This was our first experience with Gate-1 travel. We were very impressed with them from the very first contact we made.
Andra and I decided that now that I am retired and we have more flexibility, that we wanted to go into Thailand a few days early, before the tour actually was to start. This would give us a little extra time to acclimate to the 14-hour time change as well as we wanted some time to further explore Bangkok on our own.
Initially I started to book these extra days online, but quickly decided that maybe a call to Gate-1 was the best way to approach it. I was so glad I did this as I quickly reached Leslie at Gate-1 after going through their automated voice response system. I explained to her that we wanted to go in anywhere from two to four days early and what tour dates worked best for us. What I told Leslie I cared about most was what was the best deal in terms of air and hotel rates (i.e. Cheapest combination!). Leslie took my information and said she would do some research and would call me back shortly, which she did. The upshot here is that we ended up going in three days (two nights) early and the incremental cost when you net out the reduced airfare and increase for the hotels was less than $125 for the both of us. We stayed at the same hotel that the tour used. It also included the wonderful complimentary breakfast that was offered during our tour. We really loved going in early and exploring so many things on our own.
We booked many of the optional excursions that were offered as a part of our package, although the base package was already very full of activities so the optional activities weren’t really necessary. We thought the optional activities were priced very fair, unlike what we have experienced with cruise lines and the prices they charge, which we work hard to avoid by doing our own thing! We also liked some of the special things that Gate 1 did such as having the separate truck and trailer with our luggage. This way our luggage went ahead of us and when we got to our next destination our luggage was waiting for us in our room. We also thought that the hotels that were used were really first class and were located in some really convenient locations for further exploring at night.
Both Andra and I feel that the price Gate-1 charged for the trip was definitely, definitely worth it. A very first class experience!
We flew over on China Southern. When we first heard that this was going to be our airline both Andra and I were a little apprehensive, so as I usually do I did some research and learned that they get very positive customer reviews and had a good safety rating. Well, our experience here was nothing short of amazing, especially given the price (we saw the rate in the Gate-1 detailed invoice we were provided).
Honestly, they were much better than the US based airlines that we have taken overseas on prior trips. Their planes were fairly new, very clean and well maintained inside, comfortable seats and decent leg room (even in Economy class), good food and fabulous service from the flight crew. We try and drink lots of water when we fly to help with jetlag. Our flight attendant that was helping us learned this as I asked for fairly frequently for water and she then just continued to bring it to us every so often. Just great service all around! We heard from many of the other people on our tour that they flew over on Cathay Pacific, which they were also impressed with and would happily use them again in the future.
Mike, our tour director, was absolutely fabulous, we mean fabulous! He worked so, so hard to make sure our experience was top shelf. He is a real professional and it shows in every aspect of what he does. We had several special requests throughout the trip…he did everyone of them just as we had asked. Andra and I have had some experience leading travel groups in the past and know how hard what Mike was doing actually is. This ran very smoothly throughout the entire tour and we know this only happens with lots and lots of hard work by the tour company and especially the on the ground guide. Mike was nothing short of amazing……we so much appreciated all his hard work, caring and special guidance he provided. His “surprises” truly made the trip for us. We hope we have a new friend for life!
Thailand….we loved the people, the food and the weather so much. We never felt unsafe in any of our exploration. Getting through and across Bangkok traffic was a challenge but once you learned the ropes a bit it wasn’t bad. We did learn that, as a walker, you need to be very observant around roads, as unlike the US the cars and scooters really have the right of way. Pedestrians have to take responsibility for their own safely! We aren’t going to make a judgment on whether this is good or bad, but rather it is just different, which is part of why we like traveling and discovery.
The people, even though communication was a big issue, were very warm and caring. As we struggled to communicate they tried hard to help, and found humor rather than anger in the situation, which we appreciated. We have traveled to many other parts of the world where this has not been the case. A smile to a random Thai person on the street got a return smile at least 90% of the time. This is something Andra and I like to do and we generally do not get this type of reaction, especially in the United States. The food was outstanding. We really loved the ability to get quick healthy food. We used the food courts a lot and never had any issues. We wish this type of “fast food” would be available in the US, especially for the price!
Those of you who know Andra and I well know that we try to look for the good in things and in life, but be assured the positives we express in this post go well, well beyond just our attempted positive thinking. Our entire experience was truly incredible, and we mean incredible from cradle to grave, especially given the price!
In closing, we will definitely be using Gate-1 for some of our future travels. We thought that their price for what was offered was truly amazing. We really felt that the entire experience was first rate. Check out their offerings at www.gate1travel.com and you will see what I am saying! We also fully expect to return to the amazing country of Thailand on our own and do some further exploration of this wonderful country!
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