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Sincerely, Audrey Good Morning Christian, You have beaten my to the punch, my rather long job list for today included writing to you, to tell you what a wonderful experience we have enjoyed thanks to your work on our behalf. The accommodations aboard the M/Y Odyssey, cabin number 1, were bright, spacious and comfortable. There were some problems with the air conditioning when we arrived on board and we were offered another cabin below deck which we declined. Fortunately, the engineer was able to repair the air conditioning by later the same evening. The buffet presented at all meals was varied and always excellent. The Captain and crew were all most friendly and obliging and took very good care of us when ever we disembarked or returned to the ship. Our guide, Tatiana Bucheli, was extremely knowledgeable and answered all our questions thoroughly and to our satisfaction whatever they may have had reference to. If we were taking the trip again we would ask for nothing to be changed. Thank you once again Christian, I would recommend your services to anyone contemplating such an adventure. In fact, at some point in the not too distant future, we may wish to come back to Ecuador and visit other areas of your beautiful country. Yours sincerely, Alan Hola Ivonne! I am back in Singapore and I would like to thank U very much for all ur assistance of planning my trip with the problems at Macchu Pichu and the cancellation of my girlfriend. Thanks to you I had a wonderfull time in Ecuador and Peru. The guides you choose are very nice and knowledeable and the hotels were great. Whenever me or one of my friends are going to Ecuador/Peru I will recommend to use Columbus Travel. I already referred one Traveller I met, named also Yvonne from Switzerland to you for Galapagos Cruise. Muchas Gracias and many greetings from Singapore Guido Vero Thank you for arranging out trip to the Galapagos Islands. Everything went smoothly and all pick-ups were on time. My wife and I enjoyed our trip very much. It was very much what we expected. Sincerely, Joe Cahayla Hello Vero We are now back from Ecuador and starting to resettle into our "normal" lives. I wanted to let you know how happy we were to meet you and how thrilled we were with the entire trip and the important part you played in making it a success. We loved our trip to the Galapagos, the ship and crew were fabulous and of course the Islands are magical and unforgettable. The trip to the Amazon also turned out to be a wonderful experience although not exactly as planned. I had really hoped for Kapawi but weather, as you know made that impossible so going to Yachana was not our first choice, but as it turned out it is an extraordinary place and you can certainly send people there in the future. It has an educational program for local children which is remarkable and its located in a beautiful spot. Our guide was amazing and we will stay in touch with him for the future.
Getting us into the Plaza Grande was truely a coup!! How you managed that is beyond me, but it sure was not wasted on us! We loved it and they loved us!! Howard Christian, Thank you so much for our honeymoon vacation you set up for us last Dec. 8-23. The cruise on the Athala was simply great. Everything from the crew to the food and of course our guide was the best. Please give a special thanks to the Captain and crew for the surprise wedding they gave us. It made a dream come true for us. Our city tour guide was a charming young man. He did a great tour for us. Please thank him again for us. Our jungle tour was top notch also. We had the best of times. Everything went like clockwork. When you said we would be picked up at this time, your people where there at that time. We had such a wonderful time in your country. You did a wonderful job booking our tour and getting it all put together us. Thank you so much and our thanks to all of your staff that made our tour go so well. Thanks, Fred And Joan Dear Vero: Our trip to Ecuadror and the Galapagos was wonderful. We returned to New York last night only to be greeted with a major snows storm of 18 inches. We wish to thank you for your excellent help in organizing our trip. The hotels you sent us to were wonderful, the boat (Santa Cruz) was great as well as the naturalists. All the airplane connections were good and we are very pleased with your excellent and professional work. If you wish us to add any positive comments on your web site, please let us know and we will be happy to do so. Have a good day and thank you once again. We just loved the trip and hope to return. Miriam & Howard USA, February 2010 Traveled on the Santa Cruz Dear Elena, The trip on the Beluga was super! Thanks again for your help. Hi Christian, All of us thoroughly enjoyed the trip. You worked your hardest to help us stay in a variety of hotels, though I miscommunicated the dates. This was rapidly rectified however, and we loved every place we stayed. The Napo Wildlife Center couldn't have been better, the tours you arranged for us both to Odavallo, and the city tour were outstanding. The guides exceeded all expectations, as did your driver. It was great to meet you personally. The ship, and the Galapagos tours were also outstanding. Thank you so much. We will certainly recommend you and Columbus Travel. Sincerely yours, Mary Lou USA, January 2010 Traveled on the Galapagos Legend Christian, A fantastic trip!!!! Everything went soooo well....All our guides were excellent and cannot think of 1 thing I would have changed....An experience I'll never forget!! Thank you for all your help and will recommend you to all I know! Hard being back in this cold weather!!! Nancy Bergersen USA, January 2010 Traveled on the Galapagos Legend Christian, Everything was wonderful..The service provided by you and your company was exempletory. The Nina cruise was excellant and Ruly was perfect. Thanks for a great experience. Morris USA, January 2010 Traveled on the Nina Hi Ivonne, Thank you for an incredible Christmas vacation in the Galapagos and Machu Picchu! All your arrangements were perfect! We liked the accomodations, guides, cruise, airlines, etc. Except for the slight hiccup in the luggage, which you resolved for us very well - thank you!, the whole trip went extremely smoothly. Thank you for taking care of all the details, especially in getting our lost luggage to us. Our boys were very impressed with how smoothly everything went. God bless you. Doug, Barbara, Brandon, Andrew and Christopher Cusick USA, December 2009 Traveled on the Explorer Hi Christian and Fernanda, We are home and basking in the glow of an absolutely fabulous trip. Everything was great! We can of course highly recommend you. I plan to spend some time on Trip Advisor rating everything. I just love your country and really want to go back. Our school has asked for a slide show for the kids and parents, so I can pass along your contact information to anyone who asks. Warm Regards, Ruth Muchas Gracias Christian Jacome happy new year -your personal work on behalf of Columbus Travel and our trip to Ecuador was excellent and your professionalism was at the "front of the class". -in that I run a U.S. national company, I look towards you personally, on behalf of Columbus, as our resource moving forward. Jack Kanner Elena: I just wanted to tell you that our cruise was excellent. Plenty if attention since there were only 9 passengers on the boat. But the boat's itinerary was excellent and we got to see every type of bird, fish, and animal that are in the island. That is unusual, I hear. Thanks for you service. Good hotels too. Rollie Hello Elena, I just wanted to take a moment to let you know what a great vacation we had! Everything was perfect. All the transfers went well and the people you hired did a great job. The Nina was fantastic . The crew and guide ( Billy) were outstanding. Please feel free to use me as a reference anytime!! Lynn Connaughty Dear Elena Guachamin, I want to thank you for all your help organizing my trip to the Galápagos Islands. In retrospect, I must say everything went according to the plan. And your service was excellent. So I want to thank you and Columbus Travel; the Galápagos island trip was an extraordinary experience. Thank you! Sincerely, Pal A. Olsvik, Dear Elena, Had a great time in Quito and the Galapagos Islands. You did a wonderful job with the arrangements and everyone we met was helpful and kind. Thanks again for all your help. Best wishes, Bill Hallo, lot of thanks to guide FABRIZIO and CREW of Golondrina. We spent excellent week with them this November. Both Fabrizio and crew prepared for us (most of us were nature photographers) very individual conditions thanks them we were able to make lot of beautiful photos. I can recommend this smaller boat to all who expect more nature and need not so much luxury. Thank you once more and special thanks also to cook, excellent meal during all cruise. Zdenek Hasek Hi Washington I would like to thank you for making our Galapagos trip memorable, Sue and I had a great time and I thank you again for arranging for us to travel at the later date due to Sue's unexpected illness. Thanks again and I will highly recommend you and Columbus travel to my friends. Thanks again Nancy Dear Ivonne! We came back last Saturday from our trip and I just wanted to tell you that it was amazing! Everything worked out wonderfully and we had a great time with all the guides, drivers and of course on the Nina! The Hotels in Peru and also on San Cristobal were really nice. We wanted to thank you for your patience and help! We will definitely recommend your services! Ciao, Anna Dear Ivonne, We are successfully back at home after exciting trip to Ecuador and Galapagos. On behalf of all clients in our group, I would like to thank you once more for your perfect preparation of the trip. By the way, the "Spirit of Ecuador" bottle has been already opened. The liquor inside is really excellent! Thank you. My best regards Michal Kohn Hello Elena, I just want to thank you for all your help and to let you know we couldn't have been happier with the company, ecoaventura. They were simply marvelous and I think we had two of the best guides possible, Alexis and Ivan. Hogo who ran the dining room was also amazing. It was also a very good group of travelers as well, no one was a 'problem' which is important with such a small group. The Galapagos is a truly remarkable place on this earth, unique and an inspiration. Thank you for your recommendation and patience (I know I had a lot of questions). I wish you well and I am already recommending your company and ecoventura to my friends! Best regards, Dale Hi Maria Hello Maria. We are now back home in Belgium and the cold winter weather. Our holiday was fantastic. Everything went to plan. The Nina Catamaran was a really lovely boat and we had great Guides and great Hotels in Ecuador and Peru. We would like to thank you for all the work involved in making this such an unforgettable trip. We would certainly recommend your agency to any of our friends who might want to do a similar trip. Thanks once again. Best regards, Hola Christian, Muchas gracias por la viaje a Galapagos. Galapagos es muy bonito y el barco Nemo II es muy bueno. Adios, Jeroen Ivonne, thank you so much for all your help! We had a wonderful time. Everything was perfect - hotel, the transportation, the boat, the excursions, the food, the crew, the guides and of course the Galapagos! I thought you might enjoy this picture of me with the Sea Lions. Julie Elena, I just wanted to drop you an email to let you know what a wonderful time we had on the Athala, as well as the cloud forest. They are going to be memories of a life time. You were recommended to us, and I was not disappointment. My emails were answered within in hours (not sure if you sleep at all), and from the time we were picked up from the states and throughout our time in Ecuador, the whole staff was wonderful. I will be passing your name and the Columbus travel to anyone who travels in South America, we possibly next year will head done to Chile or Argentina, I will let you know. Thank you again for everything. (The staff on the Athala was impeccable) Sincerely, Lisa Hi Christian, Yes, we are back home and the fast pace of life has overtaken us once again. We thoroughly enjoyed Ecuador and our cruise with Haugan through the Galapagos Islands. It was quite an adventure. Our sincere compliments to you, Columbus Travel, Haugan Cruises, Le Parc Hotel and Theatrum. The vacation was flawless. You all managed every detail with perfection and we have communicated that to all of our friends and family, recommending the trip to all. I plan to write a review on TripAdvisor.com when I can carve out some time to properly communicate how much we enjoyed the vacation. Thanks again for all of your help in making our trip the very best! I should mention too that we really enjoyed meeting you. Warmest regards, Chris & Karla Dear Elena, We had a fantastic trip, we are home safely now. We loved the Athala , the boat and the trip to the Galapagos were spectacular and even better than I had hoped. We loved the Pisaqui in Otovalo, everything was perfect !!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP. I am already thinking about coming back next year. I will reccomend your travel agency to anyone interested. I will send you some photos after I get them edited. Thanks again, Elizabeth and Jared Dear Diego, Thank you so much for all the arrangements you made on our behalf. The trip was great, and all the connections went smoothly. The drivers were on time, helpful and courteous, and the staff on the boat was great. Thanks again. Best Regards, Preben Koenig Denmark, August 2009 Traveled on the Galapagos Explorer Elena, Thank you so much for all the arrangements you made on our behalf. The trip was great, and all the connections went smoothly. The drivers were on time, helpful and courteous, and the staff on the boat was great. Thanks again. Regards, Michael USA, August, 2009 Traveled on the NINA Hola Christian, Ahora que hemos regresado a Francia, quisiera agradecerle para su ayuda a lo largo de nuestro viaje a Galapagos. Lo pasamos realmente muy bien, la tripulacion del Princess of Galapagos fue muy calida y nuestro guia nos enseno muchas cosas sobre la islas. Tambien, su ayuda ha sido muy importante, gracias por disponibilidad y por haber contestado tan rapidamente a todas nuestras preguntas antes del viaje. Recomendare sin duda Colombus a cualquiera persona deseosa de descubrir Ecuador o Galapagos aqui en Francia. Stéphanie Dear Veronica, Our trip to the Islands was fantastic, and so was the brief time we had on the mainland of Ecuador. The ship and crew were wonderful. Everything went smoothly with our transitions from place to place. I cannot thank you enough for all the arrangements you made...we couldn't have done it without you. All the people we met were very friendly. Thank you again for helping us to plan this great adventure. Every time I sent an e-mail with a question, you responded so promptly. Working with you and Columbus Travel could not have been easier. I hope I have the opportunity to recommend you to friends. Gracias, Linda Huff (and Scott) USA, August, 2009 Traveled on the ARCHIPELL II Hi Paola Now that we - unfortunately - have left Ecuador behind us, I wanted to thank you again for the complete service provided by you and your company! I want to let you know personally. I have already forwarded your email address to a friend of mine who will visit Ecuador at the beginning of September. And by the way: we very much enjoyed the hotel and diner invitation - the restaurant was absolutely beautiful and food and service excellent! Thank you very much again best regards, Michael Germany, July 2009 Traveled on the NINA Hi Veronica. Hi Marie Elena, I just wanted to share with you a post that we put on tripadvisor regarding our recent tour on the Nina. We had the best time on the tour and I wanted to thank you for making the trip possible. Below is a response to another traveler's inquiry about the Nina. You can find it on tripadvisor.com. Thank you again for a wonderful trip. My husband and I just got back from a an 8 day cruise on the Nina and it was amazing. We are in our early 30s and about half of the people on the tour were as well. The other half were couples in their mid 50s-60s. I can't say enough great things about the tour. The service was great, the cabin was luxury and the crew was beyond helpful. We did ALOT of snorkeling (like twice a day). Some of it was in deep water and some beach snorkeling but totally safe as zodiacs follow you along the whole way. The wildlife was accessible through the land walks we did everyday. It was a tour for active people but you also had plenty of time to rest and enjoy the beautiful boat. The food on board was delicious with the chef cooking up gourmet 3 course meals for every meal. Our guide Gabriel was knowledgable and also very entertaining. I highly recommend this tour. The days start early, so there wasn't much partying on the boat but I guess it depends on who is on the tour the week you are going. It was a once in a lifetime trip! Jen O'Brien USA Traveled on the NINA Hi Elena Thank you for your help in organizing our trip. We were impressed with the service at the Red Mangroove and we all felt that this was a once in-life-time trip. thanks again Dr. Mann USA, July, 2009 Redmangrove, Adventure Hello Veronica, we were going to send you an email. The cruise on Nina was FANTASTIC!! Everything was excellent. Harry, the guide, and Gabi the hostess were terrific. The food was sensational, in fact there was nothing bad about it. Thank you so much, everything was so professional and we would definitely recommend you to any of our friends. regards, Roz & Roger Australia, July 2009 Traveled on the Nina Cristina - I wanted to thank you for putting together my Galapagos trip. It was absolutely wonderful. The tour of Quito was excellent. We loved the Galaxy. The crew was excellent and our guide, Pepe, was very knowledgeable. Also, the drivers who provided transportation to and from the airports were very professional and courteous. Thank you so much for everything you did for me. I have already recommended your agency to several of my friends. Best regards, Lea Nesbit USA, July 2009 Traveled on the Galaxy 
