Penguin Travel Recenzje 216

Angola is a truly fantastic destination: I spent there 3 weeks, out of which 8 nights / 9 days with Penguin Travel, so I am in a position to compare how I travelled on my own (a northern part of Angola) and how I travelled with Penguin (another part). On my own, I rented a 4x4 car and drove on my own and had no single problem in 10 days.
Travelling with Penguin was a BIG mistake. The tour was extremely overpriced for what they offered. They promised accommodation in 3-star hotels, but most of the accommodation was 2-star even according to the hotels themselves. Some 3-star accommodation (with attractive location and surrounding) they had originally promised were suddenly changed to 2-star accommodation in a noisy city centre.
The two guides – especially Marta who runs "Marta Tours and Trips" and is a partner of Penguin Travel – were highly incompetent and had really limited knowledge of most attractions we could see. There were unaware of a number of historical sites I could trace myself and which were on our way. Marta was largely preoccupied with running her own company (Marta Tours and Trips), buying things on our ways etc. A blatant case of a conflict of interest was when our group was accommodated in Hotel Moçâmedes in Namib, which was substandard (instead of a much better hotel just nearby), simply because Marta had her travel office in the building of Hotel Moçâmedes itself – the group fell victim to her private interests.
Marta, the guide and co-organiser and owner of Marta Tours and Trips (a local partner of Penguin), was completely disorganised most of the time, taking care of her private business rather than of the group. For instance, Marta once discovered that she had spent all the money on fuel and as a result had to borrow money from the group to pay entry fees to a desert park!
The transport they provided was also substandard and deficient. One car had no seatbelts – this is very important when you go to a desert to see huge dunes, and you drive across the dunes: the sand track is very bumpy and without seatbelts it is risky. The other car had no lights at night and drove without lights!
I calculated that with the total amount I paid for the 8 nights / 9 days tour with Penguin (2080 EUR), I could easily – with the same amount – rent a SUV / 4x4 car, pay for the fuel and for a 3-star accommodation.
Moreover, having the comparison of travelling on my own and with Penguin, I can conclude that my money and time was wasted with Penguin Travel. Never again. It’s a rip-off.
My recommendation: don’t travel with Penguin, and definitely avoid Marta Tours and Trips. Instead contact a local car rental place which can offer a good 4x4 car or a SUV, and travel on your own. The the fuel in Angola is very cheap: you get almost 4 litres of petrol for 1 EUR.

First of all, the holiday itself was good (literary, local guides)
BUT. Our supplied guide from penguin was terrible, self centered, told paying customers to get out of her way so she could take the pictures she wanted, made money mistakes and told paying customers they were dishonest even though we tried to point out her mistakes. She asked for feedback but dismissed anything she didnt want to hear. On the train to Summerkand she pushed infront of my elderly mother just so she could be on first instead of counting every person on. She was really unprofessional and she really put a bad twist on my trip. I raised this with Penguin Office and gave examples of her behaviour and they didnt even bother to respond to me. The tourguide just sent me a whattsapp message and told me I was being bitter and nasty and they dismissed everything I said. After a disagreement on one of the last days after yet another piece of discusting behaviour from her, our airport transfer got cancelled funnily enough and we were left stranded. So all in all a not great ending, and no support from Penguin themselves

Penguin delivered a rewarding and action-packed three-week tour, covering the best sites in the region. Kyrgyzstan’s mountains and Uzbekistan’s architecture were standout highlights, and while more time in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan beyond the capital cities would have been perfect, the itinerary made smart use of the available schedule and budget. Our group of 12 was comfortable,though I feel 16 may have struggled on the smaller mini buses. The trip offered good value, with memorable experiences like the yurt camp in Kyrgyzstan and generally good accommodation. Some travel days were long, but the scenery and activities made them worthwhile.

