Tribes Travel Reviews 

246
TrustScore 5 out of 5

4.8

While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more

To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more

Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 79 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the superb organization and seamless execution of their holidays, noting that every detail, from transfers to excursions, went smoothly for a stress-free experience. The staff are frequently highlighted for their patience, expertise, and helpfulness in tailoring trips and providing excellent advice. People appreciate the exceptional customer service, finding the planning process easy and responsive, with high acclaim for accommodation, guides, and overall locations, contributing to memorable trips. However, some customers also noted issues with communication, including unreturned calls and a lack of follow-up for feedback. A few other people also felt that some aspects of their trip were not well-organized, citing problems with hotels or transfers that did not arrive as planned, and local partners being incommunicado.

What people talk about most

Holidays

Customers consistently note positive experiences with holidays, often describing them as "fantastic,"... See more

Staff

Clients share positive opinions on staff, consistently praising their helpfulness, knowledge, and... See more

Service

Users describe positive interactions with service, highlighting that every transfer, guide, and excursion ran... See more

Location

Customers had positive experiences with location, praising the thoughtful planning of itineraries that... See more

Customer service

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of customer service, with many praising the helpfulness and efficiency... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Superb organisation and every transfer, every hotel, every excursion went like clockwork. It was great peace of mind to have things in place and to be able to fully enjoy our fabulous holiday. We woul... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tribes Travel are South American experts using local people and care about the environment of the countries they cover. We cruised the Galapagos for a week on the Origin and Arturo at Tribes Trave... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tribes listened really carefully to what we were looking for in a safari and were able to consider many options and propose a fabulous trip for us - aside from considering our overall budget they coul... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Our first trip to Costa Rica went without a hitch from our first contact with Andrew Chaundler at Tribes, through all the hotels, transfers. flights etc. We've never done a package like this where all... See more


Company details

  1. Tour Operator
  2. Boutique Hotel
  3. Cultural Tours Provider
  4. Travel Agency

About Tribes Travel

Written by the company

Discover the world with Tribes Travel

Why travel with Tribes?

The Tribes team creates high-quality, tailor-made holidays, adventures and safaris; unmissable and inspirational travel experiences which aim to feed your spirit and benefit wildlife, environments and people.

Tribes is all about wonderful people: you, the curious traveller; our valued destination partners; the often visionary property-owners we work with; the superb guides, chefs, drivers . . . and, of course, our incomparable team of experts here in the UK.

We’re sure that your holiday will make you very happy as well as positively benefiting some beautiful corners of the earth along with the people and wildlife who live there.

We are: trustworthy & reputable – friendly & personal – knowledgeable & imaginative – responsible & protective – fully-bonded & offer value for money.


Contact info

4.8

Excellent

TrustScore 5 out of 5

246 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

Asks customers to review

This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative

Replied to 100% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

How this company uses Trustpilot

See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.

4.8

All reviews

(246)

70 reviews in the last 12 months

Write a review
Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The perfect safari trip!

Tribes Travel curated the perfect safari holiday for us - three stops in Botswana, ending up at Victoria Falls in Zimbabawe. The team were always super responsive, and listened to what we had planned, then produced the perfect bespoke trip. Every detail was thought about and the quality of the lodges and guides was absolutely outstanding. I cannot recommend them too highly.

March 8, 2025
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the lovely feedback Sally, 'the perfect safari trip' is music to my ears! I recently got back from Botswana myself, what an incredible destination. Alex will be thrilled with this feedback, I know how much work goes into ensuring these trips are tailored to create the perfect trip, which he is brilliant at.

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful holiday

A wonderful holiday, very well organised from planning to execution and completely stress free.

March 22, 2025
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the 5 star review Susie. Stress free planning and stress free holidays is always our goal, I am glad we delivered! Hopefully see you for your next holiday!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We found Tribes to be excellent…

We found Tribes to be an excellent company when booking our holiday. We had very good guidance and suggestions with the various areas to visit and experiences we wanted. All flights and hotel bookings, pick ups and transfers worked well.

March 20, 2025
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the 5 stars Phil, it is much appreciated, hopefully see you for your next trip!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Great experiences overall

Great experiences overall.
Disappointed in building works at Poco poco.
Bali de sol hotel looked very tired. Uncollared dogs roaming around gardens and beach front.
Staff very helpful and friendly.
Felt that the excursions were all very expensive even when booking locally.