Olga, the trip was great and you guys did a great job. And it was nice being met by the same driver each time. Nice guy. I had a great experience with Columbus and would recommend you all to anyone. Cliff" Clifford Friedman USA, 2009 Traveled on the Manatee & Galaxy Hola, Veronica, Our trip was estupendo! Everything went the way it was supposed to. The Seaman II was great! We were delighted to get Cabin 1, because it had great front windows. The boat was terrific in every way, food, crew, accommodations, cleanliness, comfort. Good snorkeling equipment and wetsuits, too. And the other passengers were very congenial. Our guide Daniel seemed to know everything. He was pleasant, informative and helpful on everything. Of course, the islands themselves were incredible, as I hope you know. We found each stop full of great things to see and do. The sea cooperated too, not too rough. It would have been fun to see the land turtles, Lonesome George and the Darwin Center, but everything we did was great. I wish it could have been longer! Thank you so much for all your help. We feel very lucky to have gone on this trip, especially as a last minute event. (Since the Peruvian government closed schools early, I got some extra vacation time.) My husband says thanks very much, it was a great trip! Mil gracias, Teri Coppedge USA, July 2009 Traveled on the Seaman II Hi Christian, Thank you for your follow up email. We too are sorry we didn't get to see you after our cruise. And like you, we were both ill with a cold on our return from the cruise. It didn't stop us from visiting any of the islands and seeing the wildlife, but it did stop us from snorkling a few times. We had a great time with Santiago during the tour to Otavalo and the Quito cultural center tour. Please keep Melanie's and my email to contact us if you are visiting the US. Melanie was serious about you visiting her in Palm Springs during the Grand Champions tennis tournament. You and your wife would have a wonderful visit with her. Thank you again my friend for all you did for us to make our visit to Ecuador and the Galapagos so memorable. We all had a wonderful time. Our best, Bill, Melanie, John and Mary USA, June/July 2009 Traveled on the NINA Hi Christian your service was PERFECT! Colombus travel, very good Thanks Christian Kristine Dear Belen and Marie Antoinetta Our family had an incredible time in the Galapagos, thoroughly enjoying our week on the Samba. The crew was friendly, the guide was very knowledgeable, the food was great, but the star of the show is truly the islands and the wildlife. I would also like to thank you once again for all your efforts on our behalf regarding the last minute changes we had to make to our trip. I was a little hesitant booking with a non-North American travel company, but after our recent experience I would recommend Columbus Travel without hesitation to anyone planning a trip to Ecuador, Peru or the Galapagos. Nori Frape Olga We're back from the Galapagos - it is magnificent! Everything was great, the boat, crew and guide, the islands are spectacular. We had dinner at the Theatre restaurant, it was marvellous, unexpected and delicious! We're now going to the jungle with high expectations. Thank you very much Ash & Gill Sr. Washington del Pino Con un fuerte abrazo y agradecimiento a todo el personal que han hecho posible mi viaje a Galápagos en compañía de mi padre así haciendo su sueño realidad. Le comento que ya lo hicimos en la fecha del 19 al 26 de Mayo en el yate “catamarán” NINA. Lo pasamos de maravilla, todo el personal era muy amable, la atención personalizada. Mi padre se sintió mimado en todo el grupo, les felicito de manera personal Con el barco ni que decir estábamos tan cómodos, felices y defino en esta palabra que ese viaje fue ¡inolvidable! Mil gracias, y estaremos en contacto. Magaly Moscoso Hello Ivonne, First of all, I want to tell you what a fabulous trip we had to Ecuador. Your country and people are wonderful and Pat and I enjoyed ourselves greatly. Evan's guiding was also great. He really helped us to understand the country and culture and was a great help. Thank you again for all your help! laura Hi Fernanda, We had the most wonderful time in your country! Everything was perfect, and it was definitely our most favorite trip yet. Your company and everyone on the Seaman was wonderful, friendly, helpful and professional.I am considering a volunteer excursion next spring in the Ecuadorian Amazon. If I end up being able to go, I will likely be in touch with Columbus Travel for a Machu Picchu extension. Hopefully I will be able to work it out next year; I would love to return to Ecuador. Warmest regards, Jenn Stone Veronica, The trip was incredible. Everything from the boat to the cook to the guide was great. Thank you so much for a terrific experience. Much thanks, Ben Hello Ivonne, It seems like so long ago that we were in your beautiful country and the Galápagos, but it has only been about a month. How time flies! This note is long overdue. For that, I truly apologize. Lynn and I want to extend out most sincere gratitude for creating what was a spectacular trip to Quito and the Galápagos Islands. From start to finish, we all had an absolutely terrific experience! Juan in Quito and Enrique in the Galápagos were superb guides. The Hotel Dann Carlton was exceptional; thank you so much for suggesting we stay there. Everyone loved it. We were also very pleased with the boat. The crew on the Princess of the Galápagos was wonderful, as was the food they served—every meal and snack was delicious. In short, there really aren’t enough superlatives we can use to describe how wonderful everything was. In fact, it was such an overwhelmingly positive experience, that we hope to offer the trip again. That being the case, we will definitely call upon you again to work with us. We have nothing but praise for you and Columbus Travel. Best regards, Anne L. Bizub & Lynn Gillie Dear Elena, It was nice to meet you in Quito. We are now back in Norway after a wonderful trip to Ecuador. The highlight was of course Galapagos. The boat, the crew, the guide, the food, everything was great. Thank you very much for all the help. Best regards, Geir Paola, I just want to thank you for the excellent job you did in booking my trip on the Galapagos Odyssey - June 13 through June 22. All the arrangements went perfectly, with someone to meet me at every stop and no trouble with tickets or hotel rooms. The ship was outstanding. I have recommended Columbus Travel to everyone on our cruise. Again thank you for arranging such a wonderful trip for me. Renata Perlove Hi Cristina, About the nina: It was a great ship. Nice staff. Large clean cabins. Good beds We had a knowlegdable guide and every day we went hiking or snorkling. So well arranged. For dinner we had soup, maincourse in buffet and dessert. So we got big! We enjoyed every minute on the island ...in paradise. Warm greetings Henk and Claudia Thank you very much for all your help in planning our honeymoon - and also thanks for handling our change of plans so quickly. I'm feeling much better and we had a spectacular time in the galapagos! All the best to you, Marina Olga; My trip to Ecuador was fantastic and I really enjoyed all of the adventure. It was planned very well and I want to thank you for all your hard work and help to make this trip so wonderful for me. I hope to someday return to Ecuador to see more of the country and experience some more of this very beautiful and diverse country. Thanks again for all your assisstance in planning and making this trip a reality. Best regards Robby Ivonne, We had a wonderful time. Everyone was friendly. Food and Boat were great. Islands beautiful. Scott White Ivonne, I've returned to Reno and dug through the paperwork that had accumulated. I wanted to take this opportunity to make a few comments. First, you and Columbus travel did a great job. Thank you. So you know, the Swissotel was magnificent. The staff was great, the accommodations wonderful - all in all a credit to Ecuador and a very good way to start and end the trip. I'll send you a copy of my letter to the general manager.The Coral 1 also did a good job. I would be happy to recommend it to others considering a trip to the islands. We were also fortunate to have been assigned some really great guides. I came to understand the Park Service itself assigns the guides. We were lucky to have gotten a couple of their more senior people both of whom were assigned at the last minute - Victor Hugo and Jonathan Aguas S. Thanks again. Jerry Hi Elena! Thanks so much for organizing a great trip for my friends and I - we had a wonderful time and were very pleased with our experience on the Millenium! Thanks! Evelyne I am home safe and sound and I wanted to thank you for your help in planning our trip. It was absolutely incredible and everything went without any problems. Thanks again. Christine Thompson Dear Olga, I want to thank you for the most wonderful week - as the fabulous Guide Harry would say - "You are in Paradise---- The Galapagos Islands." The "Nina" was a beautiful boat, the crew were delightful pleasant and efficient. I might just have to steal your chef from you - the food was delicious fresh and far too tempting. I had read a lot about the Islands but I was amazed delighted and surprised by the diversity, and also the difference from Island to Island. Harry was so knowledgeable about the marine and land animals, the birds and the volcanoes we were very lucky to have him. My son had the best time also and thank you for giving him five young girls to entertain!!! It was a very happy week and the rest of the passengers delightful I had a great time. The hotel in Quito was delightful and tres chic, and the wonderful meal at Theatrum was an unexpected surprise Thank you for everything I will tell everybody With kind regards Susie and Dan Toomey Moi, moi! Finally back home, but not for very long...since I'll be heading for Greece in a few days time. In between I've been working quite a lot, so I haven't got time to thank you and your collegues for your help and guidance on my trip to Galapagos.- It was truly amazing experience, thank you for making it true. The ship/vessel Encantada was also a great choose, I really enjoyed my time there. Special thanks to crew and guide Juan, who took with a good humour care of our trip...it was a real blast. As my whole trip to south-America was very good experience, I've given your e-mail address to my collegues, should they be interested to come over. Summer has finally came over here, it's nice and warm, for few days atleast. All my best to you and take care, yours Arwi. Ari Rankinen Hola Antonieta, I wanted to send you a note earlier, but hustle and bustle of travelling and getting back into work was taking the time. I do apologise for that. Main thing is we had a wonderful time going round Quito and of cause Galapagos. We want to turn round and go back. The boat 'Nina' was vary comfortable and all crew and guide were excellent. Also the group of travellers was nice and friendly and that made for good time. We were taken around some beautiful place with magic scenery and loveable animals. There were four snorkelling sessions, which gave us chance to admire underwater life - full of colourful fish, playful sea lions, even sharks and feeding iguanas. All will be lasting memory. I want to thank you very much for arranging it for us, having patience with payments and all the questioning from me. You made it very friendly and comfortable for us. It also made us to yearn to return to Ecuador and explore more of its countryside. Look after yourself and many regards. Jaro and Majka Kolarik Hello, This letter is in response to the trip scheduled with your company on April 19, 2009. Please accept my sincere thanks for making the trip all that I expected and more! Our trip started with our departing flight being canceled which threw the whole schedule off immediately. Your company took charge of the situation and even though we arrived 12 hours later, we didn't miss a thing. You scheduled our tour of Quito at a convenient time regardless of our late arrival, we enjoyed a lovely late lunch and a wonderful dinner when we returned to Quito. Your group made sure that we got what we paid for. The tour guide in Quito was excellent and tried very hard to get all the sightseeing in even though we got a late start. The person meeting us at the airport was punctual and efficient, and the Nina and all her staff were top of the line. Please pass this email along to everyone involved with my heartfelt thanks for making this such a wonderful trip. Regards, Susan Fox Hi Christian, The trip was great, the Swiss Hotel was super and the boat was good. The food was only fair on the boat, but the guide was excellent and a fun group of younger people. The transfer driver was great as well. Thanks for your help, it went well!! Nanci and Larry Steiner Elena: Don't know if Helen was in touch with you, but I wanted you to know that we all loved out trip to Galapagos. Everything was great. The Nina and its crew, the guide and the food was superb. (I've tried cooking Ecudorian food since returning home, but not having much success.) Also, I wanted you to know that we we were very happy with the service that your agency gave us. The arrangements you made for us at the the Finch Bay hotel, transport from the Nina and then later to the plane, were excellent. We wouldn't have changed anything. Also, of course, thanks for all the prompt communication prior to our trip and also when I was alone in Quito, during Helen's hectic time in Houston. Elizabeth Phillips Elena, Just a short note to thank you very, very much for one of the most wonderful experiences. Everything was just perfect, professional and totally satisfying. Three days, was just to short. What with swimming with dolphins, sealions and sharks and rays and massive schools of sardines and seeing the iguanas, finches, tortoises, seabirds and the very unique vegetation, it couldn't have been better. The crew and guides were great and the people on our cruise were a great mix. Again, muchisimo gracias por un viaje extraordinario!! Randy USA, May 2009 Traveled on the Coral Fernanda, “The boat tour itself was excellent. The Nina is an excellent ship and the accommodations were fully satisfactory. The naturalist Javier was excellent for the group we had--a rather active group. So we had a lovely 7 days on the boat.” Seymour Spilerman Fernanda, This is a long overdue note! I wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic trip and that I was very impressed with how smoothly all the details worked out. You had everyone organized very well and there was always someone to meet us and take care of the details for us. The hotels were great and the Coral II excellent as well. I particularly wanted to single out the lead naturalist on board, Lobo, who was just amazing. His knowledge and passion for sharing his knowledge was truly remarkable. We met some others later on the trip who had followed the same itinerary in a different boat, and in comparing notes, found that our experience was a superior one entirely due to the efforts of Lobo. Also, I have to say that the Royal Palm hotel was just amazing and comparable to hotels costing much much more. Truly great value as well as an outstanding facility. Thank you again and my aplolgies for waiting so long to send this. Best regards, Peter Dear Maria, I just got back to London yesterday. It was the most memorable experience in my life during the cruise on Nina. Everything was superb!! Also it was lovely to see you at your office the other day. Just wanted to thank you again to arrange my fantastic time in Ecuador. Probably I should start thinking about next holiday to Amazon forest next then! Hope you are well, Regards, Masashi Ivonne, “Excellent