References
From Travel agent (regarding Italy)
My sister and her family returned yesterday and had a wonderful time.
They said the accommodations and the driver and guides were very helpful and friendly.
Ken M.
Hey Judy!
Turkey was wonderful! I really enjoyed the country, and we had a small group, which was kind of nice. The guide was wonderful as well.
Excellent trip and thank you for all your help with it too! I really appreciated it.
Every city has its own unique history and places to see. I really enjoyed Ephesus. Such a remarkable place. The food there was interesting. I thought Turkish food had a lot of flavors and spices, but it doesn't. But it was fun to try their food and learn about it too.
Sarah F
Hi Judy,
I wanted to follow up with you on our Italy trip. We LOVED it!!! It was amazing and we’re so glad we were able to make it happen, with the help from you. I appreciate all your help with making this happen and I look forward to working with you on other tours in the future.
JC
Thank you, Judy for our amazing trip to Greece. The tour company was fantastic and had all aspects of our trip mapped out superbly. The hotels (and the locations) were great, we had the best tour guides, and the transfers were always on time and comfortable with great knowledgeable drivers. I can’t thank you enough for making our trip wonderful!
Susan VBY
I appreciate the meticulous details you put in all of our travel plans in Greece. The customer service is top notch and our trips are always amazing. I appreciate your team and you!
The trip was amazing. Everyone had a great time. We enjoyed every property that you selected and the food plus tours were outstanding.
I am so very happy to have partnered with you again. I will share some photos of our Shade of Blue dinner. I can't thank you enough for your suggestions.
Moniqua R
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Hi, Judy, We had a great time in Rome and Barcelona. Many thanks for your assistance, and putting this together of particular value was the shuttle service to and from the Hotel and Ports. One thing you might wanna tell your travel clients bring your own headphones. If you’re on a walking tour, the ones they give you are generally unsatisfactory.
Best, Ken M (for party of four passengers)
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Dear Judy,
I would like to thank you and your staff for this wonderful Fam to Croatia. My cousin and I had the most enjoyable time. The ship was great, the captain and the crew delightful and we made many friends. We enjoyed seeing all the different ports, the old towns and the food. Experiencing Bosnia's Mostar was an extra treat for me. All the stops on the itinerary were educational and historical. We also appreciate being able to visit Kotor in Montenegro. This itinerary is great and I hope you will be able to keep using it. The swim time in the was enjoyed by most.
Thanks again for offering this fam.
Looking for other Fam that you might have to offer.
Dawn S
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Good Evening Judy,
Just had to let you know the vacation to Malta was really great. Everything and everybody worked well.
The Preluna Hotel couldn’t have been better with regards to location, staff, and meal options.
The tours were very informative and pick up times punctual. It really also helped that every day was sunny.
Hopefully we will be able to choose another of your options.
Thank you again for making the booking process easy and stress free.
Kind Regards,
Mary D.
Trip Report- Riselle Abrams 9-7-22- 9-15-22 Portugal ( 6 day Southern tour of Portugal)
This trip was rescheduled from 2020, then 2021, finally 2022! We used a group called Tour Specialists as it was a FAM. So reduced rate.
They take Euros in Portugal and the exchange rate was exc. 1-1
Bottled water was usually 1 Euro or so. We got two pastries for less than 3 Euros.
Most staff speak English in rest. or hotels.
We flew on AA and BA from BWI to JFK-LHR- then Lisbon. We paid extra for extra leg room- comfort seats- well worth it.
1st stop Lisbon. Stayed at Olissippo Marques de Sa hotel. Good location. Outside downtown Lisbon on a quiet street, but a short walk to the Metro and 10 -15 min metro ride. The first day we arrived late afternoon so the only thing we did was check in and walk to a restaurant across the street for dinner. Maria dei Peixeria. A fish rest.- Codfish is the specialty so we had that bread and olives and some sangria. Very good and ate outside ,weather was pleasant and warm. Hotel was okay. The bathroom for instance was very small and the shower had no shelves and the bathroom no hooks! So we had to put our soap and shampoo on the floor of the shower. Bed was comfortable view disappointing. Desk staff were helpful and friendly. Seemed like a lot of travel groups were staying at our hotel.
Next day we had breakfast in the hotel- big buffet- scrambled eggs, pastries, yogurts, roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, sausages, cheese, lunch meats, breads, fresh fruits, cereal, cappuccino, tea, hot choc., coffee , espresso machine, fresh juices OJ and peach, etc. We had a private Lisbon highlights ½ day ( Viator)tour- just the 2 of us with a driver (Daniel) in a Black Mercedes van. Drove us to a famous panoramic overlook with Lady of the Hill church, St. Vincent church, walking tour of the Alfama district, saw the Pantheon, stopped at a huge sculpture of Henry the Navigator and large plaza. The tour included stops at Geronimos Monastery, a stop for cherry brandy tasting, a famous pastel de nata- custard tart pastry, a stop at Belem Tower, Parliament, stopped at a Botanic Garden and overlook, Commerce Square. WE were returned to the hotel by 1:15pm. Excellent tour and tour guide. Liked we could leave things in the van.
