Service rating : Very well organised, will definitely recommend company
Product : The hotels were mostly fantastic, the places we visited were first rate, with plenty to see and do

Service rating : with one exception generally well organised. Having to travel back up to Auckland from Rotorua should be improved with closer airports available.

Check in time at hotels could be improved if possible particularly when only one night stopover is involved
Product : Apart from the fore mentioned criticisms was generally satisfied with content

Service rating : We would highly recommend Distant Journeys both for their exceptional customer service (seamless booking process, sorting out an error which was entirely our fault and a thoughtful phone call welcoming us back after the holiday) and for an excellent, well thought out itinerary in New Zealand.

We particularly valued the opportunity to do our own thing on freedom days which meant that we were able to follow our own interests. The coach captain in South Island was superb in helping everyone to book activities,, going over and above what we expected. We also enjoyed the freedom to dine where and when we wished rather than, as on some tours, having our meals all together in the hotel. This gave us the flexibility on some days to just grab some delicious salads from supermarket delis when we didn't feel like a large meal.

Our group of 38 were excellent travelling companions and gelled well. It was a pleasure to meet such lovely people.

Some travel days did mean long hours on the road but breaks were well timed and there really isn't any other way to travel and see so much of the country. The ever changing scenery was also mesmerising. We would have liked a little longer in some places, notably Christchurch where we arrived too late in the afternoon on both stops to access places of interest; a longer time in Arrowtown (though I see that future trips spend three nights in Queenstown so the additional day there could afford the possibility of an excursion); and an extra day in Dunedin. We will just have to go back!

We enjoyed both stopovers. Singapore was fascinating and the orientation tour and visit to the orchid garden enjoyable. We made our own arrangements to take a bumboat tour and visit Gardens By the Bay. Hong Kong, in the grip of the coronavirus outbreak was quiet. The half day tour was unexceptional and expensive for what we saw. The obligatory visit to a jewellery workshop is irritating but this is not Distant Journey's fault. It's a standard excursion organised by local agents and at least we were a small group compared with the large cruise ship groups we were constantly trying to beat to the next stop! We had a late check out from the Regal Kowloon hotel which was welcome given the late departure of our homebound flight. There isn't anywhere, other than the bar to spend time. Of all the hotels we stayed in, this was the poorest in that respect.

Overall, this was a super holiday and we're looking forward to our next Distant Journeys trip next year which we've already booked.
Product : Super holiday! Highly recommended.

Service rating : Service was excellent from start to finish. Booking process was quick and easy. each step was completed on time
Product : The holiday was fabulous. Organisation perfect and coach captains excellent, especially on South Island. Lovely group of travelling companions. Highly recommended

Service rating : i only contacted the office twice, once to book and another to clarify something. Excellent, efficient service each time. Thank you
Product : I wanted a holiday of a lifetime and that's exactly what I got. This was in no small part due to the tour manager James, in Australia. Only wish I'd booked the longer tour

Service rating : The organisation was good but I felt that the single supplement was rather expensive & the hotel rooms allocated were not as good as those that were given to sharers.
Product : The tour was good, there was not much included in the way of meals & optional excursions. I paid the single supplement & felt that the hotel rooms allocated were not as good as those given to sharers.

Service rating : Very friendly staff who seemed genuinely pleased to be able to help you.
Product : The holiday was well balanced between seeing the sights and seeing some of the daily life experiences of local people.

Service rating : Such friendly and helpful staff. Excellent brochure convinced us this was the tour we wanted. Really appreciated the follow-up phone call on our return. Have already recommended Distant Journeys.
Product : So many highlights. Loved Kangaroo Island, Uluru and Cairns in particular. Side trip to Katherine Gorge from the Ghan was beautiful. Our guide, James, showed great enthusiasm from day one in Perth to final day in Sydney. Be prepared for early starts but they’re worth it to see so much in a month.

Service rating : Highly recommend this company. Their excellent background knowledge of Australia shines through in experiences, venues and choice of hotels.
Product : Super.The best of Australia all round up in one experience. Great organisation and staff both at the booking stage and the guide that supported us throughout the tour.

Service rating : All staff were very knowledgable and helpful.
Product : Excellent value for money. All hotels were of good standard and good locations. Well planned itinerary with some fantastic experiences included. I started to plan a trip by myself when I saw this advertised. I could not have done it for this price. I would recommend it. We were lucky as it was a smaller group (27 people). I’d be wary of a much larger group.