service, we were very impressed with everybody, punctuality and attention to detail. We had more time to visit the other villages and cities in the excursion” Dina & Patrick Olga, The trip was great. The lodging was everything we expected, the food was better than we expected, and the guides were outstanding. The guide (Edwin) accompanied us to Coca, and when it appeared that our flight might be canceled, he arranged (bribed?) seats for us on a charter flight for oil company employees (we were the only non-oil company employees on the flight). Clearly this was more than expected and certainly appreciated! Thanks for all of your help. Paul Toom Dear Christian, We would like to say a big Thank you for a superbly organized trip to the Gallapagos. From the moment that we touched down in Quito until the end of our Galapagos trip, everything was excellent, The hotels were extremely comfortable and the guides excellent. We would like to make a special commendation to the Athala which we found wonderful. Nothing was too much trouble for the crew and our guide (Yvonne) was fantastic with a wide knowledge of the islands and an amazing enthusiasm for the environment there. We cannot recommend Athala enough and feel we were extremely fortunate to have experienced a week on such a beautiful boat. We would be very happy to be a reference for any future holiday makers and thank you again for your excellent professional organization. Anthony & Lorna Hamilton Dear Elena, We have just returned to Hong Kong after the most amazing trip to South America. The Galapagos in particular was most memorable. Many thanks for all the arrangements you made on our behalf. We shall recommend you to all our friends. All the best to you and your colleagues. Warm regards, James and Heather Hi Ivonne, I just wanted to write to thank you for everything you did for us. We had a wonderful time on our vacation and everything went very smoothly. Jorge, our guide in Quito was very good as well. We will definitely recommend you and Columbus travel to our friends. Thanks again, Lori Dear Christian, Thank you for your email. We had a wonderful time in the Galapagos. The boat was very pleasant and the crew very friendly and professional. We really enjoy every minute and our guide, Jose Luis, was excellent. Thank you very much for your services and help and for the delicious dinner in Quito. Warm regards, Esmeralda de Belgique Hi, Maria Elena. I´m sorry we never got a chance to meet. I just wanted to say thank you for an absolutely wonderful trip! The Nina was amazing and the crew absolutely superb. And thank you so much for arranging the trip to the museum yesterday. That was wonderful too. The kids had a great time and it was really very interesting! Kind regards, Joey Hi, I'm back from my trip to the Galapagos and we both had a GREAT time. All went really well, the boat was nice, the people even nicer. We had a great time and all was arranged perfectly. So thanks for all your work and help. I'm already thinking of taking the rest of the family :-). Thanks and bye, Israel, Guy Maria, We are back in Israel now and I just wanted to thank you once again for being very responsive and helpful throughout the entire process, in addition to being so professional. We enjoyed the Galapagos cruise very much and all the pickup arrangements were very accurate ! Thanks Giora Bitan Hello Olga We are both doing great. The Galapagos trip was absolutely fantastic. I dont think my words could do it justice. It surpassed all expectations. The Galaxy staff were excellent, we enjoyed delicious food and great service. Roberto our guide was excellent very knowledgable and good company. We met lots of other great people on board which added to the excellent time. The snorkeling and wildlife was out of this world, I truly felt like I was in paradise. Thank you for your great service and quick responces when we were making the booking. I will be recommending Columbus to others. Thank you so much, we enjoyed one of the best weeks of our lives there. Kind Regards Neil and Shona Ferguson Good morning Elena, buenos dias, Peter and I want to tell you how very, very much we appreciate everything you did to give us this wonderful vacation. It was better than our greatest hopes !!!! Everything went perfectly, all the tour guides and people from Travel Group Peru were very good, and even the extra night in Cuzco was a bonus as we got to see more of that historic city. We think you must be the best travel agent in Ecuador !! And what a joy the Galapagos was. The Galaxy is a beautiful yacht so don't hesitate to recommend it to other people. Again, many, many thanks, Fondly, Glenna Hi Elena, I just wanted to thank you for all your help organizing the Galapagos trip. We had a fantastic time on the Galaxy -- and the trip exceeded my expectations. The boat was great, the food was outstanding, and the crew terrific. We had a great guide, saw a lot, learned a lot, snorkeled, hiked, and enjoyed everything. Two thumbs up, and I would highly recommend this experience. Cheers, Luella Elena, I wanted to thank you for the arrangements that you made for me and to let you know how everything went. The Swissotel was just the right place for me because my very limited Spanish, and it had the best breakfasts that I've ever had in my life. Everyone at the hotel was very nice. My trip to Mindo was wonderful and it was thanks to Alfredo. He was so knowledgeable about the history but particularly about the cloud forest birds, plants and animals. I also appreciated how nice and low-key he was especially when I needed to take breaks on my hike. This was a beautiful area but without a guide like Alfredo, I would not have enjoyed it so much. My son did pick me up at the airport and I am VERY glad because I had no idea there would be so many people waiting to meet other passengers. I will keep your email contact in case another trip comes up in the future. Sincerely, Lenelle Morse Hi Olga, Thank you for the follow-up email. The trip to the Galapagos was amazing. You did an excellent job organizing the transfers, the boat, and the hotel after the boat trip. David and I appreciated all of your work and were very impressed with the service. I will definitely recommend you to my family and friends. You did a great job! Thanks again, Christi Cristina: A short note to "Thank you" very much for planning and executing our trip,on such short notice. Michael and I had a wonderful adventurous time. Enjoyed every minute of it, along with feeling safe, which is a high priority when travelling with a "special grandson"... The La Pinta was a great way to travel, the Captain, Crew and Naturalists were excellent hosts. Always looking out for everyone and making sure our needs were met at all times... Needless to say we will be recommending you to our friends who want to travel to the Ecuador and the Galapagos. You are an excellent travel consultant. We need more like you. All your work and planning are truly appreciated. We had a "Once in a lifetime vacation." Thanks to all your efforts and arrangements.Sincere regards, Illa Maher Dear Maria Elena, We just got back from our trip to the Galapagos. It was fantastic, a trip to remember. Everything went very smoothly and there was no problems. Thank you very much for organizing and arranging the trip. I appreciate all the work you did to make our trip a pleasurable one. Again thank you, Wayne Jarvis Hi Urs, We had an AMAAAAZING trip!!! Thank you so much for all of your help; everything went smoothly and was really well organized! We loved the Galaxy; the boat itself was in wonderful condition and really luxurious than we expected! In terms of the boat, the cabins were nicer and more spacious than that on a Royal Carribbean luxury cruise... Thanks again! We will definitely be recommending you and Columbus Travels to friends travelling to Ecuador/The Galapagos! Upasana Krishnadev Dear Fernanda, I want to thank you for arranging our trip on the Galaxy. It was a wonderful boat and guide and crew. Also, after talking with others on the boat, I discovered that we had gotten a very good price. I appreciate your help and will gladly recommend you to my friends. Marsha Hi Washington, We loved the cruise. Angelito was great. More than expected. Thank you, Rich Macy Dear Elena, We have been back at home for two weeks now, and very pleased with our trip to South America. From the time of our first arrival in Quito, we were so happy that all the arrangements went smoothly. Our trip to the Galapagos was outstanding: I highly recommend the boat and the guides we had there, making our stay in the Islands very memorable. Our visit to Peru went very well too. The tours were well organized, and the guides were very knowledgeable and helpful. Everything went exactly as planned, and we only had one day of rain (pretty good for the rainy season!). Many thank to Columbus Travel, and especially to you for the careful attention to detail and the outstanding arrangements that made our first trip to this area so full of memories. We are happy to recommend this experience to our friends. Thanks again and all the best in the future, John & Anne Leech Hi Diego, We just returned from our vacation and we had a wonderful time. Your country is beautiful. Thank you for arranging everything and making everything happen so smoothly. We will definitely recommend you and your agency to any of our family and friends who would like the information. Diane Diego! I just want to take a moment to thank you for arranging the most amazing trip for my mother!! She had a fantastic time and will always treasure the memories of this experience. She took so many pictures of the islands and I can't even describe the incredible beauty we saw. She said the yacht was immaculate and the crew was pleasant and helpful. The food!!! She said she ate so much shrimp that she started to feel like she was turning into one. She said the guide was very protective of her and would not let her out of his sight. She really appreciated that since there was a lot of rugged terrain to cover. She said she met some wonderful people that soon became good friends and have invited her back to Quito to stay with them for a vacation. Maybe next time, I will be able to join her. Thank you Diego, together my mother's dream was fulfilled! Sincerely, Sandy Mowers Dear Ivonne, Thank you very much for arranging our Ecuadorian trip. We had a wonderful time. Swissotel was good and we adored Patio Andaluz. Everyone at Columbus Travel had been very helpful. Ivan was a great guide and Javier was a solid professional. Warmest regards, Henry Chan & Lina Lee Dear Ivonne, We have returned home safely after our holiday and I would like to thank you for the arrangements which you put place to ensure such a wonderful experience of Ecuador, including the amazing Galapagos. Everything went like clockwork. We hope to return to Ecuador in the future and in any event will certainly recommend the services of Columbus Travel to others, as we were originally recommended to you. Kind regards, Janet Gaymer Ivonne, I just wanted to thank you for all the arrangements you made for our recent trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos. Everything went smoothly and we had a fabulous vacation. We enjoyed the Le Parc Hotel in Quito and the city tour with an excellent guide.The ECLIPSE was a wonderful ship and all the staff and crew and naturalists were amazingly good to us – we really enjoyed ourselves. My single cabin was perfect! Your country is beautiful and we would like to come back sometime and see more. Thanks, Virginia Hi Washington Just a quick note to say how much we enjoyed the trip. The boat and crew were excellent and can be recomended. Thanks for your help and all the arrangements were fine. Best regards Howard and Maggie Hi Elena, Hope all is well. My wife, Emily and I wanted to share our appreciation and thank you and the team at Columbus Travel. We had such an amazing and unforgettable time. We truly were unexpected at the level of service and value we received. The Athala II is a wonderful yacht. Clean, spacious and very friendly staff. Not to mention, the food was delicious and plentiful. Our Naturalist, Enrique was fun, energetic and very knowledgable. He was very passionate about his job and the well being of the islands. We saw so many animals and marine life. We will always remember. Thank you for a wonderful vacation and I will definately recommend Columbus Travel to any of my friends and family. Please share this email with Xavier Proano and the rest of the team that served us. Sincere Regards, Greg & Emily Wong Dear Elena, we are already back from our very enjoyable trip to beautiful Ecuador - it was really phantastic!! Thank you again for the great organisation of everything!! We were very happy to swim with sharks, turtles, penguins and other gorgeous animals. The discovery of those islands will always remain in our memory as an outstanding trip! All the very best from Claudia Christl Hi Elena, I wanted to take a minute to tell you how great a time we had in Ecuador. Your country is beautiful and we enjoyed it very much. Santi was a very good guide and a nice guy. Thank you for helping us plan a very good trip. Thank you again. Take care, Sue Mulvihill Elena, Sorry, for the late message to you. Lise and I wanted to thank you for the wonderful trip. Lise usually sends the e-mails out but she has been very busy and yesterday she left for Qatar to do a presentation to the ministry of collages. The Beluga Boat was fine . I have left several posts on Trip Advisor recommending you and your company. Thanks again for your effort, Michael Telson Hello Diego Am near the end of my first trip to Ecuador. Thank you for the help in Booking my Galapagos tour on the Galaxy. I would recommend it to anyone. This has been a special month and trip for me I know I will be returning to your wonderful country. The Galapagos was special and I have many pictures to remember it by and share with my family and friends. Regards Mark Walz Hi Ivonne, I am back to Porto Alegre, Brazil. This msg is just to say:
All the best, Basílio Santiago. Dear Washington, Greetings from Sweden with cold and grey weather! Thank you for helping me with the last journey. The family was very pleased with the "Eden"-cruise! Warmest Regards Josefine Tolunay Daniela and Jessica, I want to thank you and all those who worked with you to make our trip to Quito and the Galapagos such a complete pleasure. I can think of nothing else you could have done to improve our experience....It was a memorable trip that the grandchildren enjoyed and appreciated as I had hoped they would. And of course, I enjoyed it for myself as well as for them. I know I need make no critique of the Galapagos Islands; everyone knows how unique that experience is! I do want to tell you that the Explorer II was everything we had hoped for and more...Once again, we found the food to be very good, the staff friendly and helpful. The accommodations were perfect (I couldn't believe the size of the cabins! Actually spacious, more like a hotel room than the average ship cabin). Obviously, it is the work behind the scenes that make a trip like this one turn out so satisfactorily; I did already know what I wanted, but you knew how to make it happen, and you succeeded wonderfully! It was an unforgettable trip, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don't know where my next holiday travel with the four grandchildren will take us (how long will those young men, or the teenage girl, be willing to travel with an 80+ year old grandmother?!) but should we or anyone we know want to travel in your part of the world, you are the experts to turn to, to work that magic again! Thank you for the parts you each played in this success story. Gratefully, Evelyn Ward Hello Elena, I have been remiss at connecting with you – I had wanted to thank you SO MUCH for the great job you did at assisting and planning our trip. We had the trip of our lives. We enjoyed ourselves immensely – every part was superb (ok the number of insects in the jungle was a bit hard to take but you had no control over that!). Some year we would love to come back to Ecuador and tour south of Quito and along the coast and if possible back to the Galapagos. You were right that Tagus Cove was extra specially beautiful. Ecuadorians are truly wonderful people and we were blessed to be a part of your country in December. Thanks so much Elena, y Feliz Ano Nuevo! Joanne Beyers Urs, Attached is a thank you letter intended as a reference and letter of recommendation for you and your team. The more pictures Becky prints and sends to me here the more I am reminded how much we truly enjoyed the trip. Becky had always wanted to see the Galapagos Islands and we both enjoyed that part of the Trip but we both agree the trip into the jungle with Neiser as our guide was even much better. Maybe we were lucky in our timing as we were able to see many of the animals on the Galapagos as they were starting to enter the mating season so we saw them in and out of their mating colors. The conditions in