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TUNISIA...THE HIDDEN GEM! - Overseas Adventure Travel

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The guide made the trip. Abdou was knowledgeable about everything.! Religion, politics, customs... read more

OAT does a very good actual tour. My wife and I have been on two of them and know friends that... read more

TUNISIA...THE HIDDEN GEM!

O.A.T. is not only for the O-L-D! My 26 year old daughter and I just returned from visiting Tunisia with O.A.T. and it was everything and more than we had ever expected. Our guide/trip leader, Mohamed Nabli was simply amazing and made the trip magical with his attentiveness and vast knowledge of this lovely welcoming country. The Tunisian history was impressive and the Ancient Roman Ruins were incredible, to say the least. Highlights of the 2 week trip for me was A. the tented camp in the Sahara Desert, B. the Oasis in Tozeur and C. the blue & white washed beachside town of Sidi Bou Said. (In no particular order). Oh let's not forget Djerba Island, Chenini, Dougga, El Jem, Kairouan and Tunis, to name a few . The trip was pretty fast paced and exhausting but extremely soul satisfying and we are both very happy we went with Overseas Adventure Travel.

Thank you for sharing your experience! We are very glad to hear you enjoyed your adventure with us. We hope you join us again in the future.

Croatia, especially its now-Disnyfied Dubrovnik, is now saturated with tourists, so was disappointing if thinner crowds and quiet are appreciated. Maybe in its heyday 5+ years ago.... The remainder of the ex-Yogo countries' offerings were varied and less hectic, but all shared profoundly bad gustatory experiences, as the only two spices known are salt and sugar...both used to excrutiating excess. Over-cooked salty pork and soggy over-salted potatoes comprised the great majority of the diet. Pluses were only fresh caps and lattes, decent cabbage, as well fresh grapefruit and pineapple (?) at breakfast. Conditions improved greatly on the OAT post-trip to Serbia, where the cuisine improved dramatically, and the vibe on the streets of both Novi Sad and Belgrade was much less touristy. Indeed, Beograd I consider an old Paris of the Balkans in ambience. Our primary tourleader was exceedingly charming and energetic, but overwhelmed by our sizeable (16) group and her instructions to keep us pumped with needless trivia. TMI is both infuriating and exhausting to both recipients and the hopelessly over-challenged leader. Indeed, in this case "less is more". I trust she'll learn to pace and be aware of group ambience better as her experience and training deepens. I have to rate her an average of 3 stars: 2 for TMI, 2 for complete lack of knowledge of cuisine, 4 for energy and friendliness. The post-trip leader was more skilled in reading actual group vibe and changing conditions, yet guilty of excess trivia (which he offered was pushed onto them by OAT corporate). I give him 4 stars, averaging 3.5-4.5. Re the gorilla in the room of Serbia guilt re genocide and crimes against humanity (which was wonderfully witnessed by said-titled museum), the consensus accumulated by the main trip (Croatia, MonteNegro, BiH) was certainly that the Serbs were wildly seen in a negative light...especially in that they've never officially apologized for war crimes, the Hague's prosecutions notwithstanding. (Indeed many non-Serbs will not intermarry with Serbs to this date...awaiting a formal apology that seems not forthcoming, despite finagling required to be admitted to the EU. The post-trip to Serbia swung the pendulum somewhat successfully in that a very seasoned and knowledgable journalist offered a perspective that noted that only BOSNIAN-Serbs were guilty of genocide...not homeland Serbs. Yet this is perhaps a rationalization that founders on several levels. But that's Balkanization for you.... OAT would serve its main-trip clients far better by including Serbia, either in actual visit to NS or Belgrade, or at least offering a balanced description of history at the outset, rather than swinging the pendulum wildly on the main trip and leaving those members with a too one-sided perspective. That 1.5hr lecture at the end would be better positioned at the beginning of the main trip. We've been on 7 OAT trips to date. Unfortunately this one rates as our worst. The previous were all 4-5 stars. Our home visit's experience was profoundly moving, but counterbalanced by an absurd experience at a fake "antique" farm ala a children's summer park. Ridiculous waste of tiime. OAT clearly has a lot of work to do to get this trip up to snuff.

Thank you for your candid review. O.A.T. takes feedback from its customers very seriously. Please contact us at [email protected] so that we may review your situation.

Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) put together a really spectacular trip to Morocco for 16 seniors. Our Group Leader, Hassan Emmefati, was outstanding! Knowledgeable, engaged, committed to teaching us EVERYTHING about his country, empathetic, sympathetic, and extremely well organized. From early each morning to late each night he did everything possible to make this a great trip for a diverse group of travelers. He was extremely well connected and called upon those connections often to enhance our experience. The itinerary covered vast distances and differences (Rabat, Fes, Volubilis, Meknes, Erfoud, the Sahara tent camp, Ouarzazate, Marrakesh, and Casablanca. In addition to the standard tourist sites, we had many opportunities to meet the people through OAT's "Day in the Life" program, as well as "Home hosted dinners". We met young women in urban areas, nomads, Berbers, elders, and had fascinating in depth discussions about Islam, gender issues, education, arranged marriages, head scarves, the Monarchy, etc. Ratings (1-5): Overall 5; Tour leader Hassan Emmefati 10; Accommodations 5; Meals 4-5; Transportation 4-5 (unavoidably there were several long transit days, but the vehicle was comfortable, and Hassan made sure we had lots of breaks, interesting diversions, etc); Educational Programs 5.

