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CLIENTS LETTERS & TESTIMONIALS- 2008
Terry & Kathy Archbold – Egypt –
December 2008
Our trip
to Egypt was a wonderful adventure thanks to A-Z Travel. We were met at
the Cairo airport and had our own private driver and tour guide for the
entire week we traveled on the Nile. Our Nile cruise ship was
beautiful, the foods delicious and the staff very accommodating.
Our tour guide, was extremely knowledgeable about Egyptian
history. This was truly the trip of a lifetime!
******************
Guy Rosenthal – Egypt – November 2008
We had a
great trip, it was all we hoped for and more. Your people in Egypt are
terrific.
First,
you should feel free to use any of this letter in advertising as
testimony to A-Z Tours’ services. All in all, we had a terrific trip
and the constant attention of A-Z while we were in Egypt really made
the trip easy. I do not mind telling you that we had our doubts about
taking our kids on this journey as our first foreign trip as a family,
but A-Z Tours really came through for us.
Day 1- We
arrived in Cairo and were met by Mahmoud, who handled our visas quickly
and transferred us to Mohammed, who handled the luggage and drove with
us to the Sofitel in Giza, where we spent our first night. The hotel is
very nice and we were tired, so when we arrived at around 4:30, we
asked Mohammed about a place to have dinner nearby – the hotel
restaurant is known for being expensive and nothing special. Mohammed
said that he would arrange for dinner at a nearby restaurant at 6:00.
This was
about the only thing that A-Z got wrong the whole week. The restaurant
(Caviar – a seafood place near the hotel) was pretty poor, although
the salads and desserts were passable. We walked back to the hotel and
made a mental note to try Felfela, an Egyptian place nearer to the
hotel, later in the week when we returned.
Day 2- We
were picked up at the hotel by Ashraf, our guide for the day, a bit
late due to a little communication breakdown – he was waiting for us at
the street and we were waiting in the lobby. We joined another family
on a trip to Memphis and Saqqara in the morning, then Giza in the
afternoon. This was our first day with Ashraf and you should know, as I
am sure many have told you before, that he is just a terrific guide. We
had a great day, including camel rides and very interesting rides in
the van through neighborhoods on the way to the sites. Ashraf really
makes the history come alive and tells amusing stories about past and
present-day Egypt.
After
we
were finished in Giza and a little souvenir shopping, Ashraf
transferred us to Peter, who saw us off on the overnight train to
Luxor. The train was exactly what we expected – nothing fancy, no great
food, but clean and a very interesting experience.
Day 3 –
We arrived around 7:00 AM in Luxor and Marwa was there on the
platform to greet us. We went to the Hotel Steigenberger and sat in the
lobby for a little while to wait for another couple, who arrived on
time and we started our day by traveling out to the Valley of the
Kings. The tombs were spectacular and Marwa did a nice job. As the day
wore on at Hatshepsut’s temple and at the Karnak and Luxor Temples,
Marwa seemed to lose her energy even more than we did, but we did fill
an interesting day and went back to the Steigenberger for a light
dinner before Marwa took us to the airport for our flight to Sharm. She
did not come into the airport at all with us and we were a little
confused by the “pre-security” stop right at the airport entrance, but
all went well eventually. Our flight was on time and Mohammed Mostafa
from Dana Tours met the flight and transferred us to the hotel easily.
He also offered to arranged diving our snorkeling while we were in
Sharm.
Day 4-
The Crowne Plaza hotel was terrific. Very nice breakfast and beautiful
resort. We enjoyed a relaxing day in Sharm and traveled downtown for
shopping and dinner (Tandoori restaurant in the Camel Club – great!).
Later we arranged a snorkeling day trip to Tiran Island with Mohammed
for Thursday.
Day 5 –
The snorkelling trip was terrific. We rented some gear at a dive center
near the dock and headed out for a fun day. The best snorkeling, as it
turned out, was right off of the coast of the Sharm hotels. The kids
just loved it.
Later,
since we were tired, we had dinner in the Lebanese grill restaurant in
the Crowne Plaza. It was disappointing and overpriced, but not
horrible. One theme seemed to be the lack of good, reasonably-priced
restaurants in the hotels, but that can be true anywhere. We really did
not want to leave Sharm.
Day 6 –
Mohammed took us back to the airport easily and we caught our flight to
Cairo, where Peter met us outside baggage claim. On Friday traffic was
light, so we were at our hotel (Sofitel Le Sphinx) by 10:30. We relaxed
most of the day, did a little exploring on foot and ate pizza lunch in
the hotel – a good decision – and dinner at the Felfela Restaurant
about ½ mile away from the hotel – a better decision. Great
salads and appetizers and authentic Egyptian dinners.
Day 7-
This was our final day with Ashraf, touring the Egyptian Museum and the
churches and mosques in Cairo. Again, Ashraf was wonderful, adding
stories to the historical facts to make for a very enjoyable day. The
Museum, including the Tut collection, is breathtaking and Ashraf was
able to point out the interesting little things as well as the
highlights. We headed to Coptic Cairo and toured some churches before
lunch, then did the Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque after lunch. As
usual, just driving around the city through the neighborhoods was very
interesting. We ended up at the Khan Al Khalili market, where Ashraf
released us to do a little shopping. We enjoyed the experience and got
most of our souvenirs there – again, a cultural experience.
At
the
end of the day, we transferred to the Hotel Shepheard in Garden City,
which was very nice – the Nile view room was a special treat at the end
of the trip. We had dinner in Zamalek at a Korean restaurant that was
recommended by a guidebook and had no trouble with taxis to and from
the restaurant.
Day 8 –
The final day was on our own, we walked around the area, taking our
life in our hands as everyone does on the Cairo streets, then headed
back to Khan Al Khalili by taxi for a little more shopping. Finally, we
took a sunset felucca ride on the Nile and had a light dinner at the
Asian restaurant in the hotel (passable, not great).
We awoke
at 1:00 AM to meet Peter at 2:00 AM in the lobby for our early flight.
He was there as always, helped us with our bags and checkout, and then
went the extra mile to secure us 5 boxed breakfasts, since we were
leaving before the breakfast was served – a really nice touch. Peter
walked us in and up to the Lufthansa counter before saying his goodbye.
Our flight was on time and we got home without incident.
Start to
finish, A-Z personnel and agents were first rate. They made the trip
easy and very enjoyable. The choices of hotels were excellent, travel
arrangements inside Egypt were flawless and guides were wonderful. I
will recommend A-Z to anyone I meet who is interested in this trip and
my kids are already looking forward to coming back at some time in the
future.
Thank you
for all of your efforts on our behalf. You made the trip of a lifetime
live up to all of our expectations.
******************
Dawn Lopach – Egypt – November 2008
Our time
in Egypt was exceptional. Amal was a delight, very knowledgeable,
accommodating and professional. We felt like we had made a very special
friend by the end of you second day. Both she and our driver made the
trip everything we had hoped for and more. We will
definitely recommend your services to friends and who are traveling and
contact you again for future travel needs.
******************
Ann Gray – Travel Agent for Carolyn Diamond – Egypt – November 2008
I finally
was able to connect with Carolyn Diamond to learn about her trip. She
was very, very pleased with A-Z Tours. Everyone was punctual, pleasant,
and knowledgeable. She said that the Cairo guide, Amal Ammar, was
outstanding, totally fabulous. Heva in Luxor was very good
also, in spite of her English not being as easy to understand.
Both
Carolyn and her daughter had an excellent trip and said to highly
recommend A-Z Tours…..so I will be contacting you again I’m sure.
******************
Ken & Carole Gartrell and Louise McGaughey – Egypt – November 2008
Wonderful,
Fabulous, Fantastic, Incredible. We ran out of superlatives to describe
both the tour and Egypt. Your organization was incredible the guides
terrific
There was
only one "glitch" on the whole tour in that the train to Aswam was late
into the Giza station and then into Aswam. This of course was
beyond your control but I think if our guide could have dragged it in
on time he would have.
The food
on the train was OK but not up to the standard of the cruise.The
Itinerary was faultless and your suggestions were perfect.