the jungle were great and even the weather was near perfect for us. Thanks again and please pass along our appreciation to the rest of the team. Howard Green Hello Christian, Thanks again for your wonderful arrangements and guide services. Our entire group had a terrific time. All are still talking about it and wishing we were still in your beautiful country. I will be sure to contact you again when bringing a group to Ecuador. Russ McClain Hi Christian and Fernanda, The food was very good and we rerally enjoyed the evening. The stay in Quito was very pleasant. Many thanks for all the arrangements you have made. The cruise was also a memorable and fantastic cruise. No doubt Galapagos is one of the best places to visit and hope everything will be preserved for the next generation. It was a truely an inspiring and exciting trip. We hope we will be able to visit there again sometime in the future. Hope you have a great new year. Thanks. Hirofumi Dear Maria Elena, It is almost one week that we are back in Munich after having travelled in Ecuador since Dec 4th. We had a wonderful and exciting time. The trip to Galapagos and the week on the Alta was one of the highlights; we enjoyed every minute - just as you had promised before. Finally we loved the boat, the food was excellent (except Nescafe instead of real coffee), the crew was nice and efficient and last not least, our guide was brilliant. We will remember Fabian Bucheli, whose knowledge of nature, animals and evolution seemed amazing to us and who sort of infected us with his passion and his enthusiasm, as the best guide, we had for very long time. We will not hesitate to recommend him and the trip on the Alta to friends, who might be interested to come to Galapagos next winter. Kind regards Almut Amereller Dear Kjetil, I’d like to congratulate you for having such a wonderful staff! I must tell you about the outstanding customer service I received while booking my Galapagos trip with Elena. Although it was a last minute vacation she made it extremely easy to accommodate me and family; including grandparents. I had contacted several other agencies but Elena’s attention to detail, quick response and genuine concern for my requests to be met made Columbus Travel unmistakably the right choice. During the booking process, Elena was very knowledgeable, answering all my questions clearly and quickly. A true pleasure to work with! She is an asset to your organization and should be recognized for her commitment to excellence. I will ensure to recommend her and your services to all my friends and family. Thank you for a wonderful experience from the minute I got in touch with your office! I wish you and your company much success!! Johanna Abarca Fernanda, The trip was succesfull. All the arrangements functioned well and the crew in the boat ( estrella de mar II ) was extremely friendly and helpful. So, thanks for all that. Yours Markku Pispa Hi Fernanda! A belated note to say THANK YOU for all of your help in organizing what was a fabulous trip. everyone had a great time, but better than that, everything was so well organized, the assistance we received was superb, it was like nothing we ever planned, and all thanks to you. the accomodations were nearly perfect, the boat was the best, the crew super, our guides outstanding, our day trips excellent, what more to say than thank you thank you. if you need a reference or anything like that, let me know, and again, thank you! .Sincerely!Ted Sears Elena, On behalf of the whole group I wanted to thank you and your colleagues for an amazing experience. All your help and organization leading up to the trip was invaluable and we enjoyed it immensely. I hope to have the opportunity to work with you or for my friends to come to Ecuador in the future. Many thanks, Kindest regards, Merilee Fernanda, I'm just checking in with you to let you know that we had a very nice time in Ecuador, and to let you know that I would recommend using you, and your agency to my friends. Thank you for making the reservations and for answering my questions about the trip. Everything went very smoothly and we found it easy to travel in your country. If you have any clients that need a recommendation for your agency, you have my permission to have them contact me. My only advice would be to notify the boat that we were on to serve more Ecuadorian type foods. The western menu that we ate from was not very special for the tourists. I would tell the boat company to have at least one Ecuadorian meal per day, or serve one Ecuadorian side dish per meal. Otherwise. the trip was Great. Thank You, Peter Shapiro Dear Christian, We just returned from Quito and the Galapagos Islands and had to write to thank you for your excellent services throughout the planning phase of our trip as well as during our adventure. The Eclipse was the perfect ship for us. Large enough to feel comfortable and to share the company of new friends, and small enough to gain access to some wonderful venues such as the mangroves at Elizabeth Bay. Service and food (always healthy, beautiful and served with an Ecuadorian flare) were excellent and our guides warm, patient, knowledgeable, and flexible. In Quito, our accommodations at both the Swissotel and the Plaza Grande were excellent. Javier and Hector were always there...on time. Javier's assistance with our Aerogal flights was seamless. Our private guide Jorge was funny, bright and a terrific guide. Thanks to you for coming by to personally check on us, calling to make sure all was well and to see us back to Quito after our voyage. We knew we had a friend in Quito always there to assist. Our trip was perfect thanks in large part to you, the pristine beauty of the Galapagos Islands and the charm and colorful personalities of the Ecuadorian people. Thank you for everything you did for us! Geri and Mark Frazier and family Hi Elena, We are back in SF 15 hours after we boarded the flight from Quito. It was a memorable experience and your staff is very professional, punctual and cordial. The Legend expedition programs are very well organized and balanced even though we did get tired. But the adrenaline kept us going for 5 days. Hope to re-connect with you in the future! Tim and Nancy Hello Elena- I wanted to thank you for all of your suggestions and for the seamlessness of everyone showing up when they were supposed to show up. I was very impressed. I think we all liked the Casa Aliso the best - nice rooms, unpretentious and lovely people running the place. Although the Plaza Grande rooms were great it seemed like 3 people would have there hands outstretched for tips between the front door and our room. It was a good group on the boat. If I had my druthers I would choose the best boat class - but it was still fine and the snorkelling was the best we have ever experienced. My kids have a fair amount of Spanish so I think it reawakened some thoughts of more South American travel and possible work with comapnies operating in North and South America. My son is 25 and was reluctant to come - too much family time and too much nature he had figured. He surprised himself by really enjoying the culture and having a set of good friends that had us all laughing alot. All in all a memeorable trip. I am starting a travel website - geared towards detailed hiking and biking itineraries in North America and Europe BUT my marketing friend has also suggested blogging. I will certainly mention this trip and you in particualr and once the site is live I will send a link. Thank you Elena!! Sincerely, Leigh McAdam Hi Maria Elena, Thanks so much for following up and arranging such a spectacular trip! We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and have already started recommending it to friends. The Queen is a wonderful boat and the crew and service were excellent. The hotels in Quito and Guayaquil were also very nice (the club floor at the Hilton Colon was well worth it) and the folks from Columbus Travel who met us at various points were very helpful. We also enjoyed our day-trip to Otavalo. It was a bit hectic at the end of the Galapagos trip getting to the airport in time for the plane to Ecuador and it turned out that unbeknownst to us our plane had been rescheduled, but this was only a minor hassle. Overall, it was truly a trip to remember! Thank you again and I hope you had a great New Years as well. Best Regards, Michael Gross Ivonne, Carrie and I want to thank you for organizing the trip for us. We really had a great time. The staffs that met us at the airports and handed us off to the Beluga staff were excellent. The boat and crew worked out great. Thanks again, Ron Butler Hi Ivonne, Happy New Year! Thank you so much for everything you and your office has done for me and my father. You helped us with creating a wonderful Galapagos Adventure and everything went exactly as you said it would. Thank you so much, and please know that I will always recommend you and your travel agency to others who want to travel to Ecuador and beyond. Thank you so much for everything! Windi Bowditch Thank you, Ivonne. Happy New Year to you! We had a wonderful trip on the Athala, and a great tour of Quito. Our tour guide in Quito was really great. The Athala was fabulous and everyone was very nice. It was a trip to remember. Mary Rose Dear Ivonne, Although the week in the Galapagos was wonderful, my day in Quito was one of the very best days in my life. It was just so very good - the Gold Museum and the Amazon Equator village were both so exceptional. I wish you a happy and joyous 2009. Kindest regards Kevin Collins Dear Sir, I am writing this letter to say how much an employee with your company, made our trip to Peru and Ecuador an absolute wonderful experience. I happened to reach Elena Guachamin over the internet. Her immediate response and courteous nature made me feel at ease to the point of booking our land portion of our trip to South America from your offices in Quito. By the time we landed very early morning into Lima to the time we departed from Guayaguil we were amazed at the attention to detail. People were always very courteous, on time and the class of hotels were beyond our expectations. Our family were very pleased to say the least. On our last night in Guayaguil Elena even took the time to call us in the hotel to check if the trip went well. I was amazed that soemone would make such an effort. For the air portion of the trip with a travel agent out of Sydney. About three months before we were to depart they went bankrupt. I guess my emails to Elena after this slight hiccup started to sound a little apprehensive. Elena picked up on the tone and was quick to reassure me that all was in order and not to worry about a thing. I was pleasantly surprised when a gentleman by the name of Roberto picked us up in Lima. The rest was history as our trip was fantastic. Could you please pass on to Elena our gratitude from the Marrsden Family. Her excellent service is an attribute to your company. We will be recommending your services to many friends and colleagues who may desire a pleasant holiday to South America. Best wishes for the upcoming year! Kindest regards Tom Marsden Elena, I wanted to write to let you know what a fantastic tour my husband, Stefaan, and I had in the Galapagos. We just returned last night to Quito. The crew and guide on the Golondrina took great care of us. The tour covering both the northern and southern islands was perfect. We appreciate all your assistance in the planning of our tour (making arrangements, answering our many questions, etc). I will recommend Columbus Travel and the Golondrina in the future. Best regards, Tara Middlewood Hi Christian, Just a quick note to say how much we enjoyed our Galapagos holiday and to thank you for all your assistance to make it all happen. It was an amazing experiience. The boat was great, the guides were great and the experience sublime. A big thank you as well for the upgrade to the Plaza Grande and the meal at Theatrum restaurant. Both those experiences lifted our stay in Quito up a couple of levels. We hope to return one day and explore more of your country. Best regards, David and Rupert Elena, We just returned from our Galapagos trip and wanted to tell you what a wonderful time we had. Everything went so smoothly and we were so happy with Ecoventura and our experience on the ‘Eric’ ship. Thank you again for all your help and information in making our decision and answering my questions along the way. We look forward to using Columbus Travel in the future! Sincerely, Allyson Harting Dear Ivonne, Just to let you know we had a great time on The Archipel II visiting the Galapagos Islands. The crew was fantastic, and also our guide Sara. Thanks for arranging everything for us. You did a great job. Our memories and photo's are spectacular. Especially the sea lions ...... it was all AMAZING !!!! Thanks again for all your time and understanding while trying to arrange this trip. Warm regards Debby & Pieter Dear Washington, Just a few words from Wieben. We are now well home after a wonderfull journey full of experiences in Ecuador. For more than half a year we had planned it, and our connection to Columbus Travel was through the internet, and it was very good with so proffessionel help. The trip in the Andes starting in Otavalo and ending in Cuenca was wonderfull and with Ivan as a guide and driver, we were in good hands. Ivan is a very knowing young man, and we were lucky to be with him in 10 days. The hotels were fine. Only one little minus was the "Casa de Hacienda". A big place in the middle of nowhere, and we were all alone. A little boaring. Good, that we next day come to Papallacta with spa, food and a happy personel. We had a wonderfull trip. Oh yes, also the train ride, where Ivan managed that we could be in the front with the drivers, were ecceptionel. Then Galapagos and the ship Fragatta. We had a fine cabin on the upper deck, wonderfull. All the animals, birds and fish together with the landscape was beautiful, and we were together with some very nice people, and the personel were nice and funny. Then we were in the jungle. A very special experience. We were the only guests on the "Tapir Lounge", but that was o.k. maybe it had been nice with some more people to be with in the evenings. All together a fine trip with a very nice and knowing guide. We were happy that we came in connection with you, Washington. It has been 7 wonderfull weeks in Ecuador. We have had a lot of experiendes, and you have been a great help. Merry christmas to you and all around you. Kind Regards Anni & Henning Wieben Elena, I would like to thank you for all your help on booking our trip to Galapagos back in November this trip was fantastic; even know this was my second trip to Galapagos I really enjoyed it. Thanks again. Carmita Barnuevo Christian My wife and I thought you and your firm did a marvelous job. As I indicated on the comment card, we had previously travelled with A&K and thought you did much better. I hope you got the comment card. The driver who took us to the airport Sunday a.m. did not speak much English, but his eyes lit up when I gave it to him. Concerning the transfer, Luisa called us shortly after we returned from dinner. We worked everything out. No problem. Thanks again for your great planning and service while on our trip. Howard Hoffman Hi Christian – Thank you so much for your note. We had a FABULOUS time! The boat, our naturalist Victor Hugo, and the entire staff were absolutely terrific people, and a joy to travel with. Thanks for putting together such a smooth and easy travel experience for us. We will highly recommend you to all our friends as they plan their Galapagos trips! Thanks again for your great planning and service while on our trip. Howard & Nancy Johnson Hey Yvonne, Thanks for all you did to arrange our fantastic trip to Peru and Ecuador. It was a trip to remember. The scenery and people were beautiful. All the guides were great: Alex, Mylusca and Ivan. We especially enjoyed the naturalist on the Yate Fragata, Pato. The Galapagos was fantastic. I have already had lots of friends ask about the trip. I gladly recommend you and Columbus travel to them. Gratefully yours, Bill Blackwood Hi Christian. We were definitely not disappointed with metropolitan touring and the m/v santa cruz. We were VERY impressed with how they took care of us leaving our hotel, getting to galapagos, and then boarding on to the boat. The M/V santa cruz while on the bigger side for ships, never at all felt impersonal. We loved our guide, the galapagos and everything about the galapagos portion. It was really a well oiled machine (no pun intended). Much thanks, Jill Hola Washington! I just wanted you to know that everything really worked out fine and we had a wonderful time on galapagos. thank you very much for your help! Kind regards, Kathrin Hi Washington, I had a wonderful and unforgettable trip to the Galapagos on bord of the
Sulidae. Thank you a lot for your organisation. Everything was great.
Peter Blaikner Hola Christian..Qué tal? Ud debe descansarse tambien; no?
No puede trabajar todo el tiempo......
