TESTIMONIALS

Costa del Sol trip

Good morning.

We arrived home safely yesterday, tired but very happy with our recent long stay in Spain.

The Sunset Beach Club is fabulous. We were fortunate to get a sea facing room on the eighth floor (817), so were very pleased. A few other folks in our group were not as fortunate and the hotel endeavored to improve their rooms.

We booked on several side tours through the “Come and Si” Tour Company. We have never experienced a more professional and accommodating group. All the tours were great value for the money. I highly recommend them to you.

Now it’s back to reality until we head out for our River cruise this coming November.

Just checking in with you folks to give a briefing. We recommended “The Travel Lady” to several fellow travellers. 👍

— John and Nancy Tacka

Turkey trip

Bonjour! I hope you are home and getting somewhat rested for your next adventure! I just wanted to say thank you again for such a wonderful experience. It is a trip I will never forget and I thoroughly enjoyed all the time that we had together to chat just about random things. I look forward to chatting with you again and one day meeting up again.. One never knows 😘

— Janita, Travel Best Bet

Turkey trip

This was an amazing experience and I really could not imagine how it could have gone any better. I Will admit that I may have been the first person to think it could have been not as awesome as it was… Sometimes people just don’t work together you know? But this seemed to be fabulous. I won’t even speak about your representant and guide because we all know how amazing they were and it seems like such a cliche but they were the best. We know they were the best. It would be great to know that our clients will always have them but I feel that as long as halit and zafer know we thought they were the best that’s all we can offer.

— Vesna, AMA

European Christmas Vacation

Mr Cristofaro & family are back from their European Christmas Vacation:
“On behalf of our entire family I am extending to you, our thanks for what was a very memorable and well organized trip to Europe during the Christmas season. Your attention to details and sound advise was in great part why this trip was a good as it was. Thank you.”

I also wish to thank you David on a personal basis for your precious contribution and insights in creating this successful itinerary. Looking forward working with you again when other opportunities arise
Kind regards 😊

— Alain Martel | Travel counsellor

Costa Rica Trip

Laguna Lodge at Tortuguero was very good. Only improvement = add face clothes in bathroom.
Arenal Manoa was very good, had good shuttle service.
Hotel Poco a Poco was very good, nice to be in town near a shopping area and other restaurants.
Hotel Presidente was very good as well.

— L. McIntosh

Thailand Trip

We are still feeling the afterglow of our Thailand Adventure!! What an Amazing Country – Beautiful People – Beautiful Scenery!

Their suppliers in each community were fantastic. We were met off the plane by Poy (our Bangkok ambassador) – a private transfer to the Amora Neoluxe Hotel. Enroute she was already giving us lots of info and tips! The hotel was modest – met our needs – very conveniently located! There was lots of shopping and places to eat in walking distance. We loved our Chinatown and Temple Tours! We didn’t realize that Poy would accompany us to both – a private tour! She took us down a side street the night we went to Chinatown so that we got to see the Temples lit up at night. The driver was excellent! Bangkok was a crazy busy city – glad we did it – and we also really liked that it was at the beginning of the itinerary! Poy and the other guides not only brought us to the airport but right up to the ticket counter!

Noom was our guide in Chang Mai – he also met us at the airport. He was patient as we shopped through the village – brought us to a favourite spot of his for Khao Soi (delicious soup). Very informative on temple tour! We took in the Flower Festival that another tourist told us about and the Market – both easily accessible by Grab taxi and a return via Tuk Tuk. Our day spent at the Elephant Sanctuary was spectacular!!! Loved every minute of it!!! Accommodations (Aruntara) were a bit more posh in Chang Mai! Lovely – a bit out of the way but transportation to the Market etc was very easy)

We were really happy that the tour ended on the beach in Phuket. The tours to James Bond Island and Phi Phi Islands were amazing!!! Full day tours…..unique lunch experiences – one on a floating restaurant – Michelene Award! The Charm Resort was very nice – very conveniently located across the street from Patong Beach. Also – it was at the quieter end of the beach – a little away from all of the motorized activity options and party central.

We were really glad that we booked the extra beach days! The trip would have otherwise come to a full stop!