Another
minor disappointment was that there were only 15 passengers on the
cruise (again something beyond your control) most of them dour Germans
so the party atmosphere was missing. However we did get upgraded
to the TOP deck and had a very splendid cabin Abdu was
our guide for the cruise and for all the sightseeing associated with it
and of course for Luxor and he was excellent - we cannot say enough
great things about him. His knowledge of the History etc was excellent
and he could guide us perfectly. As you probably know our last
day in Luxor was the end of Ramadan so the FEAST started the next day
as we arrived in Cairo/Giza.
The trip
to the Egyptian museum was busy but not overcrowded and again Muhammad,
the guide for Cairo, led us thru it with ease. Also Muhummad, our
escort to and from the airport and to the Dinner cruise was fun and
very pleasant (he was especially pleasant during the two hour wait for
the train to Aswam and he made it very interesting talking about all
the people at the station) as were all the drivers.
The Nile
Dinner cruise was terrific made even better by all the lights and
fireworks celebrating the end of Ramadan. The Belly dancer and the
whirling dervishes were great fun. Then off to the Airport and
England.
In
summation it was a superb tour improved immensely by the guides and
other employees of A-Z tours. Thanks again and rest assured we will
recommend you and the company to anyone we meet who wants to visit
Egypt. Best wishes for the Holiday season.
******************
Stephen & Lisa Frost – Egypt – November 2009
I have to
start with BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO!!!! Egypt by itself is an amazing place
with many sites to see. We were absolutely amazed every day with our
tour. The hotel accommodations were outstanding, meals were incredible,
and the scheduling of events was awesome. But what
actually made our tour special was the guides we had. Many days we had
individual tours with our guides.
In Cairo,
Mostafa and Mohamet went the extra mile to make our stay there awesome.
They were extremely knowledgable about all the sites we visited in
Cairo, Giza, Memphis, and Sakkara but more importantly to
us........they were just plain fun. We laughed and joked the whole
time. Our drivers (although I can't remember their names) were
professional and amazing given the amount of non stop traffic in Cairo.
For Aswan
and Luxor, Heba and Marwah were the pearls of the Nile. These ladies
were just plain fun. Amongst all the site visits in Luxor, we very much
enjoyed our discussion about "normal" Egyptian life with them both.
Very knowledgable about the sites in their respective areas but
personal enough to make us feel like we were family. We very much
enjoyed our personal service with them.
All in
all, this was the trip of our life time, but it would have been just an
ordinary vacation and tour without the super staff from A to Z Tours.
We will recommend your company to all of our friends and family with
the highest regards.
******************
Maureen Gravett and Philippa Ratcliff – Egypt – November 2008
Mr.
Khaled, I just wanted to give you some feedback about the week my
daughter and I spent in Egypt.
Sayed..the
Cairo driver...he needs the highest salary you give..he was
wonderful...he was patient with the traffic and was prompt and very
gentlemanly..please thank him very much.
Ameera
and Marwa...they were excellent. We know a lot of Egyptian
history, but they gave us lots more and filled in the spots we were
missing with stories etc. Please thank them very much also.
Their education as a guide was tremendous...reading Coptic etc.
etc....you gave us two very nice ladies.
Mohammed...he
is still working on his guide career...he was always on time, always
cheerful and knew a lot also....we enjoyed him very much..he and Sayed
had some very early hours and were always ready.
We
enjoyed all the hotels...all very different..we would have liked to
have spent that half day in Luxor and missed the 7 hour train ride, but
we did really enjoy the hotel in Minya and the trip to Amarna...we were
the only tourists there! Ameera managed to get us up early and we
had almost an hour in Karnak with nobody around, that was wonderful
also. I would have enjoyed a week at the hotel in Aswan...great spot!!
You are
welcome to give clients my e mail if you wish, and I will definitely
recommend your company...I know some Americans are afraid of Egypt, but
I found the security very very strong, and the people friendly and
helpful...thanks again. My daughter had a once in a lifetime
experience...she may be writing to you also, but if not..thanks again.
******************
Lewis Andes – Egypt – November 2008
Luxor was
very interesting. Our guide was there to meet us as scheduled. Thanks
for your help.
******************
Cecilia – Egypt – November 2008
I want to
share with you my experience in Egypt.
There are
many positive points to mention like:
It is a
beautiful country with impressive history, sites and natural beauty.
I was
very fortunate to be surrounded by very kind and helpful people,
mainly, my tour guides and drivers.
I felt
safe at all times and find Egyptians to be very honest people.
I enjoyed
the cruise on the Nile and my stay at Hurghada. Being at the beach and
going snorkling was a wonderful thing.
I shopped
to the point that I had to buy a second suitcase. I loved too many
heavy things, mainly statues.
Now, I
will make some positive criticism about some aspects:
The
English spoken by most of the tour guides (not only mine but all in
general) is rudimentary. This extend to other service providers like
waiters, drivers, administrative staff at the tour agency.
The hotel
standards, mainly the hotel in Cairo, does not correspond to the same
category of hotel in Canada. This is not a complaint, just a
plain observation. I had a wonderful view of the pyramids so I was
happy.
I came
back happy with more than 700 pictures. It was a very memorable
trip.
Thanks
for your understanding.
******************
Maureen Crerar – Egypt – November 2008
We
arrived home late last night after having a wonderful trip. Most of the
arrangements went without a hitch. We enjoyed our guides and the
accommodation was better than anticipated.
The
snorkeling in Sharm was amazing and we had a very enjoyable visit to
the area, as well as the visit to St. Catherine’s Monastery/Mt. Sinai.
******************
Ron Ross – Africa - November 2008
We had a
wonderful time. Everything went as planned, and the Safari people were
great-especially our driver/guide. Thanks for putting it together for
us.
******************
Peter Ezzell – Arica -November 2008
Thanks.
Everything went like clockwork. No one got malaria and the animals were
incredible. We would go again in a minute if we could avoid 32 hours of
flying and sitting. Thanks again
Jill Ezzell – Africa -November 2008
Everything
was just perfect. We had the best time! The accommodations were lovely
and the guides fabulous. Everything moved along very smoothly. We never
really saw a mosquito but we saw everything else! We had great game
drives with the nicest people. The food was good as was the wine.
I can't even tell you what I liked best because it was all
terrific! The proprietors of the camps could not have been more
accommodating. Absolutely the best birthday a girl could have!
******************
Harriet M. Hageman – Quebec and the Maritimes – October 2008
My
Mother, Aunt, husband and I had a wonderful time on our trip to Quebec
City, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Everything went
beautifully, the accommodations were wonderful, and it was so relaxing.
Thank you
for all of your assistance in making it such a perfect vacation.
Again,
thank you for everything.
******************
David Marck Twitchen – Egypt – October 2008
All went
just fine...we enjoyed our visit. Thanks for your efforts to arrange
everything at short notice.
******************
Valerie Scraire – Egypt – October 2008
Our trip
in Jordan was absolutely perfect! Everything had a good timing, we
didn't wait anywhere, everything was well thought and taken care of...
My sincere thanks to your tour operator over there, it couldn't have
been more enjoyable!
The 2
Mohamed (the greeter and the guide) are fantastic people well worth
mentioning to their boss! Thank you very, very much!
******************
Rosalia Munari – Cosmopolitan Europe - October 2008
We had a
wonderful tour. Saw so much in such a short time. The tour was
extremely well organized. The tour director excellent. The driver top
of the business.
We only
experienced some discomfort with the accommodations in the hotels. We
were three in one room. The rooms were too small, a pull up bed was
provided to one of us, with the exception, of one night the three of us
were able to sleep in a acceptable bed. I only learn my lesson "never
go on a trip with two friends"
Thank you
for all your help in making this trip possible for us.
******************
Donald & Lorraine List – Egypt – October 2008
We are
back and we had a good trip. Your associates in Egypt did well by
us. Our guides, Tamer in Lower Egypt and Abdo in Upper Egypt,
were very helpful and were full of information about Egypt and the
sites we were seeing. Both also shared information with us about
themselves and about day to day life for Egyptians, which made the trip
even more personal and meaningful. And, of course, the pyramids
in Giza, the Sphinx, the temples in Upper Egypt, the tombs and the High
Dam are fabulous sites.
Overall,
though, it was a great trip. Both Tamer and Abdo were great
guides, and Tamer even made a special trip to our hotel to return to
Don 40 pounds (around $8 US) that Don had inadvertently left in the van
one day. And even though Don offered, Tamer would not take any of
the money as a reward or a thank you.
