Sonatours レビュー 105

Experience was amazing, both danny and captain were very accommodating and well informed and provided amazing advice on recommendations for experiences and food. Made the experience enjoyable.

Just got back from a tour on Japan at the beginning of April 2025.
Start with the positives ...
Hetal, she was excellent. She was the Rep sent by Sona tours and I cannot sing enough praises about her. She was always patient and always had a smile. She kept her cool even with vanishing guests or guest who decided not to keep time. It was a pleasure to have spent 10 days with her.
Coaches were of good quality and cannot fault them at all.
Places visited, I would say 75% were good the rest were stocking fillers.
A tea ceremony as it was stated on the itinerary was nothing more than watching a science experiment performed at school. The same setting and definitely not an ounce of ambience. Followed by a tour round the Toyota museum. Here we were dropped off tickets bought and left to our own devises for our time there. It would have been nice to have a guide provided to explain or walk us through the whole place. Nobody would have minded and we would have all appreciated it, even if we had to pay a bit extra. Same would have been appreciated in the Hiroshima museum.
This day was just a complete waste of precious time, which could have been spent e.g. in Kyoto. One of the most spectacular places I have seen in Kyoto, the bamboo forest was NOT even included in the itinerary. Luckily my group of 8 ended up breaking up from the group and managed to do this on our own. This is a must see!!!!
A nice tour of Kyoto would have been nice not a half an hour quick stroll that we took due to time constraints.
Dinners were Indian which was expected but once again had to be had at 6.30-7pm . The atmosphere in all the restaurants, I would not even call most of them restaurants, were a notch up from a cafe. We were lined up in rows in these places and crammed in certain sections of the restaurants. It would compare at best to a school canteen. One of the restaurants in Osaka we were literally crammed us in 2 rows and as there were not enough spaces, they made guest split up so we could fit into the allocated space. It was appalling. In the only NON INDIAN day we were taken to an enclose food court section where we were served pizza and salad. They REFUSED!!!!! to give us more salad except for a few leaves on everyone's place and the dressing. The pizza quantity was not enough and they refused to bring our any more.
Why would anyone pay so much money for this kind of service??????
SONA tours are however the WORST at SCAMMING Oversea Guest.....
The cost of the trip was quoted as £3100. With some early bird discount it was £2800.
As an oversea person from the USA one would expect to pay a similar amount in Dollars approximately $3800.
SONA TOURS has its OWN EXCHANGE RATE and credit card transaction amount of 7%.
So they thought it was absolutely fine to charge the guests $4340.
$540 MORE , TOTAL RIP OFF
When the company was asked about this Rita one of the most awful representative of the company hid behind all the rules and regulations and fine print.
She was rude and dismissive. An awful person if I may say so in my opinion.

Would i recommend SONA TOURS.....ABSOLUTELY NO WAY!!!!!
They are out to make money and rip people off. They have been good in the past but the quality of the service the company provided has gone down.

We just came back from a tour of Japan . Our Tour Manager DJ was excellent, itinerary was great and the entire Group and experience was fantastic. I would recommend this Company. Our only negative comment would be they should allow those passengers who wish to upgrade their seats for such a long flight and have should have included a light music evening show and options for those who wish to have massage treatments and photos in traditional Kimonos . Overall very happy and would insist on DJ for future Manager . We will use this Company again .

The Tulips of Holland 3 days coach trip was very well planned. Thank you Sona Tours for organising the trip.

Excellent tour
Rita was very helpful and knowledgeable

VERY IMPRESSED WITH JESAL's ORGANISING OUR TOUR WITH PRECISION AND CARE. WE HAD NO HICUPS AT ANY TIME. EVERYTHING FROM HOTELS TO ITINERARY WITH CURTEOUS DRIVERS AND GUIDE WAS SUPERB. PLEASE PASS OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO INDIA OFFICE TOO.

This is our second holiday with Sona Tours. We were not sure what to expect from the South America tour, only that it is quite challenging but it has been an absolutely amazing and well organised tour which we have both thoroughly enjoyed. Our Tour manager Jesal, was knowledgeable, caring and supportive of the needs of all members of our group. She went over and above to make sure things went smoothly, which they did. We will certainly recommend Sona Tours to our friends and family who are already enquiring having looked at all the fantastic photos. Our next holiday will definitely be with Sona Tours and hopefully with Jesal as the tour manager.

