|
BOAT: AMIGO
|
The Amigo
gave
me the best cabin up top
with a window and
another window in
bathroom
and I shared with a nice
German girl. I guess it
pays to be older!! A
real international
travellers trip - 2
Czeks, 2 Slovania, 2
German,
some Aussies, Brits and
French and we all
enjoyed the shaded open
air
bar area on the upper
deck. I was surprised
that they had air
conditioning/openable
windows in the dining
area and cabins - a
luxury
I was not expecting and
the beer was cheaper
than the Voyageur which
was nice. Food was fine
for me - simple as you
said, which I prefer. It
was nice being able to
open windows when the
air con was not on.
We
promised
you
a
run down of the new and
updated amigo.
First
off we should also thank
you, four days would´ve
been way too short for
the galapagos. You
should try and sell the
longer tours to people.
In
my opinion we still
didn´t see anywhere near
enough of the islands
and
the wildlife for my
liking!
The people
on the trip were
perfect,
similar age, everyone
had similar wants
regarding what to do on
galapagos and the boat
had a nice young
atmosphere. "backpacker
boat"
if you want to call it
that.
The boat
itself is quite nice,
the rooms on the upper
deck where we stayed are
nice, roomy enough with
big windows and
airconditioning. (All
the rooms now have air
con which
does help). The
lower rooms where very
small still though, and
the
guests staying down
there were complaining
of smelling the petrol
fumes
off the engine. There
was less rock down in
those rooms but they
were
quite small and had no
windows or anything you
could open.
The
food was done well,
three courses for all
meals pretty much and a
decent variety. Fruit
with every meal which i
really liked, no one was
going to die of scurvy!
The crew
were also really
friendly and
helpful, the captain,
the cook, all the other
deckhands made an effort
to say hello and help
you if you needed
anything. The tour guide
was
very informative also,
explaining everything we
saw on the islands and
in the water. 10 points
for the staff.
There were
only one or two
relatively
small complaints:
1.
The snorkel masks are
now free to those on
board, however they only
have 12 or so and we
were 16 so some had to
go without gear in the
snorkel sites. The
general complaint was
that we´d already paid
enough
money to get on the boat
without having to pay
more to rent out
snorkl¡ng
gear.
2. Same
went for the wetsuits,
there
wern´t
enough, and halfway
through the captain said
he´d been told to start
charging people for
them.
3. Some
people (the more fussy
ones
in my opinion)
complained of repetition
in the meals, for
example every
day there was one fish
dish be it grilled or in
a soup. Some people
didn´t like this. I
don´t really agree with
this as they listened
well
to people relative needs
(we had lactose
intolerate people,
jewish
people with kosher
requirements,
vegetarians, we had
everything and the
crew did well to help
all those people).
If you are
in contact
with the company running
the boat just if you
could let them know the
biggest complaint and
annoyance was the lack
of gear on board. We
left
ours at home with the
assumption we´d find
gear on board, we
wouldn´t
have if we knew the full
situation.
Thanks
again for all your help
over
the last few months.
Hope all is
going well
regards
Sophie B.
|
BOAT:
ANAHI
(aka Galapagos Journey I)
|
Just
returned from
Golapagos
yesterday. The Anahi -
Galapagos Journey I
was a super boat and
great
crew. Exceeded all
expectations.
Everything went great.
Thanks for your
assistance to make
this happen!
Cheers!
Brad
&
Sandy
Thank
you so much for
explaining the itinerary
change this
year and the reason the
Anahi had been only
three stars under the
itinerary category last
year. This is the
reason I like to go
through
a local travel agent
like yourself, that we
can be assured that what
You recommend is
good!!
|
BOAT: ANGELIQUE
Sorry for the delay in sending this but it's been a bit hectic since returning home.
Many thanks for all your help in arranging our short visit to the Galapagos. We very much enjoyed the Angelique. We
thought the food was excellent and we found the staff very friendly. The boat rolled quite a bit at times but this was to be expected with a small boat.
The itinerary was good for the 4 days with a good mixture of walks, snorkelling and time to relax. The guide was very knowlegable and friendly. All in all an excellent trip.
We will recommend Sangay to our friends.
Kind regards,
Val M.
|
BOAT: ANGELITO
|
December, we
booked a Galapagos
cruise
through
your agency, on the
Angelito.
We would like
to thank you for the
perfect
organisation of the trip
-
the choice of the
Angelito was really
perfect.
It's a great
boat to travel on. The
crew is
very
polite and
helpful. The boat
is big enough to have
enough space for 16
people, you don't have
the feeling it's
crowded. They also take
into the
preferences of
the
people on board. We
could snorkel a
lot, and the fact that
they
have
wet suits on board is
really good (the
sea is not that warm
;-)).
The
food is also very good
& varied. Really
nothing negative to say
about
the boat trip!
It's a boat you can
recommend to your other
customers!! We had
a
time.
Thank you again,
Frank
|
BOAT: ARCHIPEL I
|
We are just
back in the States after
a most excellent cruise
on the
Archipell I. Loved
the itinerary, thought
the guide (Miguel
Mosquera)
was great. Thought
the food was a little
sub par (and we're not
picky... we even eat
airline food!) but
that's OK.