We just came home from our 12th trip with OAT. Our first was back in 2007 to Egypt. As always, the experience was absolutely amazing. The guides are always phenomenal and the attention to detail in the planning & execution are perfection. We have never had a bad trip with them. This trip was called Crossroads to the Adriatic and was basically a trip to the countries that were previously a part of Yugoslavia - Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, & Serbia. It was a wonderful trip both in activities, scenery, historical education, & a binge of eating & drinking! There was a diversity of activities planned, both for outdoor enthusiast & social interaction with locals. And food & drink, did I mention that? We highly recommend both this trip & travel with OAT anywhere. My husband & I have enjoyed both group trips that I have organized & trips where we just signed up to go ourselves.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We are grateful for your loyalty and look forward to having you join us again in the future.

Wonderful trip to Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Slovenia with a small group of fellow travelers. We enjoy OAT's approach to travel with home hosted dinners, visiting local families, hearing about controversial local topics and experiencing local highlights. We had a great guide who was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his local area and we learned a lot about local culture and history.

Thank you for the kind words! We're very glad to hear that you enjoyed your adventure with us.

This was an incredible trip through northern Spain and Portugal. It combined elements of a pilgrimage, walking parts of the Camino de Santiago, discovery of medieval cathedrals and cities, visiting farms and wineries, learning about local cultures, lessons in ancient history, and interactions with fellow travelers, local guides, and the tour group leaders. What I enjoyed most were the long walks through the meadows, villages, and the cities and being able to watch the locals going about their lives or crowding the bars, cafes, and streets in huge numbers at night. Many times, it was hard to find your way through the throngs of young and old, especially in the old towns, having a good time. I got the feeling that these people really know how to live. The pace of the trip was perfect. It kept me constantly engaged and curious but also provided enough times for discovery on my own and rest. The cuisine was excellent, and so were the wine tastings. Accommodations were always in the perfect locations for easy access to the most interesting cathedrals, old towns, and other points of interest. Our tour leader, Juan, was extremely personable, engaging, caring, attentive to detail, and a great sport. He made it very fun and easy to travel from destination to destination and spent a lot of energy and effort explaining the local cultures and history and provided recommendations for what to see and where to go in each location. He came up with spontaneous activities when possible on our way from one location to another, which kept long drives interesting and full of discovery of places we wouldn’t have visited otherwise. An optional tour to walk on the 1700-ft long suspension bridge in Arouca became one of the major highlights of the trip. Being a scientist, I like to think that I am naturally curious about the world and interested in solving riddles. But until I was on this trip, I didn’t realize that I was also very curious and fascinated by ancient history. Our tour leader, Juan, and later Andreia during the post-trip extension in Lisbon, provided detailed information about local histories, pointed out important landmarks, and were always eager and available to answer further questions from us about the Spanish and Portuguese histories. Until this time, my knowledge of the history of these regions was somewhat sketchy. Discussions with the tour leaders and the local guides made my interest come alive and completely wetted my appetite to know more. OAT leaders also didn’t shy away from controversial topics, such as the Basque independence struggle or the emigration of youth from Portugal for lack of opportunities in their country. Now, after the trip, I still find myself wondering about the Basque peoples, their language, the Spanish civil war, bombing of Gernika, the Roman’s and the Moores, the inquisition, the Templars, the crusades, St. James Ways, Santiago de Compostela, and the symbols of all the previous cultures and peoples that invaded and lived there during the previous centuries or even millennia. This was truly a multi-faceted trip as is the multi-layered history of these (off the beaten track) regions where I was fortunate to travel with OAT. I recommend this trip to anyone interested in discovering the ancient cultures, history, and beauty of Northern Spain and Portugal! At the end of this trip, I am left with the feeling of a wide open sky and a wide open world awaiting discovery!

We appreciate your kind words. We are always happy to hear about your experience with us! We hope you join us again in the future.

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Small Group Tunisia Tours

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Tunisia tour code: tn1, tunisia & malta tour code: tm1, algeria & tunisia tour code: ag2, algeria, tunisia & malta tour code: ag3, tunisia, malta & italy tour code: tm2, algeria, tunisia, malta & southern italy tour code: ag4, tunisia, malta & italy tour code: tm3.

Desert odyssey: planning your trip to the Tunisian Sahara

Oct 15, 2018 • 6 min read

Camel drivers at dusk in the Sahara desert, near Douz, Kebili, Tunisia, North Africa, Africa

Long a popular winter sun destination for Europeans, Tunisia’s resorts and beaches often come with locals leading brightly saddled camels for tourists to ride next to the sea. However, it's easy to plan an even bigger adventure in far more epic surroundings. Head towards Tunisia's other great expanse of sand in the country’s deep south, which fringes the Grand Erg Oriental, an endless expanse of wind-sculpted Saharan dunes.

The Sahara, the word itself often synonymous with the whole concept of a desert, is a landscape of the imagination and one of the great frontiers of adventure travel. With Tunisia's return to the tourism scene , as a good budget alternative to Morocco, now is the perfect time to saddle up.

Douz: the gateway to the Sahara

You could start your visit to the Sahara from almost anywhere in southern Tunisia , but any trip worth your time will funnel through the gateway town of Douz , a modest, low-slung place that only really starts to come to life when the sun begins to dip. On the fringes of Douz is a large palmeraie (palm grove), with acres of green-grey palms providing shady gardens for crops, as well as mountains of dates to give sustenance to desert travellers. Beyond the palms, the desert beckons.

