Sara International Travel

[redacted] , just completed hajj (2016)I would 100% recommend Sara International Travel for many reasons: Our group leader ( [redacted] ***) was very helpful and answered all our questions Overall trip was smooth and stress-freeEverything that was promised to us was delivered Stayed in the Crown Plaza in Medina, which was a two minute walk to Masjid An-NabawiThe hotel provided a shuttle to women for those who didn’t want to walk to the women’s gate (about a min walk) Stayed in the [redacted] in Mecca, where the Haram was in our backyardVery easy to attend all five prayers in Masjid al-HaramIf anything, it was too extravagantFelt guilty for being in such a nice environment/ dining at such nice restaurants, (seeing so much food wastage) when there were so many other pilgrims who had much worse accommodations Wherever we were, there were scouts (local Sara Travel employees) that assisted us with whatever we neededThey helped with everything! (Made sure we didn’t get lost, helped transfer our luggage, brought our meals, walked with us to the Jamarat…) Staff had very good communication and were up-front about any hiccups that might occur (during the actual hajj)For example, the group leaders let us know beforehand that buses are not allowed in the mina tent areaTherefore, to get to the Haram to do our Tawaf Al-Ifadah, we would have to walk from the Jamarat to the public busses areaNothing occurred that left me surprisedIf something didn’t pan out, another solution was always offered Daily lecture after AsrWhile we were in Madinah, the lectures revolved around the life of the Prophet (SAW), and in Mecca, it was more about actual HajjThe lessons were very relevantDuring this time, general housekeeping announcements were also made (about activities for the day)Provided a way for everyone to be on the same page Arranged trips for us to go on while in Madinah and Mecca (Ziyarah)We went to Masjid Quba, Qiblatain, Jabal N [redacted] (cave Hira)…etc All in all, I honestly was not expecting hajj to be this easyWe were always provided with the best accommodationsEspecially in Arafat, we were in a grassy knoll area, with fountains, fans and tentsIt was very easy to spend the whole day standing in Arafat, making Dua’a and doing Dhikr For the negative reviews you see- Hajj is not a vacationYou are not expecting to be in very comfortable hotel with great foodYou get what you pay for! If you paid for a package with roommates, expect to have people in the room! Also, if you are in the (B) package, you are only in Aziziyah for a few daysIt’s okay if you have a limited amount of food options or that wifi is only available in the lobbyYour intention is to complete Hajj for the sake of Allah (SWT)At the end of the day, these minuscule details don’t matter If you are thinking of completing your Hajj/Umrah with Sara International, do not hesitateI give my full recommendationA++++!!

I want to highlight a few things Sara did that I think helped me personally during the hajj
I am writing to express my gratitude to Sara International and all its staff for the dedication that you put in trying to help us perform our Hajj
Alhamdulillah, by the grace of Allah, I was able to accompany the group for the hajj in My name is *** *** and I am from Minneapolis, MN
I want to highlight a few things Sara did that I think helped me personally during the hajj
The daily updates via text messages kept me informed and yet allowed me to be able to concentrate on my ibaadah without worrying about missing important things with regards to the arrangements
The accommodations, Alhamdulillah, were as comfortable as you had promised both in Makkah and MadinahIn Aziziyah, the Sara Towers were as comfortable as many Hotels, mashaaAllah
The group leaders were very helpful and all of them were available to all of usI would like to make a special mention and thank Imam H*** for his willingness to answer our questions at anytime and help leading us in many of the ritualsJazaak A*** Kheir Brother H***
MashaAllah, the scouts were most welcoming and helpfulThey were there for us and helped us with so many logistical questions from where we could get a cup of tea to carrying our luggage between hotelsJazaak um Kheir, my sons
Any organization takes its ques from the leaderIn this instance, I would like to personally thank Imaam Zameer for helping me personally when I missed my plane because of my forgetfulness (may be because of my old age, Alhamdulillah)I always pray that Allah will reward you for this gesture, whenever I remember our phone conversation after I realized that I had missed my planeYou assured me that, InshaAllah you will do your best to help me, and Alhamdulillah, by the will of Allah, you were able to arrange for me a flight as soon as it was availableIn the meantime you checked on me to make sure I was taken care of by your staffJazaak Allah Kheir Brother Zameer
I could go on with many other important things that contributed towards me being able to perform my Hajj (may Allah accept it from me and all others – Ameen), but I would like to conclude that InshaAllah, if I was to go again, may Allah bless me to be part of your group again
Please convey my sincere gratitude to your staff who mashaAllah, were very kind not only to me, but to the many people that were with us in hajj
I pray that Allah continue to bless you and give you the chance to help many more who want to fulfill their Hajj obligation
Jazzaak um Allah *** *** *** ***

Revdex.com:At this time, I have not been contacted by Sara International Travel regarding complaint ID ***.Sincerely,*** ***

