Argentina, Atacama & Andes - 20 days

Customer Reviews

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  Greg

  · April 21st, 2024
  Our tour leader, Joanne Lunn was not up to the standard required. Day 1 The tour start was compromised by the tour leader deciding that the half day tour be undertaken on the first day rather than the second. Due to flight delays this tour was hurried and we missed the Recoletta. We did undertake this on the second day and were extremely lucky to meet up with a guide who allowed us to join his tour. Otherwise we would have walked the site with no real idea of what we were looking at as our guide did not have that knowledge. We understand that the half day tour being moved to day 1 was to allow any of the party to undertake a full day tour on the second day. We had investigated this option, but after looking at the options, decided against this as we had seen much of BA earlier. Our understanding was that the tour options were to be discussed with us, but this did not happen. If we had booked a tour we would have missed out on the Recoletta. Rosie could have undertaken a day tour to Iguazu Falls, but that was not offered as an option. Lack of preparation. Jo made reference to a 27 Page dossier, with no evidence to show that she had reviewed and was making use of the information contained within it. She was unaware of distances and duration of travel each day, unaware of how many meals we were having each day in relation to the dossiers that we had been given. There was little evidence that preparation had been done in sufficient detail as Jo was completely reliant on the daily guides and local offices for specific information. Reverting to Internet searches when access to guides was not available. There was lack of preparation on important issues such as health and safety. She had no idea of the high risk of Denge fever in BA despite this making international news a few days before the tour started. On day one she should have discussed the possible signs and symptoms of Altitude sickness rather than it coming up in conversation between us. Jo worked out what she considered was the requirement for tips for the entire trip. This was $US40 per person. We all thought that a bit light and agreed on $US50 each. This was all used just after the halfway point of the tour. We are still unsure of why this happened as the tips had been pre-calculated. As the trip progressed she was asking us about tips for the guide and driver when she had apparently calculated tips going forward as referred to. If she was going to arrange tips she should have discussed with Liz, who she met up with on two occasions, what level of tip was appropriate rather than asking us. Again demonstrating lack of preparation. On the day bus ride from Puno to Cusco, Jo's notes (which she had provided to us) indicated that she would be providing snacks for that ride. These did not eventuate. At the single stop we did have she asked if we required something to eat. We responded no as it was too early for lunch. It was never explained to us that this would be the only stop. On the trip to Cafeyate we had a Spanish only speaking guide. We asked numerous questions which Jo translated. It was obvious that detailed responses were made, but only one line replies were fed back to us. Jo has a number of personality traits that were not suitable for a tour leader: Continually interrupting conversations we were having. Very rude. Treating us as though we were children, despite the fact we were all seasoned traveller's. Telling Rosie her room is on the first floor when her room number was 104 is an example. Jo had not done this tour before. She made many assumptions that were not correct and did not make sense to us. She was often proved wrong and had to change her story. This was a direct result of her lack of knowledge and insufficient research. We got to the stage where we did not know what to believe in the everchanging story. She also interrupted guides on many occasions ruining the flow of the commentary. She also interjected with comments that were incorrect and needed correction by the guide. Basically, she talked and interrupted far too often to make the trip enjoyable. Inappropriate interventions of assistance that were not required such as carrying bags when she had her own to manage. Jo commented to my wife Jan at one stage that she was the 'easy one' or something along those lines. This is totally inappropriate given that I, as Jan's spouse was one of the people she was referring to as being difficult. Jo could learn a lot from the way Edwin worked. At the end of each day he gave a clear and concise summary of what expect on the following day, when we would start and what to wear. At one point, in San Pedro de Atacama we had to sit her down and ask a number of pointed questions to get required information. There was a distinct impression that Jo was on the tour because she had not seen most of the sights before. Very nice for her, but it meant she did not have the knowledge to guide this tour properly and was always scrambling to get information to answer our queries. The trip had great scenery and other highlights, and could have been an excellent experience with the right guide.
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  On The Go Tours commented on this review

  We are sincerely sorry that your trip fell short of expectations and have passed your feedback to our local team for further investigations as we always aim to ensure the best possible experience on tour.
  Trip date: March 2024
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  Carla

  · June 1st, 2023
  Fast-paced and hitting many of the highlights of South America in a manageable timeframe. Highly recommended. Hotels were decent and individual (no bland chains here!) and the guide was extremely knowledgeable and personalised the tour throughout to things that those in the group were interested in specifically. It was a small group (6) and a perfect match between group activity and then free time to explore places in the way you wanted to. A memorable experience and the landscapes in NW Argentina, Chile and Bolivia are unsurpassed globally in my opinion!
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  On The Go Tours commented on this review

  Thanks so much for the great review, Carla! We're delighted you had such a great time in South America.
  Trip date: May 2023