away on July 4th. I called escapes.ca and was told that there was absolutely nothing that could be done as they were just the booking agent. They suggested that I call Westjet, the carrier and had any decision making power. I accepted the fact that I would not be eligible for a refund. However why couldn't I postpone the date or at least change the names so that we could ensure someone enjoy the trip? I called and spoke with a CSR at Westjet and told her about the situation.

Her supervisor then got on the phone and I really don't think that I have ever received worse customer service from an organization than I did at that time, and especially at such an emotional time. I tried explaining the situation to however he came across as rude, condescending and unprofessional. He spoke over me and didn't let me finish my sentences. He also said that I should call escapes.ca as they were the ones that we booked through. He said that we should have got the travel insurance. He also said that I was unable to contact the hotel as it would not make a difference. I was also told that the VP of Customer Service did not answer phone calls. So much for quality customer service. According to Westjet's website, they are committed to providing exceptional guest service...and they are "confident that you will be impressed by the enthusiastic people who work for our airline." I can honestly say that I am definitely not impressed. The VP did call me back and was very nice, however he did say he would get back to me and I am still waiting for that call.

I was wondering if anyone can tell me what we should have done? I understand that a refund was not warranted, and I never asked for this. We didn't purchase the insurance because we were told that we would not be eligible for the insurance. We were also told by escapes.ca that we should have just purchased the insurance but lie about the reason we were cancelling. I don't feel comfortable participating in fraudulent activities. My question is why wasn't I able to at least change the name on the ticket? I don't understand why it would make a difference what guest shows up? We paid for the trip in full, and although we couldn't enjoy it, at least someone could have. I can't comprehend why an organization such as Westjet, that prides itself on its service would not be able at least some sort of assistance to this situation? I would like someone to walk me through the process of what it takes to make a name change on a trip. I have asked countless people this question, and after relaying my experience with Westjet and Escapes.ca, they are in shock -- they do not know the answer. I have also been looking through all trip advisor/travel review type websites and cannot find an answer. Westjet employees so far have been unwilling or unable to answer this question. The answer "that is our policy" is not acceptable.

I understand Westjet and Escapes.ca is a business (I am a small business owner myself) and am a reasonable individual, which is why I never expected a refund. However, as a business owner, I am also aware of treating people with respect as your customers are your best form of advertising. I can honestly say that my dealings with Westjet and Escapes.ca have been terrible.

Regards,

Tricia Cosgrove
]]> Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:41:24 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421445 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/South+Africa/johannesburg/johannesburg
The vehicle that was hire was a Toyota Hilux 4x4 with caravan - having a foldaway tent mounted on its roof. I took the vehicle on the 29th as far as Zeerust on the N4 and stayed in a chalet for the night. During this first period of our journey we noticed that the radio did not work or the CD player. The cigarette lighter used to power the sat nav did not work - the sat nav we hired went flat. The heater did not work. When reversing in the dark at Zeerust the reverse lights did not work. We continued our journey to Francistown were we stayed the night and realised that the vehicle tended to wonder from side to side and speeds higher that 100 KPH. There was also section on the road that had pot holes and we drove in a manor as to avoid hitting them and causing damage to the vehicle and tyres. I drove from Francistown to Nata were we stayed from something like an hour, bought some gift items from the shop and a soft drink to refresh ourselves and wondered around to have a look. I then took the vehicle a Little way from Nata and Teresa then took over the driving. Teresa also drove to avoid the pot holes prior to the accident although my wife does not remember the accident I am assuming that as she approached a pot hole she turned the steering wheel and the vehicle turned sharply to avoid the pot hole the vehicle went out of control and rolled into the bush. The Air Bags did not deploy on both the drivers side and passenger side. No other vehicle was involved.

