APT Tour & Cruise Reviews

This trip had a focus on the fascinating recent history of these countries including the fall of Communism, however it also covered the highlights of medieval and imperial history and sights of the region. It was our first APT trip, and despite concerns of lots of retirees, the group ended up being a good mix of like minded travellers in their 40s ...read more to 60s. Both the tour director Nick and all of the local guides were excellent - knowledgeable and friendly. Despite the need to change our initial plans due to circumstances out of our control, Juliet of Global Journeys was constantly helpful and supportive. We would book with both Global Journeys and APT again.

First impression in Cambodia is the warm and friendly people. In Siem Reap visiting the temples is a snack by tuk tuk. Angkor Wat and surrounding monuments are special highlights providing a glimpse of past civilisations. The Sofitel Siem Reap is a beautiful retreat with top class facilities and wonderful staff. The five hour coach trip from Siem Reap ...read more to the cruise ship allowed us to take in the country side and way of life. The 8 day river cruise was beyond expectations. The ship was well appointed and spacious, the staff from captain, hotel manager through to ship's crew and tour guides ensured we were well looked after. Nothing was left to chance regarding safety and comfort. A highlight was the special Luke Nguyen - a must.

Shore visits to villages, markets and temples provided a real insight into the way of life of the locals who have been subjected to a horrific history over the past 80 years but who willingly welcomed us into their homes. The Mekong River is massive, well beyond our expectations; the life blood for millions of people in four countries. APT do a great job with this cruise. It is both an educational and very relaxing way to see the region. As usual Georgie at Global Journeys did an excellent job arranging all the details. In an area where things can easily go wrong there was not one hiccup.

This escorted tour took us to many of the key historical locations and scenic wonders of the former French Indochina region. From the bustle of Saigon and nearby war-time tunnels at Cu Chi to Da Nang and its famed China Beach, Hoi An and Hue and on to Hanoi with its Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and the beautiful Halong bay limestone formations, fish farms ...read more and cultured pearl production. In Cambodia, the extensive Angkor temples were so impressive before experiencing life along the mighty Mekong River, aboard the beautiful R V Amalotus to the thriving capital Phnom Penh with its nearby "killing fields" memorial site. Finally we had the chance to see life in the great Mekong Delta region.

Highlights were many including Saigon; the many thousands of motor bikes in their organised chaos, the massive Ben Thanh market, the Palaces and parks. Hoi An; the ancient town, festival, and farming communities. Hanoi; visit to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and Hoa Lo Prison.

The one lowlight: was the dinner at the Sofitel Legend where we were served under cooked chicken at the "special dinner". Halong Bay; sadly the rain spoiled this part of the tour, however the fish farms and pearl culturing were impressive. Siem Reap; Angkor Wat at sunrise, and Khmer Cooking class. Phnom Penh; The Killing Fields, though sombre was worth the visit and the Tuk-Tuk ride was a great experience. Tan Chau; the visit to the APT supported village on Evergreen Island was magical.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. Tana our tour guide throughout was just great and all the local guides were fabulous as well. The only meal we did not really enjoy was the dinner put on by the Sofitel Hotel in Hanoi. It was what we would call 'below average'. Also we were disappointed with the breakfast on the Singapore Airlines flight, Singapore to ...read more Auckland. The flight attendant said they had run out of omelettes so she handed us some awful Asian meal which had an awful smell. We could not eat it. Those flight attendants were not the usual most friendly people.

The hotel in Hoi An was nice but the bathroom set up was rather odd. With a curved shower tiled wall that leaked into the toilet area, a small toilet room with a glass door, the privacy was rather poor. The hotels were of a very high standard and the 2 night cruise on Halong Bay was great. The week long river cruise was fabulous too. Meals were all fabulous apart from the Hanoi Hotel one I mentioned. A great trip thank you.

Absolutely fabulous cruise under the the direction of Daniela Obermeir on board AMA Reina & Venita, couldn't find a fault. One of the most magnificent holidays we have had, if not the best. Lots of laughs with wonderful food and organisation. Will certainly travel with APT again.

