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SPAIN TRIP
Dear
Eugene,
I wanted to send you a
follow up to our trip to Spain this Past December. In short it was
one of the best trips we have take to Europe. Everything wen well,
including the weather. All the arrangements you had made were perfect.
I called the emergency number for some help one day and Josu was
extremely helpful. He did whatever was necessary and told me not
to hesitate to call if I needed anything else. He also helped us
book the flamenco show in Madrid.
Let me briefly outline
the experiences we had during our trip.
The airport pick up was
well arranged. The gentleman was waiting with
a sign with our name and
he promptly took us to our hotel. He had a nice minivan so the journey
was extremely comfortable.
The Hotels were all very
good. We always got rooms next to each other that was very convenient.
All the Hotels(except the one in Granada) were located very close
to everything we wanted to see.
This was very helpful
in sightseeing, coming back to rest for a while, etc. The
Hotel in Granada was very nice but we did not like the location
as we had to take a taxi to get everywhere. It is right besides
the Alhambra which is nice but it is not close to other places.
But really nothing to
complain...just thought you might want to know for future travellers.
The train reservations
were all perfectly arranged. The AVE is quite
impressive. We had reserved
seats on all trains and on the AVE, in each coach there is only
one or two areas that have two rows of seats facing each other.
On each of our AVE reservations we had
been booked on those seats
facing each other and have some family time. On the train from Barcelona
to Granada, for some reason we were booked on two separate coaches.
That could have been a problem, however fortunately the conductor
was able to accomodate a change and assigned us a cabin right next
to each other and it even had connecting doors. For future reference,
please ensure that the coach number must be the same for each group
of travelers.
The quality of the tours
was very good. All the private tours were knowledgeable and helpful.
I would especially like to complement
Carmen in Granada who
gave us the tour of the Alhambra. She had a good sense of humor
anf got across all the historical facts in a very
nice manner. Our kids
too really enjoyed the tour because of the way
she imparted all the information.
In Seville our tour guide arranged for taxis to take us to the Cathedral
as it was closing early that day and he even paid for the taxi fares.
In Cordoba, the tour guide had us take
a taxi but had to pay
for it.
The Toledo bus tour was
very convenient. the company representative
pick us up from our Hotel
lobby and took us to the main bus terminal where we boarded the
bus tour. Toledo is a very beautiful place and i would recommend
it to your future travelers. With the kids, the half day tour was
plenty as they would have been bored on a full day tour.
I hoped I have covered
every aspect of our trip and the detaisl I have given you might
be helpful for your future clients. I want to once again
thank you for the perfect
arrangements you made and please send my
thank tou to Josu also.
Ever since we have come back we have been telling our friends to
make a trip to Spain and I will happy to recommend your services
to all of them You certainly ensured that our trip was comfortable
and enjoyable
Regards,
Smita
Eugenio,
Did anyone get back to
you to tell you how much
we enjoyed the trip to
Chile.
The accomodations were
all fantastic. What a beautiful
country with such charming
people (I am ready to go back)
We all stayed healthy
and Happy.Liked it all- weather was good-mild
Thanks for helping to
make the trip so memorable.
Jan
Denver ,Colorado
SPAIN TRIP
Hi Eugenio,
We had a most wonderful
vacation in September.This is a picture
at our hotel in Seville,Casas
de las Juderias. it was very charming
We walked
to all of our destinations from there. We highly recommend Pizzeria
Mario C/. Sta Maria La Blanca #15 Tel 954-41-67 75. The Pizzas we
had there were better than any we had in Italy. The Hotels in Lisbon
and Madrid were also nice.Overall we really enjoyed our trip. Thanks
Kazumi and
Mario
Eugenio,
We just returned
from our trip to Spain & Morocco. We had a marvelous time on
Spain thanks to you. The hotels and the tours were outstanding.
Thanks for your help im making our trip so enjoyable and memorable.
Plase pass on our thanks to your office in Madrid for their
excellent
tour guides.
PERU
TRIP:
Dave & Judy Beggs
Hi Eugenio-The
Trip was wonderful. My brothers and I all had a great
time! It
was a very good mix of hotels and locations. Also, the Inca
Trail hike
was excellent. We were so lucky to have absolutely No Rain !
I will definitely
recommend your travel agency to anyone I know who is Planning a
trip to South America or Spain/Portugal. Thanks for all your help
Jennifer
PATAGONIA
TRIP
I have been
meaning to send you a Thank You Card.
We LOVED
the trip! Everything you planned for us was perfect. The tango Show
was fantastice and Iwill never forget the experience of being so
close to the wild life.
People were
very nice to us and we enjoyed using our 10 words of Spanish and
they enjoyed practicing their English.
I hope we
can plan another South American trip with you sometime in the future.
Thank you
for a wonderful time.
Marian
ARGENTINA
TRIP:
Dear Eugenio,
Just wanted to send you an e-mail to thank you for organising
our wonderful trip to Argentina. We truly enjoyed everything and
everything went like clock work. It never ceased to amaze us how
diverse a country can be both in climate, culture and landscapes!
We are not city lovers but even Buenos Aires was fascinating,
particularly our final tour we did called the Tigre Tour. Would
recommend that one to anyone who visits BA. It concluded with an
hour long boat ride in the delta area which was fascinating.
El Calafate was one of the many highlights and the accomodation
we landed up in was wonderful. So pleased that the lovely lady at
the your office suggested that we change locations. It was an easy
walk in to town and the young owners of Rebelde couldn't have been
nicer. I hope that Alta Tours recommends their lovely house
to many more visitors! The glaciers were spectacular and the girls
loved Perito Merino in particular.
Highlights at Ushuaia, (apart from it being light almost
for 24 hours!) was our boat trip out passed the lighthouse and sea
lions and cormorant islands to the penguin island. That was
a 6 hour trip that was worth every penny!
Iguazu Falls were all that the guide books say. It was absolutely
awesome! We would loved to have had 2 full days there and returned
to BA the 3rd. morning but I know that flights prevented that. The
hotel was such a friendly place and we felt we were back in Africa
with all the sounds of the night!
All-in-all, it was a
wonderful 2 weeks and if you would like us to talk to anybody
about our experiences, please do pass on our names.
Rosemary Woodhead
SPAIN TRIP
Eugenio,
I just wanted to tell you that the arrangements you made for
us in Spain worked out beautifully. In particular, the
drivers were an enormous help for us. They were always early
or on time, friendly, and very professional. It made traveling
with 7 people very easy. Also, the tour guides, David, James,
and Roberto (he was a substitute for the regular guide in Granada)
were fantastic. We learned so much and they too were so
nice and very professional.
The hotels were lovely and well located. The train rides
were alot of fun. It was very reassuring to have Aurora's number
on hand to use in an emergency. All in all, a great trip.
Thank you.
Jeanne
PORTUGAL
TRIP:
Eugenio--
We've meant to get in touch with you about our Portugal trip,
and I apologize for the delay.
We were very pleased with all aspects of the trip. The hotels
you chose were excellent, with very good breakfasts and helpful
service. Joanne took a short fall at the Hotel Quinta da Bela
Vista, and a nearby room service staff person and the hotel
manager couldn't have been more helpful and caring. We especially
enjoyed the New Year's Eve gala dinner at the same hotel, and
the view of Funchal's New Year's fireworks from the hotel grounds
was a high point of our trip.
The transfers to and from the Funchal and Lisbon airports were
excellent. In each case the person providing transportation
was either waiting for us at the airport terminal or was early
for our hotel pickup. We also found our tours in Madeira to
be very good. The full day tour to Santana did not include lunch,
and that resulted in my eating apart from the rest of the tour
(Joanne missed that tour due to her fall). I would rather have
paid for lunch and joined the group at the restaurant. All tour
restaurants provided excellent food, drink and service. The
tours in Lisbon were not quite as good as those in Madeira,
maybe in part because the guides had to speak in multiple languages
for varied nationalities. In one tour the guide had to speak
four languages.
