Allen Yee & Party of Golfers - Ontario, Canada - Maritimes - Vacation Planning Services - Aug 2002
My friends and I had a fantastic time golfing in Nova Scotia, the courses and the folks we met were wonderful. The Bell Bay, Highlands, and Glenn Arbour courses are world-class facilities. The Dundee course was also in great playing condition. Our golfing skills may not quite have measured up to the tests, but we had great fun nonetheless.

All of the arranged accommodations met or exceeded our expectations. The staff we met were pleasant and helpful, even with our very late arrivals. We enjoyed a range of evening entertainment, from Baddeck to Halifax. We even stumbled across a great lobster, mussel and clam feast at the 'Muddy Rudder' along the Cabot Trail. We've shared our Nova Scotia golfing stories with our friends and colleagues here and I sense they will be very interested in visiting NS sometime in the future. Avril, thank you and your team for helping us plan and arrange a most memorable trip to Nova Scotia.

Richard Jacobson Family of 5 - USA to Maritime Canada - Vacation Planning Services - Aug 2002

Robert Jacobson
We had a wonderful time. Some of us are thinking of buying vacation cottages in Atlantic Canada and becoming citizens!  The places we visited were truly teeming with natural beauty.  And we enjoyed much shopping, seafood eating, local culture and the kindness of your fellow Canadians.  You did a great job in advising us. Thanks for all your help and suggestions.  We hope to return soon.

Richard Jacobson
The trip was truly wonderful.  We all loved Halifax, Nova Scotia, and PEI.  As you know, the weather was warmer than one might have hoped for, but sunny with cloudless skies until the day we departed.

Haligonians, and indeed everyone we met everywhere, were the nicest people imaginable.  The sights were charming.  We had some great meals. The accommodations were very nice.  Everyone asked me to e-mail a thank-you to you. We appreciate all of your help. I hope to return to the Canadian Maritimes in the future, and I'll let you plan it again.

Shawn, Patti & Sid Wilson - Ontario, Canada - Vacation Planning Services - Maritimes - July 2002
Our trip was quite enjoyable. We had good weather for the most part and were able to enjoy many of the sites that you suggested. The two B&B's were nice and now that we have used one I am sure we will be taking advantage of more. I enjoyed four rounds of golf, we saw whales in Cheticamp, moose on the Cabot Trail, seals and lobster in Lunenberg etc. etc. We look forward to returning some day to continue the exploration. Thanks for the help.

David & Marg High - Ontario, Canada - Vacation Planning Services - Maritimes - July 2002
Everything was great. Only a couple of days of foul weather around Lunenburg. All the accomodation choices were very good. Loved Keltic Lodge and the hiking trails. The cottage at Crowbush was new but outstanding. You sure get to practice your "wind game" when playing golf at that course!! Probably would choose the Inn at Bay Fortune as the nicest room or Keltic Lodge. Thanks for the help with this.

Debbie Bradford - USA to Egypt - July 2002
We had a wonderful trip.  Thanks for all your hard work that went in to making it so.  I can't begin to say enough good things about our guide, Hamdan Fatthy.  He is not only very knowledgable about Egyptology, but also has a wonderful character and high level of personal integrity.  I can't imagine that there could be a better guide than he. Overall I can't concieve of a better trip.

Connie & Frederick - USA to Spain, Portugal and Morocco - August 2002
Mostly we had a wonderful trip.       

Frank Scott & Family of 9 - Ontario, Canada - Vacation Planning Services - Maritimes - July 2002
We had a FANTASTIC time. The accommodation was first class - excellent. Too short a trip to see a lot but it gave us a taste of what NS/PEI were like. THANKS for everything.
P.S. I will have absolutely NO hesitation in recommending your service to anyone travelling out East.

Larry & Alene Model - USA - Canada Maritime Magic Tour - July 2002
The trip was very enjoyable. The group was got along very well. The sites were interesting, the accommodations were comfortable.  We had an excellent driver and tour escort, although we would have liked more commentary and background information as we went along. But, all in all, a very relaxing and pleasant vacation. Again, thanks for all your help.

