Rating foreign tour companies that customize tours (Part 4)
Yvonne Richter of San Diego, California, wrote (Jan. ’14, pg. 29), “My husband, Juergen, and I like to take customized private tours, and we prefer to use tour companies and guides that are local to the destinations. I would like travelers to write in about foreign tour companies and guides they’ve used for private tours, including as many of the following details as possible:
“The name and contact information of the foreign tour company or private guide (location, phone, email and/or URL).
“Rating, from 1 (poor) to 10 (great). (Poor ratings are as important to know as great ones.) Plus an explanation of the rating.
“The itinerary used. Length of the tour (number of days/nights or what fraction of a day). When the tour took place (month/year). Approximate cost of the tour, and what was included.
Plus any special or noteworthy experiences of the trip, both positive and negative.”
ITN printed a number of responses in the August, September and October issues, and we’re finishing up with more below, mostly about trips in EUROPE and the PHILIPPINES. As more letters are compiled, they will be printed in future issues. Each includes a rating from 1 (poor) to 10 (great), for example, [6].
If you are an ITN subscriber with info to share about a tour operator or guide based in the destination country (outside of the US) who provides customized local tours or arrangements, write to Rating Foreign Tour Companies That Customize Tours, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818, or email editor@intltravelnews.com. Include the address at which you receive ITN. Photos are welcome.
We travel with Grand Circle and Overseas Adventure Travel but have done pre-trips and needed local guides. The best we have ever found was Ernst Gartner (Eisvogelweg 35, 81827 Munich, Germany; phone +49 176 2389 8956 or email saseg-reisen@gmx.de).
We spent days with him in and around MUNICH in September 2012. Knowledgeable, friendly, on time and with very reasonable rates, he was a wonderful guide and had great stories. I would recommend him to anyone. [10]
Nancy Bartman
Walnut Creek, CA
While visiting FLORENCE, Italy, in June 2014, I had a 4-hour tour of the city and surrounding countryside with Elio Ruggiano (cell +39 334 166 9216 or email elio.ruggiano@virgilio.it).
Using his car, Elio is open to showing you whatever you want to see in Florence and the surrounding Tuscany area. I requested a few sites, then asked to see the countryside and whatever he thought might be of interest. He charged €30 (near $40) an hour.
Elio speaks English, is very knowledgeable and relaxed and loves to share with those interested in Italian culture. I learned a great deal about Italy and Italian ideas and appreciated how much he likes the area. [10]
One special stop was for lunch at Castello di Verrazzano (Via Citille 32A, Greti 50022, Italy; phone +39 055 854243, www.
verrazzano.com/en), the 15th-century home of the explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, in the Chianti Classico area.
Carolyn McMillan, Salem, OR
Typically, we don’t bother searching out local guides. What we look for is an English-speaking driver who has a vehicle. Usually, we research a destination sufficiently so that we know the sites we wish to visit and have read enough about them that we don’t need a guide’s services.
The drivers we have hired have often been found through tour companies local to our destination or from car rental companies. In countries where we’ve felt comfortable to drive ourselves (e.g., Western European nations and New Zealand), sometimes we’ve just rented a car.
As part of a 10-day trip to MONTENEGRO, ALBANIA and KOSOVO in 2010, I found Meridian Rent A Car Montenegro (www.meridian-rentacar.com) in Podgorica, Montenegro, through the Web, and they put me in touch with Nikola Šc´ekic´ (phone +382 67 246 109 or +382 69 951 961 or email nikolataxi@gmail.com or visit http://taxipg.com), a licensed taxi driver, who was with us the whole time.
Nikola was pleasant and knowledgeable although a bit macho, for my taste, and he seemed rather nervous going into Kosovo.
He charged €30 (near $37.50) per day plus the car-rental cost (which I can’t remember) plus his hotel and food bills. All in all, very cheap! [8]
Mike Dixon, Washington, DC
My friend Betty and I spent a week on an independent tour of ROMANIA in April 2004, having booked directly through Atlantic Tour (Calea Victoriei 202, 010098 Bucharest, Romania; phone +40 21 312 77 57, fax 312 68 60, www.in.atlantic.ro/en).