We ate at three of the Lisbon restaurants you recommended and
Restaurant Tripeiro in Porto, where we had a nice lunch. The
Lisbon restaurants were all excellent. Our favorite was Restaurant
Tavares, where we had a wonderful dinner, with food and service
as good as we've had anywhere in the world. We had dinner at
Restaurant Martinho da Arcada, where the staff was extremely
helpful and the food and wine excellent. We were able to walk
to Gambrinus, and again the food, wine and service were excellent.
By the way, the night tour of Madeira with dinner and folk dancing
was also very good.
All in all we enjoyed our experience in Portugal very much.
I think it is one of the (if not the) most comfortable, friendly
countries we've visited. We always felt safe, and the cab drivers
and anyone we asked for assistance were very courteous and helpful.
We would be pleased to recommend a trip to Madeira/Portugal
to anyone, and your hotel, tour and restaurant recommendations
were top notch. Thank you for a job very well done!
Bob Brush
Dear
Eugene,
I've
been meaning to write you ever since we came home from Chile
and Antarctica . Our vacation was a 5-star one.
All four of us loved our whole trip. It made a big impact
on the kids as well as Ricardo and me, and will have a front
spot in our memory banks!
Thank
you for helping me figure out an itinerary and then for arranging
every detail of our airport pick-ups and deliveries, our tours,
hotels, etc. Our trip was as smooth as could be.
And the weather was amazingly cooperative except for our time
in Chiloe where it poured rain the whole time. I grimaced
when I saw we had a 6am pick-up from Rio Serrano Hotel in Torres
del Paine, but the sunrise we saw was so exquisite I was happy
about getting up so early! By the way, the Rio Serrano
gave us amazing views which we never would have had if we'd
stayed at the Hotel T de P so I'm glad the latter was full!
Sara
SPAIN TRIP
Hi
Eugenio,
We
are back and we had a wonderful time! Thank you so much
for all of your help. All of the tour guides were terrific
and the drivers were all on time and very pleasant. The
car ended up being too small for our luggage so we had 3 of
our bags forwarded from Granada to Seville . That worked
out fine. We enjoyed all of the cities tremendously.
The girls' favorite was Seville . We also enjoyed all
of the hotels. I particularly appreciated the locations,
very convenient, and in the case of Southern Spain , within
steps of all of the action. The only hotel that I didn't
love was the one in Cordoba . While the hotel was very
lovely and had a great location, I found the hotel to be very
understaffed and very unfriendly(Hotel Amistad). There
was almost a depressing feeling there. The staff and the
Alhambra Palace hotel were awesome, very friendly and helpful,
particularly around sending our luggage out.
The
train was an experience. The only problem we had is that
4 out of the 5 of us could not sleep at all. But, the
service and accommodations were nice (for a train!).
Thanks
so much.
Peggy
Kriss
SPAIN TRIP
Dear Susie,
I got back on Wednesday from Spain and I just wanted
to tell you how amazing the trip was. We loved every
hotel you picked for us, as well as your suggestions for restaurants,tour
sites, etc. From the hotels, to the car service, the tour
guides, etc., everything was smooth as could be. The
tour we had, especially in Madrid and Toledo was outstanding.
I never met someone with so much knowledge of the history and
art of Spanish culture. I brought home her business card- I
will send you her name.
We enjoyed spending the time with our
daughter in Seville - they were thrilled to go our for dinner
with us to Modesto and go see a Flamenco show. She's having
a great experience in Seville- Our hotel was next door to the
University - it was incredible to see where she was studying.
Thanks again for your comprehensive and detailed itinerary
- - it was really helpful. It was truly a trip we
will never forget.
We'll be sure to contact you for future vacations!
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Thanks again!
Debbie & Steve
SPAIN TRIP
Eugenio, the trip on the Belle
de Cadix was terrific. In all the cruises
I have taken, both ocean going and river, I have never had
a friendlier crew or better meals.The meals were not only
delicious, they were beautifully presented. Everything
was terrific. The cabins were nice, not extremely spacious,
but very useable. The bathrooms were well appointed. They
had gel soap, but no shampoo so advise your customers that
want shampoo to bring theirs. The side trips were a
lot of fun and the guides were very good. The main language
was French,but the tour director and the chief purser spoke
English and were very helpful. There were only two other Americans
on board, but there was a large group of British tourists,
as well as a couple from South Africa. We enjoyed getting
to know them. The entertainment every night was fun.
We especially loved the Portuguese dancers and the Spanish
flamenco night. The show presented by the crew was hilarious.
There was dancing every night. The pool was small, but
refreshing and the deck chairs were plentiful and comfortable.
Thanks for arranging the trip. It was a good choice
for our group's varied ages.
Alicia and Lauren Weil
Henry Brenner
SPAIN TRIP
Hi Eugene,
We are back from our trip
to Spain and had a wonderful time. The tour was well organized and
we got to see everything we wanted. The guide was helpful and made
the trip fun and interesting. The hotels were great as well and
meals were delicious! Thank you for booking the extra hotel room
in Barcelona and the train tickets. Everything went smoothly and
we enjoyed our trip.
Thanks again! We would definately
recommed Alta Tours to our friends in the future!
S.J.
CHILE
WINE TRIP
Hi Eugene,
We had a great time and the people you set us up with did
a fabulous job. First class resorts.
The tours of the wineries were unbelievable. Incredible
capital going into Chile for construction of all these wineries.
I can't wait to go back again and see more of Chile.
Excellent Job !!
Mike White
Eugenio,
We just came back from Argentina-Brazil and I would like
to express my
appreciation for the well prepared trip: everything
went very smooth,
all guides (Olga, Gabriel, Eleonora)
were very friendly and very helpful. All this made our trip
very enjoyable
and memorable.
Thank you very much
to you, representatives and our Russian
speaking guides !
Inna
SPAIN BUS TOUR
EUGENIO,
WE'RE BACK FROM OUR TRIP AND WE ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH. ONE OF THE
BEST THINGS ABOUT THE TRIP WAS THAT WE WERE WITH PEOPLE FROM MANY
DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
THERE WERE PEOPLE FROM PUERTO RICO, PANAMA, BRAZIL, SINGAPORE,
MALAYSIA, AUSTRAILIA, SWITZERLAND, MEXICO AND OF COURSE SPAIN
AND PORTUGAL. WE WERE THE ONLY ONES FROM THE UNITED STATES, BUT
IT LENT GREAT FLAVOR TO THE TRIP.
MY ONLY SUGGESTION IS THAT YOU TELL PROSPECTIVE TOURISTS TO TAKE
AT LEAST ONE EXTRA DAY IN MADRID. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF
A TRIP TO SPAIN AND YOU ONLY GET A SHORT PANORAMIC TOUR BY BUS
OF THE CITY. ONE OF THE HIGH-LIGHTS OF MADRID IS THE WORLD FAMOUS
PRADO MUSEUM AND IT'S NOT TO BE MISSED. WE WERE LUCKY IN THAT
WE HAD 2 EXTRA DAYS IN MADRID SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO THE PRADO.
WE ALSO TOOK A TRIP TO SEGOVIA AND AVILA. THEY ARE MAGNIFICENT
CITIES AND WORTH STAYING IN SPAIN EXTRA DAYS TO VISIT.
OTHER THAN THE LIMITED TIME THE 12 DAY TOUR PROVIDES OF MADRID,
WE CAN ONLY SAY BRAVO! A WONDERFUL TOUR, GREAT GUIDES, AND TERRIFIC
DRIVERS.
SHARYN
SPAIN TRIP
Claire & Eugenio,
I wanted to say thanks for our wonderful vacation in Spain. All
the drivers who provided transportation and tour guides were there
when they were supposed to be. The tour guides were very
knowledgeable and friendly and we loved all our walking tours.
The hotels were all great, too.
Shelley Bernick
Hi Eugenio
We returned last weekend from the marvellous trip you put together
for us. All went very smoothly and, apart from one delayed
flight from BA to Iguazu (not uncommon I gather), we had no problems.