March 21, 2025
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the feedback Debra. We were also really disappointed about the works at Poco Poco, we have fed back to the hotel about the lack of communication about this issue. I am glad they they upgraded you and provided some money back for that part of the trip. Thank you for the feedback about Bahia Del Sol as well, we have passed that onto the hotel.

Thanks for booking with Tribes, I hope you consider us for your next trip.

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My fears travelling independently were…

My fears travelling independently were immediately allayed; the time went by all too quickly. I was so glad to stay in Costa Rican hotels and not the big internationals - wonderful friendly service and delicious food. The guides were friendly, excellent and informative and to a high professional standard. One particular moment on a canal creek in Tortuguero: Sebastian said, “we turn off the boat motor, no photos, but just to sit for a minute’s silence, to bask in the sounds of the rain forest. Everyone said how special a moment that was.

March 4, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the lovely feedback Rosemary! We really try and focus on local stays and the smaller independent hotels that embrace nature, I think it really help captures what makes Costa Rica so special. That moment in the rain forest certainly sounds special! Sorry to hear it went by so quickly, that is one thing we can't control unfortunately, its always the way isn't it when you are on a trip like this.

Thanks for using Tribes, hopefully we see you for your next trip!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A really great

A really great, well organised holiday in a super interesting country. Travel and transfers perfect, accommodation all good, lovely people - feel like we’ve been on a real adventure holiday!

March 10, 2025
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the feedback Mike and of course the 5 stars! Adventure is what we are all about so I love that you used that word.

Thanks for booking with us and please consider us for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Costa Rica, Caribbean to Pacific

Alex listened to what we were looking for and he gave us exactly that. Wildlife from Caribbean to Pacific with excellent guides throughout. Accommodation food and hire car all a bonus in terms of excellence. Everything ran smoothly and to time, couldn’t ask for anything more.

March 6, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thank you for the feedback Paul and the 5 stars! Listening is the key and Alex is great at it! I am really glad to read that everything ran smoothly.

Thanks for trusting us with your holiday plans, hopefully see you again for your next trip!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

5 star holiday

This our second trip to Costa Rica, both booked by Alex at Tribes. The holiday exceeded our expectations once again. Excursions and experiences were excellent. Everything went seamlessly with no hitches. Transfers between the 5 regions we visited were punctual, vehicles roomy and drivers professional. Our accommodation was perfect, all of a great standard and locations exactly met the brief. Prior to booking, any questions were responded to promptly and Alex was able to provide lots of useful information when planning our trip. We found the Vamoos app containing our itinerary and documents useful and easy to navigate.

February 22, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the 5 star review and booking your 2nd Costa Rica trip with us! We are seeing more and more of our customers returning to Costa Rica, it just offers so much. I am so glad to hear that the trip exceeded expectations. Alex knows the country so well, he truly has the specialist knowledge for those returning for a second time.

Thanks for booking with us Nicky and hopefully see you for your third trip!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very efficient and helpful company

Terrific organisation of our self drive holiday. Hotels were varied and appropriate for the regions we were travelling in Costa Rica. Transfer from the airport was perfect and big enough for the 6 people in our party. Cars supplies were 4x4s as promised and delivered to our first hotel.
The route took us from Caribbean to Pacific coast via mountains, and we had GPS supplied to guide us on our route.
The whole trip was designed to get the maximum experience of the country possible in two weeks, plus a relaxing beach interlude at the end.
We found Tribes met all our needs in terms of hotels and experiences, and when we had a problem with our GPS their rep was straight on the problem, and had it resolved very quickly.
I would not hesitate to go with Tribes again and recommend them for a great holiday experience.

March 10, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much Christine for the 5 stars and recommendation! I am so glad to hear that everything went smoothly for your group. Self driving is such a great way to see a country, I love the flexibility it offers.

Thanks again for trusting us with your Costa Rica holiday, hopefully see you for your next trip!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Two and a half weeks in Ecuador

We came back from two and a half weeks visiting Ecuador and the Galapagos. What a superb trip it was. Arturo was enormously helpful in the planning stages and gave us good advice. The complicated sequence of pick-ups and transfers were all timely and without fault. Our guide (Gina Castillo) 'on the ground' in Ecuador was always available and was meticulous with all the arrangements. Highly recommended.

