Testimonials and Recommendations
Dear Ivonne,
We all would like to thank you for your help with our Galapagos vacation on the Seaman II. It was truly the trip of a lifetime and the best trip we could imagine. The arrangements all went well and your associates were helpful, prompt, and very pleasant. And the Seaman II was the PERFECT cruise for our group--adventure after adventure, lots of snorkeling, a great naturalist, delicious food, and comfortable accommodations.
I'm attaching a photo of us all on the cruise.
Thank you again. Hope you are enjoying the New Year.
Regards,
Jill
Louise
Lee, John, and Astia
Here, here...three cheers for Ivonne. It's a little unsettling making travel arrangements thousands of miles away, however everything you represented exceeded all of our expectations. It was an adventure extravaganza and trip of a lifetime. Thank you, Ivonne, for all your recommendations in selecting the right boat to booking flights in and out of San Cristobal to finding a night on the island at a hotel. Everything was superb!
Happy New Year!
Warm regards,
Lee
USA
SEA MAN & HOTEL ARENA BLANCE On : Dec, 2011
Elena, thanks for all your help on our recent trip to Ecuador. All arrangements went smoothly. I look forward to referring friends who are interested in going to the Galapagos to you.
Thanks again, Carl
Carl party of 5
USA
Eclipse and Mindo
Dec 2012
Dear Vero,
My husband and I wanted to thank you for the outstanding help you gave us when our flight got delayed. Your commitment, your professionalism and your efficiency is exceptional. We wish we had agents of your calibre in North America!
Thanks to you, we were able to join our cruise in the Galapagos and we had a wonderful time on the Voyager.
Make sure you show this mail to the owner of Columbus Travel, you are a gem and they need to know it !
We are forever grateful to you and will make good publicity for Columbus Travel.
Sincerely,
Annie and Mark
Annie
USA
Voyager
Dec 2011
Vero,
Just wanted to tell you that our experience on the Cormorant and in the Galapagos was terrific.
Flawless service from departure in Quito to return to Quito. Please let all involved know of our complete satisfaction.
John
John
USA
Cormorant
Dec 2011
Doris!
I just wanted to write to you to tell you what a great time I had in the Galapagos on the Galaven! It is a really great boat. Very comfortable and the food was fantastic as were the crew.
I saw some amazing things and met some great people and all in all had a really fantastic time and one that I will never forget!
Thank you for all your help with it. I will certainly recommend people to you when I get asked bout Galapagos. You really took a lot of the stress out of it for me so thank you for that and for being so paint with me and my mum!
I am now sitting in Lima airport having taken three flights to get back from Galapagos and now I will fly to Miami in the morning to spend Christmas with my family.
I hope you have a happy and relaxing Christmas (although I know that is not how it works with travel agents!) and a very happy new year!
Thank you again for everything you did for me.
Ben
Galapagos was great and thanks again for everything. Such a surprise to see my friends. They also really had a wonderful time.
Will certainly recommend you to my friends.
Kind regards, Pam -
Pam
Australia
La Pinta
November, 2011
Hi Vero,
Wade and I just wanted to thank you a million times for organizing our Galapagos Trip, by far the best holidays we ever had so far ( and we have done some travelling, we went to Egypt the year before).
Thank you for your dedication and planning our trip to the smallest detail, we are very happy and have recommended Columbus and yourself to our friends and family.
Celcilia.
Wade
New Zeland
Daphne
July, 2011
Hi Julia ,
The cruise was fantasic. Much better than expected and we expected a lot!!
The boat is beautiful , much more first class than mid-range. The crew was very nice and the guide fantastic. The itinerary was perfect.
Thanks a lot!!!
Yaelle
Israel
October 2011
Archipel I
Hi Ivonne
I have to tell you, we had the BEST TIME EVER in the Galapagos. Everything was first class and perfect! The Red Mangrove properties, both on Santa Cruz and Isabela were beautiful. The staff were really friendly, especially in Santa Cruz and they upgraded us to a suite when we returned from Isabela. Did you have something to do with that? It was a PERFECT surprise and the room, Azul, is beautiful. It has a huge balcony overlooking the water and I LOVED it! I will pay extra to stay in that room next time.
The diving worked out really well, both on Santa Cruz and Isabela. We saw hammerheads, mantas, sea lions, a penguin and WHALES! We absolutely loved the island of Isabela and will spend more time on that island when we book our next trip with you! :-) I am thinking about starting to save money now and we can go back in 2013 or 2014.
I have loved working with you and your recommendation for us to go to two islands and stay at the Red Mangrove properties was absolutely perfect. The tours too..I almost forgot! We had a great guide, Gandhy, for 2 tours and Fernanda was excellent for the Darwin tour. On all three tours, we were the only people with our guide! Such private tours was not expected! :-) We decided not to do the Sierra Negro tour. It was really foggy and damp as well as Paul's back AND knee were really bothering him. We figured a hike would not make him feel any better. We had a great day hanging out in Isabela instead. I LOVED Isabela.
I have to run...could talk all day about how amazing our trip was and what a great job you did! :-)
I'll send you a link to pics as soon as we have them.
Sending a hug and muchas, muchas gracias por todo!
Sarah
Sarah & Paul
USA
Red Mangrove – diving program
September, 2011
Dear Elena
Thank you for helping to make our holiday in Ecuador so enjoyable and free of worry. We have no hesitation in recommending Columbus Travel to our friends in Australia and England.
Kind regards
Malcolm and Carole
Carole and Malcom
Australia
Eclipse, La Selva and Ecuador
October 2011
Dear Vero
I must thank you, Vero, for putting together this wonderful trip. Without your patience and knowledge we would certainly not had such a spectacular experience. What can I say about the Cormorant other that truly exceptional. Sandra tended to our every need and from the chef to the boat drivers to the room cleaners everyone made us feel welcome, comfortable and happy. We saw some fabulous sites and it was an experience that none of us will ever forget. How lucky we were to be on that boat with that crew.
Kate
USA
Cormorant
October 2011
Dear Vero,
We wanted to thank you for the great trip you organized for us.
Thanks for all the information you provided to us.
Regards,
Charlotte and Rogier
Charlotte
USA
Archipel1
August 2011
Hello Vero,
Some time ago you helped us plan our honeymoon to Ecuador. We had a fabulous time
thank you!
Danielle
Danielle
UK
Full climbing trip
June 2011
Dear Ivonna,
I wanted to write and tell you thank you for all the help you gave me in srtting up my trip to the Galapagos. It was fantastic! I am still in awe of what I did see and experience. The accomadations were perfect, the crew on the Anahi were exeptional and our guide was great. The hotel Anahi in Quito is a gem, wonderful people.
Thanks so much, I would recommend you and your agency to anyone.
Sincerely,
Debra Hawkins
Debra
USA
Anahí + Hotel Anahí + land services
October, 2011
1 pax
Hola Christian,
Queria comentarte que todo fue muy bien, nos encanto el viaje, estaba todo muy bien organizado y el Santa Cruz es una muy buena opción y toda la gente que trabaja allí es muy profesional. Disfrutamos mucho la visita a Las Galapagos. Gracias por toda tu ayuda.
Saludos cordiales,
Cristina
Cristina Veciana
Spain
Santa Cruz
August 2011
Elena,
My wife and I wanted to thank you for arranging such a wonderful trip. We had a great time!
Thanks,
Kyle & Sarah
Kyle and Sarah ( honeymoon)
USA
Explorer and Sacha Lodge
August 2011
Elena,
I wanted to thank you for all you assistance with our travel plans. The trip to Galapagos and Ecuador land tour were wonderful! Jorge was a great guide. I left the survey at the reception of the Marriot hotel please arrange to pick it up and feel free to use my comments on your site.
Thanks again for all your help in making this trip a memorable one for my family.
Ishac Family
USA
Explorer and Land
August 2011
Hello Vero,
I just wanted to let you know that we truly enjoyed the trip to Peru and the Galapagos that you put together for us. We had a truly wonderful time. Thanks you for all your effort and planning. You did a great job and all your efforts were truly appreciated.
Harry
USA
Cruise Cormorant Galapagos + Peru tour
August 2011
Vero,
We had a wonderful trip. Thanks for your help!
Frank
USA
Cruise Archipel
August 2011
Hi Julia,
We are now back in the US after our cruise in the Galápagos.
We just wanted to let you know that we had a perfect time on board the Eden. Everything was amazing. The boat was better than what we expected and the crew was very welcoming. Our guide, Ruben - a freelance - had an impressive knowledge of the islands and their wildlife and was very good at sharing it with us. He took perfect care of us during the whole trip and was great at animating the group. And the itinerary was ideal, every day was packed full of activities and we saw so much!
Thanks for everything you did to help us organize this trip. It couldn't have been better.
Have a great day,
Rémi
Tatum and Remy
USA
Eden 8 day cruise
Vero-
We are home in California after 8 days on Millennium boat.
The cruise was very nice with no problems. I will refer you to anyone that asks.
Thank you for all you help.
