Group of travellers posing on a hiking trail with sweeping green mountain ridges in the background under a cloudy sky

Seek Sophie
Reviews

4.9

573 reviews

519 reviews

1039

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Sandra Schmidt

Sep 2025

unfortunately bad customer service :(

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi Sandra, we have looked through all of our communications and have not been able to identify any messages or bookings from you.

Could you please get in touch with us at chat@seeksophie.com so that we can rectify what may have occurred.

Would love to make it up to you as we pride ourselves in the attentive service we deliver.

catherine thuez

Aug 2025

Overcrowded places to see ; lots of time lost because of lack of organisation ; really bad communication with the agency, received so many messages from different number and most don’t tell the same thing and worse, telling conflicting informations ; Komodo site’s to see the dragons is ugly and smelly thanks to the pound of urines and feces behind the toilets, we stayed there for half an hour waiting for people taking pictures of themselves with a dragon ; and to finish don’t pay for the boat with 10 places, they will move you to the one with 25 visitors without any refund

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi Catherine, we are very sorry to hear about your experience with one of our partners. We are still trying to verify what exactly happened and but we want to assure you that we take this matter very seriously and you and your party should never have been switched to another boat. Our customer support team is currently in touch with you and will be providing you a refund. Once again my sincere apologies that the actions of our partner have upset your holidays and we hope we can make it up to you.

Anna

Jul 2025

I am puzzled by the positive reviews from this company. We booked a turtle rescue experience in Bali 2nd July. Neither the host or the website directly were contactable at any time. Multiple messages did not get any response, despite the automated "thank you, we will contact you within 24 hours". Would never use this service again. Such a shame to miss what was advertised as a worthwhile experience, and seemingly no refund available despite not actually cancelling the booking. It was made clear there were no refunds, which is acceptable, but to have no further communication with a customer is completely unacceptable.

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi Anna, we are so sorry to hear you didn't hear from us in a timely manner. Our partner missed out on the notification email after your first messages due to incorrect settings on their profile which they have now updated. And our team didn't respond quickly enough as they were trying to find out what happened. We have also gone over these procedures internally and have improved our SOP. We appreciate customer feedback and truly take the time to improve.

I will note that we have reached out to you directly and processed a full refund for the experience which you missed out on due to bad traffic.

We hope you will give us another chance on another occasion.

Happy travels!

Edward L Albino Torres

Jun 2025

Avoid Using Seek Sophie We strongly advise against booking with Seek Sophie, based on our deeply disappointing and frustrating experience with this company in Southeast Asia. Our trip was poorly coordinated by three different individuals, leading to confusion and miscommunication. Key parts of our itinerary were never arranged, wasting both our time and money. We traveled specifically for this experience, and it unfortunately left us with a negative impression of the entire destination. Going all the way to Ende isn't a small trip and we expected more. Prior to full payment, Seek Sophie was highly responsive and attentive. However, once the payment was made, communication completely broke down until just a day before our scheduled pickup. When we finally arrived, we were confronted by a local host who demanded cash payment on the spot and refused to leave our accommodation until it was paid. despite us having already paid the company in full. Attempts to reach the company during and after the trip were ignored. WhatsApp messages all left on READ. This experience felt like a deliberate scam. We urge other travelers to avoid Seek Sophie at all costs to protect your time, money, and peace of mind. Our hard working money was wasted by this company.

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi Edward,

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are sorry to hear you had a poor trip with us 1.5 years ago. Shortly after your trip we stopped working with this particular operator to make sure that we don't disappoint anyone else during their hard earned travels. Although we do a lot of work to select our local partners, once in a while we have a mismatch with our partners, but we do our best to make it right by our customers.

We have sent you an email one week ago in hopes we could make it right by you, however we have not heard from you. Would love to make it up to you as well as to learn a bit more about some of the things you mentioned in your review, such as not being able to contact us during your trip as we do not have any record of messages being sent.

Once again, our sincere apologies for the negative experience and we hope we can make it up to you.

