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Reviewed March 14, 2024
We began our trip on our own, flying into Dubrovnik on Wednesday, November 8. Our tour guide, Mario **, had already established contact with us via WhatsApp to give us suggestions regarding our week on our own. We spoke with him as we drove along the coast to our first stop in Split, and we cannot say enough about how comforting it was to us during that week on our own to know that we already had a friend in Croatia. If we had a problem or a question, all we had to do was contact Mario on WhatsApp and he would get back to us with helpful answers. Little did we know at that time what a blessing he would be to us later in our trip. On Thursday, November 16, we checked into the Dubrovnik Palace. We could not have asked for a better group of people to travel with.
Palace Hotel Dubrovnik was outstanding—beautiful location with lovely rooms and balconies overlooking the sea. We especially loved the indoor pool and spa since we were there in November, but also loved the outdoor pool area and beach which provided beautiful sunsets. In addition, the public bus to the old town conveniently stopped at the front door. We enjoyed the guided city tour and Mario’s special tour of Rector’s Palace, as well as time on our own in the old town on Friday, November 17. On Saturday morning (18th) we took a day trip to Montenegro, but by the time we arrived, Dave was feeling tired and having some balance issues so he sat in a cafe in the square while the rest of us took the walking tour.
On Sunday (19th) Dave seemed better so we went with the group on the morning trip to the fortress and heard the tragic story of the 1991-92 siege from Mato who survived it. We were able to join the group again for the trip to Konavle to meet Dario and learn about his family’s experience during the siege, as well as his family’s olive oil business, and to enjoy a wonderful local meal and entertainment. Monday (20th) We boarded the bus for or trip to Sarajevo. Although Dave seemed fine at the beginning, by the time we stopped for a break in Ston, he was having trouble walking well, slightly dragging his right foot. When we stopped in Mostar for lunch, Dave said he was not hungry, but he was tired and just wanted to stay on the bus and sleep.
While we were gone Dave tried to get off the bus to use the restroom, but his right leg collapsed and he fell on the bus steps. A few minutes later, he was able to stand again and made it to the restroom but collapsed again. Dario (our bus driver) was so kind—he returned to the bus as soon as he finished eating and took food with him for Dave. When he got there he discovered Dave on the restroom floor. I cannot say enough about how wonderful Dario was and how thankful we are to him for everything he did to help Dave in the restroom and then getting back on the bus. Meanwhile he called Mario, who immediately went with me to help. Fortunately, the rest of the group was not far behind.
Mario assessed the situation and told me that we had to get Dave to Sarajevo as soon as possible because there was no health facility in Mostar that could deal with this emergency. We were able to get him to the back seat in the bus where he could lie down for the 3-hour ride. By the time we arrived in Sarajevo, Dave was able to walk, with help, to get off the bus and into our hotel room. He was able to walk across the room toward the bed, but collapsed again and could not get up. Mario came quickly back and called an ambulance. He went with me to the hospital and stayed with me while the doctors examined him, did a CT scan, and determined that he needed immediate surgery for a subdural hematoma. He sat in the waiting room with me until 1:00 am, as we waited for news.
At that point, he went to the nurse’s station and talked to them (which I could not have done). Apparently the surgery was just beginning and we were told that there would be no further news until tomorrow, so Mario took me back to the hotel. I cannot imagine what I would have done without Mario in this situation. He was amazing. He knew just what to do and whom to talk to—not to mention that he spoke the language. Tuesday (21st) Mario took me to the hospital, helped translate with the nurses and staff, and waited with me 2-3 hours until we could speak to the doctor who assisted with the surgery.
Mario then took me back to the hotel to meet up with the group, filled out his incident reports and contacted the OAT office in Dubrovnik to set up the additional 10 days that we anticipated having to stay in Sarajevo before Dave would be allowed to fly home. Krsimir **, with the help of other staff members in the Dubrovnik office, began immediately to help us with arrangements. Wednesday (22nd) Since we could not visit the hospital until afternoon, I went with the group and our wonderful guide, Neira, to see Sniper Alley and the Sarajevo tunnel and hear the story of the siege from her. Then we traveled back to the Old Town to meet with Vuk ** to hear his story of the siege.
