Penguin Travel

Thank you for your detailed and honest feedback! We're glad to hear you enjoyed the overall experience. We value your input regarding accommodations, transport, and logistics and will take it into account to improve future tours. Thank you again for traveling with us, and we hope to welcome you on another journey soon!

Thank you for your feedback! We're thrilled you enjoyed the tour and had a great experience exploring Madagascar. Hope to see you on another trip with us!

Thank for your feedback. We are looking forward to having you on another trip with us soon.

Dear Mary, Thank you for your detailed message. We are truly sorry to hear about your experience during the final day of the Caucasus Explorer tour. We take all reports of aggressive behavior seriously and want to emphasize that such conduct is not tolerated on our trips. We had been made aware of earlier instances of inappropriate behavior by some participants in this tour (no prior physical attacks). We made consistent efforts to de-escalate tensions and ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for all travelers. Removing someone from a tour is a decision we do not take lightly, and it is generally a last resort when there is clear and immediate risk to others. Regarding the incident you describe, while we in no way excuse the actions of the other participant, we believe the phrase “attack with a weapon” may not accurately reflect the nature of the object involved - a bowl of food - or the broader context, as reported by the tour leader and written testimony of other group members. From the information we have gathered - including reports from the group leader and several participants - we understand that disagreements and differences had occurred between both parties. It appears that the situation unfortunately escalated during the afternoon of the final day of the tour, just before departure. We also have accounts from other participants, and based on these, we feel this was an interpersonal conflict between the two of you with more nuances than presented in your message. We also understand that following the incident, the participant was removed from the group via taxi and offered another hotel in order to avoid occasional meetings between the two of you before departure. However, prior to this, the lack of understanding between the two of you was not deemed sufficient grounds for removal. We understand your concern about medical attention; from your own account, you requested ice but did not seek or require further medical attention. Had the tour leader or other participants (including professional doctors) deemed it necessary, we would have taken immediate steps to provide all appropriate support. We deeply regret that this incident impacted your experience. Please rest assured that we always take such matters seriously and will continue to take all appropriate steps to prevent and de-escalate similar occurrences. All our tour leaders are highly trained in conflict management and de-escalation, and we remain committed - now and going forward - to handling such situations with the utmost care and professionalism.