Black Tomato Arvostelua 

Cuba - we used Rob O"Leary/Black Tomato for the first time to arrange a trip to Cuba earlier this year. We were a bit nervous about going to Cuba, even though we are seasoned travellers. We were totally reassured by Rob's knowledge of the country (and, in particular, its visa eccentricities) and the great staff they have on the ground. They excelled in finding us good quality, authentic accommodation, so we felt more immersed in the lifestyle and culture of Cuba. The restaurant recommendations were superb and the local staff on the ground were exceptional. I would happily recommend them.

Rob O'leary at Black Tomato made the planning process for our honeymoon a very pleasurable one. His patience and true customer service skills led to my wife and I having an unforgettable French Polynesian honeymoon. Not only will we be using Black Tomato again for any future travels but I strongly urge anyone who is travelling to work with Black Tomato.

Black Tomato is the best in the business! I completely trust their staff to facilitate the absolute best experience imaginable, to any destination on earth. Their attention to detail is second to none, truly coordinating life changing adventures in a first class way! Thank you Black Tomato, can't wait to plan our next getaway!

Black Tomato are exceptional at what they do. They are good listeners and deliver ideas you could not have dreamt about

I have used them for more than 10 years, on the corporate front as well as extensive travelling throughout the world.

From arranging a skiing holday to Whistler in Canada which coincided with the Winter Olypmpics, to get accommodation alone was a feat but also deliver on our wish to get tickets to the Opening Ceremony, some achievement.

From South Africa game lodges offering excellent accommodation and cuisine but most importantly limited numbers in the vehicle you travel in to see the game knowing that this is best way for their clients to maximise their experience is how BT think. Add on white shark cage diving, paragliding in CapeTown and single seat performance car racing...... an amazing holiday experience.

We've travelled with BT to see the gorillas in Rwanda, which is amongst the most amazing things we've done, a tour of Japan combined with Bali, an amazing trip around Sri Lanka including staying on a tea plantation high up in the mountains. A late thought, whilst in country, was a float plane trip back to Colombo... not a problem.

We have enjoyed many other trips with BT, with future trips to Australia, Chile and Argentina as well as a holiday to Egypt, including a Nile cruise. From visiting sites and places at times when the general public have no access to avoid crowds, seeing sites that only a well connected agency can arrange are reflective of the detail BT go to.

Of interest to potential clients of BT is that their local in-country agency partners are clearly subject to rigorous selection criteria, the standard of guides / drivers used being very high. On a BT tour you'll never be subjected to a visit to a souk, bazar, cheap precious stone retailers etc... unless you request!!

I cannot recommend Black Tomato more highly, they deliver consistently at a very high level, no mean achievement.

Bill

We've just returned from a most incredible Swiss vacation arranged in every part by Black Tomato. We enjoyed so many experiences across the country literally and completely enjoyed hikes, boat rides, intimate local dinners, experiences, and heli tours. I would recommend their service without reservation to family and friends.

Overall a great experience. I used the company's services to celebrate our 30th Anniversary on the Amalfi Coast. The choice of itinerary items, accommodations were top notch. Had a few bumps in terms of handoffs from one guide to another and would have liked a bit more personal interaction with BT reps beforehand (during the planning process) to ensure a flawless adventure. Not opposed to using BT in the future.

Black Tomato organised an incredible trip to Iceland for my husband and I. Was genuinely the best vacation we have taken. Attention to detail in the planning process was so good (for two people that usually plan every detail of their own trips) and we LOVED that they found some brilliant ways to surprise us on the trip. The secret experience arranged to see the inside of the dormant volcano is something we will never forget as well as the helicopter ride to explore the interior of the north of the island. From the guides to the hotel recommendations and little service touches - it was all perfect. Huge thanks to Oliver and his team for sorting this. Highly recommend! We are already planning our next trip with them!!

Fantastic adventure travel company. We loved our latest trip to Rwanda and Uganda.

