I was just sorting out the “paperwork” from my Antarctic trip and came across your questionnaire re the services provided to Barbara and I in Buenos Aires. I didn’t complete the form, but wanted to let you know that everything was excellent. Our local guide and driver (Carlos – without him, I don’t think we would have made it alive through the BA traffic!) were fantastic, the hotel excellent and the tango show and dinner was perfect. We had enough time in the morning to visit the famous Recoleta Cemetery, so the location was perfect. Thanks for everything.

Again, thanks for a great time in Buenos Aires. A shame that Barbara couldn’t have spent more time there – I love BA.

Liz and Barbara (Repeat Clients)

Thank you for helping us organize our trip to Iguazu Falls. We have been many places, but now Iguazu Falls ranks close to the top. We were especially pleased with our guide Paola Lovera. Paola’s personality, knowledge of the falls, fauna, and flora were exceptional. She taught us many things about the area, answered our questions, asked us questions about what we were learning as writers, and let us take our time and enjoy this remarkable part of the world.
If we could have Paola (her husband Junior) as guides we would be on our way back to Iguazu tomorrow!
Without your help, however, our experience would have been greatly diminished. We are Yampu fans forever!

Peter

I must tell you that our holiday was supremely brilliant. Yampu’s organization of all aspects (even the weather) was excellent. The guides and drivers provided were obviously totally dedicated and choice of accommodation was faultless. I would especially like to commend our driver guide Guido. His general knowledge and interest in botany and geology combined with his enthusiasm of the Patagonian culture resulted in an enjoyable, challenging and informative journey.

After three weeks away I was thinking we should go home as nothing more could compete with what we had already seen and done BUT then we went to Terra Luna Lodge! The marble caves on the way in, the actual location of the lodge, the accommodation/food and the excursions we went on and the friendly staff all combined to make this the “icing on the cake”

We certainly would like to return to South America at some stage. In all my travels I have never experienced such honest hospitality.

Thank you for your team’s time and energy. You certainly provide an excellent service and I have no hesitation in referring my friends to a holiday in Patagonia organized by Yampu

Luise and Anita (clients from Australia)

Not sure how much of the trip we can cover with you (3,000 pictures) but I can tell you that you and your group did an absolutely fantastic job of organizing it for us and custom-made to suit us. We kept expecting something to go wrong somewhere but it never did! We were always picked up and dropped off as per the agenda, regardless of which country, city, airport or bus station it was supposed to be at. The hotels we stayed at were also well chosen and the included meals were so much more than expected.

We will certainly recommend Yampu to anyone and everyone contemplating a South American tour. We just cannot say enough about the company or the services provided!

We also take this opportunity to thank you and all the Yampu staff involved in our travel arrangements and also to wish all at Yampu, a very Merry Christmas and the best of everything in the New Year!

Thanks again, Yampu!

Gil and Ray

Our holiday was very good, thank you. We think just about all went according to plan and we were well supported by the local offices, especially in Peru. As you would be aware, along the way we completed Yampu feedback questionnaires…I guess they will be passed onto Yampu.

In brief:
Local Guides – We experienced some excellent guides and a few whose English was basic. Some tours were presented in more than one language by the guides, as would be expected this was a bit challenging for guide and tourists. Overall good to excellent!!
Transportation – Great drivers other than one instance, which didn’t matter as we had plenty of time, drivers were very punctual. No instances of dangerous driving. Overall excellent!!
Hotels – a few gems and others basic. I think next time we would go up in grade equivalent of a star. Overall good!!
Restaurants (meals/service) – language difficulties and lack of advance notice in several instances about Dympna’s ‘no-salt’ food requirements created difficulties. Overall the food options were very satisfactory and we tried local foods often. We especially enjoyed (or over indulged) in Pisco sours. Overall good!!
Rating of the whole trip – simply wonderful. We had a great time and almost all per the itinerary went according to plan. We would (and we already have) recommend/recommended Yampu as a service provider.

Yampu’s professional and prompt service has been excellent and we thank you all. Special thanks to you.

Colin & Peter

It has been a couple of days since our tour officially ended and Jerry just returned home so here is some feedback on our trip.