Service rating : The office were great,nothing too much trouble ,I received emails on flights being late whilst away and the girls sorted it for me.
Product : I enjoyed every minute of the tour( not a holiday) the hotels were of a high standard with good breakfasts to start the day. The tour guides Chris,Robin and Jenny were exceptionally knowledgable,friendly & courteous.
Every day was an adventure......I was lucky to be on a tour with 26 lovely people, thank you folks.
Would definitely recommend and go with them again.

Service rating : All staff I spoke to were very helpful and if they said they would call back, they did and very promptly and efficiently
Product : My wife and I were extremely pleased with the holiday overall. The places we were taken, the accommodation we stayed in and the tour guides/drivers were all first class. I would like to give a special mention to both Chris and Robin, our Coach Captains in NZ who were both excellent. Nothing was to much trouble and they went above and beyond. Specific highlights on the tour which were part of the provided itinery were the Barrier Reef and the Thermal Reserve.
Areas of feedback to improve the experience would be to review the drive from Uluru to Alice Springs. This proved to be a arduous day on the road and very tiring with no real outlook, perhaps this could be a flight as an option. Also the optional Sunset Cruise in Cairns didn't actually leave until after the sun had set and the cruise was in the dark so no real point, although the food was excellent.
We took advantage of the many and varied optional trips and were very happy with all of them. Again thanks to Chris in North Island for getting us booked into the Polynesian Spa despite them saying there was no availability.
Overall a great holiday and thanks to all at Distant Journeys. As they say..'It did exactly what it said on the tin'!!

Service rating : One of the best holidays you can have
Product : The holiday was excellent, but tere is all ways thjng that can be improved

Service rating : Hi ,on a whole we have a fantastic experience but if you won't to dig down to nitty gritty let's do it , long coach trip with air con turned up high with toilet stops 3 or 4 hours apart not easy to keep yourself hydrated then when you are able to get off the cold coach the hot air hits you hard when your a bit older , I think we had 2 lunches on the on the coach ,not very nice just some bits and pieces left over from breakfast, but I do understand that is the best way to get around India, some of the hotels were a little remote so you were unable to leave the hotels and look around on your own , yes you could get a cab/tuk tuk but were are you going to go ? so the hotels have got you were that want you average cost of dinner in the hotels £ 60 to 80 with a glass of wine and a beer and I understand that were good hotels so what do you expect , and the only chance we had to relax were in Delhi on the last day in India but we were unable to use the outside space available because there was an India wedding going on , so on to Dubai barring in mind no extra flights were needed it was very over priced at £1000 I could book the same hotel with return flights and 7 nights for £ 1300 and again the only chance to relax and there was building work going on next to our hotel and I also understand that it was clearly priced before we booked but I will look closely if there is a next time sorry but you did ask Mr b colquhoun
Product : I'm done

Service rating : Excellent
Product : Excellent organisation through out with the exception of porterage
All hotels were of a good standard with one exception the Manta Esplanade Darwin which fell down on the breakfast organisation which was chaotic (ran out of food)
This sounds negative but we enjoyed our holiday very much with a big thank you to all the guides.

Service rating : Always very helpful. Will always answer questions and if they do not know the answer will find out and call you back. An all round first class service.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said of their local agents at Auckland and Dubai
Product : Unfortunately our arrival in New Zealand was a nightmare because from Distant Journeys turned up to meet the group. This lead to some very unhappy and stressed group members which is the last thing we needed after a long flight.

Sadly the same happened in Dubai on the way back no one was at the airport to help us. this was particularly worrying as we had two unaccompanied females who felt very vulnerable in a strange UAE country.

On a positive note the main holiday in New Zealand was very nice made more enjoyable with very experienced coach driver/tour guides. From a health and safety point of view we would have preferred a separate tour guide to allow the driver to 100% concentrate on driving rather than have to juggle with both functions.

Service rating : Distant Journeys UK office staff were friendly & helpful. My only concern was that when I enquired as to whether there was any flexibility in the itinerary (we had previously visited Sydney & would have liked to visit the Gold Coast or Whitsundays instead) I was told it wouldn't be possible. However we subsequently found some of our group did in fact do just that, Brisbane, return to Melbourne & New Zealand being their changes.
Product : An amazing trip, fantastic! Our guide, James, was so knowledgeable, professional, helpful, friendly; nothing was too much trouble.

