Review of Royal Kites Travel and Tours
This is my very first post for the year 2020– the year of the metal rat! I was busy during the last two months of 2019 because of all the holiday frenzies. But, if there’s one thing that I am most stoked about last year is my trip to Korea! I and my friends got laaaayzeeey to do “DIY” so we availed a service from an agency, and this is my review of Royal Kites Travel and Tours.
Before anything else, Happy 2020! Happy Year of the Metal Rat! Gong Xi Fa Cai! 🙂
Can you believe that January is almost over and love birds are now all preparing for Valentine’s Day? Crazy how time can fly so fast! I am actually elated because of all the plans that I am putting off for a while but hopefully, I will be able to do this year. Though, I may need to shelve my travel plans because I have more important goals.
Anyway, speaking of travels, I had the most amazing November in South Korea last year. We went there during the last days of Autumn, and it was the first time that I and my friends turned to an agency for help. We were all swamped (no, really, we were just lazy) to do our own itinerary, and the Royal Kites Travel and Tours saved the day.
Just like you, the first thing that we did was to search for a review of Royal Kites Travel and Tours (and perhaps, to unearth some skeletons?) With all the scams happening, we just wanted to be cautious; besides, we are not talking about Php 1.00 here. In any case, I did not find any online write-ups about this agency. The only reviews that we leaned on are the ones written on their Facebook page, and they are all pretty decent.
We sent them messages on Facebook to inquire, and fortunately, they replied. They sent us detailed answers to all our questions. We also tried other means of communications—texting, calling their mobile and telephone numbers—and they were quite responsive. When we were certain that this company is legitimate, we deposited Php 5,000 per head to their bank account since the reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis. Our official receipt was emailed to us a few days after.
One inclusion in our package is the visa processing. We submitted the required documents at their Shaw Boulevard office 2 months before our travel date, and we paid another Php 10,000 per head. For the requirements, process and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Visa processing, please read this post.
A few weeks before our scheduled flight, we were informed through email that our visas have been approved and ready for pick-up. Upon collection of the visas, we paid the remaining balance.
A couple of days before our trip, they sent us all the reminders and our flight confirmation. When we landed in South Korea, we were greeted and looked after by their Korean-agency partner.
PROs
1. They will refund your reservation fee if your visa application is denied (minus their processing fee), provided that you submitted the documents to them on or before their specified deadline.
2. They have a South Korea-based agency partner which will take care of you while you are on tour. Their Korean tourist guides speak in English and are very friendly/ accommodating.
3. They respond to the questions and clarifications.
4. Their lines are always open.
5. They have offices in Shaw and in Pasay.
6. They issue official receipts.
7. They are a legitimate company.
CONs
1. They charge additional cost when you are paying using your credit or debit card. So, be sure that you have your cash on hand.
2. Their itinerary includes visiting stores that conduct demonstrations and sell expensive medicines which we did not quite enjoy. We could have just used the time we spent there in visiting other interesting tourist spots.
3. They don't respond immediately. Sometimes, it takes 2 days and a few follow-ups before they reply.
4. At times, no one answers their hotline.
5. They have tiny office space which usually tends to be crammed.
6. We did not really have the "free time" to roam in South Korea by ourselves.
My rating is 3.5 stars.
I would say that our experience with this agency was not really perfect, but it surely took inconvenience and hassle off our shoulders because everything were already provided and taken care of for us—itinerary, accommodations, transportation service, tourist guide, and food. We just had to enjoy the tour that went off without a hitch.
For any questions about their tour packages, you may check their Facebook page or their website.
DISCLAIMER: This review is written based on my experience with them and I am not, in any way, connected to them or to any of their employees. This review is not sponsored.
