Original Travel - London

Tara L. Ackerman

How can you put a price on a memory? I've lived long enough and seen a good amount of this world to know that long after material objects lose their luster, memories made traveling with those you love and discovering previously unknown parts of our world last for a lifetime and are untarnishable. There may be things that I regret buying, but traveling and learning will never be among those.

This was our first time traveling with Original Travel. We had discovered them as we were interested in sailing aboard the legendary steamship, the SS Sudan. As many of you know, this is the riverboat that Agatha Christie sailed upon during the time she wrote Death On the Nile. We reached out to Original Travel about booking the five-day long cruise only to discover that they could add different legs to the trip and tailor it completely to what we would like to do. Egypt has long been a dream for us, so we quickly put together an itinerary with the help of Paul, Issy, and Rogerio at Original Travel. We added in some time in Cairo, then on to Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor. Although we knew the trip would be a wonderful adventure, we had no idea that Original Travel would go lightyears beyond our dreams.

Not only did we love where we stayed, we had the most incredible and knowledgeable guides that were with us every step of the way. Original Travel's services also included point people who met us at the airport, guided us through customs, arranged to have our visas ready, got our luggage and escorted us to our private car that took us to each and every hotel we stayed at. There was never a time when we felt concerned, worried, or out of touch about what was going on. Every step of the way we were met with friendly, welcoming, and helpful people employed by Original Travel who made this trip of our dreams into the trip of our lifetime!

What I especially loved about traveling with Original Travel was the human touch. There was a 24-hour concierge available to us should anything come up out of the ordinary as well as to answer any of our questions or address any of our needs or concerns. We never had to wait for help or an answer and we were treated truly like VIPs the entire duration of our trip. There is a lot that money can buy you, but you can't put a price on excellent customer service. Original Travel has the most amazing people working for them. These people genuinely care about your time traveling and go above and beyond to ensure that your holiday is lacking nothing. We were so amazed and touched by their kindness, their thoughtfulness, and how they would take the incentive repeatedly to go out of their way to ensure our holiday was the best we've ever had. Point in case, my husband was celebrating his birthday during the time we were aboard the SS Sudan. Not only did Original Travel arrange to have a lovely birthday cake and celebration for him during dinner, but they also included a wonderful bottle of champagne for him to help toast in his new year without my even asking! This kind of personal touch is becoming increasingly rare today and when you find a company that provides this, you hold onto them.

From start to finish, all of our interactions with the staff at Original Travel was absolutely first class. They really listened, proposed interesting travel ideas, and cared to the most minute details about every aspect of our trip. They were so invested in us and that helped ensure that we had the trip of a lifetime! I can't say enough good things about Original Travel. We are now Original Travel clients for life due to our exceptional experience with them on this trip and we are looking forward already to our next trip traveling with them! If you are looking for a trip experience of a lifetime, please consider Original Travel - you will never regret it!

Stephany Jones

We have now booked with original travel (Diving) a handful of times. Every time we are amazed by the quality of the organisation and the level of support, by the quality of their choice of hotels and dive locations, and by their overall customer experience. During this trip we had a series of unlucky events that could have really dampened our trip, and not to go into cliches or superlatives… the original Diving staff saved the trip.
Communication was outstanding at all times and their ability to address issues was close to perfect. We were able to in real time compare the level of support we received with other who booked via different agents…there is no doubt Original Travel (Diving) are at the top of their game.

We are very much looking forward to planning our next trip….with the Original Diving crew! Thank you! You guys rock!

James McMeekin

Terrific company. Traditionally always plan my own holidays but decided to use Original for my recent trip to Egypt. They took the time to get to know what I was interested in, my budget etc and customise the experience accordingly. As a result had the holiday of a lifetime where I felt safe, secure and relaxed throughout due to the support they provide you with. It’s such a relief knowing that there’s always someone at the end of the phone who can help if something’s gone awry. Would definitely use again - particularly if travelling outside of my usual comfort zone.

Neil Ayers

We chose Original Travel to book our Family holiday to Sri Lanka. The entire experience was 100% satisfactory. The prompt reply to all of our email enquires, the friendly advice from Frances, and the consideration to our Family's expectations resulted in the perfect tailor-made holiday of a lifetime. I would recommend Original Travel to anyone planning a trip to Sri Lanka.

Luis Castillo

Very modern offices. Exuding efficiency and plenty of dedicated staff. Best for travellers wanting the best. Very expensive proposals. Superb range from accommodation, tours etc. Clearly aimed at the discerning traveller. We 5 decided to book plentiful AirB&B at £750, and DIY, rather than £7,500 for a 5 day stay in Seville!

Karen Forgie

Egypt and Jordan. Spectacular! We felt that we were treated so special. We were well cared for; the minders, guides and drivers were friendly, helpful, entertaining. Customs and the many luggage scanning detours were a breeze to navigate with their help. The itinerary was perfect, inclusive of all that first time visitors would want to see and the accommodations were heavenly. This was a big bucket list item for us and it was done in style. Thanks Amelia and team at Original Travel.

Elizabeth Levitt

Amelia's small group trip to Ethiopia was amazing. The itinerary was thoughtfully planned and executed. We always had a lot to do, but never too much to do. The hotels and restaurants were "of the country" and each one had it's own magical details. Our on the ground guide was superb. Not only was he well informed and charming, but he constantly pulled value added experiences out of thin air. From crashing a wedding, to visiting a family in their tiny village, unannounced, to being in the Simian mountains to see baboons, or Lake Tana to see the hippos at the perfect moment for maximum exposure, these value added details were an important part of the trip's narrative. I would recommend the trip to everyone.
Elizabeth L.

Karen Ashton

What an amazing holiday! Original Travel ensured that India was a fantastic experience for us. The level of service from both the sales team in the UK and the ground crew there, excelled all expectations. We loved the unique hotels and tailor-made experiences - we felt like royalty!