FYI There was
not a kayaking option on
this boat. We had
looked
forward to that, but did
not miss it once we got
a feel for the
coastline and the
maneuverability of the
pangas. But
perhaps you
should update your
website as others might
expect to have that
activity
on the Archipell.
Thank you for the
good service and the
delivery of the voucher
to the
Hotel San Fransisco.
Michael and Terri
|
BOAT: ARCHIPEL
II
|
Thank
you
so
much
for all your
assitance. We had
a wonderful time
[Archipel
II] and the kids
want to go back. I
will definitely
recommend you to any
friends
who are
thinking of a
trip. I want to
apologize for being a
pest about
the
details. It made
me anxious to do things
over the internet.
All
my
best to you and your
family.
Hi
Robin, Here is a more
detailed
response. The
guide was very
knowledgeable and
responsible. he
clearly wanted us to
have a
wonderful experience
and we had minimal
contact with other
boats.
At
only one stop was
there a large boat,
but that was the time
we got to
swim with
penguins. Some
times there were two
other small boats,
some
times we were the only
ones on the
islands. The
itinerary seemed
great
with lots of different
types of
wildlife. The
crew was very
attentive
and the cook/wait
staff always
accommodated the
dietary restrictions
of
those on board.
The rooms were clean
and spacious (for a
boat). We
had a grand time.
Robin
was so helpful with
excellent advice.
Anne
R.
|
BOAT: CACHALOTE
|
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 U.
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 F.
|
BOAT:
CORMORANT
II (no longer operating)
|
Since
we
are
more
or less
back in a normal routine,I
want to thank you
for your gracious help
with the Rabida
trouble. I
appreciate your
concern
and the Vieja Cuba hostal
was delightful. Our
galapagos cruise
[CORMORANT II] was magical
and
just about perfect.
I cannot in good faith
recommend the hostal
Rabida, even
after
my return home I found out
that my daughter in london
repeatedly left
an
e-mail message at the
rabida about my sons
emergency hoepitalization
in
the
states.nobody informed me
about this! I know that
this is not your
responsibility, but just
wanted to let you know.
Thanks again,
Johanna.
The
Cormorant
II
is
a
wonderful
boat
for
touring
the
Galapagos Islands. Given
a choice
of any boat in the
Galapagos, I would
definitely choose the
Cormorant.
Pluses:
There
is
plenty
of
room on this boat; I never
felt like I couldn’t get
away
from other people. There
are lots of outside
lounging areas, both
shaded and
unshaded. The captain
stayed pretty darn close
to the schedule which
was
important. Cold, pure
drinking water was always
available in the dining
room.
Its sailing was smooth,
the food was plentiful and
tasty, and the crew
was
fantastic, even
accommodating one woman’s
last minute request for
vegetarian
meals. The cabins are
large and comfortable with
nice-sized bathrooms.
The
first day on the boat, we
had no water because of a
mechanical problem,
but
after that the water was
abundant with good
pressure and temperature.
We felt
completely safe and well
taken care of. I never
worried about anything
happening to my
belongings. The crew was
very safety conscious and
the
boat was
spotlessly clean.
Suggestions:
Because
cabins
7
and
8
are located over the
engines and generators,
they were
quite noisy and very, very
hot. I would not recommend
them unless you
have ear
plugs and can handle
sleeping in an 85 degree
room. The air
conditioners in the
dining room couldn’t keep
up so it was sweltering
hot during meals,
especially
lunch and dinner. It helps
to keep the sliding doors
open rather than
closed.
If I were to cruise on the
Cormorant again (which I
would do in a
heartbeat), I
would urge the guide to
make at least some meals
happen on the upper
deck where
the ambiance of the open
sea heightens the
pleasures of good food and
company. The
bar on the upper deck was
never open. After paying a
great deal of
money for
the cruise, it felt tacky
to be charged for a soda.
I can understand
charging
for alcoholic drinks, but
sodas should have been
included in the price.
If you
have to, raise the price
$10 per person and make
sodas “complimentary”.
The
itinerary should include
some beach time to just
relax. Our group
mutinied on a
particularly sweaty day
and jumped in the ocean en
masse instead of
getting in
the dinghies to return to
the boat. We played in the
waves and surf for
over an
hour which everyone
thoroughly enjoyed. The
web site of our tour
company
erroneously advertised
that satellite Internet is
available on the
boat. It was
not and none of the crew
even knew what we meant.
Guide:
The
main
thing
I
liked about our guide,
Leonidas, was his passion
for the
islands
and their wildlife. He was
very knowledgeable about
the flora and
fauna.
Although he kept to
schedule, I never felt
particularly rushed. My
only
criticism has to do with
the last day of the tour
when Leo
uncharacteristically
showed up 90 minutes late
with no apology or
explanation. Everyone was
quite
angry about it and worried
that we would miss seeing
giant land
tortoises because
of it. Had this occurred I
have no doubt that his
tips would have been
significantly affected. It
worked out okay but it was
a stress on the
passengers that shouldn’t
have happened.
|
BOAT:
DIAMANTE (no
longer operating)
|
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
R.
|
BOAT:
EDEN
|
We've
been
back from
Ecuador for nearly two
weeks now--trying to catch
up (and keep up) with
the galveston daily
routine.
