17 Dec 2020
I booked this tour in about 14 and a half hours before it’s departure time (around 1:30pm with a pick up of 4am the next day). I went to bed early around 9pm so I could be awake for 3am and be on time for the 4am pickup. When I woke up at 3am I saw the company sent a message after 12am (4 hours before the pick up) through Viator. The message said they tried to call me multiple times to tell me they were cancelling the tour and to switch to another day. I was very upset because in trying to pivot I booked another tour with viator which also didn’t work out because of how close it was to the departure. I was out transportation costs and my time. Communication is essential during COVID-19 and I don’t think this company did that well.
Shortly after the above I was contact by the company to take the tour the following day. The experience was great. They picked us up on time, and the small amount of people allowed social distancing in our van. The hot air ballon ride was breath taking! It was worth waking up early to do. After the ride I was taken to a beautiful camp site that provided a COVID friendly breakfast. Everything was pre-packed and had ample space between tables. The falcon and camel ride was also at the site. If you wanted to do anything additional there is a cost (dune ride, parasailing etc.) and they make that known when you arrive. To my surprise the bathrooms were very clean.
The first reason I did not give them a five star review is because the initial experience was not a good one as I stated earlier. The second is after my initial review a member of their team sent MULTIPLE messages and calls via WhatsApp about changing the review which I thought was unprofessional. I really wish they were that good on communication in the beginning. This update is a complete review of everything that transpired.