TripADeal Avis 

We booked the Best of Borneo tour expecting a budget trip with basic-but-clean accommodation. What we got was well below acceptable - at times unhygienic and genuinely unsafe.

Accommodation: Every single property was substandard. The Elopura Hotel and Borneo Nature Lodge 2 were both well below expected standard - we ended up paying out of our own pocket to upgrade our room at The Elopura because the room we were given wasn't fit to stay in. Sabah Tea Resort was the worst of it: dirty floors, mould in the shower, a toilet that leaked onto the bathroom floor every time it was flushed, and bugs in the bed. It was so bad we refused to stay - we paid for our own driver to take us to Kota Kinabalu and checked ourselves into another hotel. 

We've travelled extensively and stayed in accommodation across a wide range of standards, so this isn't us being fussy. This wasn't "basic," it was dirty. I'd genuinely like to know when TripADeal, or their ground operator, last carried out an in-person inspection of these properties - because it's hard to understand how, in good faith, paying customers are being placed in accommodation in this condition.

Food safety: Meals were not only poor quality but served at room temperature in hot, humid conditions - a genuine food poisoning risk. One member of our group actually got food poisoning from the food provided on the tour. We chose to not eat the majority of tour meals altogether and didn't actually have a proper meal until we could source our own food.

Hidden tipping demands: This is where it got worse. TripADeal's own documentation states that the recommended tip is $10-20 AUD per person per day, covering the guide and driver, and explicitly says tipping is "a matter of personal discretion." What actually happened was completely different - our guide told us to hand over $100 AUD per person for himself and $50 AUD per person for the driver, nowhere close to what was documented.

On top of that, during our two-night stay at the Borneo Nature Lodge, we were told on our last day that we also had to tip the boat drivers - but this was never discussed or mentioned at any point before that. We were simply told, on the day of departure, that we were expected to tip and exactly how much, with zero prior warning. We happened to have Malaysian Ringgit on us at the time, so we were able to pay on the spot, but what if we hadn't?

To be clear, we don't have an issue with tipping - we understand it's part of travelling in this region and were happy to do it. Our issue is entirely with the lack of transparency. 

Minor but telling: Sabah Tea Resort advertises a pickleball court - our Guide advised we were welcome to use this facility. However, when we asked about using the court, we were told you have to bring your own paddles. Small thing, but summed up the whole trip: overpromised, under-delivered at every turn.

We left the tour halfway through because we couldn't justify continuing. We would not recommend this tour, or this company, to anyone.

I wish I can give 0 starts. I don't usually leave reviews, but what happened to us with this terrible company is beyond comprehensible. I was extremely disgusted with our experience at TripADeal. Our trip was cancelled due to the war and our flights were cancelled on the day of our departure, yet it took over 3 months to get our refund, and TripADeal kept approximately 30% of what we had paid. They also wouldn't offer us credit. They withheld over $4,000 of our money for something that happened which is completely out of our control.

The customer service was incredibly frustrating, with poor communication, little empathy and no feeling that they genuinely cared about their customers. Our voices were falling on deaf ears and when we demanded answers as to why and where our money is, we kept getting the same response " someone will get back to you".

The truth is, we received no explanation as to why they have kept that money from us except that it's their right to keep it. No regards that it has taken us over a year to save for this trip, only to have a big chunk of it taken away from us by TripAdeal just like that!

When things go wrong, you find out what a company is really like — and TripADeal failed us and it will fail YOU.

My advice: DO NOT BOOK WITH TRIPADEAL. Read the fine print and do your research before trusting them with your money. There are plenty of other decent travel agency companies out there.
I certainly won't be booking with TripAdeal ever again.

TripADeal Never Again

Unfortunately, after our recent experience, I would not recommend TripADeal again.

Our friend put a lot of time and effort into planning this trip for us, so it was extremely disappointing that the reality of the trip did not match what we expected.

We have just checked out of Hotel Napoleon in Rome, which was advertised to us as a 4-star hotel. In our experience, it was nowhere near a 4-star standard. The hotel was dirty, there was no air conditioning in some of the common areas, the outside areas were poorly maintained, and overall it felt more like a 2-star hotel.