Finally,
we found Mohammed (who met us at the airport, took us to the train in
Giza, and then took us back to the airport when we left for home) very
helpful and interesting to visit with.
Thanks
also to you, Carol, for all your help in making arrangements for us.
******************
Lucy Nelson – British Isles in Depth - October 2008
I was
just about to write and send a sincere thank you to you personally for
arranging this trip, and for handling all my questions and changes with
such patience and efficiency! I could not have asked for someone
to do a better job.The trip was very good overall, and was just the
sort of thing that I needed. I was happiest about the length of the
trip, and the countries covered. Thank you also for arranging the
flights so well. It was a huge relief to not have to meddle with that
myself.
I will
most certainly keep you in mind for future tours. Thank you once again
for all your help from beginning to end. I am so glad that I went
through A-Z Tours. :-)
******************
Eunice Abbott – USA – October 2008
I enjoyed
the holiday and saw some wonderful places, Atlanta Columbia, Savannah,
St Simons, Augusta, Macon. and the hotels were all quite good.
The
driver was excellent and very nice, the guide Brenda, despite her 16
years with the company, she told us very little and was more interested
in the Civil war than general chit chat. She was not a popular or
friendly guide throughout the trip.
I enjoyed
the places I visited, because I wanted to see them. I would like to
thank you for all your hard work in arranging this for me, I was not
disappointed, I have seen what I wanted to see.
You were
always so helpful, I would always use you in future should I want to
plan something in the USA or Canada.
******************
Steve Robinson – Atlantic Canada – October 2008
The trip
was fine it seemed we were the only 2 Aussies on it so all the
Americans were onto us….
The tour
is excellent value for money but my only comments would be that the leg
room was too short for anyone over 6 foot and two of the Motels were a
bit low on the standard namely The North Winds and Ceilidh Country
lodge…..
Once
again thanks for tying everything in for us.
******************
Kem & Wayne Brewer – Atlantic Canada - September 2008
We’ve
arrived home tired but very rested. The pace in the Maritimes is such
that we had no choice but to slow down! All the arrangements were top
notch except St John, where, I know, you tried to put us in a hotel –
which would have been a better idea. The Vintage was just not up to the
level of the other ones.
Julies
Walk was very nice – but expensive eh? Over $200 per night with all the
taxes. We did the Maritime Museum, the Harbour Hopper and Murphy’s on
the Water.
It poured
when we went to Peggy’s Cove but two days later went via Lunenburg to
Parrsboro and loved it. The Bluenose was docked at Lunenburg and we sat
outside for lunch overlooking the water on a very hot day, even ran
into people from Lethbridge!
Parrsboro
was the secret gem. An Inn does make the difference. The Maple Inn
hosts were so hospitable, home made pie and coffee always available. We
had a place to play cards (drink wine) and visit. The one restaurant
overlooked the Bay of Fundy where we watched the incredible tide levels
go out. There was just one pub too, and everyone was very friendly.
Lots of hiking, Partridge Island lookoff was beautiful. The Ships
Company Theatre was closed for the season, though, as well as the golf
course while we were there. Cape D’or restaurant at the lighthouse was
fabulous despite the long walk down from the parking lot over rocks.
They did drive us back up the hill!
Enough
said about the Vintage in St John. If we were to go again we would have
stayed in Moncton or Fredericton. We stopped at the Hopewell Rocks on
our way to St John. We did get to the Jazz and Blues Festival on a
chilly day in Fredericton, Great city, clean with lots of character. On
our way to the bridge to PEI we did the Magnetic Hill – too cool.
Heritage
Harbor House was so perfect in Charlottetown; again, it was an Inn.
Excellent food and service. The laundry service was very much
appreciated and at only $1. a load, a deal in itself! We walked
everywhere downtown and they too had a place for us to play cards and
drink our wine. Wayne and I had a fabulous day golfing at St Andrews (I
beat him on the back 9) while our sister and husband went to St Stephen
(hospital for hip x-rays – darn arthritis. A cane and Celebrex
were her friends for the remainder of the trip.
Wayne did
get to golf at the Links at Crowbush despite the tail-end of Hurricane
Ike. A highlight of PEI was going to Summerside and watching the Tall
Ships come in from their race around PEI. We toured the ships and
talked to the crews. Later we stopped into Anne of Green Gables village
and walked Cavendish beach. The musical Anne – was really great, we
laughed and cried.
Baddeck
was so perfect! Denise at the Bell View was terrific! What value
too. We only toured one side of the Cabot Trail but so worth it!
We stopped at the glass and wood maker shops. Had fish and chips
overlooking the water and Wayne got a golf cap at the Highland Links –
just not enough time to do it all. We thoroughly enjoyed our sail with
Amoeba Sailing Charter. The boys went to Louisburg for the day while
Linda and I shopped and stopped at a harbour rest where lunched, again
drank wine, and read our books. Denise picked us up when we were ready
– can you believe that? Our lobster dinner was great with Celtic
music to boot. They do have a Ceilgh every night and we regret not
getting to at least one of them. Everyone said they were so much fun.
We spend
our last night in Halifax at the Lakeview Inn near the Airport.
They have a great pub/restaurant and a lovely dining room. We are
now experts on Seafood Chowder and Lobster!
I’m
attaching a picture from the best at Murphys on the Water. I’m the one
in black. Thanks again for everything! I’ll certainly recommend
you to anyone!
******************
Marie Ivanda – Spain Portugal & Morocco - September 2008
Amazing,
amazing, amazing....that doesn't even begin to describe how wonderful
the tour was. The hotels, the food, the tour, the guides, the people,
the cities.....everything was so well done, so well planned, right down
to the rest stops.
Theresa,
it was quite simply magnificent in every way and I thank you so much
for all your assistance in organizing and putting this together for us.
Cosmos is the only way we will even consider touring in the future.
Again, on
behalf of Brenda and I, you have our sincere and heartfelt thanks for
such a wonderful holiday.
******************
Phil & Dawn Chappel – Atlantic Canada – September 2008
Our trip
went very well, we had a great time. Collette tours are very well
organised, our tour guide knew the history and the facts about the
areas very well. He had very high people skills. We would certainly
consider another Collette tour in the future.
Thanks
for your help in organising our trip.
******************
Happy Tang – September 2008
Our trip
was wonderful. We had a great time! The hotels are nicely located, and
you've made it easy for us. We would recommend your services to our
family & friends, and would definitely be in touch for our next
vacation. Thank you!!
******************
Claude Michaud – Egypt – September 2008
This was
a very great trip - very tired - Tourist guide were excellent with good
and clear english. While in
Casablanca we toured the city of 6 hours by taxi - was great.
Hotels in
Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Ste-Catherine were great. Catherine Plaza - the
view and the room was great - Staff were just ok not more. The
rest of all hotels were great, especially Basma Hotel and the one in
Luxor.
Once
again all the guides were excellent and very caring about Mr Lockwood
who walk with a cane. Well, have a great day.
******************
Rolande Pyrce – Egypt - September 2008
We had a
great time on our trip. The sites we visited were stunning and the
itinerary was well put together overall. The nights on the sleeper
train were kind of tough especially because we had to check out of our
hotels early, tour all day then spend the night on the train. We would
go straight into touring the next day, meaning almost 2 days without
access to a shower in each case. We were feeling pretty yucky and dirty
on those days. I don't know if that can be avoided but we didn't like
that too much - I think we assumed there were showers on the train,
although you were right, the bathrooms on the train were a bit of a
challenge.
We loved
our tour guide in Egypt - Mohammed. Please pass that on to his
superiors. He was excellent- super knowledgeable (I think he has
degrees in Archeology and Egyptology), very patient and considerate to
our needs and preferences. He spoke very good English and was always
very clear about explaining the itinerary, etc. We felt well taken care
of.
In terms
of the hotels, the Sofitel in Egypt was not bad. We actually liked
Century Park a lot- the rooms were nice, the food was good and
the service staff was friendly and helpful.
******************
Corry and Kelly Lodders – Amsterdam - September 2009
We were
surprised that we had a new flight to Calgary, since we didn't have a
clue what was going on. Transat told us upon checking in that we were
going to stop in Manchester and therefore we would miss our flight to
Calgary. They said they would send a message, but now we find out that
it was you who took care of it. We sincerely thank you for that.
