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As many travellers enjoy their experience with us so much, they return year after year & recommend us to friends & family. The majority of people who travel with Oasis have been recommended by word of mouth, so in order for us to maintain the high standard of the trips we run, and to ensure your friends & family have a trip of a life time, we would love to hear your feedback, comments or ideas about your adventures with us. We are always eager to hear from passengers about their trips (both positive & negative comments!) - its great to hear how people have enjoyed themselves (lets face it - its far more common nowadays to complain than to offer praise), so thanks to the people below for taking the time to email or write to us.
If you would like to give us your views on a trip email us at: info@oasisoverland.co.uk
You can also read independent Oasis Overland tour recommendations and blogs shared by bugbitten.com members. If you have been on an Oasis Overland tour and would like to share your own recommendation or blog on bugbitten but aren't yet a member then click here to join.
Hi Oasis,
I meant to send this e-mail a while ago, but I hope it's still better late than never! I just want to thank you guys for an absolutely fantastic experience on the Kingdoms & Carnivals trip from Quito to Rio on board Frida. Everything about it was first-rate, but the thing that really capped it off was the brilliant job done by Chris and Nancy. They were so helpful at every turn, and it's impossible to list everything they did to make the trip what it was, but a couple of examples particularly stick out. The efforts they went to to ensure that we had a great Christmas so far from home really were extraordinary - it must have taken so much planning, and I have still got no idea how Nancy came by the turkeys! The shift Chris put in to make sure we got from Cuzco to Puno on schedule, after the good people of rural Peru had held us at a roadblock for eight hours, is another great example. The Lake Titicaca visit was one of the highlights of the trip for me, and we would have missed this had he not been prepared to really put in the extra hours for our benefit.
So, big thanks for a great trip, and especially to Chris and Nancy. It really wouldn't have been what it was without your efforts!
Graeme (Kingdoms and Carnivals Oct 09 - Feb 10)
I realise this letter comes a little late, however I would like to thank Chris and Nancy for their wonderful efforts during the Rio to Quito trip beginning in Feb of this year. Both Chris and Nancy went beyond all measures to ensure the passengers on Frida were happy. Nothing was a bother. The trip itself was amazing, an eye opening experience and a wonderful, safe way to see South America. Chris and Nancy merely placed the icing on the cake. I have highly recommended Oasis to others since experiencing the wonders of South America and I will undoubtedly delve into another adventure with you in the near future. So, thank you Chris and Nancy. You both really did make the trip more than I could have ever imagined and I hope to see you again somewhere in the World!
Fiona (Kingdoms & Carnivals) May 2009
Hola Oasis Team
I was ment to send this e-mail months ago when i left "The Truck", Princess and Brendan In Quito, but i have been cought up in more travels. Just wanted to say that i had an amazing time while onboard and will never forget the experience that we went thru with the whole group.....superb!!!! I can honestly say Princess and Brendan are the hardest working/partying Oasis guys ever "we met a few others on the road haha ;]" they made my experience the best. Keep that Trans going, as i am looking into booking the 2011 one.Sweet As!!!
Kris (Kingdoms and Carnivals, Rio to Quito) Jan 2009
Dear Oasis Team,
I meant to send this email in the middle of December after I finished my two month trip with Andy, Mel and Frieda from Quito to Santiago but I have been caught up in travelling further on my own. I would like you to know, although I'm sure that you already do, what a wonderful team Mel and Andy make. The countries we visited are beautiful and amazing and the itinerary made sure we saw the best bits but the two of them really made the truck trip work. Mel's organisation is second to none and the effort put into the meal plans was incredible and very much appreciated. You could see the envy on the faces of the passengers on the other trucks. Their enthusiasm was infectious and having tour guided before myself I know how tiring it can be but they seemed to have boundless amounts of energy all the time. Having done a bit of independent travel before I was nervous about going on such an organised trip but they made sure it was the perfect start to my 8 months of travelling. So, thank you to your team in London and especially to Mel and Andy.