Nancy Brown & Family - Alberta, Canada - Vacation Planning Services -  Maritimes - July 2002
The trip was wonderful- what a beautiful place to travel! All in all, a wonderful vacation. My recommendations for families- The best spots for the kids were Keji, Hopewell, Gold panning in Ovens National Park, golf in PEI and Cape Breton, beaches in Cape Breton and PEI and the sites at Louisburg and the Citadel. Thanks for your help.

Craig and Cathy Carlson - USA - Focus on Scandinavia - July 2002
Just wanted to thank you for all of your help and to let you know that we had a wonderful time!  It was really a memorable trip for us.  We have some friends and family that will probably be contacting you for more information to do the same! Thanks for all of your help.

Gary and Kristene Vrooman- USA - Greek Odyssey with Cruise to Turkey - June 2002
The trip went fine and the sights were outstanding. Overall, it was a wonderful trip.

Len & Ramona Geraldi - USA - British Isles in Depth - June 2002
We enjoyed the trip. The only negative item was the weather. It rained everyday for some portion of the day for the first 14 days. The sights, tour dirrector and bus driver were the best! Were looking forward to another trip within the next 9 months. I thank you for everything. You folks did a first class job.

Lucy Clarke- USA to Nova Scotia, Canada - June 2002
The Inn in Lunenburg was lovely!  Our hosts were friendly and helpful!  Our accommodations were excellent!  The same can be said for the Pines at Digby, except on a much grander scale!  Your choices excellent and appreciated. We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on the Nantucket Clipper - It was pretty rough for a couple of days, but thankfully we're both "good Sailors". Seventy-three hump-backed whales were sighted one day!
Thank you so much for your welcome home message and for your input in our lovely vacation.

Jeanne and Herb Smith - USA to Prague/Vienna/Budapest - June 2002
The trip was great. We did most of the optional tours on our own since we have travelled quite a lot before and read up on the destinations. Prague was our favorite, followed by Salzberg, a nice surprise since we didn't know we would have time to do more than simply stay overnight. All of the locations were lovely, and we had opportunity to take in two operas in the large state opera houses (Vienna and Budapest) and also a chamber concert at the Palace in Prague. Thanks for helping us pull everything together. Persons on the tour were from an amazing variety of countries including New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada (of course), USA, Ukraine, India, and a couple of others. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the trip and the people on it. If you have future offers, feel free to forward them to us. Thanks for your help.

Elmo Johnson- USA to Syria/Jordan/Egypt/Israel - June 2002
I want to share with you how my trip went.  My experiences in Syria and Jordan were very good.  I saw many interesting and wonderful sights.  Also, my guides there were very professional and informative. 
 
It is difficult to find the words to do justice to my visit to Egypt.  I have traveled to many different countries in the past.  I have never experienced such wonderful treatment as I received in Egypt.  First of all, I found the Egyptian people genuinely warm and friendly.  My guides, Ali and Omar, were nothing short of outstanding!  They were extremely knowledgeable and did everything in their power to ensure not only my safety, but that I enjoyed every moment of my time in Egypt.  At no time, whatsoever, did I have any problems and I felt completely safe.  I cannot praise your staff of guides and drivers enough!! 

I found Egypt to be everything I imagined and much more ... almost magical.  Seeing all the ancient sites and history was something I will never forget.  Every detail was carefully and professionally planned by your staff.  It all went like "clockwork".  I especially appreciated the flexibility your company allows.  I was very much impressed by the sincerity of my guides making certain that I got the most out of each day.  The time spent in Hurghada was fantastic!  The hotel was very nice and the dive shop owner was extremely helpful and professional.  The scuba diving was very beautiful, beyond description!  All in all, my trip was splendid.  On a scale of 1 to 100, I would rate the Tour Company at least a 99.5!  I would recommend your company to anyone considering a trip to the Middle East, particularly Egypt. I feel my life has been truely enriched by touring your country.  Thank you very much for all your fine hospitality.

