Nice Touches (Kuoni Travel)

Member Name: Place

Product:	Kuoni Travel
Date:	10/11/02 (509 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of finishing touches, Everything well though out, Are very adaptable

Disadvantages: Wish we'd been told the 'best' place to buy

Just come back from a hol in Sri Lanka with Kuoni. I've never travelled with them before - actually I was of the opinion previously that they offered 'quality' but at a price, and generally out of my range!! This time I booked through TV travel shop so got a real good deal and having Kuoni as the operator was a vey happy advantage.

Right from the start when I booked I felt that I was being 'thought' of. Little touches, whilst they obviously didn't cost a lot, were pleasant surprises. I went on a short holiday earlier in the year with another operator and all I got was a ticket - no paper wallet or even luggage labels! Kuoni sent a pocket book several months before the holiday all about Sri Lanka (including Nepal and India), that gave maps, tourist information, things to buy, customs etc. so you had a good idea on what to pack, and what you wanted to see when you arrived. The tickets turned up two weeks before the flight in a plastic wallet, complete with plastic luggage labels, a very detailed intinerary and various notes. - so whilst no great coup, was certainly substantial enough to keep your travel docs in.

At the airport - we flew 'scheduled' from Heathrow to Colombo - the tour rep came round the check in queue to say 'hi', and check you off the list (we've never had this before at UK depature). As usual a rep met us off the plane at landing and escorted us to our buses, and gave us bottled drinks on the bus. On arrival at the hotel everything was well organised for check in - no waiting - although I guess that could have been the hotel. We had the usual welcome drink and the next morning 'our talk' and trip info.

We booked a couple of trips and they were excellent - particularly a four day one to 'the mountains'. The guide, driver and drivers assistant were with us constantly. The trip was in a 16 seater mini coach - there were 8 tourists - so loads of room and mo
re than enough staff. We were booked into excellent hotels on the trip, and all tiny details were arranged, from booking early morning calls each day to booking in for us and arranging bottled water. Many stops were made for taking photos and for the guide to stop at market stalls to buy us samples of the local produce and fruit to try, and even buying us maps and then the drawing the routes on each of them for us. He was certainly very knowledgable and adaptable to what we wanted - it was like having a 'private' tour.

I only wish that the main rep had told us which was the bes trip in which to buy gems etc. because having bought them in one place, was then taken somewhere else where we felt we could have bought them cheaper! although everything was still a bargain.

Fortunately (or not) we didn't see our hotel rep very often (although he was there daily for a couple of hours), because we had no complaints and no reason to talk to him (he'd covered most things in his talk!

Another little touch - when we filled in our 'satisfaction survey' we got a gift - a keyring of a Sri Lankan elephant. Then on the way back to the airport for our flight home - all the ladies were given boxes of Orchids.

So - as I say good service, everything well thought out and lots of 'finishing touches', will definately travel with them again.

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