To get to the desert, any of Douz's Saharan tour operators can provide you with options, from an afternoon in the dunes to multi-day camping adventures according to your time and inclination. The biggest decision to make at the start is your mode of transport. If you want to range far and fast, you can get a 4WD with an expert guide who knows all the trails and can mount sand dunes that would leave an amateur struggling with a spade to dig out their vehicle. For short dune raids, quad bikes are also an option. But for both the adventurous and incurable romantic alike, there is no way to get closer to the desert than with a camel.

Camel tours in the Tunisian Sahara

If it's just a taste of the desert that you're after, many locals in Douz will offer you a camel ride on the spot, but you won't get far into the dunes, the best of which start some way from the town. For longer trips that involve camping, allow at least a day to make arrangements with a licensed tour operator – you can contact local agencies like Horizons Deserts Voyages , Sahha Sahara and Nefzaoua Voyages in advance of your trip to confirm arrangements before you arrive in Douz. Double-check what meals and camping equipment (including bedding) is included in the price and just how far your trip will go into the desert: you don’t want to travel all this way to only to have your camel walk a mile past the town limits.

An overnight tour is the most popular option. After some instruction on the best way to mount your camel and stay in the saddle when it rises to its feet (an unexpectedly wobbly experience), you set out after the heat of the day burns off to ride to a campsite. Around four hours of trekking is a typical first day, which is more than enough to pick up the swaying rhythm of your mount and also to anticipate which parts of your body might be sore the next day.

The reward is arriving deep enough into the desert to enjoy the sunset far from civilisation. Camping involves a traditional black woollen Berber tent, but it's even more fun to sleep outside under the dizzying night sky – a million-star hotel, as your guide will gleefully point out.

Dinner is eaten around a campfire. Quite commonly, it will be a simple stew in a pot that can be wrapped in foil and buried to cook in the fire, along with unleavened bread baked in ashes. While dinner cooks, teapots boil on top of the fire, stuffed with gunpowder tea and mint, and a fistful of sugar that would appear shocking if you hadn't just spent half a day burning calories just holding on to your stead.  

The next morning, you rise with the sun and strike camp after a simple breakfast and more sweet tea, and head deeper into the Sahara, or if you're on a shorter trip, back towards Douz.

Sanctuary oasis of Ksar Ghilane

A popular destination for shorter desert trips in the Tunisian desert is the oasis of Ksar Ghilane. You could make a serious trek there by camel from Douz in around a week, but those more pressed for time can reach it by sealed road from Douz in a couple of hours (or have your guide from Douz dune-bash it here in a 4WD).

A beautiful palm-green dot holding back enormous waves of sand, Ksar Ghilane has long attracted outside attention, from Roman legionaries on the outposts of empire to military manoeuvres during World War II. Today it's rather more peaceful, with campsites of traditional Berber tents pitched under palm trees huddled around the fresh springs at its centre. Camels, of course, are available to take you into the dunes, as well as a stable of fine Arab horses and rather noisier quad bikes.

Timing your trip

It's vital to pick the right time of year to visit the Tunisian Sahara. The optimal months are between October and May when the daytime temperatures are at their best. The later you travel during this period, the hotter things will get – you are visiting a desert after all – but the lightest showers of spring rain can generate pretty carpets of short-blooming flowers.

In December and January, nights can be cold and can even approach freezing, so be sure to pack warm clothes and make sure your tour operator has plenty of blankets.

From June to September, the scorching summer sun makes Saharan travel unbearable. Many local tour companies in Douz usually shut up shop during this period, and camels are turned loose to forage for themselves until the cooler weather starts to return.

Packing for the desert

The Saharan sun can be unrelenting no matter the calendar, so do as the Berbers do and cover up when you're out on your adventure. A brimmed hat and high-factor sunscreen are both essential, along with a loose scarf to cover yourself against dusty winds. Long sleeves and trousers are ideal; hours in the saddle can easily chafe. Bring something warm for the end of the day, as desert nights can be surprisingly cold. Your guides should bring plenty of water – always double check this and carry your own bottle in your daypack. Dried fruits and nuts for energy when you're the saddle are a good idea, and the markets in Douz can keep you supplied, along with plenty of locally produced dates.

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Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours) vs Tunisia Tours

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This letter is effectively what was communicated no less than 8 times in writing and conversation to OAT representatives up the chain, beginning 19 days before the t...

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About Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours)

About Tunisia Tours

Enjoy Tunisia Tours With Authenticity

You don’t want to travel all the way to an exotic land to stay in a boring commercialized hotel. Tunisia Tours offers you authentic tours of Tunisia with access to the best high-end tours that will lavish your memory with vivid colors and experiences you will never forget. You’ll be surprised at how affordable your next holiday or vacation can be.

Ksar Ghilane, Tunisia: The Complete Guide

Located in southern Tunisia on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental, Ksar Ghilane is a small oasis and a natural gateway to one of the Sahara Desert's most impressive dune seas. This is the Sahara of your dreams, where extraordinary, biscuit-colored sand dunes stretch as far as the eye can see. Visitors flock to Ksar Ghilane to explore the desert on camel or horseback, or to spend the night in one of the oasis' Bedouin camps. A natural hot spring provides a place to wash away the sand at the end of the day and the Roman fort of Tisavar is located nearby.

