Madeira Jeep 4x4: Old Forest Full-Day Tour incl Pico Arieiro

There's a lot to unpack here. FIRST: I'll start by saying that we booked THIS tour. The tour that we went on, which was NOT this one, we would rate at 4-5. However, we were disappointed that we did not see the sites that we were expecting to see. I spent much time reviewing the tour options and chose this tour specifically for the sites included. The booking confirmation and all communication, including pick-up details, indicated that this is the tour that we would be on. When the Just Go Tours Jeep arrived, I gave my name and was greeted by Filipe who confirmed and then asked us to board. (no other Just Go Tours Jeep arrived at our location at that time). The first few stops were unexpected sites to me, however, I did not think much of this as I thought that perhaps these were added or modifications had to be made. I did mention to Filipe after this that I was expecting to see sites that were listed in the tour. He told me that those sites were on another tour. I was surprised but assumed that perhaps I has made an error in booking. When I confirmed after the tour that I had booked the correct tour, I contacted Mauricio, the operator. His response: "I see on your booking is for the Old Forest and you did the Amazing West Jeep Tour. But way you didn't say in the morning to Filipe or me that you did book the other tour?" Why would I? We were confirmed by the driver and we thought that we were on the correct tour. There was no reason to assume otherwise. No accountability or explanation was given for adding us to the wrong tour. Simply: "Sometimes things don't go as we expect but you did enjoyed your day and our tour." Would have I enjoyed the tour that we actually booked even more?? YES! SECOND: Back at the hotel, I realized that personal property was missing from my bag. We had been assured that personal belongings would be safe in the vehicle as our driver would be staying with the vehicle. When I reported this, the response was: "Please check everything again because I can't believe that somebody took something from your wallet... So you gave 20 tip and you didn't saw that was missing money from your wallet. You didn't say anything.... Something is wrong, and I don't think it's from our part." I did mention in my initial contact that I did not realize that money was missing from my backpack until after the trip. My husband gave the tip. I assume that the theft occurred when the Jeep was unattended - either unlocked or easily accessible. The driver must ensure that the vehicle is secure, or do not advise travelers that personal belongings will be safe. Mauricio will likely respond to this review with a snide comment and inflammatory, accusatory remarks as I see that he has with other low-rating reviews. My suggestion to him is to look inward and see where you can make improvements. Customer service training would be beneficial.

What an A M A Z I N G experience this tour was!!!!! Justino was an absolute delight and fun tour guide! He answered every single question we had, and we had a lot!!!! He was very fun for our 6 year old and made sure she comfortable throughout the tour, and also made sure she had fun! Every place he recommended was perfect. He also speaks perfect Spanish and English.

Excellent day - off the beaten track, great sightseeing with mountains, forests, waterfalls and coastal views.