Other Options...

They are a tour operator. They look to be US based and have a mix of land and river cruise tours up on their website. To be honest, my interest was sparked by the fact that they have their headquarters here in Boston -- which isn't a particularly good reason to use a tour company -- but it made me curious to learn more.
This sounds like a perfect opportunity. Contact them, and ask to come over to their headquarters! Let them give you their best sales pitch! Find out what you think of them. Then let us all know!

Sayhello
 
@Cinderella's slipper we are a proud Canadian family and we have *always* felt very included on all of our adventures. I can't possibly fathom why anyone would treat Canadians as any different from themselves. However if someone did that then it is the ignorance of the individual(s) and definitely doesn't have anything to do with ABD. I find that sometimes people like to poke fun at Canadians (in a very general sense), but to me it's all in good fun and never meant as anything more than that.

I do wish you a great time in Africa. You might want to consider packing some of your favorite snacks for your time spent in Zambia. I could barely stomach some of the food there and ate just for sustenance (and we were at a luxury lodge!). It is a beautiful country and so different from anywhere I have ever been. Having said that I don't feel a burning desire to go back to Zambia again. We accomplished the following:
  • toured the falls and the market on foot
  • sat in Angel's armchair (positively terrifying but I did it!)
  • did several activities (my absolute favorite thing we experienced there was the lunar rainbow {it only happens a few times a year and it was *spectacular* -- definitely once in a lifetime})
  • saw a hippo just off the side of the deck of our cottage early in the morning on our last day
  • took a 30 minute helicopter tour over the falls and through the gorge, during which we also saw many animals (elephants, hippos, giraffes, etc.)
  • had a sundowner on an uninhabited island where we were visited by a herd of elephants up close and personal
So I feel that we covered everything we wanted to despite myself and my daughter each being sick on separate days.
 
No that wasn't our trip. We did the active adventure so we were in 4 star hotels. We stayed in an Intercontinental in Hanoi. This was the trip I was on. http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/expeditions/vietnam-laos-cambodia-tour/detail It's more expensive overall than ABD but on a day by day breakdown, I did one in another post which I think is buried somewhere further up in the thread, it actually works out cheaper because you are doing something every single day of this trip. It's worth every penny spent.
Ah! Thank you. I will check it out!
 
Just wanted to give an Austin adventures re-booking update. It turns out we will not be using the 10% off re-booking offer for a 2019 AA Africa trip. This takes nothing away from our terrific experience on our Yellowstone Winter Family trip. I think it is quite likely we will travel with AA again. I have just come to the conclusion that AA is likely best for North American travel, particularly the national parks, which I believe is really their area of expertise and where they likely excel, given their headquarters in Montana and deep experience with these trips. For Africa, I was disappointed that the itineraries on their website aren't necessarily group trips that can be booked. For Botswana, I was told that there are no group trips and that AA would be putting together a private trip for us. That might have been okay, but the itinerary they sent was disappointing compared to the one on their website. The killer was that, despite the website indicating that a perk of the Adventurer's Club for past AA travelers is the ability to cancel without penalty up to 45 days prior to the trip departure, this policy does not apply to Africa trips, so the deposit would be nonrefundable. And the deposit is 25% of the trip price for Africa, so it is quite large. I was also surprised that I wasn't at all impressed with my interaction with Carol Austin (one of the owners) in our communications about my potential booking. If found her daughter, Kasey, to be a lot more responsive, but Carol handles the Africa bookings. For Yellowstone, I found the person I dealt with at AA to be helpful and responsive, so this was either a fluke or maybe unique to Carol Austin. Who knows? Anyway, just wanted to report back for the sake of a balanced review. Again, this doesn't mean we won't travel with AA again. We just likely won't use them for international trips and will stick with their home-grown expertise.
 


For Africa, I was disappointed that the itineraries on their website aren't necessarily group trips that can be booked.
Wow. I find that disturbing. I would be really upset to look at a tour provider's website, and then find out trips on that website can't actually be booked! Sounds like bait and switch to me. :(

Sayhello
 
Wow. I find that disturbing. I would be really upset to look at a tour provider's website, and then find out trips on that website can't actually be booked! Sounds like bait and switch to me. :(

Sayhello

That was pretty much my reaction, and it was a huge-turn off for the trips they don't handle themselves.
 
That was pretty much my reaction, and it was a huge-turn off for the trips they don't handle themselves.
Thanks for the follow-up. I actually knew about the difference in departures because our specialist explained them to me when we booked Belize. For our trip, AA is sort of an intermediary and then a company in Belize handles the logistics of the trip. We booked this itinerary because it is perfect for us and because our specialist told us that she had booked it many times before and could speak for its quality.