Kind Regards,
Lina

Kathleen Gosling

Jun 2025

My husband and I are back on the road again, and yesterday we found ourselves reminiscing about our last big adventure. As we talked, one particular stop came up - Kelimetu Indonesia with Seek Sophie - and it hit us that we never actually got around to reviewing it in Jan 2024. Nearly 1.5 years have passed, and honestly, at the time we were so drained and disheartened by the experience that we just wanted to move on. Especially as we’d had no response from them at the time. I always knew the post needed time and space to be written properly, but life took over and it kept getting pushed aside. Now, with fresh perspective (and a bit of distance), it’s time - because if our experience can help someone else avoid going through the same thing, then it’s worth sharing - so here it is. We booked our Kelimutu trip through Seek Sophie, hoping for a smooth, thoughtfully organized experience. What we got instead was one of the most frustrating and disappointing tours we’ve ever taken. Really my other half is still traumatized and finds it one of the worst 24hrs of travelling in a long time. To start with the good: Kelimutu itself is absolutely worth visiting. But everything else - from the booking process to the actual tour - was a mess. Seek Sophie was super responsive and communicative until we paid. After that? Radio silence. Even when things started going wrong and we reached out, our messages were ignored. It honestly felt like we were ghosted - they archived the chat and left everything unread. There was zero support or accountability when we needed it most. We were sold a private tour of Ende and Kelimutu, with a clear itinerary and the understanding that everything was taken care of. What actually happened was that Seek Sophie clearly subcontracted to a local operator, who then passed us off to someone who had no clue what had been arranged. When he picked us up, he literally asked, “Where are you going?” and then flat-out refused to go to the stops listed in the itinerary. Instead, he took us to two completely shut-down villages that were striking against the government - places we never asked to go and had no context for. Things only got worse from there. • At check-in, the host tried to charge us again, claiming we hadn’t paid. We had to dig up confirmation emails and make a call to prove it was pre-paid. Extremely awkward. • There was no running water in the morning, so no shower. • No WiFi, no phone signal, and a blackout meant we had to get ready in total darkness. • We had to wake up the host ourselves to get to the volcano, and he was grumpy and annoyed we’d done so. • He slept in the car while we hiked Kelimutu. ( I mean in a way we liked this so we had freedom to do as we wanted). • Also we had to set off in the dark with no torches or anything - which made for a comical situation - but also not cool to not have been mentioned in the booking. we could have easily prepared ourselves otherwise. We were completely dependent on this guy for the duration of the tour, which made the whole situation feel even worse - we were stuck, with no real way to leave or switch plans. The only positive moment came when we got back: he made a nice breakfast with fresh fruit and coffee. But by then, the damage was done. We paid a lot for this tour, assuming it was a necessary and well-organized way to visit Kelimutu. In hindsight, we feel totally ripped off and taken advantage of. We would have had a better experience renting a motorbike and doing it ourselves - the road is good, the hike is short, and it can easily be done in a day from a place that actually meets your needs. This isn’t just about a bad guide - it’s about poor vetting, zero follow-up, and a total lack of accountability from Seek Sophie. We expected better. I realise we’re late doing this, but just felt it was necessary for others so they don’t get into a similar situation. 02JUN I’ll be reaching out to Seek Sophie with my booking confirmation (which I’ve just managed to dig up!) following their response here.

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi Kathleen,

We are very sorry to hear about your experience and take your feedback seriously.

We do not have any bookings under your name. We also haven't been offering the Kelimutu trip for close to one year now. If you may have booked some time ago and under another name please do contact us at chat@seeksophie.com and we would love to hear from you in more detail about your experience so that we can take action to prevent any such future incidents.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Shop 1 (Glaste)

Nov 2024

(Translated by Google) We booked a boat trip to Ha Long in Vietnam, but the evening before the trip, the trip was cancelled, leaving us stranded in Ha Long without a boat trip… (Original) Schiffsreise in Vietnam Ha Long gebucht, und ein Abend vor der Reise wurde die Reise abgesagt und wir standen ohne Schiffsreise in Ha Long…

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi there!

Thank you for your feedback, and we’re really sorry for the confusion and frustration caused—we completely understand how upsetting this must have been.

We think we’ve found your booking, and it seems this was a request to book a trip, which was still pending confirmation from the host. As mentioned during the booking process, requests for next-day trips depend on the host’s availability, and unfortunately, the host wasn’t able to confirm your request, so it was declined.

