Testimonials and Recommendations

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

1. I really enjoyed all the snorkeling in the Galapagos. I liked both the beach snorkeling and the deep water snorkeling. Sue would not do the deep water snorkeling for some reason. Anyway, I saw a shark, a stingray, an eagle ray and came face to face with both penguins and seals. All those experiences were really amazing but something else happened while I was snorkeling that was a very special golden moment.
   I was deep water snorkeling along a wall and noticed that I was far behind everyone. So I went faster and that was when I saw the stingray. Anyway, soon I caught the others and then passed everyone. I kept working down the wall, seeing many beautiful tropical fish. I kept looking back and soon most of the snorkelers were back in the patanga. I was getting tired but I kept going and then something happened.
   Have you ever seen the movie "Finding Nemo"? If so, there was a part in that movie where Nemo gets swept up in a Australian current with a bunch of Turtles. Well, I did not get swept up in the Australian current, but all of a sudden I was swept along by a current and I felt sort of like Nemo. I just relaxed and glided along effortlessly - it was almost like flying- and I was able to watch all kinds of tropical fish ( I was in about 3 to 5 meters of water). I just kept going and going and then I remembered the patanga. I waved at them and they waved back and pointed that they were going after someone else but I knew they would come when they got a chance. So I just let the current sweep me away. It was wonderful; no effort, just enjoying the moment. By the time they caught up with me I had gone quite a distance - what a joy.
2. I have to thank you for making sure that Genovesa was on our itinerary - it was my favorite stop. The red footed boobies were great to see. We have video of the thousands of birds - mainly petrels, but frigates and boobies too - that were flying all around us at the end of the trail. It was a golden moment when we climbed Prince Philips steps and saw all the birds - unafraid. It was a little Garden of Eden up there.
3. I was on the top deck relaxing in the breeze one day as we made our way to Santa Cruz island to get some gas. There was commotion in the ocean at some distance as a group of about 60 dolphins made their way to us. They cut right across the bow of the ship and then kept going until lost from sight.
4. Something else happened the day we saw the dolphins. I and several others were watching a Tropicbird as it flew across the sky. Suddenly, a frigate came shooting down from above and grabbed it in midair. The birds tumbed a while in the air then the frigate bird let the tropicbird go and it flew away, apparently unharmed. A birdwatcher told us that the frigate bird cannot dive for fish so it attacks other birds to make them throw up the fish they have caught so it can steal the food. It was simply amazing to watch.
5. I will never forget the stars - every night before going to bed Sue and I went up and looked deep into the Milky Way galaxy. You feel so small out there in a small ship on the ocean with no land in sight and the heavens stretching away forever. I felt thankful for the opportunity to be there in that moment, looking at the Southern Cross, despite all the troubles in our world.
6. I can't leave out the Waved Albatrosses. The cliff near where they nest is beautiful. There was some breeding behavior going on and it was delightful to watch them strut about so full of themselves. I've known a few people who do the same thing.
7. Cusco is amazing. I loved walking around in the evening - everybody bustling about, all the shops open, good restaurants. And what a beautiful setting for a city - surrounded by mountains - one of them about 6000 meters. We loved Cusco.
8. In the sacred valley, a farmer put a two day old alpaca in my arms. I was not expecting him to do it. The little Alpaca started making noises and a really big Alpaca (maybe the papa) was getting upset with me. Everone was laughing except me. The big alpaca was BIG and I did not want to get introduced to him any more than I already was. Finally, the farmer took the baby back and let it go so I could relax again. Whew!
9. I think we kind of made up for missing Otavalo because we went to the Pisac market in the sacred valley.I bought some nice items too.
10. Ollaytaytambo and Sacsaywamen were unbelievable at least until we made it to Machu Picchu. Staying art the Sanctuary Lodge was the right choice - everyone else had to leave at the end of the day and we got great pictures without so many people, with the shadows falling as the sun set. The next morning we climbed Waynapicchu. Some young American women seemed really surprised that someone like me that is 57 years old could make it up to the top in around an hour and gave us a big hand and were cheering for us when we walked out the gate at the end of the climb. I guess someone that is 25 thinks 57 is really old. You probably do too Elena, I saw your picture. Maybe you would have cheered too. It was funny. Sue and I just slipped away as best we could because the whole crowd there was looking at us because the 5 or 6 women just kept cheering and clapping.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Hello again, just writing you to provide some feedback on the trip and services:

1. I was 100% happy with the services provided by you and Columbus Travel. I appreciated that emails were responded to quickly. Also in Guayaquil, I believe his named was William - very friendly, and was helpful in ways you normally wouldn't expect, such as looking into the status of our connecting flights and giving us that information as we got back from Galapagos. Hampton Inn was very nice and the service good as well.
2. Again, nothing but good things to say about the Galapagos Explorer II, and of the islands. I have traveled to a fair number of places, and Galapagos ranks at the top. I very much appreciated that you arranged for the diving for us - this seemed to be a service that some of the other agents (mostly non-Ecuador based) either didn't know about or wouldn't organize. On the trip there were only 4 people who went scuba diving, all because we were the only ones who had it pre-booked. There were others who wanted to go as well, but without pre-booking, they were not allowed as the boat demanded many different forms that people did not bring. Hope this helps, and I will be sure to recommend you to my friends. Once they see my pictures, I'm sure they will try to make a visit :)

Nick 
January 18th, 2006

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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

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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

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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

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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

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We are back and had a wonderful time, Margarita! Thanks so much for all your help.

Rick Spradling
January 5th, 2006

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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