Top Things to Do

As soon as you arrive at Ksar Ghilane you'll be greeted by mysterious turbaned men on horseback encouraging you to rent their fine horses for a few hours of dune exploration. Camels are also on offer of course and are generally cheaper to rent. Most people arrive with a 4x4 vehicle and there are some tracks in the dunes for practicing your off-road skills. You can also rent dune buggies or ATVs. Guided tours take you through the desert to the ruins of the Roman fort of Tisavar, which was repurposed by Berber tribes in the 16th century.

If you have the time, plan to stay overnight at Ksar Ghilane. This will give you the opportunity for a sunset ride into the desert (whether on horseback, camelback or ATV). As the sun starts to sink below the horizon, the dunes are transformed from orange to gold, pink and red and the stars start to appear in a sky unspoiled by light pollution. In between adventures, take a dip in the Ksar Ghilane oasis. Nestled amidst a grove of date palms and fed by a thermal spring, it's warm enough to be utterly relaxing yet still offers repsite from the desert heat.

Multi-Day Adventures

Most people visit Ksar Ghilane for a night or two and venture out into the dunes on a single sunrise or sunset tour. However, it's also possible to visit the oasis as part of a much longer desert adventure. Siroko Travel offers multi-day treks on camel or horseback including an 8-day itinerary from Douz to Ksar Ghilane. Along the way you'll stay in open bivouacs or Bedouin tents and cook over campfires. You'll need to be fit, because while your camel will carry all your equipment, you'll spend most of the journey on foot.

Ksar Ghilane is also the final stop on Adventure Treks' two-week trek from El Sabria south to the Algerian border. If you like the idea of spending a night in the desert but don't have time for a multi-day trek, an alternative option is to book an overnight tour to a nearby Bedouin camp. Here you can watch desert nomads preparing their traditional meals, spend hours stargazing and keep an eye out for the strange nocturnal animals that live in the dunes.

Where to Stay

There are several accommodation options in Ksar Ghilane. Some, like Campement le Ksar and Campement Paradis , are basic tented camps with a restaurant, lounge area and a bar that serves alcohol. The camps are powered by generators and power is typically shut off from 11:00pm to 7:00am. Résidence La Source offers private hotel rooms with ensuite bathrooms in addition to backpacker-friendly dormitories with access to a shared shower block. All-inclusive room rates include all meals and a camel, horse or quad bike tour.

Camp Yadis Ksar Guilane is the oasis' most comfortable option. Its luxury linen tents are made in the traditional Bedouin style and are arranged around a private free-form swimming pool. Each one offers air-conditioning, heating and a private bathroom. The hotel also has a traditional hammam and a restaurant that serves authentic Tunisian and Mediterranean cuisine. Camel and jeep excursions can be arranged.

Getting There

Since there is no local bus or louage (shared taxi) to Ksar Ghilane, the only way to get there is on an organized tour or in your own vehicle. The oasis is located approximately 145 kilometers from Douz and takes just over two hours to get to from there. Although the main road that connects the two is relatively good, once you reach the oasis the roads in between the camps are covered in deep sand. As such, if you plan on hiring a car and traveling there independently, make sure you get a 4x4.

This article was updated and re-written in part by Jessica Macdonald on February 13 2019.

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The Scoop: What to Know About Overseas Adventure Tours (OAT)

This small-group specialist runs tours to all continents..

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• Looking at an Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) tour, but want to know more about this small-group tour company?
• Here’s everything you need to know about the tour company, all updated for 2024.

Overseas Adventure Travel —more commonly referred to as OAT (saying the letters as opposed to naming the grain)—is a small-group tour specialist with tours on all continents. As its name suggests, tours with Overseas Adventure Travel tend to be fairly active, so participants should be comfortable with six to eight hours of activity each day, including walking distances ranging from three to six miles.

OAT has a great reputation for its solo guest focus (more on that below), and offers a generous number of no-additional-cost single spots on its tours. It also has women-exclusive departures on many itineraries.

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On OAT tours, accommodations tend to be less about amenities and more about authenticity. Another thing to note is that airfare is often bundled into the up-front price of the tour (unless you specify that you want to book your own travel). OAT is one of the family of Grand Circle Corp. companies, also including Grand Circle Travel and Grand Circle Cruise Line.

TourScoop Takeaways

• Countries: OAT has tours on every continent 
• Tour Size Average: OAT specializes in small-group trips of no more than 16 people. Its small-ship tours are aboard 50- to 98-passenger ships max out at 25 travelers. 
• Tour Type: Coach, van, small ship, rail, and air

Credibility Check

Overseas Adventure Travel is BBB accredited with a rating of A+. It’s an active member of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). The OAT website posts verified guest reviews on each tour page (sometimes with hundreds of reviews) so it’s easy to see what past travelers think of each tour. 

Tour Destinations

For 2024, OAT has 80 itineraries that include tours on every continent. Some of the most popular tours are to destinations in Italy, Egypt, and multi-country tours in Africa and around the Adriatic. 

Overseas Adventure Travel gives all its tours an Activity Level Rating that ranks tours from one (easy) to five (strenuous) to help travelers find the right fit. It has both women-only departures and many no-additional-cost single traveler spots on tours. 

There are multi-country and single country tours. On many tours, OAT creates spaces for discussion and learning with its Controversial Topics program that covers topics such as Scottish independence on its Scotland Revealed itinerary and female genital mutilation on its Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari tour. 

Tour Guides

OAT’s tour guides are called Trip Experience Leaders. All are fluent in English and have a range of skills, certifications, and experience specific to the tour destination and experience. Trip Experience Leaders focus on both the logistical and the experiential, and help connect travelers with destinations by sharing firsthand insight that brings a destination to life. 