February 10, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the 5* review and recommendation PK! Arturo's specialist knowledge of Ecuador and the Galapagos is as good as it gets! I will also pass your feedback over to Gina.

Thanks again for booking with Tribes, hopefully see you for your next trip!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A truly memorable holiday

We had a truly memorable time and thoroughly enjoyed everything that Costa Rica had to offer.
The hotel, transport, and guide tour arrangements worked out very well and we were rewarded with sightings of plenty of wildlife including multiple close-up encounters with whales. The attention to detail by Tribes was exemplary, their Vamoos app was very useful indeed, and their in-country team was very fast to respond and resolve one or two queries while we were there. Highly recommended.

March 4, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the recommendation and positive feedback Dik. What a great experience to encounter whales close up! The wildlife in Costa Rica is spectacular!

Thanks for booking with Tribes, please consider us for your next trip!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We were extremely happy with our trip…

We were extremely happy with our trip to Costa Rica organised by Tribes. Arturo, our adviser, who listened to exactly what we wanted to do and managed to fit everything in to our itinerary. The Hotels were perfect and suited our needs and all of the tours we did were well organised. I highly recommend this company.

February 13, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the recommendation and feedback Claire, it is much appreciated! Arturo is a Latin America whizz! He was only out in Costa Rica last year so it sounds like you benefitted from his fresh knowledge!

Thanks for booking with us! Hopefully see you for your next trip.

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous holiday

Fabulous holiday. Really well organised by Tribes & suited our needs down to the ground. Luxury hotels, great nature trips, transfers always on time. We will certainly travel with Tribes in the future.

February 18, 2025
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for taking the time to review us twice Andrea! 5 stars both times, I think I like the 'fabulous holiday' title the most! I am really glad to hear how well it all went, Costa Rica really is a beautiful country to explore.

See you for your next trip!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Well organised trip

This was our first travel experience with Tribes Travel & I have to say we are very impressed. From the very first contact everything was handled professionally and confidently. All the things we wanted from our holiday they were able to accommodate.
We would certainly recommend them.

February 17, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the great feedback and recommendation!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I had never heard of Tribes before but…

I had never heard of Tribes before but I contacted them when we were first planning our trip and Andrew immediately got back to me. I was arranging a big family celebration of 11 of us. Aged from 67 to 6. He was very flexible changing the itinerary till we had exactly what we wanted.
All the accommodations were fantastic. All different but we loved each of them and all seemed perfect for our needs. We were all able to do zip lining, rafting, hanging bridges, hot springs at Arenal We went to Tortuguero for two nights and ended up at the Caribbean Coast with a trek and snorkelling.

All the guides were so knowledgeable and took time and trouble explaining and showing us so much. They were all very passionate about their subject. We saw so many animals, birds, fish, insects, snakes and spiders. All the transport arrived as planned and the drivers were very helpful.

It was great knowing that there were staff in Costa Rica looking out for us and although we didn't need them for anything it was good to know they were there, had we. The Vamoos app is also very helpful giving a countdown and everything you need to know.

All in all, it was a perfect trip for all of us with a great balance of everything we did. It seemed that using Tribes Travel really looked out for us and picked the best hotels and activities for us to enjoy. I couldn’t recommend Tribes more strongly

February 14, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the feedback Liz. I love that you went from not knowing us to recommending us strongly, that is often the way being a smaller boutique travel company! We do really try and focus on getting to know our customers so we can plan them the best possible trip, which Andrew is brilliant at.

It sounds like a lovely trip as well, getting to enjoy Costa Rica with that many family members. I am really happy to hear how well it all went!

Thanks for booking with Tribes, hopefully see you for the next big family trip!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Very responsive

Very responsive, designing the tour pretty much as we wanted. Their ground agents were great and always available to sort out any issues.

Main drawback, couldn't book our flights so we had to do them separately (they couldn't use Air France for some reason), and still waiting to hear about a refund for one place which - no fault of Tribes - was dreadful.

February 24, 2025
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the feedback Christina, we always strive for 5 out of 5, I am sorry we didn't get there on this trip because of the flights, something for us to look at! I am glad the refund got sorted with the hotel.