When the Botswana police attended the scene, they noted that the licence disc on the windscreen was dated 2008 - together with the faults with the vehicle make me suspect that the maintenance of the vehicle was not to a sufficient standard for a vehicle rented out to the public, there is a duty of care here. There should be records of the service history of the vehicle to show that repairs and maintenance was carried at a regular basis and for accounts and tax purposes. The owner of Buffalo Campers, Mr Vaughan Colette who rented the vehicle to me will not provide this information. I believe that there was a lack of maintenance due to none functioning of electrics and the large side to side movement of the vehicle at over 100kph - this would have contributed to the loss of control and if properly maintained may have prevented the accident altogether.
]]> Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:25:54 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421389 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Mexico/puerto-vallarta/puerto-vallarta Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:31:22 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421373 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Mexico/riviera-maya/iberostar-paraiso-lindo
The beach was large, and we never had a hard time finding a beach chair with umbrella. There were some rocky areas in the water which made walking or swimming quite painful at times.

Ratings out of 5.

a la carte - 5 - lots of variety to choose from. I especially liked that most of the restaurants offered a buffet appetizer and dessert option.

Buffet - 4.5 - Decent food, lots to choose from.

Entertainment - 5 - The star friends really go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. There are always events going on around the resort. Be sure to check the schedule to see what suits your best. Night entertainment was funny and worth the time.

Beach - 4.5 - The only reason I didn't give this a 5 was because of the rocks in the water. If you don't like swimming at the beach, then this won't affect you. Lots of chairs and the beach is really long.

Pool - 5 - Swim up bar, lots of variety, wave pool, what more could you want?

Rooms - 4 - Although they were clean, nothing really to write home about. Large balcony's, climate control and decent washrooms.

]]> Thu, 17 Jun 2010 09:51:53 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421316 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Canada/BC/vancouver/vancouver Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:16:21 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421310 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Mexico/bucerias/bucerias Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:30:04 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421308 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Tanzania/serengeti/serengeti Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:59:03 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421307 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Aruba/palm-beach/palm-beach
The beach was OK but we have been on better 'sand' in Punta Cana. The beaches in Aruba are generally fine crushed sea shells until you get to the waters edge. Apart from the first couple of days the warm wind is constant day and night. The temperature was always in the high 30's and hot. If you have fair skin use lots of lotion with a high rating. The hotel is not for those that want peace and quiet as there are many families, mainly Brits and Americans; the pool area was very busy and at times crowded. You will need to get your spot early as with the beach. As with all resorts there is a problem with guests putting towels on loungers or under beach umbrellas then buggering off for a few hours. If you speak to a staff member they will generally tell you to remove the towel or bag if no one has returned in an hour. Hotel speciality restaurants are OK except the Nautilus which was not good. The Krystal was amazing food and service. The wine is so-so except for the Krystal which served decent wine.

In terms of activities within the hotel it is pretty amateurish, but there are plenty of places to visit outside the hotel. Organized trips are plentiful which you can book through the hotel, although we did the Kayak tour we rented a Jeep for a day and drove to all the tourist spots and more. This was great because we weren't tied to a timetable and managed to go where we wanted. If you drive around the island be careful because once you leave the main roads there are no sign posts and the roads are generally not paved. The Jeep rental was about $90.00 per day. The Kayak tour did not live up to its reputation. After a tour of about 5 hotels to pick up everyone and the drive to the Kayak dock an hour or so had passed. The Kayak tour takes a short trip along the coastline then across open water to DePalm Island, which is an all inclusive island offering snorkelling, a buffet and open bar as well as white sandy beaches. Going across open water was tough for a beginner, although you can double up in a Kayak. The guides are in Kayaks close by as well as a safety boat although at times the boat was way ahead at the front. After a few hours on the island it was a straight line back to the Kayak dock across open choppy water. It was an OK trip but a number of things mentioned in the brochure did not happen, such as the guides giving a 'guided tour' of the area and island.

