70 independent reviews for B&B self drive tour of Tasmania, meet the locals

Hi Penny Thank you for taking the time to make these comments. I am concerned that you found some elements of your trip disappointing. Although I use many B&Bs on the island – I am the only travel company that does - unfortunately there are no quality B&Bs in many parts of Tasmania’s wilderness and national park areas that you chose to visit, and in fact none at all in a couple of the areas. In addition some B&Bs only have double rooms so they weren’t suitable for you and your mum, hence I recommended the accommodation that I felt to be most suitable. I can promise you that all the accommodation I use is very carefully chosen for being privately owned if not family-run, well located in places that have very little alternatives and give guests the chance to enjoy as many local experiences as possible; and are value for money while falling within a client's budget. I almost always get extremely positive reviews by my clients and if ever there are negative comments I take them on board immediately and follow up very thoroughly, and I will certainly stop booking anywhere that isn't up to standard. Please do let me know where the bathroom was mouldy and I will investigate immediately as that is not acceptable, likewise where you say locals weren’t happy to share information, which is also very un-Tasmanian! I am going to be spending several weeks in Tassie myself shortly, as I do every year, to carry out my annual quality control checks and I will take all your comments very seriously. Please do email me in more detail if you would like to add any further comments that I could follow up on. I do my very best to give a clear indication on my lengthy itineraries of what to expect. The itinerary description on the Responsible Travel website does states that the accommodation comprises of B&Bs, self catering wilderness cabins and convict cottages. I send out itineraries that are as comprehensive as possible well in advance with lots of useful information about the type of accommodation that has been booked, with web links, and ask my clients to read through them carefully especially the ‘need to know information’ so they have the chance to see exactly where they will be staying and what additional provisions may be required. I am always happy to make some alternative suggestions to an itinerary if I am made aware that some of it might not have been as expected. If you feel I can be any more detailed in this way I am happy to try and do so. The ‘meet the locals’ refers to the wildlife as much as the people and I hope you had the chance to meet both. I heard from one of your B&B owners that you were lucky enough to see a Tasmanian devil in the wild which is a real bonus. You will be happy to know that my company makes a substantial annual donation to the Tasmanian Land Conservancy Fund every year and also to the Save the Orange-Bellied Parrot Fund so you can rest assured that in addition to supporting local operators, your trip will have contributed to some desperately needed causes which will help conserve the local and critically endangered flora and fauna. I do hope you have some lovely memories of Tasmania. I was delighted to receive your email during your trip saying you were having a fantastic time so clearly there were some very positive elements to it as well. Thank you again for taking the time to send a review. Susie