Revdex.com:
At this time, I have not been contacted by Sara International Travel regarding complaint ID ***
Sincerely,
*** ***

Revdex.com:At this time, I have not been contacted by Sara International Travel regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

[redacted], just completed hajj (2016). I would 100% recommend Sara International Travel for many reasons:
1. Our group leader ([redacted]) was very helpful and answered all our questions.
2. Overall trip was smooth and stress-free. Everything that was promised to us was delivered.
3. Stayed in the Crown Plaza in Medina, which was a two minute walk to Masjid An-Nabawi. The hotel provided a shuttle to women for those who didn’t want to walk to the women’s gate (about a 7 min walk).
4. Stayed in the [redacted] in Mecca, where the Haram was in our backyard. Very easy to attend all five prayers in Masjid al-Haram. If anything, it was too extravagant. Felt guilty for being in such a nice environment/ dining at such nice restaurants, (seeing so much food wastage) when there were so many other pilgrims who had much worse accommodations.
5. Wherever we were, there were scouts (local Sara Travel employees) that assisted us with whatever we needed. They helped with everything! (Made sure we didn’t get lost, helped transfer our luggage, brought our meals, walked with us to the Jamarat…)
6. Staff had very good communication and were up-front about any hiccups that might occur (during the actual hajj). For example, the group leaders let us know beforehand that buses are not allowed in the mina tent area. Therefore, to get to the Haram to do our Tawaf Al-Ifadah, we would have to walk from the Jamarat to the public busses area. Nothing occurred that left me surprised. If something didn’t pan out, another solution was always offered.
7. Daily lecture after Asr. While we were in Madinah, the lectures revolved around the life of the Prophet (SAW), and in Mecca, it was more about actual Hajj. The lessons were very relevant. During this time, general housekeeping announcements were also made (about activities for the day). Provided a way for everyone to be on the same page.
8. Arranged trips for us to go on while in Madinah and Mecca (Ziyarah). We went to Masjid Quba, Qiblatain, Jabal N[redacted] (cave Hira)…etc.
All in all, I honestly was not expecting hajj to be this easy. We were always provided with the best accommodations. Especially in Arafat, we were in a grassy knoll area, with fountains, fans and tents. It was very easy to spend the whole day standing in Arafat, making Dua’a and doing Dhikr.
For the negative reviews you see- Hajj is not a vacation. You are not expecting to be in very comfortable hotel with great food. You get what you pay for! If you paid for a package with 4 roommates, expect to have 4 people in the room!
Also, if you are in the (B) package, you are only in Aziziyah for a few days. It’s okay if you have a limited amount of food options or that wifi is only available in the lobby. Your intention is to complete Hajj for the sake of Allah (SWT). At the end of the day, these minuscule details don’t matter.
If you are thinking of completing your Hajj/Umrah with Sara International, do not hesitate. I give my full recommendation. A++++!!

Revdex.com:At this time, I have not been contacted by Sara International Travel regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

I came upon Sara International Travel via an internet search . I sent an email and received a very quick and professional response. Based on my initial and follow-up contacts with Sara representative(s), I decided to committ to use their Umrah/Hajj services. Al H[redacted], Allah led me to the right source. I made Umrah/Hajj in 2008. Sara provided various resources to assist us in this undertaking: live and (live) video seminars to educate us about the Umrah/hajj rituals/requirements and the time frames involved in the various visits to historical locations in the Mecca and Medinah areas. Additionally, the Group Leader(s) were well informed and provided the knowledge to facilitate proper Umrah/Hajj performance. May Allah grant the best of rewards to Sara International and all of its staff for contributing to the best of our “journey of a life time”.

Review: My husband and I paid this company $15,918 to take us for Hajj (the annual pilgrimage). They were unable to take us because they were unable to secure hajj visas for us. They made us believe that this was a problem due to new scanner machines that cannot recognize "foreign passports" since they are situated in the United States. But then we found out that legally, they are only able to secure visas for those who are residents of the states/green card holders. We are Canadians who are residents of Canada and our Visas must be issued from the Embassy in Ottawa. They lied to us - and now they are telling us that according to their terms and conditions they will subtract airline tickets, hotel bookings etc. In addition, they do not want to tell us when we will be refunded. They keep avoiding our questions and buying time. We want a full refund of our money as their terms and conditions are invalid in our situation.

They are not replying to our emails or any of our questions...just keep telling us that they are honest and not lying. We want our money back in full immediately.Desired Settlement: We want a FULL REFUND immediately.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Sara International Travel regarding complaint ID [redacted].

Sincerely,

Review: Sara international travel has taken $17200 from us for trip to hajj for year 2014 .

