My husband and I would like to thank Br Masood for a wonderful first hajj experience we had this year (1432H/2011) with the help of Crescent Tours. We couldn’t be more impressed with the service his company offered from the time we made the initial enquiries to the completion of the trip. Br Masood is very good at keeping us informed at all times, he’s very truthful and punctual with his telephone calls, email responses and always conducts himself in a professional manner.
We received everything that was promised in the package if not a lot more than what we asked for. We love the location of the Aziziyah apartment, although extra space in their dining room would come handy to fit everyone in, otherwise we had a pleasant stay. The food in Aziziyah was alright, by the third day I was all curried out. So it was nice when Br Masood balanced it out with curry-free-day menu on the last couple of days (he read my mind there with the Al Baik chicken for dinner). The Movenpick hotel in Makkah was super nice in every aspect, we only have good comments about it. I quite like the location of our Madinah hotel, it was a direct route and only a few blocks away from the women entrance of the prophet’s mosque. The room was a little bit smaller compared to the Movenpick’s, just enough to swing a cat but we were not there to admire the structure of the hotel and its contents.
Whilst in most cases it was beyond the Crescent Tours’ control and it is unfair to hold Br Masood solely responsible for it, the chaotic exit process out of Jeddah airport and transportation arrangements while in Saudi were somewhat challenging for us. It is almost a crime to mention this little hiccup, as we all know how much time and effort Br Masood invested in the group which would have put other hajj operators to shame. It would not go unnoticed how Br Masood walked us virtually hand in hand from our Aziziyah apartment to Mina and Jamarat and vice versa on several occasions. At one time we could not locate an ATM near the Mina/Jamarat area and Br Masood personally lent us 100 riyals to purchase a late night snack which we believe went far beyond what a normal travel agent would have done in this situation (also thank you for lending us your iPhone when we were in such a need). We think that Br Masood and his boutique company have set a new benchmark in customer service excellence.
Our Mina experience was somewhat better than our initial expectation, the tents were perhaps a little bit luxurious compared to what some other countries had. Toilets were challenging especially during peak hours, not sure if Crescent Tours have much influence on the facilities in Mina, though, I was curious if breakfast, lunch and dinner menus in Mina could have been made varied and made small in terms of the size as we wasted so much food while staying there. Perhaps this, together with the chaotic entry process to the country could be incorporated in the company’s feedback if the Saudi government is seeking a room for improvements in the future.
Ziyarath tours were short and sweet we seemed to run out of time in some cases but personally I prefer not to miss a fard prayer if we had to prioritise. In regards to access to spiritual enrichment during hajj we were very pleased to have a dedicated sheikh to help with our concerns and queries, I believe not all hajj operators provide this kind of extra service. Although, it would have helped to have a structured spiritual program communicated to us as part of the package and made known prior to the departure so we’d all know what to expect. I also wished that we had more frequent talking sessions (khutbah) especially involving the female group but this is just my view which may not necessary a reflection of the group’s view. Nevertheless we were very happy with how approachable and patient our Sheikh Khalid was to our needs.
In conclusion, we had an overall excellent hajj experience with Crescent Tours and would like to extend our personal thanks to Br Masood and Sheikh Khalid to help making our hajj experience very spiritually uplifting and memorable. We have recommended the service of Crescent Tours to some people we know and will continue to spread the good word about it to everyone else. I wish Br Masood the very best of everything in the future and may Allah reward him with the goodness of this world and hereafter.
Warm Regards
Reina, Canberra (2011)
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Thank you very much for the wonderful experience we have had during our Hajj Tour to Mecca and Medina. Overall the experience had been great.
More specifically, your communications with us via email and phone (including text messages) kept us well informed – a very important aspect when we are undertaking a journey of a lifetime to a new place.
Singapore Airlines was great, the transit facilities were good. The food in Aziziyah was excellent, although sometimes delayed due to traffic closures. We were also given a laundry service, which was excellent.
Facilities in Mina were acceptable, although it could have been better if the toilet facilities are upgraded. For this reason going from Mina to Aziziyah and back was a good alternative, however, a road map would have helped us from walking in the opposite directions, at times! If these can be taken care of , the HAJ experience will be a whiz as both the hotels Movenpick in Makkah & Radisson Blu in Madinah were just excellent.
Transportation during Haj, to and from Mecca had been a nightmare at times (after Muzdalifa going to Mecca for tawaf and coming back had been a problem), all other times the transportation were good and punctual. The conduct of Ziarath tour was good. The group leader was always accessible and attended to all enquiries and resolved problems whenever required.
However, talking with other group members, we found our group had far better facilities, so we would like to say thank you for keeping up with your promise for providing a better service.
Further, the interaction amongst the group members had been very friendly. We have come back home with memorable experience which we continue to share with our families and friends. So much so, we are thinking of going again, perhaps in a few years time, if not earlier!
By the way, Abdul and I will be hosting a dinner for all the Sydney Hujajs towards end of December and if others from interstate are able to come, they are more than welcome.
Jazak Allah,
Zubeda, Sydney (2011)
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My wife and I were very pleased with the service that Crescent Tours provided to our Group. We definitely appreciate all the hard work and effort that they put into making it a success. Everything went better than expected and allowed us to have a nice and peaceful Hajj experience. Thanks again to Crescent Tours and specially Brother Masood for looking after us. To top it of my request for Magaz Fry was fulfilled on the last day in Aziziyah Apartment.
Salaams
Abdul Sacur (Dado) & Safiyya, Brisbane (2011)
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I had a good experience considering it was my 1st experience. I found Masood a friendly and helping guy and not greedy & timely guidance & instructions were arranged. A little more communication would have been better but we can understand its not always possible. Everything was provided as per the advertised items, however, transport at Mecca could/should be organised in a better way. Accommodation after the Hajj at Movenpick Hotel was very good, clean & convenient as it was within the courtyard of the Haram and well served compared to other Hotels. Madina was ok but not as good as Mecca. At Mina, it was hot for some people and cold to others. Room mates should be checked for snoring and other habits etc. I would recommend anybody to deal with this Company based on my experience and considering Masood’s dealing and overall better kept promises.
Waqar Ali, Sydney (2010)