I looked into booking directly with some of the companies they work with because, at first, I did not understand the middle man either but could not find an identical itinerary or get the price point I was getting with AA so I went with them on it. If it all works out this summer, I will probably book Costa Rica with them because I like the itinerary better than ABDs. Now that will be a group trip (unlike Belize that's just our family) and they had some estimated dates for next year.

I agree this was VERY different to me at first and I thought we might be one and done with AA because I was so used to the ABD model but I have to say, I am looking forward to it being a bit more local with experts from the area. ABD has this, too, of course but I don't think it's quite to the extent of what our experience will be this summer.

That said, we have not experienced a trip yet so I may report back singing a different tune! We will see.

Also, I am planning to write up my experience in New Zealand and at Aulani (pre and post days to our ABD Australia trip). I will probably post it on the Aulani board since it's more relevant there. I will post the link here once I get done with it. Aulani is our new favorite place ever! We plan to go back next summer and every summer after that (just kidding) but after the big trip this year, we are going to stay closer to home for the next few years!
 


That was pretty much my reaction, and it was a huge-turn off for the trips they don't handle themselves.
So do they only handle the North American trips themselves? I would probably choose one of the national parks trips first, but have also looked at their Central/South American itineraries.
 
Thanks for the follow-up. I actually knew about the difference in departures because our specialist explained them to me when we booked Belize. For our trip, AA is sort of an intermediary and then a company in Belize handles the logistics of the trip. We booked this itinerary because it is perfect for us and because our specialist told us that she had booked it many times before and could speak for its quality.

I looked into booking directly with some of the companies they work with because, at first, I did not understand the middle man either but could not find an identical itinerary or get the price point I was getting with AA so I went with them on it. If it all works out this summer, I will probably book Costa Rica with them because I like the itinerary better than ABDs. Now that will be a group trip (unlike Belize that's just our family) and they had some estimated dates for next year.

I agree this was VERY different to me at first and I thought we might be one and done with AA because I was so used to the ABD model but I have to say, I am looking forward to it being a bit more local with experts from the area. ABD has this, too, of course but I don't think it's quite to the extent of what our experience will be this summer.

That said, we have not experienced a trip yet so I may report back singing a different tune! We will see.

Also, I am planning to write up my experience in New Zealand and at Aulani (pre and post days to our ABD Australia trip). I will probably post it on the Aulani board since it's more relevant there. I will post the link here once I get done with it. Aulani is our new favorite place ever! We plan to go back next summer and every summer after that (just kidding) but after the big trip this year, we are going to stay closer to home for the next few years!

Thanks so much for your perspective on this. I'm sure your Belize trip will be fantastic. There was a family on our Yellowstone trip who had done both Belize and Costa Rica with AA, and they had nothing but positive things to say. It isn't so much the subcontracting to locals that turned me off. At least two of the three Nat Geo hiking trips I have done have been subcontracted, and they have been fantastic. I totally agree about the attractiveness of having local guides with in-depth knowledge of the area. I think my turn off was primarily with my interaction with Carol Austin. She did not explain to me at all that the trip I was looking at on the website was not a group trip I could book. She took a long time to get back to me, and her emails were kind of terse. It sounds like you had a much better trip advisor. And, like I said, the killer was finding out that the hefty deposit would be nonrefundable, because I am hoping to wait until ABD releases its 2019 trips to make a firm commitment regarding our summer 2019 travel plans.
 
So do they only handle the North American trips themselves? I would probably choose one of the national parks trips first, but have also looked at their Central/South American itineraries.

I'm not completely sure. It could vary by region. Africa is definitely subcontracted, as is Belize based on acndis' post. But Costa Rica sounds like a trip they handle directly. Subcontracting is not all that unusual, and that wasn't the real turnoff to me. It was the lack of clear communication, the "bait and switch" on the Botswana itinerary, my less than impressive dealings with Carol Austin (that could be a fluke) and the whole nonrefundable deposit that I also wasn't expecting.
 
Thanks for updating us. I really do appreciate all of the travel guidance and comments here.

As far as "other options" go - we are doing Italy on our own as a family in March (spring break), and I'm already exhausted. I've researched/organized/lined up everything myself and I'm over it! I told DH this is the last big trip we do for a while where I'm cruise director, so to speak.
 