You have
handled our trip very good and we appreciate it. We had a really good
trip and we enjoyed everything.
We once
again thank you for all the help and care you gave us. We wished
everyone would be like that! Many thanks and best regards.
******************
Lorna & Eric Gregson – Atlantic Canada – September 2008
We had a
great trip. It started a little rough - luggage didn't arrive, picked
up the rental car in the dark, in a pouring rainstorm from an agent
with a flashlight that didn't work, who wanted us to inspect the car
and note any damage (we couldn't see due to the lack of adequate light
and told her to note that). However, after the end of the second day
when the luggage arrived and the weather improved so did our holiday.
We soon realized there was way too much to see and way too short a time
to see it in. We appreciated the suggestions that you had given us and
the very specific directions. We saw tons, admired the beautiful
scenery, learned lots at the numerous historic sites and museums we
visited and gained a real sense of the history of our country that
started in the Maritimes. Thanks for helping us plan the trip and
arranging the accommodations.
All of
the accommodations were fine except for the Comfort Inn in Saint John -
after the first night we decided not to stay there for a second night
and instead chose a B&B near the Hopewell Rocks. The B&B in
Parsboro was very nice - the room impressed us, however, the best
accommodation and breakfast was the place in Charlottetown. It was very
clean, comfortable, quiet, good location, and fantastic breakfast. PEI
was our favourite and were glad we had took an extra day there - it
helped that the weather was absolutely fantastic while we were there.
We enjoyed Baddeck as the central base while on Cape Breton and were
very impressed with what we were able to see (rainy days the whole time
we were there) while driving the Cabot Trail. The accommodation in
Baddeck was fine, however it was very rustic. We stopped in Truro the
first time we were going through it to see the tidal bore so we decided
not to spend a night there later in the trip. We actually spent two
nights in Lunenburg instead and thoroughly enjoyed that.
Thanks
again for your help. We will definitely be visiting the Maritimes
again! Take care.
******************
Trudy Bartosek – Passage Through New England & Eastern Canada– June
2008
Everything
went well on our trip and we had a great time.
******************
Heather Bisson – Egypt – June 2008
During
our last few days in Cairo we wondered if I'd gotten pregnant in
Egypt. As it turns out, I'm 3 months pregnant! We're
excited, especially since this will be our first child. Anyways...!
We really
enjoyed our time in Egypt and it's hard to believe we saw so many
historic sights. The itinerary was perfect for us. Mohammed
and Ashraf were our guides during the majority of the trip and we were
impressed with their knowledge and personalities. They really
made the trip memorable in addition to the sights. Our drivers
should also be commended for their driving skills -- we couldn't
imagine renting a car and touring the country by ourselves!
On the
day we drove to the Sinai to visit the military museum, Moses Spring,
and the Canal, apparently security had tightened in the region since
our return from Mt Sinai the previous day. Not having had any
previous issue in Egypt or other countries I've visited (22), we
decided to leave our passports in our hotel safe in Cairo when visiting
the Sinai a second time. As we approached a checkpoint near the
Suez Canal tunnel, we were asked our nationality and for our
passports. Ashraf and the driver had to get out of the car for
questioning, and then Mark had to step outside. I was to remain
in the vehicle.
Thankfully
Mark had his military ID and my dependent military ID cards in his
wallet (though stupidly we didn't think to put a copy of our passports
in it) because that was the only ID we had on us. Mark was
briefly questioned by a guard about being in the US Army and asked why
he was in Egypt. Thankfully the four of us were then allowed to
proceed towards the military museum, etc. The scenario repeated
itself when we returned towards Cairo (this time the guards called the
checkpoint we'd been stopped at earlier and verified the story).
Coincidentally
that same day, security had tightened around the pyramids. No
vendors were allowed and guards were all over the place, according to
Armando and Sandy (Cassandra or Sandra) from CA. They said
Mohammed had never seen something like that happen in that area.
Other than our little incident, we absolutely enjoyed the trip! :-)
Thanks so
much for all of your assistance in planning our trip! If any
friends want to travel to Egypt we'll definitely recommend A-Z to
them. I'm about to start working on our Egypt scrapbook
today.
******************
Daniel Waite – Nova Scotia & P.E.I.
Canada -
August 2008
Hi Nicole
--indeed we had a great time --stayed well and enjoyed it all --good
food --hotels were excellent –the guide very knowledgeable --we sent in
an evaluation --and thanks for all your guidance
******************
Gail Abernathy – Broad Cove, Nova Scotia - August 2008
Our stay
was great. Very cozy and comfortable. We had everything we needed.
******************
Sorin and Simona Mateiovic – Egypt – August 2008
As far as
the trip to Egypt - we really loved it; there are some negative issues
that we would like to address to you privately.-hoping that our
suggestions might improve things
******************
Christine Ware – Egypt – August 2008
It's been
almost a year since my daughter Andrea and I went to Egypt. We
had a most marvelous experience, loved every minute of it and would
love to go again sometime. Hopefully, after the new Cairo Museum
is built. Our guide in Cairo was great, very passionate about his
work, and clearly explained all aspects to us. The pyramids at
Giza are unbelievable. The Bazaar in Cairo was most fun -
especially sitting in a local cafe and people watching. The
guide also came to the Sinai and toured us through Saint
Catherine's and took us to Alexandria. The library in Alex was well
worth the trip - a marvellous structure and so important to catalogue
what's happening in print and media.
Luxor,
Aswan, the Nile cruise and all points in between were incredible. Our
guide for that portion was also very knowledgeable and
clearly loved her job. A great personality. We did not go
to the Luxor museum and I understand we missed something great. I've
love to visit Luxor again and explore more of the tombs in the
Valley of the King and Queens. We added a day in the Valley and
were well rewarded with extraordinary tombs. Our best meals - we
went there twice - was in a place across the street from the Habu
Temple!! The owner was most gracious, had great food - treated us
like special guests.
Our third
guide in Cairo was a professor of Egyptian History at the
university. She provided insights into the history and culture
that were amazing. She had incredible stamina and could out walk
both of us!! She was very quick. We enjoyed the museum and
a cotton store with her where we purchased goods and had them shipped
home. Of course we should have bought more!!
Our
drivers were extremely skilled to deal with all the traffic, especially
in Cairo and Alex. Gracious and fun as well. We also had an
armed guard on the Sinai. He was very professional and attentive to our
surroundings. We especially noticed this at Moses Springs where
other folks were nearby swimming in the Red Sea!!
Kudo's to
all the staff for their hard work in creating an exceptional experience
for us. We'll remember it always and someday hope to see many of
them again.
So much
to see and almost not enough time even though we we're there for three
weeks!! Thanks again for everything!!
******************
Queenie Samuel – Europe - August 2008
Hey
Theresa, It seemed like a much longer trip, but it was great, had a
wonderful cosmopolitan group of 30- everyone agreed it was probably #1
or 2 of all their trips taken. There were 2 couples from USA, several
from the UK, India, Holland, Canada, etc. Norway is beautiful, sparsely
populated (can you believe a town with less than 2,000 people?) and
water ways clean enough to drink from. Rolling hills of wheat, big wind
turbines and oh so clean.
Denmark
would be my second and Sweden the last because of the huge populous and
commercialism. But on my last evening in Sweden I finally got to see a
blue eyed natural blonde and she was a doll (smile).
The
overall Land trip was well planned and executed. Our tour guide was the
best and driver more than anyone could have asked for- the bus had a
flat tire and he changed it himself. We were given tons of info and
alerted whenever there was something she thought we should see. She
always had her next day plans posted as well as having given them to us
prior.
Accommodations
were good except for the lack of air conditioning, which is sparse in
Scandinavia I'm told. Food buffets were excellent, breakfast was
plentiful-I don't eat breakfast, so that didn't mean as much to me.
Free time was moderate, but then we saw a lot in such a short time.
Weather after the 1st day was sunny and delightful.
Over all
my experience with A-Z Travel has been great- I would highly recommend
A-Z and Cosmos. Thanks Theresa and Co.
******************
Jeannie DeBois – British Isles - August 2008
Thanks
Theresa for all you done for me .The trip was well beyond my
expectations so am extremely happy and will definitely recommend your
company and use you for my overseas travel Thank you once again .
******************
Janice Lua – Africa - August 2008
Thanks,
Theresa! We've enjoyed the trip.