We freshened up and went out for a walk- there was a museum and park within a block or two which also had an outdoor café`. This was at the Gulbenkian Foundation- all free except for the café. Had a light lunch strolled around the park.
At 4:30pm we met in Rossio Square (had taken the metro) for another Viator tour- Small group Lisbon walking wine and food tasting tour. It was a small group of 14 including us- we had a great time with our tour guide who had us try- Bifana- tender pork sandwich and Sagres beer, green wine and fried codfish cakes ( like croquettes), some cherry brandy, some port, St. George cheese with marmalade and finally olives, bread, more wine and flaming sausages. We walked from one restaurant to the next with our guide (another Daniel) who was very informative and funny.
This tour was about 3.5 -4 hours and a good way to learn about Portuguese cuisine or specialties and meet nice people. Managed to walk back and find the subway -took it back to the hotel and crashed- we’re not used to drinking that much!
The next day (Day 3 )after breakfast we met our tour guide Jean Paul in the lobby expecting we’d be getting on a bus. Little did we know we’d be getting in a Mercedes van with 4 other people. This was like a private tour! Fantastic. Started with a panoramic tour of Lisbon. He also stopped at this huge statue of Jesus that was a replica of the one in Rio. Christo Rei on a hill.
Jean Paul ended up being a character- spoke 5 languages, great personality, and great guide, also very funny. He took us to see a Cork factory where they cut the trees and make all kinds of products, wallets, trivets, furniture, birdhouses, jewelry, purses, bookmarks, etc. He explained the process of how they produce cork.
We had lunch at Cozina de Catherine- fantastic meal with Black pork ( the pigs only eat black acorns- hence the name- very tender-( tasted like steak) fries , olives, bread, mushrooms, wine and delicious desserts. Our tour guide ate with us and helped us order or translate the Portuguese. He ate with us at all meals. Next we departed for the town of Evora- where we visited a the Sao ( St) Francisco church and Church of the Bones. Evora also had some Roman ruins. Checked into our hotel the Evora Olive hotel. Definitely a 4.5- beautiful with lovely pool area lots of marble, palm trees, etc. . We took a dip.
Weather was hot 94 degrees and humid. Bathroom was amazing all marble, huge shower with rainshower head- you could fit 3 people in it easily, room large with very attractive wood cabinets for storing clothes. Floor to ceiling windows. Hotel had a unique large white spiral staircase in the lobby- very artsy looking. We ate dinner there.
Next day Day 4 visited a Clay / pottery museum near Evora – and then a pottery factory with local artist throwing clay on a wheel. Next destination Beja where there was a castle and old chapel filled with gold and a hidden secret passage .Our tour guide got someone in the church to show it to us and some people on the tour crawled inside where there were hidden rooms with very old mural paintings from the 1300s. Lunch to go – went to a park as the restaurant was very crowded. Visited Silves and another castle. On the way viewed stork nests and storks perched on telephone towers and street lights. Our guide stopped for this. Hot day again in the 90’s with high humidity . Jean Paul drove us to Lagos and Villa Gale Hotel. Gorgeous hotel- quite extensive grounds- large zero entry pools and rooms faced the ocean and beach. We went in the water and walked on the beach (beach was across the street) and then the weather turned cloudy, windy and cool. Dinner at the Italian Restaurant Massa Fina at the hotel. Very good pasta, drinks and salad.
Room was a good size, comfortable bed, good storage, nice bathroom and great balcony.
Day 5 After breakfast in the hotel- large buffet, we were driven to Ponta de Piedade- means” Point of pity.” It was a rainy, cloudy day but the rain was intermittent ,held off when needed and we went to see this gorgeous natural rock formation in Sagres -really beautiful- just breathtaking- lots of steps down to the water but great views.
This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Then we were driven to Capa de Vincent-Cape of St. Vincent most southern point in Europe with a lighthouse and interesting cliffs on the ocean. We also visited a fort. Went to lunch at a marina ( Nikko Tasca?)– tried fried cuttlefish- not for me. Weather was cool and gray- very unseasonable for the Algarve but there was Hurricane Danielle affecting the weather.
Day 6- Left the Algarve and were driven to a stone fort- St. Phillipe-offered nice views of the port and town of Setubal as well as beautiful blue and white hand painted tiles. Jean Paul drove us up into the hills where we saw a convent , an old abandoned military base and panoramic views of the coastline.
