Don’t book with Abercrombie before reading this
We spent over A$100,000 on a three-month South America trip with Abercrombie & Kent, and it ended up being the worst holiday we’ve ever had. Based on our experience, I would not recommend them to anyone looking for a genuinely bespoke luxury travel service. From the very beginning, it was clear our preferences weren’t being listened to. We specifically said we don’t enjoy guided tours except where absolutely necessary (such as Machu Picchu), yet our itinerary was filled with them. That set the tone for the rest of the trip. Our first experience in Medellín was arriving at midnight with no airport transfer waiting for us. The hotel chosen also wasn’t suited to us, despite there being a much better option in a more central location for only a small additional cost. Throughout the trip we also experienced constant “meet and greets” where someone would accompany us on transfers or even walk us a few minutes between the airport and hotel. While this may suit some travellers, it was exactly the opposite of what we requested and felt like an unnecessary use of our travel budget rather than a personalised service. The biggest disappointment was Machu Picchu, which was the highlight we had been looking forward to most. Our guide travelled with us for almost two full days, including train journeys, meals and the luxury Hiram Bingham train, meaning what should have been a special, romantic experience became something we had to share with our guide the entire time. We were never given the choice of a local guide or told our visit would be split over two days. Despite making it clear we dislike early starts, our second entry was booked for 7:30am without any consultation. We ultimately skipped the second visit altogether because of this. There were also avoidable administrative mistakes, including being told at lunch that our prepaid meal wasn’t included and being asked to either leave or pay in front of other guests before the issue was eventually resolved. The recurring theme throughout the trip was a complete lack of flexibility and personalisation. We repeatedly felt like we were being fitted into Abercrombie & Kent’s standard process rather than receiving the tailor-made luxury holiday we were promised. For a company that markets itself as providing bespoke, premium travel experiences, the service simply did not justify the price. There are many excellent luxury travel companies available, and based on our experience, I would strongly recommend considering one of them instead.