Inclusions/Extras

Inclusions are tour-specific (there’s a “What’s Included” section on each tour’s page), but generally include round-trip flights, many (but not all) meals, transportation, accommodations, activities, and gratuities for local guides, porters, etc. As with most tour companies, gratuities for trip experience leaders is separate. 

Typical Travelers

OAT’s guests are mostly American travelers aged 50 and older. In the last few years, Overseas Adventure Travel has seen a major jump in the number of solo travelers—more than half of all OAT guests are now solo travelers, and 80% of these solo travelers are women.

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OAT does right by its strong solo traveler base —in 2024, the company is offering 25,620 single spaces—91% of which are free (the remaining 9% of single spots have what OAT says is the lowest single supplement in the industry). And a number of itineraries also have women-exclusive departures. 

Communication

After booking, travelers have access to all trip details through the “My Planner” section on the website. The section includes details like flight information, destination weather, and itinerary information.

Then, two weeks before departure, travelers receive all their final documents, and are also contacted by their Trip Experience Leader. Any additional questions can be directed to OAT’s customer service email or phone number.

Loyalty Program

OAT’s loyalty program is the Sir Edmund Hillary Club . Membership benefits kick in when travelers reserve their third trip, and increase after traveling with OAT five and ten times. Benefits include credits to use on future trips, travel credits, exclusive gifts, and priority luggage service. 

Private Options

OAT offers Personalized Private Adventures for groups of five to 10 people. These private departures are available using existing itineraries, and include a dedicated Trip Experience Leader. The private group premium amount depends on the number of travelers in a group. Some of the most popular private tours include Ultimate Africa , Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes , and Japan’s Cultural Treasures . 

Sustainability Efforts

OAT is part of Grand Circle, and participates in the Grand Circle Foundation , which supports projects around the world focused on water and sanitation, education, community development, renewable energy, the protection of indigenous cultures, conservation, historic preservation, and disaster relief.

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Health and Safety Practices

On OAT tours that include time onboard a ship, additional precautions include crew trained on best health and hygiene practices to prevent onboard spread of illnesses, nightly electrostatic disinfection of public areas, and disinfection of high-efficiency air filtration systems before each sailing. The OAT website is the place to go to read more about the current health and safety practices for land and ship tours.  

Family Companies

The Grand Circle family of companies includes Overseas Adventure Travel , Grand Circle Cruise Line , and Grand Circle Travel .

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Adventure Travel With O.A.T. has a rating of 2.33 stars from 3 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Adventure Travel With O.A.T.

“Excellent tours”

I have traveled with OAT and its sister Company, Grand Circle Travel (GCT), over 32 times and have been very pleased with their tours. Their flight arrangements used to be problematic, and I actually stopped traveling with them in 2002 for a couple years because of this, but no one else did as good a job with the actual tour so I went back. They have vastly improved their air routing which shows that they listened to my complaints. The OAT tour directors are the VERY best and you get to experience the local cultures in non-touristy ways and have many interactions with locals. OAT is small group - max 16 people where there is occasionally a toxic personality. It is easier to get away from toxic personalities with GCT as the size is usually around 40, but I much prefer 16 person tours. Out of all of my the trips, there was one OAT trip leader and one GCT leader that I did not care for so I think this is an excellent record. I have met many like minded people on OAT tours and have traveled with them again and again. Most of the review complaints I read are people who complain about time on hold - this is common with all tour companies - and people who fail to read the conditions and expect exceptions to be made for them. Heads up - if you think you may need to cancel, buy insurance.

“Refunds may take 45 days after cancellation”

I booked a trip with Overseas Adventure Travel and unfortunately had to cancel the very next day, no problem in saying I would get a full refund; but would not confirm by email and was told it would take 45 days to return my 4K deposit.

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Overseas Adventure Travel   Reviews

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Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT): Force Majeure or Gross Negligence