Dear Abraham I was very troubled to receive the review of your vacation which has been forwarded to me for comments by Responsible Travel. From the tone of your WhatsApp message sent on day two of your trip I was not entirely surprised, although I am perplexed by your comments, as are your hosts. Your comments certainly require a full response. You and I planned your itinerary in close consultation over the course of a great many emails, phone calls and messages. As with all my guests' itineraries, I created it to your specific criteria which was to see as many mammals and birds as possible and enjoy landscapes and photography, all within a week long period. Hence I arranged for you to stay in a number of places including two private 'Land for Wildlife' reserves that are little known but consistently cited as being absolutely outstanding highlights for my visitors to Tasmania. This is apparent by the many reviews that can be seen on the Responsible Travel website, and many more referencing my services elsewhere. To address your comment on point 2; in my very first email I gave you a number of ideas and options, which were whittled down by you over the course of a fortnight, and you also took independent advice from your friend who had spent a long time in Tasmania. You were anxious to keep the price as low as possible, which I entirely appreciate and I did my very best to accommodate this without compromising on your experience. We discussed the motorhome option, which I do not provide, and you agreed with my view that it was not necessarily cheaper nor would it give you the same type of experience. We eventually agreed on accommodation and tours that you were happy with. I sent your final itinerary by email on 20 October, a total of 15 pages, which was some two months prior to your trip allowing plenty of time for any queries or amendments, and subsequently a hard copy by post on 14 November with accompanying maps and brochures including a detailed nature and walking guide produced by the Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife service. At no point did I (or would I) make a change to your itinerary as you have claimed. If requested, I would have been more than happy to make any changes or give any further advice. Your WhatsApp message to me on day two of your itinerary accused me of having ruined your vacation by not including Narawntapu, a remote National Park on the north coast near Devonport where you were staying, I believe with friends, under private arrangements which I was not involved in other than to arrange rental car pick up. While I had referenced it in my initial reply along with many other suggestions, it was not referred to again by you or me. Within my final itineraries I include suggestions for optional visits based on my own experience as well as recommendations by my clients and my guides, and I apologise if you would have liked more, but I also provide a lot of reference literature that aids in your own research, and I am confident that in the course of our extensive planning I provided you with as much as I could have done. I cannot find out which bridge you are referring to in your comment, but as I am sure you understand and as I specifically point out in my 'Need to Know' information in your itinerary, roads and bridges change on a daily basis in Tasmania due to the dramatic weather systems. I welcome any feedback that might improve my clients' visits, although I have had no other comments or advice from guests or guides relating to such a bridge or any impact on wildlife viewing. In fact if anything the wildlife at Mountain Valley appears to have been particularly prolific this season with up to seven devils a night being reported! I personally spoke to your guides/accommodation owners from both Mountain Valley and Inala both before your arrival to ensure you were given an exemplary experience, and again on your departure, and they assured me that you had seen many species and had appeared happy with your stays with them. Inala in particular reported back that you had been very happy and had loved your time there, which I was thrilled to hear, and the owner was subsequently disappointed that you gave Inala a mediocre rating. Inala is a private 1500 acre Land for Wildlife conservation area with abundant wildlife, all the endemic birds many of which nest on the property and the guides are renowned as being some of the best in Australia. Regarding your comment on point 3; I am the only Tasmanian travel specialist in the world despite the plethora of Australian specialist travel companies. This is partly due to the challenging, diverse landscapes and minimal infrastructure making Tasmanian itineraries unusually difficult to arrange; but also because there is very little profit to be made in booking anything but the most mainstream of Tasmanian vacations. I set up my business after twenty years' traveling around off beaten track Tasmania not for financial reward but through a personal passion for the island, so I could share my experiences with others and give something back to the islanders who have so willingly opened up their homes and shared their remarkable lives and that of their precious wildlife with me. I make substantial annual donations to the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and the Save the Orange-bellied Parrot Fund both of which are vital for the conservation of Tasmania's most endangered species. Regarding your comment on point 4; seeing endemic and endangered birds and mammals, most of which are nocturnal and many found nowhere else on earth, in their natural habitat is a huge privilege that comes from staying at off the grid places like Mountain Valley and Inala Bruny whose owners have literally devoted their lives over decades to protect their land from mainstream tourism development and other interference by man. It is just not possible to experience these places less expensively or by motorhome which is fortunate for the ongoing survival of the flora and fauna. Many of the reviews on my Responsible Travel page state that they would simply never have found many places without me. I accept that for those who prefer to stay in mainstream tourist hotels, caravan parks and in more developed areas it is possible to arrange a perfectly enjoyable self-drive vacation, and many visitors do just that, albeit often at greater expense than they would through me and with far less wildlife interaction. I would never pretend to offer that sort of vacation experience, and if I did you would not have found me via Responsible Travel due to their stringent membership policy. I take immense pride in arranging tailor made vacations in Tasmania that provide outstanding experiences especially but not exclusively for birding and wildlife spotting, and I go to the greatest lengths I can to ensure that my clients have the most enjoyable trip possible. I was quite devastated to read your comments and I am truly very disappointed that you feel this not to be the case. I do hope you have some wonderful memories of Tasmania, because it is a very special island that continues to enthral and mesmerise visitors from all over the world. Best wishes Susie

I am thrilled that Kathy and Andy had such a wonderful vacation in Tasmania with me. Getting off the beaten track in Tassie reaps such fantastic rewards, more than anywhere else I have ever been to, especially for those who love wildlife, meeting locals and leaving the rest of the world behind. Flinders Island is an absolute gem yet only a handful of visitors to Tassie make the extra little effort to get there - despite it being such a stress free trip to make! Thanks for putting your trust in me, Kathy - it was an absolute pleasure to arrange your vacation.