Scott
USA
Cruise Millenium
August 2011
Hola Ivonne
Ya estamos de vuelta de ecuador, gracias por todo
galapagos y el pais entero increible ...
la gente del redmangroove espectacular
saludos
David
España
Red Mangrove Lodge / Full dive adventure in Galapagos
Hi Christian,
Sorry for the delayed response. I wanted to let you know that I had a wonderful trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos. Thank you so much for your help! In fact, I am suggesting you and your company to a friend of mine. Hopefully you can find him a good deal if he decides to go! :)
Thanks again,
Pauline
LIM, Pauline
USA
Santa Cruz
May 2011
Christian,
Sorry for being tardy with this, but we had to catch up on a few things in New York.
In short, our experience with Columbus Travel was fantastic from beginning to end. Your website is easy to navigate and provides all the necessary information. And of course, you were responsive to every request we made -- looking at boats, hotels, etc. as well as pointing us in a direction we might not have thought of on our own (Napo).
We really enjoyed meeting you and your wife in Quito. It really put a personal touch on the trip, and I can't thank you enough for going above-and-beyond in getting the mosquito nets for us. That absolutely saved the day!
As far as the trips themselves, we were surprised to find we liked Napo as much or better as we did the Galapagos. There was a little unpredictability on the guides in the Galapagos -- our first guide Billy was not as knowledgeable as we'd hoped, but our second guide Gino definitely was. I understand all of those guides work on a trip-by-trip basis so you can't guarantee that any one guide will be on any one boat, so as we say "it is what it is".
The other thing I would change on the Galapagos is the time we spent snorkeling. A lot of times that felt like it was just a way to fill time, when we could have otherwise been hiking and seeing new things. Don't get me wrong, Devil's Crown was absolutely amazing. But some of the beach snorkeling got a little mundane.
As far as Napo, that was an incredible trip and a great recommendation. When we first arrived, we thought that we should have booked a longer (7-8 day) trip there. But honestly I don't think I would do more than 4-5 days. We were getting worn out (in a good way) from hiking through all the mud by the end of the trip. We loved every minute of it.
They could shorten up the event with the Anangu women (especially going through the traps) but overall that was a great experience. Frankly I think they should move their gift shop from the hut on the Napo River to the lodge itself. I bet they would sell a lot more stuff if it's right there by the dinner tables. Our guide Juan Carlos was young, energetic and he knew more about Amazon wildlife and plants than I could have ever imagined.
And finally, we had a great time with Juan, who took us to Cotopaxi and the equator. We had a fantastic lunch on our day to Cotopaxi, and Juan was very polite, funny and knowledgeable. He was a great recommendation and the trips were a good value.
We're happy to be references if anyone wants to speak to us about the trips we took, about you or about Columbus Travel. And you can expect to hear from us again -- maybe the Inca Trail or the Ecuadorian coast. There's so much to do that we'll need your help again.
Best wishes,
Britt and Meghan
Brit & Meghan
USA
Galaven I and Napo Wildlife
July 2011
thank you for all your time organizing our trip. It was wonderful to have the drivers meet us at the airport each time and take us to the hotel. The Fuente was very nice.
thank you for the suggestion and the organization.
Valerie
Valerie
USA
Isabela and Napo Wildlife
On : July 2011
Christian,
just to let you know we had a brilliant time on the Galaven - food was fantastic and islands & animals amazing.
regards
Peter Weekes
WEEKES, Peter
ENGLAND
Galaven
June 2011
Hi Christian,
Thanks for the follow up.
All went well in the Galapagos. The cruise was excellent and the hotels were great. The service at Sol y mar could not have been better with a combination of professionalism and personal attention.
Thanks for you help and we will be happy to recommend your services if the opportunities comes up. We were actually referred to you by some friends.
Regards,
Iris and Zvi
Zvi & Iris
USA
Galapagos Explorer II + Casa Iguana Mar y sol + Sol y Mar
June / July 2011
Dear Vero,
Just wanted to let you know we had a fabulous trip and we are all really missing Galapagos and can´t wait to return one day.
Thank you again for making the arrangements, etc.
Jharna & Vikas
England
Mary Anne
June 2011
Hi, Ivonne – I wanted to tell you that my family and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Guayaquil at the Hostel Macaw and our cruise on the Queen of Galapagos to the Galapagos Islands from May 14-22. The Hostel was lovely and clean and the staff most helpful in all areas. The transport services were prompt and efficient – very impressive! On our trip back to the Hostel from the airport after the cruise my brother Bill dropped his wallet in the van. The driver called the Hostel to say he had it and delivered it back to him after he finished his rounds. We were very very appreciative of his honesty and it certainly saved Bill a LOT of inconvenience and headaches at the end of our vacation.
The ship was good – nice crew, good food (lots and lots of vegetables and options for our vegetarians, too!), all in all very satisfactory, although the cabins, while very clean, could have used a few repairs on faucets, hardware, etc. The guide that was assigned to our group – Ruly Menoscal – was terrific. His English was excellent and his knowledge of the islands, history, animals, birds, fish was impressive and interesting. Unfortunately, we did have quite a bit of sea sickness in our group. I had taken some over the counter pills obtained from a scuba/dive shop here in Virginia and I wore the pressure bands so I luckily escaped most of the problems.
Thank you so much for all your assistance in planning our travels to Ecuador. We met some other passengers who booked with Columbus Travel and in comparing notes with other passengers we agreed that your company was the most informative, organized and helpful!
Best to you and wishes for continued success in your business,
Kathy
USA
May 2011
Hotel Macaw & Queen of Galapagos
Hello Elena:
I email just to say again how much we appreciate your assistance in arranging our trip to Guayaquil, the Galapagos, and Quito. Everything went very well, we had a great time, and your help was a big part of that success. My wife already wants to visit again! In particular, the Odyssey and itinerary were varied and interesting and Casa San Marcos was a wonderful window in to old Quito and hospitality. I will certainly tell my friends to call you if they want to visit Ecuador.
Thank you very much.
Jeff
USA
Odyssey
June 2011
Hello Elena,
I think I can speak for our group when I say that our trip to the Galapagos Islands on the Athala was an amazing, magical experience. It far exceeded my own expectations.
The crew was exceptional, warm, welcoming, fun, and provided utmost quality as far as service is concerned.
Our guide, George, did a fantastic job educating us along the way and was of great help to all who needed guidance during our snorkeling excursions;
Pepe (Jose Luis?), the bartender, sang lovely songs and entertained us, as well as served us beautifully for each meal. He made our stay especially fun.
The captain, Miguel, was kind, pleasant and courteous;
Our panga ‘drivers’ Herman and…..sorry I cannot retrieve the other name-both so helpful and kind;
Darwin, the chef –exquisite meals, each and every one! He is amazing;
Martin, who made us giddy with the pleasure of towel sculptures and kept our cabins beautifully clean, with a smile to be remembered;
And those who I cannot remember names….they were all wonderful. All of the crew, wonderful. Please if you can, extend once again our gratitude for such an enchanting time spent on the Athala. I will never forget it.
Elaine
USA
Athala charter
June 2011
Hi!
We thought we ought to send a big "THANK YOU!" to you for getting us
those 8 amazing days on the Mary Anne!
It was truly unforgettable.
Everything about the trip was better than we expected. Thank you for all your help and guidance. Keep up the good work!
Love,
Hilde & Stig
Vero,
My wife & I want you to know that we really enjoyed our Ecuador tour, and that all of the bookings, transfers, etc. that you arranged occurred without any problems.
Thank you for all of your efforts, and for your always quick and clear responses to my many questions!
Glenn Erdell
USA
May 18 – 31
Ht Plaza Sucre, Quito city tour, Galapagos Explorer II, Casa del Suizo
Hi Ivonne,
I just wanted to write and thank you for all your help in planning our trip to the Galapagos. We had a wonderful time! It was a truly unforgettable trip and I just wanted to thank you for all your help throughout the process. We were incredibly pleased with Columbus Travel and with the entire experience.
Thank you!
Julianne and family
USA
Galaven May 27-31
Hallo Vero !
We are at Home. Thank you for all. The service was perfect !!!!!
It was a wonderful time in Ecuador. We made 8000 Pictures from the Trip.
Say hallo to Alfredo. He was a very good tour guide.
Kind regards
Udo
2 pax
May 8 – 22
Archipel, Napo Wildlife, Marriot, Cotopaxi, City tour
Germany
Dear Vero,
Dear Columbus Travel-Team,
Now I am back in Switzerland and I would like to thank you for the very good organization of our stay on the Galapagos Islands! We had a great time on the Galapagos Islands with many unforgettable experiences. I am sure that I will come back another time. I will absolutely recommend you to other persons planning a journey to the Galapagos Islands.
Beatrice
Switzerland
Traveled on the the forgotten path and beyond tour
May 2 – 8, 2011
Dear Elena,
About 10 years ago our daugther took a spanish course at the Simon Bolivar school and she made a trip to the Galapagos with Columbus travel.
That’s how we got in contact with Columbus travel.
We are so glad we chose Columbus travel for our trip to Peru and the Galapagos.