Lunch at Restaurant D’uportinho- seafood- fish restaurant on the water- nice shrimp and sangria, etc. After lunch we were transported back to Lisbon and our hotel Ollissipo Marques de Sa. We walked down Miguel de Bombarda and Avenida Republica – bought a pastry for later and shared a dinner at a Morroccan Restaurant ( Marrakkesh) a few blocks from the hotel.
Room in hotel- must be larger- floor and bathroom looks to be redone. At least we have a shelf in the bathroom for soap and shampoo, larger counter around the sink and a view of the street in front of the hotel. Much better room.
We were driven next to the beach town of Cascais- wished we had stayed there 2 nights- very scenic, stopped for pictures, another stop was Boca de Infern- mouth of the Inferno for photos. Arched rock formation with churning waters and cliffs.
Driven back to hotel in Lisbon about 40 min and went to dinner at a lovely restaurant 2-3 blocks away called Bellalisa.
Flight back was Lisbon to LHR- LHR to BWI. We had 2 hours in between flights but the 1st flight was 45 min. late, then they didn’t go up to the gate right away and finally waited on those buses at LHR. By the time we got through security- bused us to a different gate or terminal and got to our gate -they were just about starting to board. But we made it!
It was a wonderful trip! Would highly recommend Portugal- very inexpensive, food was good – tons to see. We were mainly in the southern part and Lisbon. Porto and the northern part is supposed to be lovely.
****( Our main tour was 6 days, 5 nts, accommodations, tour guide, transportation, porterage of bags and breakfast daily) in addition an extra pre and post nt. that we paid for) so that made it 7 nts.
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We have returned from Croatia and have finally dug ourselves out from under the pile of emails awaiting our return!
Just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful trip! The cruise line (Kompass) was fabulous, the crew amazing, the cruise director terrific, the food delicious, the Croatian people friendly. We really enjoyed ourselves! Would highly recommend!
Lorie H, Canada
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UAE
Hello Judy,
First of all, I want to thank you for all the work you put in to making our trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai successful. I have put together some thoughts that I hope will help you and future travelers.
1. Upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, all visitors are required to have Covid testing. It is provided in the arrival hall with at least 30 stations. There is no charge for this service. The procedure requires you to provide a phone number for the results to be sent to you within 24 hours. We got ours in 5 hours.
2. The pick up was easy with the driver waiting outside.
3. The W Hotel is AMAZING and I would recommend that every one of your clients stay there. It is perfectly situated and the staff are personable and warm. Food is excellent and you are located on the Formula 1 racetrack where there are constant vehicles racing – Ferraris, Lotuses, etc. throughout the morning into the early night.
4. On day two, our guide for both Abu Dhabi and Dubai met us on time. He was WONDERFUL and extremely knowledgeable.
5. The CANOPY hotel is in a fabulous location near many restaurants, the ancient city, the canal and wonderful views. It shares the property with a Hampton Inn. I would suggest that you have your clients upgrade to at least any of the King Premium rooms with a City View.
6. All of the tours were wonderful. As I mentioned earlier, our guide for both Abu Dhabi and Dubai Certainly knows his history. He is very patient, flexible and a pleasure to be around.
7. Expo 2020 was wonderful; however, you need at least two days. Even then, you will not be able to see everything. At the end of two days, we saw perhaps half of the pavilions. BTW – Senior citizens are admitted free and given a six-month pass. A highlight was when we saw the new Riverdance show from Ireland on one of the big stages. Every time you enter the Expo you need to show your vaccination card.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai should be on everyone’s bucket list. The people and culture are wonderful. The itinerary for this trip is perfect; however, I would add an additional day of nonactivities after arrival. There is a feeling of tranquility among all the inhabitants of the UAE that is not often found today. You feel safe. The international workers are reliable, friendly and committed to making your stay in the UAE pleasant and memorable.
Again, you did a wonderful job and it is most appreciated.
With warmest regards,
Bob M.
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Greece
Hi Judy,
I just wanted to say thank you for all you've done on the recent fam trip that I took with you to Greece! It was a lovely time and we had no complaints about any of the services. We took many photos, so if you'd like to see them, they are in this album:
Thank you again!
Kind regards,
Tera S
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Tunisia and UAE
Thank you for the travel arrangements you made for Karin and I on our recent trip to Tunisia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Everything went smoothly. We were happy to be met in each airport and transported to our hotels. Our guide and driver in Tunisia were just wonderful. We learned so much from them.
The day trips in Dubai were great. We never were with more than 10 others. The guides were informative. We even learned how to use the Metro and got around Dubai easily.
I enjoyed working with you, Judy
Regards, Margie B. CTC
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HI Judy!