I was on an OAT trip to Tasmania/Australia/New Zealand 12/1/23-1/5/24. Cyclone Jasper (CJ) manifested approximately 12/5/23. At that time, our guide, GH sent email to OAT office in Sydney (S) about CJ recommending that our group be diverted from the Cairns/Port Douglas (C/PD) segment of the tour to another location in Australia. Our C/PD segment was scheduled for 12/16-12/20/23. CJ made landfall at PD on 12/13/23. CJ then stalled for several days in the area until 12/18/23. CJ caused power losses, drinking water shortages,trees to uproot,overflow of rivers and creeks,and mudslides and destabilizing damage on many roads. People needed to be rescued. C airport finally closed (12/16-17/23). Mossman and Daintree River also flooded. Crocodiles were seen floating through Ingham. CJ was the wettest tropical cyclone to impact Australia on record. On 12/16/23, while we were in Ayers Rock, G told us that after CJ had hit things were back to normal in C/PD. When we landed in C. we were met with torrential rain. After several detours, we arrived at the hotel about 12 Midnight. P told us to be in the lobby at 9am for the Wildlife Tour. On 12/17/23 morning, P told us that there would be no trip to the Wildlife Zoo nor any planned activities. We were confined to the hotel. Some of us wrote emails to OAT about our situation in PD. On 12/18/23, we all received an email from Marisela R. Perez, Traveler Relations, OAT that acknowledged the situation we were in and attributed it to circumstances beyond OAT's control. She reiterated that our safety remained OAT's priority. We were angered by her letter. On 12/19/23, planes started to fly in and out of C airport. All the various roads between C and PD were impassable. PD started up a Ferry Service between PD and C. On 12/20/23, we took the Ferry from PD to C and then flew from C to S as originally scheduled. On 12/22/23, we all received another email from Marisela reiterating that the change in program in C/PD was out of OAT's control. As a gesture of good will, we were provided a travel voucher for $500.00 per person to use on any OAT or Grand Circle Tour within the next two years. This second letter angered us even more. We wrote a group response where we all agreed to reject the $500 credit offer from OAT and requested compensation of $10,000.00 cash for each person for OAT's gross if not criminal negligence for sending us into an existing dangerous situation putting our lives at risk. G mentioned the suggestion for altering our itinerary was nixed by Sandrine Le Gillard, VP Regional General Manager, South Pacific. On 1/23/24, Marisela spoke with SC and said the Executive Team would not authorize any refund at all. On 1/28/24, I sent an email to Harriet Lewis, Chairman of the Board with Grand Circle Corporation (GCC), Brian Fitzgerald, CEO GCC and Nicholas D'Angelo, Executive VP Traveler Relations OAT. I requested the following from OAT: 1. A letter from OAT acknowledging their accountability in this grossly negligent incident with an apology 2. Compensation of $10,000.00 for the gross negligence. 3. A conversation with a person in the OAT organization with authority over quality control and processes to get assurance that this will never happen again-to anybody. On 1/31/24 Marisela and I spoke. She said that she was speaking on behalf of Brian Fitzgerald. She said that the decision to send our group to C/PD was based on phone calls to the airline where OAT was told that the planes were flying and to the tourist businesses in C/PD where OAT was told that the tourist venues were open. That was the info OAT had at the time and what happened in PD was unexpected. This is "Force Majeure" or "Act Of God". However, the foreseeable conditions in PD nullifies the third test of unforeseeability to trigger the "Force Majeure" clause. I received a refund of $27,000.00 that I had paid in full for four OAT trips. I will no longer travel with OAT.

Date of experience : December 16, 2023

First and last trip with OAT

First and last trip with OAT. Absolutely terrible. Guide was horrible. Didn’t help or guide us- Hank was his name. He would drive us for hours in a bus and drop us off at museum and give us a brochure to read to learn about Japanese history and culture. I have so many horror stories. Do NOT travel with this company

Date of experience : March 11, 2024

Excessive Service Fee!

Poor experience when cancelling an additional night at hotel 34 days before our stay. OAT gave us a sevice fee of $300. I think this is excessive. Paul Kaese - Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Date of experience : February 22, 2024

I took an OAT trip to New Zealand with…

I took an OAT trip to New Zealand with Australia add one for $3000.00. Half of this trip was supposed to be a trip from Sydney to Cairns. However this portion of the trip, which was half of what i paid for, was cancelled due to typhoon. i contacted oat about this trip interuption and was informed by customer service representative that i would be refunded half of trip. this never happened. after many calls and literally hours on hold with oat "Customer service" i was informed that the representative had no authority to authorize this refun d and to file a claim with my insurance company. my insurance company is about to deny my claim because oat has steadfastly refused to provide necessary paperwork, Oat promotes itself as catering to seniors and single travelers. i am both of these categories and they have stonewalled, baited and switched and outright lied to me. having to deal with their cusomer service is a nightmare.

Date of experience : March 12, 2024

Bad customer service when it comes to processing refunds

We cancelled a trip we had booked with OAT on 11/30/2023. It is now 1/9/2024 and we are still waiting for them to credit back our deposit to our credit card. Their stock answer when we call is that it takes 45 days to process a refund. As anyone with any intelligence know, that is not true. Every other travel company we have ever booked with processes credits/refunds in 2 weeks or less. Please be aware that this is the attitude of this company toward customer service prior to booking trips with them.

Date of experience : November 30, 2023

Be Very Careful, Very Careful when you work with these people

When I began to research OAT, I said to my husband, there are really bi-modal reviews – people either had a great time or it was a “horror show”. Initially, I was reluctant to sign up for a trip given the negative reviews, but then a friend who has been on a number of trips with OAT encouraged me to sign up. So, I signed up on Feb 2 for a trip to Costa Rica in September. However, the trip didn’t get set up and I couldn’t see what I had reserved, etc. so I decided to cancel on Feb. 4. Our deposit was $1598 – most of which was for travel insurance. When I spoke with the representative, Barbara, she told me that the bulk of the deposit would be returned within days as it was for an outside agency and the balance would be paid 45 days later. No credit appeared on my account and when I called about a week later, the fellow helping me left me on the phone for a while and then returned to tell me that the entire amount would be refunded in 45 days – that my information was wrong. The clock is still ticking and I have my calendar flagged to check on the refund – HOWEVER I feel compelled to write this for the record. It is ridiculous that I should have to pay this charge on my credit card while OAT gets to use my money. There is NO reason not to refund the deposit in a timely fashion and I recommend that they PROMINENTLY display this questionable policy of their materials. I'll be back if I don't see that refund hit my credit card on March 20.