We were also disappointed that breakfast was not included in our package, particularly as the hotel itself offered breakfast. We simply couldn’t understand why this wasn’t included.

The location was another major issue. We were told we were staying in Rome, but the hotel was around 20–30 minutes from the main areas. In the extreme heat, walking to the main attractions was simply not practical. The location did not feel central or convenient at all.

Florence was slightly better, but again the hotel wasn’t centrally located. At least breakfast was included there.

Then came Milan, where once again we were disappointed with the quality and location of the hotel.

Another major issue is that the actual hotels aren’t revealed until only a few weeks before departure. This makes it very difficult to properly assess where you are staying or raise concerns before travelling.

Our friend contacted TripADeal to complain about the Rome hotel. The complaint was escalated, only to be told that no one else had complained. That didn’t change our experience. We raised genuine concerns about the cleanliness, standard and location of the hotel, and unfortunately felt that our concerns were dismissed.

For us, this trip involved a lot of money, planning and excitement. Instead of feeling relaxed and looked after, we often felt disappointed and uncomfortable with the accommodation and locations.

Thankfully, we are now on our way to our cruise and hopefully the rest of our holiday will be much more enjoyable.

TripADeal unfortunately, never again for us.

We hope others considering booking a package through TripADeal do their own research into the hotels, locations and exactly what is and isn’t included before handing over their money.

Rosa Clemente

Had a holiday booked for Sri Lanka and due to circumstances, needed to cancel the trip. Gave plenty of notice and was prepared for them the keep some of the monies paid. They sent through an email with a quote for the refund which I accepted and cancelled the trip. That was nearly 7 months ago and I have had zero refund. I have also had zero proactive communication from TripA Deal. They have only ever provided any information when I call them. They are now saying that their flights team is in contact with the airline to get my money back. Flights would be one component of the refund but they have refunded zero. Apparently they are "actively awaiting a response" from the airline. I assume they have actively been awaiting this response for 7 months now. Will never use them again. Would rather pay a bit more and go through a reputable company.

Have booked and paid for a cruise through TripADeal three weeks ago and still unable to access any of the cruise information. Have called TripADeal three times asking where our $4500 payment has gone and we are continually given excuses. The customer service people are rude, don't want to listen to our concerns and don't call us back when they say they will. We have also called the cruise line who have advised they have not received the funds from TripADeal.
First and last time we will book anything through this company, in future we will book direct.
I would not recommend using this company!! Book direct and save yourself the angst of wondering where your money has gone and if your holiday has actually been booked.

Our trip was dominated by the aggressive guides who, on a daily basis, demanded tips. It got to a point where, if you didn’t want to pay up, they would argue with us.

We ended up calling it TipADeal.

Just before we left, we were sent an email stating that the regulations had changed for entry to the Forbidden Palace and there was a chance we might not get in. We checked this change and found it had actually occurred some years before! Not a great start to the credibility of our tour operator.

Accommodation was always up to some hours from central locations and that meant wasting a lot of time sitting in the bus to go anywhere.

Our hotels offered breakfasts where the temperature of the cooked food was well under 65C. We ended up only eating toast because we have had food poisoning in the past.

Approaching the last hotel we were informed that, because of the late notice, they were unable to provide equivalent rooms for everyone. Having booked this vacation well ahead this did not seen credible. We were then told to each draw a room number from a bag. Some ended up with large rooms while others were stuck in much inferior rooms.

The last hotel did not even offer dinner and there were no restaurants nearby - not surprising when you are out in the sticks. We walked around a couple of kms to the nearest hotel. The lobby had the largest marble floor we have ever seen. However, a single Australian lamb chop on the menu was the equivalent of about 100 Aussie dollars - so, unsurprisingly, we declined the 2 chop $200 meal.

We were told we were going to visit a less congested part of the Great Wall. That turned out to be no surprise because it was so steep that most of our party did not even try to go up. No wonder it was less visited and an enormous disappointment. Totally unimpressed when we expected so much of the Great Wall.