The weather was very kind and we have thousands of photos between
the four of us. Our sons really enjoyed themselves and we
loved the diversity, beauty and interest every stop had to
offer.
The people were particularly kind and helpful and we really
liked them. Our guide, Christopher, from Aquas Grandes
in Iguazu, was just superb.
If you need any further information from me, don't hesitate
to ask.
All the best for the
New Year
Wendy
Hi
SPAIN TRIP
Yes, we have recovered. We had the most wonderful time. Alta was
just GREAT with everything that I experienced.
Our hotels were wonderful. I really loved each and every one.
The Alhambra Palace was the most luxurious, but each of the others
had beautiful large rooms and large bathroom s and balconies.
The hotel in Seville was the most “charming” with
all the courtyards and plants. The Parador had a spectacular view;
however, we were extremely disappointed with our meal at their
restaurant. It was our most expensive and the food was NOT GOOD
and we had a snooty waiter. I was really sorry for that.
I would love to compliment the guides and drivers. The vans were
all large and clean and air conditioned and really just perfect
for five or six. We had plenty of room for luggage. All our guides
were excellent, but several were outstanding. Blanca, our guide
in Madrid and Toledo was just about perfect. She was so informative
and had such a wonderful personality. She would make a wonderful
dinner guest!!! Duke gave her a great big hug as well as a big
tip at the end. Our guide and driver from Malaga to Tangiers and
back, Juan, was a riot. We enjoyed him very much and he was VERY
helpful in boarding the ferry and getting passports checked….
In fact, he took them and filled out all the forms for us. We
didn’t have to do a thing but walk through! He had such
a great personality. He was telling us about his experiences with
Italian tour buses and Russian tourists…. Such funny stories.
When we asked him to tell us what was most characteristic of the
Americans he drove he said in a slow “Billy Bob” drawl….
“Can you turn up the air conditioner?!?!” Carlanda
had been saying that to the drivers the two previous days and
we all burst into laughter. We were turned over to a Moroccan
guide in the city; we were told he was the head of the local guide
association. He was very good. The lunch in the restaurant in
Tangiers was lovely. The food was good, the room lovely, and the
musicians skilled. Of course we were taken to see the “handicrafts”
and ended up buying rugs, caftans, table cloths, etc. Our tour
guides in Cordoba, Malaga, and Barcelona were very, very good.
They adjusted the tours to our likes and preferences…..
Really very good asset. (If there is a way to let Alta know, please
do.)
We LOVED the train from Granada to Barcelona. We all slept. The
cabins were a bit tight but well appointed and our full bathrooms
made some I have seen on cruise ships seem small. The dinner was
delightful…. Much better than I had feared. The dining car
was very inviting and the waiter cheerful. We were treated to
a glass of Spanish bubbly as we waited in the car for the train
to leave the station. They didn’t start serving until we
were moving. We each got mini bottles of wine with our meals and
our meals were all very good. Of course…. We had had a three
hour cocktail break at the Alhambra Palace after our tour while
waiting for the transfer to the train.. by the way it was a small
train station, the train was sitting on the first track and we
just walked right on. Anyway, maybe our happy mood and great sleep
had something to do with our satisfaction. None of us was hung
over in the morning however.
I would recommend Alta for others of your clients to use.
Brenda
TALE OF TWO CITIES BUS TOUR
Good morning,
I wanted to let you know that I spoke with our cllients about
their Tale of Two Cities tour and they were very happy. They especially
complimented the tour guide and they enjoyed the rest of the group
very much.
Thank you for doing such a wonderful job. Thank you also for
sending the commission payment so promptly. I don't believe I
have ever received a payment so quickly!
I will be strongly recommending your services to other
agents.
Thank you so much,
Sharri
Fly Me to the Moon Travel
WINE
TRIP TO CHILE
Just
got back yesterday and can hardly wait to go again.
What
a lovely place Chile
is and what a brilliant future it has! We were so overwhelmed
by the rapid progress that is being made. New housing and new
freeways everywhere ... even construction on a Sunday!
Juan
Zapata and Luis Bahamondes our guides were terrific. They filled
us in on everything we wanted to know. The wineries they had
selected were great. We also learned a lot about Chilean history
with the visit to the museum in Colchagua and the El Huique
Hacienda.
Our
accommodations in the Colchagua Valley and Vina Del Mar , where
charming, with delicious food. Ah yes! The wines.they were good
Our
experience was just perfect because Alta thought of everything.
You even sent guides and maps. In short, you anticipated our
needs and provided resources for every detail of our trip. We
travel quite a bit, but our comfort, physical and psychological, has
never been so thoroughly prepared.
We
had a super time. Thank you for making it all possible.
Fran
ARGENTINA
& CHILE TRIP
Dear Eugenio, We enjoyed our trip immensely.
It was better than we could have imagined. The food was
superb at all the locations. We also thought you picked
good neighborhoods and central locations for us in the cities.
Our
guides were on time to meet us and it was great having all
the help with that much luggage. Bernardo in Santiago
was very knowledgeable and a good person to hang out with.
We are very pleased. I hope you have received our thank
you note for the wine and flowers. Thank you,
Sara
PERU TRIP
Eugenio-
Thank you so much for your help in booking our trip to Peru.
Melinda, Rachel, and I enjoyed it immensely. The trip you
arranged for us made it so easy to get around and relax. We
especially liked Cuzco - between the private tour to Ollantaytambo,
the wonderful, beautiful hotel, and the great scenery - we
couldn't stop ourselves from saying repeatedly, we love Cuzco!
Thanks again! Happy New Year!
Winnie
Hi Eugenio,
Thank you for coordinating our honeymoon trip to Argentina.
Todd and I had a great time!. All of the drivers and
guides were efficient and punctual. We appreicated the
services and will definitely recommend your services to our
friends.
Todd & Melanie
Stuckey
Mare
Australis Cruise:
Just a note to let you know that the trip went very well
once we were able to reach Buenos Aires.
The guides were all wonderful, the hotels were nice,
the tours well planned and informative and the cruise was
more than I could have hoped for!
We were well
taken care of and loved it all! Many, many thanks to you
for your assistance in planning this wonderful vacation.
I will most likely be using you in the future for a trip
to Spain!
Thanks again
for a GREAT vacation!
I could not have been happier with your arrangements!
Bobbi and Erin
Spain & Portugal Bus Tour
We had an amazing time! The tour was well planned and everything went smoothly. I think our favorite time was 3 nights in Lisbon- it is beautiful there and we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the city. Everything else seemed to go too fast. None of us enjoyed the trip to Fatima and I wish we'd have skipped it and slept in that day.
Getting up so early everyday started to take a toll on all of us.
Costa Del Sol was beautiful and I could have stayed there for a week!
Our favorite hotel was Los Angeles in Granada. Absolutely perfect. If you are interested, I posted reviews for each hotel at tripadvisor.com.
It was nice to have the 3 nights added on at the end to just relax before traveling again. The airport transfer was seemless and they even had a booster seat ready in the van for my 4 year old.
It was a great trip and we made lots of memories with the kids. Even though the tour was exhausting at times and we all got tired of getting back on the bus, I know we saw and learned much more than we would have on our own. When we were on our own time we tended to spend too much time sitting at the outdoor cafes drinking cervezas and cafe con leche.
Thanks for all of your efforts.
I'll attach a picture of the 8 of us in Cordoba.
Sincerely,
Tina
PERU TRIP
Dear Eugenio,
Thank you so much for arranging a fantastic anniversary trip for us to Peru. In spite of the country-wide strike that provided a little excitement for our last day in the country, we had a fabulous time. Your representaive in Peru was exceptional, and everything worked perfectly for every transfer and tour.
You planned the ideal itinerary and the hotels were absolutely the best. The MONASTERIO in Cusco was the best of the best, and they greeted us with an anniversary cake and upgrade to a bi-level suite. That was certainly unexpected but much appreciated! The guides were knowledgeable, pleasant to spend time with, and provided just the right amount of information about the sites.