Tired, but very satisfied we arrived home yesterday.
Getting the trip organised was no problem at all with you on the other side of the world. Any question we had was answered immediately.
In every place we arrived somebody was waiting for us. The guides were very good and friendly. The transport was perfect and the hotels wonderful.
We enjoyed the beautiful landscapes of Peru and the friendly people.
The Galapagos were even better if possible. Thanks to you everything went well. One little misunderstanding was solved straight away.
You even took care of our luggage in Guayaquil! We thank you again for all you have done.
Because of you this was a wonderful holiday without any worries.
I’m sorry you don’t organise trips in Asia or Africa!
We will certainly recommend Columbus Travel and you specifically as a contact for any of our friends who may wish to travel to Peru or the Galapagos in the future.
Thanks again,
4 pax
Holanda, April 2011
Traveled on the Athala and Peru Tour
Hi Elena,
I wanted to let you know that we’re back from our trip and absolutely loved it! Thanks very much for making the arrangements. Everything worked out great. The Eclipse was fantastic!
We will be telling all our friends about our trip and suggesting that they use you if they want to go to Ecuador/Peru!
Thanks again,
Jim Colvin
4 pax
Canada
Eclipse May
Hi Elena,
Jim and I want to say how much we enjoyed your country. The tours were great and Byron is just the best tour guide ever. He was always concerned about us and was polite, informative and helpful in all ways possible. One day we would love to come back again and see the other parts of Ecuador.
Thank you again for all your help in planning this trip.
Victoria McGinnis
2 pax
USA
Land May
Please be sure and share my comments with your boss. First, let me thank you and your staff for the most exceptional trip either Joan or I have ever taken. That says a lot since I travel almost 200,000 kilometers per year. Second, not a small part of the success of the trip was you. I have never received the level of personal service you provided. It was like being hand held through Quito and the Galapagos. The Swisshotel was an excellent property. Room great, breakfast great, staff attentive. The added city tour and room before travel home was deeply appreciated. Third, the Eclipse was all you predicted. Great ship, excellent crew, too much good food, and superb guides. I've already spoken to many about the trip and Columbus Travel. I told them you cannot do Galapagos without them! We will be considering a group trip as we begin to formulate work with the ministry of health.
In the mean time our personal Gracias me Amigo for all you did.
Adios
Marv and Joan Wayne
USA
Eclipse June 7-14
Thanks Ivonne!!
We are flying back to quito in an hour.
The cruise was FANTASTIC!
Great crew! Awesome guide!
Terrific adventure!
Best,
Ron Wolotzky
USA
ATHALA May 7-14
Hi Christian,
Nice to hear from you. Our trip was terrific! We really enjoyed ourselves. The service that you provided us was great and excluding the one minor time issue with the Emetebe, everything exceeded our expectations. Particularly the recommendation to take Santa Cruz ship - it was perfect for our needs and was a very professional operation. Of course, we would have like to stay at Le Parc hotel for our last night but it was an unforeseen circumstance and they went above and beyond to accommodate us for the inconvenience.
We will definitely be back to Ecuador and next time will bring our son! I will contact you again for our future travel needs.
Thanks again,
Yaniv.
Santa Cruz del 29 de Abril al 2 de Mayo.
Hi Elena,
We have just returned from our Galapagos trip which was absolutely fantastic.
Thanks for organising our accommodation, transfers and most of all the Galaxy boat
which was superb. The crew, the guide and the boat were fantastic and we had a great
time with them and the other guests.
Thanks again for organising the trip for us.
Regards,
Bob
2 pax
Australia
Galaxy
Abril
Hola Christian,
Hemos pasado una chévere semana en las islas Galápagos! Era maravilloso; el barco era muy cómodo, el guía muy interesante y los paysajes inolvidables!
Mi mamá se fue hoy en la mañana y yo estoy en Latacunga.
Muchísimas gracias para todo! Todo era perfecto y muy bien organisado! =)
Saludos,
Emilie y Sonia
Dear Christian,
Just a note to thank you for arranging such a wonderful vacation for us, We arrived home safe and sound and will cherish all the memories.
Warm Regards.
Jeanne
Queen Beatriz del 6 al 10 de Abril.
Yes, Elena, thank you VERY MUCH for your help throughout the planning and trip time. We had a great time and will certainly be recommending Columbus Travel to others to use!
Regards,
Janet
2 pax
USA
Eclipse
Abr 2011
Yes I scheduled. The trip was fantastic. Eclipse crew and the whole experience could not have been better.
All set for tomorrow. Thank you for your efforts for us!
2 pax
Eclipse
Abr 11
USA
Hi Elena! I just wanted to thank you again for an amazing trip. We had such a great time and I can't wait to visit S America again!
Thanks for all your help -
Angie
2 pax
Eclipse + Peru
Abr 2011
USA
Dear Ivonne,
we want to say : THANK YOU VERY MUCH, you made our holidays brilliant !!!!
Your recommendation regarding the ship was excellent, we enjoyed it really. We would like to say thank you especially for your help with our luggage problems. Without your help this wouldn´t have gone so fast.
Stay as you are, very kind tour operator, friendly, helpful, ...
If we ever go back to South America it will be a pleasure to book again with you!
Greetings from Vienna
Andreas & Evelyn Steininger
Austria
Evolution
Feb 26-Mar 5
Dear Elena,
back at home we are writing to say thank you for your very good organization of our journey to ecuador/galapagos - everything works how it was planned!
Our holidays were outstanding, especially the galapagos cruise with the Athala and our visit of the hacienda St. Augustin de Callo.
We will recommend you.
Best wishes
Margit Kautenburger & Jürgen Kreusch
2 pax
Athala
Marzo 2011
alemania
Hi Vero,
I just wanted to write and let you know what a FABULOUS trip we had to the Galapagos. Our guide was wonderful. His English was excellent and he was very knowledgeable. We especially appreciated his flexibility (although the itinerary was so perfect, we really didn't change anything)! Of course, the Iquana Crossing in Isabela was beautiful with amazing service and the Angermeyer on Santa Cruz was also lovely.
I honestly cannot think of one negative thing to say about the entire vacation starting with the excellent service that we received from you and ending with Pablo flying back with us to Quito and not leaving our side.
Warm regards,
Lori
Lori Melman x 6
Israel
Feb 18 - 28
Quito: Hotel Real Audiencia y Relicario del Carmen
Dear Ivonne
Thank you so much for all your help and the help of yOur team. We had a Wonderful holiday and it was made all the more enjoyable by the excellent management of the trip by Columbus Travel. We really appreciated the professional way everything was organized.
Unfortunately I suffered from altitude sickness when I was in Quito but we were able to leave one day earlier, which made all the difference. Thanks again for making the hotel changes at short notice
Best wishes
Janet
Janet Ellis x 2
Australian
Beagle Feb 8-15
Hello Elena
Thus a greeting from Frants and Lis.
We are very pleased with the entire course of the ride, it's been a pleasure throughout.
Many thanks to you for a good and fast service.
Best regards
Lis and Frants
2 pax Dinamarca
Isabela
Febrero 2011
Hi Elena,
I just want to thank you for doing such an incredible job on our trip to Quito and the Galapagos. Everything was
wonderful; actually, better than wonderful! The hotels you chose for us were clean and comfortable, The cruise was
fantastic and, again, the accommodations perfect. The drivers were all prompt, most courteous and helpful. And, to
top it off, you sent us those lovely hand painted gift boxes filled with chocolates and adorable figurines. You really
made our trip special from beginning to end. Thank you so much. A highlight, of course, was meeting you.
We followed your suggestions and went to the stores you thought we would enjoy. You would have been happy to have
gotten a percentage of what we bought! There were so many beautiful things! We also really enjoyed talking to everyone.
We concluded that Ecuadorians are especially nice people.
So, please pat yourself on the back for a job well done. We certainly will recommend Columbus Travel to anyone we know who is interested in going to Quito and/or the Galapagos.
Thank you very, very much. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can do anything for you.
All the best, Elena.
Judy
PS You have my permission to use this letter as a recommendation.
2 pax USA
Santa Cruz
Febrero 2011
Dear Elena -
Where to begin? From our first contact with Pilar when we landed in Guayaquil to our last contact with her when she said good-bye at the airport as we were going through security on our way home, the trip was beyond our wildest expectations and dreams! The Athala is a gem of a boat - luxurious accommodations, great space to lounge in, sunbathe in, eat and drink in, relax in - just superb; and the crew... first rate, 4-star, personable, attentive without hovering, friendly, always professional; the food was delicious, delectable and so beautifully and creatively presented; and Harry Jiminez, our travel guide, was so knowledgeable and passionate about this most special, treasured part of the world and so eager for us to share his enthusiasm and desire to protect it. AND, the majesty and beauty of the islands is even more than I imagined it to be! As I said on the comment card we all completed on our last night, I felt that, if I were ever lucky enough to return to the Galapagos Islands, I could contact every member of our crew and they'd be happy to hear from me - we really felt like they were our friends and were sorry to see us go.
