ECUADOR GALAPAGOS PERU TESTIMONIALS

ECUADOR TRAVEL TESTIMONIALS, GALAPAGOS COMMENT REVIEWS

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING ....

Hi Robin

We made it home safely.

This is a note to thank you for everything. We had an incredible time on our cruise to the Galapagos. The Diam[a]nte was more than we expected. The crew and our guide were terrific. Everyone on the Diamonte was continually surprised at the beautifully displayed and tasting platters of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We would recommend the Diam[a]nte anyday.

The kids loved it too. They had a fun jumping off the side of the boat as well as jumping from the rope. This first class vessel is meant for kids as well as adults.

We ended up with really interesting people on our cruise. With only 12 people that could be trouble. For us, it was terrific.

Thank you for arranging our trip to Machu Picchu. Your "Peru Experts" didn't let us down.

You were also free with info on things to do around Quito.

Thank you for everything.

Brenda Russett
August 15, 2007

Greetings Robin,

Just wanted to thank you for your help in setting up our trip to Ecuador. We had a wonderful time and all went well. It was truly a family experience that we will cherish. Again, many thanks for making reservations and recommendations. It was a pleasure working with you. I hope to return to your beautiful country again.

Cheers,

Diane and Rob Cappa
June 25, 2007

Hi Robin,

Back to real life now! Thanks again for everything. I will not hesitate to recommend Sangay and I plan to post our trip on fodors.com with an endorsement. I am sorry for your troubles and I know you are working extremely hard to avoid affecting your clients, which makes the smoothness with which the trip cam of from our perspective even more impressive.

I know we mentioned it to you, but Carlos was a wonderful guide. Especially in Quito, I think we significantly altered his itinerary for us and he took it in stride and was very gracious with his time. He spent a lot of extra time with us with no apparent expectations of extra compensation – though I hope we did adequately compensate him in the end.

Anyway, I’m off to a meeting, but I did want you to know how much we appreciated everything.

All the best,

Tom MacAllister
June 7th, 2007
U.S.A.

Hi Robin,

Sorry that we have not sent you an email earlier but we have been travelling and have just returned from Patagonia!

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the Galapagos on the Lammer Law in February. It was a great crew and a super bunch of people that we cruised with.

Thanks again for organising the trip for us!

Best wishes

Marnix Ravesteijn
March 21st, 2006

Hi Robin,

Just a note to say that the cruise was truly wonderful for Erin and me.
Loved the Encantada and its ambience. We had a great group of people, an excellent guide, fine meals. The reality exceeded our fantasies.
Thanks for all your assistance in getting it booked, etc.

Mary Martens
April 3rd, 2006

Hi Robin;

Just a quick note to thank you for your assistance during our wonderful holiday in Ecuador. Everything went according to plan but the driving was a nightmare at times because of the state of the roads; I’ve never seen so many potholes – and deep too! But I got the hire car back in one piece (Japanese reliability).

We broke the journey in two sections with a stop in Santo Domingo which, incidentally has a wonderful hotel “Zaracay” this is highly recommended. We called in at the “Tinilandia” but were not impressed by the accommodation and it cost $85 pn so we went on to the Zaracay. There is no way I could do the whole trip to Puerto Lopez in one go. The Mantaraya Lodge was superb but not many guests when we were there.

The Eden was fine albeit a little cramped with a small double bed but the guide, crew and the food were wonderful. The islands are fully up to their reputation; incredible.

We have been recounting our experiences with friends and will have no hesitation in recommending the services of your company to potential travellers.

Hasta Luego.

John and Margaret Thompson
May 29th, 2006

Hi again,

Just a quick note from me. We really enjoyed our trip with the Eden, the guide was good, the cabin(5) was nice, but the double bed very narrow, maybe for a young loving couple, the food was good, the staff was very nice. Tangara was very nice with Lidia and Antonio extremely helpful.

Only one thing was a bit confusing. When we arrived in Galapagos we looked for our luggage but didn´t find it because there was a plane that had landed before us. Nobody said anything about this but I asked and told other people.Maybe a sign telling the flight number so people knew. We also went to Kapawi with Canodros and really enjoyed that to, a great project!

As you can understand we will definitely recommend your agency in the future.Thanks!

Greetings from

Margareta Lindell
April 27, 2006

Hola Robin,

Te escribo para saludarte y agradecerte por los 5 dìas maravillosos que hemos pasado a las Galàpagos (estuvimos muy bien con la Golondrina y con la nostra guìa Priscila). Espero que para otras vacaciones de poder contar con tu servizio.
Gracias

Nancy, Fabio y Michelle
May 2nd, 2006

Hi Robin -

Just a note to express appreciation for your expeditious handling of our seemingly intractable airline problem in Quito preceeding our Galapagos vacation.