I’d highly recommend a trip to Thailand to anyone! Oh and the Emmirates flights are awesome! We were thinking that they were actually over feeding us!!! Meals – snacks – frequent offerings of juice and water – very pleasant staff!!!

— Mary Jane & Jean-Yves

Germany, Austria, France trip

The airport hotel and breakfast there is superb! Would definitely recommend it.

France was an unexpected pleasure – I hope we are able to go back and visit some Art museums in our next visit (and maybe the palace of Versailles and Louvre Museum). The tour in Normandy – the private tour to Juno beach etc – I can’t tell you how much effort our guide had put in to make us be proud to be Canadian. Again superb! The airport in Bayeaux not great – but safe, clean and fine – the location was just on the edge of the town – and the rooms a little old without character compared to all of our others.

We had the little flight delay on the way over – not a big deal – and the hop on hop off bus at Munich – we arrived too late to use it – but the lady was very kind and it was all good. We made all our train connections etc – we do agree with you that the overnight Train ride is something we probably won’t choose to do again! Haha But it was an experience and one that we are glad to have had!

We absolutely have no regrets or anything that we would have changed. And even though there was a few things we would like to go back and do; the amount of time was good for us. We wouldn’t have shortened or lengthened the trip.

Perhaps we will go back to Freising and come home through Paris again…..

Thank you for all your assistance! You did FANTASTIC JOB!!!!

— Gerald and Connie

Vietnam Trip

… I got feedback from my client’s Vietnam trip.

They loved it! Everything was superb and went off without a hitch. Hotels were great. All of the guides and drivers were excellent and full of information. They took time to answer many questions and were not rushing through to get to the next spot. Although my client’s had reservations about the Indochina Junk boat in Bai Tu Long they said it was amazing and they had their best meals on this overnight boat and the other guests were francophones so they had a great time. They had just enough downtime to relax and enjoy their trip as well. The pace of the itinerary was excellent for this active family.

So basically – it was a great success. Thanks again for a great job and for making me look good 😉

— Alyssa, Travel Consultant

Croatia Trip

…what a great trip we had, thanks to all your planning and choices of great guided tours, great food and we’ve felt very special at every destination!
Each area had something authentic to offer us! The Islands were wonderful but surprisingly the more urban areas also were special, especially Dubrovnik and Montenegro! We had some weather and labour strike work to rule issues on our trip to Montenegro but the driver and guide made sure we would make our trip to Our Lady of the Rock! My knee was giving me some trouble and they were so supportive!
Many thanks!

— P&P

Italy Trip

This was a trip of a lifetime and first International trip, that being said I was nervous and a bit overwhelmed. I was absolutely thrilled that everything went off without a hitch . It was perfect and everyone working for Exotik tours ( transfer staff, tour staff , hotel pkgs ) were all very good !!!

Please extend my appreciation and kudos to all the people involved for their patience and their friendly greetings and hospitality. They all need to know how their engagement with tourists can make or break a vacation /trip.

— Tessa

Uzbekistan trip

Hello Émilie!

Our customers have returned from their trip to Uzbekistan and they simply loved it 😊

Here’s a short extract from an email we received:

Trip completed.

It was extraordinary.

The country, the organization, the guide, EVERYTHING.

We are extremely satisfied.

Long live private travel!

Thank you again for your invaluable collaboration and for your professionalism, speed of execution and quality!

We look forward to discussing travel with you again for future clients!

— Mélanie

Croatia and Bosnia trip

We wanted to let you know that we had an amazing trip and really appreciate your efforts in pulling together an itinerary that worked.  The hotels in every other location were great.

The location of the hotels was awesome. Having a resort hotel in Pula, next to a pool and the Adriatic was special.

We really enjoyed our time in the area, and made side trips every day, including venturing out on a Truffle hunt.

In Zagreb, the location of the hotel on the edge of old town, provided us relatively easy access to many of the main attractions.

In Sarajevo, the hotel was located next to a 15th century Ottoman/Turkish Bazaar. The guide that was assigned to us provided a wonderful perspective on the tumultuous history of the area.

Mostar provided a sobering perspective of the devastation of war and a glimmer of hope for the future.

….and Medjugorje was Sheila’s personal highlight.

A lot of great memories. Your assist in making it happen is greatly appreciated.