Afterwards Mario went with me to the hospital. He waited 1-2 hours with me to see the doctor. I was able to see Dave for a brief 5 minutes. He was doing so well that the doctor said he would be released the next day, so Mario immediately talked to the nurse in charge to find out what I would need to do to get him released. Together we spent another 1-2 hours going from one office to another to gather paperwork, signatures, etc. to make sure I had what I needed for the next day, since he would be leaving with the group then and I would have to deal with everything myself. It was after 4 pm before Mario and I were able to return to the hotel to meet up with the group again and prepare for our home-hosted dinner.
I was so grateful to be able to attend that evening with some of my fellow travelers and to experience the hospitality that Sara, Zara, and her grandmother provided us. It really helped me after going through such a traumatic experience with Dave’s surgery. It was comforting to feel a part of a family for a short time—and this family was so generous, warm and loving. The food was amazing and I really got an insight into what life was like for all of them. I was glad to be able to give Sara the Colorado University Buffaloes cap that I had brought along so she could remember us. Thursday (23rd) I had one last breakfast with the group before they left Sarajevo for Karanack.
Thanks to all the help Mario gave me, I was able to get Dave checked out of the hospital and back to the hotel with no real problem. From that point on Dave improved daily and, with the help of the wonderful staff at Hotel Europe and many kind people whom we met everywhere in Sarajevo, we were able to navigate all the medical appointments, make arrangements to get back home, and still enjoy our time together in that beautiful city. We stayed at Hotel Europe in Sarajevo from November 20-December 3 when we were finally able to fly home.
We cannot say enough about how lucky we felt to be staying in such an amazing hotel. It was steps from the Old Town full of shops, places of worship, and restaurants. Not only was it an historic landmark with spacious, comfortable rooms and gorgeous public spaces, complete with furniture and chandeliers in the style of old Vienna, but the staff and service was beyond compare.
Everyone—from the maid who cleaned our room (Emina), to the bellhops, to the waiters and the chef, to the bartenders, to the front desk staff, to the general manager went out of their way daily to ask how Dave was doing and to ask what they could to help us. One bellhop even moved a huge comfortable chair from the hallway into our room so Dave would have his “man chair” to relax in. We felt like we were at home there. We especially want to thank the entire front desk staff, but especially Benjamin and Sanela who made phone calls and translated for us every day.
Mario kept in touch with us via WhatsApp for the rest of the trip, even though he was busy with the group. I could always contact him with questions or to get help with connections to the Dubrovnik office. When I repeatedly told him how much we appreciated everything he was doing for us, he told me that it was his job to do everything he could to help us, but even if it weren’t his job, we were visitors in his country and he would help us because it was the right thing to do. I cannot tell you how lucky we were (and OAT is) to have such a wonderful human being as our tour guide. He also arranged with Neira (our outstanding Sarajevo guide) to allow us to reach out to her if we needed help with anything in his absence.
In fact I did call her on Sunday evening as we thought we might need help getting a prescription for Dave on Monday and she again assured us that she would be glad to help. As it turned out we were able to manage on our own, but we really appreciated knowing that we had a friend in Sarajevo if we needed her. She was an incredibly knowledgeable and thorough guide who gave us a first-hand understanding of Sarajevo and its tumultuous history from her own point of view as one who lived through the events of the siege, but she also really went above and beyond to make us feel at home in Sarajevo.
Kresimir ** (Dubrovnik office) researched options for our return flight to the US, even though we had arranged our own airfare. He continued to contact us via WhatsApp every few days to see how Dave was doing and to see if we needed any assistance until we reached home in Las Vegas. We are so glad we were on an OAT trip when this happened. The care and support everyone provided us was unbelievable. We also want to thank Andrew ** (OAT Travel Relations) who picked up where Kresimir left off when we got home. He helped us navigate the insurance claim with Allianz for the refund of the days we missed on the trip + medical expenses + hotel + taxis. If it had not been for him, we would not have gotten what we were supposed to receive.