Even with her good Spanish, Gia couldn't make any headway in straightening out the problem (because she couldn't figure out what was awry). In any event - even though the problem was in reality between the boat operator and TAME - ultimately it was your problem to fix, and to your credit, you did so promptly.

Once aboard Cach[a]lote, the experience (seasickness and the need to develop "sea legs" notwithstanding) was marvelous. The boat and crew were grand. The food was superb, not fancy - but healthy, tasty and quite varied from day to day. The pace of the travel was just right - not too demanding, yet appropriately challenging to me (I'm not atheletic nor an outdoorsman, but I love wildlife). Our guide (Juan Tabia) was extraordinary, a 20 year veteran of the guide service. He knew just how to balance our pace so that everyone could get questions answered and pictures taken (plus he could sing and play guitar, as well as teach salsa dance after dinner!)

My greatest delight about the Galapagos has in large measure to do with the Ecuadoran management plan for the islands. It is clear that every small boat visits the specified official landings on its itinerary, and that visitors always traverse regulated, marked trails on the islands. But this regimen exposes visitors to almost all of the extraordinary wildlife that we have become acquainted with through television documentaries and reading. It is an excellent system, and very rewarding for the visitor.

We had two days in Quito after our return from the islands, which could easily have been stretched into 3 or 4 additional days (to visit the hot springs and Otavalo). The B&B (Casa Sol) that Gia chose in Mariscal was superb - it would be a great place for you to put guests - and we enjoyed great food at Boca de Lobo and Milano nearby, as well as overlooking the city at Mosaica another evening. We managed a visit to Mital del Mundo (and the marvelous cultural museo next door) as well as a morning over the city via the Teleferique before returning to the US.

I'm now busily researching ceviche recipes!

Thanks for facilitating our wonderful family trip.

Bob Upchurch
June 12th, 2006

HI Robin,

Just wanted to drop you a quick note to THANK YOU! I had an awesome time on board the Beagle. You were quick to respond to all my questions... and I don´t know of any other travel agent who gives out his personal contact information in case of an emergency. If any of my friends decide to visit the Galapagos, I will be sure to refer them to you.

Best,

Sachith Wijetunga
July 6th, 2006

Hi Robin

As promised, feedback from our time on The Beagle. We had a fabulous time, and really don't have anything negative to say.

Food: Excellent. The chef catered for the (many) unusual dietary requirements of the guests.

Itinerary: Great. We saw a huge variety of animals, snorkelled almost every day, and had ample time at all locations. You should note also that the Beagle provided snorkel, mask, fins AND wetsuit free of charge, and the gear was in excellent condition. The guide was always snorkelling with us, and the Panga was always close by.

Cabins: Bed was a tad short for me (6'4") but no sleep lost. Cabins very well kept with regular towel and linen changes.

Staff: As you predicted, of the highest quality. These guys thought of everything before we did.

We also spent 3 days on Isabella, an extension I would strongly recommend.

Thanks again for your help. Our time on the Galapagos was so memorable, largely thanks to you. The Beagle was of the highest quality, and you should have no hesitation recommending it.

Cheers,

Sarah and Warwick
June 25th, 2006

Hello Robin,

I did say I would drop you a line, but just now got a few moments to do so.

I am back to school now, and my classroom obligations are calling very loudly. Anyway, thanks again so much for your help booking our tour this summer. Thanks for all the very professional work in making our tour with the Tip Top II crew exceptionally memorable. My daughter and I had a marvelous time! The Tip Top II crew and guide were, as well, exceptionally professional and made every effort to make our cruise the best ever. It was a very positive experience doing business with your travel agency. Everyone in your office was amiable, helpful, and reassuring. It was a pleasure doing business with Sangay. And again, Robin, I thank you very much for all the other advice and information you gave us about travel in Ecuador.

Sincerely,

Bruce Hitchko
Calistoga Elementary School
5th Grade Teacher
Calistoga, California
September 7th, 2006

Hi Robin-

We all loved the trip and had a smooth return to NY yesterday. The boat, the guide, and the food on the Cachalote were top notch. In addition, we really enjoyed staying at Cafe Cultura and thought the food at the restaurants you recommended was excellent. The eight day trip was definitely the way to go and we look forward to recommending both you and a similar itinerary to friends.

Thanks again for everything and we very much look forward to returning to Ecuador.

Kind Regards,

Daniel Flax
August 4th, 2006

Hi Robin

Just wanted to say a huge thank you for organising my trip on the Nemo II. The boat was lovely, and extremely well maintained and run. The crew were superb and our guide, Juan Carlos, was fantastic. I am delighted that I booked that second week out in the Galapagos, the land tours really were excellent.

I will definitely have to come back and visit again as soon as I can!

Many thanks

Gail Reardon
July 19th, 2006

Hi Robin, hope all is well in Quito.

