excellent tour guide Sash and driver Michael. hotels clean…read moreand comfortable quick and easy system loading and off loading,

We recently did the Presqu'ile National Park & Old Mill Alpacas day trip. We had lots of fun…read moredespite the iffy weather. Our tour guide Charmaine is very organized & friendly. It was so nice that everything was laid out clearly. We knew how much time we had for each activity. Our first stop was to the national park. We were getting intermittent rain alternating with sunshine so it was pretty wet. Also the park is on marshlands so even more wet than normal land! lol. We got dropped off by one of the board walking trails. It's very scenic & beautiful despite the rain. The sun came out at times. So nice to get some fresh air & there were birds, frogs, fish all around. Our next stop was at the Presqu'ile lighthouse, beach & visitor center (all near each other). The beach is small & rocky but it was so nice to be near the water. After the lighthouse we got to wander around the small visitor center. It has two single washrooms, a small history room, & a small gift shop. Next was our lunch stop at the Big Apple. There are around 4 food trucks outside the main building. There's a petting zoo also. Inside the main building there are washrooms, a candy store, baked goods, souvenirs, a burger joint & a bar. I liked the big apple but it would be hard to get there without a car. I liked that we got to pay for our own lunch because that also meant we could get whatever we want. Sometimes the day trips include lunch & has a limited menu especially for people with food intolerances. After lunch we got to go to Old Mill Alpacas. Here we got to feed the alpacas, and walk the alpacas. The owner of the farm also did a quick talk about alpacas. It was very interesting! Because of the rain it was muddy of course so we got dirty but I didn't mind as I was prepared with my waterproof boots. Also short trips informed us of weather conditions in an email before the day trip. After the alpacas we had a 30 mins break for dinner at a highway enroute rest stop. Too bad these enroute places don't have better food options. Anyway short trips has no control over that. Our drop off was on time. Overall we really enjoyed our tour with short trips. We would go on another tour with them for sure. Since we don't drive or have a car this is a really nice way to see parts in Ontario we wouldn't normally be able to see.

Having taken tours with Tianbao/Compass Holidays （天宝旅游）before and having received positive…read moreexperience I decided to go with them to the Guizhou No Shopping Tour （贵州纯玩团）. After taking this tour, I am traumatized to the point that I will no longer attend any tours containing Overseas Chinese as some members cannot keep their hands to themselves while out of North America. If it were possible for me to give 0 stars, I can assure you that it would be given. On the first day when we arrived at the airport we were picked up by a driver with another group of 8 based out of Vancouver. The driver did not know who to pick up and dropped us off at the hotel while giving us all a sheet of paper left on the front desk by our tour guide with the hotel staff. We had to check in by ourselves. On the second day, we were taken to our optional programs. In the contract, it specifies that each person would have a choice of options to attend up to 4 programs. In reality, we did not get to pick and it was based on a majority vote. As the group from Vancouver had a group of 8, out of 15 people they obviously had an upper hand and won so we were taken to the paper factory. As we were driving to the paper factory, there was a landslide. Given the concerns I had with safety, I voiced them to the tour guide but he did not care and forced us out of the tour bus when we arrived on site. During this trip, we were taken to shopping stops although in the contract it clearly specifies it was a no shopping tour. We stayed at each stop for between 40-50 minutes. Throughout the tour I was repetitively molested (though not sexually) by another member in our tour group. The member would caress my face and attempt to run her hands down my body. As she reached my neck, I would shove her hands off and scream for help. She was with the Vancouver group of 8. It got to the point where another member had to step in to assist me as we were close to calling the police (or dialing 110). We were not able to do so as we were taken to tour areas where there was no phone or internet signal. We had informed the tour guide of what was happening, but he just told us that "Over here, people touch each other all the time". What creeped me out the most about this tour was that a few members and myself became prey and targets to the molester and her friend. I was stalked, harassed, threatened and molested. On the second last day, her friend who was clearly drunk picked up a bottle and attempted to threaten and beat up a few members in our tour including myself all while the tour guide stood there and did nothing. The tour guide himself was uncaring, lazy, always late, and rude. We had requested the company 3 days in advance to provide us with a driver that would take us from the hotel on the day of our flight departure at 5:30 AM. Yet, the tour guide denied our request and also humiliated us in public. Instead, he requested us to pay $70 USD for a pickup service that would not leave until at least 6:00 AM or 7:00 AM, When I told him that I would instead take the taxi he warned me and another member that "We may not be able to catch our flight in time or make it out safely if we did not use their company's service". After the program had ended and our tour guide said he was no longer responsible for us anymore a member and myself decided to call a taxi to take us to the airport. While in our room, we were blocked by a hotel staff from leaving. Luckily, another member in our tour group was available and helped us call the taxi that would take us to the airport. The tour group member and I ended up staying in a hotel next to the airport in order to catch our early morning flight. I am lucky to have made it out safe and very much alive back home. After arriving home safely, a complaint was filed. Their response to this complaint was that it was cultural difference or misunderstanding. I am appalled as threats, harassment, and molestation are a pretty universal language to me. I also have doubts as to whether those two perpetrators from Vancouver were ever contacted in the first place. I will never be using their service ever again if this is their response to safety matters. P.S. I have included pictures of the lady that molested me. Her name is Sin Ting Tsang as well as her friend that threatened us. If you ever see either one or both on any of your tour groups, BEWARE!