Kind regards,
Catherine (Andes and Amazon) 2008
THE TEAM AT OASIS!
My name is Ewen Gordon, and i was on your trip from Quito to Santiago that ended on the 10th of December, i just thought i would email and say thanks for a s**t hot holiday, i cant think of a better tour company to go with, we saw the Kumuka, budget and and few others and there was no way there tours were any where close as good as yours.Andy and Mel were amazing defiantly the best tour guides we came across, they both did things that no other were doing like the cooking stuff like hungi and other spits, and they seemed to have so many connections that got as to really cool places were other tours didn't go.
Ewen (Andes and Amazon) 2008
Just wanted to drop you a quick line to say that we had the most fantastic time in South America. We wanted you to know that Ricardo was sooooo great and helped me out in a few sticky situations during the trip. He went beyond his job description I'm sure and so thankful that we had him as our tour guide. His love for his job and country is evident and he worked so hard to ensure we were all happy and everything was organised.
We did however have a few hiccups on the Jungle extension, which I have emailed Ricardo about, but other than that the trip was faultless.We look forward to maybe more trips with Oasis in the future...... we had heard that Oasis was going to Asia ???
Many thanks.
Liana & Kane (Peru Encompassed)
I'd just like to say how much we enjoyed our trip to Peru with Oasis, thank you. It was all, if not more than we expected and Ricardo was a great tour guide and looked after us all very well. Thank you also to you for all your help and organising prior to us going, you kept us very informed.
Regards,
Kathryn (Peru Encompassed)
We're back about 3 weeks now and we're still taking about how great our trip was. The places we went, the sites we visited, the people we met and the fun we had.
It was just amazing, all of it. We had such a wonderful, wonderful time. When we look back at the photo album that we created, it's hard to believe that we did so much in 14 days.
We're traveled independently before and we might even consider ourselves well traveled. But we did not expect this trip to be THAT GOOD. I have to say we're so, so impressed. This trip had all the spirit of independent travel but without the hassle that can be so wearisome. And what's more the organization of this trip and the timing of the activities were flawless. We always felt that there was the perfect balance between, excursions, site seeing and relaxation or personal down time. I also have to say that a personal thank you to Dave who was an absolutely brilliant guide. I felt very privileged to have someone with such enthusiasm for, and knowledge of this amazing country. I wouldn't have been the same without you! I'd also like to say thank you to all the guides and staff at Oasis Overland. You've really created something special here. A trip of a lifetime. No doubt I'll be recommending this trip to everyone I meet over the coming years. So Dave, those flags that you have flying over the felucca might be showing more than you're own nationality. More than likely, in the not too distant future, you'll be havin' felucca's full of dancin' leprechauns all a driftin' down da Nile!!! And again, thank you so much.
Warmest regards
Gerry n Isabelle (Egypt Encompassed) June 2010
If you are thinking of traveling through Egypt I would highly reccommend using Oasis Overland. We had a fantastic time on our 10day tour and we were well looked after. The pyramids and sphynx in Cairo are amazing but be prepared to be harrased by locals wanting to sell you something. Don't be fooled nothing is for free in Egypt! Except as it turns out the sea sick tablets which we were offered on our hydrofoil trip to Dahab! The temples in Luxor were really fantastic our mini hike from the valley of the kings over to the valley of the workers gave us an amazing view of the weaving nile river. Dahab is a must, you don't have to get fully geared up and dive with tanks. We spent 3hrs snorkling amongst the most beatiful and colourful coral and fish I have ever seen. Just majic. Makes the long bus ride between Dahab and Cairo worth it!
Bugbitten.com (Pyramids & Sinai) March 2010
Dear Andy - and all at Oasis Overland,
We returned from our Egypt holiday on Wednesday and would like to tell you what a superb company we found you are. Even from the very first day of booking - when in fact we were stopped from booking for being too old, and had to speak in person with you before we could continue we have found the service you provide to be excellent.
