EASTRAVEL Traveller Reviews

We are back after a terrific three weeks in Taiwan. Eastravel arranged a rail, bus and car tour around the island, picking up most of the highlights of this fascinating country. We really enjoyed the trip and the itinerary set up for us by Eastravel worked really well - except for a very late season and unexpected typhoon which meant we missed out seeing the east coast of the island and a few days in Yilan. But instead we had some extra days in Kaohsiung, which we really liked as a city, and Taipei - which is so vast in size that it was no problem filling our extra time there! All the hotels that were selected were very good, just right for us and well located. All the travel arrangements worked very well (although we have suggested some minor improvements for possible future travellers). The train and bus services in Taiwan are very efficient and keep to very good time.

Eastravel arrange the holiday for us. They were excellent. We had a good dialogue about our interests and hopes for the trip and, interactively with us, they put together the itinerary. They provided full descriptive details for the itinerary and arranged the train and bus reservations. Eastravel and their Taiwan based partners Edison Tours were very helpful and efficient in rearranging our itinerary after the typhoon. This was done very quickly and, through their good knowledge and contacts, was done without any extra cost.

Having wanted to visit China for several years my husband and I spent 3 weeks exploring several spots in China (Beijing, Zhangjiajie, Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing, Longsheng, Yangshuo, Huangshan and Shanghai) in September/October 2024. We were amazed by the beautiful scenery and loved being able to explore the big cities too. We had guides and drivers in each location who were all wonderful and went above and beyond to ensure that we had the best time - which we did!

Dorothy at Eastravel was exceptional as always in helping bring the trip to life and ensuring that every detail was taken care of. We frankly would not have been able to do all the things we did without their help or suggestions.

We stayed in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka with a visit to Miyajima and Hiroshima by bullet train from Osaka. We had a private guide for a day in each of the destinations which enabled us to see and learn so much more than we could have done on our own. The location of each of the hotels was a perfect base for exploring ourselves or for eating and drinking in the evening in the local areas. The traditional ryokan stay in Hakone with kaiseki meals was a memorable experience in itself and the meals were so beautifully presented. The hotel had it's own onsen with indoor and outdoor pools. We could have spent longer in Hiroshima visiting the Peace memorials and museum but again having a local guide was so helpful. A visit to Miyajima could also have been a full day long trip. We learnt so much about Japan and it's fascinating long history, about the Samurai, the temples and shrines, the beautiful gardens and the story of the Geisha. The food was delicious both in restaurants and as 'street' food and our chopstick skills greatly improved day by day. The people were lovely, completely respectful of each other and of the tourists. Despite using our limited Japanese language as much as possible we found that the Japanese were quite happy to speak English. if they could. All in all we had such a great time and would certainly consider another visit in the future.

We have travelled with East Travel on previous occasions to Thailand and Vietnam and now Japan. We have always valued their local knowledge and trusted their guidance when planning a trip. This would normally start with us saying we want to do particular experiences or visit particular places and would follow with us receiving a suggested itinery. This would include advice on hotels, the destination and what additional things or places that might interest us whilst there linked to our original request and budget. If appropriate it would normally include private tour guides to get the most out of the holiday. We have never been disappointed in any of these arrangements and our usual contact Dorothy Heng has always been very helpful and responsive to our many questions. We have no doubt that we will use East Travel again in the future for their experience in tailoring a very personal holiday experience.

Just returned from our trip to Vietnam. Wow!!!! And thank you Dorothy at Eastravel. I took my 15 and 19 year old kids and Dorothy got the balance for us spot on. Culture, exploring, trecking, adventure, free time. The quality of the hotels, guides and transfers were 10/10, the pre holiday advice and communication also excellent and the 24 hour support service while away also excellent (our bags were delayed in Singapore for 24 hours by the airline when we arrived in Vietnam). A completely tailored itinerary and fabulous experience.

Dorothy was amazing from first contact to outline my thoughts to confirming our final itinerary.

We flew to Bangkok and stayed for 3 night. Sightseeing tours booked for us were brilliant. Then onto Koi Lak to a beach front hotel. Shops and restaurants within walking distance of our beautiful hotel. We also went to stay in the jungle to see the elephants and then to Koi Sok to the national park, We stayed on the lake which was breath taking. Unbelievable holiday.

They arranged everything from start to finish. Everything ran smoothly. All flights, tranters, tours and hotels booked to perfection. They checked on every detail for us including allergies and fussy children. We were sent all documents and luggage labels. We were made to feel very important. Couldn't have asked for more from a tour operator,

We have just returned from a most memorable trip to Vietnam. I think the report that mentioned East Travel in the Times was the best read that I have made recently, to enable us to contact you. Would you pass on special mentions to the reps and drivers from Exo Travel, who gave us fantastic information and service during our two weeks in Vietnam – Josie in HCMC, Vicki in Hanoi and Nhan in Hue. The staff at the hotels also need special mention and the facilities were excellent. I would also like to thank you all at East Travel, bearing in mind our travel arrangements needed to be changed at short notice due to the tunnel collapse, which were changed seamlessly.