Reviewed Feb. 19, 2024
Wow! What an incredible adventure to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The highlight was visiting the Eco Valley Elephant Sanctuary where we learned about elephants, got to bathe and feed them, and had a wonderful lunch there! Really fun. You can save $100 if you mention Nancy **. Our group was amazing and we did the most activities our tour guide of 30 years has ever done! Here they are:
All activities from Bangkok to Saigon LVC 01/26/2024 - 02/14/2024
Sun Jan 28th Bangkok- Orientation briefing
- Food demonstration and lunch at Jim House
- Jim Thomson House Museum
- Orientation walks
Mon Jan 29th- Royal Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha temple
- Discussion with the girl who work for opposition house party and Lunch
- UNESCO Mask dance then take a Tuk Tuk ride from Theatre to Wat Po the hotel
- Wat Po, The Reclining Buddha temple then take a subway and sky train back to the hotel
- Dinner cruise
Tue Jan 30th- UNESCO SITE 1990, Ayutthaya the Ancient city
- Candy cotton tasted
- Boat ride with the elephants bathing pictures
- Back to the hotel
Wed Jan 31st, Luang Prabang, Laos- Lunch at Joma Bakery
- Orientation walked
- Phousi hill 328 steps (Choice)
- Night market
- Dinner
Thu Feb 1st- Mekong River Cruise
- Stop at Baan Muang Kam Village, Hands on Mekong fresh water weeds and Rice cake
- Visited 1,000 Buddha images limes stone cave
- Weaving village
- Big brother mouse chat with highlander kids
Fri Feb 2nd - Day in the life, Grand Circle Foundation site (GCF)- Alms giving
- Tasted Laos black coffee with condense milk
- Shopping at the morning market to buy the ingredient for stirred fired noodle
- Visited Baan Non Sa-ad, Grand Circle Foundation site
- Visited school
- Visited Hmong village with discussion, cross bowl
- Demonstration to make rice wine and taste
- Helping local economy
- Lunch at Head man house
- Helped cooking stirred fired rice noodle
- Nancy, Luanne and Bob visited Kwang Si waterfall
Sat Feb 3rd Luang Prabang - Vientiane- Luang Prabang Palace Museum
- Hi speed Train from Luang Prabang to Vientiane
- Home Hosted dinner
Sun Feb 4th- Monk Chat and visited Wat Sisaket Museum
- COPE center rehabilitation center, discussion with Bomb survivor
- Lunch
- Poppet shows
- Orientation walk to Mekong River front
- dinner on own
Mon Feb 5th, Vientiane - Phnom Penh- Champey Academy dancing school
- Orientation walked
- Bus drive to the river front for dinner
- Remok ride back to the hotel
Tue Feb 6th- Killing field
- Discussion with Survivors
- Genocide Museum, S 21
- Lunch
- Phnom Penh Palace
- Russian Market for Ted and Don for KEEN shoes
- Daughters of Cambodia, Sex workers
- Sunset cruise
Wed Feb 7th, Phnom Pen - Siem Reap long bus drive- Stop and buy lotus seeds
- Tarantulas village at Sakon district
- Stone craving village
- Lunch at Pre-Pros by manmade lake
- Stop at pounding village, rice serial
- Stop at Ancient Bridge 12nd century
- Dinner at the hotel
Wed Feb 8th- Sunrise
- Angkor Wat 1113 - 1350
- Lunch
- Apopo, Hero rat
- Bayon temple late 12nd century - early 13rd century with 54 Buddha faces at Angkor Thom
- Pub street
- Acrobat show *Diane **
Thu Feb 9th- Water Buffalo cart ride, Cambodian Lexus
- Visited fisherman house
- Tonle sap lake floating village
- Boat ride to the floating village
- Lunch
- Artisan school
- visit Ta Prohm or Jungle temple 1186
- Apsara, dinner dance
Fri Feb 10th, Siem Reap – Saigon, * TET Holiday- Optional tour to Banteay Srei year 967, Pink and Yellow sand stone temple 146 years earlier than The Angkor Wat
- Stop at rice Noodle house
- Lunch
- Angkor National Museum
- Late check in at Huong Sen hotel, Saigon
Sat Feb 11st- Mekong Delta trip at My Tho city then cross the River to Ben Tre visited organic farm, Tasted Pomelo and Jack fruits, rice crispy
- Stop at hammock coffee
- Visited coconut factory
- Boat ride at My Tho
- Experiences with Sampan boat and Lambro local transportation
- Lunch
- Back to hotel dinner on own
Sun Feb 12nd- City tour, Book Street
- Post office, Notre Dam Cathedral
- Benthan, Central market
- Independence Palace (Presidential Palace)
- Lunch with Pho
- Secret Bunker
- Optional tour: Saigon Adventure Street food with scooter ride
Mon Feb 13rd- Cu Chi Tunnel
- Lunch and discussion with the owner at the lunch place
- Back to the hotel
- Wrap up trip
- Farewell party dinner
Tue Feb 14th- Return back to USA or Break away. And then I slept for two days. Can't wait to go on another trip.