Aqui algunas palabras por nuestro viaje maravilloso: My wife Monica and I have just returned from the holiday of a life time in Ecuador and Peru. Thanks to Columbustravel and Christian, we relaxed in first class hotels in Quito and Lima, trekked through the exciting Amazonian jungle , scaled mountain peaks in the Andes, sailed around the exotic Galapagos islands in comfortable cruisers and stared in amazement at unforgettable Inca ruins and treasures in both Ecuador and Peru.. all in just three short weeks. Every aspect of our trip, from reservation to departure for home went like clockwork. Christian answered all our questions promptly and efficiently and conjured up made to measure packages for us. At all our destinations we were met with comfortable minibuses or luxury cars, our guides were friendly, knowledgeable and discreet..... and nothing was a bother for them. If you want a taste of South America or a deeper insight into the magnificent culture, scenery, wild life or architecure of this touristic Paradise, take my tip and contact Columbus Travel and Christian.. You won t regret it... Buen viaje.. Frank Patterson Washington, I just wanted to thank you for what was an amazing trip on the Voyager to Galapagos. It was truly the trip of a lifetime. Thank you for your help. Mike Rose Hi Fernanda: A short e-mail after our return to the Netherlands from Ecuador to thank you for your work regarding the Galapagos cruise. Heine and I really enjoyed it and took lots of pictures of the beautiful islands! The boat was also good and we particularly loved the Ecuadorian food! The arrangement in Guayaquil worked perfectly. Best regards, Heine (van Wieren) & Ilaria Thanks Elena, We did get the pick up information from our guide, Ivan. We thought he did an excellent job and that the trip was very definitely valuable. Thanks again, George and Susan Dear Christian, I started this email right after I received your's. I saved the draft and am just now getting back to it. I will send it tonight regandless. We had a great time. I would recommend the trip we took, and your travel agency, to anyone thinking about going to Ecuador. Nothing went wrong. We did make seven trips between the Swissotel and the airport. The driver took the some route ever single time. It might be nice if the driver took a different route on occasion. It would be nice to see more of Quito. One night at the Swissotel we were given a suite that was larger than some of the apartments in which I have lived. There were four rooms and two bathrooms. It was much more than needed, but quite nice and fun. It is a beautiful hotel. We saw the Ecuador president, in person, twice in two weeks (more than I have seen all U.S. presidents, in person, in 55 years). He gave a speech in the plaza in Quito on our first day. He stayed at our hotel on the second night and had dinner at the same time we did. With all of his armed guards surrounding the hotel, we certainly felt safe that night. The guards made sure we knew they were there, but did not harass us in any way. I am not sure that the U.S. secret service, that guards our president, is as accommodating. I really do not know which of our three excursions I liked the best. Both the Galapagos islands and the rain forest were interesting, but I think I liked the trip to Cuenca the best. Diane preferred the Galapagos. My sister-in-law (wife's sister) is a travel agent here in the U.S. I told her that if one of her customers was planning a trip to Ecuador to contact you. Best of luck in your business. It was a real pleasure dealing with you. My regards, Bill and Diane. Dear Elena, I just wanted to write and say thank you for all your help in planning our recent cruise! We just got back from our 4day/3night cruise on the Galapagos Voyager from October 4-7 and we had a wonderful time! We were very happy with the boat and all the crew and especially our guide, Williams. They did a fantastic job in keeping us safe, comfortable and well fed as well as sharing their knowledge of the amazing Galapagos Islands. I would not hesitate to recommend you and your company to anyone wishing to book a cruise to such an exciting place! Thank you again for all your assistance in making this dream come true! Sincerely, Paula and Brian Platt Estimada Elena Ahora que hemos regresado a La Paz quería agradecerte todo lo que has hecho para hacer realidad nuestro sueno de visitar las Islas Galápagos. El crucero era fantástico, y recomendaríamos Ecoventura y la "Flamingo" a cualquier otra persona que quisiera hacer ese viaje. Tambien nos ha encantado Quito. De nuevo, muchas gracias. Un abrazo Finona Christian, Sorry for not writting you sooner but the markets are so difficult... Anyway, I clearly owe you a big THANKS and some feedback which I hope will be usefull for you. Le Parc: Fantastic ! They were at the airport, room was great, spa is top, food is delicious. Cruise: Great as well. Highly professional, very well organised. Boat was good. itinerary was great, food was ok, staff was very good. El Patio Andaluz: Quite Nice. Room was fantastic. May be too expensive for for it really is. Mansion del angel: booked aside but was clearly worth mentionning. Advice it to any couple. We loved it !!!!! That's it. In a nutshell, we really had a fantastic time in Ecuador. Only the good memories stay and we came back with lots of them !!! Thanks again for everything. Your help, your advices and your kindness have been priceless ! Merci ! Francois Ivonne, Thank you so much for your arrangements for our wonderful trip to ecuador and the galapagos islands. Everything was sorted out regarding the national park entrance fees. The seaman catamaran was exceptional as were the services provided by the crew and the guide daniel. Our time on the road in ecuador was amazing juan was a fantastic guide and deserves special thanks and praise. The swissotel was a fantastic base in quito, the staff and services were excellent - many thanks to you and your team for making the alterntive arrangements. Please also thank javier and hector and everyone else for making this a trip of a lifetime.... Best wishes Andrea and Betsie Hi Elena, All worked out very fine. We had a very good safari - lots of hammerheads, mantas, etc. (no whale shark unfortunatelty). Ttwo hotels you booked for us were also very fine. Thank you very much and all the best Katja Fernanda, Just wanted to let you know that we really enjoyed our trip to Peru/Machu Pichu and Ecuador/Galapagos and appreciate your help in planning and arranging our trip. The hotels you chose for us were terrific especially the Casa Andina in Lima and the Peublo in Agua Calientes. The Legend cruise ship was wonderful with a great total Galapagos experience. Very comfortable with great food and service. It was very nice to have drivers to tranfer us between airports and hotels. We really enjoyed our guide Natalie who was with us in Cusco and Machu Pichu; she was very well informed and personable. Thanks again for you help and making our trip such a great experience. Steve Reibman Dear Elena: Thank you so much for doing such a fantastic job in arranging our recent trip to the Galapagos. The pick-up information from your information was waiting for us at the Hampton Inn in Guayaquil. We were picked up at the hotel and transported to the airport for our flight. The Santa Cruz was a wonderful ship.Our guide, Walter, was amazing; our group was always the last back to the ship because Walter let us spend as much time as possible on the islands. Viewing such a variety of animals was an incredible experience. The people that we met in Guayaquil and in the Galapagos were gracious, charming, and so very helpful. Guayaquil was a nice surprise; we enjoyed our time spent there. The trip exceeded our expectations in every way. It was our first trip t South America and will definitely not be our last. We will be certain to contact you for assistance with our next trip to South America. Please accept our appreciation for everything that you did to make our trip such an amazing adventure. Sherri and Dorothy Newhouse, Dear Christian, We, too, were pleased to meet you. We were very pleased with our trip. The boat and crew were very good and our guide, Ivonne, was wonderful -- knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The only criticisms we have (and these are minor) are that the visit to San Cristobal Island was too long and that instead of visiting Post Office Bay, we would have preferred seeing more natural sights. We would happily recommend Haugan Tours to others. Sincerely, Joanne Levine Dear Ivonne, This is a long time later, but we only recently returned and am still catching up. I just wanted to let you know that we were really delighted with the trip on the Angelito. The guide was excellent and the group congenial. It was truly a fantastic experience and we have continued to tell all out friends about it. Thank you again for all the ehlp and advice you provided. Best Wishes, Michael Hi Christian Thanks for checking in. Everything was great and so easy. Too easy - it was the least amount of thinking I ever had to do on vacation. Thank you so much for helping us arrange the trip. It was really fun. Candice Hey Christian Back from our trip and it was wonderful. That hotel in Quite--Le Parc was incredible! Wish we had more than a few hours to enjoy! NEXT TIME, we'll stay longer. The Legend was perfect - though we probably should have upgraded to the Jr. Suite as you advised. Ah well! Great service throughout and worry free. Thanks for all your help, will recommend you to many. Thanks again. Gayle Dear Ivonne, We would like to thank you for arranging our Galapagos cruise! The trip was amazing, everything was just perfect. Thanks again and take care. Kind regards, Susan Overakker and Jop Gerritsen Dear Christian, We were very very happy with our trip. Everything was fantastic, and we have nothing bad to say at all. Galapagos was amazing, and the boat and crew were very professional and nice. Napo was out of this world too. The huts were very luxurious and everything was thought of. Not one thing was missing. Thank you very nuch for everything you have done for us. Best regards Ann-Marie and Mikkel Buenos días Jorge, Ya hemos vuelto de Ecuador ( desgraciadamente ) con muy buenos impresiónes y quiero agradecerle de una organización perfecta y de un viaje tan maravilloso que nunca olvidaremos. Ha sido todo perfecto, las haciendas muy lindas , nuestro guia Alfredo muy símpatico y esperto, la Yolita II muy agradable y el viaje a las islas encantadas era algo único y especial, disfrutamos mucho de este viaje que era de verdad muy chevere. Ecuador es un país tan fantastico y la gente muy amable , estamos muy impresionados!!! Colombustravel está siempre al alcance del cliente y eso es increible. Muchas gracias por todo y queremos volver de seguro!!!! Claudia and Bernhard Roither Elena, I just wanted to thank you for all your help with setting up our trip to the Galapagos. Andrew and I had an amazing time, and were extremely happy with all the arrangements. Thank you, Katherine Beebe Elena, We just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful trip. Thanks again for the assistance at the airport and for sending Gustavo as our guide. We had a great time, and appreciate the great service that your company provided while we visited Ecuador. We are interested in coming back for a visit to the rainforest. Let us know what types of tours you have available. Thank you, Robbie Wong Diego, I just wanted to send you a note letting you know that my sister and I had a great time on our Galapagos cruise aboard the Diamante. The staff and especially the guide, Xavier, were EXCELLENT. I appreciate you recommendation on such an exceptional itinerary. It was worth the extra cost! Thank you for all your help and take care! Kim Ross Ma. Belen, Le cuento que disfrutamos mucho del viaje que coordinamos, fue mucho más de lo que imaginamos. Muchísimas gracias por todos sus esfuerzos! Si quizás habrá otra oportunidad de viajar a Galápagos la molestare de nuevo. Priscilla Olivo. Hi Christian Sorry I didn't get back to you we didn't get home until last week and I have been very busy.I will send you comprehensive feedback as I feel it is important. I would, however, like to thank you personally for organising such a fantastic holiday for us!!! Everything about it went perfectly and the Athala was fantastic!!! The whole organisation, that you implemented, was superb. Thank you so so much. As I say I will send you more comprehensive feedback soon, suffice to say we are very happy!! Best wishes John Francis Dear Washington, I would like to thank you for the organization of our trip to Ecuador and Galapagos. Everything went perfectly including the guide we had in Quito. Thank you also for the recommendation to stay at the la Mirage. Thanks a lot again Kind Regards Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu Dear Yvone, Just a quick note to say thank you for the trip that you organised in Ecuador for us. It was very nice and we enjoyed it a lot. Best regards, Matthieu Cussac Hi Christian, We are now back home in the U.K. The dogs are very pleased to see us back. Our holiday exceeded all our expectations! Everything was organised perfect.The hotel was great, the meal you booked for us in Quito was outstanding, the Jungle trip to Napo Lodge was wonderful and the Galapagos cruise on Athala could not be faulted. I have already recommended you and your company to friends. Thanks very much for all your help. Best regards Robert Robert Reynolds Hi Elena, I just wanted to write and thank you for organising such a fantastic trip for us. We have just arrived home and all agree that it was one of the best holidays that we have had. The Le Parc Hotel was wonderful, the rooms were fabulous, very modern and very clean. The rooftop bar was lovely with wonderful views over Quito and the meal that we had in the restaurant was the best meal that we had in Ecuador and was of a very high standard. La Selva was a great experience and the guiding was very good. However the highlight of the trip was the Galapagos and our stay on The Eclipse. The boat, the staff and the guides were all wonderful and could not have done more to ensure that we had the holiday of a lifetime. Thank you so much Elena, for all your help and guidance in booking this holiday we really had a wonderful time. With kind regards Shona Synnott Family Hi Elena, We had the most fabulous time!! Everything was just great and I am glad that we decided to split the time in Quito between the Parc and the Hotel in the old city, we enjoyed both of them tremendously and they were completely different experiences with distinct cuisine offerings. The Arasha was perfect as was the entire Athala experience. the only suggestion I might have for guests staying at the Grand hotel in guayquil is that suggestions for alternate restaurants be made as the main dining room has a distinctly moldy odor from the adjacent courtyard swimming pool, but its convenience to the park with the iguanas and the cathedral were great. When we arrived at the airport in Guayquil,we were met by your agent who had us listed as going to a different hotel with other passengers, however she was able to quickly arrange transportation to our hotel and for transport to the airport later that evening. There was no delay nor inconvenience in anyway. We were all so amazed at how this complicated trip with its many transfers took place without a glitch!! Needless to say we have been recommending you to our friends and plan to take this trip again when our daughter is able to do so!! Many Thanks!! Garren Family Dear Fernanda, Thanks a lot it was everything perfect. Aida Maria was a nice boat and the tour was beautiful. I will come back. Best regards, Filippo Hello Fernanda, Thank you for organising the Galapagos Cruise on Archipell II, the flights transfers and accommodation. Everything went very well and we had a lovely time. Hope you are well. Best Wishes, Martin Barrow Hi again Jessica! Just wanted to write and say thank you for all your help. the trip went very well, the guide was knowedgeable and spoke well and the crew was great on the boat specially teh skipper carlos! Thanks again, Chad Lunow Hi Elena, We just returned from our trip to the rain forest and the Galapagos and we were both very pleased. We had a fansastic experience and would highly reccommend both of these places to others. You provided excellent customer service to us, being both prompt and comprehensive. We were lucky to catch the flight to the Galapagos but we made it with your help. Thanks again! Mark and Ellen Conover Dear Elena, Many thanks for organising this for us. We had a fabulous trip in the Galapagos! Regards, Paula Hi Elena, We have just finished our Athala trip - it was fantastic. Thank you so much for all your help in making this all possible. Thanks again. Eric Jorge, Our trip was incredible!!!! our guide Ruben was very knowledgable (with great english) and it was nice to know that the islands were actually his home and where he grew up. the rest of the crew was also fantastic. the food was great (almost too great!) and i absolutely never went hungry as there were always snacks available. The cruise itself was also good, felt a little sea sick at times (but thats alwys going to happen i guess!) and i thought the boat was a fantastic size with the right number of passenger and crew. I was also very happy with dealing with the columbus travel crew, given my late booking you were all very competent and everything ran smoothly. And as such, my most sincere thank you. It was without doubt the trip of a lifetime. Thanks again jorge, hope you have a lovely weekend and thanks again for the fantastic experience, kind regards and gratitude, Sheridan Laing Jorge, Overall, the trip was well planned and executed. Thank you for a great time. Some of the parts that we really enjoyed were: -Snorkeling with the penguins and sea lions at Tintoreras Trail -Land safari the first day -The guided wildlife hikes, especially the one with all the nesting birds -The planning of the excursions from The Encantada: Very well executed and smooth Hope that helps. Thanks again for a great time! Nancy San Pedro Dear Washington, I just wanted to let know that we really had a wonderful time in the Galapagos. The organisation was perfect and we saw many incredible things! I woul like to thank you for all your help and support! I hope to hear from you in the future. Warm regards, Eva Fernanda, I just got home from a different trip. The trip to Galapagos was amazing. I would definitely recommend Tip Top II and Hotel Rabida. I was very happy with both. Thank you for all of your assistance booking the trip. It was a wonderful trip. Thank you Kerri Dear Yvonne, I want to thank you for making the trip to the Galapagos possible for me. It was amazing! I have enjoyd a lot. Now i'm back in Holland, but I am thinking about the tour and everything with happy sentiments. Thank you, Hanna Hazenberg Fernanda, El viaje excelente, el crucero excelente. Disfrutamos como enanos, como decimos por aqui. Nos encantaron las islas, los animales, y el control exquisito de la naturaleza....Igualmente, como digo, el crucero y su personal excelente. Dele recuerdos a Yoyi y a Kike de parte de "la pareja amorosa" (ellos ya saben....) Asi que repetiremos al menos Ecuador Gracias por todo Un saludo desde Bruselas Vicente Dear Elena, We have returned to Germany last Sunday. It is an urgent wish of mine to thank you for your wonderful support and engagement! You made it possible, that our holiday in Ecuador was a great success. It was amazing for us how you worked in the background to make everything function. Please show this e-mail to your boss! All the best to you with many thanks! Christian Gaedertz Hi Christian, WOW !!!!!WOW, WOW, What a trip!!!!!! Everything you all did was GREAT !!!!!! Delta is a Pain, But once we were in your hands everything went wonderfully! Yoyi and Kike were Great and the boat past all expectations. The Crew and Captain Pedro were out of this world. We had a great party the last night with everyone. They taught me some new dance moves. The Galapagos were excellent and Kike Really made it special with all his vast knowledge. And Christian I can thank you enough. All your hard work with us was great and the Casa Aliso was a wonderful place to stay. The Service there was impecable. On the plain back home we were recommending the Athala and soon her sister ship to everyone. I was righting down the web site for people. I told them how great it was working with you. Thanks again to you and to the whole crew of the Athala! With out you and the wonderful ship this wouldn't have been so perfect. Width much Love and Gratitude, Katherine Wynd and Michael Halsor Diego, I just want to let you know that the cruise you had arranged for us was wonderful. I also need to thank you for having the trip document delivered to our hotel before the cruise. I'll definitely recommend my friends to use Columbus Travel for cruises to Galapagos. Sincerely, Eriko Mogi Dear Fernanda, Everything was perfect; we couldn't have been any happier with the cruise or the hotel in Santa Cruz. This was the best vacation we've ever taken; everything ran so smoothly, and the Galapagos are amazing! Thank you so much for your help. Kelly Connelly I want to thank you for all of your assistance during our travel to Ecuador. You made our trip much easier and we are very happy with the service you provided and the hotels, flights, tour guide, and the Galapagos trip. I will certainly recommend you to anyone that will be traveling to Ecuador. Also, if you need a reference for anyone who is considering your service, please have them contact me. Thank you again, and best regards. Mitch Kadish Hello Ivonne, I just want to thank you for arranging our vacations in Quito and the Galapagos islands, also for the hotel room upgrade. We had extraordinary times. Both guides Santiago for Quito and Cotopaxi tours and Gustavo on the Millenium were outstanding. I can confirm that they made the difference. We really enjoy our trip and I would recommend you for my family and friends should they decide to visit the Galapagos. Cheers! Jean-Noel Dear Washington, Just to inform you that we are back home from the cruise and our stay in Guayaquil. The cruise was a lifetime experience and we enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for your assistance, I understand that the fact that we arrived few days before the cruise and stayed few days after caused some misunderstandings, but eventually all was o.k. Best regards, Uri Levy Hello Elena, Thanks so much for the fantastic trip for our group from Loveland, Colorado. I enjoyed meeting and and am enjoying the book you gave me. I love history. Thanks, too, for helping with our 4 stranded travelers. You and Ivan were fantastic. It made me breathe easier to know that you were taking care of them. I've been recommending you and Columbus travel to all my friends and have told Diane at Hoffman Travel how incredible you are. I'll be meeting in the next week or so with Diane to give her the gift you sent with me. I know she'll love it. Thanks again. I can best be reached by phone at 970-663-2948. This e-mail address is at my school and is difficult to get to during the summer (June-August). I'll be using it when I get back in September. Thanks again. This was the best of my 3 trips to Ecuador. Denny Heyrman Hi Fernanda, We had a fabulous visit to Equador and the Galapagos Islands! Javier was always there...on time...and ready to go. We loved Juan on our two private tours. He is super well informed, entertaining, charming and a teriffic guide. My luggage was destroyed in my flight to Quito and Juan even took us to a shopping center so that I could get a suitcase. Truly a gentleman. Our only regret is that we didn't have him for all of our tours. The Galapagos Voyager was a great boat. The crew was perfect..always available and ready to assist. Our guide Williams was amazing. There was no question that went unanswered. He is patient and can truly herd his adult crowd with expertise and gentleness. The food aboard was amazing, beautiful, delicious plentiful and healthy!! The Santa Barbara was perfect for us. It is quaint, graceful and beautiful. The staff was at all times helpful and available. You were also wonderful...even down to getting us picked up at the Swissotel when the tour guide missed us. I felt protected knowing that you were there to assist. All in all we had a perfect trip and wonderful experience of you, the majesty of the Galapagos and the wonderful people of Equador. Thank you for everything you did for Kathleen and me. Wendy S. Kane Fernanda, Thank you so much for the arrangements you made for our trip to Ecuador and Galapagos. Once we made it out of the U.S., everything was went extremely smoothly. Thanks for your extra help in trying to rectify our passport situation. My wife and kids really enjoyed the Guayaquil city tour. Louisa did a good job with the connections, transfers and arrangements to and from Galapagos. The islands were amazing as expected, but the Voyager cruise exceeded our expectations. The boat was clean, spacious and well run. The food was good. Our guide William was a truly nice guy who went out of his way to make sure that everyone enjoyed the trip and learned a lot. We hope to come back again to see Quito and more of the islands. Thanks again. Ed McGlumphy Dear Elena, We would like to thank you and Columbus Travel for a wonderful visit to Ecuador. We enjoyed the Dann Carlton and the location was good. The Millennium was a very good boat. The 2 naturalists we had were knowledgeable and the crew was great. The food was excellent. The Sani Lodge was very nice. We enjoyed the location and there were a lot of tropical birds around. Seth Ames the guide was excellent and very helpful. Freddy the local guide was very good too. We have told our friends and highly recommended Ecuador and your Travel agency. We may have a return trip to visit the Central highlands in the future. Harry Woods is a mountain climber and is considering returning for a climbing trip. Regards, Graham Lee Hi Washington, I had a wonderful and unforgettable trip to the Galapagos on board of the Sulidae. Thank you a lot for your organisation. Everything was great. Peter Blaikner Hi Ivonne, You arranged a trip to Otavalo for me and a group of my fellow travelers for April 29th. I wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed the trip and, especially the guide Alfredo He shared a lot about his indigenous culture. Cynthia Shoemaker Washington, Again, thanks for all your help. Shirley and Bob We have returned home from our trip to Ecuador. Everything was EXCELLENT! All our tickets arrived as you promised. The Beluga was wonderful and we loved the Galapagos Islands. Our time in Quito and Ecuador was also wonderful. You were very helpful with everything and very reliable. Regards, Ivonne, A special thanks, however, is reserved for your service after I fell ill and had to stay overnight at a hospital in Guayquil. You were able to get us a top-notch hotel room the night I was released from the hospital and to rebook us on the next flight to the Galapagos where you had arranged for airport pickup and a fastboat to get us to our cruise and our friends as quickly as possible. Once again, all those arrangements worked out perfectly. Great Job! The Hotel Carvallo in Cuenca was great! The Millennium Cruise was a wonderful experience! The staff and guide were top-notch and always available! Thanks again, Ivonne. I will not hesitate to recommend you to anyone looking Best and Warmest Regards, Hi Elena Greetings from Australia Elena, Dear Ivonne Just wanted to let you know what a wonderful week we have just had touring the highlands of Ecuador - thank you! Ivan was absolutely fantastic - he really made our vacation special. Besides being a wonderful knowledgable tour guide, Ivan really took time to understand us and what we wanted and was flexible enough to change things accordingly to ensure that we had a perfect vacation. Today we had a great day with Alfredo who was also an excellent guide and a lot of fun. Colombus Travel should be congratulated on having such first class Tour Guides. Looking forward now to our week in The Galapagos. All best wishes Rosi + Jeff Ware USA, April 2008 Hi Elena, Regards. Hi Elena -
We just wanted to thank you for aranging the most marvelous trip for us. We thoroughly enjoyed both our Galapagos adventure and our time in Quito and the Andes. Everything went like clockwork with the pickups, transfers, and tours. We couldn't have asked for anything better. Our guides were especially wonderful. Luis on the Legend was fabulous. Byron in the Quito are and the Andes really made the trip so unique and special for us. Cliff particularly liked Byron since they had a mutual interest in birding. Byron took us to some places that were off the beaten trail and that made the visit extra special. Thanks again for all you did. You were really on top of every detail and I never worried a bit. I will highly recommend you to others traveling to the Gallapagos and Ecuador! Susan and Cliff USA, March 2008 Dear Elena, We wanted to let you know what a wonderful trip we had to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos. Everything was planned perfectly and we really enjoyed it. Thank you for all your help. If you would like to use us as a reference for other clients, please do so. Susan and David Werner P.S. Ivan, the guide in Quito, was outstanding. USA, February 2008 Dear Elena We are safely home and wanted to let you know how grateful we are for all your hard work and attention. It was so lovely to meet you in Quito!! The trip was amazing-so much better than any of us could have imagined. Everything you had organised went without a hitch. The Beluga was wonderful. The guide, Monica, was exceptional and we soon realised how lucky we were to have her when we overheard some of the other guides talking to their groups. The crew were fun and so kind to everybody. We enjoyed Fernandina best-well worth the long sail. Every day was a new and exciting adventure. We were exhausted!!! My broken toe just about survived and is glad to be home. The only bad thing in the whole experience was flying with Iberia and none of us will ever use them again. We have been home for 30 hours now and still haven't got any luggage! It all went missing in Madrid. Everything about them was terrible. Next time we head your way it will be BA to Buenos Aires and then Lan. Lan were excellent. You might like to know that Matthew proposed to Katie in Ecuador on a bridge over a huge waterfall and she said yes! The wedding will be next summer. They told us at dinner on the night we were at the Dann. Of course this made the whole trip even more exciting for us. They will always hold Ecuador close to their hearts. If you are ever in the UK do get in touch. We owe you a meal!! Thank you once again. Jan, Paul, Matt and Katie UK, February 2008 Dear Elena, Back from our holiday in Ecuador, Galapagos (and Bonaire) I would like to thank you for the perfect organisation. No misunderstandings, everyone in time, everything as arranged. Everything worked out very well! We had a wonderful time in a very nice country and nothing to worry about. I will certainly recommend you to anyone planning a trip to Ecuador, Galapagos or any other country your organisation covers. And of course I will contact you myself if we consider another trip to South-America. Thanking you again for your help, best regards, Ingrid M de Hosson-Vonk The Netherlands , February 2008 Dear Washington, I'm writing you from Luxembourg, me and Soren are back to work after three great weeks in Ecuador. I'd like to thank you for your help and your patience, the trip to Galapagos was outstanding, the real highlight of the holidays! Encantada is a nice and charming boat, the food was great, guide and crew were professional, nice and helpful... and of course the nature was unique, really a great emotion! Thank you again for organizing such a wonderful time in Galapagos, we really want to come back again! Best regards Stefania Luxembourg, February 2008 Ivonne, I just wanted to write to say "Thank You" for taking care of the travel arrangements to the Galapagos Islands as well as the stay in Quito. The trip was absolutely amazing, and we had a great time even though Dave left his bathroom supplies at Fuente de Piedra., but other than that, everything was fabulous. If possible, give my thanks to Xavier for driving us as well as to the crew of the Floreana, who were incredible!!! Take care, Irene Wongtragool Thailand, February 2008 Dear Washington, Thank you for everything. The trip was great. We really thought our guide Raul was incredible. We really appreciate all your hard work and will certainly refer people to your organization in the future. Good luck here in Ecuador. Saludos, Kevin Longstreth USA, February 2008 Maria Elena We just got back from our outstanding trip. You did an EXCELLENT job and Susan and I really appreciate it! We had such a great time and our guides, hotels flights - everything was perfect! I cannot thank you enough. If you need me as a very positive reference please let me know. Thank you, thank you and thank you! Randy Prust USA, February 2008 Dear Elena,
Just want to thank you for all the work you put into our trip. It truly was a fantastic experience. The staff was super, Georgi and Yvonne were wonderful. There is absolutely nothing one could complain about - Jean's luggage showed up after all -. It was a trip of a life time and thanks to you and all the people involved it became the perfect trip. Thank you again. Kindly, Elisabeth Dunn USA, January 2008 Elena
On behalf of myself and kate i would like to thank you for your kind and very efficient service when booking our recent trip to Galapagos. we had a brilliant time and the santa cruz ship and staff where fantastic. i have already passed your details on to my friends. Once again thank you so much for helping us achieve a lifetime ambition. Colin Ireland, January 2008 Fernanda
I just wanted to thank you for all your help in arranging our trip. It was amazing. Thanks again, I will recommend you and Columbus Travels to everyone! Amy Chaffman USA, January 2008 Dear Elena:
I wanted to let you know that we were all extremely pleased with the service you and Columbus travel offered! It was very comforting to be met at the airport both on our first day and on the day of our departure to Galapagos. Everything went very smoothly. The Monserrat was a wonderful boat with a welcoming and knowledgeable crew. The accommodations and food were great. Our guide Fabio was terrific. He was so friendly, interesting and fun. In addition to the naturalist information, he also shared lots of info about Ecuador, its government and healthcare. I want to heartily thank you for all the time you put into our trip. It was successful and everyone had a grand time!! Is it alright if I reference your agency on the tripadvisor.com website?? I only wish I could have met you in person! Perhaps on a return visit. Muchas Gracias! Betsy Liljeberg USA, January 2008 Hello Christian:
I have been meaning to e-mail my thanks to you for doing such an excellent job of organizing the land part of our trip to Ecuador. Everything went so smoothly. The hotel was lovely, and the guides and other arrangements were all excellent. Xavier was so patient when he had to wait for our flights to arrive. I had expected him to take us to the airport on our last day, but you sent a bus instead. So unfortunately we were unable to thank him personally or to give him a tip for all he did for us. I am sorry about that. All I can do now is to ask you to thank him for us, and to say that we were very pleased to have him drive us. We found Ecuador very interesting, and we greatly enjoyed our visit. Many thanks for your part. Margaret Hyslop Canada, December 2007 Hello Elena!