The organisation in Egypt was faultless, the trip was well planned for a mixture of activity and free time, and the tour leader Kerry did a fantastic job in very difficult circumstances- not the easiest place for a female tour leader to work.
We have always traveled independently before, but having now experienced Egypt we are very pleased we chose to be part of a group for this holiday, but thank goodness it was with your company.
Many thanks and congratulations. We are recommending you to anyone who shows an interest.
kind regards
Rose and Alf (Egypt Encompassed) Jan 2010
Hi Andy,
As you will be aware, a number of us have just finished (on 11 Jan) the 57-day Istanbul to Tunis (some Cairo) trip with Oasis.
In addition to what I've already said on the feedback form given out at the end of the tour, I'd like to bring to Oasis HQ's attention (although I suspect from the consensus of passengers on the truck that others will have beaten me to it) what an excellent job Richard did as truck driver throughout the tour.
Super-friendly, polite, courteous, highly-competent and knowledgeable (particularly bearing in mind this was his first trip through the region), even at 6am, Richard went the extra mile, time-and-time again throughout the trip to make the journey more enjoyable for all of the passengers.
Specifically (and there are lots of examples), Richard's dedication to keeping the truck well-maintained and looking good throughout the trip, his ability to quickly get things going again when we broke down in Turkey and his general expertise at getting on well with the locals (local agents, border crossings, guides, hostel staff etc - sometimes in difficult circumstances) and passengers, are just a few examples of what a great job I think Richard is doing for Oasis. It's rare that I take the time to write these kind of emails - letters of complaint are usually my forte(!) - which, I hope goes to further emphasise the above.
Anyway, thanks for listening - for the record I'd certainly recommend Oasis to friends considering overlanding in future.
With kind regards
David (Oasis Caravan) Nov 2009
I got back from the Egypt trip on Sunday and just wanted to say it was fantastic! I had a fabulous time and Wassim is great. He is so knowledgable and such a great guy too he really made it special. As you know Blanca and I were already excited but the trip exceeded expectations so I just wanted to say thanks! (I even enjoyed the donkey ride-possibly the only one!!!)
Also, you really planted the seed that day when you said I can go home (back to SA) on the overland! I thought id decide once id been to egypt and as expected - I really cant resist!
Nicky (Egypt Encompassed) September 2009
This is an extremely late thank you!!! I had the best trip!!! Have been telling everyone that they MUST do this sort of trip. I absolutely loved it. The group I was with were brilliant!! Tracy, Ian, Nick and Kev were great!!
I will be definately doing your trips again! Thank you again for a brilliant time.
Kathryn (Oasis Caravan) May - July 2009
Hi there Oasis Team,
Firstly i would just like to apologise for my feedback coming so slowly however after our tour finished we had another half of europe to conquer in our van. Mission was accomplished!! Being almost always independant travellers i must say i was a little hesitant initially about booking a tour and spending 37 days with complete strangers. However, now it is all over and done with it is imperative i tell you how fantastic the tour was!!
Myself and my partner took the Oasis Caravan, Egypt to Istanbul which departed on the 31st May and my only disappointment was that unfortunately it was impossible to do the whole journey from Tunis to Cairo as well!! Our crew Tracy and Nick are complete professionals. They are lovely, likeable people who know how to relax and have fun but are also complete experts in every aspect of their job. They made us feel safe and secure at all times, and even though not officially a tour guide, Tracy always gave every hint and all the information she had about sights, towns, money, food (and basically everything). They always gave 120% to making sure our group was happy, comfortable, entertained and safe at every point of the journey. They deserve knighthoods.
