GOOD STUFF: We covered a lot of ground that we would not have been able to cover on our own. The coordination of transportation and accommodations is good. The value is good. CHALLEGES: The pre-travel communication was terrible. Customer service provided textbook answers that were already located on the web-site. The final itinerary was provided VERY late leaving little to no opportunity for seat upgrades for such a long flight. The tour guides that I have had lacked diversity and sensitivity to nonwhite audiences. The cultural experiences highlighted on the agenda for South Africa were canceled and sufficient alternatives were not provided. There seemed to be a disconnect between our guide and SmarTours because he did not have most recent agenda and opportunities were missed. And we had a lot of unnecessary downtime, especially given our stop to highlight destinations were often rushed and cut short. These are once in a lifetime opportunities and I cannot trust SmarTours with my experiences again. I missed too many opportunities on this last trip that I can never get back because of lack of organization and proper communication.