Visiting the Terra Cotta Warriors was also a total disappointment. There were tens of thousands of tourists and at least 10 deep along the viewing barrier in front of us when we got inside - after spending at least a half hour sitting outside trying to find some shade.

To compound matters on this tour, one couple was left behind in one city as we caught a bullet train to another city hours away! After that they decided to number us off! And, by the way, the bullet trains are no big deal. You just sit inside unaware of the speed except for a read out monitor on the wall.

We have friends who have used TripADeal for Middle East, African and European tours. Their experiences are not too dissimilar to ours - especially the tipping. To make it worse, when one couple travelled from one country to the next they were asked for a tip as they left one and another by the new tour guide when they arrived later the same day.

Unfortunately we ended up describing our trip as cheap and nasty. Next time we will pay a few dollars more and hope for a better experience.

Upon concluding our trip in Hanoi's lobby prior to departing for the airport, we are taking a moment to reflect on the notable moments and disappointments that defined our journey.
The eight-day Mekong River cruise was particularly memorable for the stunning scenery, engaging excursions, delightful cuisine, and outstanding service provided by the crew.

Conversely, our experience in
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, fell short of our expectations.
The boat did not match the description provided by TripaDeal , being a steel vessel rather than a traditional junk.

Additionally, the crew's limited English proficiency and the inferior quality of the food negatively impacted our experience.
The buffet service was particularly underwhelming, with shortages of food during breakfast and lunch. Upon arriving at 10 am for brunch, we were disappointed to discover that the food had been depleted due to the early arrival of other guests, resulting in us and a family of four going without food. See photos.
The situation was further complicated by flooding in certain cabins and showers that were not functioning properly.

When comparing Cambodia and Vietnam,
we found Cambodia to be preferable due to its ease, culinary delights, reduced traffic issues, cleaner waterways, and friendly locals who did not aggressively solicit our business.

We did a Egypt and Dubai trip.The Dubai option that cost $2800 was cancelled and they have offered me $650. I'm still negotiating will they

This looks like a great value holiday but in reality it is a stitch up. The Sri Lanka 12 day tour takes you to numerous compulsory 'tours' which are just over inflated 'Ayuvedic' or gem shops as a way to scam extra money out of you. They also take you to a different 'lunch spot' each day which is outrageously overpriced when you compare it to local eateries.

So you're basically a prisoner on the bus going from one hotel to another. The accommodation is good quality and it's nice to chat to other tourists on the bus, but it would be much more fun to hire a driver for a week or two and actually go do nicer activities without the sales pitch.

I won't bother again with TripADeal

Be very careful of the detail and inferences, they promise the world until you pay inflated prices. Once you’ve paid customer service is almost non existent.
You don’t know which airline you’re flying with or what time your flights are until they booked and you cannot make changes..
My first and last time …I found them dishonest and deceptive.

Just finished Cambodia Discovery 14 day tour. This was my third Tripadeal tour. Overall this was a great balance of sightseeing and having time to relax. Accommodation varied with the Psea resort in Kampot being a highlight. Cambodian people were super friendly. Breakfasts were all included but varied in quality. All 3 tour guides were excellent and bus was comfy. Great to finish the tour on an island. Tripadeal provided conflicting departure information and this resulted in more costs at our own expense. Also waiting on partial refund due to a bereavement. Despite these hiccups I enjoyed the trip and thought it was good value.

Just returned from our 21 day vacation ULTIMATE VIETNAM 🇻🇳 wow wow what a fantastic trip. Visited 8 destinations which were all mind blowing 🤯. Our guides Nam Tom and Tiny were amazing and organised. All our hotels were amazing. Trip a deal once again you have allowed us to create a wonderful experience and memories. Thanks to Brodie who is always so helpful.

After contacting the company for an advertised trip, I asked which airline would be used. I was informed that we could pay extra for Qatar or Emirates & as Qatar had outstanding reviews, we paid nearly $1000 extra.
The final itinerary had us flying back to Perth for a 4 hour layover while waiting for a Virgin flight (Qatar coded) & arriving back to Sydney at 11pm!
When I enquired why, I was told there were no more direct flights even though I found plenty on their website.
So, I paid nearly $1000 extra to travel on a budget flight home, & this after they said I should have read the fine print!
If they told me this could have happened when I booked, I would have asked for a direct flight home only.
Poor form, Tripadeal, very poor form.