Dena Laterza and Partner- USA to Egypt - June 2002
We had a wonderful time in Egypt!  The tour was great and so were the guides.  Thank you!

Susan Osheldt, Jeff Dodd & Son- USA to Ireland - June 2002
What a great vacation! The trip could not have been better.  The tour plan was excellent, and the tour guide, Noel Curtin, executed it flawlessly.  In fact, I just wrote this about Noel in an e-mail to David and Ireland Tours: "Noel Curtin was truly a gem. His intimate knowledge and experience, his easy-going and gracious manner, his great and sparkling personality, his careful attention and attentiveness made our vacation truly extraordinary."  We thank you for all of your help in making our vacation a great one

Dolores Nobles-Knight & Daughter- USA to British Isles - May 2002
The trip was wonderful!  We enjoyed it a great deal.  The tour director, Stuart James, really made the trip worthwhile.  He was so knowledgeable about not only the sites we saw on the organized parts of the tour, but also about British history in general and current issues in the British Isles.  He also had the best suggestions about where to eat, where to exchange money, when to go to certain places for the best tours/views, etc.  I'd take another tour with him in a second!  Thanks again for all of your help - I'll contact you again for my next vacation!

Fiona Cox- Calgary, Canada - Cairo to Alexandria, Egypt - May 2002
I must say that I had a wonderful day in Alexandria with my guide, Adel. The tour that you arranged couldn't have been better and my guide was very accommodating in taking me around to see whatever it was that I wanted to see.  Alexandria is lovely and I would go back there in a heartbeat.Once again, thank-you for your timely assistance in arranging for this tour and for contacting me at my hotel.

David & Deborah Manley and Family- Switzerland to Egypt - May 2002
The trip was excellent, we had a great time, and we couldn't have been paired with better traveling companions. Michael and  Claudia were great. Hamdan Fathy was great also, very knowledgeable about both the ancient and more recent History of Egypt, and was very concerned for our safety, well being and making sure we were having fun and seeing the things that interested us.  He was also very concerned for the children, which is far beyond the normal duties of a tour guide I'm sure. Thank you for everything, and if you have any other questions or would like any other feedback, please let us know.

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John and Glenys Dymock - USA to Egypt - May 2002
We have just returned from our trip to Egypt and we would like to thank you for a wonderful holiday, made so stress free by the most professional way your company operated. There was never a minute we were left wondering what was happening and all the transfers and pick ups ran so smoothly. I would like you to convey our sincere thanks to Mohamid in Cairo for all the organizing he did in this area. But most of all I would like to thank you for giving us such a wonderful guide and driver. Tiger, the driver, was such a friendly and helpful man, with nothing being too much trouble. On numerous occasions when he was waiting for us after a visit to something, he was always on the look out for us, and would just pull up right there. He was amazing, and a real asset to your company. I hope you will be able to let him know how much we appreciated his attentiveness.

Our guide Hemden, just made our trip very special and we now regard him as a very special friend. His outstanding knowledge of ancient Egypt made our trip so interesting, but his ability to share everyday modern Egyptian culture with us was very special and made this trip for us a wonderful cultural experience. You are very fortunate indeed to have a guide as talented and such a special person as Hemden. Your assurances to us that your company would go the extra mile to ensure our comfort and enjoyment were certainly carried out. Please convey our thanks to everyone involved. Many thanks for a wonderful holiday, 

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Tony Abbruzesse & Geoffrey O'Shannessy - USA to Lake Nasser, Egypt - April 2002
Our trip went very well, accommodation, transport, tours etc. were excellent. Ali, our tour guide was just great, he looked after us as if we were his own family, highly recommend him to others. Thank you for arranging everything, excellent tour.

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Roz Cox - USA to Egypt - April 2002
I just had to write and thank you for the recommendation for a guide in Luxor. Ahmed Shawky is indeed a great guide. And a very lovely man. He sends his regards to you. He really made our visit a holiday to remember. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone. We feel that we will always have a friend in Egypt. Again, Thank you.