I did a 7 day Eastern Canada bus tour with this company. Before I go into great detail, here is a…read moregeneral observation of my week on a bus tour: Most of the tourists were of Asian descent whether directly from the continent, from Ontario or British Columbia. Out of 56 passengers, there were 7 non-asians (including the driver). When travelling to the Maritimes, its important to dress for warm and cool climate This trip is child friendly although I personally would not bring a child younger than 7 years old due to the length of time on the bus. With that being said, there were children on the bus as young as 1 years old with no inconvenience to the other tourists traveling. People on the bus can be very pushy (I.e. coming off the bus). We all come from different walks of life so not everyone is as mannerable or courteous. It is a guided tour but not a very rigid tour. There are some moments where you can do your own thing even if it's for a bit. Wifi on the bus and in hotels are not that great. Although attractions are optional, the tour is surrounded by them so there may be nothing to do/see if you opt out of it. If you opt out of the meal plan, the lunch/dinner time is 1 hour so stay within the area when getting food. Whether you purchase the meal plan or not, most of the food stops are Chinese buffets. To keep the seating plan fair, rotational seating is done daily so everyone sits in the front, middle and back of the bus by the end of the week. Go on this trip with an open mind because bus trips are not for everyone. I was satisfied and pleased with hotel selections For a family of 3 we paid $1599 (not including the attractions and/or meal plan). This is roughly what we would pay if going to Cuba. We had a great time and learned and seen a lot. For this price, I cannot complain at all. Should you be interested in a detailed review, feel free to click or copy and paste the link below: https://camithoughts.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/review-of-the-7-day-eastern-canada-bus-trip-with-tian-bao-travel-aka-compass-holidays/

Shahz was a phenomenal guide! His insight across every step of the trip added so much to the…read moreexperience, and the thoughtful tips and tricks he shared made for a great day. The bus late picking us up due to traffic but Shahz made it up to us with plenty of time at the Falls - 3.5 hours to account for how busy it was. The maple syrup stop was great, and though we only opted for the boat ride and not the lunch, there were plenty of spots to eat on our own. One thing to note - if you plan to do Journey to the Falls but that ticket as soon as you arrive - it was over two hours of waiting when we tried to which wasn't possible given our time window. All in all, highly recommend this experience - and hope you get Shahz!