Trip A Deal "Ultimate Japan" Tour – 3/5 Stars - militant style.

We recently returned from the Trip A Deal Ultimate Japan tour, and while we saw a great deal in a short amount of time, the overall experience was let down by poor group management and an overbearing tour guide.
With 40 passengers of varying ages and mobility levels, simple logistics like boarding and disembarking the bus, or toilet stops, ate up huge amounts of time each day. Our guide, Leia, dealt with this by frequently shouting at the group to keep everyone together — a "militant" style that visibly upset several elderly guests and drew uncomfortable attention from bystanders at some sites.
Despite the mobility differences within the group, every sightseeing stop was treated as an all-or-nothing group activity. This meant visits were rushed, with little opportunity to actually learn about the history or significance of the places we'd travelled so far to see.
The handling of tipping was also frustrating. From the start of the trip we were told an expected daily tip amount, collected at the end, but it was never made clear this was a suggested figure rather than compulsory. Combined with a barrage of information about meals and optional extras sent days ahead, this left a lot of passengers — particularly older guests — confused about what they had or hadn't already paid for. There was also regular pressure to buy prepaid meals at stops where we were told there were "no other restaurants nearby," which in several cases simply wasn't true.
The good: an efficient, packed itinerary that covers a lot of ground in a short time.
The bad: a guide who manages large groups by shouting rather than organising, rushed visits that undercut the sightseeing, and unclear, upsell-heavy communication around costs.
We'd think twice before booking this particular tour again, and would especially caution anyone travelling with elderly family members or those with mobility concerns.

The whole tour was fantastic. Tour leader was so informative at all the tours we did. She was fantastic person. The hotels we stayed in we very comfortable and having breakfast every morning was great. Stayed near convenience stores was is handy. Always near eating places. Not to far from the main center for shopping. The whole tour schedule was easy for us . Overall the trip was great.

We did TripADeal Japan Discovery tour in June 2026. Japan itself was amazing, temples, food, trains and local people were the best part and we still have good memories. Henry was entertaining and looked after the group well during normal tour days, but when something went wrong, the local operator handling was very disappointing. On the tour itinerary, we were only going to catch the bullet train for a very short ride, then continue another long day on the bus. Because we were both already exhausted from sitting on the bus for so long, we booked our own Shinkansen to Osaka a couple of days before. We told Henry we would take our luggage with us, but he offered to organise our luggage to be loaded onto the bus instead and even showed us how to use the locker at Vessel Hotel Hiroshima. We sent the locker details/message around 6:40am, but he did not read it before the bus left, so our luggage was not loaded. After that, the story changed a few times about whether the luggage was seen, whether courier delivery could be guaranteed, and whether we should go back ourselves. At first we were told delivery could not be guaranteed and we were discouraged from going back, but once we showed we were serious, the wording changed to “guaranteed”. That caused us to lose trust. We had difficulty contacting Penny as the local emergency contact and had to escalate to TripADeal emergency team. Later Penny processed full reimbursement for the return Shinkansen Osaka–Hiroshima and taxi costs, which we appreciate, but because of the loss of trust we discontinued the remaining tour arrangements and found our own accommodation for the rest of the trip. The bus seats were very uncomfortable for long travel days and the microphone/audio was bad nearly the whole trip, hard to hear the guide. We also missed Mt Fuji 5th Station due to road closure, but with 3 full buses travelling there, the tour operator should have communicated better and known earlier before reaching the entrance. We have done other small group tours before where drivers knew 50km away that a route was blocked, so this felt like poor communication. Asking for tips without envelopes also felt awkward. Overall Japan was excellent and good value, but TripADeal needs better local operator management, emergency support, bus comfort, audio equipment and proper communication when something serious happens.