1. Rio – I did fill out a questionnaire in Rio, but to sum it up: Marcello was excellent (knowledgeable, personable, good English). Porto Bay Hotel was pretty nice and had decent rooms, balcony in room with a view, a nice roof top pool area, breakfast was good, and the location was OK. The Samba show and dinner were probably the least favorite of our trip; they were just ok. Lunch at Porcao was top notch; the food and setting were great.

2. Iguazu – On arrival in Brazil the driver planned to take us to the Sheraton, Argentina for a 2:00 pick up, to return then to see the Brazil side of Falls. This was supposedly because our flight was 25 minutes late. This made no sense to me considering travel time back & forth as well as customs twice. Then he suggested we could see both sides of Falls all the next day, which we didn’t like. Ended up we were left at a gift store on Brazil side for hour wait until tour guide picked us up. The store was large so it wasn’t a big deal for us, but I would not have been happy following their other 2 itinerary suggestions. Tours of falls on both sides were great. Shearton Hotel has a great location and good facilities. Food at Sheraton was not as good as the views. The Tour Guide here was ok. Boat ride at falls – itinerary says you will get wet. Yes I expected you’d get wet near the falls while viewing, but really it seems the point to get under the falls and drenched!

3. Buenos Aires – Matias was also an excellent guide. Personable, good English, and shared social / political information that was interesting. The Tango show and dinner here was very good. Professional show, beautiful facility, and delicious food. We enjoyed the great location of the Esplendor hotel but had mixed feelings on the hotel in general. The room size is on the small side with no chair or luggage rack. The decor and design were nice but could use more lighting. The continental breakfast was marginal. Rugs and sofas in lobby could use a cleaning. I think Jerry emailed you the clarification that the driver was to pick us up at 7:15 am and we checked out at 7:10 and waited in lobby until 7:30 when we took a taxi to ferry. We had VAT items to get stamps for refund and money exchange at terminal so we did not want to wait longer.

4. Colonia – Ana was an enthusiastic and pleasant tour guide. Colonia is a pleasant change from Buenos Aires. Plaza Mayor Hotel was lovely, enjoyed staying there. Our only issue: no lunch was provided. I showed Ana my itinerary from Yampu indicating lunch and she called her office and informed me it was not included.

Transfer to Montevideo was on time, helpful driver on arrival at winery.

We would recommend Yampu and this trip to our friends. It was a nice mix of beach, forest and falls, big city and little city.

Jerry and Carol

The trip was just fabulous! Lisa and I really enjoyed Tierra del Fuego, Perito Moreno and Buenos Aires. All the accommodations worked well for us and all of the guides were courteous and well informed (with the possible exception of the Perito Moreno excursion where our guide seemed to be more interested in flirting with the driver than being with us ;-)). Patagonia wildly exceeded our expectations and in Buenos Aires we had the pleasure of a public concert with Placido Domingo on our last night (very close to the Four Seasons) to close an almost perfect trip.

Once again, thanks for all your help in organizing this wonderful trip whose memories will last a lifetime!

Michele and Lisa

Your arrangements were perfect! We had a fabulous time in all
three places—the guides were on time and knowledgeable. I just recommended you to a friend in Ojai, Nelda Samarel, who’s planning a trip to Rio in July with her husband. Thanks for your excellent planning!

Mackay

Luis, our guide in BA was truly fantastic, he was so friendly and helpful. Our first tour was of the various coffee houses through out the city, which I think was the most interesting considering where they all were and the people we got to meet. We would never want to go back without having Luis. Colonia was a very pleasant surprise, after being in Buenos Aires it was so relaxing and the guide there was also very friendly and the walking tour was interesting and the coast was beautiful. Montevideo was ok, I think that we were so spoiled by Luis and the guide in Colonia that in comparison Montevideo was the least enjoyable part of our vacation.

I can promise you that when we ever want to go any place you have tours we WILL write you again! We have now done the tango so maybe next time you can recommend somewhere that does the salsa.

Thank you SO very much for everything!