— Gerry and Sheila

Greece trip

Hi Tom,

I just wanted to reach out and let you know that my group of 10 that I took to Greece had an absolutely fantastic time.

The itinerary was perfect, Athens along with 3 very different islands provided an awesome experience.

The transfers were on time and excellent as well as the communication through WhatsApp from the supplier to be sure our pick ups went smoothly .

Ferry reservations – they did check in for us and sent me the boarding passes the day before as well as sent updated info about ferry delays.

The hotels were so great, very welcoming staff and location perfect and boutique feel. Everything gave the exact vibe we were looking for, we made memories to last a lifetime and our Apple watches tell us that we walked 177 km in 13 days!

Having things run so seamless made me look professional and confident just as I had hoped. I really appreciate all your assistance with getting this trip booked and look forward to working with you again.

— Thanks Cindy

Costa Rica trip

Our guide for the part of the tour from San Jose to Tortuguero and back again was Sebastian and he was fantastic!! Friendly knowledgeable, helpful and always smiling.

Give that man a raise, he is great!!!

— D. Wayne

Kenya trip

This was the best trip we have ever taken. From the moment we touched down in Nairobi we knew we were in good hands. Leoneda was the first one we met. Oh, my! She was very warm and friendly. She welcomed us and immediately took our winter coats (they wouldn’t fit into our suitcases) and backpacks and hoodies that we were carrying. She immediately took us to the immigration line and told us what documents we needed to show and where to stand. After that she went and got a luggage cart and picked up all our luggage… Leoneda is definitely a great asset to the company she works for. We told her we wanted her to pick us up again next time we come back. She helped us get our luggage scanned and exit the airport. She took us to where Malek,Fedelis and Patrick were. The guys took us to the hotel. Patrick is an excellent driver. Quiet and respectful. Fedelis was great… He was very informative pointing out places of interest every time we were in the vehicle with him. He made us feel safe and welcome at all times. At the hotel, he took our passports and did all the talking and got us checked in quickly. Wow! Is what we both kept saying. We have never had such a warm welcome in any country… This company should be very proud to have these three employees. Exceptional service!!! We cannot say enough wonderful things about them. Fedelis Mutua and everyone else we were in contact with provided us with exceptional service. This includes Leoneda who met us at the airport, and everyone at Sarova Stanley, Ololo Lodge and Ilkeliani Camp. The facilities were all top notch, the food wonderful, and the game drives excellent.

— Mr. Douglas

Greece Trip

It was absolutely wonderful, we had a couple of small blips but Exotik were great and fixed them. All the transfers worked perfectly and the hotels were excellent, we definitely preferred the more countryside ones compared to Palmera Beach in Crete which felt a bit like a Las Vegas strip after all our quieter back behind all the busyness locations but I guess it was good to experience that too.

Exotik really knew the logical order of even the islands we visited and what ferries were the best for each journey so definitely appreciate their knowledge in planning what is best. Even our hotel in Athens was on a very quiet back street but right near the Acropolis and we could walk down our quiet street to be at the main promenade for the acropolis which was wonderful. Plus it felt like a very safe place to be staying when we saw where some others were dropped off after our four day bus tour. The bus tour was also good and we had a very relaxed guide with later start times so even though I don’t like bus tours, that all went well too… it really was a trip of a lifetime that went so smoothly and we are so grateful.

— Karen

Azores Trip

Hello Tom,

Thank you for your assistance with this booking, my clients had the best time on their trip, the services of suppliers you used were impeccable and beyond their expectations and the Hotel was excellent as well.

Best Regards

— Sue, Travel Consultant

Greece Trip

Hi,

My clients have returned from their wonderful vacation to Greece.

They absolutely enjoyed every second. The flights, transfers, hotels were top notch, and they loved everything.

I gave you their possible itinerary and I asked for safe areas and hotels and you certainly delivered. You made their dream come true and made me look like a superstar.

Thank you so much for making their first big trip a slam dunk.

I always recommend Exotic Journeys and you have always put together awesome itineraries for me. Thank you again.

— Kay

Portugal Trip

…we had a lovely time and everything went as planned…

The Trains: So nice to have the actual tickets in our possession. No lining up or guessing. The only way to go … thank you!