If we’ve misunderstood your situation, please do let us know—we want to make sure we address this properly. In the meantime, we’d love to help you find another trip and will get in touch with you to arrange this as soon as possible.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we hope to turn this around for you!

Abigail Cheam

Sep 2024

One day komodo day trip TL;DR: Do not recommend SeekSophie, especially for the Komodo day trip. They lack ESSENTIAL safety protocols and emergency preparedness, alongside unprofessional behavior. The food and boat arrangements were subpar. We found much better and cheaper options with local tour companies. Avoid this company, especially given the glaring safety issues. Emergency Preparedness Issues: Our experience exposed SeekSophie's incompetence in passenger and crew safety. Shortly after departure, one of our boat's engines failed, leaving us stranded in the ocean for an hour. Despite attempts to arrange rescue, we were informed no backup boats were available, and we had to return on one engine. This lack of foresight in emergency planning is alarming for a company reliant on boat trips. Lack of Professionalism: When we had to reschedule due to a flight delay (caused by the global microsoft outage which affected many airports and completely out of our control) , the local operator's response was hostile and unhelpful. They blamed us for the situation and refused to discuss alternatives civilly. This unprofessional conduct included gaslighting us about our flight delay's cause, rather than offering constructive solutions. Such behavior is unacceptable in customer service. Overall, SeekSophie's disregard for safety and professionalism ruined what should have been an enjoyable experience. Look elsewhere for reliable and respectful tour operators in Labuan Bajo.

Response from Seek Sophie

Dear Abigail,

We share your disappointment that your trip didn't go as planned. We know that travel disruptions can be really stressful, but please know that we did everything in our power to resolve the situation and ensure your comfort and safety.

We understand that your Komodo boat host offered a full refund on your trip. They also offered additional compensation, such as a free tour of Labuan Bajo's caves and surrounding areas. For guests who didn't want the land tour and preferred to return to Bali on the same day, they even offered free business class tickets back to Bali.

Addressing your concerns:
1. We understand the CrowdStrike flight disruption was a major inconvenience for travellers. While we always recommend travel insurance for unforeseen events like this, we understand that even with insurance, such disruptions can be upsetting. In recognition of the stress caused by the flight disruption, your boat host went the extra mile to find a replacement for your original trip, so that you were able to get a partial refund on your original trip booking.

2. We sincerely regret the boat's gearbox issue. Such incidents are uncommon, but we do advise our guests that Komodo's remote nature means occasional issues can happen. Please know that at no point was anyone's safety at risk. The crew acted swiftly and professionally, prioritising the well-being of all passengers. Everyone had life jackets readily available, and the boat returned to shore at a cautious pace to ensure a safe return.

3. We understand that your boat host did his best to make amends: providing full cash refunds to all guests, offering a complimentary land tour, and even purchasing business class tickets back to Bali for guests who didn't want the land tour and preferred to return to Bali sooner.

4. As for lower priced options in Labuan Bajo, the cheaper 1-day boat trips you may have seen are on slower wooden boats that visit 3 islands in a day. The option you booked was for a faster speedboat that covers 6 islands in one day. This is why it is more expensive. The speedboat options you'll find in Labuan Bajo are generally the same price or even more expensive than what you paid.

While we can't undo the events that occurred, we hope you recognise the genuine efforts made to address the situation and ensure your comfort and safety.

Exploring off-the-beaten-path destinations like Komodo comes with its own set of challenges, but we're committed to working with the best local partners to provide exceptional experiences, even when unexpected situations arise.

We appreciate your feedback and wish you all the best in your future travels.

Floove Thomson

Jul 2024

One-day Komodo tour My experience with SeekSophie was unfortunately far from positive. I decided to spend a bit more money this time on a one-day Komodo tour to have a better experience, but that was a huge mistake. First of all, the pickup was 45 minutes late. Because the pickup was much later than planned, I missed my breakfast and we fell off schedule. The early start that SeekSophie promised was one of the main reasons I booked this tour. Lunch was okay, but all other snacks and drinks were of poor quality. The fruits were spoiled due to the heat and how they were stored. At one point, we were forced to board the boat via the beach because they didn’t want to wait for a free spot at the bridge. This caused some people to slip while trying to get on the boat. I could list more negative aspects, but I think that's enough. It wasn’t worth booking with SeekSophie. I could have gotten the same tour from the same company on the street for much less. Very disappointing.