The local guides were enthusiastic and knowledgeable, though I sometimes found it challenging to fully understand them. Agni, the tour leader, brought invaluable language skills and a deep understanding of life in a former USSR country, which allowed us to connect more meaningfully with local people, gain greater insight, and resolve minor issues smoothly. She brought tremendous energy and enthusiasm to the group, and when several participants experienced stomach issues, she consistently checked in with everyone in her caring, thoughtful way. That said, communication was occasionally inconsistent, with changes to meeting times or locations not always clearly shared, and at times the group was unfairly blamed for resulting issues. With clearer organisation and more consistent updates, this would have been a five-star experience. Nevertheless, it was a highly enjoyable, worthwhile, and often exhilarating trip, which I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who, like me, enjoys travelling full-on.

Thank you Agni and Penguin for such a great tour.

Angola is marvellous destination hardly any tourists at incredible sites. To see Kalunda Falls with no other people is such a privilege. We had fun on the sand dunes, saw incredible gorges and met some tribes in their villages and markets. We were led by knowledgeable local guides Marta and Anna.

Stoyan was a great guide. Patient and helpful. Only 3 of us in the group. I am
An older female and did find some of the days quite challenging - you need to be fit and Ok with steep slopes! Overall an excellent trip. Good value and nice homestays , lovely country

Jeg har været på to rideferier med Penguin travel nu, en til Bulgarien og en til Kirgisistan.
Det de begge havde til fælles var at hestene havde utroligt store og betændte sadelsår på rygsøjlen og sår fra gjorden.
Hestene i Kirgisistan var skind og ben og en af dem var meget ung (maks 3 år).

Det har været fuldstændig umuligt at komme igennem til kundeservice. Ingen mails bliver besvaret og mine opkald bliver ignoreret. Har talt med en mand én gang, hvor jeg havde en pæn tone men insisterede på at få opdateringer fra processen, da den har været i gang i et år nu. Jeg sagde at et år er for lang tid til at skaffe enten uld eller lam til at lægge mellem udstyr og huden og så lagde han på. Efterfølgende når jeg har ringet har de nogle gange taget telefonen men ingen har sagt noget.

Jeg har sendt dem en masse billeder og jeg bliver bare ved at få at vide, at de er klar over problemet.

Just back from my second tour with Penguin and Georgi Vasev !! Fantastic again as always.
Georgi is a fantastic guide and really keeps everything under control. The hotels and bus rides are all great.
I have done the 5 stans tour and now caucuses explorer with him.
I would say to be mindful that this is an adventure holiday when booking so it is quite tiring (long days) and sometimes you have to go with the flow in some of these hard to reach countries (would be difficult without a tour) so don’t expect 5 star hotels etc. but if you come with an open mind you will have an incredible memorable experience for life.
Penguin are by far the best value company on the market for touring holidays and I hope to continue touring with them. 5* all round.

The journey through Tajikistan and Afghanistan in June 2025 was a special experience. After touring Dushanbe and its surroundings, we crossed the land border into Afghanistan two days late. Customs formalities took up the entire day. We reached the Wakhan Corridor via Kunduz, Faizabad, and Ishkoshim. The journeys through the wild and natural valleys were very impressive. We saw that natural beauty can also be life-threatening when a massive mudslide hit. The encounters with the simple, down-to-earth people who live with their animals in this barren land remain unforgettable. They were extremely friendly and delighted to welcome us. The support of our local guides (chief guide Azim) was crucial. They guided us through all the difficulties and ensured that our small group gained many unforgettable impressions and experiences. It's a pity that we couldn't stay longer in this wonderful area because of the time we lost crossing customs.

Andrey is a gifted guide, and has the professional expertise that made our journey not only far easier but much more enjoyable. Nothing was too hard or too much trouble for him, and he always went above the call of duty for us.

I have had two tours with Penguin, the Balkans and the 5 Stans, and plan on taking many more. The price is great but more importantly the staff before the tours and the guides who led the tours are meticulous in the planning and detail. These are tough tours, crossing many borders, but everything went off without a hitch.