Terry

We had a wonderful time and barring the hiccup in flight delay at Lima; Yampu so promptly rectified the situation and in turn render such superb services to start off our holiday towards Machu Picchu. Yampu was so accommodating in changing our train schedule from afternoon to morning, so we could return to Cuzco to pick up what we had missed when we first arrived.
Our guide Darwin is very experienced and we had an informative and enjoyable day at Machu Picchu. The weather was sunny and a great day to be there. El Mapi is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! The dinner is commendable as well and the hotel staff are so friendly and helpful.

Yampu provided us with special transportation from the train station instead of traveling on the bus; that was much appreciated and we felt very special. The afternoon tour visiting the Cathedral, its art museum, and San Blas was equally detailed.

For us – Mike and myself, we enjoyed Argentina best and Rio least. Perhaps it was because we were at the end of our holidays.
Hotel Babel is a good choice and we would hope that you will continue to recommend them to your clients. It is my personal recommendation to anyone who wants to experience the old town of San Thelmo.

Again many thanks for the thoughts, care and concern, and planning you have put in to make this trip so beautiful.

Mike and Lisa

We had a great time — thank you so much for your help. Everything was very well organized and the local tour companies provided excellent services. Our favorite part of the trip was the Andean lake crossing — what a phenomenal experience. We were lucky to have great weather and loved the accommodations in Bariloche and Puerto Varas. We also really enjoyed the day trips to Chiloe and Valparaiso/Vina del Mar. The tour guides were especially informative on those outings. Additionally, we had two great day-trips with Regina from Turavion in Chile — the Santiago city tour and then a vineyard tour (which we decided to add on our last day). She took great care of us!

There were only a few glitches I can report. In Buenos Aires, the local tour company had our flight-time to Bariloche wrong on the itinerary, so we had to call and straighten that out for the correct airport pick-up time. We also missed the van to the tango show one evening, but were able to get a cab and then take the van back to Hotel Madero (great hotel).

The one disappointment was the location of the Santiago hotel — the Radisson Petra la Dehesa. It was beautiful hotel with great service and amenities, but the location was so far away from the city center and any of the main tourist spots. I think for first time visitors to Santiago, a more central hotel location would be preferable.

We would also suggest one extra leisure day in Bariloche. It was such a beautiful location and the hotel was wonderful, we were sorry to be there only one night!

Justin and I would definitely use Yampu again to book future South America trips. We felt like we maximized our time in Chile/Argentina and saw varied terrain: both city and countryside. All in all, a wonderful trip!

Kristen

I had a truly fantastic time in Chile and Argentina. The trip went like a dream with absolutely no hitches. I had been promising myself this trip to Patagonia for some years and am happy to report that it has exceeded all my expectations. Thanks for putting together a great itinerary for me and taking the hard work out of planning my vacation.

I will be in touch to seek your help planning my next trip to South America whenever that may be.

Andy

It was a great trip. Your guide Samuel for Iguassa Falls was outstanding. We have been on a lot of excellent trips i.e. Smithsonian, national geographic, historical endowment, etc so to get such a compliment speaks volume about him. The Hotel was very good with great food, the only issues: it was hard to find someone fluent in English or German and Wi-Fi wasn’t free, both surprising for a 4 star hotel. The trip was well organized, Argentina first and then Brazil is the best way to do it. We had to cancel our scheduled boat tour, which wasn’t practical with my camera equipment. We did go to the Bird Refuge close to the Brazilian Park Entrance and for someone interested in animals it was a real plus.

Rio was fine…. the hotel was average but provided value and a great location. Another addition you might consider would be going to the Carnival presentation they do each Thursday.

Thanks for putting together a great trip. We are very pleased with the program you put together.

Jim

Iris and I enjoyed our trip immensely. The cities were very interesting and the scenery in the countryside was spectacular. The tango club and the wine tasting were highlights of Buenos Aires. By the way, I can’t say enough about the BA Four Seasons; the staff was really exemplary and the location was great for our own walking tours. We learned how fortunate we were to have good weather for the lake crossing, since it apparently rains or is cloudy much of the time, even in summer.

The hotels were all first-rate; the Puerto Varas hotel is really a gem and we were sorry we were only there for a few hours.