The
transport pickups were punctual, accommodations were decent and we were
well taken care of by Wildlife Safari during the tour.
We were
also fortunate to 'catch' (see) all Big 5! Thank for the excellent
arrangements!
******************
Boyd & Caroline McDowell – Broad Cove Vacation Suites – August 2008
Thank you
for your email. Yes, we had a great time. The little cafe opposite was
fantastic!! My wife also went swimming in the bay!
Thank you
again for a wonderful stay!
******************
Ken Tamsitt – Ontario & French Canada – August 2008
We had a
pretty good time thank you. We had a car for a week before meeting up
with Cosmos and spent some time at Niagara on the Lake and 2 nights at
Niagara Falls. This was because we felt (and we were right) that the
coach didn`t either go there or spend enough time there.
We meet
up with the "tour" on schedule, and everything went fine from then. The
weather could have been better on our 1000 islands cruise when it
rained most of the afternoon after Kingston.
Nice
hotel the Maritime Plaza (the best on the tour).
******************
Kapil Lawrence – Egypt – August 2008
We've
completed our tour of Egypt & are transiting in Dubai!
Thank you
very much for providing for us a wonderful albeit a hectic/short tour
of Egypt.
We
thoroughly enjoyed our stay there and all our apprehensions were
completely allayed.
It was
hot but the accommodations more than compensated for the weather!!
The Nile
cruise was really great and the tour guides very capable. Thank u A-Z
tours!!
******************
Sinaia Nathanson – Canadian Rockies – August 2008
The trip
went very well. Caravan Tours did a nice job and needless to say the
Canadian Rockies are breathtaking. Regretfully my vacation is over and
now I have to go back to work :-(
With best
wishes, Sinaia
******************
Dottie Quoting – Spain Portugal & Morocco - July 2008
I had a
wonderful time. Cosmos was very organized with a great guide and
competent driver. I met some very nice people who I know I will see
again. It was actually a great time and everything went very well. The
sights were beautiful and the history was fascinating. Thanks.
Where should I go next?????
******************
Dianna & Dwaine Souveny – Italy – July 2008
We had a
wonderful time in Italy both on the Globus tour and on our own!
Thanks
again for all your work in booking us on the Globus tour.
******************
Korena Thomas – Florida to Atlantic Canada – Vacation Planning - July
2008
Everything
was great, all the hotels were nice but I wanted to let you know that
Belgravia Bed & Breakfast is a great place to stay, we were sorry
we were only there a few hours, got in late in the evening and took off
first thing in the morning. I would recommend this place to
anyone wanting to stay centrally. Thank you very much for all
your help.
******************
Barbara Deleebeeck – Great Canadian Atlantic Experience – July 2008
We had a
wonderful time on our tour of Atlantic Canada and Ambassatours did an
amazing job of choosing interesting stops and hotels. My only
suggestion would be to have the option of flying from St. John's to
Halifax instead of taking the overnight ferry. The ferry and 4-hour
drive to Halifax made for a very long day. We were lucky that the ocean
was calm for our 14 hour journey. It would have been terrible if
the seas were rough.
******************
Cathie Colpitts - Galapagos – July 2008
It was a
fantastic trip! I learned
so much about geography, history, biology, sociology... We had 2 very
good guides. Galapagos is so wonderful there are no words to describe
it. The Finch Bay is first class and so is the Quitp Marriott. We had
an experience that was a "Fawlty Towers" episode in Cuenca - do you
remember the British sitcom with John Cleese?
******************
Louise (Dodie) Perlt – USA - July 2008
I just
wanted to touch base with you to let you know that I, along with my
daughter and her family from Indianapolis, recently completed our trip
out west. We were glad to have the reservations for the Quick Shuttle
out of Vancouver for Seattle with an interesting and friendly driver
who finally got us through Customs without a hitch, a most personable
young man. Our reservations with the Best Western Executive Inn
also were perfect and we made good use of the proximity to the park
where much celebrating was taking place for Taste of Seattle and a
visit up the Space Needle. The private van to the airport was on time
and again the driver provided a great experience for the family. Thanks
for giving us such a delightful experience.
I
have
taken the liberty to give your email address to a couple of long time
friends, who are planning to go to Whistler in September. So far
they have their reservations from MSP to SEATAC and that’s all. To my
knowledge, they have never been in these areas and may be looking for
some suggestions. Right now I am bombarding them with the need to take
the Ferry to Victoria, visit there, Ferry to Tswassen, visit Vancouver
and then head for Whistler then return home. I'm not sure they really
want to rent a car so now am out of suggestions. Can you tell I'm a
former Canadian who wants them to get the best possible visit?
Hopefully they will be in touch soon.
Thanks
again Eric, you put the finishing touches on a wonderful holiday.
******************
Jennifer (Vandenberg) and Thomas Moore – Egypt – July 2008
We
returned home safe and sound and had a great trip. We'll fill out the
survey we received in Egypt and mail it back to you soon. Thanks!
******************
Doreen Micots – England - June 2008
I enjoyed
the trip and got to see what I wanted to see. However, my trip to
England was terrible due to long delays leaving JFK airport. However, I
eventually got to the hotel, which was a very nice hotel. I got there
just in time for supper at 7:30 p.m.!
Things
got better after that it was an enjoyable trip. Also my time with my
cousins was great, so all in all it was very good. Thanks again for all
your efforts on my behalf. They were much appreciated.
******************
Reese Grady – European Cruise - June 2008
Yes
everything went very well. No hitches. The cruise was better than I
imagined and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
******************
Rev. Dr. K. Bill Dost – France - June 2008
Tania the
tour guide was absolutely terrific and I had a great time!
******************
Jean Paspa – USA to Atlantic Canada – Vacation Planning – June 2008
Thank you
for all your work and help. We had a great time. The rooms at the Green
Highlander worked out great. We ended up renting the third room as well
so we had the place to ourselves. (The boys didn’t fit in the twin beds
very well.) Having the restaurant downstairs worked out great with the
boys. The Hilton was wonderful. I’m glad we changed it. In some ways it
was one of the nicest places we stayed, so it was a great last stop.
Again thanks for all your help.
It was a
relief having someone to call when we needed it. We didn’t get to see
and do everything on our list so we may have to come back. If we do you
will be the first call I make. Thanks again.
******************
Barry Anderson – Egypt – June 2008
Our trip
went extremely well. When we arrived in Aswan we were met by Heba and a
driver who because of the flight delays had to immediately drive us 3
hours into the dessert to go to Abu Simbel. They were very nice but we
were very tired.
I
strongly recommend you find a hotel closer to the airport for
short-stay visitors.
******************
Armando and Sandra Vallesteros – Egypt – June 2008
We had a
wonderful time in Egypt, it was a trip of a lifetime, people were very
very nice to us, service and food was very good as well. Our main
tour guide was very accommodating and very well educated in his field
of Egyptology. We had many adventures and many wonderful photos
and memories to enjoy from this vacation.
We
recommend that climbing Mt. Sinai is for the strong and energetic, we
did well on the climb. The team of A-Z Tour was
excellent to work with and very accommodating to our needs, we felt we
had a very private tour for most of the time and that we enjoyed very
much. We strongly recommend others to travel to Egypt with your
tour company. Thank you very much for your assistance in
arranging this magnificent trip.
******************
John – June 2008
The trip
was super. Ports of call were fantastic. Thank you so much for
your help.
******************
John, Janet, Laura and Julia Bennett – Egypt – June 2008
Have been
showing off our Egypt photos and telling our Egypt adventure stories to
all our friends and family. We were constantly amazed at what we
saw. Our guides in Cairo and the Sinai and in Upper Egypt
were both excellent. We learned so much from them and we enjoyed
their company.
They were
very perceptive and anticipated our needs when fatigue and minor
illnesses surfaced, when sunglasses got broken, when our daughters
needed an internet, when we tried to cross the road...... The trip was
very well organized and our guides, drivers, transfers all worked
incredibly smoothly - can't even think of a hitch.
Our
accommodation was very good - particularly the Marriot in Hurghada - we
loved it! The hotel in St. Catherine was not of the same quality
as the other hotels but we realize that we were in quite a remote
area. The Nile Cruise was excellent - the staff were very
helpful, particularly the Manager of the boat who came to John's rescue
when he wasn't feeling well. We really enjoyed our R & R in
Hurghada – the guide booked John and the girls on the snorkelling trip
- definitely a highlight. He was very perceptive and sensed we
needed some relaxation time, kept in touch with us but gave us our
space and provided good resources for us in Hurghada.