Now we are safely back to the northern winter in Sweden. We found Ecuador being a fantastic country with friendly people and a rich diversity of environments. We bring home lots of memories that will stay with us for ever. I just want to say thank you for helping us to make our travel very enjoyable. Best regards Anders Wånge (of the Fransson/Wånge-families) Sweden, December 2007 Hi Maria Elena,
I just wanted to let you know that our vacation on The Beagle was just the best! Our trip was so much more than we expected. The food was wonderful, the crew very professional and fun. Camilo, our guide, was exemplary! We had such a great time. Thank you for all your help. USA, December 2007 Estimada Srta. Ivonne:
Muchas gracias por toda la asiatencia que nos dio en preparar este hermoso paseo a las Islas Galapagos. La pasamos muy bien, especialmente los dos varones que hicieron snorkling a pesar del agua fria. Los Ecuatorianos son muy hospitalarios y en general muy abiertos a compartir sus ideas y anhelos. Mucha suerte, y gracias nuevamente, Marcos USA, December 2007 Hello Christian,
Just to thank you for the organisation of our trip. We will for sure reccommend your company to our friends. Happy new year Sandrine and Marcel Switzerland, December 2007 Dear Washington,
I am back from the Galapagos. I was not able to send you an email. Everything went well. Thank you for your assistance to make it possible! With warm regards, Fred Fouraschen The Netherlands, December 2007 Hi Christian,
I'm happy to give you a few comments regarding our trip. The Hotel Fuente de Piedra 1 was a good place to stay in Quito, and the reception staff were helpful - given it was the first place we'd been to and my Spanish/Castellano wasn't great it was also good that they spoke English. Generally the hotel was clean and welcoming. Aside from the mix-up at la Peregrina (they didn't seem to have a record of our booking, and tried to get us to pay again when we checked out) it was a pretty good if basic hostel with clean rooms. Everything about the cruise on board the M/Y Sulidae was superb. The staff were excellent, especially the guide David - nothing was too much trouble for them. The food was also excellent, it's amasing what they could prepare in such a small kitchen. The cabins were cramped as you'd expect, but that didn't matter as you spent every waking moment on-deck as you didn't want to miss a minute's scenery. The amount of time spent on land vs on sea was about right, they didn't try to fit too much in so we didn't feel rushed. It was all perfect really. I've never been somewhere before where I truly didn't want to leave, but I could have spent the rest of my life on the Galapagos. We had an unbelievable time. After the Galapagos we traveled to Riomamba, Banos and Guayaquil before heading onto Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brasil - we're now back in England for a few days before flying out to Australia. Have a great 2008 - thanks for your help booking that amasing trip. Adam Shelmerdine September 2007 Feliz año nuevo Ivonne. Te quiero decir que lo pasamos muy bien en el tour y toda la gente envueltos se portaron muy profesionales y muy amables. El barco era bastante comodo y el crew eran divinos. Gracias por su ayuda el planiar el viaje. Ecuador es muy lindo y estoy segura que un dia vamos a regresar a conocer mas del país. Suerte, Betina USA, September 2007 Elena,
I just wanted to let you know how greatour trip was. Here we are 3 months later and we still are having the greatest memories of the trip you booked for us on the legend. Our time in quito, was great and the guide you arranged and everything you booked for us was fantastic. Thank you Steve Melnick We're home!! We had a wonderful trip, in no small part because of you!! Thank you for everything!! The Angelito I was wonderful, and all the crew expert and accommodating, and the tour guide Hansel was a brilliant naturalist/guide.. By the way, they did have wet suits on board for everybody and were surprised that we had bothered to order 3 suits in advance thru you for $15 more apiece! We saw lots of animals and swam with the sea lions; the food was delicious, the weather perfect, and only one night of rocking and rolling in the boat as we crossed the equator - it was quite a ride! Then out to Kapawi - I was worried about those small planes, but again the weather was great and the pilots were, too. Animals were not as easy to see as in the Galapagos, but the rain forest experiences incredible, and again our naturalist guides Mauricio and Anhil were the best! It was such a gift to be able to visit an Achuar community and meet the shaman. Finally, thank you for the transfers, they were a great help, and for all the extra last minute help you gave us, taking Jesse's calls and checking on flights and accommodations.. You were always professional and kind to us and we thank you for arranging our very successful time in the Galapagos and the Kapawi Rain Forest, and for your graciousness when we called you for additional help. When our friends ask for a tour agent to recommend in Quito, you'll be it. Thank you again, Fernanda, for everything.. It was great doing business with you. Sincerely, Jacquie M. Jim C. Dear Ivonne
I just wanted to thank you for your excellent service in helping me arrange a cruise in the Galapagos. Everything worked out perfect, and I had a great experience. I will definetly recommend Columbus Travels to other travellers. So once again thank you very much for your help and service - I am very happy with everything. Have a nice long weekend. Best Regards Signe November 01th, 2007 Hi
Jessica,
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you but we've had continuous house guests since we got back from our trip. That's what happens when you live in Miami and people from up north need a break from the cold. I had wanted to write to you as soon as we got back to tell you that we had a wonderful trip. We loved everything about it. You did a great job arranging it all for us. Everything went like clockwork and everyone was so nice - the guides, driver, crew and staff. Thank you so very much for all the time and effort you put into making this vacation truly memorable. When we're ready to go to Machu Pichu, we'll contact you. I understand from Louise (not sure if I have her name right - the woman who took us to the airport with our driver (I already forgot his name, but that is not unusual for me); I think she's the manager of your agency) that you partner with another agency in Peru to arrange that trip. I'll also highly recommend you to anyone who wants to make any similar trips. Hope your holidays were good and you enjoyed your stay in Norway. Happy 2007 to you, too. Regards, Lynn February 18th, 2006 Elena
Just wanted to let you know that we had a great time in the Galapagos. The boat Golondrina was great as were the staff especially the guide enrique was excellent -his knowledge of the Galapagos and his English were superb. We had a brillient time - thanks for all your efforts. Helma January 24th, 2006 Dear Elena:
We had a wonderful trip on the Eclipse. Everything worked out perfectly. Javier was always on time to pick us up. We found the staff on the Eclipse to be absolutely wonderful; At some time in the future, we will want to go back and take with us some of our family Of course we will contact you at that time. Thanks for everything!! Susan Carlyle January 22th, 2006 Hello Elena. Just a short message to say thank you for arranging my recent trip. The staff of the Legend were great and it was a very enjoyable cruise. Everything worked out great. Thank you again.
Stan Singer January 22th, 2006 Fernanda,
Thank you so much. Everything was excellent and went smoothly. Xavier did a great job of being on time and was a comforting face to see when he picked us up and speaks great English. Ivan should be commended; he speaks fluent English and was knowledgeable, informative, and a joy to be with on our excursions. It was as if he was a long lost friend. I would highly recommend his services to anyone we know. Thank you again. We had an excellent vacation because of the well planned trip that you put together. We will recommend Columbus Travel and you to any prospective friends that are considering Ecuador as a vacation. Jacob Aicholtz Food Technologist Savory Applications January 19th, 2006 Hello again, just writing you to provide some feedback on the trip and services:
1. I was 100% happy with the services provided by you and Columbus Travel. I appreciated that emails were responded to quickly. Also in Guayaquil, I believe his named was William - very friendly, and was helpful in ways you normally wouldn't expect, such as looking into the status of our connecting flights and giving us that information as we got back from Galapagos. Hampton Inn was very nice and the service good as well. 2. Again, nothing but good things to say about the Galapagos Explorer II, and of the islands. I have travelled to a fair number of places, and Galapagos ranks at the top. I very much appreciated that you arranged for the diving for us - this seemed to be a service that some of the other agents (mostly non-ecaudor based) either didn't know about or wouldn't organize. On the trip there were only 4 people who went scuba diving, all because we were the only ones who had it pre-booked. There were others who wanted to go as well, but without pre-booking, they were not allowed as the boat demanded many different forms that people did not bring. Hope this helps, and I will be sure to recommend you to my friends. Once they see my pictures, i'm sure they will try to make a visit :) Nick January 18th, 2006 Hi,
Well... we are back in cold Boston after a really wonderful trip. Everything went smoothly and we had a terrific vacation. Thanks so much for all of your help. I will definitely recommend you to any friends who are planning trips to the Galapagos or Ecuador. Take care, Dawn It was great to meet you! January 12th, 2006 Hello Elena,
Katherine and I had a wonderful time in the Galapagos. You have a great travel agency. Everything went smooth. Thank You, Mike and Katherine January 12th, 2006 Ciao Ivonne,
We are returned from a fantastic trip!!! The Galapagoses are a paradise, the boat is magnificent, the crew has been perfect and Robert, the guide, nice and very repared. The best trip of my life! Sorry for the phone call, but the emotion has stopped me as soon as have felt you! The organization has been perfect, and our guide in Quito, Ricardo, was very nice. Thanks for all!! Ciao Stefano January 11th, 2006 Ciao Ivonne,
Just a very quick email to tell you we had a marvelous time on the islands. The boat, the crew and the guide were EXCELLENT, we are looking forward to come back. Thanks for everything, your patience etc.... Hasta luego, Martine and Salvatore January 10th, 2006 Hello Ivonne
Just wanted to say thank you for coordinating the trip. I had a great time and hope to come back in the next few years to see the other islands (since I was on the short 5 day trip). Thank you also for making the hotel reservations and everything went very smoothly. Best wishes for the New Year. Ran January 8th, 2006 Dear Marie Elena,
We are back home now after a wonderful family vacation. I want to thank you again for your help in organizing our adventure. Tierra del Volcan was a wonderful spot and we could easily have spent another day there. On the other hand we also enjoyed El Trapiche and Banos very much. We did horseback riding in both areas. Elizabeth from El Trapiche was charming and helpful. Our experience on Floreana was also positive. We liked the ship and felt very positively toward the captain and crew. I would recommend that people do the full week cruise, if possible, since the first and last days are very abbreviated. We love Ecuador and the Galapagos and will recommend them and your services to our friends. Gracias, Vicky January 8th, 2006 Hi Margarita,
I am behind in everything so I cannot give you a long message. We loved visiting Ecuador. I loved both the Galapagos portion and the Mindo portion the best. I would recommend you to anyone I know going to Ecuador. Thankyou for helping us plan our trip. Say hello to Byran. He was super nice and very informative on Ecuador. Best regards, Bonnie Rubel January 5th, 2006 We are back and had a wonderful time, Margarita! Thanks so much for all your help.
Rick Spradling January 5th, 2006 Hi Ivonne!
I just wanted to thank you for booking us an INCREDIBLE trip to Galapagos. Jason and I had an amazing vacation and are so happy that we had this opportunity to go. I will definitely recommend Columbus Travel to anyone else that is interested in going. Thanks again and take care! Jennifer Still, January 3th, 2006 Hi Jessica:
Ecuador was great! We had so much fun! Thank you for everything! - Amy Jones West Hollywood, CA Travel on Sulidae yacht the 19th October 2006 Dear Maria:
Wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. We would like to thank you again for arranging such a great trip for us. Everything was really perfect. We will remember this holiday for a long time and hope to return to Ecuador soon. Fondly Behnaz and Mehrdad Jalali December, 2006 Dear Margarita, Thank you for organising a fantastic holiday for us. We really enjoyed it and the your company's efforts were absolutely excellent. Ivan was also perfect and his knowledge of the country and people meant that we saw much more than we would have with a conventual tour. Please thank him for us And finally thank you for your kind thought with the bottle of champange!!
If you have any questionnaire you would like us to complete, please send one Ecuardor is an amazing country and we have no hesitation in recommending a holiday there - with Columbus Travel of course. David & Sandra Saer December, 2006 Hi,
I'm back from my holidays. I had a brilliant time and the Galapagos Islands were fantastic. Ecuador is wonderful country with such friendly people. Thank you so much for all your help in getting us there. If any of my friends are thinking of going to the Islands I will certainly recommend you to them. Please feel free to forward this email on to your Manager so that he/she knows what a great job you do. Kindest regards and thanks again, Marcus. December, 2006 Hi Elena,
Had just the best holiday in the Galapagos. Diving at Darwin and Wolf, 3 times with a 50 foot whale shark, with a 1000 school of Hammerheads, incredible!!!!! white tips and Galapagos sharks as well as Eagle and Manta Rays.etc...... and the cruise on the Isabella afterwards was a fantastic rest ( too much food) and visiting the islands on land was great. Also managed to fit in hiking in Quito and Cotapaxi. Wish I had gone to the rain forest too and a bit more hiking BUT I will be back. Thanks for all your help. Best wishes Ian Cook Photographer December, 2006 Hi Margarita I want to tell you how much we appreciated the great service we had from you and your company when we were in Ecuador. All of our plans went perfectly. Your drivers and guides were prompt and courteous and knowledgeable and the hotel, the excursions and the Eclipse were outstanding. I always worry when I arrange things on the internet but we were exceptionally pleased with your service and your arrangements for us. We loved every part of our trip and I will recommend you and your company without reservation Gail Rutenberg
December, 2006 Buenos días Elena ¡¡
Sólo comentarte que todo ha salido bien, tal y como esperábamos, y que ya estamos de regreso en nuestro pais. Agradeceros vuestra profesionalidad. Os guardamos en nuestra lista de contactos, por si hubiera otra ocasión. Gracias y hasta siempre.¡¡¡ Guillermo. November, 2006 Galapagos Cruise Athala October 28-31
elena, we just got back from the cruise and it was wonderful the boat is incredible the crew is fantastic. also the hotel was also great thanks very much i will surely recommend you thanks for a great trip November, 2006 Hello Fernanda,
We have returned from a most enjoyable trip. Thank you very much for your contributions to its success. We love Quito and the Hotel Patio Andaluz. The driver who met us at the airport was very nice and the guide for our last day in Quito, Mauricio, was perfect. The Galapagos portion of the trip went without any problems. The size of the cruise ship was just right for us, and the islands were great. The very best thing about Ecuador was the people. Very warm and friendly. We received smiles wherever we went. We will be back. Thanks again for your help. November, 2006 Dear Margarita, Thank you very much for your help in arranging our vacation. Also, It's been a pleasure to meet you. We had a great time in Ecuador. Our friends wedding was beautiful. It was an outside wedding and the weather was just perfect. The whole day of Friday, 10/20/06 we went for the tour around the city of Quito. On Friday night we were picked up at the Marriott by the Chivas bus. They have a band playing music on top of the bus, traditional liquor drinks and tour around Quito, then we had dinner at the groom mother's house outside of Quito. Our Galapagos cruise was fantastic. We met a lot of good people during our cruise and became friends with them. Our tour guide to Otivalo, Ivan is very kind, friendly and funny. He really made us feel at home and show us around different places. He is very knowledgeable about the history of your country. I will highly recommend him to anyone who might need his services. I am very furtunate to meet people like you and Ivan. Please, give our regards to him and tell him that we enjoyed our tour and shopping. I also tried your specialty food (deep fry genuea pig). It was very delicious! I hope you can come to visit us here in America soon. Always, Gloria Edna C. Brown
October, 2006 Dear Fernanda,
Our cruise on the Athala was really wonderful... We started working very hard from the following day we came back to Italy, but we will always remember our fantastic days in Ecuador. And this is thanks to you, to Xavier, Jimmy, but also the wonderful crew of the Athala, Pedro, Orlando, Gabriel, Darwin, José, and all then others who are REALLY all fantastic people. Please, thank them all for us when you have a chance, and thank you again to you, Fernanda, for your excellent service and kindness! With our best regards Paolo and Cristina September, 2006 Dear Fernanda - the four of us wanted to send you a quick thank you from Puerto Ayora -we are having such a wonderful time in the galapagos and now that we are here we realise that your planning and advice has been invaluable - everything has been marvelous, the Angelito was so fantastic, Hotel Maineo is very very nice and thank you for any assistance you were required to provide in getting our lost luggage to us! Muchas Gracios from all of us!! Ruth Johnson
August, 2006 Hi Fernanda, Well we are just about to leave Quito to go to Peru. I would like to thank you again for all your help with organising Galapagos. We have some very special memories that will last us a life time. Ivan was also a great guide yesterday and we had a very enjoyable time with him.
