Rough Guides

Tailor-made trips by Rough Guides local experts

Our tailor-made trips are all planned by local experts – who work for tour operators on the ground – so that all the pesky planning details are taken care of for you. Their know-how, and 24/7 support, makes travel truly stress-free. But don’t just take our word for it: these reviews are all written by real travellers who have booked a tailor-made trip with Rough Guides. Every traveller is asked to leave a review after their trip, but you can leave one before you go, too.

total reviews: 320

satisfaction: 4.89

7/20/2021

I spent a month in Costa Rica; the first 4 weeks being in Nosara for Spanish studies and yoga. Roberto planned the final time of my trip to give me a fuller experience of the country. This landed me in La Fortuna with 4 days full of fun and wonder. It was a relief to not have to worry about the details, especially the travel from Nosara to La Fortuna and then back to the airport in Liberia. I had looked at doing that myself through the internet and was not having much success. It could have been sorted out once I was in Costa Rica but I prefer to have these sort of details lined up before I arrive. Rough Guides made the travel piece easy and stress free. The resort Roberto booked for me was great. It was individual bungalows in a most beautiful setting, close enough to town center that I could walk there in 5 minutes for meals, shopping and more. I also appreciate that Roberto used a variety of tour operators for my time in La Fortuna. I think it made my experience much richer getting to meet such a wide variety of people. It was so obvious how much love and pride the people of Costa Rica have for their country and their natural environment. From ziplining and rafting to amazing hikes, tours and hot springs soaks, the last 4 days in Costa Rica were everything I could have hoped for. Being a solo traveler, Roberto had to do some changes on the fly to make sure I could do the planned activities, and he did that with ease. My only regret was time. I wish I could have spent another week (or more) exploring other areas of the country. There will definitely be a return trip in the years to come and hopefully Roberto will still be working with Rough Guides.

7/5/2021

The trip was designed exactly as we had planned for. The communication was great through the portal. All the bookings and information provided was on the dot. The trip was tailored to our liking. We adjusted the trip over a weeks time and it turned out to be perfect for us. Thanks.

1/26/2021

Flawlessly managed, all the activities were perfectly organised and on time. Roberto took care of every detail in our 15 days adventure in Costa Rica. It is hard to choose a favourite moment. We had an amazing time throughout. The rafting and the scuba diving is highly recommended. The most unique place was El Zota. It is a hidden jewel in the rainforest. I will recommend it to anyone who likes nature. The most romantic was Arenal Paraíso. The view of the volcano from our room was stunning, and relaxing hot springs. Wish the hike would have been longer/more challenging, but we understand we are a bit of an exception with our passion for sports! Drake Bay is a completely different vibe. More backpacking style, with scuba diving being the best activity. Massive turtles and small sharks are thrilling! He saved the best for last with El Parador. Kayaking was unique in the manglares. Thank you so much, Roberto!

Gorillas & Big 5

3/7/2020

Our trip to Rwanda and Tanzania this spring was everything we imagined it would be and still wildly exceeded every expectation. We booked our trip through Inge only a month prior to leaving and with her help were able to curate every part of the trip to our liking. She was communicative throughout, answering every question we had before we left and during our time there. Our trip started in Rwanda for several days with our amazing guide, Paul. The highlight of the trip was without a doubt the 6 hour hike through the brush in Volcanoes National Park to spend time observing a large family of gorillas. We returned to the capital city, Kigali to spend time learning more about the culture and history that makes Rwanda so unique. Paul made our time extremely special and personal, educating us on everything from Rwandan history, to the environmental and anti-poaching efforts put in place to protect the gorillas there. For the second leg of our trip we flew to Tanzania and were picked up by our guide Loma (short for Lomayani) who immediately had to break some bad news that a flooded river was making it impossible to drive to our first lodge but he and Inge, during the time we were in the sky, had worked out a perfect alternative. Right off the bat we were benefitting from the utmost care and thoughtfulness of Shadows in making sure the trip went perfectly no matter what was thrown our way. During our week-long safari we explored the western corridor, southern and central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire. Loma made it his mission to make it an unforgettable safari experience for us. His long distance animal spotting was unmatched and because of him we saw countless wildlife including all 5 of the Big 5! We even had one on one time with an elusive leopard because of Loma’s tireless efforts. But his interest and knowledge didn’t stop at just animals. He is also a keen birdwatcher, and by the end of the trip had converted us to novice bird watchers too. We loved our conversations with Loma not only about the wildlife and the parks, but also about local Tanzanian culture. He was our guide, professor, and now lifelong friend. Asante sana Loma! Once again at the end of our trip, we benefited from the superior customer service and caring of Inge, Loma and Shadows as our final day of vacation was cut short due to the corona virus pandemic shutting down flights. Without the support and help of Inge and Loma we would not have kept our sanity while finding alternative flights home but more importantly squeezing every last amazing moment we could out of our trip. We’ll remember our experience with Shadows for a lifetime…and have been dreaming of a return trip ever since we arrived safely back home. We would highly recommend Shadows of Africa, Inge, Paul, and Loma to anyone planning a trip to Rwanda and Tanzania.

3/6/2020

This is the real deal. I'm so glad I found them! We had an absolutely amazing trip to Morocco thanks to you and the local expert who helped put together a great itinerary for an ideal and personalized experience exploring the country. This is a great option for group travel and for a customized experience. I honestly have no complaints. Everyone we worked with was very kind and helpful. I would definitely recommend them and I hope to plan another trip with you again!

2/18/2020

We have just completed a four week trip to India. We are used to travelling independently and this was the first time we have had a driver and guides. The local agent suggested an itinerary based on our initial thoughts, some of which were a little unusual. They worked hard to tweak things as we firmed our plan up. We could not fault the organisation on the ground from the moment we arrived in Delhi to leaving (and to be honest, I usually find something to complain about!). The local agent, Prem, made contact everyday to ensure everything was as expected and even accommodated a late change to our plans when in Varanasi. Price and service were impressive.

Tailor-made trips reviews

Tailor-made trips by Rough Guides local experts

total reviews: 320

satisfaction: 4.89