The
crossing to Sharm was kind of rough - you might want to prepare
travellers with queasy stomachs! but it was our choice.
In spite
of the trepidations of travelling so far from Canada to a developing
Country, our trip was awesome - again the attention to detail and
the genuine concern from everyone was evident. Please pass our thanks
on to Khaled (I will send him a note thanking him for the tour of the
construction site), and all our guides and our excellent wonderful
drivers throughout Egypt (especially our driver in the Sinai and
Cairo) I forgot to mention the Sinai - hiking up the mountain was
incredible....
We will
certainly recommend your travel agency to our friends and family and we
will definitely consider contacting you for our future travel
plans. Its been a pleasure Carol. Do you have a on-line
newsletter we can subscribe to?
******************
Mark Westwood – Egypt – June 2008
It was a
trip of a life time for Sharron and myself, it had everything from
travel, history, culture, education, relaxation, adventure and fun.
From the
moment we arrived at the airport to the time we departed Egypt A-Z
tours were assisting us all the way every effort was made by all in
making our holiday an experience we will never forget. The planned
tours where well organised and well scheduled, (on time) our main guide
leader did an excellent job. He explained everything in great detail
and was able to answer all questions that where raised by us and others
with in our tour group.
As for
the tour group on certain days it was just Sharron and I. On most of
the other tour excursions we were paired up with an American couple
Sandie and Mondo whom were great companions (fun), except for
the Nile Cruise it was all most a private tour for us. We would see
other tour groups of forty and larger all trying to see the same thing
at the same time with their tour leaders having to herd them through
the sights in one large group we were thankful we did not have to
endure such an experience.
Our Guide
had excellent organisational skills and endeavoured to please all. On
one occasion we had to call on him to rectify a problem we had with our
Hotel accommodation this he did immediately and made sure that it did
not happen again and even ensured that we received the best our hotels
had to offer.(ten out of ten)
Sharron
and I would have no hesitation in recommending A-Z tours to anyone
wanting to tour with your company to Egypt, the planning was
exceptional (thank you Carol) your company lives up to the word
“tailored made tours”.
******************
Joyce Esrailian – Sale of Two Cities – Montreal & Quebec - June 2008
We had a
wonderful time! Air Canada was great. Our baggage missed
the flight, but when we landed in Quebec, they found it and had it at
the chateau that night! All the vouchers went off like
clockwork. We are so glad that we were able to stay at the
Fairmont Chateau Frontenac—that was so worth the trip! Reversing the
itinerary worked very well for us too.
We want
to thank you for your very professional, yet caring arrangements for
our trip. I know a lot of people worked together on it, and you
are to be commended for a job really well done. Thank you for
your help especially and for always responding so quickly to my
questions and making me double check things so that the trip went
smoothly. Please forward this email to the appropriate people. We
hope to deal with you again soon.
******************
Fran & Hans Bartosek – Passage through New England & Eastern
Canada – May 2008
We had a
great time on our trip! We loved New England and our stay in
Boston the best.
******************
Michael Brief – USA to Atlantic Canada – Vacation Planning - May 2008
Everything
exceeded my expectations. I now have to stick with my plan to
visit when the weather is not as “chamber of commerce” perfect. I’ll be
back for a winter visit. Thanks for your help
******************
Tim Trainor – Greece – May 2008
No home
yet! Currently we are in Crete, but the Northern Greece tour you
arranged for us went well.
******************
Harumi Fujita – Canadian Rockies – May 2008
Thank you
for your attention. We really had a wonderful time in Canadian Rockies.
The tour was in general good organized in spite of the rain in the last
day in Banff. Maybe it would be better if it included more hiking for
younger people. Anyway the nature here is very beautiful and we enjoyed
a lot. We also made some friends from different parts, mostly from US
and UK.
******************
Nancy – Europe – May 2008
We are so
pleased to have such a international tour through Europe even it still
has some limited offer. Thanks again.
******************
Greg – Ireland - May 2008
First, a
huge thanks to you and folks at A-Z, who helped us put the trip
together. We had a wonderful time! Our tour director, Geoffrey, and
driver, Mark, were both loads of fun while being completely
professional. We had mostly Australians on the coach with us, and they
were grand folk as well.
The west
coast of Ireland is beautiful beyond description. I think that is what
I always shall carry in my mind. That, and Phantom of the Opera the
last evening in London when we got back! Geoff arranged for
tickets, and we were 3rd row center.
The
entire 25-day experience could not have been finer! All six of the
folks who accompanied me say this as well. We are so pleased.
Be
assured that we shall not hesitate to use your agency and Cosmos in the
future.
I
must
now close, with every good wish and thanks for a job well done.
******************
Chadwich Nelson – Asia - May 2008
You don’t
know this but it is official. I love you!!!!! Once again
you and A-Z Tours put together a terrific vacation package for me and I
AGAIN had an incredible experience. If I didn’t have to return
home to make more money and work I would have stayed indefinitely in
Asia. LOL
Please
consider me a customer for life. You came through for me in a
HUGE way by putting together my vacation package in record time given
the severe deadline I was working under.
Again, I
want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU and THANK YOU for your outstanding
service and professionalism. You helped me experience another trip of a
lifetime.
Whenever
ever I see you for the first time, don’t be surprised if I take a
running leap into your arms to give you a HUGE hug to express my
gratitude and appreciation. But the biggest compliment I can give
you is that I will continue to be a repeat client. You have
earned my travel business and I simply wouldn’t consider going
elsewhere!
Have a
wonderful day! You’ll be hearing from me again later this year
for my next trip to South Africa, Spain, or back to Tokyo/Singapore
again.
******************
Jaap, for Ron, Paul and Paul – Egypt – May 2008
We came
home from a fantastic trip that went without a glitch ………… and
thousands of pictures. We had an absolutely wonderful time including a
one week live a board scuba dive experience in the Red Sea around Marsa
Alam.
Collectively
we have traveled around the world many many times, throughout all
continents, on business and privately so we know the “ropes”. But never
have we lived through an experience as we did in Egypt. All your people
were very nice, efficient and punctually on time for pick ups, convoys
and drop offs, whether drivers, guides and others who looked after us.
You have a very well “oiled” machine that worked for us like a Swiss
watch, day and night. Your suggested rental cell phone came in very
handy as well.
We also
had equally wonderful experiences in Jordan and Israel.
All said
because I do not think that we had the ordinary and for you more
standard travel program. You delivered on the extra ordinary and with a
lot of patience by you all, in Egypt and in Canada. I think I had told
you that I had contacted about 20 different travel experts on Egypt on
the Internet and only Carol immediately responded and followed through
until we had organized and understood all the details.
Please
feel free to use us any time as a reference for your outstanding
services.
******************
Masato Okamoto – Egypt – May 2008
My trip
went well over all, except few things. Over all it was enjoyable trip.
Every day was 6 hours or so, should been perfect, but wasn't exactly.
But they were all nice people, I liked them.
******************
Carole Roberts – Canadian Rockies – April 2008
Just back
from our Canada trip and it was fantastic. Thanks for recommending
Collette to us. We did miss quite a few excursions because of the fact
that there was too much snow to take certain roads - Lake Maligne for
example and all excursions in Jasper were cancelled, but we still had a
fantastic time. Thanks again for your help and advice.
******************
Tim Sandy – Egypt & Italy – April 2008
We had a
really good time in Egypt, I enjoyed it more than Italy! The tour
guides in Egypt were with us every step of the way and were extremely
knowledgeable. They went out of their way to make us comfortable in
every way. The accommodations were also outstanding, lived like a
king...lol. We didn't get to go to Aswan due to a train wreck, but were
able to spend the extra day in Luxor which turned out to be nice.
I was not
impressed with the tour guides in Italy as much and how they ran the
tour. It was hard to go to the small rooms of Italy after being in such
nice ones in Egypt...lol.
All in
all it was a good trip. Hands down Egypt and everything about it was
well taken care of and outstanding in every aspect! Thank you for all
your hard work, you did good!