Overall a good vacation and place to go. We will definitely be returning to Aruba although not this particular resort, not because it was dirty or bad food but it was rather crowded especially around the pool. The outside activities was very poor and the activity staff were catering more for the 'drinking crowd' with drinking games around the pool, which of course attracted those going a bit OTT, not for us, but great if you're a member of the younger generation.
]]> Sat, 12 Jun 2010 11:03:45 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421303 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Jamaica/ocho-rios/riu-ochos-rios-hotel
Our trip was from May 23rd thru the 31st. We came to Ochos Rios Riu Resorts for my best friend's wedding. She too has had great experience with Riu Resorts in the past. When we first arrived at Riu Ochos Rios it was complete chaos in the Hotel Lobby during check in. We could not check into our room till after the actual check in time because of cleaning and maintenance delays. It was quite the epic check in process. There was no organization and it took over an hour to check into our room. The check in associates was not welcoming what so ever.

Our room was not in the best condition as all. It was really dusty and not cleaned well. The room had dirt and dust all over the lamps. In addition to the dust the bathroom was not in the best condition what so ever. Furthermore, the beds were uncomfortable and hard. Our shower head was broken with no water pressure and the shower head was damaged to the point where the water from the shower head flowed and came from the sides versus directly into the shower. We called maintenance and they never showed up. We finally disassembled the shower head and took it to the front desk after two days of waiting for hotel maintenance to correct the situation but they never showed up. On a daily basis Housekeeping would not even have completed cleaning our room till after 4PM.

For being a resort of this caliber and the amount of money we invested in this trip I would think that the resort would invest in a little more than just a standard hard bed which could have resembled the feeling of sleeping on the floor. For a 5 star resort it seemed to lack the cleanliness and comfortable accommodation of this room.

I was even more disturbed by the method of the way the restaurant reservations were handled. We had to wake up at 6:50 AM every morning if we wanted to make reservations by 8:00 AM to dine at any of the Gourmet Restaurants. We had to form lines by 6:50 AM otherwise the restaurant reservations would be booked by 9:00 AM.
This was a very antiquated method of servicing those on vacation. Why could guest not be able to make reservations for the whole week? To top it off we would dine at these restaurants to observe that the restaurants were semi empty because individuals did not show up for their reservations but yet the Employees did not accommodate those whom showed up to the restaurants that wanted to dine there. The employees needed to update the restaurants to inquire if there were any no shows and allowed those whom did not have reservations to simply walk in and dine there.

Additionally, the food and wine selection was less than satisfactory. The wine smelled and tasted absolutely horrible. It was as if it was spoiled. Therefore, we opted to spend extra money requesting champagne for dinner. It literally took an hour for the wait staff to chill and obtain a fifteen dollar bottle of wine. The more disturbing aspect of this was that we would request a bottle of champagne and give the wait staff a twenty dollar bill and not only would it take over an hour but it was not even chilled to proper drinking temperatures but the wait staff never returned our changed nor suggested to offer our change back to us. How corrupt was this wait staff not to offer us our change back from the purchase of the champagne?

The fruit was neither sweet nor ripe for serving at the resort. The temperature of the cheese was less than standard serving methods. The buffet and service of the foods were less than maintained on a daily basis.

The service at the bar was good the mgrs at the bar definitely went above and beyond to make sure that the guest had a beverage with minimal waiting time.

Overall, the food and service was less than appetizing for serving guest of a supposed 5 star resort. Service was very poor every night at the gourmet restaurants. Thank goodness for the execution of food from employees at the Jerk Hut on beach otherwise we would have probably not eaten the whole week at this Resort. To wait over an hour to dine at these Reservation required restaurant but to get less than satisfactory service and food was very disappointing for a RIU resort.

The images of the pools online was misconstrued in the sense that some portion of the pool was clean and other section was completely disgusting with film of dirt and debris of natural environmental items such as bugs, sunscreen film, leaves, and sand.