A would like to say a big thank you to David, Chetan and Micky for an excellent trip to Thailand at the being of June. It was a six day trip which of full of activities from the minute go. Nothing was to much trouble for the team. The managed to sort out any problems (which were only weather related) so we never missed out on one of our planned trips. The whole experience was fantastic looking toward ward to travelling with them all again in the future 😀

My husband and I used Black Tomato for planning our honeymoon and it was an amazing trip. We found a trip that we liked on their site for Sri Lanka and they helped us combine our favorite elements along with ending the trip in the Maldives. The hotels they found for us were all unique and we loved all of them. Another great part of going with Black Tomato was that we had the same amazing tour guide named Supun throughout our trip who ensured that our travel from place to place was taken care of and he was able to provide an insider's view of historical facts and current events. We had looked at several other tour companies for pricing and Black Tomato was able to give us the best deal which was an added bonus with how great everything turned out. They truly made our honeymoon one of the most fascinating trips I've ever taken in my life and highly recommend them!

12 days in England without a hitch. what a wonderful vacation. From being picked up at the airport to being dropped off at the airport, everything was well-planned with amazing finishing touches

These are very competent people both as to planning and execution.had all the best guides and fun experiences. Didn’t miss a beat. Tokyo, Shanghai and Vietnam arrangements were all we could ask for.

We used Black Tomato to help us plan our family holiday and were really impressed. They listened to our requirements and suggested we travel to Greece which was a destination we had not thought about and what a suggestion it was! We travelled to Santorini and Mykonos and had the best family trip we have ever had - so relaxed and the perfect mix of hotels and places. Every timing and detail were great, meaning we never had to stress about the next step. The best part of the whole trip was the day where we moved between the island - when we were booking we engaged a couple of agencies and all of the other options we spoke to suggested using the local ferries, only Black Tomato suggested a private boat and skipper for the day. Our captain for the day, Kiros was awesome - and as well as taking us to a number of secluded bays to swim also took us for lunch to the best taverna we visited on the whole trip. To sum it up Black Tomato took the planning and hassle of our family getaway and made it simple and hassle free. We will definitely book with them again - we can’t wait till next year.

They put us in a hotel with 10% occupancy. It was on an island and we had to pay for the very expensive, very average meals. Of course, I got salmonella poisoning.
Also, the hotel was on an island with just ok snorkeling and the staff was uninterested in understanding the tides and the best places to head. There was not much else to do/see on the island.
Other travelers went to a similar island where to observe sea turtle hatchlings. This was not suggested to us.
Also, BT does not help confirm you have the proper visas (my previous agent actually got the visas for you!) and does not notify travelers about internal flight baggage restrictions.
If we had used their tour operators pick-up time, we would have missed our flight home. I shouldn’t have to double check those kind of details.
I said I didn’t want to write review, but they kept asking for it, so here it is.
Mass market experience in luxury packaging.

We recently returned from a fabulous family holiday in Marrakech that we booked with Black Tomato and cannot recommend them highly enough - as it was a trip we will never forget!

Although I initially had some reservations about travelling to Morocco, James from BT advised it would be the perfect choice for our late May break with my daughter and young grand children - assuring me that the weather, resort and choice of activities would really provide the special break we were looking for - and thankfully he was absolutely right on all fronts.

James was superbly knowledgable, responsive and helpful throughout the lead-up to the trip - answering my countless questions and emails with unfailing patience.

The fast track assistance through Marrakech Airport was more useful on departure than arrival as it was quiet when we arrived so queues were minimal, but given the nature of our party it was nice to have someone greet us in person and guide us to our transfer driver to the Royal Palm.

As soon as we arrived at the Royal Palm we knew we had been given great advice as the property is truly stunning. A perfect option for us as it was a true oasis of a hotel with incredible design, pools and facilities, ideally located within an easy transfer of both the Médina but also the Agafay Desert and the Atlas Mountains - which you can see in the distance from the resort.

The private tours that Black Tomato organised for us to the markets and desert were both fantastic fun, with great guides that really went above and beyond to ensure that all members of our party - encompassing ages from 67 to 4 (!) - were engaged and enjoying ourselves.

The sidecar trip to the private villa of a French artist was the highlight of the week, however, as it was totally unique and incredible fun and the owner of the company himself came out to drive us.

I could write more, but in summary the trip was simply unforgettable in terms of the experiences and memories it created for us - and that is all thanks to the advice from James and Black Tomato. Sincere thanks and we will certainly be back for our next trip.