We can't thank you enough for making this trip turn out so well for us. We certainly will call on you again!
Karen and Jim Kantor
CHILE & PERU TRIP
Hi Eugenio, Just want to let you know that my family and I had a very good first trip to Chile and Peru. Thanks for making all the arrangements. Your representatives in Chile & Peru were very good . Very responsible and organized. The drivers and guides are always on time and very friendly.
We enjoyed the restaurants in Lima. La Dama Juana has a terrific performance of folk dances of Peru, and the buffet dinner was good too. Alfresco, on the other hand, offers some really nice seafood dishes.
Thanks again.
BTW, we were lucky to run into some really nice weather in Chile too.
Yvonne Chan
PERU TRIP
Eugenio,
Thank you so much for your assistance with our itinerary to Peru. Our guide service was professional and informative. My whole family enjoyed the trip so much! I will certainly recommend Alta Tours to everyone.
Thank you again,
Bradley
ARGENTINA TRIP
Dear Eugenio,
Yes, we had a great trip. We found the lodgings all excellent, the people we met all genuinely hospitable, and the country quite beautiful and interesting. With respect to our guides were all superb, whether our guides or working for affiliated firms in Iguassu and Bariloche, both informative and fun to be with and come to know a little bit: Eugenia Felizia in BA, Maria Leal Prono In Iguassu, and sadly I forget the name in Bariloche, Martha... We were quite spoiled by their attention. The Melia Recoleta in BA we highly recommend: an intimate hotel with an excellent location immediately behind the Alvear Palace, an incredibly cordial and helpful staff, and very comfortable accommodations. We walked everywhere from there (and were glad not to be in Palermo Soho, which while charming, would have been a hike to everything). Although the Sheraton Iguassu was a bit predictable, and the food, “national park fare”, the staff was uniformly hospitable and helpful and the hotel very comfortable (and its location overlooking the falls trumps everything). Send clients to Aqua restaurant in Iguassu City for dinner. It is hard to find enough superlatives for Cavas Wine Lodge. I don’t think we’ve ever been in as delightful an inn—you are pampered from the moment you arrive, every need or desire anticipated (as well as needs and desires you didn’t know you had). As an example, we didn’t arrive at the hotel until 11:30pm (flight delays). The driver was there waiting for us at the airport. When arrived at the hotel to find that they had set a candlelight dinner for us in front of the fire in the hotel’s living room, drinks waiting for us and the kitchen open just for us. By the way, the food at Cavas was the best by far of anywhere on the trip, including highly touted restaurants in BA and elsewhere. The proprietors (who could not have been more charming or accomodating) on down to the bellmen made you feel as if your arrival was the highlight of their day.
Hotel Llao Llao was magnificent in a supremely beautiful setting, an oasis away from the somewhat tacky bustle of Bariloche itself (Villa Angostura is a much more appealing town on the other side of the lake, but doesn’t have the Llao Llao). The food was a bit pretentious for what it was, but everything else about the hotel was superb. We left with regret.
Thanks again for your help. It was a memorable trip.
Jim
INDEPENDENT TRIP TO SPAIN
Hi,
It has been hectic since I have been back. We had a wonderful time and everything went perfectly. Loved all the hotels, well located. The people at your office in Spain were very helpful. It was great knowing that if I had any issues to take care of, I had a contact person. I was impressed when I received a call from Javier to welcome us and give me a 24 hour # if we have any problems. The guide in Barcelona was terrific. Very knowledgeable and very pleasant.
By the way, The hotel in Seville- The Imperial was one of my favorite. It was charming and the staff could not have been nicer. I felt like I was in a private home. I would recommend it to anyone. Location was great too! The only problem that we had, was that the day that was allocated for us to spend at El Escorial and The Valley of the Fallen ( the extra day in Avila) was on Monday- the day that all the sites are closed. Fortunately, I realized that the day before and we went there on the way to Avila. We only needed 1 night in Avila, but had 2 ( in order to go to see those sites.). Other than that, all worked well.
Thanks for all your help and patience in making this a very memorable vacation.
Marlene
PATAGONIA TRIP
Hi, Eugenio-- Hope all is well! Overall, we had a SPECTACULAR time. It was fabulous. Thank you so much for all of your hard work. You successfully met our needs and budget. The car transport was seamless. Everyone arrived on time and got us to our destinations in an efficient manner.
The Esplendor Calafate was amazing!!!!
Cindy
PERU TRIP
Dear Eugenio,
We had a great time in Peru. Your operator on site is the best. The tour guides were very, very nice, although some definitely spoke better English than others. My husband just loved the fact that we were picked up and escorted through all the airports and driven to the hotels. When you think about it, having that service saves so much time and worry.
However, I do have a few thoughts for you.
We loved everything we saw---the city tours, the Sacred Valley, and we were so glad we stayed the extra day in Machu Picchu. We climbed up to the Sun Gate one day and up Wayna Picchu the other day. Also, we did appreciate the times you planned the extra two lunches and the two dinners. They both made the travel easier and they were at places it would have been hard to find restaurants on our own. Although, we did find out later that Agua Calientes had many, many restaurants, so we could have found one instead of eating at our Hotel. We did love having the breakfast planned every morning also.
I would certainly call you again on my next trip to South America, Eugenio, and I would certainly recommend you to my friends. As far as the hotels you have to warn your clients that first class in Peru is not the same as in the United States
Thanks ever so much, Eugenio, and have a great Thanksgiving.
Thank you,
Joanie
PERU TRIP
Hi Eugenio,
I had a great time in Peru. Everybody from your affiliate in Peru, was professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. I highly recommend their service (in fact, I already told a couple of friends about your website).
I did have a little incident with altitude the first day in Cusco. But everybody was helpful and I was much better the very next day. It was my fault that I didn't rest enough (one hour was not enough to get used to the altitude. But I was eager to walk around town before city tour started). But, even that was a great experience!
Thank you so much for all your help. I will definitely use your service again when I am ready to go to Chile!
Thanks again,
jessie
ARGENTINA TRIP
Hi Eugene!! Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, we had a great time in Argentina! You can count on us for a recommendation! The services of your affiliate in Argentina were very good and the guides were excellent. We were picked up from the airports and they would always outline the tours we were scheduled for and when they would be picking us up! You did an excellent job with the arrangements and the hotels were exactly what we wanted. Loved the one in Mendoza, Mar del Plata and the Arts Hotel in Buenos Aires. If we have a chance to come back to Argentina we will spend more time exploring the Mendoza region and Salta area. We also loved Bariloche. We would also like to travel in Chile. I feel very fortunate to have traveled in South America and my husband will be returning. Thanks again, I consider myself very fortunate to have fouund your services on the internet.
Christine,Canada
COLORS OF SPAIN BUS TOUR
Dear Mr Ovalle ! I have just returned from Spain where I took the "Colors of Spain tour ". I would like to let you know that I have thouroughly enjoyed it , and was very satisfied with the services of your affiliate, beginning to end. I would like to note the excellent service of the tour guide Mr Thomas. many thanks and if I go back to Spain I will be happy to book another tour. Sincerely
Doron Sarraf
Easter Island & San Pedro de Atacama trip
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you but I want to thank you for coordinating our trip to Atacama and Rapa Nui. First, Awasi was awesome, as they say. The rooms were spacious, elegantly furnished, and private. The meals were well prepared and I am sure the finest cuisine to be found anywhere in northern Chile. The best, however, were the guides and tours - private, helpful. prompt, flexible, knowledgable, and comprehensive. I suggest you recommend Awasi to anyone going to San Pedro. The connections in Santiago were flawless. The Explora in Rapa Nui was the equivalent of Awasi there but the rooms were smaller and a bit more sparse. There really is no other option now but I see a couple new hotels under construction. Nevertheless, the meals at Explora were simply great. How they were able to put together such haute cuisine in that far off place is remarkable. We were fortunate to have private tours everyday and for the most part the guides were helpful and accomodating. The hotel manager - Giovanna - is a real sweetheart. Our hotel choices were tops and it was a great trip without any problems. Thanks for everything .