For Hajj they start collecting money as earleast month of March hajj was 4 month prior to departure

Two days before flying we got the news that our visa are not approved due to we are Canadian and there company is only registered in USA, so they can not apply visa fior Canadian citizen in USA they need to register there company in Canada too

Now they waited last minuts to brake the news to us we can not go this year for hajj .and they ask us to go next year without and penalty we said no! You fooled us they should no better about visa policy not we.

They charge us $600 eact for me and my sister for not going with there company for year 2015 hajj

We deseve full refund because nothing went wrong from outside its all from there side lack of homeworkDesired Settlement: We need full refund

Not $16000

$17200

They refunded us $16000 instead of $17200

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Sara International Travel regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

Review: I called then for booking travel an sent deposite of 2000 canadian dollars then called them within few days to confirm root and stay. They were not having service I needed. So I canceled . They told me they will send me my money back in one week. I waited 2 weeks, nothing was sent to me. I called again after 2 weeks and I asked about my money they said they will send the money I waited another 2 weeks . Nothing recieved again. During this time I've sent them an email explanning all of that, I never recieved a replay from them. My last call with them was just 2 days ago where I spoke with their [redacted] by name [redacted]. He finally told me we have no money to send for you and all of this is service fee. I was shocked. Why they waited more than a month to tell me that and they kept saying we will send your money back.

Please help me to get my money back and avoid this to happen to another one?. Thank youDesired Settlement: I need my money back and prevent this from happening again

I came upon Sara International Travel via an internet search . I sent an email and received a very quick and professional response. Based on my initial and follow-up contacts with Sara representative(s), I decided to committ to use their Umrah/Hajj services. Al H[redacted], Allah led me to the right source. I made Umrah/Hajj in 2008. Sara provided various resources to assist us in this undertaking: live and (live) video seminars to educate us about the Umrah/hajj rituals/requirements and the time frames involved in the various visits to historical locations in the Mecca and Medinah areas. Additionally, the Group Leader(s) were well informed and provided the knowledge to facilitate proper Umrah/Hajj performance. May Allah grant the best of rewards to Sara International and all of its staff for contributing to the best of our “journey of a life time”.

Review: My wife and I are owed USD 9,374 by a company called "[redacted]" located in North York, Ontario, Canada.

We have a written, signed, and dated contract with the above mentioned company that they are to pay us the balance they owe us by January **, 2015.

However, they have not refunded our money back to us till today. The [redacted]s of [redacted] keep telling us that Sara International Travel is the company they had sub-contracted our services to and it is Sara International that has our money and is not paying [redacted] back. [redacted]s have told us in email and on phone that [redacted] (the [redacted] of Sara International Travel) is giving them a hard time and is not returning our money back.

We called Sara International Travel [redacted] and after many tries, we finally got him on the phone. He first told us that he is looking into the airline ticket refund from Egypt Airlines (USD 3,960) and will get back to us in a day or two but never did. He later on told us something else which was that he has already given our money to [redacted] and has nothing to do with our refund.

When we told [redacted] what the [redacted] of Sara International Travels said to us, [redacted] simply said he is lying.

So I being a US Citizen, located in New York don't know what I am suppose to do with [redacted], a company in Canada, who tells me I should get my money back from Sara International a US based company. On the other hand Sara International tells me they don't owe me anything.

I am a 71 year old heart patient senior citizen and my wife is a [redacted] and this money was our savings to go for a religious journey and this is how this unethical and unprofessional company is treating us for the last 5 months. We paid them USD 14,748 back in 2014 July or so. They have only refunded us USD 5,374 so far even through the contract we had signed with them clearly indicated their final payment deadline to be ** January 2015. Please help us as we are being treated like ping-pong ball between these two companies.Desired Settlement: We want this company to:

Give us our full refund of the balance owed - USD 9,374 as soon as possible as the deadline for full payment is over due.

If Sara International Travels thinks they don't owe us this money and have already given our money back to [redacted], then give us a signed & dated letter with proof that they have given our money to [redacted].

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Sara International Travel regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

Review: Me and family ( my wife and My mother) were going for pilgrimage to Makkah. Th company supposed to provide the services including getting visa to Saudi Arabia and air tickets and hotel arrangement and food in Saudi Arabia. I asked them before starting the service that my mom has green card and it is not gonna be problem issuing visa?.They told me even the owner who is Imam said that it is not gonna be a problem.

But they unable to get the visa for my mom. So my mom could not get to Saudi Arabia due to visa.They told me that when you come back ,we will return your money but it is now almost 5 months,they did not return my money.They have been saying they will but keep lying.Desired Settlement: My total amount need to refund is 7284

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Sara International Travel regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

Went to Hajj with Sara International. Must say that they helped with spiritual side of the journey as we had to exert a lot of patience with their lack of professionalism, their leader's attitudes, their lies about accommodations and most importantly worst customer service. I would title their firm instead of Sara as Tawakkultu Illallah - as we had to navigate our way around ourselves.