Once again APT put a really comprehensive tour together - we feel as though we really saw Tasmania. As usual the accommodation was excellent, and the travel arrangements were seamless. Beautiful scenery, wonderful dinners, good company and a cheerful atmosphere - we would never have seen so much or learned so much about Tasmania if we had done it ourselves. ...read more Everything from spring flowers to spring snow - we saw it all - and the wildlife was lovely at Cradle Mountain. Thank you Yvonne for arranging our trip through Global Journeys - we are looking forward to our Baltic cruise next year!

We thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful APT tour. The booking process with Georgie from Global Journeys was very easy and the communication excellent. The tour presented some beautiful scenery and some wonderful experiences. The early snow at Lake Louise was a highlight! We loved the Rocky Mountaineer's great service, great food and spectacular scenery. ...read more The Fairmont accommodation at Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff in particular lived up to their icon status.

The coach tour with driver Vic was very enjoyable with ample refreshment stops and opportunities to take in the atmosphere and scenery. Tour leader Rusty was exceptionally well organised, provided excellent support and a very knowledgeable commentary throughout the tour. The Holland America cruise was smooth with great dining, shore and entertainment experiences. The only disappointment was the inability to visit Glacier Bay due to an on-board medical emergency. Whilst this was disappointing we fully understand why this decision was taken and would have appreciated this action had the "boot been on the other foot". Overall this was a wonderful coach, rail and cruise holiday experience to two very beautiful countries presented in a very enjoyable way.

Amazing Classic African Safari, 26 days of awesome moments. APT have excelled again with this tour. The beautiful accommodation, the excellent itinerary, the fabulous guides and the sensational memories really make this a true trip of a lifetime. Every detail was taken care of, even when some quick changes needed to be made. The flexibility and diversity ...read more of the African tours allowed for guests to join in or leave and continue on other tours with such ease. Apart from missing those who left, the transition was flawless.

We have been so enriched by all the different facets of South and East Africa, now imprinted on our souls. Could not imagine how this tour could be improved, just perfect. When dealing with the wonders of nature you have to go with the flow and APT are definitely experts at accommodating. Congratulations once again for an amazing experience, we will definitely continue our relationship with the best tour company in Australia.

Many great experiences on this tour of the palaces, churches, Kremlin and a lot of places of interest along the way. The ship is Russian and Russian crewed and whilst it was good and the staff were very friendly it was not to the standard experienced previously with the AmaWaterways ships that APT use on their European river cruises. Nor was there the ...read more flexibility of say just having a snack at meal time rather than formal dining for lunch and dinner. The entertainment was generally good however putting it on at 8.30 and 9.30 at night was getting a bit late for a lot of people. The local guides were excellent with a great command of English and knowledge.

The Butchart Gardens in Victoria were spectacular at this time of year. The awesome sight of glaciers - such as the Athabasca Glacier that we walked on in the Rockies; the multiple glaciers in Glacier Bay (some calving off into the ocean as we watched); and the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau - were unforgettable. Watching a young mother black bear lead ...read more her two cubs along the shore as we paddled along Blue River was a thrill.

The old gold-rush town of Skagway was delightful. And the trip to the Misty Fjords, out of Ketchikan, was also memorable. These highlights - together with the unique perspective of stunning and varied scenery from two days in a bubble-top carriage on the Rocky Mountaineer - made the entire 22 day journey a trip of a lifetime.

It was an ideal time of year to travel; we had the benefit of two very good APT tour escorts - one on the land tour and another for the cruise; and only minor downside for us was that the pace was a little hectic. However, the overall experience was very enjoyable - and very much worth doing!

Great trip well organised but I suggest people do the land trip first and followed by the cruise.The food, accomodation and itinerary for land and sea trips were first class.

Yvonne made the booking experience a breeze and APT fitted the bill in delivering an amazing holiday experience that we could not fault. The Northern Lights was a bonus we never expected! Our friends followed our escapades on Facebook and are making their own plans now to visit Canada and Alaska. Very much looking forward to our next adventure.

What a trip. I've never done a cruise of any description before and this was certainly the way to go. My cabin on the ship was great and I could sit and watch the countryside go by. The ship and its staff were fabulous and would definitely go with APT again. My experience with Global was wonderful. I met some great new friends and have already made ...read more plans to catch up for lunch in a few weeks. The places we visited along our journey were great and I especially liked the little villages of Melk and Durnstein. I absolutely fell in love with Prague and Budapest and would love to go back and spend more time there.
Now for the next one!