I would note one thing that was a surprise: when we arrived in each location, we were provided the paperwork (vouchers) for that location only, and at each pass off the guide professed no knowledge of our next steps. In fact, everything went fine but I hadn’t expected that and consequently was a little (but only a little) apprehensive. I probably would have felt more comfortable if I’d known what to expect ahead of time. The only mess-up occurred in Bariloche. The tour company left a message the night before that they’d pick us up to take us to the boat for the first leg of the lake crossing at 8 am, and by 8:30 no one had shown. Fortunately the Llao Llao hotel is very close and they offered to take us, so we didn’t miss the boat and no harm was done. The guides were all very friendly and also flexible so Iris and I were able to see some museums that we had read about but weren’t on the tour. One example is the Funk museum in Valparaiso which was extremely interesting.

We met some very interesting and very pleasant people on the trip and that is always a highlight. The only problem with the trip was there are now quite a few places that we need to go back to see.

Iris and Tom

Thank you for the welcome back card and for the follow-up. I thought that I would take this opportunity to give you some feed back about our holiday.
Salta:
Overall impressions: We loved this area of Argentina! The scenery on the “Safari to the Clouds” and on the way to Cafayate was fantastic. Cafayate was a lovely town.
We needed more time to do what we did. Three tours in three days was too much. We needed a few days to relax and check out Salta city itself.
The excursion to Humahuaca Gorge was really not necessary as we covered much of the countryside that we had done the previous day. Also there was a lot of just hanging around markets.

The flight from Buenos Aries to Salta was delayed for around 6 hours with as usual no explanation from Austral as to why. This delay resulted in us missing the City Tour which was not rescheduled. In reality we did not really have any time to fit it in. We really enjoyed Design Suites as our accommodation in Salta so thanks for booking us there.

Iguazu Falls
Overall impressions
The Falls were beautiful. We were glad that we had an extra day so that we could go by ourselves to the park again because the tour was so packed with people. And by ourselves we could take our time.
The Esturion Hotel, after the Design Suites in Salta, was a let down. I would not recommend it and would definitely not stay there again.
In terms of the tour the jungle section of the Great Adventure was a waste of time. It really appears to be a means of getting people to and from the river. The jungle is secondary growth forest so I would recommend leaving this out of the itinerary.
It was very easy and cheap to take the local bus to the park on the second occasion we visited and I would recommend that people who have enough time do this.

We really enjoyed the time that you organised for us. Yampu was extremely efficient and helpful and the travel notes that you sent us were probably some of the most extensive we have had before leaving on a trip. I would definitely recommend you and your company to others who may be planning a trip to South America. Thank you so much for your assistance.

John

Tim

Just completed our third vacation with Yampu in South America (November 2010 in Peru, Argentina and Uruguay) and once again it was excellent. The arrangements, attention to detail and responsiveness to questions are all first class. We thoroughly recommend Yampu to anyone planning a South American vacation.

Steve and Gail, England

WOW what an amazingly beautiful country, we loved Argentina. In terms of feedback, we couldn’t fault the technicalities, all of the pick-ups and transfers were there as expected. However, we did have some difficulties receiving our vouchers in Iguasu. We thought that the tour operator that you used in Iguasu was not to the same standard as the one in Calafate and we would have preferred a smaller group tour on the Argentinian side of the falls (there were 66 people on our trip). Also, our ‘English speaking guide’ didn’t provide us with any information. On the Brazillian side it was great that we had paid for the private tour, however, we did feel a bit rushed around. We found out while we were there that there was a 9km trek that we could have done, but instead we were whisked back to the hotel without the option.
In Calafate the hotel Koi Aiken was great, but as I mentioned above I don’t think they were happy with our lack of vouchers. Estancia Alice was beautiful, however, we felt that there wasn’t as much to do there as we had been expecting. We were hoping to spend the 3 days there going out for long hikes and bike rides in the scenery, however, the grounds of the Estancia are relatively small and there was really only one short walk that you could do around the perimeter. Therefore, we sadly found 3 days here a bit long (also the bikes were not available). In addition, there seemed to be multiple staff with not much to do, which on occasion sometimes made us feel awkward because they would congregate en masse in the communal areas.