Gary
TASTE OF SPAIN BUS TOUR
Eugenio,
We had a great time on our Spain trip. All hotels had a very good location and food was good. The motor coach service was very good and on time.
Thank you.
Yakob
MADRID, SEVILLE, GRANADA & BARCELONA TRIP.
Hi Eugenio, Gale and I had a wonderful trip to Spain. All the transfers went smoothly. Both personal guides were informative and interesting. The hotels were perfect. Both in the central of the cities and of high quality. We loved Spain. I will go back one day and I will also recommend you to my friends.
Thanks! Marjie
ARGENTINA & CHILE TRIP
Dear Eugenio,
Of course, you may use us as a reference. You have been very fair and insightful. When things did not work as well as expected, we really appreciated your open mind, suppport and advocacy to rectify the situation in every way. You know the countries and their hotels and restaurants so well, from first hand experience, which is rare today. I understand that people need to feel secure about providers they find on the internet; we'll make them feel comfortable about working with you.
Tell Pamela that I am getting rave reviews about my new sandals from Buenos Aires(Turpin, right above Sottovoce). My friends are so disappointed that they can't get them in the US. They'll have to book a trip there with you.
I just finished reading Isabel Alllende's ""House of Spirits." The wedding in the book was many years ago but was similar in many ways to the wedding ceremony we attended in Santiago.
Hope your trip to Spain went well.
Best wishes,
Susan and Larry Ring
INKA TRAIL EXCURSION
Eugenio, Our trip to Peru was a complete success thanks to you and your affiliate in Peru. Our guide, Jose, is a remarkable man. I don't know which was greater - his knowledge of Peruvian history, his stamina in hiking all those trails with us or his ever present concern for our welfare and well being. We had a three week vacation crammed into seven days. It was truly memorable and one of the most exciting vacations we had. Thank you for your help and please convey our appreciation for Jose to your office in Peru. If we ever need a travel agent for South America or the Iberian pennisula, we will think of you. Sincerely, Millen
EASTER ISLAND TRIP
Eugenio, Thanks for your e-mail We arrived in Atlanta this morning. Juan, from your affiliate met us in the Airport and helped us at the hotel to check in early. The Holiday Inn had fruit and Champaign waiting for us in our room. A thank you to your affiliate. (We think.) The Holiday Inn was excellent and located in a perfect spot. Juan did a good job with our wine tour and our city tour. We did not know to tip the driver for our Santiago Tours. We thought the driver worked for Juan, and tipped Juan more to share with his driver. At the end of the city tour Sunday, Juan corrected us. A little embarrassing. On Easter Island, we tipped both. We always try not to be "Ugly Americans". The Chilean people are wonderful and they like Americans. We picked the perfect South American country to visit and Easter Island is a spectacular part of Chile. We took U. S. currency for our Reciprocity Fee and unless the bills are perfect, Chile will not accept them for this fee. We used American Express. They also accept VISA and Master Card. Hotel Otai was in a great location. We had a few minor problems in the beginning, but our neighbor jumped right on them and fixed everything. He turned out to be a partner in the hotel. Wow, what luck! A very nice person. Your affiliate in Easter Island did a fine job with the transfers and guided tours. Instead of a "box lunch" we had a fantastic home cooked meal at Maria's. We all enjoyed this very much. Thank you mucho for booking one of our very best vacations. We will recommend you to everyone. It was a wonderful 43rd wedding anniversary thanks to you. And, lets not forget, it was also a fabulous Father's Day!
Jack and Judy Griffis
SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA EXCURSION
Eugenio:
I just wanted to let you know that we loved every minute of our trip! Our tour guide was fantastic, and hotel wonderful, and all the connections went well. We are back in the airport in Santiago, and I couldn’t wait to contact you.
Thank you so much for your patience with our various requests, and setting up such a wonderful vacation for us all. Please feel free to use our names for references!
Best Regards,
Meg
NORTHERN SPAIN BUS TOUR
Hello Eugenio,
Sorry If I haven't gotten back to you sooner, I've been staying later at work to catch up from my vacation. We had a wonderful time we really love the trip across Northern Spain, the sites were beautiful and interesting. We covered a lot of territory and it was lots of fun. We specially enjoyed all the optional tours they were insightfull. Everyone was very polite and wonderful.
All ready I am sending the info of the tour to two of my friends
Thank you
Lourdes
EASTER ISLAND TRIP
Hi Eugenio,
Thank you for following up with me. My trip to Easter Island was incredible. It was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. Not only was the island beautiful, but the services Alta Tours provided ran smoothly. I can't thank you enough for making this trip possible for me. I will definitely (and have already) recommended Alta Tours to people.
Thank you again! Hopefully one day I can plan another trip with you!
Sincerely,
Alice
TALE OF TWO CITIES ESCORTED BUS TOUR
Dear Eugenio,
My folks and I had the most exciting time of our lives! This was the greatest vacation package I have ever signed on for! The services provided by AltaTours and your affiliate in Spain were always punctual and explained things very well. I did not want to come back home! Spain and Portugal were such beautiful places, and so were the Hotels that you booked for us. I enjoyed the Royal Palace in Madrid, as well as all the Cathedrals, sights, sounds, food and people. The people were all polite, cultured, and so very quiet! So different from New York! I loved Lisbon, The Tower of Belem, San Jeronimos, and I really wanted to tear up my return ticket home! What I liked about the package was that it was for 6 days. All the other companies were booking tours for 8-15 days, which is impossible for an American to get that much vacation time, especially in this economy. This was perfect for me. Thank you so much Eugenio! I have recommended your company to all of my friends and family. Eugenio, if you have a boss, TELL YOUR MANAGER THAT I THINK HE/SHE SHOULD DOUBLE YOUR SALARY for the excellent job you have done! Thanks!
Sincerely,
Jeff
TORRES DEL PAINE & SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA ADVENTURE
Dear Eugenio: Thank you for a rewarding and well executed trip. You and Danielle did a good job. I would recommend Las Torres and Hotel Kimal to anyone. Dinner at both restaurants was consistently good. The guide and driver staff did a good job, and were always timely. Chile is a GREAT trip for just about anyone! Aside from the actual traveling, we had a really great time. Anyone interested in antique shopping MUST stop in at the Antigua mall building in Santiago. With 60 shops all in one place it is a treasure trove of neat old things, in all price ranges, better than the antique district in Buenos Ares I believe. Maria, our guide, had never even been there, so I think it is off the beaten tourist track and a great place to shop, something worth mentining to other clients as a lesser-known attraction. The only thing I gave a "B" rating to was the dinner-show. OK for a fun evening but food was so-so and only 2/3's of the entertainment was enjoyable. Alex
SHORE EXCURSION BUENOS AIRES & SANTIAGO
Good morning, Eugenio. We just got back yesterday morning from our trip. Everything went extremely well. All our group was very pleased with the services you arranged for us and everything went as planned. I got a lot of credit for the great service, but, I did remind them that you made the arrangements with the providers and did a great job.
The pickups were on time, the Tango Show was great, and the trip to Iguazu Falls was unforgettable. We had a great guide in Valparaiso and we stopped at Casa Botha in Casablanca for lunch on the way to Santiago. Although everytihing was closed for the election and no liquor, Mr. Botha had hesitation to serve us wine and beer with our lunch. So, if you arranged that, you did a great job. The food was excellent, too. It was a very nice day. They picked us up at the boat at 9:00 and dropped us at the hotel at 7:00 p.m. They took very good care of us, too. The wine guide to Concha y Toro was very knowledgeable and stayed with us all the way to the airport, making sure we got in the right place, etc.