I was more then happy with every aspect of this tour as a whole. The sights visited were spectactular, once in a lifetime things i will never forget. Sailing and swimming down the Nile on a Felucca, the red rock of Petra, to the wonders of the Red Sea. Magical. The truck was also fun to cruise around in. The 'beach' was an awesome way to get up close and personal with your surroundings, with the wind in your hair. We especially loved the bushcamps in the deserts, Wadi Rum is unforgettable.
We had such an awesome group of people and i feel i have made friends for life, surprisingly considering we were mostly from different countries and quite a wide spread of ages. Also, importantly, i must say the staff in your office (we dealt with Andy, boy and girl) were more then helpful and very efficient and made the whole process very stress free.
This was a unique experience. One in which i will never forget and i am so glad i did. I will reccommend you to everyone for sure. Thanks, and KEEP ON TRUCKIN!!
Amanda and Anthony (Oasis Caravan) May 2009
Just a quick note to thank you so much for organising our recent Egypt Encompassed Tour. We thoroughly enjoyed it and will recommend it to anyone.Please thank Keren for also meeting with us and organising things as well. Lindsay was a fantastic tour leader! A great person and so patient with everyone!
Thank you again
Jodie and Mark (Egypt Encompassed)
Hi there,
My name is Eva. My daughter will be on one of your trips in the next week or so, travelling through the Middle East. She is 25 years old.I will be contacting you from time to time, as being a mother, i am worried about her going through areas where it may be dangerous. In todays world, it is not easy, not to worry, Hope to hear from you,
Kind regards Eva.
After the completion of the trip......Hi there, just wanted to thank you for the great time my daughter had on your trip to the Middle East. She texted me every few days and she said it was safe and she loved the trip very much. I worried like crazy, but thats what mothers do. Keep up the good work and good luck with future planned trips. you did a great job!!
Kind regards, Eva, mother of a traveller (Turkey & Syria Overland)
My Daughter returned yesterday and had a fantastic time. She was really impressed by all aspects of the trip and said their tour leader....Julie...was excellent and ensured everyone got the most out of their time in Egypt. We shall certainly book with Oasis again. Thanks for all your help in the lead up.
Lauren's Mum (Egypt Encompassed)
Travelled to Egypt with Oasis Overland and had the best trip of my travels so far. Weather was perfect, locals extremely friendly, so many fantastic sights to see and plenty to do. Tour was extremely well organised and would recommend them to anyone travelling to Egypt, the only down fall was the fact that the group was bigger than anticipated but that was due to the fact it was Easter time.
bugbitten.com (Egypt Encompassed)
We did our trip to Egypt over Christmas and New Years in the school holidays. It was the best trip I have done. I think we saw all the things that we wanted and the guides we had were fabulous. Oasis uses local guides in each area that they stay so we had many different guides with specific areas of knowledge. We saw loads of different temples. There was just the right amount of free time in each place so that you could get refreshed and have some time to yourself. A lot of meals were included and when they weren't the tour leader would still organise a restaurant for dinner and we all still went out together anyhow. The felucca trip down the Nile was my favourite part - living on a boat for 3 days was cool with bonfires and beer on the beach each night. Another highlight was the optional camel trek out to a ruined monastery. We raced the camels across the desert, great fun.
Oh yeah, and if you are planning to walk up Mt Sinai take thermals, seriously. It was freezing!!
As a group everyone got on well. People were mostly in their twenties and a lot of Kiwis and Aussies. We made some great friends on the trip and have kept in touch with a lot of people. It was really sad to go home!
I would highly recommend the Oasis tour as they have great guides and they set a good paced tour and deal well with any issues that arise. They covered everything really well.
bugbitten.com (Dive Dahab (Open Water Learner) Dec 2007
Egypt is a destination I had never really given much thought to. I had learned a bit in school in Ancient History but it did not really interest me. However. a few of my friends recommended it highly so I decided to travel over the Easter Holidays.