I
wanted to
tell you how much we
enjoyed our
week aboard the EDEN, and
the
itinerary. The crew
was wonderful, the food
superb, and the
accomodations were
sufficient (I put it like
that because Bill and I
somehow got the only
single-bed cabin, and the
bed was larger than a
twin but smaller than a
double, and the whole
cabin width was just
about as big as a
queen-size mattress.
Sufficient but very
cozy. We all called
it the Honeymoon Cabin.)
Despite the 2nd
degree burns Bill got to
his ankles and the tops of
his feet about the
second day out (we kidded
him and called him the
Red-footed Boobie
until the huge horrible
blisters appeared!), we
loved every minute of
the trip. I was glad
I wore a scopolamine patch
and took a jug of
meclazine with me for
nighttime travel. I
had no trouble with the
rough passages, but I gave
away a fair amount of
meclazine early on.
We
were glad
that we
opted for a guided tour
instead of trying to do it
ourselves. We
were able to get to places
we never would have seen
on our own.
And I repeat: the
itinerary was
excellent. Small is
the way to
see the Galapagos.
And we met great fellow
travelers too, from
all over the world.
For part of the trip we
were the only
Americans.
The
one, very
significant, weakness to
the trip was Gandy, our
tour guide.
Although his knowledge was
certainly acceptable and
his spoken English
intelligible, his people
skills left much to be
desired. It did
not occur to hm to make
introductions of the
passengers or the
crew on the first
day--he finally did that
on the LAST day!
He appeared not to
care at
all about the welfare
of his
passengers, or their
abilities, apparently not
seeing that as part of
his job description.
For example, one of the
passengers in our
Thursday to Thursday group
had multiple sclerosis and
needed to go a
bit slower through rocks,
etc, because of balance
and coordination
problems. And of
course Bill was moving
slower because of his
burned
feet. Gandy
forged ahead, keeping a
good pace, would
tell the information
about what we were seeing
and then
stand around for long
periods without saying
anything and let us
wait--for what, we could
never
discern. On the
last morning
at the Darwin
Research Center, he
totally left Bill (and me)
and
the MS gentleman behind,
to the point where we had
no idea where they
had gone. As it is a
maze of trails, it was
about 20 minutes
before we found
them. He did the
silent waiting routine
even when
we all could keep up
perfectly well. We
noticed other guides
chatting about interesting
information during the
wait time when
several groups were at a
site and we had to wait
our turn. Gandy
never had anything to say
except his little
script. We really
seemed to cramp his
style. This was not
just our opinion. I
am pretty sure he got very
little in the way of
gratuities from any in
our group, although the
rest of the crew was the
best--and
appropriately rewarded for
it too!
We
could
certainly
recommend Sangay Touring
and Guide2Galapagos.com to
anyone we know who
is
interested in Ecuador and
the Galapagos Isls.
We just hope that
you might have some
influence with the company
that owns the fleet that
Eden is part of, so that
no one else has to be
subjected to Gandy's
poor guideship.
Pat
& Bill
B.
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 T.
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 L.
|
BOAT:
ENCANTADA
|
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 M.
|
BOAT:
FRAGATA
|
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 D.
|
BOAT:
GALAXY
Just a note
to
let you know that our
Galapagos cruise on
the
Galaxy was
superb! The boat
is beautiful and
exceeded our
expectations
in every way.
The guide and all the
crew were
excellent.
All of our
arrangements worked
perfectly. Thank
you for your
assistance in
arranging it all!
Carole DeA.
We are
back from our 8 day
excursion aboard the
Galaxy yacht. We
loved the Galapagos
islands!! The
Galaxy yacht and crew
were
superb.
Our room and the
common areas were
exceptionally
clean. We had
the
most delicious food
and great
service. We had
"Pepe" (Jose Luis)
and
Roberto for our
naturalist
guides. Both
were excellent guides
and
very
knowledgeable.
We would absolutely
recommend the Galaxy
to anyone
visiting the Galapagos
islands-they are sure
to have a wonderful
time.
Thank
you again for all
of your help
in arranging our
vacation. I
am sure we will be
contacting you again in
the future for our next
trip
to South America.
Gabrielle V.
We have
just arrived home from a
23 day Journey to the
Galapagos (8 days),
Ecuador (7 days), and
Peru (8
days). The four of
us have tried to think
of changes we might
have made, but because
of your expertise in
helping
us plan our Journey, we
could not arrive at a
single day or place that
we would alter.
The
GALAXY
was a wonderful First
Class Yatcht.
The chef
did a great job on
serving delicious
meals. We had
plenty of
snacks and drinks daily
and the Staff were so
friendly, always there
to
make our stay most
memorable.
We had the best
guide in the
Galapagos,
Carlos Carbo.
He made our
adventure to the Islands
unforgetable. Each
Island was
distinctive with it's
own
characteristics.
Who would ever dream
of swiming with Sea
Lions, hovering over
sharks, colourful
fish,
manta rays, golden rays,
sting rays and eagle
rays not to forget the
iguana's, penguins and
sea turtles and all the
beautiful birds.