Service rating : No problems with the UK office very friendly staff
Product : I have written most of my complaint to Distant Journeys and I’m sure there will be others doing the same

Service rating : Excellent from first booking to follow up on return.
The sort of service you would like but rarely get.
Product : The holiday was amazing from start to finish.
The itinerary was excellent and everything ran smoothly from start to finish, and James our guide was a real star.

Service rating : Yes we would use the again
Product : good quality hotels and good meet and greet guides and transport

Service rating : Excellent customer service. Very helpful and knowledgeable.
Product : Excellent trip. Well organised, tour guide very knowledgeable and helpful, went the extra mile, or two.

Service rating : Brilliant thought out itinerary with a tour manager who was friendly efficient and unfailingly helpful
Product : Excellent tour made smooth all the way by the tour manager Ann Aston

Service rating : Good and fast response to any questions. Rang me to ask me if I was ready to go. Very professional team.
Product : Excellent experience.

Service rating : Excellent Service, Wonderful Trip. Would not hesitate to recommend their service.
Product : Trip of a lifetime, everything was wonderful, so much to see and enjoy

Excellent holiday. The tour guide in Singapore and especially Pam in Australia were exceptional. The holiday was very well planned.

Service rating : Timely responses from helpful and knowledgeable staff.
Product : This was a well planned and comprehensive tour of Australia lead by a knowledgeable and sympathetic tour guide.

Phone call before and after holiday to check if all was well.

Service rating : Dealt efficiently with our (late) booking and were able to answer all queries well. Would definitely consider using them again.
Product : Excellent tour rep. Flight arrangements good. All hotels very comfortable and well situated. Good choice of optional tours.

Service rating : Would definitely recommend distant journeys- well organised and fantastic value for money
Product : Good organising and well planned tour . Our tour guide Ann was brilliant and made the trip really special

Service rating : The uk staff were excellent with the booking service and with any queries we had.
Product : Wonderful holiday. Attention to detail was excellent .Good hotels and good balance of included tours and free time.

Service rating : Great customer service from the booking process to the holiday. Nothing too much trouble, kept informed all the way through. Highly recommend Distant Journeys.
Product : Had an amazing holiday, good drivers and a wonderful knowledgable guide.
All hotels were of a high standard, rooms comfortable, food in the hotels was good.
Trips were fantastic, great range which catered for everyone’s taste.

Service rating : From our first booking encounter with your staff, we felt our concerns were taken care of in a reassuring manner. The journey was planned to enable an impression of what Australia has to offer. Our Giudes, in Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong did a very good job of taking care of the group as a whole, whilst we felt anything we needed was catered for too. The hotels were excellent and well placed in each location we visited and the included tours in each location were useful to us. We enjoyed all of the optional visits that we took part in. Our overall view was that it was a most enjoyable tour, which we would recommend to anyone wishing to visit Australia. On that basis we would also consider booking further trips in the future with distant Journey's.
Kind Regards
Josephine and Robert Hodgson
Product : Pleas refer to prevoius review

Service rating : The whole experience was superb from start to finish. Rovos Rail was outstanding -- we were treated like royalty. The Victoria Falls extension rounded the trip off perfectly..
Product : Res ipsa loquitur. The "five stars" says it all.

Service rating : The Distant Journeys team were very helpful from the first phone call, all questions and concerns were dealt with in a very friendly manner.
We both very impressed with their professionalism.
Product : A wonderful experience from start to finish, everything was so well organised and we couldn’t fault any part of the holiday.
Special thanks must go to our tour guide James who went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure we had the best time.
We will never forget our amazing Australian adventure.

Service rating : Booking was easy, always answered telephone personally by very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Have already booked another holiday with them.
Product : Fantastic holiday, exceeded our expectations! Wonderful memories made with our passionate guide Marcos and all shared with a great group of people.
So many different places seen, the wonderful wildlife, and of course the unforgettable luxury of the Rovos Rail..

Service rating : The tour was well planned and the office kept us well informed. They also answered our queries quickly and thoroughly
Product : The tour was comprehensive and showed us highlights at every stop. The guides were knowledgeable and pleasant

Service rating : Friendly, informative and efficient service.
Product : Great hotels and locations chosen. Very knowledgable, friendly couriers.