I travelled with Oasis Overland for 14 days. It is one of the best organised trips I have ever been on. The staff had a high amount of knowledge and were very approachable. They kept you updated each day with what was on the itinerary, appropriate clothes to wear and also what was expected.The highlight of the trip for me would have to be the Felluca ride up the Nile. For two nights we sailed up the Nile. It was a very relaxing part of the trip as there was not a lot to do except sunbathe, read, play cards or have a few quiet drinks.
Dahab was the extra four days at the end of our tour. I really loved Dahab for its great seafood and friendly locals. The shopping in Dahab was also good. After spending a few days wondering around, the locals would always say hello and remember you.The Egypt Encompassed tour had the right balance between sight seeing, tourist stuff and relaxing. By the end of it we had seen so much but still felt like we had a holiday. Egypt would have to be one of my favourite holidays by far.
bugbitten.com (Egypt Encompassed) Sept 2007
This trip is an excellent way to see the best parts of the middle east through Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Turkey in just 5 weeks. You have enough time to go through each city/town/village and see all the places of interest and have a range of optional extras to choose from that you can work into your schedule. The highlights of the trip were many, but sailing the nile on feluccas, diving in dahab, 4x4 safari in Wadi Rum, hot air ballooning in Goreme, rambling through Petra, visiting the Gallipoli beaches and just simply camping in the desert certainly topped the list.
If you're don't think you can handle the overlanding experience of camping under the stars, digging your own toilet with a spade when nature calls, or going without a shower for a couple of days then don't bother with a trip like this. But if you can handle it, then your in for one great experience! You'll also probably decide to do an even longer trip like this through Africa or South America , which is handy because your tour leaders will most probably have done other such tours through these areas and can give you heaps of advice.
Most people on the trip were from England, Australia or NZ, tended to be 20 to 30 y.o.a. with an interest in history, culture and places a little out of the ordinary rather than those looking the package party atmosphere. So, if you want to see a vastly different yet vibrant culture with timeless history whilst enjoying hassle free accommodation and transport while travelling with like minded people then jump on board!
bugbitten.com (Oasis Caravan) Aug 2007
We participated on the Trans-Africa 2009/2010, which is going to reach Cairo shortly. We hopped off in Cape Town after 23 weeks, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank Oasis and especially our tour leader Andi and driver Grant for an excellent excursion across Western Africa. With their many years of experience Andi and Grant were able to make the trip go really smoothly in an area where things generally do not necessarily go so smoothly. Andi handled everyday situations with ease with her relaxed and straightforward style and the atmosphere within the group was great through the thick and thin of the trip. Considering the comfort, attention to detail and impeccable reliability, one also couldn't have hoped for a better vehicle than the one Grant had built for this trip. Through the variety of landscapes and cultures, one surely gets to experience a massive amount during the 23 weeks!
I know that people I talk to about this trip wouldn't likely get Andi and Grant as their crew anymore should they decide to go overlanding in Africa. However with their combined experience, trip notes and Grants fleet of vehicles, their legacy will live on for a long time and make Oasis the primary company I would recommend. As for ourselves, we'll surely return some day to do the eastern part also. When markets, game parks, monkeys, elephants, wild roads, bureaucracy etc. have a degree of novelty value again...
Best regards,
Marko & Jaana (23 week Trans Africa Nov 2009)
Just a quick note after returning from the Nairobi-Cape Town trip to say that it was absolutely fantastic; this was my second Oasis trip (after travelling Rio-Quito in 2007) and it somehow managed to live up to the high expecations I had after having had such a brilliant time then. Nev and Jules were both fantastic - knowledgable and enthusiastic (even at 5.30am!) and really made the trip what it was. How Nev could drive all day and still be in a good mood at the end of it is a mystery to me. Also, our trainee Sam was great, and I am positive she is going to be a brilliant tour leader in the future. Also, thanks to you guys in the office who have always been swift to respond to any queries with useful and efficient advice.