We chose the Galaxy
because we liked the
different Islands that
it
offered and we were not
disappointed. We
would recommend the
Galaxy to anyone
visiting the
Galapagos. Our
guide gave us a
huge surprise on
our last few hours
aboard. While with
us,
he did a video of the
gang scouting out the
different islands,
best of course,
was the snorkling,
needless to say, we can
show
family and friends how
daring we all were
gazing down at the
sharks,
colourful fish, and all
the other wonderful sea
creatures. The
video is a wonderful
keepsake of memories
aboard the Galaxy.
Onward we went, to
Quito, where you
set us up with Hector
Clavijo, our guide for
the next 5 days.
You gave us "the best"
again.
Hector knew
his Country, and
shared his most valuable
information about
Ecuador, with us.
We
travelled over 600 miles
from Otavalo
(market) to San Antonio
De
Illbara (wood carvings)
to Peguche (woven wall
hangings) to
Cotocachi
(leather) and that was
only the
beginning. We did
the Bellavista Cloud
Forest where we slept in
the "Tarzan
Penthouse" and
viewed hundreds
of hummingbirds up
so close
one could almost reach
out and touch
them. On our way
to Quilotoa
Lagoon we stopped to
visit many little
children and passed out
crayons,
pencils, pins and
toys. Their
smiling faces will
always be
with us. Saquisili
Market was a must on
route to Cotopaxi
National
Park........4600 m above
sea level!
View,view,view!
Beautiful
Country and every turn
in the road, a picture.
Onward to
Peru! Cusco is
beautiful with spanish
arches, wooden
balconies, coble
streets,etc. The
Vistadome ride to Aguas
Calientes was
picturesque. Machu
Picchu was a bit of a
disappointment only
because our guide seemed
to be in a hurry and we
felt he did not do a
good job on the history
of the ruins but after
he left us we treked up
to the Caretaker's hut
and enjoyed the great
view. We drove
through the Sacred
Valley and admired the
awesome views and after
lunch
visited the fortress of
Ollantaytambo which
proved to be as
interesting
as Mach Picchu. We
had a great bus
ride to Puno where
we
were met by another
great guide, Able.
Our excursion to Lake
Titicaca was
unforgettable.
Whoever thought we would
see floating
islands, like huge
straw-like nests.
How interesting to see
totora reed atop root
clods and
experience a ride in a
caballito (reed
boat). Onto
Tequille
Island with walled paths
and rustic arches and
dotted with Inca &
pre-Inca ruins.
Here, we had a homestay
with a native
family. We
experienced a night in a
mud hut, slept on a reed
bed
and dined on fresh trout
with natives in their
traditional dress.
When our
plans
began and we
contacted you, we
expressed how we wanted
to get to know your
Country
and mix with the people
of your Country. I
cannot believe how
fortunate we were to
have you lay out our
itinerary to discover
exactly
what we were after
regarding our
Adventure. We will
always be grateful for
your expertise. We wish
you
great success and
happiness in return for
our most memorable trip
to
your wonderful
Galapagos, Ecuador and
Peru.
All the Best
to You,
Nancy &
Bill S.
Bonnie &
Steve M.
Canada
The
Galapagos trip was
great. The Galaxy was
really
wonderful
from the food (we all
wanted to take the chef
back with us) to the
itinerary and all the
accomodations,´Barbara
and I are very happy
and
satisfied. Thank you so
much for your help.
We´ll definately get
in
touch with you if we
come this way again.
Sincerely,
Neil A.
I have
spent some weeks in
Ecuador in August 2007
having organized
the trip directly from
Italy, without the
support of an
international
tour
operator.
At
that
time
I
selected
Sangay
Touring
after
having
done
an
internet research and
after having received
their program for a
Galapagos
cruises [Galaxy]; they
were
able to select and to
propose me a top class
cruise in one
of the most crowded
periods of the year,
even if I was very late
in
booking.
When
going
around
in
Ecuador
by
myself,
I
faced
some
logistic problems
(flight cancellations,
etc.); even if that part
of the tour had not
been
organized by Sangay,
they have helped me
several times,
reorganizing
the
itinerary and looking
for new flights and
hotels. Robin Slater, in
particular,
has demonstrated to have
a very huge
experience on this
business;
I have to
thank him for the
success of my journey in
Ecuador.
Having
said
that,
the
Ecuador
and
the
Galapagos
in
particular
are
fantastic places to
visit and a cruise on a
nice boat is an
fascinating experience.
DON’T
try
to
organize
the
trip
by
yourself,
call
Robin
!!!
Andrea,
Torino
– Italy
Just a
quick note to thank you
for all
your help. It was
a great trip [Galaxy]!
Just arrived in
Quito today from the
Galapagos, will have 3
days here
and go home on Saturday.
Many thanks and
good wishes.
Regards,
Anthony C.
|
BOAT: GALAPAGOS
LEGEND
|
I
promised I
would report on this
'cruise' and apologise for
the delay in doing so.
Overall,
the
experience was excellent.
Inevitably, on a boat
carrying up
to 110
passengers (there were only
65 on board when we were
there), the whole
thing is run a bit like a
military operation - wake-up
call at 6:45,
breakfast at 7:00, disembark
for the morning's excursion
at 8:00 etc,
but it was very well handled
and the crew was unfailingly
helpful and
courteous. Our guide,
Regalio (Pedro) Huaycha (who
was only on
the
Legend as a stand-in for a
friend who wanted the week
off) was
excellent. His english
was very good and he was
clearly devoted
to his
subject. For the
record, he normally does
guiding on one of the
smaller boats which he
prefers as he is then in
full charge of the
itinerary.