Long time lurker here...I thought I would chime in and let you know that I spent a lot of time mulling over African safari trips on with ABD, Tauck Bridges, and a few others such as Austin Adventures. I've communicated with Carol Austin via email for a Tanzania safari and while she was someone curt, I had no issues. We did not use them in the end bc their prices seemed high for the lodges they used (as was the case with Tauck with the exception of the Four Seasons Serengeti). We ended up booking with Alluring Africa for a private (including our own tour guide/safari vehicle) safari trip for $4000-$7000 LESS than some of the other custom safari operators for the EXACT same itinerary and lodges and $10-$15,000 less than Tauck, A & K, and similar group tour operators. We have a custom safari staying at all Elewana lodges including a hot air balloon ride, sundownders, and a visit to a Masaai village as well as other activities. Hope this helps someone!
 
Thanks for updating us. I really do appreciate all of the travel guidance and comments here.

As far as "other options" go - we are doing Italy on our own as a family in March (spring break), and I'm already exhausted. I've researched/organized/lined up everything myself and I'm over it! I told DH this is the last big trip we do for a while where I'm cruise director, so to speak.

Sorry, I'm laughing...I've wanted to fire myself from the tour director position many times. Unfortunately so far no one has applied for the job:sad2:
 
Africa sounds amazing! Are they family friendly? Such good reviews online. Can I be nosy and ask how much you were quoted per person? Sounds like a real option for us in a year or two!
Not at all! I tried to find out how to send a PM but couldn't figure it out. Total for our trip for 9 nights/10 days including domestic airfare came to $26,522 for 2 adults and 3 children (the oldest child will be 13 at the time of the trip which will be summer 2019). Now because we are staying at Elewana properties we save quite a bit because they have a children under 12 sharing with an adult stay free deal. So each adult came out to $7048 and the children averaged out to be about $4141, with my oldest coming out to be more than my youngest who will only be 8. If you have two or less children I'd imagine the savings would be even greater at Elewana bc you could share one room. We haven't taken the trip yet so I can't give a review unfortunately, but I have a friend who used Alluring Africa to plan their South Africa/Zimbabwe honeymoon trip and had great things to say.

I originally set out to either do South Africa with ABD or Tanzania with Tauck, but after all the quotes I requested came back (including AA, Rothschild Safaris, and Extraordinary Journeys), I was so pleased with the price and responsiveness from Alluring Africa I went with them. They do require a 25% non-refundable deposit however, which may be a no-go for some.
 
Not at all! I tried to find out how to send a PM but couldn't figure it out. Total for our trip for 9 nights/10 days including domestic airfare came to $26,522 for 2 adults and 3 children (the oldest child will be 13 at the time of the trip which will be summer 2019). Now because we are staying at Elewana properties we save quite a bit because they have a children under 12 sharing with an adult stay free deal. So each adult came out to $7048 and the children averaged out to be about $4141, with my oldest coming out to be more than my youngest who will only be 8. If you have two or less children I'd imagine the savings would be even greater at Elewana bc you could share one room. We haven't taken the trip yet so I can't give a review unfortunately, but I have a friend who used Alluring Africa to plan their South Africa/Zimbabwe honeymoon trip and had great things to say.

I originally set out to either do South Africa with ABD or Tanzania with Tauck, but after all the quotes I requested came back (including AA, Rothschild Safaris, and Extraordinary Journeys), I was so pleased with the price and responsiveness from Alluring Africa I went with them. They do require a 25% non-refundable deposit however, which may be a no-go for some.

Thanks so much for mentioning your experience with Alluring Africa. I just had a really great conversation with Liz, there, and she is going to put together a Botswana itinerary for me to consider, to compare with group tour options from Natural Habitat Adventures and REI Adventures that I am also currently looking at. My kids are both over 12, so I'm not sure we'll get as much of a price differential as you, but I'm still excited to see the quality of the itinerary she is going to put together and compare the cost to the small-group options.
 
Thanks so much for mentioning your experience with Alluring Africa. I just had a really great conversation with Liz, there, and she is going to put together a Botswana itinerary for me to consider, to compare with group tour options from Natural Habitat Adventures and REI Adventures that I am also currently looking at. My kids are both over 12, so I'm not sure we'll get as much of a price differential as you, but I'm still excited to see the quality of the itinerary she is going to put together and compare the cost to the small-group options.
Liz is who we are working with also. So far she has been great. Let us know how her Botswana itinerary prices out compared to the other operators.
 
Will do! Great to know you have had a positive experience with Liz.

Yes, I would love to hear what you find out and thanks for the info on AA. I have nixed them for Africa based on your experience. Still really excited for Belize and potentially Costa Rica or Galapagos!
 
For folks considering Austin Adventures, there is a "How to Plan the Ultimate Family Vacation" guide available for download on their site. It's most definitely marketing material, but there's some good information in there about how they conduct tours and what to expect, etc. It's made me that much more excited for our Yellowstone trip, for sure!
 

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