Our daily enjoyment was to relax and bask in the warm weather at the pool or the beach. We had to proceed with caution when visiting the Ochos Rios resorts pools. I would think that for the amount of people working at this resort that there would be associates consistently cleaning and maintaining the pool on a daily basis to maintain the cleanliness of the pools since hundreds of people go in the pool. How horrible is this resort when you cannot even relax on the beach before a native wants to come up and disturb you by trying to capitalize on your presence at the resort by harassing and attempting to sell you illegal drugs right there on the resort beach. There should have been guards standing by to protect the guest of the resorts from getting harassed by the natives.

My best friend from college was there to get married. My friend was a nervous wreck upon her arrival as the wedding coordinator had yet to contact her for final wedding preparations. I would think that for a wedding party to fly all the way to Jamaica for wedding would be good exposure for the resort to acquire new customers and recommendations for future visits. The bride was not treated with importance or concern for the details of her wedding. The financial and general wedding details for her wedding plans were left unknown and unorganized.

For example, the bride wanted to get married at 4:00 pm but the wedding coordinator insisted on 1:00 PM but supposedly said it was booked. But than on the day of the wedding the wedding coordinator said that she could have gotten married at 4:00 PM since there was no wedding planned at that time. What is the real story here?

Why would the wedding coordinator not mention to the bride and groom that they would need cash for some portion of their wedding. This is 2010 and that no individual really carries around over two thousands dollars in cash. It seemed kind of corrupt and strange that they had to pay certain parts of their wedding in cash when they clearly should have had the option to pay with a credit card prior to their arrival to Jamaica.
For a resort of this kind and to not have a wedding coordinator readily available to assist in finalization of the wedding plans was a little less than disappointing for a 5 star hotel. It all seemed kind of strange and lack of organization which caused the whole wedding party to feel that they could not trust anyone at this resort.

Lastly, my husband and I have never gone on a vacation to wish we would have only stayed for four days vs. nine days. We wished many times throughout the trip that we would have ended our trip sooner because the Riu Ochos Rios could not care less to accommodate and take care of their guest while staying at this resort. Employees worked and serviced guest at their own time. Their culture and mentality was "No problem mon you are in Jamaica." To say the least we will NEVER recommend this resort nor suggest for anyone to go to RIU Ochos Rios for a nice relaxing getaway vacation. This is not place to go for good food or service.

Sincerely,
Guest from Ohio United States.
]]> Sun, 06 Jun 2010 10:19:12 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421299 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/New+Zealand/queenstown/queenstown Mon, 31 May 2010 10:10:44 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421296 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Jordan/petra/petra The Red Rose city was everything I expected, and more!!! The roman Treasury is great.
I traveled through Mazada Tours Jerusalem. Totally recommendable! Great people, they prepared and amazing tour for us.

I wish I could have seen a bit more of Amman but, maybe next time! :)]]> Mon, 31 May 2010 05:28:49 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421294 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Egypt/cairo/cairo
We traveled all the way from Argentina to be there last month. The place is amazing, breathtaking.
The piramids, Memphis and Sakkara. The Khan el Khalili Bazaar, the streets in Cairo are just gorgeous. A lovely place with amazing atmosphere.
The organized tour was beyond our expectations: we traveled through an agency in Israel, Mazada tours Jerusalem. The staff was very profesional, also in Israel and in Egypt. We totally recommend them!!!!

We hope you make Egypt your next destination!
Love from BA]]> Mon, 31 May 2010 05:20:07 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421293 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Cuba/santa-clara/santa-clara Sat, 29 May 2010 08:11:23 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421291 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Thailand/koh-samui-island/caution-when-you-rent-car-in-koh-samui Worst we were surrounded by a group of Thai demanding for payment! They are a bunch of hooligans out to threaten and swindle tourist! Don't ever step inside - we were horrified so please beware...]]> Fri, 28 May 2010 02:29:27 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421289 http://beta.tripreviews.com/destinations/Cuba/cayo-coco/cayo-coco Wed, 19 May 2010 03:47:26 -0700 http://beta.tripreviews.com/review/421283