It was an excellent trip, well organised looking at the needs of the client group. Our tour manager Digvijay was excellent. Very caring and responsive.
Food was excellent throughout with a little problem with the Italian night.
Accommodation was very good.
Digvijay with the local guide Akiko made us really feel the country, magnificent trip. It would be remembered in our memories. We are planning our next trip with Sona if we could have Digvijay or Chetan he was with us for Iceland tour which was par excellent.

Terrible Experience - Avoid This Company!

I am utterly appalled by the service provided by this travel company. They are not flexible, not understanding, and incredibly insensitive. Their customer service is rude and unhelpful, especially towards elderly clients. They take advantage of their lack of understanding and fail to explain the terms of the contract properly.

To make matters worse, they give wrong advice regarding crucial parts of the contract, leading to significant financial losses. This company is conning elderly people out of their savings, amounting to thousands of pounds. It is completely disgusting and unacceptable.

Please, do not fall into their trap. Protect your loved ones and steer clear of this company!

Poor service from the get go, deeply incompasionate to customer needs, rude, Rita is insensitive and truly should not be allowed to face customers, i would go further and say she shouldnt be working in any customer service indisrty, disgusting treatment. Please choose an alternative tour company.

The staff provided excellent service. Very friendly and approachable at all times. Great tour guide, had a lovely time during the trip. I know time was limited but got to see lots.

We had a very bad experience with Sona tours. We booked a trip to Scotland with Sona tours on 25th July 2024. We were a group of 5 members.
On the 1st day itself our seat numbers were allocated to us from 42 to 46. The tour manager Neema Gohil requested us to sit one seat row behind because she wanted to accommodate other passengers.
All members in our group were over the age of 75 yet that was not taken into account and we were made to sit in the last row. On the last row we could hardly hear the announcements on the mic.
On the frist day dinner was at 9.15.pm on the 1st floor. Every one was extremely tired. The quality of food was very poor. On the second day as well the dinner was horrible, the cutlery was wet the quality was bad and the service was appauling. It was only on the last day thay dinner was served on time and the quality was good.
The tour manager is not capable to handle group an timings. Every time we waited to take photos, our group takes the longest to get out of the coach cos we are right at the end, hence we do not get enough time anywhere. I was stuck in lift one of the days.the experience was traumatising I pressed emergency button an security guard came after 15 min. I called manager but she just said that Ramada reception will help. But no one came, only the bus driver came.
Last day on the way back we reached lecister and the tour manager forgot her biscuits box. So bus had to drive back to lecister. Waisted 40 min .we reached London at sona tours office at 11pm.
Every one was upset. I traveled lot with different tours. With sona tours I am not happy at all, I will not be recommending sona travels to anyone and I will be posting this review on social media to raise awareness

The 4 day tour to Scotland was really enjoyable. It was good value for money. The coach was comfortable. The sightseeing arranged were very good. The Ramada hotel was perfectly acceptable. The evening meals could have been better for sure. I think Sona tours should look into the quality of restaurants they offer. Having tour manager Nima was very helpful as she always shared little tips & clear instructions which made ours and rest of the passenger’s trip lot easier. She was very accommodating throughout and took care of everyone (even the ones who were extremely unreasonable 🫣) Having travelled with several other tour managers with other tours companies, we feel that Nima was only one who went extra mile to make sure everyone enjoyed and were comfortable. The driver Abby was helpful and friendly. Wishing both of them the very best.

Would I book with Sona Tours again? The short answer is a resounding YES!
The 12 day Electrifying Japan tour was massive fun, the hotels were really nice and the Indian meals that were provided were great too.
There was not much time for some of the lunches and it would have been good if a pit stop was made at a convenience store to grab sandwiches.
If you are thinking of booking this tour don’t hesitate it was a good value for money holiday and it was a fantastic way to see an amazing country, experience its beautiful culture and meets its friendly people.

