Any travel company can give you dozens of reasons to visit a destination—and frankly, you could even see the major highlights on your own. So why choose OAT? It’s about a whole lot more than just seeing the highlights, as Barbara B.—and hundreds of other loyal travelers like her—will gladly tell you.
Dear Harriet,
Barbara made a special connection with Daniel, who is the same age as her grandson, at the Yipirinya School in Alice Springs.
Australia was our first trip with OAT, but I have friends in Juneau who have made several journeys with OAT and are addicted. Yesterday, my friend Steve called me to talk about his recent trip to Africa. We both agreed that OAT’s combination of amazing experiences, learning, and discovery make it unique and worth doing as many times as we can afford.
In Alice Springs, we visited the Yipirinya School. I listened to Daniel read his book. He is the same age as my grandson Patrick so it was easy and comfortable sitting close by and helping him sound out the hard words. Ken, the director of the school, was very impressive with his dedication and determination. He shared with us the challenges of the school, including the health issues the kids bring with them and the cultural challenges to keeping the kids in school. We walked through the schoolyard, where happy kids were playing soccer, and had a presentation by two remarkable women who had written and illustrated dictionaries for the children. These two women were doing what women do everywhere: they were doing whatever it took to get the job done. The entire experience was profound.
If my husband Doug and I had gone to Australia on our own, we would have missed out on all the “learning and discovery” we were fortunate to have with OAT. Our guide Wayne was so passionate about making sure we did understand the issues below the surface, that the learning was the best part of the trip for me. That, and hand-feeding kangaroos!
You’ve got a great organization.
Barbara B.
First-time traveler
Juneau, Alaska
Of course, we need to maintain high standards of quality to keep travelers like Barbara coming back—and sometimes that means making difficult decisions about trips that some travelers love, but most travelers don’t. Chris and Josette B. weren’t the only ones who loved our French canal barges, and they’re not the only ones who wish we’d bring them back. But we really had no choice but to say goodbye to barging—and I’ll explain why below.
Dear Harriet,
One of our favorite trips with OAT was the barge trip in Alsace-Lorraine. A small boat, great food, terrific guide, small group of very social people made our two week trip unforgettable. We stopped at small villages which gave us the opportunity to shop in the weekly village market as well as the chance to wander the small towns with and without our guide. Walking on the canal road was nearly the most perfect activity.
My husband and I were very disappointed when you discontinued this mode of travel. We were looking forward to traveling through the Burgundy canals.
We found no inconveniences and enjoyed the experience of living on a barge—even with the small rooms. Everything else made up for any inconvenience.
Chris and Josette B.
4-time travelers & Overseas Adventurers’ Club members
Sacramento, California
Chris and Josette, I’m glad that you had an enjoyable experience onboard one of our barges. I loved them too, and I still think barging is a unique way to see France. It quickly became clear to us, however, that the barges did not meet our standards of quality—and some of the quirks we encountered with them were too significant to ignore.
You see, the barges were very old vessels, and some of their hulls were more than 50 years old. Even though we invested quite a bit to improve them, it still would have required a lot more—too much more—to bring them up to OAT’s standards of quality. That’s why we made the difficult decision to cancel.
Again, I’m glad you enjoyed your experience, and I understand why you’re disappointed about the cancellation. But Alan and I believe that if we can’t offer a truly great travel experience at an equally great value, we shouldn’t offer it at all. It’s one of the biggest reasons why we’ve been so successful over the years.