Disappointed in Black Tomato. Reasons why we will NEVER use Black Tomato again.

1- Black Tomato is based in London, although their website includes a New York address. Our primary agent was Tom and originally Josh, both of whom no longer work for Black Tomato. Although we were assured that booking with BT from the US would not impact the price of the trip - they will only accept payment in British pound - hence the price of our trip was greatly impacted by the fluctuation of the British pound due to the Briexit. Given the total price of our trip- we ended up spending nearly $2k more than originally quoted and planned due to the exchange rates which are set by the credit card banks and usually higher than the quotes on the internet. If Black Tomato wants to work with customers in the United States they will have to figure out a way to bill in USD. The price of our trip (paid to the Tanzanian venues and guides) did not change - only the money we had to pay Black Tomato. If you are in the US, do not book with Black Tomato!

2- we were booked in a “tented camp” while the same venue had a “magnificent lodge” option with spectacular rooms, a pool, gym, & spa. The Tented camps were wonderful -for tented camps - but way more rustic than we had expected - and not well suited to our family’s preference. Black Tomato did not ever discuss the two disparate options and in fact, although they booked the Tented camp, they included a picture and detailed description of the room for the Lodge in our itinerary. They also included a free massage for each member of our family - however- this is an amenity only offered to Lodge guests and was not available to guests of the tented camp. It seemed evident to us, based on our discussions with Tom and the photo and description in our itinerary that they had intended to book us in the lodge - but somehow booked the incorrect venue. In fact, We had no idea that there were two disparate venues as both a google search and TripAdvisor only refer to the Lodge. We only learned we were in a tented camp upon arrival, and were understandably greatly disappointed from being in the luxury lodge that we had expected. We emailed Black Tomato immediately, but both our agents were traveling. Eventually Oliver responded that they would look into it but that the original booking was “correct”. Thankfully the hotel manager was able to move us to the lodge rooms on our last night but we feel Black Tomato gravely missed the mark on this leg of our trip as it caused tremendous stress and disappointment for me and my family.

3- Black Tomato worked with Nomad Tanzania for all onsite arrangements. Nomad essentially did everything in terms of the local transfers, guides, etc. When we return to Tanzania, we recommend directly booking with Nomad - they are on the ground in Tanzania - and everyone from Nomad who we met and worked with were highly professional and experienced. Nomad made all the arrangements regarding transportation and it did not seem as if Black Tomato even had a role in the trip.

4- Most distressing relates to an issue of safety. When it comes to safety, we felt Black Tomato was our best bet for guidance. We were wrong!!! On the last day of the trip we received an email from the US embassy regarding rumors of an imminent terror threat in Dar Es Salaam. We emailed our Black Tomato representatives - Tessa & Oliver - for advice and guidance regarding our travel - but - They NEVER Responded! We’ve safely landed back in the US, but still have not heard back from BT.

We felt that once our trip was fully paid the level of service and oversight was non existent . For a company that boasts high luxury travel - Black Tomato offered not a single welcome amenity on arrival or at any venue, and did not really seem to make the effort to understand our family and provide what we were looking for throughout our travels in Tanzania. Very disappointed in Black Tomato!

We had a great experience with Black Tomato. We’ve already recommended them to many people. Our trip could not have turned out any better.

Our Morocco trip was a dream come true - an amazing adventure of sights, sounds, and delicious food in an exotic location. Tailored to exactly our interests, our family was able to experience this delightful country through wonderful guides who shared their knowledge and expertise. We appreciated having a local contact if there were questions or changes we wanted to make and always felt well taken care of. Our hotels were amazing with helpful staff in interesting locations. What a memorable and special time we had!

Sunil at Black tomato helped us get a wonderful vacation to Italy in very short notice! We had excellent tours in Milan, Florence, and Rome! The locations of our hotels were absolutely amazing! We would step out and immediately find ourselves in the middle of famous/historic streets with plenty to see and do! This was my first time to Italy, Found excellent service everywhere we went (including transportation). We traveled up inside the coliseum and the Vatican! This was a fabulous and fantastic adventure and afterwards they sent us a thoughtful gift at home! I recommend Black Tomato! It makes travel stress free! Sunil did an excellent job, he really knew his stuff!