Further, I would like to add how fantastic I think it is that Oasis continues to travel through Zimbabwe, despite the (incorrect) overriding consensus that it is a 'dangerous' and 'unstable' country. For me, it was the best country visited by far, and it is a shame that more overland companies are not exposing their passengers to this beautiful and vibrant place - although it was nice to not see any other trucks for a while!
I look forward to travelling with you again!
Yours, a 100% satisfied customer (again)
Jon (Coast to Coast - Africa) July 2009
I went on the Gorillas and Gameparks trip in July 2009 which was 19 days in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. I have nothing but praise for Oasis who delivered a fantastic trip on a budget. I would describe it as more of an adventure than a holiday but I imagine that is a reflection of overlanding in Africa in general! Oasis is for you if you're looking for an operator who skimps on the luxuries but not on the essentials.
The truck was in excellent condition, the tents were hardy and roomy (though they did leak a bit on the one occasion that it rained really hard!), the cooking equipment was good quality and the seating area on the truck was well set out. The music system was a little flaky and often cut out when we went over a particularly big pothole but really it wasn't much of a problem!
The itinerary was great and we only had about three really long driving days, but you're never going to eliminate this when trying to cover such huge distances. Every evening there was a different cook group on duty (groups of three decided by the group leader at the start of the trip) and this worked out fine. The cook group also went shopping with the group leader to help buy food for dinner. There were some really early mornings but that means you reach your destination quicker.
The group leader was fantastic; did all the hard work at border crossings, was very knowledgeable about where to go shopping etc, and generally looked after us very well without being too much of a school teacher! The driver was great too; always got us safely from A to B and helped out when needed.
If I have one criticism it is that there isn't enough food! But then I have a big appetite. And it was Africa where food is often hard to come by. There was plenty for dinner but not enough for breakfast and often not enough for lunch. Often it was possible to buy snacks along the way and I would recommend grabbing these whenever you can. Oasis has a strict food budget to keep the price of the trip down but I would have gladly paid extra for a bigger breakfast!
We went to some truly magical places and I have only fantastic memories, so I can thoroughly recommend Oasis!
bugbitten.com (Gorillas & Gameparks) July 2009
After filling out the post tour questionnaire I believe far more credit can be given to the staff of Oasis, that truly deserve the praise and recognition for a job well done.
I had my first experience with Oasis in 2003 on the Oasis Caravan Tour with Bron, Andy and Ian. Due to the unrivalled cost of the tour and excellent service and knowledge of the three just mentioned, I have always kept Oasis in the front of my mind for my future trip to Africa. A dream I have had since I was a little girl. I would just like to say that the tour itself was sensational, well thought out and planned, the transport and equipment were in excellent condition and that I cannot speak any more highly of Oasis and its staff if I tried. I have travelled through 39 countries and have travelled with tour groups such as Contiki, Paddy Wagon, MackBackpackers and other various smaller operators, and I have to say that Oasis have by far outshone all of them, there is simply no comparison.
When a person weighs up their experience on a trip, one massive part of that is the company that one kept, and I cannot have asked for a better leader and driver than the ones I was lucky enough to have. Please pass on my regards and praise them for a job well done. You have some fine employees and I know that they are totally stoked with their jobs, living their dream.
Thanks for reading and see you in South America.
Cheers
Mardi, May 2009
I really can't praise Mel & Andy (our crew) or your company enough for all the help I needed and for generally making this trip a truly memorable experience. Please could you pass on my thanks to all who helped back at your office, you are all stars. As for Mel and Andy, I'm sure you are as sad as we were to say goodbye to them. I've been lucky enough to go on several trips in different parts of the world and I can honestly say I have never come across 2 trip leaders that have such a passion for the job as they did, which was infectious for all.