Date of experience : February 04, 2024

Very poor customer service

After planning 10 trips w this company, I can NO longer recommended this company. In Feb, we booked a trip to Africa, paying an addtnl $3890 for business class upgrade, AS WE ALWAYS DID WITH INTERNATIONAL FLTS. When OAT went to finally purchase the air fare in Aug, (after keeping my money for 6 mos) they erred in purchasing coach seats and sent me a refund for $3890 without any explanation. I NOTICED we were in coach, called them and was told we would now have to pay $12k to sit in business class. Therefore this trip is now costing me an addtnl $8k that we never expected to pay!! If I had known this in Feb, we may not have taken this trip. NO ONE AT OAT HAS APOLOGIZED OR ADMITTED TO THIS ERROR. I too have been getting continued poor customer service as of late, since the pandemic.

Date of experience : November 10, 2023

Don't book with OAT if there is the slightest chance you or they will cancel

I have had the WORST experience in decades of travel with OAT. I booked a trip for 2024 and had to cancel. I'm due a refund of the amount paid over the deposit/insurance. It has been two full months since cancelling and no refund has been made. I have called OAT customer service twice - one month after cancellation then today, two months after. Both times, they CS reps gave the same story with a slight twist: first call after one month - my refund should've been processed within 30 calendar days, but it was "in process" and would be paid in the next 15 calendar days at most. Today, after two months, my refund should've been processed within 45 calendar days, but it was "in process" and would be paid "whenever finance got around to it." I am going to have to contact my bank for a fraud claim because, at this point, I don't believe that OAT will refund my money and "whenever" is not an acceptable timeframe. They seem to be unable to process refunds, which does not speak well of their financial health. I am an independent traveler and read high recommendations for OAT - not my experience at all.

Date of experience : January 02, 2024

We have traveled 11 times--NEVER again!

We have traveled 11 times, spending more than $110,000 with this company---NEVER again! Booked our last trip with them to Egypt. On our return home our tickets on American Airlines on our final leg were cancelled by British Air. The flight was not cancelled--only our tickets. If we wanted to get home we had to pay $650 for tickets on the same flight that OAT had already booked us on. we were at the gate ready to board and told tickets cancelled. We paid, now OAT says it's not their responsibility even though they made all flight reservations and were paid for all reservations. Beware--OAT will take your money but give no help when they owe you $$$

Date of experience : November 18, 2022

OAT deserves a consumer class action

Anyone know a good consumer class action attorney? That's what this company deserves. I was mostly satisfied with Road Scholar, but was seduced by an OAT trip's pre- and post-options, as well as the 'no single supplement,' so signed up. I told the Travel Dep't I wanted to travel Business Class, and they made the reservation I had researched and requested. Now that it's time to pay, I noticed that they also charged me $1200 for economy round-trip airfare. Even though their website says "Free round-trip economy airfare!!!" I have never seen anything so outrageous. The customer service guy I ended up practically screaming at kept repeating lines from the handbook trying to appease me, but couldn't/wouldn't address my complaint about paying for airfare that a) supposed to be free and b) I'm not using. The R/T business fare I found on Google was just a few dollars more than what they're charging me for the Business Class 'upgrade'. Please, someone sue these people on behalf of all of us!

Date of experience : August 14, 2023

I canceled my trip for October on April…

I canceled my trip for October on April 26th. I was informed in writing since I had the Allianz trip insurance that I would receive a refund by May 11th. When I did not receive it I wrote to inquire. I was told the policy had changed to 30 days - May 26th. I replied that I was not notified of any policy change and expected them to honor thw agreement they put in writing. The next response said I would not receive my refund to June 8th. I called and spoke to a rep then escalated to a manager and was told there was nothing they could do their finance department is overwhelmed. That might be a BIG clue for those thinking of booking with them!

Date of experience : May 14, 2023

THIEVES! Buyer Beware! My mother had legitimate reasons for cancelling and even purchased Cancel for any Reason insurance. Allianz insurance assured her she’d be reimbursed in full and then OAT deducted $2,000 from her reimbursement. This company lacks honesty and integrity and we will spread the word far and wide to save others from such deception and shameful business practices!

Date of experience : April 01, 2023

Excellent tour company

I've taken 2 tours with OAT. They do a great job of handling all the arrangements, and I've had an excellent experience talking with their customer service representatives. Their tour leaders and guides have been consistently knowledgeable. And I love that there is no single supplement.

Date of experience : August 05, 2022

Refund delayed.

I booked a trip but needed to cancel just in time to get my down payment of $350.00 back. I was told it would take 45 days. Now it is 55 days and no refund. I called OAT several times but was given excuses for the delay.

I really don't know how to improve…

I really don't know how to improve terrible! The customer service is beyond repair and will never ever use them again. We booked our reservations with the promise that a discount would be applied and never happened. We signed up based on getting the discount! Bait and switch tactics. After weeks of the same run around and promised calls back from inept supervisors, we finally got one that was just as useless as the first tier advisors. It was like talking to children who were never educated. Customers don't mean anything to these people or company. We have not even left for our trip and now really worried that they will not perform as promised during our trip. They have our money and can you imagine the fiasco trying to cancel and get it back? Not worth the effort and if you are thinking of using this company, our word of warning, . . DON'T! If you do . . . GOOD LUCK! We just hope that this nightmare will not carry forward during our trip . . . please pray for us!

Date of experience : November 10, 2022

Disappointing!

Disappointing! This is my third trip with OAT and I have to say that I have been happy with the actual trips - well organized, knowledgeable guides, good hotels and food - that's why I gave it one star! I understand it's been a difficult year but customer service and policies have been hard for me to manage - HOURS and HOURS waiting on the phone, mistakes in invoicing which were difficult to correct, not honoring the flight upgrade price when we were closer to the departure date, cancelling the post trip without contacting us to rebook the flight home (I had to contact them) , charging a $600 fee EACH to rebook my travel partner and I on the same flight home (they called it a "custom" flight fee) - so many issues that I had to deal with makes this company not worth the time and effort. I will not travel with them again!