Despite this feedback, we had a truly memorable and incredible time. Thank you very much for organizing this for us.

Sarah

We had a wonderful trip! Thank you for your great suggestions. I think Iguazu Falls was my favorite, it was just amazing and I’m so glad we did both sides of the falls. The wine lodge was heavenly and I’m sure I’ve gained 20 pounds. Buenos Aires is such a fun city, I liked being right by Florida Street with all the things to do. I also liked Rio de Janeiro. It just worked out that we stayed on Copacabana Beach because that was where the Marriott is located, but that would have been my first choice anyway. The beach is gorgeous and seems to be in a good area. We took the city tour of Rio de Janeiro and went to the top of Sugar Loaf mountain to “see” the Christ statue, except it was so cloudy we couldn’t see anything at all! My visa for Brazil is good for 10 years, that gives me a reason to go back! I wanted to tell you the Grayline tour in Rio wasn’t very good, we spent at least 1/2 or 3/4 of our time stopping at various hotels picking people up and waiting around. I don’t know if maybe it was just an off day. Everything else was perfect though!

Nina

We had the most wonderful trip and it went so well, all thanks to Yampu Tour’s excellent organization and close attention to details.

At our arrival in Lima we were met by the very warm, enthusiastic, and lovely Patricia. She walked us the very short distance to our beautiful hotel across the street, ran through the details of the next day, and packed us off to bed agreeing to pick us up in the morning for our next flight.
Our arrival in Puerto Maldonado went smoothly and we were meet by an amazing open-air bus that took us to the butterfly house. At this destination we were given cool towels and drinks while the company organized our passports and paperwork while we looked at the butterflies. This was very smoothly organized and helpful information was provided.

Off to the port and the amazing frontier-like town of Puerto Maldonado. My first big surprise was the real canoe, th a motor, hich we boarded by walking a plank. The days at the Inkaterra Amazonia were really wonderful with great food, sensational activities, and friendly people. Our tour guide was Jesus, a highly intelligent young man who knew the jungle like the back of his hand. He was so helpful and made each activity both fun and an amazing learning experience. The canoeing trip around the lake, the night canoe looking for caimans, and the awesome canopy walk, about 30 metres above ground, were all fantastic! I highly recommend this wonderful 3-day experience. We saw many monkeys, birds, tarantulas, anteaters, squirrels, caimans, and agouti. We learned a lot about the surrounding region, its wildlife, and the local way of life. Thank you for suggesting this awesome experience.

Off to Cusco where once again all went smoothly. The guide was most helpful, knowledgeable, and accommodating. The trip manager, Julio was excellent. He appreciated our difficulties with the altitude, the early 5:00 am start, and the long travel to Machu Picchu. The hotel was really excellent, delicious breakfast choices, great beds, and a lovely view into a court-yard. Machu Picchu was awesome and everything I hoped it would be. We had perfect, sunny, clear, and hot (about 29 Celcius) weather. The mountains were fantastic, thank you so much for seating us right at the front of the train where the views of the river, mountains, and Inca ruins were amazing. We spent 2 days in Machu Picchu in the hotel Aguas Celiantes which was very good. The hotel was well located, very comfortable, and served authentic Peruvian food. Julio was very understanding and helpful on our return to Cusco. He organised the airport taxes and assisted us through the queues. I was quite pleased to return to Lima and sea-level. We didn’t use the oxygen, however we did feel the affects of the changes in altitude.

Lima was lovely and we enjoyed a quiet couple of hours exploring the markets before the city tour, which went very well. Thank you for suggesting private tours, they were excellent and more efficent loading us back into the bus/car. A great benefit was that the tour was in English and gave us a much better chance of learning. The personal tour was definitely worth the little extra cost.

The hotel in Rio (Porto Bay Rio International) was really excellent in all aspects including location, facilities, and sensational views. We had the most delightful tour guide in Rio named Cinthia. She was great personable, knowledgeable, caring, thoughtful, friendly and warm. The day tour was so well explained and interesting. We had a fantastic lunch and dinner at two different BBQ houses and thoroughly enjoyed a local samba club. During our day to ourselves we had a wonderful time at the beach, swimming in the Atlantic, and exploraing the area of St. Teresa and Ipenema beach. Cinthia, like Julio, was so helpful at the airport and helped us though to the point where we were ready to board. Once again the weather was exceptional, we were well blessed.

