Thanks to Cox and kings, I understood how worse a travel can be planned. I would recommend each and every person reading this post to avoid this tour operator. They are the best examples of spoiling your holiday. My Dubai tour with them was a disaster.
Day 1: After a delayed flight of 3 hours and checking into hotel finally, all I could wish for was a decent dinner. The tour manager Dipti Raje told us that dinner is arranged in a restaurant and we will be taken by bus to the place. Neither she nor any other operator accompanied us in the bus. Only after the bus driver took multiple roads circling the same junctions in the city and passed more than an hour did we realize that the driver did not even know the right place. While he and Dipti and some other agent argued over phone about the mishap we spent in the bus starving for around 2 hours. It was 9:00 PM Dubai time, which meant 10:30 PM IST, so after a hectic travel, we spent starving in the bus.
Day 2: Our tour manager Dipti raje informs in a cool tone that our travel itinerary has changed and we will be going to Desert Safari in the late noon instead of city tour. When we disagree with her, she speaks out that itinerary is always subject to change due to various reasons. But, we still try to maintain our moods, go by ourselves roaming around in Dubai Mall, believe me, DIY is the best for a travel. We return and board the bus for Desert Safari in the noon hoping for everything to work out. Believe me, the sand dune bashing is excellent, an awesome experience. But, then comes the glitch again. That’s when I decided that nothing can be good with COX and Kings. The food was worst. I cannot recall the local Desert Safari operators’ name with whom COX and kings has tie up, but it should have worked out cheap, not even one item in the menu was eatable. We returned to our hotel by 9:00 PM again starving and this was December 31st Night. We did not want to let our year end in a disaster because of Cox and Kings. So, we DIY again, find out a cruise in Dubai creek and spend a wonderful new year night.
Day 3: Finally, the day of city tour, we are suppose to start by 9:00 AM. But, two of the families in group tour do not turn up on time. We call up Dipti and she blames on’your group members’.’Did we organize this group?’ we wonder.’Is it not the duty of tour operator/agent to be on spot and ensure everyone arrives on time and everything happens as per plan. We fight with her, but no use. Our city tour starts 2 hours late, but the tour guide is instructed to end the tour on time, so all shows us in spice souk and gold souk are one shop for each, spending 15 minutes in each shop. I had to laugh, but how can I, because we have to laugh on ourselves for choosing COX and Kings. The night is arranged in Dhow cruise. This was the only event that happened without a disaster, that too because, we fought again and left a family behind who did not turn up on time. Dipti as usual arrives at the cruise, shows her face for 10 minutes, because she had planned to end our day again with a disappointment. Until Morning, she had us informed that Abu Dhabi tour was planned for Day 4. But, then she pops up on the cruise and says that plan has changed again, we will be taken for Burj Khalifa tour on Day 4. We are stunned, if only I was allowed to lose my decency in Dubai, I would have thrown her into the creek. We had booked a taxi to visit Abu Dhabi ourselves. Now, we had to postpone the plan.
Day 4: Burj Khalifa tour was excellent. We left for Abu Dhabi at 11:30 AM, thanks to Cox and Kings flexibility, we could not accomplish entire tour in half day. So, we satisfy ourselves only visiting the Mosque and leave out Ferrari world and Yas Island.
Day 5: DIY worked out well, I had fun shopping around in spice souk, gold souk and Dubai Mall before catching our flight at 5:00 PM. COX and Kings cannot let us leave in peace too. They send out a 30 seater mini bus to pick up 33 guests from the hotel. Wonder how they expected us to carry our luggage, might be carry them on our head like porters. So, we call up Dipti again(remember, VIPs do not turn up to send off), argue with her, wait for half an hour on road(we have already checked out of hotel) for another vehicle to arrive and finally land up at the airport.
One final word, UAE is excellent world, people there are welcoming, roaming around there is damn easy. Please do not waste your time and energy with worst tour operators like COX and Kings. DIY.