Blue Dot Travel - North Sydney, New South Wales

lyn M.

Blue Dot arranged a long, multi continent trip for me with a rotating list of friends joining me. They were fantastic, from helping me get through the US visa process (not easy given countries I had previously visited) to coping with multiple changes to dates and flights. With the only glitch (and it wasn’t of their making), they sorted it out super quick from Australia. I really highly recommend them for their professionalism, their proactivity and their really strong customer focus.

Teresa

I recently returned from the April 2025 “5 Stans of Central Asia”. The itinerary covers many fascinating sites and is quite comprehensive. However, I recommend that Blue Dot provide more detailed itinerary information so travellers can make fully informed decisions.

The tour involves significant walking, sometimes over long distances. While a reasonable level of fitness is sufficient, this should be clearly stated in the itinerary, as several participants with mobility issues struggled and were left waiting on the bus. Additionally, I was concerned that no incident reports were completed following two separate accidents involving tour members.

Health and safety protocols, such as mask-wearing for sick participants, were not enforced, resulting in several cases of illness within the group. I recommend bringing masks and appropriate medication as a precaution.

Travel days and border crossings can be lengthy; for instance, a scheduled four-hour drive in Turkmenistan took nearly eight hours without driver breaks, raising safety concerns. The Mary Hotel in Turkmenistan was below standard in cleanliness and service, and meals were poor. Additionally, photo fees at UNESCO sites are not included in the tour price and should be noted in advance.

Vegetarians and those with dietary requirements may find meal options limited, and dinners were often rushed and unenjoyable.

In Tajikistan, the advertised picnic lunch at Iskanderkul Lake was not provided; instead, we were served inedible food in a substandard canteen. The walk to the waterfall was pleasant, but the waterfall itself was underwhelming—an alternative activity might be preferable.

Blue Dot’s preferred airline, Asiana Airlines, is a budget option with limited amenities. I suggest considering alternative airlines when booking your flights.

Overall, while the tour offers many highlights, I encourage prospective travellers to carefully consider these points before booking with Blue Dot.

Michael M.

Have quite enjoyed my 4 trips with Blue Dot (with 3 more booked for this year) to out of the ways places. Having already travelled to the "normal" destinations I was pleased to find Blue Dot travelling to somewhere different. I find them very helpful in organising variations or add-ons to their trips and limiting the size of the groups. The provision of the Australia host is a good additional benefit.

Bettie L.

I have travelled with Blue Dot on numerous occasions, in fact 8 in all with another one booked for next year. I don’t travel exclusively with BD but they are my main GO TO travel company. ( I travel a lot).
Why? Well from the first phone call you are mostly speaking with one of the owners who are very easy and friendly to deal with which is a big plus. Almost all their trips are hosted by the owners or a BD employee. The company is still small enough for clients to feel from the outset that it’s a very personal experience. In spite of its size BD has a wide variety of trips and makes every effort to explore countries ‘off the beaten track’. They are innovative in their approach and are always looking for the next ‘unique’ travel experience and are open to suggestions, I have no hesitation in recommending them and am always looking to their next exciting venture.

Carol E.

Quite disorganised. Group dinners and lunches leave a lot to be desired. Their NO refund policy needs some attention. They wouldn’t even give my room for 9 nights I cancelled and paid for to other travelers who were sharing, bit mean I thought. Just plain NO refund, ALL cancelled and hotel rooms rebooked. I gave them a months notice. However, I went along with it, but would have liked to donate my room to someone else. By the way all the hotels did have empty rooms for those nights Brett.

Wati F.

I enjoyed my trip to China Silk Road. It’s my second trip with Blue Dot.
Easy to deal with, fun fellow travellers, good food, interesting and relevant sites visited, friendly and knowledgable local guides and more.
I highly recommend Blue Dot Travel. “Go somewhere different”.

Ruth M.

Fantastic all-inclusive small- number tours to so many unusual interesting places. A very personal and caring company. Highly recommended .
Coming up for my fifth tour...to Japan in September; previous tours: Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos; the 'Stans of Central Asia; Sicily and its islands ; & Ugandi (6 safaris parks..and Mountain Gorillas trek) .

Ross H.

Great small group tours to unusual destinations with interesting fellow travellers. I have done numerous tours with Blue Dot and have 2 more booked for 2020.