14 Oct 2023
My low rating is based on the fact that the tour was NOT private as advertised and offered and paid for. I specifically booked/paid for a private tour, which was later confirmed in my email booking receipt and verbally by Viator/TripAdvisor representatives.
The night before the tour, the Tunisian 'AOUES Travel and Events'* tour company representative contacted me to let me know the tour would NOT be private; he explained that due to staffing issues, 4 Spanish-speaking travellers would be joining my private tour. He further explained that since I could no longer receive a refund if I cancelled, since it was less than 24 hours before the start of the tour, I could reschedule for another day... Unbelievable, the tour company's problem suddenly becomes my problem. Since my schedule was full, I had to take the group tour with the Spanish-speaking travellers.
In the end, 7 Spanish-speaking individuals joined the tour. Time was wasted picking up one set of travellers. The guide tried to keep me in the loop in English; however, an enormous amount of tour time was devoted to the Spanish-speaking travellers. Note, however, that the actual tour guide was nice, knowledgeable, helpful, and on time.
*The Tunisian 'AOUES Travel and Events' company representative is also the same individual associated with the Tunisian 'Yahoo Travel' company, which provided a non-private tour (should have been private) the day before. See my separate review of that tour.