They accommodated all that we wanted, providing good suggestions and also American references. In addition, they deferred any payment until we arrived in Bucharest, since I was unhappy with a (then) relatively expensive wire transfer of funds, and they trusted us.
We entered Romania by train from Budapest, Hungary, and were met in Oradea by Yener, our marvelous driver/guide, with a comfortable late-model car. A casual man who spoke good English, he was flexible, helpful and responsive to our wishes, even helping to spot good photo ops along the way.
The trip was excellent in every way, as Yener was very knowledgeable about the roads, the sites we visited and local eateries.
Included was an overnight homestay at the 150-year-old Casa Popicu (Hoteni Village, 37A, Maramures¸, Romania) in Maramures¸ and visits to Ma˘na˘stirea Bârsana, the Merry Cemetery in Sa˘pânt¸a, Bicaz Gorge, the Painted Monasteries in Moldova and Bucovina, Sighis¸oara (Transylvania), Peles¸ Castle in Sinaia, Râs¸nov Fortress, Biertan and Bucharest.
Due to all the above, and mainly because of Yener, I heartily rate this tour a 9 (not a 10 because we continued to Bulgaria and were turned over to a driver and a guide who left much to be desired).
I cannot cite the cost for Romania, since a week in Bulgaria was included in the total price of $3,551 for two for 16 days, but that covered hotels, car and driver/guides but only some food (e.g., meals at Casa Popicu plus breakfasts when included at hotels). [9]
Patricia Minami
Brookeville, MD
Two longtime friends and I wanted to go to AUSTRALIA in late 2008. I looked and looked for tours that would take us to the places we wanted to see, but I could not find any that included everything we were looking for.
Taking to the Internet again, I came across Suzanne O’Malley at Aussie Assist (1B Morris St., Glenelg North, South Australia 5045, Australia; phone +61 411 632 111, www.aussieassist.com). She had been recommended by other travelers.
I wrote to Suzanne and she put together a personalized package that took us everywhere that was on our list plus some places we had not thought of. Suzanne puts together short, long and special-interest tours.
In the month that we were there, we spent a few days in Adelaide with Suzanne as our guide and then set off on our own with vouchers in hand to other sites, including Darwin and Sydney. All was well organized and it was a memorable trip.
Before we left Adelaide, we went to the South Australia Museum (North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; phone +61 8 8207 7500, www.samuseum.sa.gov.au) and spent a long time looking at the Aboriginal displays. It has the largest collection of Aboriginal items in the country. I certainly recommend it for getting an insightful view of the Aboriginals before visiting the Outback and any other place in the country. [10]
• I would be remiss not to also mention a guide whom my husband, Dave, and I used in BULGARIA in 2012: the ever-popular Patrick Peneff (3a, G. Benkovski Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria; www.bulgariaprivateguide.com).
After finding him through ITN (Sept. ’11, pg. 33 and July ’12, pg. 30), we started with a series of friendly emails about our interests and what we would enjoy seeing. From research on Bulgaria and from chatting with Patrick, we put together a fine itinerary. He accommodated us in many ways.
We saw Bulgaria as few people do, and we saw what we wanted to see. We greatly enjoyed his tour.
One day in Varna, I decided to have a haircut. No problem. Off to the mall and into a shop, and Dave and I each got a haircut.
Patrick prefers country roads, so we saw a lot of the rural areas. He had his own built-in limit of how much to drive in a day, so Dave and I had some evening times alone.
Patrick has a love for his country and for showing it to others. [10]
Molly McBroom
Redondo Beach, CA
On a trip to BULGARIA in May 2014, my husband and I, along with two other couples, hired Patrick Peneff (Varna, Bulgaria; www.bulgariaprivateguide.com), who has been a regular advertiser in ITN. An excellent guide and driver, he was personable, knowledgeable and humorous.
Patrick is proud of his country and made its history interesting with his stories and facts. His English is excellent and he always had a smile on his face. If we wanted to make an unexpected stop to take pictures, he was always accommodating.
Before we went, we were able to chart our own tour and decide what towns and cities we were to see.
One of our stops was the small village of Zheravna, where we had a homestay. The house was on the main street (the only street) and was 200 years old. The owner spoke no English but was wonderful. Patrick was there to translate.