Accommodation
was
better than we had
expected and
there was plenty of 'public'
space in which to relax.
Incidentally, we
became friends with some
people with a cabin on the
top deck: it had a
balcony, but was smaller
inside than ours: on
balance, we much
preferred our 'cheaper'
accommodation!
My
only
serious criticism was that
there
was
absolutely no access to
email or the internet: on a
vessel offering
otherwise such a high level
of service, that was
irritating and
surprising. The food
was good and plentiful
without making any
attempt
at the 'haute cuisine'
offered by some of the big
cruise liners.
All
in all, a
thoroughly satisfying
experience. Thank you
for having your people take
care of it for
us.
If
you come to
England - and have the
time - do look us up.
Kind
regards,
David
C. and
Penelope L.-S.
|
BOAT: GALAPAGOS
ODYSSEY
|
Just
thought
I'd follow up and thank you
for everything you did
for us, arranging our
Galapagos cruise - we
enjoyed it and appreciate
your help. I've already
recommended your company to
several people :-)
If
you're
curious, I posted our
pictures
here:
You
also asked
to give you our thoughts
on the boat: the boat
was insanely luxurious, much
more so than either of us
could imagine -
that was certainly a nice
surprise. The guide was also
very personable,
and overall we couldn't
really complain. The food
was good too. The
only negative things we
could say have to do with
the amount of
regulations on the islands
(not being able to hike on
our own), and the
slow pace on some of the
days (dedicating several
hours to do a super
short hike) - but both of
those are very
understandable, since the
boat
& guide had to cater to
everyone there at the same
time, including
some older people that were
much slower than everyone
else. The other
thing we had trouble was
that the ocean was very
rough, and we couldn't
sleep much for the first two
nights... as you know, the
week after we
left another tourist boat
actually capsized and a
tourist died! But
this isn't something that
anybody could predict or do
anything about,
really. THat said, again,
the boat & crew was
great :)
Thanks again, and hope
things are well in Quito!
Peter
|
BOAT: GALAPAGOS
VOYAGER
|
I want to inform you that
the cruise with the
Galapagos Voyager was
great, we really liked it
a lot. The personnel on
the boat did a very
good job, the food was
delicious, and we saw so
many animals!
The
only point that to my
opinion was a bit less was
the quality of the
naturalist. His English
was very good but I would
have expected a bit
more passion for the job,
he was very relaxed and
laid back. He was OK
but not impressive.
The
Galapagos islands are very
beautiful, I thank you for
organizing
this
trip
for
us.
Best
regards
Scarlett
|
BOAT: GOLONDRINA
|
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
|
BOAT:
LAMMER LAW
(no
longer operating)
|
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
R.
|
BOAT:MONSERRAT
|
Thanks for
your great advice!
I'm now back
in Hong Kong
(unfortunately)
and reality, and
just
wanted to pass on to you
firstly, sincere thanks
for your help
in organising our
brilliant Galapagos trip
- and secondly,
comments on
how fantastic the boat
Monserrat
turned out to be!!
The moment we
stepped onto the deck I
was
entirely convinced that
the little extra we paid
was well worth it!
The boat trip
was a lovely journey
that
was comfortable,
friendly, easy and fun!
The staff
were
lovely, and the fellow
guests were like us, in
search of a friendly,
happy atmosphere that
was comfortable yet
intimate.
The
size was perfect, as the
first 4 days we spent
with only 6
others. We were then
joined by a further 5
for the last 4 days,
which
initially felt like our
little "family" was
being intuded upon, but
after about 10 minutes
we enjoyed the company
of the new joiners and
all felt like one big
happy family! 16 is
definitely the largest
number
on a boat I would
recommend, only because
it's the most number of
people that I would
suggest would be
comfortable on the land
excursions. Plus it
makes the boat a much
friendlier experience.
I am so happy
that we didn't go for a
larger or smaller boat!
The
size was roomy, and our
cabin on the top deck
had huge windows and a
large bathroom - it
was way better than I
expected. There was
plenty of
deck space, sun decks,
interior lounge space
and sun space - never to
crowded to enjoy a
secluded moment on a
deck chair with a book,
in sun
or shade.
The food was
good. The guide was
great,
and everything was
wonderful.
I would
whole-heartedly
recommend
Monserrat to any body, I
would
also suggest that it
really wouldn't be worth
going if you don't do
the
8 day cruise as the
first 4 days were
definitely the best, but
also
that 4 days just didn't
seem long enough.
After the first 4 days I
was
so happy that we still
had 4 more to go! So did
Keara - who was without
a doubt just as happy as
I was to spend 8 days in
the galapagos. I was
concerned that a 5 year
old may get bored, but
she totally loved it!
Anyway,
that's
about it. Thanks again
for
your help.
If any of my
friends are looking for
help, I'll send them in
your direction!
Best regards!