Thanks again and i will most definatly recommend you guys to anyone thinking of going to the Galapagos over the next few years. Take Care Miriam and Michael August, 2006 Hi Elena, My husband & I want to say a big "Thank You" to you for helping us book the 4-day Galapagos cruise on the Legend. We had a fantastic time and met many nice people onboard. Your service was excellent - you gave us good information and prompt responses. We will definitely recommend your company to our friends. Thank you once again! Regards
Liane August, 2006 Buenos Noches Seniorita Margarita Just got back from our trip to Ecuador and Peru.
I'm always nervous sending $$$ to people in another country that I met on a website - but our trip was fantastic. Everything went very smoothly. Galapagos and Quito are amazing places. The Legend was a great boat, with a great crew. We were also impressed with the Quito guide you organised (Ivan) who seemed amazingly versed and knowlegable in everything Ecuadorian! Muchos Gracias Phil July, 2006 Dear Elena- We just wanted to extend our thanks for the good job you did in setting up our cruise to the Galapagos and also for the fast, complete job you did in finding a way for us to experience the Cotopaxi Volcano and the wonderful train trip through the Devil's Nose with Byron.
We also wanted to say that we thought Byron was excellent, friendly, thoughtful, always attentive to our needs and that he even got us a seat up with the engineer during the train trip through the best part of the trip. Not to mention that he even fixed my husband's broken glasses! Please convey to your superiors that you and Byron did an outstanding job for us while we were in Ecuador. And please foward this to Byron as well. Thanks again and Good Luck! We would certainly recommend you to anyone who may be interested in a trip like our's. Sincerely, Andrea & Nathan Carb March, 2006 Dear Maria Elena,
We have just returned home today (we stopped for a week in Bonaire on the way back). we had an unforgettable holiday in Ecuador - your country is so beautiful and diverse. We loved it very much. Thank you for all your help organizing our trip - you were very efficient!. Also, our guide Ivan Vizcaino was excellent, helpful and very knowledgeable. best wishes, Marina March, 2006 Hi Fernanda,
We just got back yesterday from Quito. Thank you very much for all you help and your co-workers when we forgot the boys snorkel suits. We had a wonderful trip!! The crew of the Fragata Yacht were very nice and Ivan the guide was very informative and friendly. Again, thank you very much !! Amparo Clarkson New York Stock Exchange Corporate Audit / RQR March, 2006 Estimada Yoyi,
Ya de vuelta en España, te envíamos este email para agradecerte el trato y las atenciones que nos habéis dispensado a bordo del Athala. Ha sido uno de los viajes más bonitos de nuestra vida y sin duda para los niños será algo inolvidable. Transmite por favor a toda la tripulación del Athala nuestro más sincero agradecimiento y nuestro cariño por todo el afecto recibido. Un abrazo. February, 2006 I am writing to say how very much we enjoyed our holiday in Ecuador and the Galapagos - we really had a wonderful time, enjoyed every moment, made new friends, felt completely relaxed, and were stunned by the beauty and peace of the islands and their inhabitants.
It was everything we could have hoped for and the best possible way to celebrate our anniversary. We will always have wonderful memories of this time. In addition, the Hotel Mercure could not have been more comfortable and charming, Xavier was always right on time, and we thoroughly enjoyed our day in Otavalo with Byron. We recommended Columbus Travel to many of our friends Thank you again for all your excellent, professional assistance. Kind regards, Rob and Maureen Sladen Cruise on Eclipse Jan 14-21, 2006 I just wanted to thank you for taking care of everything for our trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. My father and I both agree that the trip was the most incredible encounter we have ever experienced. Everyone we met from your agency was extremely helpful. The boat, the Monserrat, was very well taken care of and the crew was the best! Our guide did a wonderful job and was very knowledgeable! Quito was beautiful and the islands were far more than we expected. We could not have wished for a more perfect vacation! We will be referring everyone we know to travel through your travel agency and sail with the Monserrat! Thanks again!
Elizabeth Keller. December, 2005 I
want to take a minute to extend to you and all your colleagues
at Columbus Travel our deepest thanks for the marvelous planning
and execution of our holiday in Equador and to the Galapagos
from September 6th to September 20th 2005. From the moment
we stepped off the plane in Quito and re boarded for our departure,
you provided total attention to our needs. In fact you even
anticipated our wishes. Our guide throughout the Equadorian
part of the trip, Maurico Baus, was an outstanding tour director.
He took us to what we wanted to see and to some attractions
that we would never have seen were it not for his total knowledge
of the country. He is a completely knowledgeably, sensitive
tour guide whom we totally enjoyed. We really appreciated
his care and guidance.We thank you for your personally phoning us during our visit,
just to make sure we were enjoying ourselves and to ask if
we needed anything.We are very pleased to recommend Columbus Travel, you, Mauricio
and your colleagues to anyone who wants to enjoy the marvels
of Equador. We were impressed with the beauty and culture
of the country and the people. You and Maurico made it all
come alive for us.
Please use our names as recommendations for future clients of Columbus Travel. We expect that many of our friends, who we have been pleased to share our wonderful holiday experience to Equador, will want to use Columbus Travel. We hope they do and will encourage them to do so. Next year, we are thinking about visiting Chile and Argentina. Perhaps just Santiago, Valpraiso, the Argentine lake country, Buenos Aires and environs. Do you arrange any tours in this area or can you recommend a travel or tour agency for a trip like this? We would appreciate your comments.Again our complete thanks for all your wonderful efforts on our behalf. You made a visit to Equador a truly memorable one-perhaps one of the best holidays we have ever enjoyed. Sincerely Doug Higgins November 2005 Now that we
are safe in the Quito airport lounge, I would like to thank
and congratulate you for all your advice and support for our
trip to Ecuador!
From the very first planning steps until the final help with our luggage today, you and your company have done an excellent job and have made sure, that we have spend a great time in your wonderful country.We will surely contact Columbus Travel if we plan to come to Ecuador again - in fact we have given your contact already to another German couple in Santiago who plan to go to Galapagos.Thanks again and best wishes for the future! Guenther and Roswitha Rodemeyer July 2005 The trip was superb.
Seeing and learning about the animals of the Galapagos was
a once in a lifetime experience. Janet and I loved it.
The memory of seeing a small Sea Lion swimming "figure-eights"
in front of my face while we snorkeled will always make me
smile.
The upgrade was FANTASTIC! It was wonderful to have a window rather than a porthole. I did research the cabins...we were scheduled for #12 which is 2 decks down and closer to the engines. So it is noisier than cabin #23, where you upgraded us. Thank you so much. The lady in #12 was Marianna Suarez, an employee of some other travel agency.The crew of the Eclipse...they are the Best! They were professional and courteous. I had some discussions with the Captain about his ship. He was most gracious.The guides were very knowledgeable. It became a bit of a game to see if there was a question they could not answer. We never won that game. Their names were Klaus, Elizabeth, Patricio (Patos), and Lenin.The Grand Hotel Guayaquil was very nice, with very professional employees. The food was excellent. We usually had the buffet.Jorge Lombeida (I hope I spelled that correctly) is a perfect gentleman and extremely knowledgeable about the history of Ecuador and Guayaquil. He took John, Janet and I on a tour on the Friday before we flew to Galapagos.In closing, we are honored to have worked with you to create this holiday. Best Regards, Roger and Janet Just got back from
the Nemo tour of the Galapagos and just wanted to say thanks
for all of your help. Everything went very smoothly indeed
and was truly fantastic!
Normally at least one thing goes wrong on this kind of tour, but I am pleased to say it was flawless. Thanks again for you help and I will recommend you to any people interested in the Galapagos. Kind Regards, Martin and Sarah Thank you so so much
for your time in putting our trip together for us. We
had a wonderful time in Galapagos Islands and the Encantada
crew was wonderful.
Ron,Sinah, and I really appreciate your time. The scenery and scuba diving was FANTASTIC!Further, when we arrived in Ecuador, your representative (forgot her name) was absolutely wonderful. We enjoyed the entire trip.Thanks so much, Lisa, USA We all had a super
time in Quito and Ecuador. Everything worked like clockwork.
Thanks for providing us with an on schedule program!
Overall feelings were the best. The grandkids were very excited to get back to school and express their good feelings - and brag about their shark encounter on the first swim.The adults were amazed by the surroundings visited and have found it hard to describe their experiences to others. It is an unbelievable region and you should be very proud to offer the opportunities to your customers.The experiences will remain as great memories for all the years of their lives. Regards, Bob and Barbara I just got back from
Ecuador last night. I wanted you to know that Angie was a
really wonderful guide. We really enjoyed spending the
week with her and I was very impressed with how attentive
she was.
First of all she is a very sweet and pleasant person to be around. Also, she was always on time and very flexible with respect to our requests. For example, if we wanted to start early she would say that would be great or if we were ready to go home she would take us right away. She really went out of her way to make our trip pleasant and we really appreciated all of her help. She really looked out of for us. It was obvious that Angie could find the solution to any request or problem. You couldn’t ask for a better guide and your company should feel lucky to have her as a part of your staff.Also, the biking company we worked with was also wonderful and I would recommend Fernando as a cycling guide for any of your clients. He was terrific. One suggestion: I really didn’t like staying at the haciendas. They were cold and the service was not very good. I would suggest you explain this to future clients so that they know to choose some of the newer hotels instead. Thanks for all of you help in planning my trip.I hope you have a wonderful 2005. -Leslie I want to use this
opportunity, even if it comes late, to thank your team for
supporting us in preparing and making our trip to Ecuador
and Galapagos a wonderful experience!Everything really was excellent arranged, all recommended
places turned out to be more than worth to visit, including
hotels and lodges. The Alta was wonderful, as the week in
Galapagos was. All local transports, really everything was
perfect! Congratulation for your company and your team, including
Angie, who supported us in everything.You can have a look to the photographs for Angie, if you
like anything for your website, I will be happy to provide
it to you. All pictures (in total 3,500!) were taken in digital,
so if you are looking for anything specific, I can look into
my data, wether something is available from our trip. We visited
La Selva, Equator Monument, Otavalo, Cotopaxi, Riobamba (train
drive), Cuenca and finally one week on the "Alta"...
So, either by CDR, or by email, if you require something...Thanks again and best regards, especially to Angie, Luisa
and Elena.
-Thomas Nordhoff, Germany As we leave Ecuador,
I want to tell you that the Galapagos experience, and the
time in Guayaquil, have been all that I might have hoped.
-Sincerely, Dorothy Drummond Thank you for the arrangements
for our wondrous trip to the Galapagos Islands!
We will never forget this experience. The bottle of wine was a nice touch and the guide you provided for our city tour (Maurizio) was great - very well-informed and interesting. Quito is really a lovely city especially the old town. I have recommended you to all my friends. -All best wishes, Peter & Emma Ward Our trip to the Galapagos was FABOLOUS! We can highly recommend the Eden, and Columbus Travel! In fact, we HAVE highly recommended your travel agency on the South American Explorers Club Web site in a trip report. It is available to members only to access it, but we told everyone to use Columbus Travel Agency to book for the Galapagos! -Jill Kaiser & Josh Newcom I just want to say thanks for everything working out that well. I have admit that I was a little unsure about looking for a trip in the Internet, so I’m glad that everything was fine. I had a wonderful week on Galapagos and if someone will ask about an address where to book a Galapagos trip, I’ll mention Columbus Travel! -Matthias Goepfert (Germany) We would like to express, once again, our thanks to you. Bellavista and Galapagos were both fantastic. Bellavista was a bit rainy but is a fabulous place to stay, with friendly staff and incredible fod. Galapagos was superb. All the different animals, and the weather was great. Floreana is a good boat, with an extremely friendly staff and guide. The cook was even better than in Bellavista, here even made dishes at our request(Ceviche among others). It was a great ending to a great holiday. Today we are going home so we don' t have the chance to come and see you on another day. Thanks again! -Loe van Erp & Heleen van Boven (Holland) I traveled to Ecuador with my two finicky children (13 & 17) for adventure. I discovered columbus Travel on the internet and booked trips both to the Galapagos and the jungle with them. Their service was great and exceeded my wildest expectations! Their advice was clear, the trip arrangements were very dependable and travel was on time. In addition, service was friendly and the food was great. So were the prices! I would highly recommend this outfit. -Patric Sorensen, USA I would like you to know that we had the most wonderful time in Ecuador thanks to your good planning and advice. It was a trip that was beyond our dreams! Everything went well - the cruise in the Galapagos, the Hotel Quito was just perfect for us and La Selva was just magical. Our guides in the Galapagos and at La Selva were extremely knowledgeable and fun to be with. We all have memories we will always treasure. I especially want to thank you for all the care you took to insure our transport to and from the airport. Someone was always there when we needed them! Thanks again for all you have done, we will certainly strongly recommend you to any of our friends who head in your direction and will use your services the next time we plan to be in Ecuador!! - Howard Chezar, USA |
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