This was a great way to see the Kimberley and travel to places we would not normally get to see. Travelling the infamous Gibb River Rd and the even worse road to the Bungles was a highlight. Spectacular walks to Gorges where we could swim in the pools, although quite fresh, and amazing colours of the geological formations. Great chance to see lots of ...read more wildlife. The accommodation provided by APT and the food exceeded expectations. Our tour group was of similar age but with diverse backgrounds and all got on well. Highly enjoyed and recommend to anyone wishing to see this unspoilt part of Australia.

Our first APT trip - and what a trip. Everything was wonderful - the experiences, the learning, the company, the food, the wine, the cabin, the entertainment and best of all - the amazing crew. We loved that there seemed to be genuine respect and appreciation between all staff (different to other big ship experiences). Despite having to answer the same ...read more questions and give out the same information hundreds (1000's?) of times, everyone acted as if it was the first - and with a big smile. The cabin attendants (hi Savio!) and catering and other hospitality staff always looked and sounded as if they were delighted to see you, the deck guys were amazing AND entertaining and the expedition team were just wonderful - enthusiastic, generous, knowledgeable and skilled. We were sad to arrive in Darwin at the end of the cruise. Thank you everyone.

Great trip, met some really lovely people, very social trip. Food excellent - so much, definitely recommend this trip, nothing to do but be pampered. Thanks Global Journeys for a very smooth booking.

Hannah Campbell's friendly personal service from Global Journeys did a fabulous job of looking after our booking from the moment we contacted her to the completion of our booking and our arrival back home. Would certainly book our next trip through them.

Our three day stay at Cable Beach Resort and local tours certainly ticketed off our Broome Bucket ...read more list - from breakfast and dinner each night at the Sunset Bar & Grill, lunch at Matso's Brewery, to the Sunset Camel Ride along Cable Beach to Willie Creek Pearl Farm are all great memories.

Our next part of our journey was a 10 day cruise along the Kimberley Coast from Broome to Darwin with Captain Craig Argent, Officers and his fabulous crew that extended a warm welcome onboard and for the whole cruise, taking in places such as - Hidden Island, Whirlpool Pass, Koolan Island, Talbot Creek, Horizontal Waterfalls, Raft Point, Montgomery Reef, Price Regent River, Careening Bay, Prince Frederick Harbour, Winyalkan and Mitchell Falls, Bigge Island, Vansittart Bay and King George River. All beauties to behold in their colour and slender.

We enjoyed the Scandinavian tour more than the Russian cruise. It had more to see over the tour. St Petersburg and Moscow were great but in between was flat with lots of water. All the water was quite amazing really.

The negatives:
- The flights over were good but APT missed our pick up in Copenhagen. We waited from 7:30 to 11:30am at the airport ...read more pick up point before catching a cab. Thankfully the APT Tour Manager reimbursed our taxi fare.
- Despite the cabin upgrade we had a cabin with two single mattresses together in a pretend double bed with an uncomfortable centre ridge that usually parted during the night. Not getting a good night’s sleep took some gloss off the cruise.
- We were pleased to learn that as Lufthansa & Singapore Airlines are in Star Alliance our bags were booked straight through from Moscow to Brisbane. This made the 5 hr stopover in Frankfort very tedious – but thanks for trying anyway
- We learned from other passengers that there was a nightly Captain’s Dinner held in the Ship’s rear lounge that was never generally advertised and to which Sophie and me were not invited. I thought this was outrageous – on the APT Amsterdam to Budapest Tour there was a similar Captains Dinner to which all were initially rostered for then accessed through an open booking register.

Fantastic trip. Accommodation wonderful glamping, food 1st class in the most remote places. Tour driver/leader Luke was exemplary, kind, considerate, extremely knowledgeable, entertaining & looked after us all perfectly. Group of 18 mixed well & had a lot of fun. We were sorry when it ended!

Our trip to Canada and Alaska with APT was very pleasant and relaxing. APT did a superb job looking after us. In the future I will have no hesitation travelling with them again.