Optional Tours and tips plus additional hidden costs added up to almost the cost of the tour. We were not met in Gongzhou by any Trip A Deal representative and spent two hours at the airport trying to find assistance. Next day guide showed up and loaded us into a bus fora five hour drive to Beijing and straight to the hotel. Days 1 & 2 no guide tour but tip was expect $12/day. In Beijing the Tour Guide took us to a TCM Medical Centre (not in the itinerary) where we were given a spiel on preventative medicine, individually examined by the professors who made an assessment and prescribed pills for over Aud $500 for each of us. Only to discover on our return these were Sports Nutrition Products Power Enhancing and Endurance type. This was just a SCAM. When I rang Trip a Deal on my return the just fobbed me off saying I had bought these from a third party. I and the group did not choose to go there but were taken by the Trip a Deal Guide, who I might add was very dismissive of the group and only interested in collecting his tips. Last day we travelled five hours from Shanghai district to the airport. 3 full days out of 10 were spent in travel. Also the amount of walking and aggressive shopping stops where most of the time was spent. Never again with Trip a Deal.

We have just returned from the TripADeal "Warriors of China'' tour. Very impressive! We had 3 guides during the tour with Nina an excellent guide. Jack was also top class with the third guide being very average. Accommodation was great although often out-of-town. TripADeal were upfront about the costs on the tour (mandatory tipping) and most times we had the option of not going on the add-on tours. Will definitely go on more trips with them.

TripADeal does not appear to take responsibility for bookings it makes on behalf of its customers.

I booked a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia through one of TripADeal's advertised deals. After paying TripADeal, I received confirmation that my booking had been completed.

Before my departure, I attempted to check in online with Vietnam Airlines. Although I had provided TripADeal with the correct telephone number, and Vietnam Airlines had it recorded correctly in my booking, the airline's online check-in system repeatedly rejected the check-in, stating that the telephone number was invalid.

I then tried contacting Vietnam Airlines through its Melbourne office, Sydney office, and call centre for assistance, but none of the published telephone numbers were operational.

Since I had booked and paid through TripADeal, I contacted them expecting they would help resolve the issue. Instead, I was told that once they had completed the booking and provided the travel documents, they were no longer responsible for any booking-related issues and that I would need to deal directly with the airline.

I found this response disappointing. When a travel company accepts your payment and makes a booking on your behalf, it should also be prepared to provide reasonable assistance when problems arise with that booking. Simply referring customers to the service provider after the sale does not reflect the level of customer service I expected.

Based on my experience, I recommend that prospective customers consider the level of after-sales support they may receive before booking through TripADeal.

On our recent trip to China on the Trip the Warriors tour we had 12 days there seeing Beijing attractions, the Great Wall and the entombed warriors in Xian then down to Shanghai. Out of that 12 day trip there were 6 days travel on 1 plane and 2 fast trains (7 hours each train) plus the flights in and out.
After the Entombed warriors the tour degraded to parks and gardens tour.
Other than the main attractions we got the usual high pressure Jade store, silk store visits and small non related warrior stops. The price is cheap but the extras “optional tours” are another $800 or more you pay to the guide do this makes the trip more expensive.
If you don’t want to do the optional tour we were dropped off at a park or a McDonald’s store to sit and wait “there is no taking you back to the hotel because you are out all day” and optional yours are always in the afternoon.
Mandatory Tips were $325 AUD
On out tour some wanted to go to a large shopping centre instead of a $1 shop bazaar (a modern day replica) but were told we had to go or our plane tickets and accommodation would not be guaranteed (a threat) 2 ladies wanted to go to Shanghai Disneyland but were given the same answer. I found this extremely unprofessional.
You only get the breakfast meals in the tour and have to pay for your own lunch and dinner which you are taken to our outside your hotel in most cases by the guide so another expense to think about.
Hotels are out in the suburbs away from the main city areas so it’s more expense to do some out of hours exploring but has some good shops to look at.
We got to see our bucket list places in the first 5 days which was fantastic but the rest was a waste of time In our opinion but in all the trip was average and we would not travel with trip a deal again.
Take probiotics, gastro stop Hydrolite and the usual health items because you will need it, we had 6 cases and another your we talked to had several cases as well.