I returned from the tour, Belarus in 7 days, from 19-25.10.24. I was surprised how clearly they work on timing. There are no delays or delays anywhere. Everything is organized. The guide, Georgy Chaushnik, is a professional in his field. He is also an adherent of precise timing. The only thing I would like to add is the presence of information about modern Belarus, because this tour implies only ancient history.
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Марина Г.
Level 3 Local Expert
September 13
The best guide, Mikhail Lukashenya, is just a walking encyclopedia, you can listen to it, 5 days in Belarus from September 8 to 12 flew by like one day. I really liked it: atmospheric, beautiful, delicious
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И. К.
Level 11 Local Expert
August 31
I think that I will express the general opinion of the entire group traveling with the "Western Tract" - "Around the World" on the 10-day route "Land under white wings" from 08/10/2024. The organization of the tour causes only indignation. After leaving Moscow, we were informed that the designated guide-escort would not be able to go. We were taken to Arkhipovka together with another group on a large comfortable bus, where we were met by a minibus with a luggage trailer. At the same time, the description of the tour indicated that the minibus is provided only to a group of less than 17 people, there were 17 of us. The bus is not adapted for tourist trips, the distance between the rows is very small, the seats behind the driver generally have almost no legroom, I had to go with my legs tucked in. At the same time, the crossings are long, up to 600 km. There was no view in the back seats. The air conditioner couldn't cope, the back rows were suffering from stuffiness. The meeting attendant (Vera) does not have certification, she does not have information, justified by the fact that she was sent temporarily, for 2 days. So there was no inspection of the Kremlin in Smolensk. They dropped me off near a piece of wall, told me to walk around. We asked for a ride to the Assumption Cathedral, we searched for information on the Internet ourselves. Naturally, there was no travel information on the route. Vera was replaced in Minsk by Alla, who is certified, but leads excursions only in Minsk. We looked at Minsk, but they sent us to Belaz alone, only with a driver. So we drove in silence, asking the driver questions about what we were passing. After leaving Minsk, there is again no information on the route, sometimes we talk about the Belarusian move. The driver expressed dissatisfaction that he was sent with our group, constantly trying to find a replacement on the phone.However, all the escorts and drivers said that they were informed at the last moment that they had to go with us. In Brest, the escort was changed again, while no one warned us that we were leaving immediately after breakfast, since Alla left in the evening, Natalia appeared when breakfast was already on. They had to run for their suitcases in 10 minutes, because the excursion to the Brest Fortress was about to begin. Natalia also does not have a certificate as a guide, so she does not have information on the route. But she's the only one who even tried to smooth things over, seeing our outrage. By this time, the travelers themselves had stocked up on travel guides to Belarus, and they read for everyone during their travels. Natalia also tried to find something on the Internet. The Brest tour was truncated, they did not show the pedestrian street, the Greenhouse, the monument 1000 Brest ... In Grodno, the local guide was in a hurry for the next tour, so he shortened the tour by half an hour, of course, they could not see everything. In Lida, Natalia had to arrange on the go to have at least a half-hour tour of the castle, while we ourselves had to buy entrance tickets, although the program included an inspection of the Lida Castle. There was no declared excursion in Novogrudok, since Natalia is not a tour guide, she was in Grodno and in Novogrudok for the first time in her life.
I also want to warn you about the hotel in Pinsk. Pripyat looks like a flophouse. Dirty, smelling of tobacco, dirty bed linen in some rooms, no cupboards, somewhere there was not even a nail to hang clothes.
Of course, there were also positive aspects. The work of some local guides: Alexandra at Belaz, Svetlana in Motola, a stunning folklore ensemble there, a sweet girl at the Nature Museum in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Sergei in Pinsk, in love with his city, Dmitry in Mogilev… Thank them very much! To the drivers who returned us to Moscow, to the two Alexanders, who at least tried to adjust the air conditioner and start the TV set-top box, however unsuccessfully, many thanks. It is a pity that the expectations of the trip were not fulfilled. Almost all the members of the group read positive reviews about the 7-day route and excellent guides, and thought that the 10-day route would please them even more.
We wrote a claim to the host company "Western Tract", signed it, but I'm afraid it's unlikely to be published in the reviews. I would like the travel agency to learn a lesson from this situation. I am completing my review. The company reviewed the claim and, together with an apology, refunded 30% of the tour price. I am glad that they value their reputation and admit mistakes.