Atlantic Tour Companies

First I must tell you that we have home where we do Bed and Breakfast so we are in the tourist industry. Our properties are rated 9.6 and 9.8 respectively on booking.com. We were in the catering business before that for 20 years. We do know what we are talking about as far as accommodation and food are concerned. One of the hikes was really too hard for us normal hikers. The written guides warned of "if y you are afraid of heights" but Eduardo really didn't indicate just how hard the hike was nor how tremendously afraid one could become walking on a ledge 1600m up. Fortunately it was cloudy and I could not see down. The accommodation most of the time was more than acceptable but the bathrooms often needed some bleach around the shower and floors. We are very sensitive about mold in the caulking and elsewhere in the bathroom. However, the food was ghastly and virtually unedible by the time we arrived in Encumeada. We didn't complain because 1) that ruins our holiday even more and 2) that is what they serve on a buffet and that is how they do it. I don't know why no one complained...besides that being hungry before and after a hike, you just eat it anyway. There was no option besides finding somewhere else to eat, which we did when there was another restaurant near that looked more acceptable. We were constantly told " oh the food is great there, so that is why we ate at the hotels even when the meal was not included. That was at the hotel Hotel O’Colmo - Santana. We did complain about the food and asked to be refunded. No I did not like their lamb, it was tasteless. The breakfast was very bad so that even the coffee was horrible. The other hotels had very nice coffee. We needed a good breakfast for hiking and were hungry for dinner after hiking all day. The engulf hotel was very nice but the food was made to far in advance and of poor quality. We thought that was bad but it just got worse. We were also very tired to go somewhere else to eat after hiking and going to dinner then to see the dinner was not acceptable to us. There was always good bread butter and fruit (except in Santana) but the quality overall was really very cheap processed, cooked too far in advance, especially at Hotel Encumeada – Santo Antonio da Serra. It was definitely cooked the day before and reheated. We did complain to the management at that hotel, not just about the towels which had holes in them. I didn’t think to take pictures of the worn out blankets, molded caulking in the showers and floors, processed and overcooked food. I will never do a tour again where meals are included. For the price of the tour, I do not feel we received what we paid for. 200£ a day should have given us better than average quality. If I took another tour, I would not be getting the meals included!

I recently had the pleasure of taking a tour around the southern part of Tenerife, and it was an unforgettable experience, the volcanic landscapes, especially around Mount Teide, were stunning and unlike anything I've seen before. The pick up of the car was speedy and easy and the service at the time of the booking of this tour was excellent as we decided to travel in a short period of time. Great hotels, super relaxing and comfortable, one of them with an amazing view, and very friendly staff. Thank you for everything!

The apartments in the North and South were both clean and well kept. The breakfasts were good. Our room location in the North was a major problem. Our room was 415 which sounds good, but we had to take the elevator to the 4th floor and walk 49 stairs one way to our room. As we are in our 70's and we were vacationing in Europe for 6 weeks we had a large suitcase and carryons also. With no help on the stairs with our suitcases it was difficult to get to and from the room. We discussed this with the receptionist and we could not change as the hotel was full. I feel that we should never have been given this room to start with. The staff was excellent in both apartments both North and South.

i guess Tourradar acts a travel agent for many operators. This does lead to a slight disjointing of the booking experience, but they did pick some good tours to promote. As to the trip itself, put together by local Madeira tour operator MB Travel, and tied together by Headwater Travel UK. 'Marvels of Madeira' gave a good cross section of the walking routes on the Island. Pick ups and taxis were all smoothly present when needed. The Hotel stays were well chosen to give a great, peaceful and comfortable stays, if rather grander than needed. Being set on Half board meant no worries about extra spends - only the bar bill to surmount. As this was a self guided tour, the initial briefing was important and well conducted. My only niggles were the ancillary services. Tourradars travel insurance deals were not flexible enough to take on a peronally arranged extension to my stay, and the flight agency (Kiwi.com) had a hefty booking mark up. Otherwise, a great Walking holiday. Philip

Beautiful island, interesting walking and good meals. Great company and caring guiding.

Obviously I didn’t ask enough questions, because I was expecting a tour with other people for the seven days. I was travelling solo, and all I experienced was daily tours with different people each time. The guides were wonderful and took us to the best of Sao Miguel, but I stayed at the hotel by myself and that was disappointing and somewhat lonely. Won’t do that again.

Having previously explored Lisbon many years ago, we were eager to delve deeper into Portugal's diverse landscapes. Our second visit to Porto and Ponta Delgada, though bustling, reinforced our decision to return. The country's charm and hospitality are truly unmatched. Our accommodations, were impeccably located, clean, and comfortable. The Douro Valley hotel views were a standout. Sao Miguel Island, however, was the crown jewel of this trip and we will definitely be back to explore more islands in the Azores.