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Lois and Dan Anderson - Joni Teter Group - USA to Egypt - April 2002
We enjoyed the trip very much and found Ahmed to be particularly knowledgeable and supportive as we traveled together and tried to remember the information he shared with us. We certainly learned much more than we had ever expected. Thanks for all your help.

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Joni Teter - Group Leader - USA to Egypt - April 2002
Our trip was splendid, wonderful, marvelous, fantastic and just plain great!   It was truly a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime journey...except for those of us for whom it was a memorable first-in-a-lifetime journey - I'll be back!

I know that you and the rest of your team put in a huge amount of extra effort to make our trip a success, and I deeply appreciate your efforts. The arrangements you made for us were superb. 

Your "ground crew" in Cairo were great.  Mohamed functioned like a modern form of Anubis, guiding us through the underworld of planes and trains and formalities quickly, happily and without incident. And then there was our guide...Ahmed is a jewel!  He exhibits great knowledge and love of pharoanic Egypt, and somewhow manages to make that past come alive in the here-and-now of Egypt today. He is a marvelous teacher. 

Finally, I want to address the question of "safety and security," since I know that's on a lot of people's minds.  I always felt completely safe in Egypt, safer than I have felt in many other places in the US and around the world.  The people we encountered were warm and welcoming, and very pleased to interact with us.  "Welcome to Egypt" was the call  we heard everywhere - except in Aswan, where the call was "Welcome to Alaska," a little joke making the rounds of the younger set. We had security guards with us for much of the trip, which was disconcerting at first, but we got used to it. The guards were invariably courteous, often friendly and funny, and they tried to be as unobtrusive as possible.  We never felt that our movements were restricted or being monitored in any way; instead, we had people watching over us to make sure that we were able to do whatever we wanted in maximal safety.  I would return to Egypt tomorrow without a qualm, and hope that others start traveling there again, too. So, once again, showkron, showkron, showkron! I am very grateful to you both.  - Joni

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Philip Nichols and Family - Washington DC, USA to Egypt - April 2002
We had a wonderful time. I guess that in retrospect there are things that I would do differently, like take more time to see the same amount of things or see less things in the same time frame. The cruise from Luxor to Aswan was just Great as we had time to relax and look at Egypt as we sailed by. 

Yasser was great. Very helpful and very knowledgeable. Our driver in Cairo "Tiger" could thread the proverbial needle with a camel as he maneuvered the van through Cairo traffic. At times we were a little late and Tiger always made up the time and got us back on schedule again.  Mohammed, the poor fellow never sleeps.  He is always available and made sure our hotels were ready, our tickets were confirmed and he assisted and facilitated us in and out of the airports. Somehow Yasser even controlled the weather which was fantastic for nearly the whole of our stay. 

We enjoyed the meals that were provided by A-Z Tours. The meals on the cruise were first rate and the food in the hotels were yummy too. 

My wife and son were awed by the sights of ancient Egypt and the warmth and hospitality of the Egyptian people. I, of course, was home again having been born in Cairo and having returned 3-5 times in the past including one 10 month stay as a Marine Security Guard at the American Embassy.  So, I loved it and we will plan to visit again sometime in the future.

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Dominique Emerson and Chris Wagner - With Teter Group - USA to Egypt - April 2002
Both Chris and I enjoyed the trip very much and want to thank you and the staff for all the hard work under what appeared to be difficult circumstances at times.

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Susannah Cobbold and John King - London to Egypt - April 2002
Everything was fantastic and went very smoothly, so thank you very much. All of the people in Egypt  were very helpful and kind, offering lots of information and useful tips. We took some tours in Luxor and the guide was very knowledgeable. The hotels were also amazing! Thanks again for your help.

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Wendy Massey - USA to Jordan & Egypt March/April 2002
I had a wonderful time in both Egypt and Jordan.  The was never a moment that are not exciting and overwhelming.  I have to say I really didn't know what to expect in terms of the trip, however, I was pleasantly surprised with the tour agencies professionalism, knowledge, flexibility and thoughtfulness. Our Egyptologist (Hamdam Fathy) went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure I received everything I needed regardless of the request. I really want to highlight Hamdam as someone who is incredibly educated in ancient history and a genuine person that takes great pride in his job and the service and experience of those his is responsible for. The accommodations such as the hotel,  food, and transportation was all very nice and surpassed my expectations. The recommended itinerary was also perfect for the amount of time I had. 