It was the same for Buenos Aires, all on time and took very good care of us. The only comment would be (and this is not a complaint as our group is very good travelling and they don't complain unless it is justified) is that the Art Hotel in Buenos Aires was a little cramped. The rooms were small, but none complained as they were clean and the hotel was well situated. That is more important than the size of the rooms. All in all we give you and your agency an A for all you did to set this up for us and and the tour operators you selected. Thank you, you made me look good. It is always a little stressful when your travelling companions look to you when you have made the arrangements. Thanks again. Lyle
CHILE & ARGENTINA TRIP
Hi Eugenio,
Yes we got back on the 27th as planned. All the guides your affiliates assigned to us were great. We really enjoyed the trip. The Hotels were all good, we really liked the Hyatt in Mendoza. In addition to being a very nice hotel with multiple restaurants, it is situated across from Independence Plaza and close to shops, and more restaurants.
We enjoyed the wine tours, all quite different and very interesting. The best meal (steak) and dulce de leche we had was at the Ruca Malen winery in Mendoza. We also loved the beef we had at La Cabrera in the Palermo Soho district of Buenos Aries.
The most spectacular views were at Iguassu Falls. We ended up doing the Great Adventure boat ride the following morning, not enough time after the train / hike to the Devil's Throat. The boat ride was exhilarating and of course we were completely soaked. We also got soaked walking to the falls the first day as well, because it poured down rain.
Again, we really enjoyed the trip.
Best regards,
Gary & Sylvia
| Easter Island trip
Dear Eugenio,
How are you? I am sorry it took so long for me to write you and let you know that my colleague Jacqueline Pradel and I, have really enjoyed our visit to Easter Island. Jackie had a fall and broke some ribs before we got to the Island, and I caught a bad cold but we still visited the whole island which is so beautiful and our guide Mr. Matua was very nice, please let his company know that we we very pleased with his work. He gave us the history of the island and told us where to get our souvenirs or meals and we really enjoyed his company. The hotel was very clean and comfortable and we had a real good time during our visit. We will recommend your company to our clients in the future. Again, we thank you for your kind consideration and appreciate your courtesy. Have a great week! All the best,
Luisa
Iguazu Ecological Excursion
The Iguazu Falls Ecological Tour was excellent!! We really enjoyed our four days there. Of course the Falls were spectacular and we enjoyed the trails, train ride,and all the various views of the Falls. And believe it or not, we enjoyed the "tyrolese" and the "Abseiling" activities. The latter was another excuse to get cool and wet on a hot day. Our guide, Gabriela Andrea Ravelo, was wonderful. We enjoyed meeting her and she exceeded our expectations. The second two day experience at the Yacutinga Lodge and it's sub-tropical jungle was a fantastic experience, and also exceeded our expectations. The lodge itself was spectacular including the wonderful meals. The hiking in the jungle and the kayaking on the rivers were great and educational, specifically with our guide, Naza. We enjoyed meeting her as well as the owner, Carlos. They are doing a wonder job of preserving the jungle environment. Thank you again for helping us arrange this tour.
Bob & Ellen
Easter Island Excursion
Eugenio, Sorry I haven't replied before. We went on a several week cruise from Santiago after returning from Easter Island. The trip to Easter Island was fabulous. Our hotel/resort was quite nice and beautifully situated close to the ocean. Our guides were very knowledgeable and gave us the history of the island and took us to all the important locations of the moai. We explored some on our own and found the island to be fascinating and very much a natural wonder. Thank you for your help in arranging a really fantastic trip. Cheryl
Chile adventure
Our custom, 2 week tour of Chile started with a flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas in late April, 2010. We stayed one night in Punta Arenas and then were taken in a private van to Las Torres Hotel in Torres del Paine National Park. Here we enjoyed 4 nights and 5 days as guests on the all-inclusive plan. The Torres del Paine is one of the most beautiful places on earth and we appreciated the opportunity to see it on several guided walks.
Next, we flew from Punta Arenas to Puerto Montt, where we picked up our rental car and drove to Puerto Varas. Puerto Varas was our base in the Lake District of Chile. We did have one day of guided fly fishing on the Petrohue River. Our next stop was Pucon . We had a day hike in Huerquehue National Park where we only met a few other hikers. Chillan, our next stop is a pleasant city with an incredible market. If you want to experience a place with no tourism industry and a good look at “real life” in Chile, this is it. We loved our two days in the Colchagua Valley during the grape harvest. This area had seen quite a bit of damage from the earthquake, but was making real progress in re-building. We drove to Valparaiso for a totally different perspective…a lovely but faded seaport full of art and good restaurants. Our last stop on our 1,000 kilometer road trip was Santiago where we stayed in the Providencia neighborhood. Driving in Chile was very easy, especially on the Pan American Highway. This is a great way to sample the richness of Chile!
Thanks again for all your help. I’m not sure when, but we want to go back to S. America. We will be calling you!
Kind Regards,
Chris
SOUTH PACIFIC TRIP
Good Afternoon Eugenio, So sorry I haven't replied sooner ! Their entire trip was fabulous........everything went perfect. This is the best part of my job and the reason I love what I do ! There is nothing more satisfying than a happy traveler !! Their entire trip including Easter Island was 6 weeks in the South Pacific. Mary Anne came in to my office last week with a complete report. She also brought an absolutely beautiful huge photo album. They have been my clients for about 20 years and she always does terrific albums, critiques hotels, tours, etc. and does such a great job giving me terrific current info. They loved Easter Island and her pictures and descriptions could qualify for a National Geographic Travelogue The Island was Jim's highlight as he had always had a huge desire to go there ! The only thing negative about it was the day they departed, they had nothing to do, as their flight did not leave until 1030p Their full day tour was on 1/29 and both of the half day tours were on 1/30. She thought perhaps one of the half day tours should have been on 1/31. Anyway, they had a wonderful time and I do thank you so much for your prompt replies and excellent knowledge and service ! With Warm Regards, Hope to work with you in the future,
Sandy
Cain Travel
SPAIN & PORTUGAL CUSTOMIZED TOUR
Hi Eugenio, I'm sorry for not writing sooner to tell you what a wonderful trip we had in Spain and Portugal. I know it was a bit of a challenge for you to handle somewhat different approaches to traveling. All in all though the recommendations worked out very well and we have excellent experiences. As you know my sister wanted to focus on the needs of her girls, particularly her youngest daughter who had not been overseas before. Having hotels in the historic areas, allowing us to walk freely and explore was excellent. Out guides were also very helpful particularly in Seville where we not only saw the high points but also explored some of the 'back streets' and areas that were truly interesting and rich in all sorts of exposures (architecture, shops, small places to eat, smaller sites of interest, etc.). We loved having the road tours. While the driving was challenging at times (through mountainous areas), I am very comfortable with that so did essentially all of the driving. The roads were great and the country side let us observe the extraordinary things ongoing for environmental protection (wind and UV farms) as well as to explore the overall beauty of the landscape and towns along the way. Merida was a nice surprise; the museum there is amazing. Arriolos was a treat, particularly in that we found a small place for lunch where the owner and those having lunch engaged and treated us to a delicious, complex meal. I am so happy you insisted on the Alhambra parador. It was glorious and the site was beautiful. I only wish we had the time to see flamenco and an open air concert there. Our itinerary didn't permit it but we loved what we did. The girls enjoyed the beaches along the way (Malaga, Marbella, on route to Cadiz, and westernmost Portugal) and the incredibly large flea market in Gibraltar. The Diana Park was the only low point, largely due to the person on duty who was not helpful when we arrived and the low quality of the rooms. I am more sensitive to this than the others (particularly the younger girls) but I pass that on to you for future reference (It was also incredibly difficult to find since the exit from the highway was next to impossible). I gather it was not a place you or your group recommended to my sister and I didn't realized that fully before we left or I might have changed it. Once beyond it, we were back on track and in splendid surroundings.
Thanks again for everything.