There was no Internet and no TV, so it was peaceful. We wandered the dirt paths through the village, nodding our heads at and waving at the neighbors.
We also went to Nessebar, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a very touristy town on the Black Sea. It was gorgeous, with outdoor cafés and restaurants. There were ruins to look at and to satisfy our history questions. Old churches and cathedrals abounded. I was constantly taking pictures.
All six of us were surprised at how little we knew of Bulgaria and how much we enjoyed our time there. It’s a beautiful country.
For this 11-night tour, the six of us paid €780 (about $976) per person. This included all hotels, breakfasts, airport transfers, transportation and guide.
I would recommend Patrick and Bulgaria to all readers. (We followed our Bulgaria trip with 13 nights in Romania. Both countries were great.) [9]
Diana Haynes, Carlsbad, CA
In fall 2013 I started planning for my May 2014 trip to visit family and friends in Denmark, Sweden and France. Because of my interest in history and archaeology, I searched for other places to visit in Europe and came across a highly recommended personal guide in BULGARIA: Patrick Peneff (Varna, Bulgaria; www.bulgariaprivateguide.com).
Bulgaria is a treasure trove of ancient Roman sites as well as pre-Roman Thracian sites, so I emailed Patrick and received a reply the next day. I told him what I wanted to see, he gave me his input and we put together a week-long itinerary which turned out to be the highlight of my trip to Europe.
Patrick is an expert in the history, culture and art of his country. An excellent driver and, of course, fluent in English, he was polite and courteous and also well known in many locations we visited. We were able to adjust each day’s events slightly if we felt it necessary.
From Sofia in the west, we went to Rila Monastery, Plovdiv, Varna, then Nessebar on the Black Sea, staying in excellent and quaint hotels and inns and eating wonderful meals. We visited ancient towns and villages, museums with incredible Thracian gold artifacts, Roman mosaics in situ and ancient churches.
It was easy and comfortable to travel with Patrick, and I have wonderful memories of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people. One of the main events, for me, was an excursion to a remote village where 12 grandmothers in traditional costume performed a program of dancing and singing.
At the end of their performance, a couple of the women grabbed me and proceeded to dress me in one of their outfits, and I was then able to participate in their dance, which I did very well, if I say so, myself. What a fun experience!
Afterward, I invited all 12 women and Patrick to have dinner, on me, at my hotel’s restaurant. We just had soup, cabbage and chicken goulash or something. Even though we were unable to communicate very well, we all had a wonderful time.
For the week, I paid $1,700, which covered accommodations (with breakfast) for both Patrick and me, Patrick’s driver/guide services, the auto and gasoline. Not included were lunches and dinners and a few inexpensive museum entry fees.
I can highly recommend Patrick as a Bulgarian guide. [10]
Mette Djokovich, Orange, CA
In March 2011, four of us took a wonderful customized trip to CAMBODIA and VIETNAM, all handled by Van of Vietnam Alive (763 Tran Xuan Soan, Tan Hung Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; phone +84 8 377 17 919, www.vietnamalive.com). We were interested in using a local company and are so pleased we did.
Van, with input from us, set up a trip for 16 days and 15 nights, including Siem Reap, Cambodia, and, in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, the Cu’ Chi Tunnels, the Mekong Delta, Câ`n Tho’, Hô˙i An, Hue˜, Hanoi, an overnight on a junk from Hanoi to H˙a Long Bay and then a night train to Sa Pa and another to Hanoi.
Van set up the trip, and our cost was $3,300 per person, but we wanted better hotels, etc., so he upgraded them and we ended up paying $4,920 each for the trip. The hotels were wonderful.
The price also included visas, flights within Cambodia and Vietnam, pickups and drop-offs at the airports, beautiful boat trips on the Mekong Delta and in H˙a Long Bay, breakfasts and most lunches, guides and drivers in each city and all entrance fees.
We had first-class cabins on the Emeraude in H˙a Long Bay on our junk trip.
On the train to Sa Pa, each cabin had four berths (two double bunks); if you were a couple, you had to share a cabin with others, with the bathroom down the hall. However, Van booked a cabin for us and another cabin for our friends, so we each could put our luggage on the top bunk and sleep on the lower berth — well worth the upgrade.