No adventure like this just happens - it required hours of your time, your thoughtful attention to detail, and a genuine desire to make certain that my mother would celebrate her birthday in a most memorable and special way - AND, she did! So, thank you for all that you did to make our trip the unforgettable five full days that it was!
Fondly, and most appreciatively,
Robin
Charter Athala
Familia de USA
Febrero 2011
Thank you, Vero. We had a fantastic trip! We appreciate all of your help in choosing and booking our tour.
Thanks,
Lindsay
Lindsay Miller x 2
USA
Galaven 2
Feb 8 – 11 / 2011
Christian,
I just wanted you to know that the trip to the Galapagos went very smoothly. I had a wonderful time and I appreciate all you did to make it happen,
thank you again
Christine
Princess of Galapagos del 21 al 24 de Enero
Hello Vero!
We wanted to let you know we absolutely loved our cruise on the Coral I !! The crew and the guides were great, helpful, friendly. The food was very, very good and most plentiful! The little touches that the crew and guide performed were great. And the guides answering our endless questions was so nice.
We had some special moments with sharks one night. They were chasing little silver fish and the captain lit up the ocean for us to watch. And another afternoon, there were dolphins jumping way ahead of us traversing the ocean oh so quickly! We snorkeled with sea lions and turtles! We walked and saw so many birds nesting and courting.
I would recommend the Coral I to anyone. It was as I had hoped, a fantastic trip to remember!!!
Thank you for your part in making the trip come true!
2 pax
Diane Steelsmith
USA
Aug 6 – 15 / 2010
Corales + Swissotel
Elena ~ The trip was successfully completed and I wanted to thank you for all of your efforts which showed up in so many ways from the arrangements of Javier picking us up and getting us to our flights, the smooth transitions to hotels, the almost flawless transitions between venues, the excellent cruise, guides, travel companions [which you may not have been responsible for..but perhaps]. Through it all there were so many details that we did not have to worry about because of your diligence and attention to detail, that we were free to better enjoy the many delights of travel to the venues in your beautiful country. We will be digesting the experiences for a long time to come. Gracias. Pictures are attached for your pleasure. Michael
2 pax
Eric Letty Flamingo
Enero 2011
USA
Dear Ms. Darquea,
Thanks so much for the excellent service above and beyond expectations. We have recommended your travel agency to a number of our friends who are thinking about going to Ecuador in the future. Is there anywhere else we can post a favourable review of your services.
Cheers
Sabine
Sabine Richarz x 4
Floreana cruise + Fuente de Piedra + Red Booby
Dec 18 – Jan 1/ 2011
Canada
Hello Christian,
The trip started like a Kafka novel! My flight from Toronto to Miami was cancelled and I was switched to another airline. When I eventually got to Quito my luggage was missing. It did not arrive until just before I had to leave for the flight to the Galapagos, and then only because the hotel concierge had a friend working at the airport who kindly picked it up for me. The tour of Quito was very interesting, but I was the only one on it. Then I had a private driver to take me to the restaurant where I dined alone! I was beginning to think: This is weird! However, once on board the Odyssey all was perfection: the crew, the passengers, the food, the activities planned and the guides, especially Tatiana, were excellent. I can sum up my trip in one word : "BRILLIANT" Thank you for your part in it.
Best wishes,
Kevin
Dear Christian,
We returned to Quito this evening after a very enjoyable trip to Lago Agrio and a lovely stay at Jamu lodge on the Cuyabeno River. We had a great time in Galapagos with Archipel 1 Cruise. I personally wish to thank you on behalf of my wife and myself for making all the travel arrangements in a most professional and helpful manner. We appreciate it very much and will have no hesitation in recommending Columbus travels to our friends.
Thanks again,
Best regards,
Alex and Valsa Kuruvila
Hi Vero,
We are back home - in the snow and cold. Just wanted to thank you for helping us so much in planning the biggest trip of our lives. We loved the La Pinta & its crew. Our cabin was perfect. The islands were awesome - each one so beautiful, yet different. And the wildlife - so varied, yet so peacefully co-existing and so totally unafraid of us! And of course, the boobies were adorable. And thank you also for the lovely gift (wine!) It was very good. Unfortunately, our stay in Quito was cut short by altitude sickness, so we were not able to stop by and meet you in person. Too bad. But thank you for everything - and who knows, we may be back!
Have a wonderful 2011,
Desiree
14 – 21 enero
La Pinta
Desire Coyne
USA
Dear Christian,
Thank you so much for arrangeing the Galapagos tour for us!
It was perfect! You did a very goog job!
Thank you!
Best regards,
Linda
Dear Diego,
Emily and I did have a trip of a lifetime! It was wonderful. Everything went exactly as planned; thank you so much for all your help and recommendations.
At first, never have dealt with your firm before and doing business over the internet, I was apprehensive, but it could not have gone better. The hotel, ship, guide, every transfer - everything exceeded our expectations.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Alan & Emily Thometz
Elena,
Thanks so much for making our trip to The Galapagos a perfect one! The Eclipse was everything that we had hoped for and more. Thanks again, Jeanne and Peter Bowen
2 pax
USA
Eclipse - Enero
Hi Elena and a Happy New Year.
We are now back in the real world after our wonderful cruise aboard the MY Athala and I would just like to say that this holiday would be very difficult or maybe even impossible to beat! We had fantastic shipmates and a wonderful crew who worked so hard to make sure that everything was perfect for us and who went out of their way to make sure we saw as much as possible from the penguins to the flamingoes. The highlight of the cruise was when the Athala followed two killer whales to let the photographers get some brilliant close up shots.
We also enjoyed our stay in Guayaquil at the Hotel Oro y Verde and would highly recommend this hotel and especially the high standards of the restaurant Le Gourmet and the bar El Capitan. Just a few blocks from the hotel we enjoyed the delicious seafood of the Blue Snail restaurant which we would also recommend.
Thank you once again for all your help and for making this holiday very special.
I have attached a few photos and would just like to say that we took literally thousands between us so if you would like any for your publicity, please just ask.
Kind regards,
3 pax UK
Athala - Diciembre 2010
Hello Elena,
I know that Kathy wrote to you about Athalla but I thought that I had to make a few comments too.
From the moment we landed in Guayaquil, when your representative met us at the airport until your other rep left us at the airport to go home, we had the most wonderful vacation. Columbus Travel and Athalla went that extra mile and truly made it a vacation of a lifetime. As for the Galapagos there are no words to describe them. Fantastic does not even come close.
Thank you, your representatives, the crew of Athalla and everyone involved.
Kind regards,
Stewart.
Athala
Pasajeros UK
Dic 2010
Dear Ivonne:
We got back from our trip yesterday and I just wanted to write and let you know that everything went great! We had an AMAZING time in Galapagos. The Beagle was amazing and we loved every minute of our week on it. The other people on the boat were (luckily!) all very nice and the guide, Patricia, was incredible. She made the week fabulous. I would highly recommend The Beagle and her to anyone planning a trip to Galapagos.
Thank you for organizing our trip for us and for your help with the hotel in Puerto Ayora. We really, really appreciated all your help and will definitely recommend you to friends/family planning future trips (and we hope there will be some, as we are telling everyone they have to visit Galapagos!).
Happy new year.
Thanks again,
Rachel
Rachel Blewitt x 2
Australia / New Zealand
Beagle Dec 21-28
Diving con Scubaiguana
Hotel Mainao
Hi Elena
Yes, all went great thank you. Thank you for helping us put the trip together. We had the most amazing time on our trip, I have never seen such amazing wildlife and the crew and the Seaman were just incredible.
We have been in South America for nearly 4 months now and the Galapagos Islands is definitely the best experience we have had so far, as well as the most expensive, but it was worth every penny!!
Thanks again and Feliz Navidad.
Kind regards
Rebecca and Ben
Pasajeros Australia
Seaman
Dic 2010
Hi Elena thanks for organizing our trip, everything was great and we'll recommend your services if somebody asks. Gina
Beim x 2
USA
Galapagos Explorer, Diciembre
Hi Ivonne,
Our trip was perfect! The whole family had a wonderful time. Explorer II is a very comfortable ship and the staff is excellent.
Best wishes and Happy New Year!
Carol
Carol Sard x 6
USA
Galapagos Explorer, Dec 18-22
Hi Vero,
We just want to tel lyou,we hade a very good time on the Nina and in Ecuador.
We really enjoyed travelling with Jan,he has such a profound knowledge and is very good with make everybody at ease
We would like to thank you again for all the nice things you organised for us. We enjoyed the Malbec.
We wish you a lovely christmas time.
Kind regards
B.Buhrer
Yacht Nina + Swissotel +Grand Ht Gye
Birgit Buhrer x 2
Suiza
10 – 22 Nov
Hi Diego -
I want to thank you for organizing this trip and suggesting the Eclipse cruise, it was a great experience for both of us! Wish you all the best!