Toni and
Keara
I send you a short comment about our trip on monserrat from 20.-27. june 2010 galapgos.
the price 1300 usd for this boat was ok, I say I wouldn't pay much more, perhaps 1500 as a limit. but for this price everything ok.
good food, much food, nice crew, very friendly, good guide (andres) but not every time on this boat so I don't know how the others are.
as you said, the first part (if you make a 5 day tour) was the better part for take fotos, the second part was more active (walking, possibility to go to the "city") so for us the 8 day trip was perfect.
the room on monserrat are clean, twice a day service (rubbish)- for snorkeling you get towels too (big towels, very good). the toilet is clean and everytime hot water for take a shower. to take sunbath enough place on the sundeck. dvd available, books and some games.
a very reasonable price, if you like to know any other details you can write me a mail and I will answer you the questions.
by Nathalie H.
|
BOAT:
NEMO
II
|
THANK YOU so
much, Robin, for all
your work with us!
Thanks for
your patience with me
with respect to the
airline tickets
especially.
Our cruise on the Nemo
II was amazing! We had a
great group of fellow
travelers and the crew
was super attentive and
fun. And Fabricio our
guide was knowledgeable
and coordinated island
visit times so that most
visits we were all by
ourselves.
In Quito, we
wandered through
Mariscal Sucre
on Monday afternoon and
found ourselves in front
of the LatinT. offices.
We stopped in
especially to thank
them. I did tell them
you had sold us the Nemo
II
package, so hopefully
our profuse thanks was
passed on to you in
person.
We just returned to
the US from Ecuador
yesterday morning.
Though
Ecuador is on the same
time zone as Denver (one
hour behind St. Louis)
my body clock is a bit
off today--hence this
early message.
So thank you again
so much for organizing
our
great tour of the
Galapagos, Robin!!
Brandin H. &
Anthony G.
St. Louis, Missouri
United States
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 R.
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 T.
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 S.
|
BOAT: QUEEN
OF
GALAPAGOS
|
We
wanted to
send you a quick thank-you
for contributing to one of
the most amazing
trips we have ever
made. We appreciate
the time you took to
answer every question we had
about Ecuador, the Galapagos
and the Queen
of Galapagos. Thanks to your
dedication, we had a
wonderful time when we
visited last November.
The Queen of
Galapagos was a great
recommendation. We
loved the catamaran and
our cabin with huge windows.
The guide was very
knowledgeable and spoke
English fluently. The
crew did not speak English
but was very
nice. We never felt
like we were just another
boatload of
tourists. Every need was
anticipated and the service
was
excellent. It is a
good thing that most
excursions involved some
walking or snorkeling, as we
fully enjoyed the three
delicious buffets
each day.
We
certainly
don't need to tell you about
the beauty of the Galapagos.
We saw so
many different animals and
landscapes that we ended up
with a few
thousand digital pictures.
Yes, that sounds like a lot,
but how can you
not take another picture of
yet another cute sea lion
pup?
We would
like to make a few
recommendations to people
who visit the Galapagos:
- ask Robin all your
questions up-front,
so that
you are well prepared -
once on the islands, there
is very limited
opportunity to purchase
anything (e.g. shampoo,
sunscreen, sunhat,
memory cards or batteries
for the camera, power
adaptor)
- take a full wetsuit
if you go during the
colder
months and want to enjoy
the water and swim with
sea lions
- don't forget the
motion sickness
medication if
there is a chance you may
get seasick (the waters
were rather rough at
times)
Keep
up
the great work!
Els and Mike from Los
Angeles, U.S.A .
|
BOAT: SAMBA
|
You
asked for
some feedback on Samba after
our trip so here it is:
Guide
Fantastic (Juan Salcedo)
- a local from Puerto Ayora,
extremely knowledgeable,
enthusiastic,
partook in all the
activities (unlike some we
saw from other boats who
didn't snorkel with the
guests) &
genuinely appeared to be
enjoying the experience
himself.
Crew
Excellent in all aspects -
courteous, skilled &
eager to please.
Boat
Good facilities, clean,
comfortable ( thanks for
getting us the double
room cabin!).
Itinerary
I guess this is
partly dictated by the
length of the cruise &
the geography but it
appeared very well
constructed with a wide
cross section of the
islands/landscapes covered.
Safety
As should be expected.
Food
Of unbelievable variety
& quality given the
somewhat limited
kitchen facilities.
I
think you can
maintain your "Highly
Recommended" status!
Thanks
again for
organising the trip - it
was a wonderful experience.
Regards.
Andy
F. &
Carolyn C.
We
are
just back from the
Galapagos.
We cant thank you
enough,
the whole trip was magical
from start to finish and we
thought the
samba was excellent. If you
want us to fill in a
recommendation form,
or comment form let us know.
We would happily tell
everyone to book
with them.
Merry Chistmas
Matt and Lynda
Sorry
for
the delay in getting back to
you, been on the
road it seems
constantly since the cruise,
anyway here goes some
comments on the
cruise.
My girfriend and
I did a 7 night cruise
on Samba and had an
absolutely
fabulous time. We chose the
boat mainly because of the
itinerary it
took, it seemed to take in
more islands than any other
boats of touring
for the same no of nights
and in the same price range.
As it turned out
we think the itinerary was
fabulous we saw so much and
never felt like
we were rushing it - making
the effort to get over to
Isabela and
Fernandina is definitely
worth the effort. In terms
of the boat and
crew we also were very
pleased with it; the boat
was spotlessly clean
and we thought the berths
were very comfortable
(plenty of space for a
couple and good hot water
showers) and not at all
noisy. The food was
first class, three large
meals a day as well as
snacks and drinks
available throughout the
day, and the crew were
friendly and
accommodating at all times.