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi Floove,

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We were very concerned to hear about your experience with your host and want to express our sincere apologies.

We're unable to locate your booking in our system based on the name used in your review. To help us address this situation promptly, could you please email us your booking details (either name or booking number would work!) at chat@seeksophie.com please?

We want to assure you that we take your feedback very seriously. We'll thoroughly investigate this matter to ensure that the host understands the importance of meeting our high service standards for all future guests.

K W

Nov 2023

Would give 0 stars if possible. I booked a private dining experience through them but was cancelled by their vendor due to insufficient seating. Received email that refunds have been processed but takes up to 60 days to see it in my statement. It has already been 59 days and no sign of refund. Who in the world likes to get their money stucked due to unforseen cancellation by vendor? I have emailed them chasers but have not received any updates. Very disappointing first time experience.

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi KW, we are so sorry about this. Your refund should have been provided immediately. It was an oversight on our side. We have now processed the refund and it should be in your account shortly. We will also be in touch via email with a gift.

Merlin IJzerman

Oct 2023

(Translated by Google) Incorrect prices on the website. After booking, they reveal that it is more expensive after all. (Original) Verkeerde prijzen op de website. Na boeking komen ze in de lucht dat het toch duurder is.

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi Merlin, sincerest apologies that you have had a negative experience with us.

As background, we work with a lot of local operators, small mom and pop shops, that don't have regular access to a computer to manage their listings, and on occasion may fail to update their pricing.

We work with them as best we can to keep their listings current, but once in a while errors will happen. Despite the occasional discrepancy, we believe that working with such local partners is really impactful and worthwhile as it brings tourism dollars to communities that otherwise wouldn't receive them. And best of all, this gives travellers an opportunity to see places and meet people that are not on the routes of the big tour companies.

We appreciate your understanding and we hope you will give us another chance in the future!

Melanie Bubak

Sep 2023

Terrible customer service!!! Do not book through this agency!!! I wanted to book trough this agency, because I've read some recommendations in different forums, which I now can't relate. We wanted to book a 3 day tour through the Deramakot jungle through this agency. First we chose our desired date on the website (the whole month was still free according to the website). After 2 days the feedback came that this date is already fully booked and they offered the tour as an alternative one day later. On our question whether we can be dropped off at the airport on our return instead of in the city, then after another 2 days we received a message that this tour is no longer available, but its would be one day earlier. We would have accepted that as well and asked to book this tour, whereupon we received a booking link by mail. This link led us to the website, but suddenly the entire month (including our supposedly free dates) was already fully booked. Thus, a booking was not possible. We then asked if it would be possible to complete the booking by mail or phone, or any other way. On this question never came back an answer, even after 2 times asking. After 9 days of back and forth writing and no answer, we gave up. In the end, we were able to book the tour on our desired date with another agency.

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi Melanie, I'm so very sorry to hear we have disappointed you with our service. As a company, we strive to not only provide top quality service, but to delight our customers. Reading your review did make my heart drop that we have really dropped the ball. But we will take your feedback and put it into action to do better next time by improving our process.

Our team will be in touch with you to send you a small gift from us. We hope you accept this as a heartfelt apology from us for the distress we have caused🙏.

Separately, I did want to let you know that the back and forth for some of our trips is unavoidable, as we work with small mom and pop shop partners. They are not always able to update their calendars and respond immediately as they are located in remote areas where connection is not very stable. However we believe that bringing business to these small companies delivers the most impact to local communities and therefore we continue to collaborate with them despite the occasional logistical hiccups.

We thank you again for your feedback and sincerely hope you enjoy your trip to Sabah and Deramakot 😊.

Jean-Etienne ROETING

Aug 2023

Just there to sell package Response time is a real shame

Response from Seek Sophie

Hi Jean-Etienne, we are very sorry to hear you had a poor experience with us. We know and appreciate how important a quick reply is to our customers and always aim to get back as soon as possible, but we do have busy periods where we are not able to respond within the same day. Our customer service team has been in touch and has provided you with a gift card. I hope you can give us another chance 🙏.

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