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Reviewed Dec. 30, 2023
If you want a unique experience to enjoy part of Eastern Europe, this winter trip is for you. Select the “Christmas cruise” in December, when we left our perfectly located Hotel Dubrovnik in the heart of Zagreb (after the OAT introductory briefing) to roam the city streets. My husband and I enjoyed mulled wine and sausages at one of the many booths and strolled the downtown squares lit brightly for the holidays. Everywhere you visit, cities will be decorated: Christmas trees overlooking waterways, in front of cathedrals, at public buildings and teddy bear Santa’s in windows.
Plus, there are excellent tour guides in each port to introduce you to the rich and complex history of the area. (It was interesting to learn that Dalmatia was once part of the Venetian empire.) Just when we thought our OAT trip leaders couldn’t get any better, along came Djukan, an informed and energetic native of Montenegro (with a high EQ), who blended the 25 on our tour into a “family.” We knew each other’s names within 48 hours. Dovidenja, name tags.
The good ship Athena has well-appointed staterooms, a comfortable lounge area, smooth sailing, and food aplenty. (One complaint: Get a better coffee machine; we Americans are such coffee snobs.) Best of all, it was staffed with people from various countries who genuinely seemed to care about their passengers – and all had interesting stories of their own. Me thinks people do not go on cruises for the food: it was good, not extraordinary, and it was served efficiently and with panache. Wine selections come from in country and vary daily – or you can buy your own offshore or aboard and pay a corkage fee. What a comfortable way to journey through Croatia, its islands and into Montenegro. I particularly enjoyed the mornings watching the sun rise as we sailed into a new port.
Our magical moments: returning from the welcome dinner through the bomb shelters from World War II, now used as sites for raves … Our Lady of the Rocks Shrine in Kotor, enjoying the art without another soul there … the stunning Cathedral of St. James in Sebenik, its architecture transitioning from Gothic to Renaissance (and just when we thought we’d seen enough churches/mosques/synagogues to last a lifetime) … the acapella singing troupe who had us all clapping to Croatian tunes and ended up singing Willie’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” … hearing the profound tale of a woman who lived through the siege of Dubrovnik … and inspiration from a young Muslim woman in Sopot, determined to rejuvenate her village and build a better life for her Catholic family.
It was the full-on OAT experience. Yes, you can go with the crowds in the summer or shoulder seasons, or you can button up your overcoat and go in winter when you will have this special place in the world to yourselves. There’s enough mulled wine and OAT hospitality to keep you warm.
Reviewed Nov. 18, 2023
I have recently returned from my first OAT trip. OAT was recommended to me by friends but I was a bit apprehensive about traveling solo with a group of people I had not met before. I was pleasantly surprised. The group was comprised of both couples and singles. We all meshed very well and did activities together outside of our scheduled events. I have traveled quite a bit but never with an organized tour group. There is no way I could have had as many and as varied of experiences in Sicily if I had planned the trip myself.
The Sicilians I met were all quite interesting. We ate in homes of a retired law enforcement officer and his family, an active farmer and his family and a cook and craftsperson. We were invited to the home of an accomplished pianist in Ragusa who played for us in his parlor and showed us his extensive antique collection. In Mazura, after visiting the museum and seeing the magnificent Dancing Satyr, we listened to the captain who discovered the sculpture talk of his discovery adventure.
We hiked on the hills close to Mt. Etna and listed to its thunder on a day before it erupted. In Taormina we viewed the majestic views of the Ionian seaside from the Greco Roman Theater, while we learned of the Greeks' use of the theater for cultural enrichment and the Romans later use of the theater for gladiator games. Throughout Sicily, we had a chance to learn of the merging of various cultures and that influence on the lives of Sicilians today. We viewed architecture that was originally Greek, converted by the Romans and later formed the base for magnificent cathedrals.
One of the most surprising tours of the trip was a visit to the WWII museum. I would not have placed that on a trip I had planned for myself. I was exposed to a phase of WWII history that I had not been aware of and one that has much similarity to what is happening in our world today. These are just a few of the experiences I had on my trip. There were so many more that greatly enriched my life. Our trip leader, Ignazio, was excellent. He set a high bar for future trips. I definitely plan to travel with OAT again and hope that future trip leaders are as great as Ignazio was.
Donna, we are happy to hear you enjoyed your first trip with us! Thank you for sharing your experience in Sicily with us. We look forward to having you travel with us again in the future.