Dusan
Dusan Macho
Español a bordo del Eclipse en Nov 2010
Hi Diego
I am sorry I did not reply sooner - I am only just checking my emails. We are now back from the Galapagos and did not want to leave - if only there had been space on the Southern islands cruise this week!! I am also sorry I never replied about the transfer of money - I did not receive that email. However, everything went smoothly and the cruise was wonderful. The Floreana was a lovely boat, even if it was dwarfed by all the other boats we saw (which luckily was not many, at times it felt like we had the Galapagos to ourselves - heaven).
Thank you very much for finding us such a good replacement boat at the last minute, and I hope one day to be back to book the Southern Islands cruise with you,
Best wishes
Kate and Rob
Kate Shaw UK, Floreana Nov. 2010
Elena
Apologies, I am only getting to send you a note of thanks now for helping us arrange our fabulous trip to the Galapagos islands. We had a fantastic holiday, and everything about the trip worked out really well. The boat, the food, the people and the guides (not to mention the islands themselves) were great and the overall experience exceeded our expectations.
I would have no hesitation in recommending your travel company for a fantastic Galapagos experience. Thanks for your time and effort in organising our trip and your patience when our paypal accounts stalled.
Wishing you all the best.
Orla, Athena and Gemma.
Elena
Just wanted to let you know that Kate and I had a fabulous time in the Galapagos. The Eclipse was wonderful. Great food, beautiful ship and terrific crew members and guides. We were very happy during the entire trip.
My Best,
Linda
Eclipse
Nov 2010
USA
Thanks Vero!
We just got back to Quito today..Galapagos was truly amazing! I really appreciate everything you guys did for us. Eddie luckily got us to the airport without a minute to spare to get our flight. Also we really enjoyed the tour Julio provided on Isabella! I highly recommend him for future guests you send that way.
Makiko Nerio x 2
22 – 27 nov 2010
USA
Tour: Island hopping Santa Cruz & Isabela Island + DIVING
Diego,
I just wanted to thank you for your efforts with our Galapagos trip and associated lodging. The trip was fantastic, including all the details concerning transfers and travel.
By the way, do you have any way of getting the email of our guide, Esteban Chavez? Not only would we like to thank him, but he said he could email me a picture of something we discussed.
Thanks,
Curt
Estrella de Mar, Curt Hepting, Nov 2010
Carol Ann Collins
USA
23 oct – 1 nov / 2010
Eric, Letty, Flamingo y
Swissotel Quito
Dear Vero:
Sorry I have not written to you sooner, but I have been resting after our trip to the Galapagos Islands. Wow! What a trip. It was a trip of a life time. I have already recommended your travel agency to my friends. As soon as we stepped out of the plane, someone was waiting on us to take us to our hotel, which by the way, was wonderful. You had everything planned and it worked like clockwork. Judy and I loved the Flamingo 1 and its crew. Janeth was an excellent guide. I took over 1300 pictures. The accommodations on the yacht were great and the food was superb. The crew was wonderful and anything we wanted was available to us. Thank you again for a wonderful trip!
Carol Collins
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Hi Ivonne
We had a wonderful time on the Queen - the boat was very comfortable, the crew friendly and professional, the food great and our guide Billy was very informative and fun.
Many thanks again for all your help answering our questions and booking the trip. We will recommend you to any of our friends considering visiting the Galapagos islands.
Best wishes
Will Dallimore and Martha Figueroa-Clark
Great Britain, October 2010
Travelled on Queen of Galápagos
Hi Diego.
I just wanted to thank you for the arrangements on Nina last week. We had a fantastic trip chasing dolphins (>500 maybe 1,000), swimming with lobos marinos, and too many more unique experiences to mention. Hope to visit Ecuador again and appreciate your great help.
Ernest
Travelled on Nina
Hi Christian,
I have been meaning to send you an email to let you know that everything went very well with the cruise and all of the arrangements. Your representatives were great in picking me up from the airport and returning me back to the airport. Also the recommendation for the Eric was excellent - I had a great time and enjoyed the trip and other people on the boat very much - we had a great group for the 7 days. The Galapagos was amazing, and I feel very privaleged to have been able to visit such a special place.
Also a huge thank you to you for all of the arrangements, and recommendations, and your patience with helping me choose the right cruise, and answering all of my questions. It was greatly appreciated.
Please be sure to pass on my thanks for your excellent customer service to me with my bookings to your boss.
Best regards
Kerry
Australia, September 2010Hi Diego
Now that we're home & unpacked I wanted to take a minute to thank you for your efforts on our behalf. The Athala was all you promised & more. What a great ecperience. The companny you chose for the Peru trip did an excellent job. All the hotels were very good & the people working in them couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful. All in all it was a great trip. I have sent a thank you note to the Travel Group in Peru and will be sending a review to trip advisor for both Columbus travel and Travel Group. Thanks again
Tom & Barbara Switzer
Travelled on Athala
Hi Christian,
Thank you for arranging my trip for me. I am very impressed by how organized everything was and how well I was taken care of the entire time. I want to thank you especially for giving me a double cabin without having to pay the single supplement. That extra space and the comfort of not having to share a cabin really made things so much more convenient. Galapagos is truly beautiful and I will come back some day. Maybe I will contact you again at that time for your services!
best wishes,
Connie
Canada
Travelled on Santa Cruz
And Hi to you dear Ivonne,
Yes, I should have written you a long time ago. Sorry about that L But as you can imagine, I have been very busy since I returned home. My job, my house, cottage, car and cats, - but also sorting the many photos (6000) I took on my vacation. So I guess I will have to start by telling you of my experiences at Galapagos, - or at least some of them. If I should try to tell you all, - I will still be writing in the morning.
The day after we met (thank you for a nice evening), - I was picked up by your guy who took me to the airport. The flight to Baltra via Guayaquil was nice. Very nice and modern aeroplane. Arriving at the airport, the bus to the canal and on the other side I took a taxi to Puerto Ayora. Yes, I know I could have saved some money by taking the bus, - but never mind…..
The Hotel SolyMar proved to be very nice, - and especially very nice situated in the city centre, close to shops, restaurants, - and above all – close to the fantastic fish market. The standard was also very nice, - nice room with a beautiful view and their people friendly and hospitable. I knew I might see some of the Galapagos animals/birds close to or even at the hotel. But still it was very very exciting to sit by the bar when a sea lion suddenly appeared and laid down to rest under the hammock. A while later another sea lion puppy followed. Amazing!! And close by there were a few Blue Footed Boobies resting on a wall. And the colorful crabs, and the small Iguanas by the pool. All of them so close!! Having my camera nearby, - I took some nice photos even on the first day.
And then time for a walk through the streets of the city, - just to get an overview. I was not prepared for what waited for me at the fish market. The Pelicans and a few Sea Lions as well, fighting for the leftovers when the guys were cleaning the fish. What a spectacular experience……
And all this was experienced on my very first day. That evening I had lobster at the hotel restaurant. Very nice J
Then I joined the Galapagos cruise. I was picked up the agency, and arrived at the boat while the other passengers who had joined the cruise earlier were visiting the Darwin centre. Later they joined, - and we left for Floreana. The mixture of people on board was nice, - most of them at my age (more or less). Later a few families arrived. And they were all nice to travel with. (A Dutch couple was maybe the exception, - being very cheap with tips etc.)
I must tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by the standard on Galaxy. The boat was very new, very clean and tidy. The crew very hospitable (even if they did not speak very much English). Even with my background from the Navy, - I liked very much what I saw and experienced. The food on board was exceptionally good, - quite a mystery how the cook managed to prepare and serve such a variety of dishes. Very much to my taste.
But what really made the cruise an unforgettable experience, - was the guide Pepe (I don’t recal his proper name). He spoke fluent English, was vey dedicated to his work, was obviously well educated, - and was able to explain all we saw with such and insight and enthusiasm that I never experienced before. He organized everything, from wake up call at 0645 in the morning, then breakfast, and then the first landing on shore, - then some snorkeling (shallow or deep), - back to Galaxy for lunch and some rest. After lunch a new landing and usually snorkeling as well. Back for changing clothes, and a very professional brief of what was planned for the next day. And finally a proper dinner and relaxing in the saloon. While the boat prepared to move on to the next location during the night. We did experience some rough seas, - not for me being a sailor, - but some of the other passengers felt a bit unwell while we were sailing. They were given medicine to sleep, - and were perfectly ok the next morning. I just enjoyed the waves and the sea life. Everything about it.
I had a full 8 day cruise, while others had a half cruise (4 or 5 days). But the schedule was only repeated every 8 day. I saw Floreana, then Espanola, then San Cristobal, then Santa Fe, then Black Turtle Cove at Santa Cruz, then Genovesa, then Bartolome, and finally returning to Puerto Ayora. A perfect cruise to my taste. Not too short, not too long. I cant tell you of all my experiences at the cruise, - but I saw it all! At the beaches with the Sea Lions, the many Iguanas, snorkeling with Sea Lions and Turtles. The spectacular visit to Genovesa the bird island, - and much much more!!! The photos you will see at the link above will maybe give you an impression. If any of the photos is useful for you at your work, - feel free to copy, - as long as you refer to my name. There are a few videos as well (not high quality), - but anyways ….