I’ve been meaning to send theses since I returned. I shared with the Royal Tour folks the pictures and I wanted to send them to you also from UAE. It was certainly very interesting, and super-hot. Everything on the tour went perfectly! I would 100% pass along my experience with Tours Specialists!!
Thanks again,
Adrienne
Travel Consultant
Lawyers Travel
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Morocco
Hi Judy.
We're back from our amazing trip! Thanks so much for all your work in organizing it for us!
Attached are a couple of pictures. The one of Mark and I with our guide Mustafa. He was awesome and you should request him specifically whenever you can.
The Ryad in Rabat was probably the most interesting accommodations we have ever stayed in...so cool!
The accommodations in Fez had a fabulous view of the city. However, the hotel seemed to be understaffed (especially the wait staff).
If anything else comes to mind, I'll pass it along.
Again, thanks for an amazing trip!
Lorie H
Independent Travel Consultant
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Italy
We are back from our amazing trip to Italy. The trip was much more than I expected and fantastic!
Mirjam the tour guide and our drive Antonio absolutely wonderful. I have some friends asking for your info which I gave them.
Thanks again for this wonderful experience.
T. Mucklow
Travel Consultant
American Express Global Business Travel
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Sicily
We had a wonderful time!
Weather began a bit windy and cooler, but by Friday we were at the Beach Club pool! What a beautiful country and the history is fascinating! Enjoyed everything. If you want a great restaurant - Kris - Maltese - went twice! It is close to the Preluna.
The hotel was perfect, as was our SEA VIEW rm!!!!!! Really enjoyed it.
Warm regards,
Kathy
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Family to Greece
Island Hopping with extra night in Mykonos and Santorini
Hello,
I was not sure where to drop my comment form off following our trip so I am sending to you by email. Thank you for everything you did for us on this trip, we had a really wonderful and stress free trip. Your organization of everything was very much appreciated and those that were chartered to drive and Hotel staff were wonderful as well.
Thank you again,
Heather H.
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From passenger traveling to Morocco
I just wanted to let you know how wonderful and amazing our trip was. Hamid was everything we hoped for, I would highly recommend him to any sort of tourist you might have. The Riad's were perfect and the tent in Merzouga was the highlight of our trip.
There is not one thing you provided that I would change other than suggesting your clients not spend any time in Casablanca. It is a good city to fly into and then depart to other destinations. There are so many more magical places to experience. I don't really think it speaks to people like the rest of the country.
All of the sights you sent us to and all of the guides at each destination were perfect. Thank you a million times over for all you did and for making our trip the best ever !!
Best regards,
Karen O., Travel agent
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The Greek Fam was unbeliveable…everything was great. Thank you so much.
T. Ramin, Travel agent, Farmingham, MA
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I am sorry for the delayed re-cap of our wonderful, top three vacations ever, magical Moroccan adventure! WE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT !
We thank you for all your perfect planning. Everything from our driver Mustapha – an incredible gentleman, to the many local guides to all our hotels, dinners and side trips were PERFECT!
I will forward you some of our pictures. We cannot thank you both enough!
P. Loftus FIT passenger, Orlando, FL
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Thank you for your hard work and assistance with planning our trip to Greece. We had a few bumps, but none that had to do with either of you. The few bumps we did have did not take away from the great time we had.
I’m on your email list, so maybe I’ll be able to book with you again in the coming year. Take care.
E. Warder, Travel agent, Los Angeles, CA
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My husband and I just returned from the cooking tour of Italy and I wanted to thank you so much for arranging this fantastic experience for us. We loved the cooking experiences and being on Sorrento, Spoleto and Rome. I would not hesitate using your company for unique and wonderful tour experiences. I look forward to working with you in the future.
S. Steiman, Travel agent, Columbus, OH
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Just wanted to share with you…The couple had a great time and loved everything you set up for them in Malta. Thanks again for your help… and especially your patience. Hope to work with you again in the future.
M. Barsotti, Travel agent, Danville, CA
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My passengers just returned and I wanted to be sure that you know how please they were with the arrangements in Malta. Please do pass along their praise to your staffers. As I have told you before they are wonderful travelers, curious and interested in everything. I am very happy with their comments and relieved as well – it is hard when we use a company for the first time, no matter how well recommended. These passengers are particularly important to me and have become dear friends. Believe me- they will tell everyone they know!
Marilyn, Travel Agent, San Jose, CA
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Our Morocco tour was everything that I had hoped for and more. For me, it was a dream come true. As Gabreil perdicted, we "loved" our driver, GHOUFDANE. He was superb driver and attentive to every detail of our itinerary and our well being and safety, throughout the tour. We were indeed lucky to have him assigned as our driver and guide. Once I have collected my thoughts i will follow up with an appropriate letter to Morocco commending him. I just wanted you to know right away that we were happy with the land arrangements.
B. Benadom, FIT passenger, CA