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Highly recommend Tribes Travel

I can't thank Andrew at Tribes Travel enough for putting together a fabulous itinerary for our trip to Costa Rica. The locations selected, day trips, hotels and transfers were all amazing and we had a fantastic holiday. Communication in the run up to the holiday was very smooth and the Vamoos app is a great way of keeping all the holiday details in one place. I also wanted to give a shout out to the local company, Swiss Travel, who looked after us while in Costa Rica. They sorted everything out when I managed to leave our passports and money in a safe in our hotel ...and then travelled 5 hours (3 minibuses and a ferry away!) to the next hotel. The passports did the same trip as we did the next day and safely arrived. So, so grateful. Would 100% recommend booking with Tribes and Swiss Travel. Big THANKS.

January 18, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback Gaynor and for sharing the passport story. Swiss Travel are so attentive which is why we love working with them. I put my passport through a washing machine when I was abroad once! Andrew will also be delighted with the positive feedback, his knowledge of Costa Rica is excellent. Thanks for booking with Tribes, hopefully see you for your next trip!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The best holiday ever

Having already spent two weeks in Ecuador and Galapagos with Sue Guelpa, who wrote a review last week, which just about covers all of the wonderful experiences we had, courtesy of Arturo's careful and thorough planning and many conversations beforehand, to ensure it was a memorable trip meeting all of our expectations. He certainly achieved that! I then continued alone to Costa Rica for another 6 days. The same care and attention was taken throughout my stay, with superb hotels, great hospitality and, once again, knowledgeable and attentive guides. My only regret was that 6 days wasn't really long enough as some of the travel was quite lengthy and there is so much diversity and lots to absorb. However, that was my own failing and it may well have prompted a further holiday in future, concentrating on Costa Rica alone - where I would most certainly book with Tribes and the invaluable help from Arturo.

February 23, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the review Mary, I love the title 'the best holiday ever'! Being his home country, Arturo's knowledge of Ecuador is amazing, he will be thrilled with the feedback. I am so glad to read that you loved both parts of the trip. What a great combination as well!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable holiday due to great planning by Tribes

We booked our 10 day holiday in Costa Rica at very short notice; however, Alex was excellent. He found some great hotels, the flights fitted in well, private transfers were efficient and comfortable and the guides were knowledgeable. The app was very useful (especially being available offline).
Finca Rosa Blanca was a delight; Hotel Lomas del Volcan was high quality; Fondavella had a ballroom for a bedroom, but some of the food was a little below par; but Villabosque was a bit of a disappointment (in comparison). The latter only had a very small room and the area was very busy when the Park was open. In retrospect doing the tour in reverse would have been better.
We would definitely use Tribes again.

February 4, 2025
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the feedback, we really do use it to tailor our itineraries. I know Alex likes to save the best until last, so it could have been this way round for availability, I am really glad to hear you had a great time either way. I will pass the feedback onto Alex and our partners over in Costa Rica. Thanks again for using Tribes!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

An outstanding trip to Ecuador/Galapagos Islands

Everything for our stay in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands was impeccably well organized! From the pick up at Quito Airport, where delayed luggage had to be dealt with, to guiding us in Quito and surrounding area, everyone went the extra mile to ensure our comfort and enjoyment. The guides were friendly and imparted a wealth of knowledge; they were a joy to chat with as we travelled to and viewed the sites. Accommodation every night was unique and comfortable, with helpful, friendly staff; always delicious Ecuadorian cuisine! The Galápagos Islands are fascinating and, with the excellent guide from the Galaxy, we had a wonderful time walking, snorkelling and cruising. Again, accommodation and meals were first class and all the crew went above and beyond to enhance our experience - from spotting an owl amongst the underbrush to finding porpoises playing at sea.
All in all a most wonderful experience and reason to choose Tribes for my next adventure.

February 4, 2025
Unprompted review
Tribes Travel logo

Reply from Tribes Travel

Hi Susan, thanks so much for your feedback and the 5 stars! I am so glad to hear that everything was impeccably organised. I will be sure to pass that onto Arturo. He loves making bookings back to his home country! The Galapagos Islands truly are a wonder. Thanks for booking with Tribes, see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

The Trustpilot Experience

Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.

We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.

Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.

Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.

Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.

Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.

Take a closer look