Review of Christmas and New Year Asia Holiday
Overall, I would rate our holiday three stars, but only just. The company was very attentive when it came to booking and confirming arrangements, but once we had paid in full, the level of support noticeably dropped. My advice to future travelers would be to check every detail carefully before making final payment, as customer service during the trip itself was limited. Our holiday got off to a poor start. The flight from Heathrow to Doha was delayed by nearly two hours, causing us to miss our connecting flight. By the time we reached the terminal at 2 a.m., our plane had already departed. The customer service staff at the airport tried to help but could not rebook us on any flights that day — both the 8 a.m. Malaysia Airways and 7:10 p.m. Qatar flights were full. We were eventually rebooked for the following day, meaning we lost a full day of our holiday, one night’s hotel stay in Kuala Lumpur, and the city tour we had planned. This also meant my friend Debbie joining us on the trip from Australia was on her own in KL! Qatar did, however, provide hotel accommodation, transfers, and meals for the layover, which was appreciated. I had concerns about the short transfer time from the beginning. In hindsight, we should have been offered a direct flight instead of a connecting one via Doha. The experience has reinforced the importance of booking direct flights whenever possible. When we eventually arrived in Kuala Lumpur, the Mi Casa Hotel fell short of its advertised five-star rating. Debbie enjoyed the city tour, but Richard and I had only one afternoon and evening there before our early morning flight to Lombok. The flight to Lombok went smoothly, but on arrival we faced more issues. Although we believed we had completed the visa-on-arrival requirements, another online form was unexpectedly needed. We were the last to leave the terminal, only to find no taxi waiting for us, despite it being prearranged. We had to arrange our own taxi at a cost of $40, which we feel warrants compensation. Once we arrived, the Royal Avila Resort in Lombok was lovely—truly five-star. The staff were friendly, and reception quickly contacted our agent to help with transfers and tickets. They claimed the driver had been at the airport, but he was certainly not visible. We suspect he simply left. To be clear, Anika, the agent who handled our booking, did her best to assist us despite the time difference. However, support was often unavailable outside office hours, which made resolving issues difficult. Our time in Bali started better. The transfer to the port was smooth, and the driver was punctual and professional. We did have an unnecessary stop at a coffee shop, but otherwise, it was fine. The Ayung Resort in Ubud was in a beautiful location, with good breakfasts and a decent afternoon tea (though a bit too sweet for my taste). We enjoyed visiting Ubud town and later transferred to Kuta with the same helpful driver—though the traffic was dreadful. The Kuta hotel was definitely not five-star, but the inclusion of a New Year’s Eve dinner was a nice touch. The room, unfortunately, was the worst of the trip—street view rather than pool view, and basic facilities (no kettle until requested, and awkward lighting controls). Housekeeping also failed to clean our room despite the “make up room” sign and direct request, which we had to chase up on return. Service here was poor overall. The Singapore leg of the trip went relatively smoothly—our transfer and flight were fine, though our rooms were again on different floors. A mix-up with the city tour confirmation caused some unnecessary stress, and we had to arrange our own taxi to the meeting point despite being told pickup from our hotel wasn’t possible (which turned out to be untrue). Fortunately, our guide, Marie, was excellent. The final issue was with the airport transfer vouchers. Only one taxi was arranged for Debbie’s earlier flight, leaving Richard and me to make our own way later that evening. Two separate transfers should have been organized. Luckily our return journey was on a direct flight. Albeit it was very full so quite challenging on a night flight. All in all, while there were enjoyable moments and some excellent hotels, there were too many avoidable problems for a holiday of this cost and standard. The lack of consistent local support and several logistical oversights made the experience disappointing. Unfortunately, based on this trip, we would not book through this company again.