Wife and I did the Niagara Falls boat tour with maple syrup tasting and site seeing with Chahz as…read moreour guide. Trip was great. Front of the lines. Shopping and site seeing were also good. No complaints here other than theme Toronto area traffic was CRAZY so I'm glad we let them do the driving. Left hotel at 10am got back at 7:30 pm.

We booked 2 busses over fall 2017 for a two bus move/2-week itinerary; SkyWay Coach Line's rates…read morewent close to 40% beyond the prices we're used to signing with other transportation companies in Ontario. With such a high price point, we were expecting top notch services but we received two of the worst buses we had ever been dispatched (the vehicles were over 10 years old, poorly maintained, very noisy, video systems were down, AC problems met over the entire duration of these trips - causing heavy complaints from final passengers) The assistance provided by SkyWay Coach Lines was lacking entirely, the groups were basically left on their own while on the road. We repeatedly contacted Skyway about the multiple issues yet nothing could be done and NO commercial gesture was issued either.

From the owner: We cater to group travel of all types and sizes, from scenic tours to social excursions to business…read moretravel. We proudly offer a complete range of transportation solutions and services, priding ourselves on our customer focus and competitive pricing.

Beautiful experience! We booked the Niagara Tour with attractions and lunch experience with wine…read moretasting and it was amazing. Our guide Shaf went above and beyond for our group. Very informative and professional as well as our driver William who saved us a lot of time in traffic, thanks. Beautiful views from the restaurant. Absolutely recommend this tour.

Our tour guide, Alwyn, made this an awesome experience for my husband and I! We went as part of our…read morehoneymoon and I couldn't wait to write a review. Our driver was Damion and he ensured a smooth ride to Niagra Falls. The trip was amazing with lots of fun stops. Will definitely be coming back again. If you are taking a trip to Toronto, it is a must-do!

Chartered a bus for the day to go to the Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre. Paid in full,…read moreincluding $80 for parking for the bus. We arrived without issue, and left our coolers, bags, jackets, etc. on the bus, where we assumed those items would be safe. Instead of waiting for us, the driver left the lot, MADE ANOTHER RUN WITH A SEPARATE GROUP OF PEOPLE, and then couldn't get within 3 blocks of the parking lot (due to temp. road closures immediately after EVERY Jays game). All of our items were moved around, and several purses seem to have been looked through. We waited outside in the rain for over an hour, because the driver didn't fulfill his contractual duties. AVOID this business at all costs.

Witnessed passengers from this charter dumping garbage while at an ONRoute stop in Bainsville…read moreOntario. The passengers were inside the van, then dumped their garbage out the door meanwhile the garbage bin was a few steps away. I called the company to tell them what I saw and the owner was kind enough to get back to me. She stressed how they have garbage bins in the vehicles and inform everyone where they are but also that they cannot accept responsibility for their travellers. I agree, however, if my kids/guests are throwing garbage out of my car or if they are not buckled in their seat belts, I would be fined because anyone travelling in my vehicle is my responsibility. So this same scenario can apply. The driver/owner has to accept responsibility for the travellers and the company should take it more serious because any airline or charter caught dumping can/should be fined. I am not reviewing the company or service they provide and this review is not a testimony to reflect the company or service but if they are dumpers, you may want to be aware, it could be you travelling next time. Do you want to get caught with dumpers?

We joined Taipan's Australia and New Zealand cruise in March. The journey was full of hiccups. One…read moregood thing is we had a very professional escort, Alan Yu. He had made great effort to put everything on line. In Melbourne, the coach bus didn't present in the right time and 42 of us were forced to stay outside the pier for more than an hour. Alan finally arranged taxies to take all of us to the city. When we arrived Rotorua, the land operator didn't get the tickets for Hobbiton which was on the list to visit when we booked the tour many months ago. It really upset almost the whole group. Alan showed his patience to pacify the angry tourists and arranged to the money return. Also he took us to the Blue Spring which was another movie site of Lord of the Rings. I give 5 stars to Alan, not to the trip. I salute to his professional effort.