Just a quicky to give you a bit of feedback on Nemo 2.

Generally, everything was excellent. On a whole, very very happy with the tour. The boat was great, the crew excellent (especially Rual), and the Naturalist, Juan Carlos was first rate.

Guide: I dont know if you have met this guide, but he is acknowledged in some of the Animals of the Galapagos books. His English was excellent, he had a great sense of humor and was as flexible as possible.

Boat: Boat was generally good, except on the first and forth days, there was really bad diesel fumes down below. Half of us woke up with headaches and sore chests. Really bad. The Captain said that one of the crew had spilt diesel, but as it happened twice, I find that hard to believe.

Crew: Excellent. Made us very comfortable and welcome. Rual, the guy who served meals and cleaned rooms was just amazing.

Food: Top notch. Best food Ive ever had on a tour. Cant say more than that !

Flights: 5 hour delay on the outward flight, so missed the whole afternoon on the first day. Aparently they couldnt close the cargo door and so had to wait for another plane. The plane looked about 30 years old (not exagerating!) so not surprised.

Now sat in Caracas airpost waiting for a flight, and wishing we were back on board !

Hope this helps,

Richard Thompson
Nemo 2, 2-9th July 2006

Dear Robin,

Just wanted to let you know that our trip was a great success, and a wonderful time was had by all. We were very pleased with the Nemo II; the staff was great, the accommodations comfortable, and the food was fine. We loved the snorkeling, hiking, and more.

Los Alpes in Quito was fine as well, and we especially enjoyed dinner at Mosaica.

Feel free to give my name as a reference if you wish.

Regards,
Sandy Soule
August 10th, 2006

Hi Robin,

It was so nice to finally meet you in Quito. We had an amazing 8 days on board the Samba. We were very happy with our choice of yacht and the crew and guide were great. Thanks again for all your help.

Lynda Rushworth
September 9th, 2006

Hi Robin,

Thanks much for all of your help on this trip --- it was a very good one and I'll definitely keep Sangay in mind next time I go to Ecuador. One bit of feedback, though, the Encantada was a great boat with a wonderful cook and a good crew - I really enjoyed the trip. However, the scuba diving experience on the Encantada left much to be desired. The dive gear was in very poor repair (leaking tanks, leaking hoses, leaking BCs, cracked masks, ripped wetsuits) and they didn't have enough of some things (particularly wetsuits in various sizes). Also, the divemaster, Reuben, occasionally copped a bit of an attitude, even making fun of some of the less experienced divers -- which is generally considered a pretty bad idea since it increases anxiety and tends to make problems worse. While I would certainly recommend the Encantada, I'm not sure that I would recommend anyone dive from it unless they correct those issues. Everything else about the trip was fabulous, though, and the people at Casa Sol were wonderful.

Thanks again.

Stephanie Rivaux
August 29th, 2006

Our Galapagos vacation was fantastic due to the amazing animals and the Fragata Yacht's attentive, friendly crew. We had fresh sheets and towels everyday and the sand in our shower was cleaned out daily too (you seem to come back with some sand in your swim suit from snorkeling no matter how hard you try not to). The food was very good and there was always lots of it. Whenever I needed something (such as the Ecuadorian equivalent of Dramamine) the crew made sure I got it even if it meant making a trip to a nearby boat to pick up extra pills. When we snorkeled off the pangas, the crew made sure to keep the boats close (but not in our way) just in case someone wanted to get out of the water early. Our guide was incredible. His knowledge and amiable personality made our islands trips even more memorable. The Fragata's sun deck (on the top of the boat) was our favorite place to read and hang out. If I ever returned to the Galapagos Islands, I would be happy to go on the Fragata Yacht again to repeat our wonderful experience.

Tiffany Dodge
June 22, 2007
U.S.A.

As you suspected, most of what we have to say is positive. The boat, staff, accomodation, food, etc all met high standards. Some passengers were upset about a couple of things that didn't happen to us, e.g. fussy a/c units, but the only incident that affected us directly was the bota's motor breakdown on our last night, which was unfortunate, but came to nothing except a little delay in final arrival (though it would have been nice if a rescue boat had been called a little earlier). It does seem to me that perhaps tourists, especially those without much experience with being on a boat for several days, should be explained the difference between luxury on land and at sea a little better.

Our guide, Kike, was very good in that he made sure his group didn't break any rules of the national park, and was knowledgeable. He is quite young, and that's probably the reason why he is not, at this time, very well versed in dealing with stressful situations in which his role is to be a link and an interpreter.

Overall, we were really very pleased, and had a fantastic trip we'll remember for a lifetime! Thank you again for all your help, hopefully you will hear from some of our family and friends who've been treated to our circa 200-picture slide show :) Let me know if you need ay further info.
All the best,

Vanessa Aubry
September 14, 2007