All the best,
Barbara
NORTHERN PORTUGAL ESCORTED BUS TOUR
Hi Eugenio, I had been meaning to e mail you, but did not get a chance earlier. Our trip to Portugal went very well. It is a beautiful country and the tour of Northern Portugal was fantastic. The group was small and very International . Our driver and the tour guide were well informed. We loved the hotel Liberdade in Lisboa. It is the perfect location for everything and the hotel itself is very nice. Mundial was good too for one night and Mr. Pinto sent us fruit and water. We did not get to try any of the restaurants you had suggested, but everything we ate was good, plentiful and cheap, including the wines! Thanks for everything, we hope to do another trip in the future, maybe of S. America. Take care, -Jyo
CUSTOMIZED CAR AND DRIVER TRIP OF SPAIN
Kudos to Eugenio Ovalle and Alta Tours for outstanding travel advice and service. On October 22, 2010, my wife and I returned from a nineteen-day trip to Spain. In the past we have usually gone on group tours, but we could not find any that suited our needs. Through a Web search we learned of Alta Tours in California specializing in Spain travel. What a serendipitous finding!
Eugenio Ovalle and his agency prepared a splendid trip for us. They listened patiently to our requests and created a marvelous itinerary and tour. They arranged and purchased our air and train transport. Drivers met us like clockwork at airports and train stations and transferred us to our hotels. Our centrally located hotels were ideal. Modern, well-appointed and immaculate rooms awaited us everywhere. Our Madrid hotel was located within a block of three metro stations and adjacent to Puerto del Sol. The Barcelona hotel was just off Las Ramblas, close to Placa Catalunya. In Seville we were in barrio Santa Cruz very close to the Alcazar and cathedral. Perhaps the highlight of the trip were the two days we had a car and driver. One day we travelled the verdant, mountainous Basque country and visited the beautiful resorts of San Sebastian and Biarritz. Another day we went on scenic highways, not the autopista, to see El Escorial, Avila, and Segovia. This was one of our best trips ever!
Without reservation we recommend Eugenio Ovalle and Alta Tours. They answer all your questions, offer expert advice, fulfill what they promise and, above all, provide outstanding service.
Jim and Pat Long
Fort Collis, Colorado
CUSTOMIZED MADRID & NORTHERN SPAIN TOUR
Eugene, I wanted to let you your recommendations for our trip to Madrid and No. Spain were excellent. We loved the Hotel Hospes in Madrid, it's convenient location and excellent service. We took advantage of the Madrid Vision Bus Tour which left across the circle from the hotel. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at El Barril de Recoletos, which was within walking distance of the hotel. Their speciality was beef....wonderful, and they also served a whole fish which looked delicious. The next day, near the Plaza Mayor, we had lunch at Casa Ballega....excellent food and service. We did eat one night at the hotel (Senzone Restaurant) and were disappointed in the food. We took the fast train to Toledo. Recommend checking the train times carefully for each day, as the schedule varies and we spent a long wait in the station (which is amazing by the way). Highly recommend the Los Quatro Tiempos restaurant in Toledo. A local recommended it to us. We had a disappointing Italian meal at L'Espirale, which was within walking distance of our hotel. Am sure there were better choices. On our way to Santillana Del Mar, we stopped in Segovia. A must! And then went to lunch at the Asador Casa Brigante in Lerma for the roast baby lamb. Quite a treat. Then on to Santillana del Mar. We liked our hotel very much....Hotel Casa del Marques. We stopped into the Parador, and didn't think it looked as nice. It was difficult to find a good meal in Santillana del Mar....not sure why. The side trips to Valle de Cabuerniga was fabulous. We drove to Barcena Mayor and stopped for lunch in Los Tojos at a charming lodge called La Punvieja. Be sure to take the road to Carmona...the most beautiful valley I've ever seen! The next day we went to the Picos de Europa. Very cloudy, so we didn't ride the tram at Fuente De. A must....if you go to the Picos....lunch at Hotel del Oso. It also looked like a wonderful place to spend a day or two if one had the time. Drove to Bilbao, where we had arranged ahead of time (through the museum web site) for a private guide. Highly recommended. Also ate in the Bistro at the museum....some of the best food of our trip. Reservations recommended. Then on to Hondoribbia. This was probably our favorite place! We loved the Parador Emperador. Spectacular lobby, great food at breakfast, simple rooms with wonderful views. Hondoribbia is a charming town, an authentic fishing village, good restaurants, especially for tapas. Our favorite was Gran Sol. We also had fabulous tapas at La Cepa in San Sebastion, an easy drive from Hondoribbia. Took a side trip through the Basque country and ended up in St. Jean de Luz for lunch....a colorful town. All in all it was a perfect trip, and we thank you for all your input. Eugene, I'm also going to send you a link to my online album on Shutterfly so you can see our pictures. Happy New Year. Jo Anne
EXPLORA TRIP
Hi Eugenio,
We returned from our trip this weekend. It was great. Everything arranged through your office went extremely smoothly: the transfer from El Calafate to Cerro Castillo provided by your supplier was punctual; the car was very comfortable, and the driver was very courteous and accommodating. We loved the Explora experience and were fortunate to have terrific weather. The hotel in Punta Arenas was also very nice (although there’s not much in Punta Arenas!) We also enjoyed our stay in Buenos Aires. We took a tango lesson here in the DC area before going (so did not end up going to the person you had recommended in BA). A highlight was going to the Confiteria Ideal for a couple of hours, watching the terrific tango dancers and making our way onto the dance floor ourselves (to the amusement of many patrons). For a tango show, we decided to go to Tango Rojo. The show was of the highest quality; the dancers, musicians and singers were all terrific. But a significant downside was the visibility. We could not see below the knees of the dancers from our seats – and, as you know, the tango footwork is part of what makes the dance so special. And we did not think our seats were bad – from the way the stage and seats were situated, it appeared to us that everyone in the back half of the room were in a similar situation.
Thanks for your help in arranging the trip.
Susan
SPAIN TRIP
Eugenio:
I wanted to send you a letter letting you know that everything went perfectly in Spain!
The driver who met us on the first day and took us to the airport on the last day was prompt (a little early even on the last day, which was great for this nervous traveler) and knowledgeable. I would recommend him to anyone -- and probably will if the chance arises.
All the hotels you chose were wonderful! Centrally located, beautiful rooms, excellent service and very helpful. I don't know which one I liked the best, but I must say being right on LaRambla was a real treat.
I would only add that the hotel in Sevilla -- Las Casas de Santa Cruz -- requires about a 5 minute walk from where a taxi drops you off and picks you up. I would absolutely recommend this hotel to anyone, but being in the historic district, the streets are too narrow for a taxi, so we had to be let off 2 short plazas away. We arrived late at night and weren't sure what to do. We were able to figure it out pretty quickly, but I think it would be a helpful if people knew in advance this hotel requires a short walk. But it was probably one of the most charming places and we absolutely loved it and its wonderful location.
The trip was exactly as we wanted it to be and we thank you for all your help.
Please feel free to use any of this e-mail on your testimonial page.
Carol
BARILOCHE & MENDOZA WINE EXCURSION
Hi Eugenio,
We had a wonderful trip to Argentina. The main contact in Buenos Aires provided very good service. All the drivers were helpful, on time and polite. The guides we had at the Estancia, the one on the Mendoza 1/2 day tour and the one for the full day in the Mendoza wine tour were all excellent, were very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. The full day visit to the Estancia was excellent. The half day tour of Mendoza was just about the right length of time. It's a pretty city, but does not have a lot to see beyond the parks and monuments.
The lodging at Club Tapiz was okay but we would not recommend staying in the Chateau Zolo as it's too far away from the main building. The food there was good and the nightly wine tasting and lecture was good. My wife, Carole Lynne plans to call you on the phone tomorrow to give you further details.
Of course the the stay at LLao LLao was the highlight of the trip. What a beautiful place.
Thanks for your help in arranging our trip.
Ed
SPAIN & PORTUGAL INDEPENDENT TRIP
Buenos dias Eugenio....