Jacqueline (Cairo to Cape Town) March 2009
I just wanted to write a quick e-mail to you to thank you and oasis for the unbelievable 4 month Cairo to Cape Town trip I just did. Cairo to Cape Town is labeled as ''a trip of a lifetime'' and it certainly did not disappoint. What really made the trip special, apart from the amazing countries and people we visited, was the care and devotion of our trip leaders Andy and Mel. From the first day I met Mel she had a easy going, professional yet very approachable attitude. Andy was so enthusiastic about his job it seemed to rub off onto the rest of us. How he would get up at 5.30am, drive 12 hours only stopping for very short toliet breaks and lunch, organise the ducos, fires and cooking in the evening, only to do the same thing the next day - I will never know. The effort they both put into their jobs was evident from the start and quite inspiring. The food was brilliant, mel budgeted groceries to fine detail and we were always treated at dinners!!
For the price that the trip was, I thought it was absolutely fantastic value. The vehicle was always maintained by andy (not to mention the ever helpful truck bunnies!!) to a high degree and the beach on the snail is a genius idea, please don't ever change that! The seating arrangement was, in my view, perfect for this type of voyage. The open air truck, really let us feel closer to the africa we were travelling through. Instead of some window enclosed bus with air con, we felt the heat, the wind, the dust, the sunlight (even the rain at points!) giving us an authentic experience of being part of africa. So once again thank you very much Oasis Overland, you have excelled expectations and will be throughly recommended to anyone that whispers the words overlanding near my ears.
One very happy customer,
Thomas (Cairo to Cape Town) March 2009
THE TEAM AT OASIS!
I haven't quite made it back from my trip in Africa yet. I'm still in transit and waiting at the Seoul airport for my flight to Canada, but just wanted to write a great big thanks to you about my trip before I get caught up in the rest of life at home. From start to finish, Oasis made my trip the best it could have been! The first thing I noticed about Oasis was its easy to use website and complete information. The prices were the best value too. Jeff ( in the office ) was so wonderful with calming any fears I had and in preparing me and you always answered me so quickly which I find important since I was a little nervous travelling as a single female-even when I emailed you the day before I left.
The two guys who ran my trip were amazing too. James was a great leader. I really appreciated being helped with local issues and activities and not being treated like a child (this has happened with other tour companies). He would always tell us what we needed to know and let us ask questions but without being overbearing. I was only on the three week tour with the group and then travelled on my own for a couple of weeks, but even after I left the group he helped me out. I hit a few 'snags' after I left and James kept me out of trouble. I really can't express how much I appreciated this personal touch. Not just a good tour leader but a really decent guy too.
Pat, our driver was just as important in making my trip great. Yet another really good guy. (Where do they find all of you? Wherever it is, I'm moving there!) I always felt safe with Pat at the wheel and he always helped out in making our trip fun. Pat, as well as James helped me out a few times after I left the group and always made sure I was safe and happy. I've travelled Asia, Europe and the Americas but I've never experienced such trouble getting around and avoiding the bad scene as I have in Africa! If it weren't for these two guys, I wonder if I would have made it home in one piece! The other people on the tour were so friendly too. I was a little worried about being 32 and the only old person on the trip but a lot of the other travellers were around the same age and the ones who were younger were easy to get along with too. I've made some good and hopefully long time friends on this trip and I miss them already. I'm glad that my friend told me about Oasis and I'll definitely tell everyone I know about how amazing you and the rest of the guys made my trip (in fact, I've already recruited some lonely travellers while on the road). The next trip I book will, of course be through you and Oasis. Thanks again for all that you've done and I'll be in touch in the next year or so.
Lesley (Gorillas and Gameparks), Feb 2009
So i've just said some very hard goodbyes to Jay, Kate and the gang in Nairobi having left the trans trip a few days ago. Just wanted to drop you a line with a little feedback. Its certainly been one hell of an experience, and i seriously loved it. Kate and Jay are an absolute credit and while no one is perfect they did a superb job and I'm very grateful to them for all their hard work and effort over the last eight months. It was a pleasure to travel with them and on the truck which never let us down.