After the cruise I had another 5 days at the hotel SolYMar. Time to digest all the impressions, - just taking life easy, - walking around on the island and enjoying some very nice meals at the restaurants nearby. Meeting friendly people, local and visitors. Buying some souvenirs to my family. Spending some time on my computer sorting the photos. One small issue, - the hotel used to play music in the pool/bar area outside the rooms. Very nice, - the first few days. Then it seemed that their selection of CDs was small. And I longed more for the quietness. But that was about the only experience that was not to my taste. I would definitely recommend the hotel for a 2 – 3 day stay, - but possibly not a whole week. However, - I did not learn of any other hotel that I might have preferred either (even if I saw a few). Possibly the Red Mangrove across the bay? But much more expensive? Or may be suggest to the hotel to drop the music some of the time? Anyway, - it now means nothing compared to all the overwhelming experiences I had!!
Of course my family, friends and colleagues at my job have also enjoyed my tales and photos from Galapagos. I even wrote a story which was published at the company’s intranet. Very popular indeed!!
And all this is because of you Ivonne. Who made this journey possible, who secured all the traveling arrangements, - who gave me recommendations that proved to be very valuable. Thanks a million Ivonne!!!! (I have of course told everyone I have met of the exceptional assistance and service you have offered me!!)
And give my regards to your colleagues at Columbus Travel who helped on following up on me, checking ever so often that I was happy and on my (right) way. You may of course share with them the link to my photos and my experiences above.
I sincerely hope to have the pleasure of travelling with Columbus Travel again, - and to be assisted by yourself in finding the best selection of places to see etc. I do not know when, - but stay tuned, - I’ll be back …… Someday ……..
Until then I wish you the very best, in your own life, with your family and friends, - and in your work.
Take care!!!!
Kind regards,
William
Norway
Travelled on Galaxy
Hello ivonne
Thanks a lot for the trip, i had a great Time
Frederique
September and October 2010
Travelled on Eric, Letty & Flamingo
And Hi to you dear Ivonne,
Thanks a lot for the trip, i had a great Time
Frederique
September and October 2010
Travelled on Eric, Letty & Flamingo
Hi Ivonne
just a quick email to let you know how my trip went, I had a wonderful time in El Selva Lodge it was a great trip & I saw lots of things every one gave me a good service.
I would especially like to let you know about the Macaw hotel, it is a small family run hotel with great attention to detail the food is superb (they do dinner if you want) also Rodriguez the owner will do private tours if you want he is very knowledgeable of the area ,
Thank you once again for organizing me a great trip
John Hutchings
England, September and October 2010
Travelled to La Selva Lodge
Dear Vero,
I just wanted to write and thank you for all your help putting together a wonderful trip. Eric and I really enjoyed our 13 days of vacation and I really have to compliment our guide Ivan. He was really good and knowledgeable! Even when I got sick he stuck around for a couple of hours until we could go to the hotel. Nice trip overall. I will recommend Columbus travel for any friend interested in Ecuador.
I hope all is well with you.
Best regards,
Mireille
USA and Brazil, September 2010
Ivonne,
We are back from our vacation. The cruise was very good. Here's my "review" of our trip:
Crew: Friendly and helpful
Food: Very good; well prepared, good variety
Guide: Excellent; knowledgeable
Ship: Good, comfortable
Excursions: Good
We were very pleased with our time aboard Voyager. The staff was very helpful and tried to meet all our needs. Meals were fresh, well prepared and varied. Excursions were very organized and our guide was very knowledgeable. While visiting the various islands we ran into very few travelers from other cruises. There was sufficient time to enjoy what each landing had to offer. Our only disappointment was there were no tortoises or marine iguana's on our 5 day cruise. We felt these were major attractions and should be included.
Mario
USA, September 2010
Travelled on Voyager
iVONNE....
just a quick note to again thank you for the most wonderful trip of my life. Ecuador is fantastic, the people unbelieveable and the trip a dream come true....that's thanks to your help in organizing it all. Everything was perfect. I will definately tell everyone about you and book thru you....thanks again.
Rachel
USA, September
Travelled to Napo Wildlife Center and on Archipel
Dear Diego,
My family and I just returned from our trip to Ecuador, including our seven day cruise on the Nina. The level of service that we received from you, from the other Columbus Travel representatives in Guayaquil, from the Hotel Oro Verde staff, and from the crew and guide of the Nina were flawless and remarkable. Every detail was handled to perfection. Everyone we dealt with was polite and capable and went out of their way to make our vacation experience unforgettable. I wanted to thank you so much for arranging the trip. Should we visit Ecuador again, I will certainly use Columbus Travel, and I will also recommend it and you to my colleagues and friends.
Best regards,
John
Travelled on Nina
2 pax Eclipse August 2010 Estados Unidos
Just a note to let you know how much we enjoyed the trip. All of the staff at Columbus Travel made the airport transfers and hotel check-ins etc a "Breeze". Other folks on the boat kept talking about A&K but I don't know what they could have done that you didn't.
USA, August 2010
Travelled on Eclipse
Hi Elena,
We just wanted to thank you for this amazing trip to Ecuador. The trip was extremely well organized and was a great experience!
Many thanks for your help.Regards,
Pascal
Germany, August 2010
Travelled on Seaman and to Sacha Lodge
Hi Christian,
We had an excellent cruise in the Galapagos Islands. The boat, the Athala and its staff were excellent, we were not disappointed in any way.
As you know, our trip home was a little challenging, but that was an American Airlines issues and had nothing to do with Columbus Travel.
Thank-you for all your assistance in organizing our trip and following up with us. I would not hesitate to recommend you to others planning a trip to the Galapagos Islands.
Linda
Canada
Travelled on Athala
Hi Ivonne
Just to let you know we had a great time in the Galapagos. We can recommend the Samba to anyone who wants to see a wide range of islands in comfortable conditions. Fellow passengers, crew and food were all great and from our perspective the Samba was much better than a lager boat with more people. Snorkelling was a highlight and we had a great guide – Monika.
Thanks again for you help for this last minute booking.
Regards
Mark and María Teresa
England and Portugal, July 2010-10-19
Travelled on Samba
Hello Diego - we're back home now after our holiday and I just wanted to thank you so much for all of your help and patience in organising what was an excellent adventure!!
Tour guides in both Lima and especially Cusco were brilliant and the quality of the hotels was amazing!
Thanks you again so much and I'll certainly be recommending your company to others:)
take care
Debra Neil
Australia, July 2010
Dear Vero,
We had a great trip. Thanks for your help and for the little gift.
Susan C.
August 2010
Traveled on the Galapagos Legend
Ivonne,
Great trip, I should have stayed for the week but maybe next time.
Darren
Yu-Shih Lin and Yen-Chang Hsiao
August 2010
Traveled on the Nina
Hello Christian,
thank you very much for your support during our trip to Napo Wildlife Center, we have enjoyed it very much ! Hope you have a great time, Ecuador is truly an amazing country ! Congratulations !
Best Regards,
Michal
República Checa
Traveled on the Napo Wild Center
Dear Vero,
We had a great trip. Thanks for your help and for the little gift.
Susan C.
USA, August 2010
Traveled on the Legend
Dear Doris and Vero:
We have been in Chicago ,and we have had a wonderful experience in Ecuador and Galapagos islands. Your schedules were unbeatable and thoughtful. We attached you some of our pictures to share our happiness with you. Thanks for your help. keep in touch! If you have opportunities to visit Chicago or Taiwan. Don't forget to call us. We will be a professional guide for you.
Sincerely
Yu-Shih Lin and Yen-Chang Hsiao
Taiwan, July 2010
Traveled on the Explorer II
Hello Vero,
Thank you for booking the most amazing holidays for me. The Galapagos was just amazing and Anahi would be hard to beat as a vessel . I had nothing to complain about. Only 5 other nice pax. So it was even better. I am now viewing my photos and I have some amazing shots of the wildlife
Once again a big thank you for your efficiency and knowledge in booking the best trips ever.
Dianne
USA, May 2010
Traveled on the Anahi
Good morning Vero,
Anne and I have been back in Fort Collins for a few weeks, but we wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic time in the Galapagos. The Eric, Letty Flamingo is a great ship, and the crew and both naturalist guides (Pepe and Iban) are wonderful. We did not regret for a moment that our initial cruise (the one on the Beluga) has been cancelled! We will not hesitate to recommend this cruise, and Columbus Travel, to any of our friends who considers travelling to the Galapagos.
Thanks you so much for your assistance and your professionalism.
We wish you all the best.
Anne & Dirk
Belgium, June 2010
Traveled on the Eric, Letty & Flamingo
Hi Vero,
So we are back in cold windy Wellington again now, but just wanted to thank you for organising such a big part of our trip. You did a fantastic job, and it was amazing! The transfer services were superb, and made a huge difference to the trip as we didn't have to worry about anything. The Cayman Hostel was lovely, and we really enjoyed our cruise on the Seaman II. An unforgettable trip!