Copying my review from FMP over to the head office too. Recently went on a China English tour for…read more11 days including roundtrip flight from Toronto to China and accomodations at 4-5 star hotels for $1800CAD and bullet train ride. It included cities like Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Beijing, with buffet breakfast included and sometimes even lunch included. It's a deal for sure but personally, I don't prefer following tours since I'm experienced enough to travel China, but my mother-in-law signed us up. I do think it's actual great for larger families with senior folks as the excursions and outings are brief before you rest in the bus. It's also great for first timers to China or those who aren't as tech savvy to use the Chinese apps. Beijing however was a bit strenuous because it was raining one day, we squeezed our itinerary tighter. The Great Wall we visited was a section that was very steep to climb. It's all optional, you can climb up as much as you want or skip climbing all together like my mother-in-law. I had a good experience but I'm just not a fan of sitting in long bus rides and prefer to stay closer to the city centre and pay a bit of a premium to eat where I want to eat as opposed to eating at rest stops and buffet breakfast (rest stops and hotel buffets are more elevated in China than Western countries though). 11-days is quite short to fly all the way to Asia, I normally would like to stay a bit longer but the package deal was to fly on the same flight home. I found out later there were extensions that can be added to visit Xian but the agent at First Markham Place, didn't inform us about these extension add-ons to our trip. She made us think that we had to choose this package or an entirely different package. If you sign up and subscribe to their email list you also get another $50 off per person and I believe signing up in person maybe cheaper than online. The agent helped us with applying the discount. Another thing to keep in mind is that despite booking together, none of the airline seats of our group are sitting together so definitely check-in as early as possible to get your preferred seating and hopefully arrange yourself to sit together. Your whole tour group would be flying together and it would be a packed / full flight. They also don't provide the hotel names and addresses in advance. You only find out a week before. It's still really good hotels, one even at a golf resort with extensive buffet breakfast. However, these hotels are cheap because they are normally 1hr away from the center of major Tier 1 cities like Beijing and Shanghai. So even if you decide to go on your own, most of the suggested places to hit up is far away. So definitely get used to using Didi (Chinese Uber) and a Translation app ready so you can have the flexibility to explore on your own. We had one free day in Shanghai in our tour. Now time for the review, these cheap tours are cheap because there are build-in shopping destinations like Silk factory, tea factory, pearl factory, jade factory and Chinese medicine institution that are geared towards tourist sales, which you cannot skip. Not all Taipan tours are shopping though. I wouldn't say they are scams but I do think they made a deal with the tour company to subsidize the cost of the trip. I personally didn't find them too pushy if you don't want to buy, there will be others that will and you can just take that opportunity to window shop, but that does take up time of your trip. We did end up buying silk sheets and tea though $$$$. The prices are probably a bit more than local price, more of a tourist price. There isn't much to time shop for clothing or other personal items given you're on a schedule with the group. I do recommend setting up JD or Taobao if you want to do online shopping and have those items shipped to your hotels in advance as Chinese hotels are really good at holding packages before you arrive just make sure it's to delivery to the hotel where you would be staying at least a couple days and order at least a few days in advance or check what the estimate delivery timeline is to the destination. Our main tour guide Zhou Yan, was fantastic. She spoke fluently in English and is clear to understand. She's also a local in China. She was really great and patient all the way through. 5-stars for Zhou (Jo) for sure. We're really lucky to have her. The other local city tour guides that they used in the other cities were just okay, their English wasn't as clear, probably understand them 70% of the time. A lot of the add-on tours are optional. Our booking agent advised us to have USD cash prepared in advance for tour tips and excursions. I'm kind of annoyed that the tour agency told us to bring USD even though when were arrived our local tour guides are more than willing to accept Canadian conversion on par of the day's exchange rate on Google, which really would have saved us fees from exchanging money in advance to USD as Canadians.