Service rating : The tour was well managed from booking onwards. Office team were helpful with any questions before travel and contacted us a few days prior to travel to ensure all was ok. Tour manager kept everyone to time and was very informative.
Product : A great holiday offering opportunity to see lots of amazing places and animals but giving option for a more leisurely trip if desired. We chose the Ubizane Safari option and enjoyed 2 nights in the lovely Ubizane tree lodges. Saw lots of wildlife on our 3 game drives and great hippo viewing on St Lucia estuary. Would recommend the Lesotho trip if you can cope with bumpy roads. Scenery was spectacular. Victoria Falls extension allowed us to stay in lovely lodges overlooking a waterhole. Well worth it although Falls not as spectacular as could have been due to drought. A great trip with a great group of fellow travellers. Still enjoying memories through sharing on the Facebook page.

Service rating : booking process was very well explained by patient staff , pre travel docs were clear and supplied with handy wallet .
Product : from the enquiry stage , thro booking to pre travel documentation then the journey the experience was end to end just top class .

Service rating : After using escorted holidays before we found Distant Journey’s last year and had a first rate service from start to finish on a month holiday in Australia. It was so good we have just used them again for a three week holiday in South Africa which was also just as good. Nothing is left to chance.
Product : The whole experience was well worth it. From busy days to take in the sites such as Robin Island, Table mountain to leisurely days on Ravos Rail and Victoria Falls. They have done their homework and it showed

Service rating : Excellent organisation, choices of visits/ venues/hotels/guides.
We were cosseted, introduced to some sensational places and experiences, not least
the Ghan train!
Putting in little 'treats' is osychologically a good idea, even if one knows one has paid for them.
Product : I just have! The ease of using this site could do with some serious work.

Service rating : My husband and I had never been on this type of holiday before so were a bit unsure of how this all worked, but we need not have been. Excellent travel arrangements throughout the three weeks in South Africa and Victoria Falls, brilliant well chosen hotels, fantastic excursions and a tour manager who certainly knew his stuff - whatever you might ask him.
Distant Journeys staff were quite happy to answer any questions prior to the holiday, with a courtesy call just before we went to make sure we were all ready to go.
Very sad in some ways to be back home as we really did have the trip of a lifetime and could do that all over again!
Product : Excellent value for money, everything as per the brochure itinerary and sometimes more. Every day brought something different, the safaris were eye openers and we were so glad we added on Victoria Falls as that really was the highlight of the holiday - a lovely way to end our three weeks.

Service rating : Good communication and always on hand to answer any queries.
Product : A fully comprehensive tour, very well planned, provided with excellent excursions.

Service rating : Our best holiday with great sight seeing and incredibly knowledgeable guides.
Product : Great value for money with excellent trips planned to show off the locations to their best.

Service rating : The trip ticked all the boxes of where I wanted to go in Australia and James
the tour guide was excellent
Product : The trip ticked all the boxes of where I wanted to go in Australia and James
the tour guide was excellent

Service rating : Excellent service from beginning to end. Didn’t have to worry about anything. Brilliant guide who certainly had our best interests at heart.
Product : Australia is stunning and we had a first class introduction to it with Distant Journeys. So many different experiences.

Service rating : We had the most amazing Australian holiday with Distant journeys. It was totally stress free with all bags collected from our rooms.. boarding passes for domestic flights and room keys all sorted for us by our tour guide Jennie Brown. Jennie was so organised, down to earth and friendly. The slightest query sorted quickly and efficiently. We would easily go on a Distant journeys tour again. M
Product : The Wonders of Australia Tour by Distant Journeys was amazing. We saw so much of the main areas of Australia plus a trip on the magnificent Ghan railway. There are many excursions included in the tour (i.e. snorkelling around the Great Barrier Reef) but also many additional excursions you can book via the tour guide. We had the same tour guide (Jennie Brown) from the moment our plane landed in Australia to the moment we left. She was amazing and made our holiday all the more enjoyable. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone wanting to visit Australia.

Service rating : Excellent trip from start to finish, rep James was superb, didn’t want to go back home!
Product : Can’t imagine a better way to tour Australia. The cities were all the ones we wanted to see, and the hotels were all excellent. Extremely well organized throughout. Thoroughly enjoyed every single day.

Service rating : A very approachable and helpful organisation which ensures as far as possible a carefree and enjoyable holiday.
Product : Interesting and very enjoyable. In short a great holiday

Service rating : We have just had a fantastic holiday in China, excellent service from booking the holiday to the tour itself. brilliant tour guide who was so friendly, very efficient and kept us well informed leaving nothing to chance.
Product : As above. Distant journeys are spot on for touring