Back from our Lisbon/Spain trip which was wonderful. I want to thank you and your counterparts in Spain and Lisbon for a terrific job! As you know by now, our only 'glitches' were with our flights (Iberia). Our 12 hour delay in Madrid (Lisbon w/connecting flight thru Madrid to Seville) caused the problem in Seville AND then again (w/Iberia) a delay out of Madrid to Lisbon and we totally missed seeing Aurora. (she didn't see us and we totally did not see her or sign). However, (Aurora) was very sorry and reimbursed us our taxi fare even without a receipt--that shows professional class.
Everything you promised materialized without any problems.....hotel's were all in excellent locations and good size rooms and very quiet which were grateful. Our private tour guides were excellent, especially Fernando in Toledo and Rosa at the Alhambra. We learned so much! The other escorted tours were OK. The bus Terminal (Plaza de Oriente) was a short walk from our hotel which was great. Our car rental went very well as did both the train experiences.
You did an excellent job with the arrangements and coordination with the other companies. Your supplier was outstanding, all their professionals were friendly, knowledgeable and spoke very good English.
Please be assured that we will recommend you and Alta Tours and if you wish, you certainly can use us as a recommendation contact, via my email.
Again, thank you so very much!
Linda, Don and Scott Fritz
SPANISH SPEAKING
ANDALUCIA & BARCELONA GROUP
Dear Don Eugenio:
We want to thank you very much for the organized tour with the Guides and the nice Hotels through out Spain. We were really pleased with all the service the Spanish personnel provided. Hotel accomodations, friendly and helpful guides, the food service was fantastic and most of all the Transportation from the Airports and the Ship was punctual and visible. From the bottom of our hearts please extend our sincere thanks and kindness to all involved, especially Angela Cibello/Tour Guide she was very knowledgeable, patient, helpfull and very sweet to all of us. We would gladly book another tour through your organization Much Blessings to all of you.
Ana & Irving Rivera
PORTUGAL, ANDALUCIA & BARCELONA ESCORTED MOTORCOACH TOUR
Hi Eugene, My family and I want to extend our heartfelt thanks for helping us with our trip to Spain and Portugal. You truly listened to what each of us wanted and did not disappoint us. There was something for everyone to enjoy - for me, my husband and our teenage daughter. The hotels were centrally located and were a nice treat after a long day of touring. The breakfast and dinners that came with the package were delicious everywhere. The tour guides were very helpful even after their shift was over. The buses were comfortable and relaxing even after being on the road for hours. We were pleasantly surprised that we had covered so much with the tour and on our own. We would highly recommend Portugal, Andalucia and Barcelona package with extra days in Madrid and Barcelona. We were able to savor the best of Spain and Portugal!
Thank you for a memorable and delightful trip to Spain and Portugal. We look forward to booking another vacation package with Alta Tours.
With gratitude, Vicky, David and Hannah Tam
LA SERENA & ELQUI VALLEY EXCURSION
We came back last Saturday and I have been sick ever since, hence my not responding to your other email.
We had a wonderful time in Chile, which was like three vacations in one.
The part that you organized for us went like clockwork. I am sure you could tell from my emails that I am a worry wart and everything went as planned. When we got to Santiago the transportation to the hotel was fast, Excellent because we did not get to the hotel until 1:30am. We had to wait a long time to pay the reciprocity tax as there was only one person at the counter.
The Hilton was very nice.
When we arrived at Las Serena Daniel Russ met us at the airport and was a wonderful guide for the five next days. For the city tour it turned into a five hour tour instead of 3 as outlined in your itinerary. On the day tour of Elqui Valley instead of a boxed lunch we went to a restaurant. We were lucky that we had wonderful weather for the trip to Isla de Damas and to be able to go to the observatory. Unfortunately for the latter there was a full moon so the viewing was poor. That is the luck of the draw. In fact if you do this itinerary again for someone I would tell them that if it is raining or lots of clouds they may not go to the observatory and that if the seas are too rough the boats to see the birds may not go out. I heard that this happens and people are very upset. We unconditionally recommend Daniel, very knowledgeable and interesting tour guide.
The hotel was fine. It was a little worn down . It had a kitchenette but things did not work, which was okay for us as we didn't cook. The staff hardly spoke English which was also ok for us, but could upset some other non-spanish speakers (which we are for the most part). In fact the staff was very nice and tried to be helpful. The hotel had excellent WiFi connection and was situated right on the beach. I don't know if you remembered but I had asked to be in town, but that did not work out. It was fine being on the beach. One day we just to took taxis to town and the mall to do some shopping.
Thank you for all your help.
Françoise
COLORS OF SPAIN WITH EXTENSION TO BARCELONA ESCORTED MOTORCOACH TOUR
Dear Eugenio Ovalle,
I apologize for my late response since I have been out of town, etc. My trip to Spain was certainly fabulous which I shall alway remember as one of the best! What a beautiful country, people, hospitality, and history. My hotel accommodations were very good and satisfying. The Santo Domingo hotel turned out well even though the section which I was assigned (single room) was presently under construction/renovation and there were major problems (damaged shower/bathroom- water leakage); but immediately taken care of by giving me another and beautiful room. Once the renovations are completed this section will, without a doubt, be super beauiful with the existing paintings and anitques. I personally, found all cities toured very beautiful- so much to see and learn. SEVILLA and VALENCIA were among my most favorite. I took all the available tours and which allowed me to meet several people. I took many (900+) pictures and shall really cherish them. The tour guides and bus drivers were excellent. Especially Fred and Anna. Unfortunately, for me- For my knowing and speaking Spanish! However, under the circumstance (having experiencing several foreign travel/trips) I managed well, considering. Overall, this was and excellent tour for me. My personal thanks to you and staff. Sincerely yours, James W. Oliver
MACHU PICCHU EXCURSION
Dear Eugenio! Happy & Healthy New Year! Thank you for making our trip to Machu Picchu a very memorable experience. Finally made it to the beautiful mountain, the high altitude was a bit of a challenge for me because I tend to walk fast and of course I have to slow down. Would you believe we met your contact in Lima at Lima airport to go to Cusco. She happened to sit next to us while waiting for the flight and she kept looking at our hand carry luggages with the company's tags and noticed our names......what a small world! We liked her! . The Soo enjoyed their trip in Galapagos and Machu Picchu too. We have mentioned ALTA TOURS to all my friends and to call us for info or go on line when ready to travel South America! Take care Eugenio!
Ana & Jean-Pierre
SANTIAGO & LAKE REGION TRIP CHILE
Dear Eugenio and Jorge:
First my apologies for failing to follow up sooner with you two regarding my recent trip to Chile. Jorge, in particular in your case we have not been in touch since not long after my return to California. I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and that the new year has been treating you well so far. Second, my thanks again to both of you for your assistance in making my trip so memorable. I really enjoyed all aspects of the trip and your organization was impeccable (all the way down to Jorge causing the Puyehue ash cloud to blow in the other direction on the day of my departure so I could fly out of Puerto Montt!). Since our return, Herb and I have been busy sharing our experiences with several groups here in Sausalito. So far we have made formal presentations about our trip and Chile in general to: ~ Sausalito Chamber of Commerce ~ Sausalito Lions Club ~ Sausalito Rotary Club ~ Bay Area Travel Writers (Consul General Ortega kindly joined that program)g the way which may not appear elsewhere. As far as the overall trip goes, let me make the following comments.
The highlights for me in terms of locations were the following: ~ Our market tour in Santiago with Colin Bennett; ~ Oexperience the city); ~ My trip to Curarrehue (east of Pucón); and ~ The stop in Validivia (I wish I had time to take the river tour) If I was doing it all again, I would probably have tried to spend a day visiting Chiloé since I now appreciate more what a unique place that is. I certainly enjoyed my "Mapuche" experience, but believe that the presentation of that culture to tourists still has a long way to go in terms of overall coherence of the presentation and sophistication. Needless to say, my positive impression about the trip was no doubt influenced by the weather, which was fantastic every day of our trip. While I realize we were probably lucky to some extent, I would certainly recommend November to future travelers.
Michael Moyle & Herb Weiner(Mayor of Sausalito) |
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