Date of experience : June 16, 2022

Neither legal nor ethical

To be courteous and professional, I am letting you know in writing that this information is also going to the Attorney General’s office in Boston, the BBB, Yelp, Google, Tripadvisor, ConsumerAffairs, and Trustpilot. It has been a tremendous waste of our time trying to get our money back after cancelling our trip. Starting on 29 Nov 2022, we were told multiple times, both by phone and by email, that our request has been given to the finance department for review. We have never heard back nor have we received our refund. This is ridiculous. Both my wife and I are retired and have traveled extensively with many other companies but never has any company given us such a runaround/delay. From numerous calls and emails and hours on hold, this is without a doubt the worst customer service we have EVER experienced. No one should ever be treated this way…especially a loyal returning customer. One can only theorize OAT is planning to go out of business. We were told that we have until the end of 2023 to use the credits from our cancelled trip. But due to your policy of requiring a COVID vaccination, which you did not have in place when we initially booked our trip with you, we will not have time to use the credits. Holding our money, from the initial booking on 29 Mar 2021, while making it impossible to use the credits is neither legal nor ethical. Also, if we were to book and trip after being treated like this everyone on the trip would hear firsthand how we have been treated. No…that’s a promise. After this complaint is filed, there will be no more, “contact us at…so we can assist you”. Enough is enough. Just do what is right or we will keep this up. Customer # 2822077

Date of experience : November 29, 2022

I have been on hold for hours and hours…

I have been on hold for hours and hours over several days and have not got through - I dont know how I ever got through in the first place to make a booking. This is ridiculous

Date of experience : January 28, 2023

Hiddens Gems? OAT projection

i booked a trip w/OAT. my first return to international travel since covid. i liked that the trip was on a small ship with a cap of 25 fellow travelers . better yet the ship would transit through the corinth canal (part of my bucket list for years). two days ago OAT advised me via letter that he itinerary had changed a bit. i was informed that the corinth canal is closed and that instead of making the transit to delphi by ship , it would be done instead by a 7 hour bus ride over mountainous terrain. other modifications were also revealed. I called OAT to cancel. i was informed that siince i was cancelling 35 days out, i would be subject to a 65% cancellation "fee" (read penalty) and that i could recoup the balance from the "any reason" trip insurance i had purchased from their travel partner allianz (more on this below). by this time , i had researched the status of the corinth canal and had discovered that the corinth canal has been closed since january 2021and that the authorities have indicated a re-opening of the canal in summer 2023. NEVER at any time or in any correspondence did an OAT representative offer any information regarding the canal. in discussing my desire to cancel the OAT,agent asked if i would like to move my departure date to MAY 2023. you have got to be ... that "any reason" trip insurance ? well it turns out that you do have to have a reason and the exclusion list of coverage is longer than the inclusions . cancelling because OAT made a consequential change to the itinerary does not qualify.so if you dont have a qualifying reason , allianz will issue a travel voucher w/OAT for a future trip w/OAT for the balance of what i had originally paid minus the 35 % reimbursement from OAT. had i not cancelled when i did , allianz would be offering me a 100% travel voucher. after my experience w/OAT the last thing i want is a travel voucher from them. it is my sincere belief that OAT has ,from the very first contact ( and continues today) acted in bad faith. proof? go look up this trip on their website . they are still marketing the corinth canal today with nary an asterix regarding the canals closure. pure and simple deceit; delays in notifications that then create higher penalties; lack of transparency; disregard for ethical treatment of customers are all attributes that this company embraces. if you are considering travel with them I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO RUN FOR THE DOOR P.S.- i wish i could have gone with zero stars

Date of experience : February 17, 2023

Actually, we haven't left for our trip yet. We are scheduled to leave in mid October and decided to arrive early and spend the nights of 10/13- 15 at the hotel in Lisbon where the tour will start. My mistake was booking and paying for this early arrival before the tour starts thru OAT. The friend I am traveling with wants to take me on a special trip to Porto for the nights of 10/14 (my birthday) and 10/15. So I called OAT to cancel the early pre tour starting nights of 10/14 and 10/15. No can do. If I had booked directly with the hotel I could have. So so greedy, OAT. Now for one night (1 night) it will cost me nearly $1,000.00, the full price of all 3 nights.. For one night. Checking in at 3pm on 10/13 and leaving the hotel at 10:00 am the next morning. Cost for 1 night/ 19 hours will be close to $1,000.00. So be aware, friends, that changes, even a month in advance, to early arrival pre-tour on your own will cost you the full price with no refunds if you book thru OAT. Book on your own with the hotel. This is the hotel they booked me in for that I now have to pay nearly $1,000.00 for one night. Check out the prices if you book on your own. Turim Marques Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal. Rates at this hotel if you book on your own is between $100- $200 a night. I have learned my lesson. These companies may have been good pre pandemic. Now they are just trying to make up for lost profits by these sorts of business practices. I have traveled extensively on my own (48 countries) but thought that traveling with a small group would be easier now. After this trip, however, I am back to traveling on my own. I would never have to spend nearly $1,000.00 for one night/19 hours on a hotel if I was traveling on my own.

Date of experience : September 21, 2023

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