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Kathie H
August 7, 2009
Itinerary
Yes, we also were surrounded by Chinese nationals and tour guide, although we found our tour guide to be especially delightful. We weren't on the tour to make friends, but it was a rather lonely experience. The worst part of the tour was threefold: First of all, the itinerary failed to mention that on the last day of the tour, we would not be in Boston until after 8:00 pm. Therefore, we were unable to meet our 3:00 flight except by dropping out of the tour on the last day and booking an about $600 flight (for two) from Buffalo to Boston. That about knocked the wind out of our sails. Secondly, almost all of the hotels (although very nice) were at airports, disallowing any kind of getting a flavor of the "town" in which we landed, but after putting in a 14-15 hour day, we were exhausted beyond reason anyhow. Thirdly, the meals were mostly buffets or McDonald's with no oppertunity to visit a grocery store, liquor store, pharmacy, or any kind of store beyond a few spare minutes at Times Square (which was disappointingly brief-about an hour). So, time for a few momentos, but that is about it. People might need to buy a pack of cigarettes, or candy bar, perhaps a can of peanuts, a six pack of beer, a phone card, etc. Tourists might want to eat a Philly Cheesesteak in Philadelphia, visit a pub in Boston, spend more than an hour in Times Square (after traveling thousands of miles), swim in a pool, or soak in spa at hotel (if you got there before they closed, which we didn't). So, although we adored our tour guide and felt completely safe (a middle-aged woman and her teen-aged grandson), there were difficulties which were more than a little disconcerting.
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September 20, 2007
Avoid Tours4Fun!
Tours4Fun
www.tours4fun.com
After booking a bus tour with TOURS4FUN well in advance, my wife and I flew to Salt Lake City and registered at the motel designated by Seagull/C&J Express - the tour provider. When we boarded the bus the next morning imagine our surprise to learn that we were given the last two seats on a Chinese group tour for our four-day Yellowstone, Grand Teton Tour Package The tour consisted of a Chinese tour guide, a Chinese driver and a large ethnic group that spoke only in Chinese. Throughout the trip the guide regaled the group with stories (apparently funny) and landmark highlights for literally hours on end over the PA system. Occasionally , between stories, a few words would be spoken in English but the guide's heavy accent made it difficult to understand what he was imparting to us. Most of the time, well over 95%, we sat there completely perplexed. The rapport with fellow travelers that usually develops on such a trip was impossible, due to the inability to communicate. The stares of some of the group suggested that they were questioning, as were we, why we were even on the bus.
In response to our complaint, TOURS4FUN stated that the Customer Agreement that we acquiesced to states that their tours are escorted by professional English or bi- or multi-lingual tour guides or drivers, and they have received some complimentary letters from many English-speaking customers. This response was totally inadequate. Agreeing to the possibility of a bi-lingual tour guide had nothing to do with the fact that we were unknowingly booked on an exclusive Chinese tour (even the bus windshield card designated the trip in Chinese), that was unprepared to offer any semblance of accommodation to English-speaking passengers. The experience was unpleasant and the vacation we looked forward to ruined. There are many well qualified tour providers our there and we recommend that TOURS4FUN be avoided.
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