We are a couple in our
early 30's and are very
active and this trip
suited us perfectly, but our
group included a couple of
teenagers and a
lady who was 70 and everyone
was able to participate in
almost
everything, and everyone had
a good time. We had come off
a few months
backpacking in S America so
were blown away by the
luxury of the boat,
but i think even coming over
just for a short vacation
the boat would
also be very acceptable
(naturally space is somewhat
limited but it was
way bigger and better than
our expectation as long as
you don't expect
something the size of a
suite in a 5* hotel!)
In terms of our guide
we didn't get the normal
guide that Samba uses as
his wife had just given
birth. We heard that
apparantly he is one of
the best on the islands but
of course we can't verify
that. All i can
say is that we got a backup
freelance guide who was
amazing; his
English was perfect and
knowledge of everything
first rate, he also
loved snorkelling so fitted
in additional trips for that
because he
knew that our group loved it
too. Also interestingly it
was his first
time on Samba and he said
how blown away he was with
the itinerary it
does, the best he'd known on
a 7 nighter (of course that
could be his
spiel but he seemed
genuinely very excited
throughout).
The only criticism we
all had was that the
boat charged an additional
amount for wetsuits and
snorkelling equipment,
everyone thought this
was just penny pinching
given the cost of the
cruise; but if that's all
we came up with its not bad.
I don't think its
possible to really have a
bad experience in the
Galapagos islands but we
thought Samba was amazing
and have already to
recommended it to all of our
friends who are interested
in visiting.
Obviously all trips to the
Galapagos are very expensive
and we were a
bit worried about forking
out that much for a week,
but it was worth
every penny to us and Samba
was a big part of
that. So far this
was the
most memorable week of our
15 months travelling the
world. Big thumbs
up!
Hope this is useful to
you....thanks again for
organising, we were very
happy to have booked through
your agency too.
Warmest regards
Matt
How
are
you? Sorry for the delay in
the trip report. You can use
this
report any way you want.
Many thanks for your
help.
My Wife and I took a
trip on the boat M/V
Samba on May 5-12, 2008.
This
trip
was booked with Robin Slater
through Sangay Tours. Robin
was very
helpful in getting us on
this boat as I heard it had
a great route and
was a good boat. We wanted a
small boat (<20
passengers) with an
active group. M/V Samba was
everything we had hoped
for!! The Samba was
the perfect size for us -13
passengers in 78 feet of
boat, it was very
comfortable, clean and ran
like a charm. The guide Juan
Manuel Salcedo
was fantastic! He was
extremely knowledgeable of
the biology, ecology
and geology of the
Galapagos. He was very
enthusiastic and spoke with
perfect English. The food on
board was plentiful and very
good. Captain
Guillermo and crew were very
professional and helpful. We
had a
fantastic time on the boat.
Juan and the crew had us
hiking and
snorkeling both morning and
afternoon. They worked hard
to make sure we
were the first ones at the
landings. We were amazed at
the wildlife,
there were so many sea
lions, iguanas and birds.
While snorkeling, we
saw many kinds of fish,
sharks, turtles, sea lions
and our favorite -
penguins. We can't say
enough about our trip, it
was truly a trip of a
lifetime.
Thanks again Robin for
all your help. I would
recommend your services
and this boat cruise to
anyone!!
Bill and Gaynor H.
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 R.
|
BOAT:
SEAMAN II
|
We
just
got back from our trip on
Tuesday and had a
wonderful time.
I wanted to thank
you for being able to
upgrade us, the ship
[Seaman II] was
a definite step up from
the Angelique (it was like
being moved to first
class from coach on an
airplane, but lasting four
nights).
Everything on our trip
went very smoothly.
Hector did a fine
job
driving us and Cotococha
is a good jungle lodge.
I made the
right decision with my 10
year old son to just do a
5 day Galapagos
cruise and 3 days in the
jungle, instead of the 8
day cruise, because
we ran into the same Mom
and her 10 year old son on
both our plane to
Ecuador and back and they
choose the 8 day cruise,
but the Mom said her
son started to get a
little bored the last
couple of days of the
cruise
because they had already
seen all the animals.
I could have
stayed 3 extra days in the
Galapagos, but my son said
5 days was just
right and he wouldn't have
traded the jungle time for
extra days in the
Galapagos.
In case any
of your customers are
considering going to Tena
for a quick three day
trip, our itinerary worked
perfect. Hector had
us at the
Papallacta hot springs
around 9am, we swam for
about 2 hours, then
drove to Beaz(sp) and had
a trout lunch at Gina's,
then got to the
lodge about 3pm. At
3:30 the lodge took us and
the other guests
to a jungle village to
learn how they live, then
later that evening we
went on a night hike.
The next day the
lodge took us to an island
that had lots of monkeys,
then to Amazoonico to see
more jungle
animals, then we had lunch
and a swim in the river
and finally to a
butterfly farm. Our
last day the lodge took us
to the Rafting
Company, after a fun day
going down the rapids we
changed clothes and
got on a 4 pm bus to
Quito, arriving at our
hotel around 8:30pm.