Iguazu Falls were really mind-blowing. Roberto was an excellent guide here. His local knowledge and manner enabled us to learn so much. The Falls view room at the hotel was really excellent at the hotel. It was wonderful to sit on the balcony and watch and hear the falls, which could also be enjoyed from the bedroom! Our wild adventure day was truly wild due to pouring rain and a long thunder storm! How amazing! We were really blown away by the never-ending falls and the deafening sound and enormous height of the lightening. A sensational day, one to be always remembered.

Buenos Aires was stylish, elegant, and full of locals enjoying the wonderful sunny weather in the parks. We had fun shopping on Florida Street and at the Recoleta area weekend markets. We enjoyed the hotel and the local area. The young man at reception, Andres, suggested a local restaurand, Don Julio, that was fantastic. The food was extraordinary and it was great to see what the locals enjoy. The following night, the tango show and dinner was very special, it was a great night out enjoyed by everyone.

It was the most amazing trip. We really can’t thank you enough for all your help and guidance and hard work. We will highly recommend you, Yampu and South America to our friends.

Penny

We have had a great time, it has gone far too fast! There have been many highlights along the way – Machu Picchu was spectacular as you can imagine and we have fallen in love with Brazil. It’s a really great part of the world.

For feedback – overall the itinerary was excellent, pickups/transfers were seamless, and the tour operators were fantastic. In hindsight, the only change we would have made is to spend an extra day or so in Cusco and less time at Iguazu Falls. As you say, it’s sad to be at the end of our trip. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can visit again!

Thanks again for all of your help with making our honeymoon so enjoyable and memorable.

Jamie and Seth from Hong Kong

Thanks for the follow-up. My sister and I had a great time and didn’t want to come home! We have many great photos and great memories as well as a few extra pounds to remember our vacations by. Our favorite places to visit were Machu Picchu, Cuzco and Iguazu Falls. The beaches in Rio were also amazing. The guides were all excellent but our favorites were Edwin in Cusco and Christopher at Iguazu Falls. I would definitely recommend your travel agency and the tour companies used for future travel.

As a whole, things went pretty well and any problems/misunderstandings that arose were handled very promptly and satisfactorily by the local guides. Thanks again for your excellent work! I have many wonderful memories of the trip.

Rhoda

I did the South America combined country trip in June-July 2010 through Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. It was a really good way of seeing the highlights of each country in a very short period of time (nearly 1 month) to give you a taste of what there is to visit. This tour is well worth doing if you have energy and are happy to only see the most important parts of the country and fly off again to another. If you prefer to travel slowly and enjoy every aspect of a specific country, you will not like this trip.

In my case, I wanted to see the highlights so I could return to a specific country in the future that drew my attention as I am returning to live in Europe and I wanted to ensure future trips to this side of the world were correctly chosen.

Here is a very detailed explanation of my experiences the last month while travelling.

Yampu was really good at helping me chose and organize the trip as it was last minute (it was all done less than a week prior to travelling!!), they were the only ones who could book a last minute boat at the Galapagos which was the main reason for my trip. I was quite amazed at how confident they were they could help me out when other companies did not even try.

My first stop was Quito… The hotel was nice and very well located. Next was Galapagos, the boat I was on (Athala) was fantastic and I was upgraded!!!! I had my own room right next to the captain on the top deck. The staff was fabulous and the islands incredibly beautiful. it was a short trip but very enjoyable and saw the basics of the Galapagos islands. The number of sea lions that surround you is incrdible and I was really happy with the number of times we were allowed to snorkel during the trip. All in all, great. Oh, and the food was AMAZINGGGGGGGGGG

Next stop Peru. I had a very short time spam between arriving in Lima and leaving for Cuzco. I arrived at the hotel at nearly midnight (thankfully it was only by the airport) and left really early in the morning again to catch the flight to Cuzco. The hotel was basic but for the few hours, ok.