******************
Vicki Jones – Egypt – April 2008
We
returned home on Sunday after a great holiday. Our guide was
great and we enjoyed the cruise (although the entertainment was a
little lacking), but we were happy with everything on board and have no
complaints.
******************
Billy Gwin – Egypt – April 2008
I have to
admit I was quite surprised that everything was so well orchestrated.
The guides were excellent and I tipped them very well. The drivers were
for the most part safe and looked out for my best safety and well being.
I am
really bad with names, but one fellow in Cairo was extremely nice and
did his best to do everything just right. He was basically the escort
from the hotel to meet the guide, from the hotel to the train and from
the airport to the hotel. As for the hotels, the last hotel had the
best food of all.
I was
very surprised that the tour was a private one and so affordable.
Please tell your staff in Egypt JOB WELL DONE and I would recommend
them (and you) to anyone.
******************
Bob Sharp – Egypt – March 2008
We had a
very nice time in total. The guides/drivers were all quite good,
friendly and flexible, and made the trip easy.
The first
hotel was nice, although we did not get directly connecting rooms. We
were on the end of a quiet corridor, with both rooms overlooking the
golf course and the kids could easily move between the rooms, so it was
fine. For touring, the Pyramids, Museum, Bazaar and Papyrus
center were nice stops. The Perfumery was fine as a short
stop.
We would
not recommend the Nile dinner cruise, especially with children under 11
or 12 (quite loud, rather average food, boat was nothing special, and
not much to see from the boat, especially at night), and probably
should have done the Pyramids light show that you recommended.
In Sharm,
we enjoyed the Concorde hotel. Nice pools, sports area including
the opportunity to ride horses, and a good Italian restaurant on-site.
******************
Amanda Holloway – Egypt – March 2008
I had a
lovely time, and most definitely enjoyed the trip! I am so glad that
everything worked out the way it did, and thank you again for dealing
with all of my special needs!
I'll be
sure to recommend A to Z to anyone I know making a trip to Egypt in the
future.
******************
Annette Ducharme – South
American
Cruise – Holland America – March 2008
About the
cruise, overall everything went well, and we are happy that we did it.
My husband discovered that he's really a "land-lubber" though. Although
he never got seasick, he never felt quite himself on board ship. We met
fantastic people on the ship and saw some wonderful sights on our
journey. We were surprised to see how developed these South American
countries are (well the major cities, at least), especially Chile. The
world is starting to look like a very homogeneous place!
I'll be
in touch with you before long regarding plans for Africa in 2009.
P.S.
Thanks for taking the time to calm me down when I called you in my
state of panic on February 28th!
******************
Shannon Burdick – Egypt – March 2008
Everything
was wonderful. I appreciate all the help I received. I think this was a
perfect balance of guidance and independence/flexibility. I will
recommend A-Z to others. Thanks again!
******************
Deborah Coltun – Egypt – March 2008
Carol,
everything was wonderful. You helped me make my dream trip come true
and Egypt is now on my preferred list. Didn't get to dive either
Straits of Tiran (drift diving) or Ras Mohammed, in fact only got in
three dives because of Egypt Air foul up, but still had the time of my
life. Glad to have gone but glad to be home!!! Truly, thank you
again.
Carol,
I'll definitely be passing your information on to other travelers. With
so many of us baby boomers getting ready to retire, having confidence
in what we get for our money traveling to new places, especially solo,
is important. You and A-Z are GREAT, the service was wonderful and
fulfilled my every wish better than I believe I would have gotten
elsewhere (from past experience). Thanks
******************
Cordelia Hwang – Egypt – January 2008
Egypt was
fantastic. The pyramids are truly one of the great wonders of the
world, and we were able to enter both the Chephren and the red
pyramids! The Nile cruise, the temples - especially the more remote
sites, made the trip was an experience of a life time.
Everything
went smoothly and the guides gave a human side to Egypt. I've
learned so much.
Thank
you
for arranging everything.
******************
Doug Matthews – Egypt – February 2008
The trip
was wonderful. It went off without a hitch. I must compliment you and
all members of your company team in Egypt, particularly the main guides
I had, Mr. O, Dr. A, and Mr. A. They were extremely knowledgeable and
very courteous throughout. They put up with my endless questions and
managed to get me where I was supposed to go in spite of the crazy
Cairo traffic and long distances in Upper Egypt. The drivers were also
really competent. I don't know how they can do their job, especially in
Cairo, without going completely insane.
All
accommodations, without exception, were first-rate. You have obviously
done your homework in choosing the good hotels. The cruise ship, Sherry
Boat, was well-appointed, the food was very good, and the staff totally
competent and friendly.
In short,
I was very impressed with your level of service in everything, from the
very first contact I had with you. I have found few companies with this
level. I appreciate the concern you have shown for my interests and for
striving to get my tour exactly right. I do not make these comments
lightly, as I have travelled a great deal and have been in the
hospitality industry myself from 1985 to 2004. As a leading-edge "baby
boomer" I am in the middle of doing extensive travelling both alone and
with my wife. We, as a generation, are very demanding and I am
personally willing to work with a company that gives me the service I
demand and takes a personal interest in my well-being. I believe you
have such a company and I would like to make more travel plans with you.
Upon
reading your evaluation form in Egypt, I noticed that you asked about
my future plans for travel to a number of different areas of the world.
My wife and I are planning to visit many of the areas in the near and
distant future. Obviously, because of my experience with your company
on this trip, I will be recommending you to our friends as often as
possible.
Thanks
again for all your great service. I look forward to having you help us
plan future trips.
******************
John Werry – Egypt – February 2008
Overall,
the trip went well. All the A-Z Tour people were excellent and quite
necessary when being surrounded by desperate and aggressive Egyptians.
******************
Ralph Jackman – Egypt – February 2008
Yes we
are home safe and sound. We had a wonderful trip. The sights and sounds
of Egypt are firmly etched in our minds. The flights, Lufthansa, were
very good.
The care
taken of us at 03.30 at Cairo airport was wonderful and we were very
courteously and carefully taken to the Mena House. Mena House, a
wonderful hotel where sadly we only stayed long enough to enjoy a
breakfast. Afternoon visits to Papyrus Institute, Perfumery and Bazaar
in the care of B and M were fascinating.
Transfer
to Aswan, very smooth arriving at Moven Pick just after midnight. It
appears to be a wonderful hotel, but as we had to leave at 03.30 for
the visit to Abu Simbel it was difficult to tell.
Abu
Simbel visit, wonderful. Our guide was excellent. She is a very
charming, quiet young lady with a great deal of knowledge which she
shares in a very friendly manner.
Sonesta
Moon Godess Cruise, very enjoyable. The boat is very clean and
comfortable and all members of the crew were very helpful and tried
hard to make our cruise memorable and enjoyable. Dinner was not of as
high a standard as we would have expected from a boat claiming to be
the best on the Nile. Lunch and breakfast were fine and the barbecue
was also very good. The dinner menus sounded excellent, but the food
just missed the mark!
The giude
for the temple and tomb visits was excellent and again very
knowledgeable. M. picked
us up and took us to the Sound and Light show at Karnack and once again
charmed us with her manner and efficiency.
Transfer
from Luxor to Cairo was again managed smoothly and efficiently with
drivers and greeter doing a splendid job.
Le
Meridien, Cairo. Another very good hotel, but not of the same standard
as the Mena House. The room, the security and the facilities around the
hotel were excellent. The individual eating places for dinner within
the hotel were good.
The
guided visits in Cairo, with M were excellent. Once again we were
delighted to have a guide who was knowledgeable, efficient and
courteous. His command of dates and the ability to put each artifact or
place into context was very important in helping us to fully understand
the wonders of Egypt over a period of 5000 years, from the earliest
tomb up to the modern day city of Cairo. We were very grateful that the
programme was adapted to enable us to see all the major sights.
Sound and
Light at Giza was excellent.
Nile
Dinner Cruise was not to our taste, but again we were grateful for the
way in which the guide and drivers worked to enable us to be switched
from one vehicle to the other at the end of the tour of old Cairo in
order to be at the cruise on time.
We would
have preferred to have paid more and had a more luxurious dinner with
waiter service and a quieter environment. Of its type I think it was
very good, but it was not what we were looking for.
Pick up
for transfer to the airport to catch return flight. Again managed
smoothly and efficiently with our guide even finding time to present
Linda with a small Valentine's Day posy.