I am disappointed to learn that you have edited your reply to my review posted on 18 May 2024.You have added positive comments stating they are from clients that I had booked for. I can assure you those comments are not from my group 05/07/24.
In your original reply you said that I did not once mention about my Travel Insurance arrangement. I wasn’t aware that it was necessary or obligation for me to inform or discuss my Travel Insurance with you. Secondly, your T& C states any changes made before 28 days, customer losses 30% of deposit, but it does not clarify if the cost of holiday is paid in full or is discounted, yet you claim it is verified. You have not shown any gesture of goodwill nor commented on any other issues that I had raised in my review.
Having posted my experience of inconvenience and disappointment with Sona Tours on 18/05/24 and we were hoping our mini break to Scotland would be pleasant and not disappointing.
Unfortunately, with regards to “Food and Hotel”.
On the first evening the food in Firangi was disappointing. Everyone in the tour complained about the food. The tables were sticky, the bar area was filthy, the crockery were all wet, we were worried if we were going to be ill. The restrooms were not clean and had an awful/foul smell. When the tour guide said to us that we will be going to the same restaurant (Firangi) on the third evening, we were all disappointed and insisted that the guide should take us to another restaurant and suggested that he should contact Sona Tours to change the Venue, but this was out of his hand. The tour guide said that he cannot contact Sona Tours for authorisation and said that we have no choice but to go to Firangi on the third evening. On the second evening the food in Mr Basrai’s was good as there were many verities and choices.
Holiday Inn where we were staying would not be counted as 3 Stars, because the housekeeping was very poor. No cleaning was done, even the beds in the morning were not made up. Glasses and Cups were not washed, and left where they were after use. The toilet, floor and the shower was not cleaned at all.
Please do not blame on the level of service your third party provides. I believe it’s your responsibility to check that venues offer good level of service.
Couple of items on the itinerary was not visited as they were closed which is understandable.
On the positive side the Tour Manager/Guide was friendly and knowledgeable. The driver of the coach in Scotland was very good.

We joined SonaTours on their Scotland trip from 27 to 30 June, and it was an outstanding experience. Our tour manager, DJ was exceptional. DJ explanations of the places we visited were clear, insightful, and to the point. His friendly demeanor made the tour even more enjoyable.The coach driver Assam drove smoothly and ensured we were always on time. This made the journey comfortable and stress-free. The food provided during the tour was delicious, and the hotel accommodations was clean but the double bed was small and worn out. But the gluten free breakfast was good adding to the overall positive experience.Having been on my first tour with SonaTours, I can confidently say that they planned this trips exceptionally well. I highly recommend traveling with SonaTours for a well-organized and enjoyable travel experience.Thank you, DJ, for making this Scotland trip unforgettable!Also a big thank you to Jesal who was very helpful and patient in helping me complete the booking online and answering all my questions.

Would like to start by thanking some amazing people Nijesh Shah was an absolutely amazing tour manager, cannot fault him at all he always put the group first in terms of safety, well-being and happiness. Kay San our local guide was very very knowledgeable, would always answer any questions we had, and if there was something she was not fully sure on she would fact check and get back to us. Both of these people just exuded kindness and happiness! The tour itself was meticulously planned with good time at each sight or activity, Nijesh and Kay san even went out of there way on a few occasions to really treat us and give us an authentic Japanese experience which I know we and the group will never forget. I personally am a lot younger than the rest of the clientele on the tour but everyone was so lovely we bonded over the first two days and really had an amazing time, lifelong friends have been made certainly! I will definitely be visiting Japan again and what an amazing first time with Sona Tours! :D

We went in a group of 14 by Sona tours to Devon and Cornwall dated 25/5/24. Following recent excellent tour to Scotland, this tour started with a great disappointment with late start, substandard small coach and less efficient driver. However, it was rectified on day 2 by replacement with large coach and new driver.
Tour guide was not very friendly and at times sounded rude and insulting as well by citing unpleasant examples and directly targetting Indians for hotel theft picks which was too insulting. Never did he have any introduction talks to know that he was talking to a bunch of highly learned and affluent doctors and professionals. He needs to be told that politeness and courtesy are basics for direct public jobs like these.
Hotel selection was very nice and comfortable except for very limited choices for vegetarian breakfast. Eggs are not to be considered as vegetarian breakfast and there should be an alternate option for it as all vegetarians are not eggetarians. Sorry for adverse but honest comments.

We went to South America on 11th April 2024 with sona tours. itinerary was very good and well organised. In 24 days we covered four countries and being a vegetarian we didn’t struggle for food, All hotels and restaurants were very good.

And to enjoy this kind of holiday you need good tour leader and our tour leader DJ was excellent, He treated all of us like family members no matter how busy he was , DJ always had time for us. He is very professional and experienced. We’re already planning another holiday with Sona tours and we’re hoping DJ will be with us.

Thank you very much DJ

Excellent tour company! They take care of each and every detail with utmost care. We enjoyed a lot with our 7 month old daughter.