First class

A week away in the Maldives to celebrate our 30th anniversary, and wow, we were blown away with everything, the friendliness of everyone, the sea, the colours of the sea, the snorkelling of the beach, our resort, everything was just perfect. If you’re thinking of going, stop thinking just book it.

Everything worked well from the point we were looking at options for a holiday to the booking procedure and right up to the week of our flight when we were reminded about advance immigration information we needed to complete.

We did a two week tour of Korea, covering Seoul, Andong (Hahoe village), Gyeongju, and Busan. In Seoul, Gyeongju, and Busan we had private guides organised for us who were all really friendly and knowledgeable. They really brought the sites to life. The holiday was also organised so well that we were able to see a lot within each day and I've come away feeling like I've really seen so much of the country. The hotels were also all excellent and in great locations (I particularly loved being in Myeong-dong in Seoul and Hongdae in Busan!). There was also a great mix of activities (from palaces and temples, to food markets and cultural villages). Overall, it was a perfect way to experience such a fascinating country.

Dorothy (/East Travel) has been excellent. She was very attentive to all requests/needs within our travelling group during the planning phase, and is extremely reliable and thorough.

We travelled as a couple and had the most incredible experience in Japan, traveling from Tokyo via Kyoto to Osaka, venturing to other cities and towns along the way. We experienced the delights of Sakura, the beautiful Cherry blossom, their incredible temples and shrines, the excitement of the bullet trains and the wonderful hospitality of the Japanese, who are so polite, respectful, and incredibly helpful. We had tour guides arranged, and so we learned such a lot about the Japanese customs, their ways of life, the history behind the country and the ingenuity of their Incredible building of temples and shrines hundred of years ago. It is a testament to their forward thinking respect for each other as well as their country. In Tokyo, we visited the imperial Palace Tokyo tower, Tsukiji Market and Nakimise Street. Kamakura was an absolute delight and eating sushi at the Fish market was a fantastic experience. We saw the great Buddha at Hadedera Temple and Kaomachi Street. We stayed in the most incredible Ryokan in Hakone with beautiful gardens, ans took on the custom of wearing a Hukata for dinner, We immersed ourselves in the Japanese ways of life, and it was an utter delight. From Hakone, we travel to Mount Fuji and we were lucky enough to have a beautiful day and see the top of the mountain. Yes and we tasted the ‘black eggs’ . From Hakone, we travel to Nagano Of the winter Olympics, and from there went to see the snow monkeys. This was an absolute treat, and they are really quite cute and very aware of humans, enjoying the paparazzi and having their photos taken. With and travel to Takayama to stay in another Ryokan, Once again, it must ourselves in their customs enjoying their Onsens, both private, and public. They are quite a liberating experience!! We had a bus trip to Shirakawa-go a UNESCO heritage site, In the Hakusan national Park. This is totally different to where we had already seen as they were thatched roof farm houses, 4 floors high. Our next step was Kyoto on the bullet train such an experience experience, and it was there that we saw most of the Sakura with beautiful cherry blossom at the philosopher’s path. This is an absolute delight. The reason we had gone to Japan at this time of the year and we weren’t disappointed. We had seen cherry blossom along the way on train journeys, but this was a delight to behold. We also traveled to the Golden Temple and to Nishiki market, which was a Crazy experience of all the different taste of food in one street. We have eaten deep-fried oysters, grilled oysters, octopus balls, cream filled fish, bean paste filled maple leaves, tempura fish and vegetables, If you go there, you have to taste everything!! Hiroshima was very thought-provoking, but again a testament to the Japanese resilience. We also travel to Majyma Island, which is beautiful and fortunate to be there during high tide. Our last stop was Osaka , which was completely different to where we had been so far. Dutonburi street Is absolutely crazy but amazing at the same time. Wall-to-wall people sensory overload it was incredible. As I said, we had an absolute blast in Japan., It’s an absolute must for people to visit.

Lady D 💕 as I affectionately call her, our Eastravel Tour operator, brilliantly organized our trip with a comprehensive and detailed Itinerary, which had been tailored to our requests. At each and every point there were suggestions and guidance for us making our way from one city to another, We cannot thank Dorothy and her team enough for our experiences. We had an absolute blast!! It was an adventure of a lifetime with so many experiences sites, sounds, tastes, and incredible fun. Having spoken to others that were in groups, We realize just how fortunate we were to have had somebody arrange such an amazing trip, giiving us to have the opportunity and experiences of travelling together, but with the ‘comfort blanket’ that Eastravel was there if we needed them. As mentioned we had an incredible time, memories which will stay with us forever, Japan was just joyous 🥰 We cannot recommend Eastravel enough and we cannot wait until our next adventure with them. Thank you Lady D💕

We had a great time exploring many locations within the Phillippines. We visited Manila, Bohol, Coron and Palawan.

Dorothy was extremely efficient in helping us to plan our holiday, with great liaison with the contacts abroad. All went very smoothly and we would book with Eastravel again.