Carris Ribiero Porto Hotel: Friendly, helpful staff. Centrally located but very noisy – constant motorcycle revving & racing at night and car horns honking. The rooms were a little small but fine. Nice hotel restaurant. They sent us a small plate with goodies on it for our 50th anniversary and had a very good morning breakfast.

Hotel Mundial, Lisbon: Lovely hotel, centrally located and with security guards on each door. The hotel had a room with coffee, tea and sweet treats that we could access at any time of the day. That was a very nice feature. They also had a very good breakfast and very friendly, helpful staff.

Hotel Sans Gil, Seville: Friendly staff, beautiful courtyard for dining or a drink, and they had a wonderful breakfast… we discovered that if we walked in the opposite direction, that 10 minutes got us into all parts of Seville and if you didn’t mind walking, you could walk to almost anything – the Gothic Cathedral, Alcázar, the Del Torres bullfighting ring etc. The rooms were a good size, had plenty of storage, and good sized vanities. We really loved Seville.

Vila Petra, Albufeira: Lovely grounds and exceptionally friendly staff – so much happening there – massage, workout rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, entertainment, special meal nights, laundry facilities etc. It was about a 15 m walk to the beach so that discouraged us a little from going there very often but we relaxed around the pool. The studio apartment was perfect for us – roomy & had everything we needed. The breakfasts were absolutely fabulous! We found 2 good restaurants very close to the hotel – Double D (a tapas restaurant that was very reasonably priced and Martinique, that I talked to you about previously). Albufeira was very rowdy on the Saturday & Sunday when we arrived (someone called it the “Party Town”), but calmed down a lot for the rest of our stay.

— Barb and Tom

Turkey trip

Thank you Marie-Eve (Mama Bear), the Exotik Journeys gang & HIS for this amazing opportunity to discover, first hand, about; Turkey, Exotik Journeys & our guide Zafer from HIS. We learned about Turkey’s history, food, culture & friendly people; I, personally, will forever remember this fam & the amazing people that I met throughout my time spent here. The participants on this fam just rocked & friendships were instantly created. This experience showed the quality, integrity & devotion of Exotik Journeys & the amazing people behind the scenes that make the magic happen. Our guide Zafer from HIS, well what can I say; he was full of knowledge, personable, humorous & flexible (to a point) with our itinerary), I would definitely request him for my clients. Our driver was amazing & always felt safe in his hands. Again Marie-Eve & all who made this Turkey fam happen, a Very Big Thank you! ❤️

— Abbey, Four Points Travel

Turkey trip

I didn’t imaging when I left Vancouver for this trip, how amazing it would be an how it would change my thoughts of travel.  We had such an amazing time and everyday I woke up thinking “what am I going to see today? And as always I am as overwhelmed with the sites that we saw and the unique experiences that were planed for us.  Our group bonded right away and we became travel friends!  The best kind of friends, because we can all relate.  So thanks to to Marie-Eve and Thea for your hard work organizing this for us, and to Zafar and Halit (and our wonderful diver that kept us safe during this trip). Zafer for  keeping us in line and on time! You are all amazing and I wish I could do this trip with you  all another time I would go in a heartbeat 💓

— Karen, TTAND

Turkey trip

This truly was an amazing fam! I learned so much. Thank you everyone for being such a great group. I had no idea that Turkey was such an interesting country to visit with such a variety of culture, history, food and wonderful people. And so safe and clean. Thank you Thea and Marie-Eve for all the hard work you both put in, to make it happen. And to Zafer and Halit for guiding us through ancient history at all the sites we saw. The passion for your country, to show it off and share it with the world is evident. Thank you also for the welcome gift and the lovely gift we were given tonight. I ❤️ TR