Although we had a
lot of activities for
three days, we still had
time to relax on the front
porch of our cabin and sit
around the
bonfire at the lodge.
It was a
great trip and I hope to
return soon.
Thank you
and I'll tell all my
friends about Ecuador!
Mike and
Mitchell B.
|
BOAT:
TIP TOP
II
|
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 H.
Calistoga, California
|
BOAT:
TIP TOP
III
|
I
hope you
are well.
OK, some feedback re
TIP TOP III
for you. Also, in case you
don't
know, it went into dry
dock after our trip - I
don't know for how long.
To be
honest,
although I have no
comparison with any other
boat, I
couldn't fault it, apart
from when two of the
cylinders (or whatever)
of the engine went down so
it was travelling slowly
for the last two
days.
The boat totally
lived up to expectations.
Spacious, smart, clean
and comfortable. The
captain/crew were also
excellent - attentive,
helpful and polite. The
guide was also very good,
slightly naggy at
times but knowledgeable,
friendly and helpful (and
only naggy when we
transgressed park rules
which some people did
accidentally now and
again). She was a bit
'off' with someone at one
point for no apparent
reason but that was a one
off. Liz and I had no
problem with her at
all.
Overall I would
totally recommend Tip Top
III.
Thanks for organising
everything. I'm now
trying to encourage other
people to go to Ecuador,
though it a pain to get to
from the UK! Needs
a direct flight.
cheers
Colin
|
BOAT:
TIP TOP
IV
As
promised, here's our
report: in a
nutshell, we were
greatly pleased with Tip
Top IV.
The
ship did have 16
passengers (an Italian
couple, a Canadian
couple, a Puerto Rican
couple, an Ecuadorian
couple (the wife was a
TA for the Rolf Wittmer
agency), a Dutch couple,
an unmarried pair from
the Netherlands and
Belgium, a young man
from Ireland, a German
whose wife and son were
not with him, and us).
All of us got
along quite well and we
liked everyone.
The
guide was excellent as
were the seven crew
members.
Instead
of losing weight, as I
had expected, I put on a
few pounds since the
food was plentiful (our
only wish would have
been for less fish and
salt and more poultry,
which was good when
offered).
The
cabin temperature was
cold and located
midship, as I had
requested. We had
no complaints at all
about the ship (although
several guests would
have preferred a more
luxurious craft) and
everyone seemed to
thoroughly enjoy
themselves.
We
brought far too much
luggage, thanks to Lan's
generous luggage
allowance which I
believe far exceeds that
of Aerogal or Tame.
But I did neglect
to bring a flashlight,
which you had suggested,
which would have been
useful in the lava tube
- next time I'll
remember.
Incidentally, it
was a Lan aircraft for
every leg of the trip,
including the flight to
Baltra.
The
only part I didn't enjoy
too much was the
snorkeling - what I call
the one-way snorkel
trips were too strenuous
for someone my age who
never was a strong
swimmer. But that
was a personal deficit
and not the fault of the
ship. Some of the
younger ones were
thrilled with what they
saw while snorkeling.
We
were very pleased with
your service and thank
you for your
attentiveness.
Although a number
of our friends have
already been to the
Galapagos, if we come
across someone who is
thinking of going we
will certainly give them
your information.
If
you want more
information about
anything, let me know -
I suspect I've given you
more than you really
want to read.
Thanks
again -
Don
|
MISCELLANEOUS
COMMENTS
&
REVIEWS
|
I am writing to
you to let you know that
I have been extremely
impressed by your
employee, Carlos De La
Torre,
who arranged the tour of
the Galapagos for my
parents.
Unfortunately, my
mother had her
passport stolen in Buenos
Aires shortly before my
parents were due to
board the plane to Quito
to join the Galapagos
cruise that Carlos had
arranged for them through
your Company. My
parents don't speak
Spanish and did not have
any easy means of getting
in contact with
Carlos as their cell phone
did not work in South
America. Whilst
they managed to arrange a
temporary emergency
passport for my mother
the following day, they
were unable to find
flights locally that would
get them to Quito in time
to board the cruise in
time. At this
stage, they were
contemplating having to
fly back to the UK early.
I spoke with
Carlos on several
occasions
on the telephone during
this time in order to try
to resolve this
issue. Carlos was
polite, professional and
extremely helpful.
He was able to
arrange for my parents to
pick up the cruise a few
days later into the tour
when the boat docked at
San Cristobal and he
also re-arranged all their
internal flights,
transfers and hotel
bookings so that they were
able to make the necessary
connections.
On the day that they
were being picked up by
the boat, he made
himself available by cell
phone late into the
evening so that if there
were any problems at all,
either the boat captain or
my parents could
call him and he then sent
me an e-mail the following
day to confirm
that they had arrived
safely on board the boat.
I believe that you
have an employee who
has really gone beyond the
call of duty here.
He has been outstanding
and I would certainly
recommend him and your
company to any other
people wishing to travel
in the region.
Many thanks to
Carlos in particular, and
to your Company for
helping to facilitate this
solution so that my
parents were able to enjoy
the majority of the
cruise.
Kind regards
Rachel E |
| 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 C. |
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
MacA. |
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
A. |
|
