East Site Travel

I went on the 3-Stans tour in May 2012. I thought East Site did a VERY good job, and I am a completely satisfied customer. Re the specific points:
We had several guides for various segments. They all spoke English well.
Hotels were delivered were the same as hotels advertised. They ranged from really excellent and fully comfortable to quite adequate. None of the hotels was problematic.
The guides always gave commentary and were very well informed.
ALL of the food was excellent and plentiful.
A couple of other points. I arrived in and departed from Tashkent at odd times. On arrival, I was met by an English speaking guide who handled my luggage, took me (alone) to the hotel, got me checked in and so on. I arrived alone and before other people on my tour. Two reps from East Site took me to dinner and paid for my dinner, even though it was not part of the package. I got the same taxi luggage service on departure. Guides were always on time and were extremely helpful with translating.
RobertWKolb, Boulder, Colorado
07/23/2012

My wife and I were on the 5 STANS TOUR in April/May 2012 and were looked after so well by East Site. Everything worked out well from the time we made the first approach prior to booking the tour until we departed for home from Almaty.

The organisation was great, the hotels were of high standard ( the U.S. ambassador was at the same hotel one night ), food was good and plentiful, no missed sights or changes to the itinerary, Guides were all excellent and all spoke excellent English and keen to look after us in a superior and friendly manner.

We felt we were cared for in a far better manner than we could have expected. We stayed in Tashkent for another day after the tour had finished ..The company principal, Julia, met us at the airport very early in the morning to ensure that our luggage was checked right through to Sydney ( our transit stop ). She had no need to do that for us . It was our responsibility. She just wanted to be nice and provide extra service.

I have no hesitation to recommending East Site to anyone. You would not regret travelling with them.

Frederick I.
Frederick I, Dunedin, New Zealand

We did the 5 stans tour this past April '12. It was a terrific trip with just 3 of us most of the time. Of course there were a few minor glitches but I do not travel to areas like that and expect it to be like traveling in the US. If I wanted that I would stay here. What a wonderful area for someone who loves history and then there was the restoration of such beautiful buildings. I never had trouble with the guides and their English and most of them, as well as the drivers, had a good sense of humor. Maybe some people need a lot of looking after.

Mona Memm
ramona M, seattle

I wrote a detailed diary of the trip which I just finished typing, so the facts are well documented and fresh in my mind..

In the Spring of 2012, my husband and I took a 1 month tour of the 5 Stans and Western China. We did not experience any of the things this person wrote about, quite the opposite. We had multiple flights, connections and border crossings and were amazed at how well organized everything was.

Our guides were superior, spoke excellent English, were very knowledgeable, punctual, friendly and helpful. They did everything they could to be sure that our needs were met. We saw everything that was promised plus a few extras.

Most of the accommodations were excellent, there was only one that I would say was substandard.

As far as the food is concerned it was more than we could eat and we often asked our guides to order fewer portions.

Julia, East Site's representative in the states, was friendly, arranged for all our visas, answered any questions or concerns we had from the time we first made contact in November 2011 until our departure on April 28, 2012. She called within days of our first email and apologized for not answring immediately as she just had an emergency C section. Now that is dedication. She even called us within minutes of our arrival in Tashkent to make sure everything was okay, a very nice touch.

Jackie & Tom S.
Jackie S, Oakland, California

We booked our tour with East Site Travel, based in New Jersey with offices in the 5 Stans. You will find their website interesting and informative.

Read the blog here: Reflections from travel through Central Asia
George Koo
05/28/2012

We traveled with East Site in May 2012 and had a wonderful experience. Over the three week period we had a variety of guides and hotels, some better than others, all more than adequate and all with excellent English and knowledge of their countries and cultures. The tour was excellent and the sites, food and accomodations the best available. The challenges of crossing through five countries were minimal because of the excellent service.
bobdonnelly, Saint Paul, Mn
07/23/2012

I had an excellent experience with East Site and was so happy that I used them twice afterwards.

1. Yes, there were itinerary changes on my tour, but I know for a fact that it was only because Turkmenistan stopped issuing tourist visas for a time; I saw on the Internet that other travelers were having the same problem at this time, and in fact Turkmenistan is well-known for this issue in general. East Site provided an alternative itinerary for the missed days, which is more than many companies do -- itinerary changes are NOT unheard of when traveling outside of the West.

2. There were zero missed sights on the tour that I took, and in fact the guides even took us to several places that were not on the itinerary.

3. All of the hotels we stayed in were exactly those mentioned on the itinerary. It's true that in some cases they were not up to western 5-star standards, but all were clean and in some towns it was obvious that the hotels provided were the best available.

4. The two guides we had were outstanding, especially the guide in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and all spoke excellent English. I have had guides on other trips that were not so great; I usually just tell the company about it, and they'll avoid these guides in the future.

5. ...Our group always ended up with food left over (especially when we were taken to local homes for lunch, which really was a highlight), and the quality of the food was excellent. The guide even asked for our preferences and took us to particular restaurants based on what we wanted; in one case he even searched around town to find a place serving fresh fish.

It's true that traveling in these kinds of places is never as tranquil as traveling in the West, but I have worked with lots of companies in different parts of the world and East Site is NOT a poorly run company.
malcolmrep, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
07/23/2012

I traveled with East-Site during June/July 2011 for their 5 Stans tour...
Experienced travelers understand the circumstances in traveling to remote and less developed regions of the world.

I found the accommodations to be just fine, as much food as we wanted and the guides were very knowledgeable, experienced and accommodating and there were no problems with language. We were handed off at each border professionally and were met on the other side by another guide who was ready to assist. The travel was safe, fascinating and we were handled very well from the initial booking, obtaining visas, throughout the trip and the safe return home.

I would recommend East-Site to anyone who would like to experience the Stans or any of East-Site’s offerings.

Jeff C
JEFF C, Naples, Florida
07/23/2012

I used East Site and found them to be professional, as advertised and accomodating (even changing travel at last minute request). Hotels were as promised and always comfortable. While the country may have its difficulties and lack of conveniences, East Site provided us with a wonderful experience and facilitated our travel. We would use them again.
JoErSa, New York
07/23/2012

1.My wife and I have just returned to New York after a wonderful 19 day, 5 Stans tour to Central Asia. Between the outstanding cuisine, the knowledgeable tour guides and the great hotels we where able to relax with a stress free trip through each country! East Site handled all the paperwork (visa, flights est.) and with the trip being all inclusive we had nothing to worry about. It was an unforgettable experience, no flaws at any point.
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