Thanks so much for all your help, we will definitely be recomending you to anyone we know who is heading over that way!
Cheers : )
Jess
New Zealand, July 2010
Traveled on the Seaman II
Dear Elena,
we had an amazing trip. thank you for all your help.
Regards,
Angelique Oostveen
Nederland, June 2010
Traveled on the Golondrina
Hi Christian,
Yes my trip to Ecuador was fantastic, really. The Huaorani lodge experience was an excellent recommendation, it really was the authentic experience I was looking for, the guides were brilliant and made sure we all had a great time and of course only having three guests was ideal. Likewise the galapagos was everything I had dreamed it would be, again the boat recommendation was fantastic, crew were so helpful and friendly. The only thing I would say, and everyone on the trip thought this, that unfortunately the guide, although very knowledgeable about the Galapagos, was quite irritable and often sarcastic with us, I think he was just sick of his job and you could tell he didn't want to be on the boat, which made it uncomfortable at times.
La Rabida hotel was lovely, I would definitely stay there again and your service and recommendations have been excellent, I'm not sure you could improve anywhere and overall it's been one of the best holidays I've ever had! so thanks again.
Regards,
Liane
Australia, May 2010
Traveled on the Sagitta
Vero,
Thank you so much for arranging our wonderful trip to the Galapagos and Quito. This was truly a once in a lifetime experience and our memories will last forever. We loved the boat and crew. They were so great and we could not possibly have asked for anything more. Our guides were terrific, fun and knowledgeable and we couldn't have hoped for a better group of passengers. The itinerary was perfect and I can't tell you how much we appreciate all your help. You did a great job for us. All of our accommodations worked out wonderfully. Thank you again and we look forward to returning.
Best wishes.
Lauren Della Bella
USA, June 2010
Traveled on the Athala
Hello Ivonne
We had an amazing trip on Tip Tip III, it was everything we dreamed of. After almost 3 months in the Galapagos it is finally time to leave. We are sad to go, but have had an amazing adventure.
Thanks for your help!
Kind Regards
Michelle Robinson
Australia, April 2010
Traveled on the Tip Top II
Dear Vero & Ivonne,
THANK YOU a hundred times for all your efforts to get us to Galapagos!!! The islands really are a magical place... all those fearless & friendly animals... Everything worked out perfectly and we had a splendid time on the Odyssey. We met Nick & Penny from England who also were very content with you. T trust the payment worked out fine in the end (my cc has been charged as agreed). Anyway, we have spent a magical honeymoon thanks to you both working at night, on weekends and harder than anyone could ask for ;-)
All my best,
Irmgard
Austria, May 2010
Traveled on the Odyssey
Hi Vero,
The trip to Galapagos was wonderful. We thought Eden and especially our guide Eduardo, were both excellent. Eduardo was very knowledgable, spoke excellent English, and worked very hard to ensure that everyone On the boat had a great time. We'd recommend this tour to others in the future. Thanks for your help as well.
Paul
Canada, June 2010
Traveled on the Eden
Elena,
Thank you so much for a fantastic journey. This was truly the trip of a lifetime. What a joy to have everything so carefully arranged- all of the tours and transfers were seamless and the guides on the cruise were so knowledgeable. We were in awe of the wildlife-- my daughter is already begging to go back! Thanks so much for putting all of this together. Javier and Mauricio were wonderful during our Quito stay. I do hope we can plan another trip soon.
Kim
USA, May 2010
Traveled on the Galapagos Explorer
Diego,
Kate and I wanted to thank you for setting us up with a spectacular cruise aboard the Treasure of Galapagos catamaran. We loved the trip and the entire journey was completely hassle-free. Our guide, Harry, was very knowledgeable, spoke great English, and towards the end of the trip was cracking jokes and laughing with the rest of the group, creating a very fun and light atmosphere. The food about the Treasure was fantastic and also quite healthy, with a variety of fruits, vegetables, fish (and other meats), and fresh squeezed juices with each meal. The suite aboard the boat was beautiful and comfortable, making us the envy of our fellow sailors. And who can fail to mention the wildlife, the reason we wanted to explore the Islands, we saw everything we wanted to and more.
Thanks for an amazing "bucket list" experience!
Best Regards,
Jason and Kate
USA, May 2010
Traveled on the Treasure of Galapagos
Good Morning Vero,
Thank you for organising our great trip to the Galapagos. Anahi was a wonderful vessel and the crew and guide Roberto were excellent. Weather was perfect and sea water just the right temperature. What more could we want We swam with sea lion, giant turtles and even up close to penguins / amazing. The bird life was so beautiful. Only 7 on our trip and we all had a goo time together A lovely surprise to be picked up on our return from the trip and taken to our hotel. Your driver even gave one of the young guys a lift to our hotel
Cheers
Dianne Hudson
USA, May 2010
Traveled on the Anahi
Hi, Christian,
I was just about to sit down and write you a note, myself. I have to thank you so much for helping us book our cruise-of-a-lifetime! We had no idea how wonderful it was going to be. Everything was better than we'd imagined: the ship was perfectly comfortable, the crew friendly and extremely hospitable, our Guide — Joffrey Herrera — charming and knowledgeable, the islands and wildlife endlessly fascinating.
I think the three of us felt rather sorry for the other passengers, who had to leave the ship after only three or four-day cruises. The full week-long cruise is really necessary to see (almost) everything.
I will certainly recommend a Galapagos trip, and your services, to anyone I meet who may be interested. We were privileged to be able to take such a fun adventure. Thank you for helping us get there!
Sincerely,
Gretchen Niver
USA, May 2010
Traveled on the Legend
Good Morning Christian,
The trip was wonderful! All very well organized and the ship, the crew, the guides all so great. Only complaint was that it was over to quickly. I would very much recommend your company to anyone interested in Galapagos.
Many thanks for all your help.
Wendy Stager
UK, May 2010
Traveled on the Legend
Hi Christian,
Just a quick note to say thanks for a great trip. The last minute pick-up issues were resolved and everything went smoothly (it was our hostel's fault for not passing on the messages). As for the trip itself, the boat, crew and guide were fantastic and we both had a holiday we'll never forget.
Thanks again for all your help, and happy birthday for Oct 6th.
Regards,
Richard
UK, May 2010
Traveled on the Nemo II
Dear Elena:
I have been incredibly busy since we returned from Ecuador and have not had a chance to write to you sooner about our recent trip.
First of all, let me state that we were very happy with Columbus Travel and all of the arrangements you made for us. You were very upfront and clear with what services you were providing and we were not disappointed in the least -- in fact we were pleasantly surprised and delighted. Elena, you were very responsive to every inquiry made by us and you did so on a timely basis. I would highly recommend you and Columbus Travel to my family and friends for their travel needs in Ecuador.
Regards,
Manny Moutinho
USA, March 2010
hello Vero,
I just want to let you know that we had an amazing time on the Rumba. The guide was realy good and active! So was the staff, and the food couldnt be better for a small boat with a tiny kitchen. We were lucky to have realy nice fellow travelors and enjoyd the five days to the max. Thank you for making this possible for us. I hope to be able to visit the Galapagos in the future.
Regards,
Anneke Stout
Germany, May 2010
Traveled on the Rumba
Elena,
Wanted to drop a note of thanks to you. Your personalized service and genuine caring were a real help in making our little vacation an experience we will remember forever. Your recommendations were spot on and Columbus travel should be extremely grateful to have someone who obviously enjoys helping others have fantastic trouble free Travel experiences.
I would recommend you and Columbus Travel to anyone for a hassle free vacation.
Again, thanks you so very much.
Warmest regards,
Marc Kwiatkowski
USA, April 2010
Traveled on the Archipel I
Elena,
We had a great trip, thanks.
We saw a good amount of Quito but liked it so much we hope to return for a longer visit some day.
Regards,
David and Dima
USA, April 2010
Traveled on the Sagitta
Dear Diego,
I just wanted to thank you for the great organization of our trip to Galapagos. Everything worked perfectly - be it the airport transfers, the rooms on the Oro Verde and the absolutely fabulous cruise on the Athala. I have to say we had high expectations but they were even surpassed. The crew and guide on the Athala were extremely professional and super nice. Our guide , George, had such an enthusiasm and was extremely knowledgeable. It was a real pleasure and we could not have been happier!
Thank you for a great vacation!
All the best,
Karsten
Germany, March 2010
Traveled on the Athala
dear diego
how are you? it was nice to meet you in quito!
unfortunately we are back from our galapagos-trip. it was very very beautiful. thank you for help and organise the
trip. we will honestly recommend you and your company for galapagos trips!
have a good time
best wishes
nadin und mischa
Swizterland, March 2010
Traveled on the Yolita II
Dear Vero,
Just returned to Israel today. Thank you for orchestrating a wonderful vacation in Ecuador. We’ll certainly recommend your services to our friends.
Sincerely,
Dr. Arad
Israel, April 2010
Traveled on the Guantanamera
This is a long overdue comment about our cruise on the Seaman II in May 2009. We were a party of 6 and had a wonderful experience. The Seaman II and its crew were the best and Columbus Travel's expertise and service were superb! We have recommended you to other people.
