Zion Glamping Adventure

Customer Reviews

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  Kristen

  · June 24th, 2022
  This review will be titled “making the best of it”. I do have to say this is was out first tour vacation so we didn’t know what to expect and perhaps the fine print reads that the operator can change the itinerary at any time but that pretty much sums up our experience. It felt a lot like a “bait and switch” operation. I think my biggest compliant is the communication by the tour provider. What we didn’t know if that the tour is booked through one company and then led by a sub-contractor tour operator. I had many questions prior to our tour departure and it generally took a week before I would even get the automated “we received your message and will respond soon” message and then another few days to a week before the response would arrive. That was not generally a problem until we got the Las Vegas the day prior to our departure and could locate the meeting time for the departure anywhere in the documents – we chatted with Tour Radar online and they said all details have to come from the provider (in this case Intrepid) – having no way to reach Intrepid other than a “message” on the booking, I submitted an urgent message for information. As usual, it was responded to 10 days later (after we returned home) which was no help and created a lot of unnecessary stress prior to departure. Immediately, there were changes to the itinerary. The schedule showed us going to the “ranch” first and then heading to Zion so we were not dressed for hiking. Wrong! We were told we were going straight to the trail so we had to scramble ripping apart our packed bags to get all our gear out and on before leaving the hotel so we weren’t delaying the other group members. The second “wait, what?” moment happened after hiking Day 1 when it was communicated where we were headed to stay – Ponderosa Ranch? When we booked the tour last year it was communicated we would stay at Zion Mountain Ranch, complete with pictures where they showed a beautiful dining facility with linen table cloths. We made dinner reservations there for the nights we were eating on our own. We were NOT the only group member that was misinformed either as other’s were expecting the ZMR facility. We ended up at Ponderosa which was only “ok” if you were vacationing with your family and little kids – it had a pool and a cafeteria, not what I would consider a restaurant. The first night meal was supposed to be “on our own” and it ended up being at the Ranch as a group in a tent-type structure and a buffet layout– food was ok, not a “Dutch Oven Dinner” as advertised and there was a long wait as they ran out of hot beef before we got our meal. The Ponderosa ranch cabin floor was filthy, your feet would be black if you walked on it bare-foot. We contacted the front desk twice about it (overheard another guest complaining about the same) and it was never cleaned the 3 nights we were there. The last morning hot breakfast was 30 minutes late being ready so our group was forced to eat cold cereal or nothing at all. The day that was supposed to be Monument Valley lunch with a “Navajo home” was particularly disappointing. We arrived at someone’s property, were moved into a lunch building with multiple plastic tables and were ALL served a vegetarian flat-bread taco and sweet tea and the woman that served us disappeared into the house and we were left to eat as a group and leave – the schedule made it sound like this “You’ll also have the chance to enjoy a homecooked, family style meal at a Navajo home inside Monument Valley and learn more about their traditions and culture”. That wasn’t the setup at all. Our tour guide Joe didn’t have information that we had a vegetarian in the group and did a pretty good job considering his schedule was very different than the one some of us were given. There were a lot of stops to use the bathroom and get snacks and stretch our legs. He made the best of a difficult situation with a few travelers who were pretty disappointed right from the start. I agree with the reviews about the Alexis Resort departure point in Las Vegas being a poor choice to stay at and I’m glad at least we didn’t have that to deal with. There was a LOT of van time on this trip and we should have looked closer at the distance between the ranch and each day’s hike location because the Monument Valley day was about 9 hours of van time, even though the tour led by a native in the valley was remarkable. We were required to produce COVID vac documentation prior to departure which I don’t recall seeing in ANY of the pre-trip information unless you go back to the Tour Radar home page and drill into the tour provider information – luckily we all travel with it. We were further required to wear masks in the van at all times even after the CDC removed that guidance month’s earlier. All-in-all, my family decided we had to make the best of the situation and we know more now about how to look at tour offerings with a critical eye.
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  Intrepid Travel commented on this review

  Hi Kristen, Many thanks for the email and details regarding your trip. We are very sorry to hear about your overall experience and frustrations not only at the beginning but throughout the tour. We have escalated your message and concerns to our... Show more
  Trip date: June 2022
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  Nina

  · April 25th, 2022
  Our intrepid guide, Joseph, was phenomenal. He was knowledgeable about the sites we visited, the environment and was very safety minded and accommodating. The Zion ranch was good except the kitchen did not have all their advertised food options. We elected to stay at the hotel pick up point in Las Vegas which was not a good decision on our part. Maybe you could use a different hotel so guests would enjoy their stay as well as being conveniently located for tour pick up/drop off
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  Intrepid Travel commented on this review

  Hi Nina, thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are delighted that your leader Joseph was a phenomenal guide. We are proud of our local leaders with their in-depth knowledge as well as going above and beyond. You can be assured that... Show more
  Trip date: April 2022
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  Tiffany

  · October 25th, 2021
  The parks were absolutely beautiful and they packed a lot in for just 4 days. Our guide was awesome and everything went flawlessly!
  

  Intrepid Travel commented on this review

  OMG wow your photos look amazing Tiffany. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. And that you trip went flawlessly and your leader was awesome. We hope to see you on another adventure with us!!
  
  Trip date: October 2021
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  Gerald

  · April 11th, 2021
  An absolutely incredible, picturesque trip, and our second experience with Intrepid. We explored Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, and the amazing Peek-a-Boo Slot Canyon. Our amazing tour leader Kriss Urban was a book of knowledge and a great storyteller! This Utah trip is a MUST for outdoor lovers.
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  Intrepid Travel commented on this review

  Hi Gerald! Thanks so much for sharing your positive experience and including a couple of snaps of your group. We know that having a group of like-minded travellers can really enhance your experience. Including a passionate and knowledgeable leader to... Show more
  
  Trip date: April 2021