I had a great time on this tour! Andre my guide was fantastic! He knew the area so well. He accommodated our activities based on the weather so that we could get the most out of our trip. The accommodation was excellent! Nothing special but the rooms were spacious and clean. Everything ran smoothly and was tons of fun. My only wish was that we would have started the hiking earlier in the morning.

The itenary was too intensive. I felt the age range was incorrect . It certainly was not 12 - 90. You had to be very fit as some of the trails were very arduous. Unless you’re fit I wouldn’t recommend it for over 60’s. The tour guides were good and certainly by offering alternative options they made this holiday enjoyable .

The hotels were very good. The car rental was a little inconvenient as it was offsite from the airport. The only improvement would be either to include GPS in the rental car or a proper detailed map. We arrived on a rainy, foggy night and it was almost impossible to find our guest house the first night.

Overall the tour was good. The response coordinating the trip was great. They did change 1 item on the itinerary but it was no problem. I didn't like the location of the hotel. There was nothing close by (shops, restaurants, etc.). This also wasn't a tour where you were with the same group of people. It was more solo where you met different people on different days and no one stayed in the same location so very little group bonding. It was nice on the days I had the rental car so I was able to get out to stores, restaurants and sights. The last day there was a dinner but it was so far from the location of the hotel, I didn't even bother going. Note: the canyoning was well worth it!

Very well organized. The instructions were clear and our driver helped us a lot with finding places to see and things to do.

Booking with tourradar.com turned out to be a real stroke of luck for us! Together with the local operator bu country tours, a perfect program was created to really get to know the island of Boa Vista. This would hardly be possible without guides, only with them can you find the most beautiful places, all of which can only be reached with suitable vehicles and on the most adventurous routes. Although there were only two of us, all the excursions were carried out exclusively for us, with each of them covering around 100 km. Our friendly guide on the off-road vehicle excursions in particular told us lots of interesting facts about the island in excellent English and was happy to answer all our questions. We were even accompanied by 2 guides on the equally unforgettable quad tour with spectacular desert passages. A WhatsApp group was set up by bu country tours, where we were constantly and very personally provided with information about the program, etc. We were also informed about all shuttle trips and pick-ups. All shuttle rides and pick-ups also worked perfectly and on time. The cozy hotel is very close to the beach and the proximity to Sal Rei is convenient for exploring the city. The hotel bar on the roof with a fantastic view is also a highlight in itself. All in all, the offer is top value for money and a real recommendation for guests who want to see more of the island than a hotel complex. - We were really impressed! Walter and Silvia Reitmayr

Excellent, personalized tour, which definitely can be recommended. Little misunderstandings due to vouchers not always corresponding to the tour plan. Thx to very good communication with Bu Country Tours on the spot, the questions could be solved. Communication per WhatsApp ist great, provided you have Internet, which was not always the case, f.e. in Cha das Caldeiras, the Internet was not always working and this was exactly the moment, when confusion with the vouchers and the tour program became evident. With the exception of Fogo, the hikes started rather late (10:00 o´clock or later), when it was getting quite hot already. Suggestion: On the long decent from Cha das Caldeiras to Pai Antonios through wonderful countryside, it would be interesting to visit a plantation or farm and learn a bit about the life of the population there. Sometimes too much time spent with lunches in restaurants. On the last evening in Praia, I would have expected a more authentic restaurant with music and not one of the chique clubs for the jeunesse dorée. Best regards, Ursula Fahringer

I thought the holiday was enjoyable, though the walking was tough at times perhaps above my level. One notable subject was that our guide gave us excellent service and consideration. Only one slight negative was the transport arrandement between the airport and hotel on initial landing (5th) Oct, this appeared to be bady arranged., as I had to call "Explore" for assistance.

We enjoyed the tour in general. The only thing we missed was a little bit harder hiking, as it was rated as moderate, we thought it would be more complicated.

Our guide in Pnta Delgada was excellent. He was pleasant and acclimating and added in enroute things that he thought we would like and he was right on. Actually one place was one of the best places seeing, comparing volcanic area. The Picos. Excellent. He adjusted the order and so happy he did. We did the tea place and left the bathing in thermal waters til the end. I would not have wanted to go anywhere after that

This was a fantastic tour ... an excellent experience. The excursions were wonderful and the hotel was well situated and clean. This was our first Wingbuddy booking and certainly won't be our last! Thank you.

I loved this tour. It’s not a luxury cruise, you live aboard the boat and cook together. It’s managed by a German company, being non-German speaking I had no issues, the skipper and other crew members could speak English well. This is the best way to see the remote islands of St Lucia/St Vincent and learn the basics of sailing.

There was a lack of communication between the tour company, the guide, and the hotel resulting in us getting charged for things that were said to be included in the tour and then having to argue to get a refund for the double charges.

Take me back! ?. warm people, great food and beautiful beaches.. and ultimately, good customer service, ? keep up!