Van and his young family are a wonderful example of foreign tour companies that customize tours.
The only negative for the trip would be we should have stayed longer. The good news is we can go back. [10]
Leigh Hilton, Scottsdale, AZ
For a trip to the PHILIPPINES that my husband and I took in December 2013, a number of local agencies were subcontracted for us by Global Nomad (20th Floor, Central Tower, 28 Queen’s Rd., Central, Hong Kong, China; phone +852 2159 9133, fax 2159 9688, www.global-nomad.com).
The 25-day trip cost the two of us $17,100, including all internal flights, transport, guides, rooms and breakfasts. The routing schedule necessitated three different stays in Manila, where we made separate arrangements for hotel nights and sightseeing.
My husband and I loved the Palawan portion of the trip on Pangalusian Island. We also enjoyed our trip to Corregidor, which we contracted and paid for separately, and to the rice terraces in Banaue. We also liked the island of Batanes, even though it was the rainy season. (If we had gone to Batanes in the dry season, it would have been too hot at that time to tour the rest of the country.)
I would give Global Nomad a low rating.* They provided a good itinerary, but, after that, they signed off and we were left to deal with the subcontractors, and parts of the trip turned out to be stressful, expensive and annoying. Global Nomad also refused to refund us for losses created by certain subcontractors’ failures.
Nelson Balanboa of Batanes Travel & Tours (Amboy St. Kayhuvokan, Basco Batanes 3900, Philippines; phone +63 917 348 4802, www.batanestravelandtours.com) had been hired for us in Batanes. We felt the touring there was competent but uninspired.* Also, we got stuck there for an extra two days.
When our flights were canceled due to weather, Batanes Travel didn’t try to schedule us on the next day’s flight until it was too late. (We didn’t think we had to ask him to try to get us on the next flight; we thought that was the agent’s job.) We were staying at the Fundacion Pacita Batanes Nature Lodge (Brgy. Chanarian, Tukon, Basco, Batanes 3900, Philippines; phone +63 939 901 6353, www.fundacionpacita.ph). The manager could have gotten us out in a timely fashion, but he thought we were being taken care of by the travel agent.
One person who helped when no one else did was Eugene Deocareza
of Magayon Travel & Tours (28A Paloverde Tower, Dansalan Gardens, 347 M., Vicente St., Mandaluyong 1550, Philippines; phone +63 922 5550 1888, magayon travel@yahoo.com).
Eugene was just supposed to be a meet-and-greet person and a facilitator in our several transfers in Manila. Going way above what was necessary, Eugene took us all around Manila for days in his own car and even arranged for us to have Christmas Eve dinner with him. [9]
A guide Global Nomad hired for us in Sagada was supposed to provide private transport from Vigan to Sagada but provided a van with four other people in it. She was supposed to provide private guiding, but the four others joined us. The driver she provided for us barely spoke English and repeatedly stopped the tour to smoke. We fired that guide.
In Sagada we were staying at the Rock Inn (Orange Dr., Rock Farm, Batao, Sagada, Mountain Province 2619, Philippines; phone +63 998 556 6047 or +63 928 213 1149, www.rockfarmsagada.com). After we fired our guide, we turned to Wanda at the Rock Inn to arrange sightseeing for us in Sagada at our own cost. We give Wanda a [9].
Angel Lao (phone +63 077 770 4242 or email in.tourism@yahoo.com) was the guide Global Nomad hired for us in Ilocos. He did everything we requested but was not particularly inspired. He did show us various types of native foods, salt-making facilities and other places not on the itinerary. All of them were interesting. I would use him again. [7]
In Tuguegarao, Gina Lasam of GMB Lasam Travel Agency (phone +63 917 304 2199 or email gmblasam@yahoo.com) was magnificent. Gina took us on a tour that included a boat trip and a Christmas night market. (She can also arrange Batanes touring through a sister agency.) I would definitely use GMB Lasam Travel again. [10]
Anyone with questions may write to me at cktr1@optonline.net.
Cynthia Katz, West Nyack, NY
*ITN wrote to Global Nomad and Batanes Travel & Tours but received no replies.