Port Dickson getaway sours over failed hotel bookings by travel agent
A planned getaway to Port Dickson over the weekend (4-6 December) went horribly wrong for four busloads of Singaporean tourists who arrived at a hotel that they were supposed to stay, only to find out their travel agent had failed to make reservations.
At least 145 people, including tour organisers and local celebrities, were shocked when no reservations were made for Lexis Hibiscus Hotel despite having fully paid for the three-day, two-night package to travel agency La Villa Hermosa Singapore prior to the trip. The passengers were mainly young families and wheelchair-bound senior citizens, some of them were visually impaired.
Tour agent Safarina Sapari, 36, was responsible for both the hotel and coach bookings, according to tour organiser Sharifah Alkaff, 45. Each passenger had paid $200 for the package – in total, more than $20,000 was paid to the agent.
In a Facebook video post, she said in Malay, "I have all the evidences to show that I have paid her... you (Safarina) have tarnished your own name, not just mine."
A tourist, who also spoke in Malay, said in the video, "We sympathise the elderly, the wheelchair-bound and those who are blind. Please don't do this... we came all the way from Singapore... when we arrived in Port Dickson, there's no hotel, no information of booking, no nothing. Safarina, you watch out."
Click on image below for video:
Sharifah told Yahoo Singapore outside the Family Justice Court on Monday that it was her first time engaging Safarina’s services. Sharifah, who is not affiliated to any travel or events company, said she was personally asked by her celebrity friend Roslan Shah to organise the weekend tour. Sharifah was at the court because she was tipped off by the ex-husband of Safarina about the latter’s presence there.
Four celebrities were scheduled to perform in a one-night show as part of the holiday package. Elfee Ismail, Fazli Zainal and Gia Munaji were on board one of the buses while Roslan travelled to Port Dickson from Kuala Lumpur.
The agent also failed to make a booking at one of the hotel ballrooms, where the show was supposed to be held.
The hotel management made arrangements for the stranded travellers to stay one night, which was paid by the tour organiser at a cost of M14,000 (S$4,600). Dinner was provided free by the management.
The ordeal of the travellers didn’t end there.
On their way home at a rest and relaxation stop in Ayer Keroh, Malacca, the four bus drivers refused to drive back to Singapore. The drivers claimed that Safarina had not paid them in full.
To pay for the difference supposedly owed to the bus drivers, each family among the travellers contributed $50 each, while Elfee Ismail asked for a loan from an uncle who was staying in Malaysia.
This incident was mentioned in one of the videos posted on Gia Munaji’s Facebook page. A popular Facebook video blogger, Gia documented her trip on video, and uploaded it on her page.
Click on image below for video:
Here is a video of Gia interviewing one of the managers at Lexis Hibiscus:
Related story:
Victims confront tour agent for Port Dickson holiday nightmare