— Lynda, Total Advantage Travel

Kenya trip

This was the best trip we have ever taken. From the moment we touched down in Nairobi we knew we were in good hands. Leoneda was the first one we met. Oh, my! She was very warm and friendly. She welcomed us and immediately took our winter coats (they wouldn’t fit into our suitcases) and backpacks and hoodies that we were carrying. She immediately took us to the immigration line and told us what documents we needed to show and where to stand. After that she went and got a luggage cart and picked up all our luggage. She wouldn’t let us touch our luggage at all. Leoneda is definitely a great asset to the company she works for. We told her we wanted her to pick us up again next time we come back. She helped us get our luggage scanned and exit the airport. She took us to where Malek,Fedelis and Patrick were. The guys took us to the hotel. Patrick is an excellent driver. Quiet and respectful. Fedelis was great. He welcomed us and asked about our flights and explained what would happen once we got to the hotel. He was very informative pointing out places of interest every time we were in the vehicle with him. He made us feel safe and welcome at all times. At the hotel, he took our passports and did all the talking and got us checked in quickly. Wow! Is what we both kept saying. We have never had such a warm welcome in any country. Fedelis came back to the hotel the next day to see if everything was good and if we needed any help in any way. This company should be very proud to have these three employees. Exceptional service!!! We cannot say enough wonderful things about them. Fedelis Mutua and everyone else we were in contact with provided us with exceptional service. This includes Leoneda who met us at the airport, and everyone at Sarova Stanley, Ololo Lodge and Ilkeliani Camp. The facilities were all top notch, the food wonderful, and the game drives excellent.
…. Thank you one and all for the wonderful memories.

— De B. DYSON

Japan Trip

We loved Japan! It was so much fun, we didn’t want to leave.
A couple of suggestions I would have for the tour operator would be advising clients that there will be a city tax owing at every hotel. That caught us off guard. Luckily I had enough cash to cover it all. When we were in Hakone, we had no idea where to find the cable car ride, there was no signage anywhere, so we missed out on that.

Other than those couple of things, it was a great trip. The subway system was very complicated to navigate but we got where we needed to go
We look forward to going back.
All the best,

— Marianne

Costa del Sol Trip

I was pleased with the Sunset Beach Resort. It was centrally located for all our needs. Great fantastic Mountain view from our balcony on the 13th floor. Just 5 min. to grocery stores… We were informed that Benalmadena was a very safe place, you could walk at night. We took guided tours with the company ComeandSi that was available at the resort. Their guide, Daniel, was excellent. He spoke fluently Spanish, French and English. Very knowledgeable guy. He introduced me to History which I was not interested in before this trip. Went to a wine tour, considering I don’t drink wine but the information was really good and that too I enjoyed. Took the Gilbrator Tour, always with the same ComeandSi guided Tours, that was the highlight of my trip going up the mountain in a mini bus.. Every guided tours were highlights in my opinion.

Really enjoyed the opportunity to buy the Platinum Lounge Pass. That was a good treat. The food was very good.

Well thank you for everything.

— D. Sauve

Costa del Sol Trip

Exotik representative in Malaga, Nathalie Fleurant, was excellent. The tours she had planned, especially the Great Expectations series, were incredible. Care was also taken to build restroom stops along the way on all tours.

The tour guide, Daniel, was amazing. To and from the tours, he talked about the agriculture, scenery, local history and stories of interest. He was patient with the clients who were slower to keep up with the group and never let them feel they were holding us up. His command of the English language was excellent. We never felt as though tours were rushed and there was always time for questions.

Our very first long stay vacation and we were both extremely happy.

— Mr. & Mrs Sahebkar

Egypt Trip

Our trip included flights down to Aswan and Abu Simbel then back to Cairo after a cruise to Luxor. Everyone we encountered were so welcoming, knowledgeable and professional.
I’d like to particularly point out Mena who was our main contact for us. He went above and beyond making sure our trip was smooth, stress free and organized. His communication with us was exceptional – giving us clear directions of what was going to happen and when. While to some his job may seem “in the background” compared to the Egyptologists etc., I cant say enough how much we appreciated Mena as our lead organizer.

— Elizabeth and Pierce

Portugal and Italy Trip

Hi… the trip went so great and smoothly!! I can’t thank you enough. The drivers were always there waiting, everyone was so kind. The tours were so nice (and timed really well …)
Thank you again, it was truly a once in a lifetime trip 🙂

— Jen

Portugal Trip

…the accommodations and the transfers were seamless! It made our travels so easy to transition from place to place… staff were very pleasant to deal with.
Your extra work arranging the transfer from Seville to Albufeira was most appreciated; just thinking of busing, etc was mind boggling and that transfer saved us hours of waiting and transfers with luggage.
Having breakfast in each hotel was a wonderful benefit which we appreciated.
It was a wonderful way to celebrate together, enjoy the company of friends and experience another part of the world.

— Diane and Henry