I hope
this brief summary of our holiday will show you that we really had a
wonderful time. We have been very pleased with the service of A-Z
Tours, the organisation, the guides, the drivers and will be delighted
to recommend the company to our friends and, if the opportunity arises,
to use the company again. Thank you for all your work in the early
stages.
******************
Leilani Wardle - New Orleans – February 2008
You ROCK
- thank you so much for all of your effort! I must say that I normally
do my own traveling arrangements online but you and Carol have really
changed my mind on travel agents.
******************
Joy Gulick – Egypt – February 2008
I cannot
tell you how much we enjoyed our experience. Everyone one was
absolutely fabulous.
I think
booking with you was one of the best decisions we could have made
regarding this trip and we would recommend you to anyone traveling to
Egypt. Thanks again
******************
Jan Mun Yee Shirley Lam – Egypt - January 2008
I enjoyed
my trip in Egypt very much. Everything went smoothly as planned. The
program was well designed. It allowed me to explore the major sites in
Egypt and yet gave me time to relax and refresh myself before moving on
to another city. The greatest surprise was that I even met Avril after
the Giza light and sound show!
I have to
thank you and your colleagues in Egypt. They had tried their very best
to make me comfortable during my stay in Egypt. There are so many
memories I have brought back home from this exotic country. Thanks very
much again to you for helping me in planning this trip!
******************
Kavitha Jain – Egypt – January 2008
We had a
wonderful time in the cruise. We actually went to Hurghada and Cairo
after the cruise and got back last week.
Thanks so
much for arranging all this, and I'll definitely get in touch with you
for our next trip :)
******************
Hassen Ashok – Egypt – January 2008
All in
all it was a very good trip except for some minor incidents.
Here are
the good part of the trip:
- The
hotel at all locations were very good. I especially like the Shephard
hotel at Cairo. Its a happening place!
- M our
tour guide at Cairo was very good knowledge of Egyptian history and
explained things well.
- The
restaurants they took us for lunch at Cairo were good
- Our
tour guide in training.. O was very nice and courteous at Cairo. I
think he should be promoted to be a full blown tour guide. I strongly
recommend!
-
The places covered in a day was ideal (especially with kids) and the
transportation provided was good.
- My
special thanks to our tour guide M at Luxor and Aswan. He is a perfect
gentleman. Really went out his way to do things for us. The little
extra things that they do counts a lot. He was like part of our family.
Kids liked him a lot too.
- No
complaints on the food at Luxor or Aswan. It was excellent.
- M our
tour guide at Cairo was very inflexible.
- On the
way back from Aswan we reached Shephard hotel at around 9 am after 14
hours of journey. The hotel would not give us a room immediately.
But we
really enjoyed the trip and I will not hesitate recommending this to my
friends.
******************
Hideki Koyanagi – Egypt – January 2008
First of
all, Thank you very much for your great help. I could really enjoy
Egypt very much.
Especially,
the guide who went together during Nile cruise was very reliable and
helpful.
I could
enjoy this travel very much. If I can have next chance to go to Egypt,
I want to ask you again. Thank you very much.
******************
Jason Paul – Egypt – 2008
The trip
was amazing. Heatherann and I had such a wonderful experience, with so
many great memories. The guides were wonderful, especially M.Z. He was
unbelievable, and if I ever go back to Egypt, I would certainly want
him as a guide again. Thanks for all your help throughout the process.
I would enjoy working with you again if you are involved in trips
outside of Egypt for A-Z.
******************
Name witheld at clients request – Egypt – January 2008
In
general, we had an enjoyable trip. The sites were
incredible. A was a fabulous guide, our drivers were
skillful and our greeters so friendly and courteous.
I have
several friends who are planning a visit to Egypt and are waiting for
my evaluation of our tour. I appreciated working with you, Carol. You
were efficient and responsive.
******************
Nadean Dooner – Egypt – January 2008
Our trip
was outstanding. From the minute we arrived at the airport (and were
greeted) to the trip back to the airport, everyone was friendly,
knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile to make our trip special.
On the
evening of the Nile Dinner Cruise, our driver and guide were there even
though the driver's wife was quite ill. He was unable to pick the 3 of
us up after the cruise (he took his wife to the hospital). The guide
immediately hailed a taxi - he didn't call the local office until we
were already in the taxi. I found him to be proactive rather than
reactive.
Put me on
the list of very satisfied customers!
******************
Uriel Avron –
Israel to the Canadian Rockies – October 2007
We are
home now after five weeks and boy, what five weeks we have had :-)
First we had the tour to the Rockies. It was breathtaking... well, I
don't have to describe to you the beauty of the land, you are more than
likely fully aware of it.
The
organization of this tour was perfect and our guide, Serena did a very
good job. She was very informative, did her best to explain the
different things we have seen and in general kept very well to the
timetable. It was a difficult job with so many people on board, so she
definitely deserves a lot of applause at the way she has handled the
job. All in all the 13 day Rockies tour is a good introduction to this
wonderful place and it definitely leaves a taste of "more" after it is
finished... :-)
After the
Rockies we continued to Saskatchewan, to the "Rut is on" eco lodge
adventure. I had only a very faint idea about what to expect, based on
a previous eco lodge adventure in the Amazon Basin in Ecuador and
initially treated this whole trip as a fill-in to kill some time before
flying to Churchill to see the Polar Bears. Well, in short it was a
HUGE success!
First the
organization of the flight and the hotel in Saskatoon (The Saskatoon
inn) was perfect. Special thanks to you for that :-) On the next day of
our arrival Maureen arrived to take us to their home where we have
spent a day, to get used to the area, learn how to walk on the hunting
trails and to generally familiarize ourselves with the environment.
After a fun day at the home of Dave and Maureen that included some dog
sledging, playing with the animals on the farm and rearranging our
gear, Dave has taken us to Sawyer Lake where the real fun took place.
Every day
we would wake up very early in the morning and walk some 10-15 km to
see the wildlife his estate offers. And we did indeed see a lot of it!
Some of
the big game like moose, elk, deer (a lot), smaller animals like hare,
coyote, beaver and also some rare ones that are rather elusive, like
otter and even wolf! I can't even count the number and types of the
birds we have encountered. In the afternoon we would go canoeing, ATV
driving, or just walking to a different part of the estate, there was
always something to see...
Add to
that the friendly hospitality of Dave, Guy and Maureen, the best home
cooked food made by Sharon and you really have a winning adventure :-)
Actually
I was a little worried that after such a great experience the polar
Bears of Churchill would be real hard pressed to top our Saskatchewan
trip... ;-) The Sawyer Lake adventure has some limitations though.
First, it requires some physical fitness. It is not very difficult, but
walking 10-15 km daily is not a simple task especially for those with
some physical handicaps.
The other
"problem" is that the hunting cabin in Sawyer Lake is not a 4 star
hotel. It is very convenient and very well taken care of with big nice
rooms, but the water for bathing is collected rain water and the toilet
is of the composting type.... It might be problematic for people who
are looking for the Ritz in the middle of the prairie...
These
shortcomings are of course fully offset by the wildlife, the Aurora
Borealis we have seen, the canoeing in the silent lake, the dog sledge
and all the fun the site has to offer. All in all it was a smash hit
and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is interested
in seeing REAL wildlife in its real environment and those who
want to learn how the people of the prairie live their lives.
After
returning to Saskatoon (Maureen took us herself back) we have flown to
Winnipeg and after four days we have continued to Churchill to see the
polar bears.
I would
heartily recommend it. The actual tour was carried out by Natural
Habitat and they did a wonderful job. The organization of the tour, the
guides, the hotels, everything was just superb. And the polar bears did
their part to make the visit to Churchill an unforgettable one...
Well,
that's about it, I hope I haven't bored you too much with my long-long
letter. It is also the time to thank you for the excellent professional
(and patient!) treatment I got from you throughout the planning and the
execution of the trip, and the enormous help you have been.
Thank you
very much and I will definitely recommend you and your company to
anyone who asks me. With your permission, I'll send you an invitation
to visit my on-line albums of the pictures from Canada when I upload
them. You are welcome to use my letter for advancing your company's
sales as you find fit. You are also allowed in advance to use any of my
pictures from the public domain for the same end. Thanks again and all
the best
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