Reviewed Oct. 24, 2023
It grieves me to see so many negative OAT reviews recorded in ConsumerAffairs. My wife and I have now completed four OAT trips, having recently returned from the Ultimate Africa tour. After reading many reviews, it appears that most complaints are regarding reservations and what happens or doesn’t happen administratively with the OAT organization. There are many dissatisfied customers who feel they have not been treated fairly or honestly by OAT, most often regarding health issues and decisions or schedule changes. In their defense, there is a lot of paperwork to sift through and I would encourage potential travelers to carefully review and ask questions to throughly understand what is being agreed to. By comparison, there are very few complaints regarding the actual trips and trip leaders.
We have had the most wonderful experience during all four of our OAT trips and we believe that the organization does an outstanding job. The whole travel industry was hurting during Covid and is still recovering from a very difficult time. Hopefully, OAT will continue to focus more on staffing and the administrative aspects of customer service, aka phone calls, and a little lesser budget on printed advertisements, brochures and costly literature that is frequently mailed out. The #1 priority and goal should be to have quality customer service.
In regards to our most recent trip, Ultimate Africa, we couldn’t be more pleased with the entire experience from booking to traveling with OAT. This was a well designed and carried out program, and it would be hard to imagine another company doing any better than OAT, especially for the value. Our guide was totally there for everyone during the whole experience. She displayed the ultimate in concern for our safety, well being and travel experience. She was a true African native, well studied in history, culture, daily life, and many other topics. She was the catalyst that made this trip experience so meaningful.
If I was to do a complete review of the entire trip, it would take pages. What we saw, experienced and learned about Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa in just 16-days was incredible. OAT is fortunate to have our tour guide as a contractor and she should definitely be used as much as possible for this fantastic tour. She is the Ultimate OAT professional guide and a great person of high integrity and personality. My wife and I highly recommend the Ultimate Africa tour. I also don’t want to fail to mention another wonderful OAT tour that we completed this year, the Egypt & The Eternal Nile adventure. This was also an amazing tour that we highly recommend. We are already looking forward to our next OAT adventure.
Bob, thank you for the kind words! We're very glad to hear that you enjoyed your Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, and Botswana adventure.
Reviewed April 16, 2024
Overseas Adventure Travel might have a corner on the market for delivering outstanding service - and my experience warrants every accolade they receive. From itineraries that provide rich cultural experiences to tour guides whose knowledge, skill, and customer focus is unmatched in the industry, I could not want for more.
Reviewed April 9, 2024
Just returned from my 4th trip with OAT. Each one I take I wonder will I ever be able to top the last one? Well, this last trip to So. America that included Rio, Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires, Calafate, Patagonia and a cruise through the fjords ending in Santiago Chile definitely met the challenge. It was truly a phenomenal trip through incredible countries, cities, locations, etc. OAT does an incredible job with handling all of the intricacies of travel through multiple countries, not to mention the many activities, experienced local guides they provide at each location that help make the trip so memorable and enriching.
Torres del Paine Nat'l park was truly a sight to behold. The cruise on Skorpios III through the Patagonian fjiords was phenomenal. The many glaciers we saw and hiked to and the scenery were spectacular, the experience was everlasting. So much more I could say, but would be writing a book - the trip was a wonderful experience overall. Highly recommend it!
Reviewed April 9, 2024
This trip was perfect on many levels. First, the group leader was exceptional. She was able to bring the best out of everyone. Nature did not disappoint. Glaciers are to be seen and NOW! The food and lodging were wonderful. The service and people are Argentina were friendly and made us at home in their country.
Reviewed April 8, 2024
A great trip of Tuscany and Umbria which was well planned and organized because of the hard work of our tour leader and bus driver. The hotels were all excellent and food and wine were delicious. All the activities were fun and interesting and there were many extras offered which were not part of the itinerary thanks to the efforts of the tour leader and bus driver. Beautiful scenery throughout and good pacing of the trip.
Reviewed April 4, 2024
I loved my first trip with OAT on the Ultimate Australia tour. The small group size allowed us to get to know each other and enjoy traveling together quickly. Our tour director, Blake, was actively involved in sharing his love of his country, its history, and its people and encouraging the group to get to know each other. The outdoor experiences of a semi-arid desert, the oldest raintree forest, and the great barrier reef were beautiful beyond words! Even an evening stroll to see the Opera House was a wonderful memory. Plenty of koalas, kangaroos, sea turtles, and more. I can't wait for my next trip.
Overseas Adventure Travel Company Information
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- Overseas Adventure Travel
- Website:
- www.oattravel.com
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