Travel Agency Slammed Over Safety Issues

Angry customers take local company Beyond Expeditions to task over alleged mismanagement of Madagascar tour

- Sarah Stanley

Local travel agency Beyond Expeditions has drawn negative reviews for its handling of an 11-day charity expedition in Madagascar, with some participants criticising the "safety gaps" and "limited communication" online.

The trip to the island nation off the south-eastern coast of Africa took place from June 2 to 12. It involved 15 Singapore participants and was led by Beyond Expeditions founders Scott Tay and Kavita Kaur, as well as personal trainer Nicholas Leong, who has been an expedition leader with the company on various occasions since 2017.

Each participant paid $6,990 for the tour, which included accommodation, meals, ground transport, local guides and national park fees, and excluded airfare.

Since returning from the trip, some participants who felt like their safety had been compromised have voiced their dissatisfaction.

On June 24, Ms Cheryl Tay, 38, owner of a sports marketing agency, posted a one-star review of the trip on Beyond Expeditions' Google Maps profile relating what she calls "safety gaps during treks, and limited communication or clarity around what to expect".

For example, she says pre-trip briefing materials, such as a set of slides and an expedition handbook seen by The Straits Times, did not inform the group of any caving activities.

"We were all just shuffling into the cave and came to a sudden stop because a fellow participant realised the dangers of the cave. That got us stuck and for around 10 minutes, the rest of us were waiting to move with no idea what was going on," says Ms Tay.

She leads an active lifestyle and has completed Ironman triathlons and other overseas expeditions, such as a five-day trek in the mountainous Annapurna region of Nepal.

Another participant, local comedian Jaikishan, 32, says Mr Tay surveyed the cave after some in the group voiced their concerns about unsafe obstacles. That section of the activity was eventually canned.