Mary L. Bean
USA, April 2010
Traveled on the Seaman II
Hi elena
Just to let you know the galapagos trip was absolutely fantastic, the eclipse is a great boat and the excursions were all first class! We think this has been our best holiday ever! Thanks for all your help with everything, you have been wonderful. Today we are heading off on our trip to the highlands which we are looking forward to.
All the best
Nicola
Australia, April 2010
Traveled on the Eclipse
Hi Christian,
Just wanted to let you know we had a FABULOUS time. There was great attention to every detail. The Galapagos were amazing.
Thank you for taking care of everything! We will reccomend your services to anyone who is interested in that type of vacation.
Do you do any reservations for Costa Rica? We're planning on going in Feb 2011.
Take Care,
Penny & Anne
USA, April 2010
Traveled on the Nina
To the Management of Columbus Travel.
I have booked a tour to the Galapagos and a land tour Quito to Guayaquil with Vero. She has been absolutely wonderful to deal with and has helped me much more than I thought would happen with an on line booking service. It can be a gamble booking with an unknown online but from the beginning I had trust in Vero and the way she handled all my queries.
I will certainly be recommending her and your company to anyone wanting to do bookings in Ecuador. I always do my reviews on Trip Advisor and Thorntree and will make sure this is done this week-end.
Many thanks,
Dianne Hudson
USA, March 2010
Travel on the Anahi
Diego,
We wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time in Ecuador and the Galapagos. Your arrangements for us were superb and we sincerely appreciated your efforts on our behalf. We will definitely recommend you and your company to anyone with plans to go the Galapagos!
All the best,
Gary
UK, February 2010
Traveled on the Seaman
Dear Elena,
Great to hear from you. I have been meaning to email you since we got back but you beat me to it! Thank you SO MUCH for organising the most wonderful holiday! Your organisation was top class and everything went extremely smoothly.
We loved Palmazul - a little oasis - very restful after all our travels. Staff were very friendly and food good. Very quiet when we were there so felt like our private hotel!
Thank you once again for all your help - great holiday.
Best wishes,
Jean
UK, February 2010
Traveled on the Nina
Hi Elena,
we just wanted to share our experience with the eclipse with you. It was a gorgeous trip and we enjoyed every minute. the crew was perfect and the animals were incredible....... we will continue our trip now in buenos aires for a week and then we'll head to chile and travel up north so there is some extra time for perurail to fix their way up to machu picchu ;o) we've seen that you have also arrangements on your website for machu picchu. we'll probably come back to you for a hotel arrangement close to machu picchu.....
thanks again for your help.
have a nice day
Ivan y Silvia
Switzerland, February 2010
Traveled on the Eclipse
Christian,
I have no complaints whatsoever about my entire trip! The tour with Byron was very informative and I enjoyed his company for the day. My experience on the Eclipse far surpassed any of my expectations and I would go back today if I could! The crew, the food, the room, and the naturalist guides, were outstanding. I made many new friends with both the passengers and the crew. It is a trip that I will never forget.
Thank you for all of your help in booking the trip.
Sincerely,
Audrey
USA, March 2010
Traveled on the Eclipse
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
Canada, March 2010
Traveled on the Odyssey
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
Germany, February 2010
Traveled on the Seaman II
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
USA, February 2010
Traveled on the Fragata
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!!
Best regards
Howard
USA, February 2010
Traveled on the Galapagos Explorer
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
USA,
Traveled on the Athala
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.
Sincerely yours,
Vincent
UK, January 2010
Traveled on the Beluga
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
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
China, July 2008
Travelled on the Santa Cruz
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
USA,
July 2008
Travelled on board Aida Maria
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
Usa, July 2008
Travelled on the Gps Explorer II
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
Usa, June 2008
Travelled on the Millenuum
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
Israel, June 2008
Travelled on the Galapagos Legend
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
Usa, June 2008
Travelled on the Coral
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
Usa, June, 2008
Travelled on the Gps Voyager
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
Columbus, OH, USA, June 2008
Travelled on the GPS Voyager
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
England, June 2008
Travelled on the Millenium
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
June 9, 2008
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,
Bob Stone
June 9, 2008
Dear Ivonne,
I want to thank you for your help in organizing our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands. Everything went according to plan with all your arrangements and we had a wonderful time on the Yolita, especially as it was the last trip of the Yolita. Our flights were all coordinated very well and your agents who met us both at the airport in Guayaquil and then collected us from the Tangara hostel were really helpful. Thank you so much. We are now enjoying the lovely colonial city of Cuenca. We shall certainly recommend your company to other people.
Best wishes.
Janet Reeves and William Pilsbury
June 2, 2008
Hi Elena,
Just to let you know we had an amazing time in the Galapagos and would like to thank you for your help in organizing it. The Rumba crew and guide Cesar were great and so friendly. Would recommend Columbus in the future.
Many thanks
Giles and Sarah
May 30, 2008
Dear Elena,
Both Sue and I are delighted that the items have been found. We pretty much had given up hope. The journal has little in it from the trip as it was lost and not available; however, it has many notes from our Antarctica trip and we really cherish the thought of getting those back. The sunglasses are a nice bonus but the notes are the most important to us. Please send us the quote for Fed Ex -that seems the best option.
I have been planning to write you a detailed note about the trip. I have been so busy working on the photos whenever I get a chance that I have not found the time ( there are a lot of photos). I will do so now by taking this opportunity to tell you about a few of the special moments - what Sue and I call golden moments - that are likely to stick with us forever.
Machu Picchu is a very sacred place. I am pleased to see that it is in great shape and well protected. While watching the sun set there I tried to imagine what it must have been like to live there all those years ago.
So I want to let you know that all the arrangements you made were great. The service and all the guides, the hotel choices, the tours - everything was well organized. South America is a wonderful, diverse and beautiful place - I really enjoyed the countryside and the people. I already have some ideas for a return trip to South America.
Bob
May 26, 2008
Dear Ivonne,
We have come back to Boston, USA, our trip in Galapagos was wonderful, it is definitely the highlight for our vocation, the boat (Coral I) is our good choice, they have a good service and make our trip as smooth as they can.
I also really appreciate your help for our Galapagos trip, and I will recommend you and your company to my friends who will go to Galapagos in the future.
Again, thank you very much and I believe the beautiful Galapagos will leave in my memory for ever!
Best regards,
Jessica
May 21st, 2008
Hola Elena!
This is from Sue Taylor, Bob's wife. We had such a wonderful adventure. Several difficult mishaps, but nothing to do with your scheduling. It went very smoothly & we enjoyed all the people we dealt with. They helped us through every step on our journey.
Our trip home was an adventure. The flight from Lima to Miami was delayed from 0625 5/10/08 to 0100 5/11/08. Then Bob was detained in immigration. We did finally arrive home, safe & sound with great memories of the wonderful places we visited.
Muchas gracias Elena!
Fondly,
Sue Taylor
May 13th, 2008
Hola Ivonne,
I want to thank you for all of your amazing help! Steve and I had the most remarkable trip to Ecuador/Galapagos Islands!
From the moment we were picked up at the hotel in Guayaquil to the moment we boarded the airplane to return to the mainland after our cruise/tour, the trip was flawless. Your tour representatives, the Sea Man II, the crew, Sara the guide, and the amazing tour of the islands/its waters and wildlife were fantastico! Thank you for making a dream come true!
Saludos,
Amy Scott
May 7th, 2008
Boat: Seaman from April del 14-18.
Fernanda,
Everything went off very well and we both enjoyed the trip. The boat was new and beautiful, the food good. We had a great time. The only improvement I can think of would be to make food supply a little larger at the evening meal, we from USA eat a larger evening meal.
Thanks for asking,
Joe Shary
May 6th, 2008
Elena,
Thank you for your response. Everything worked out fine. We had a wonderful time at Napo Wildlife Center and would recommend highly recommend it. Thank you again for coordinating our trip.
Sincerely,
Chris
May 5th, 2008
Hi christian,
Thanks for the excellent response you must be the best travel agent I have ever dealt with very professional.
Regards,
Alan
May 5th, 2008
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
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:
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 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. Thank you 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 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 organizing 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 champagne!!
If you have any questionnaire you would like us to complete, please send one Ecuador 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 país. Agradeceros vuestra profesionalidad. Os guardamos en nuestra lista de contactos, por si hubiera otra ocasión.
Gracias y hasta siempre.¡¡¡
Guillermo.
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 fortunate 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 realize 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 Gracias from all of us!!
Ruth Johnson
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 organized (Ivan) who seemed amazingly versed and knowlegeable in everything Ecuadorian!
Muchas 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 forward 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
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 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 Ecuador 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 Ecuadorian 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 Ecuador. 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 Ecuador, 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 Ecuador a truly memorable one-perhaps one of the best holidays we have ever enjoyed.
Sincerely,
Doug Higgins
November 2005
Columbus Travel Ltd. ® 2011 - info@columbusecuador.com
DESIGN
