This was, without question the most disappointing and poorly run trip I have ever experienced. I joined a Bali trip with Solo Kiwi Ventures, expecting a luxury, well-organised experience hosted by Sharon McLean. Instead, it was disorganised, uncomfortable, and at times genuinely distressing.The trip was marketed as “luxury” and “flexible,” yet the Sanur accommodation was basic, poorly maintained, and far from the “exclusive estate” promised. There was no restaurant, no nearby beach access, and we even had to buy our own coffee and milk throughout the trip. Sharon’s promotional photos are years out of date and bear little resemblance to the person we met. Pre-trip preferences were ignored, and despite advertising herself as a yoga teacher, she refused to run a class, admitting she hadn’t practiced for years.There was no meaningful hosting or guidance whatsoever. We were left to organise our own transport and find out about each location ourselves. Despite flooding in our Ubud accommodation causing loss of power and water, and being in a tsunami zone on Gili T, Sharon did not once provide any health and safety briefings or account for anyone's whereabouts. In fact, on two occasions, she was nowhere to be seen while we had to relocate the breakfast location ourselves due to flooding and torrential rain. During boat and ferry trips she would often board first to secure herself a good seat, with no regard for any of her guests. Her behaviour was consistently unprofessional. Reasonable requests were met with hostility and visible disdain. Midway through the tour she unjustifiably evicted one paying guest, which was extremely distressing for the guest, and left us all worried that we could be next. She forced two others to vacate their rooms so she could move herself into the superior accommodation.I observed Sharon drinking alcohol during the day on numerous occasions, which I found inappropriate for someone responsible for hosting and which contributed to a clear lack of attentiveness and professionalism. She repeatedly said in a raised voice with flailing arms, “THIS IS MY TRIP!” — and that’s exactly how she behaved, as though we were intruding on her personal holiday. For someone profiting thousands from each booking, her conduct was disgraceful. This was not a luxury hosted experience; it was a chaotic, unpleasant, and deeply disappointing trip that I would never recommend to anyone.
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