Bila sam na turama Jemen Main land, Afganistan i 5 stanova putevima Đingid Kana. Nezaboravne ture , kako vodiči tako i organizacija ture i preporučam svakome ovu agenciju. Već gledam kuda opet skrenuti 🤣🤣🤣👍🔝🔝🔝
Želim Vam i dalje da ovako radite. Hvala

Amazing iterneary good organised and nice accommodation.
Tour leader Stoyang is a very nice guy respectful, responsible, taking care and move heavy luggage for everyone.

Angelina was very kind with organising my trip !!! My dad and I had and amazing time ❤️❤️

The Victoria Falls to Dar es Salaam tour was excellent. We had a wonderful guide (which also cooked delicious meals) and a very skilled driver who navigated the African roads safely and professionally. The itinerary was packed with lots of activities included as well as optional extras for those who wanted to be in the go all the time. The campsites/lodges were all wonderful and had great facilities.

A fantastic tour with breathtaking sceneries. 5 Stans tour was extremely well organized. Our tour guide Ivaylo Donchev is very knowledgeable, humble and helpful, I would say that his excellent leadership made this trip so unforgettable and remarkable. I will definitely recommend this 5 Stans tour and will join another Penguin’s adventure in the near future

Our trip to 5 Stans was absolute great! Our tour leader, Ivailo, was exceptional. He was very organized, friendly, helpful, and respectful, making our tour even more enjoyable. The breathtaking scenery and the opportunity to learn about diverse cultures and history were incredibly fascinating. I highly recommend this tour with Penguin Travel.

Bohemian Paradise area is worth visiting,
Thanks to Victoria, the company representative whom she did a perfect communication through the planning and was responsive to all my inquiries.
For sure, I will consider dealing with Penguin Travel in my next hiking trip.

I recently joined the Penguin travel and angelina debie was our tour leader and had a fantastic experience from start to finish. The itinerary was well thought out, offering a perfect balance of sightseeing, local experiences, and free time. Each destination we visited felt meaningful and memorable.
Our group was a diverse and friendly mix of travelers from different backgrounds, which made the experience even more enjoyable. There was a great sense of camaraderie, and it was easy to connect with others, whether we exploring together, or just chatting on the bus.
Special mention goes to our tour leader, angelina debie who managed the group with professionalism, warmth, and humor. She was always attentive to the group’s needs, answering questions, or offering great recommendations for food and shopping.
She made sure everyone felt comfortable and informed, and handled logistics seamlessly.
This tour exceeded my expectations, and I would definitely travel with this group again. A well-organized, enriching, and fun adventure!
Thank you
Kristina

Had a great 5 Stans trip with Penguin and our amazing tour leader Milena! I look forward to doing more trips with them.

A great tour and excellent job by Ivo the tour leader.

I would rate it a five for otherwise a few minor details, including a desire for more definite/explicit communication from Penguin on the need to book the Kazakhstan to Tajikistan flight ourselves up-front before the tour (as I found out that it needed to be booked via email a week before the flight while on the trip), a desire for more time in Kazakhstan perhaps balanced by less days in Uzbekistan (the most tourist-trapped of all destinations), and a slightly repetitive itinerary at times (multiple bazaars and mosques/churches visited where seeing less of these is probably more; I would have enjoyed more museums and historical sights personally). Tips for local guides and drivers could also possibly be added/absorbed into the overall tour price at a set rate to avoid the need to constantly hold and change relatively small amounts of local currency. Accommodation and food provided ranged from reasonably good to not-so-great, however I can accept that as part of the regional experience. I got the impression some local guides would at times direct us as a group to "their" preferred restaurants, i.e. where they're incentivised to bring us, with a few of these dining experiences frustrating some in the group. I did notice Ivo working with the local guides at all times to relay what would lead to a better experience for us as a group, whether it was dining options or managing inefficient border crossings, which I highly commend.

Otherwise I highly recommend this tour and was thoroughly impressed with the service and experience provided by Ivo over the three weeks.