Suppose sometimes the best feedback is short and sweet and here's a quote for your website; f......... awesome, thanks!
Jamie (Trans Africa) Nov 2008 - June 2009
We were on the first half of the November Trans with Jay and Kate and they were fantastic.
Kate really is the most upbeat, organised and supportive tour leader we could ever ask for, she always put us first and went above and beyond the call of duty. Its hard to put into words how easy she made a potentially difficult trip for us. We thought that it was great that she was so willing to do everything she could for all of us, yet was also able to stand back and give us opportunities to help out whenever we wanted to. Her selflessness can not be rivalled; in Mali, she did an entire truck clean single handedly, to allow all of us to spend time by the pool. She just wants everyone else to have an amazing time and her love for Africa, Oasis and her passengers shines through. She has the ability to read her passengers' emotions and respond to them in the right way every time. She became a great tour leader, a "mum", and most importantly a friend to both of us during our time on the trip and she truly is an absolute credit to Oasis. We will never forget her unique dancing technique to the singing santa, which surfaced at any and every opportunity and brought a smile to even the most cynical faces on the truck.
Jay was awesome. Despite driving for such long hours, he would often help out once we got to camp, building fires and setting up, he was even spotted peeling vegetables and 'testing' food on a few occasions. His driving was superb. He defied belief on the Jungle road, guiding the truck though mental potholes and really keeping the spirit on the truck up. Thoughout the trip he drove effectively and very safely. He was also so calm and assertive on dodgy border posts we didn't worry about trouble once in the back. In addition to this he allowed the group to do so much by always volunteering to guard the truck, without a single complaint. He was simply lovely, great fun around the camp fire and a wonderful friend. His support of Kate was lovely to see, together they made an incredible team. We are very upset for him that he won't be able to drive that last stretch home to Somerset, and we will have gifts of carrots, meat and spicy awaiting him upon his return.
All in all we want to thank all of the team at Oasis for organising such an amazing experience for us. We truly have met friends for life on this trip, and none more so than Jay and Kate themselves. We thought the trip was brilliantly organised and run in every aspect . We do not have a single complaint. We will be whole-heartedly recommending Oasis Overland to anyone willing to listen. We are very keen to do the East side with Oasis sometime in the near future, and are already trying to save the pennies to do this.
Thanks again for everything, please pass this on to all the team. Rachel lives in Somerset and upon the trucks return, we will be having a barbeque and drinks. Jay and Kate are already invited and we would like to extent this invitation to all of the team who were involved in making this trip the best experience of our lives.
Josh and Rachel (Trans Africa), Nov. 2008 - April 2009
I have participated to the transafrica overland expedition till Nairobi and I am back to France,
I want to thank you all for this fantastic trip around Africa. It has been a real pleasure, we have been so lucky that everything went all right. I do love this marvellous continent and particularly the west and central countries which are how I really expected Africa to be. This expedition has been a success thanks to the serious of your organisation and also thanks to the driver Jason and the tour leader Kate. They both have been fantastic.
I hope to join an another Oasis trip later.
Please keep the transafrica expedition to allow more people to do it.
I wish you good holidays!
All the best
Catherine (Trans Africa), Nov. 2008 -June 2009
It's taken a while to get around to writing this, I went on the Cairo to Cape Town trip and I just want to say to everyone at Oasis, thank you for the most amazing 16 weeks of my life, everyday I think of something about the trip and I have so many good memories and made many good friends, because of this. Also a special thank you to Andy and Mel who were extremely professional and genuinely caring. I've never met anyone, in any form of employment that has as much passion and joy for their jobs as them. It's a loss to Oasis and to Overlanding that they've called it a day, and I wish them all the luck in the world. I have recommended Oasis to quite a few people already, and two have signed up to go next year, even the Times can see how good they are by ranking them second best overland operators, one place below where I think they should be, cheers Oasis, best trip ever.
Mic Pratt (Cairo to Cape Town) Oct 2008