The experience was absolutely amazing and I learned a tremendous amount of information in terms of ancient history, culture, the Muslim's, current politics (a perspective from the Palestinians regarding the issues in Israel). I also made many amazing friends in both Egypt and Jordan that I hope to keep in touch with.  As an American I felt 100% comfortable/safe and was treated very well from the local people.  Even if someone wasn't travelling alone I would recommend to anyone going through the tour agency. 

In Jordan a site will be opening in 3 weeks where Jesus Christ was baptised by the river Jordan. Beautiful restaurants, snack bar, shops have been built next to this site but the truly amazing experience is the pathway that has been built through the trees that leads down to the river Jordan.  This site also contains Elijah's hill where it is believed that prophet was translated as well as John the Baptist Church.  Really this was in many ways the highlight for me on the trip and I would recommend anyone going to Jordan to take the time to experience this as it is on the way to the Dead Sea. Thanks for this experience one that I will never forget.

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Elizabeth Williams - USA to Jordan & Egypt March/April 2002
I had a terrific trip; thank you for your help in arranging everything. - Egyptologists were excellent - Drivers were great - Tour package excellent

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Mark Rigby - USA to Egypt - Feb 2002
All of my trip went very well and I was particularly pleased with the Middle Egypt trip.We went to Akhmim across the river where we saw a rarely visited 11-metre high statue of an unknown princess. We were all pleased and the townspeople obviously don't see westerners very often. A delight. 

At night our group - me, guide, bus driver, and the Tour rep - all got on very well and went out for dinner each night, followed by coffee or tea in the street. Couldn't asked for a better team.

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Karen and Evan Cushing- USA to Egypt - Feb 2002
I want to write and let you know what a wonderful the trip to Egypt my son Evan and I just had! We had been hoping formany years to someday visit Egypt and see its many famous and ancient sites. Finally we we able to go this year, and it was truly the trip of a lifetime.

Over the past two weeks, not only did we finally get to  experience the famous landmarks we had previously seen only in books and on TV, such as the Pyramids (which are much taller in real life!) and Abu Simbel, we also saw temples we were not previously familiar with but were just as stunning, such as Abydos, as well as beautiful mosques and churches in Cairo.We took many pictures and will remember this trip all our lives.

What made the trip particularly special for us was our wonderful tour leader Ali, a warm and friendly person who was truly concerned for our every need. I was afraid I would gain weight during the trip! Ali made sure we were happy every step of the way, and made all arrangements efficiently and exactly. He became our friend, and is a kind and generous person.

Also, our historical guides Omar and Mariam were very informative, and provided us extensive information about the historical sights we were seeing. Although we tried to learn about Egypt before the trip, we learned so much more from Omar and Mariam, such as the difference between Roman-era and native Egyptian relief carvings, the three versions of Horus, and the difference between Isis and Hathor.

All our friends are fascinated about our trip, and we have been telling them all about the marvellous time we've had. The people we met in Egypt were friendly and gracious, and we especially appreciated the personal experiences such as dining out with Emad and his family, and eating at kosharie restaurants with Ali.

Egypt seems so far away from the U.S., but this trip was enjoyable and carefree.Thanks again for a great trip.

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Mr and Mrs Ken Okada - USA to Peru - Jan/Feb 2002
Excellent trip!  Lima tours took good care of us, and was very organized in their handling of the entire itinerary.  I definitely would recommend them to anybody else going to Peru.

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Adrian Evans and party of 4-American School - Dubai to Egypt Jan 2002
Overall our tour was excellent.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Egypt and thought that out tour guide, Yasser El Emam was fantastic and consistently went above and beyond any expectations that we had of a tour guide.

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Clare Tiller and family of 6 - USA to Puerta Vallarta Jan 2002
Great vacation.  Everything went without a snag. Thank you for everything! !