Cuzco was outstanding. To be there during the Inti Raymi was incredibly exciting (thank you Jose for extending my stay in Cuzco!). The atmosphere in town and the celebrations were spectacular. I coincided with other travelers in various tours as stayed in town for a few days which was great as I was travelling alone and during the whole trip I had many lunches and dinners on my own. Machu Picchu was great, the town was really nice. The hotels in Cuzco and Machu Picchu were great and the guides as well as ground help were the best of the whole trip. A very organized process all the way through and the only time I ever really had a package with detailed timetables which I really appreciated, particularly after the terrible organization in Ecuador.

Next country, Chile. I fell in love with this country. Santiago was incredibly beautiful and the people polite and nice. It was cheap through the all country and the sights spectacular. My favorite country in this trip, the people’s attitude, the guides knowledge and care as well as the hotels made it all the more enjoyable. All hotels in Chile were spectacular! The food very enjoyable with sea food being their primary meals. All in all, 10 out of 10. Loved it!!!!

First Santiago, then Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas (best hotel I have been in years) and finally Peulla were I had a wonderful time zip-lining and horse riding (again the hotel was great). I will be returning to Chile at some stage in the next couple of years so I will be in touch. I really liked your organization there and the trip could have not been better.

Next, Andean crossing through the lakes from Peulla (Chile) to Bariloche (Argentina). The sightseeing was fabulous and unforgettable. The staff’s attitude and boat cleanliness was very different in Argentina to Chile but still all good. The hotel in neither Bariloche nor Buenos Aires were very good but it improved once in Iguazu.

The guide through Iguazu was fantastic and the transfer over to Brazil very easy.

Finally Rio de Janeiro. I could have easily have returned home without this stop. The hotel was basic and the guided tours crowded and basic again. I asked the ground transportation if I could cut my trip short but they didn’t sound too happy about it. I am glad they convinced me to stay at the end as I had time to relax but I would have preferred to have spent those 3 extra days in Chile so I would have done more and enjoyed it better. On the other hand, the ground transportation guide was really nice and his English was impeccable.

Thank you so much for organizing the trip so quickly. It was great and unforgettable, all timetables were followed to the point and information was given in a timely manner (Argentina could have been slightly better too). Accommodation was amazing except the hotels I have mentioned and the guided tours were mostly on my own so really absorbed information except in Rio de Janeiro were I missed most for what they were saying as it was confusing in 3 different languages and really quick.

Thanks again for all your help

Melody

We just arrived in Philadelphia – always hard to come home after a spectacular trip. Everything worked out very well. While we are glad we visited Bariloche we would not however go back as we think it is very overdeveloped and overrated and also pricey.

We were in Chile 4 years ago and things have really changed (e.g., the quality of food for example is so much higher than before) so in comparison to Argentina which is really struggling – you could tell there are stark differences between the countries.

We loved Hotel de Los Volcanoes and Puerto Varas and we also loved Hotel Natura in Peulla – as we were extremely lucky – not one drop of rain and only sunshine the entire time and everywhere we went – Peulla was beautiful. We understand in the rain it is difficult to be there but we were indeed lucky. We can’t wait to go back and next time we will go in Chile’s summer so we can visit S. Patagonia – so stay tuned!.

Thanks again for a successful trip. It was extremely helpful to know that we could call or e-mail you at any time if we had any difficulties.

Laura, Ph.D.

I am home again after the most fantastic trip. Of course my feet have not touched the ground yet, so much to do & mail a meter high. My heartfelt thanks to you especially, but also all the crew both on the ground & manning the desks.

We were never let down once. Always a smiling face in the foyer or standing at the airport gate. I don’t know how you pulled it all off especially with our last manic changes. It was hard work at times I will not deny it. The last 2 weeks were tight & we were both very tired, but getting to Machu Picchu was a highlight & completed the lifetime package. We stood there in awe. I will get Jenny to send you a photo to prove it, she is better at photos than me.

I am so glad I booked those 5 nights in BA at the end & enjoyed the Tango show, shopping & galleries, high tea at a posh hotel. I will not hesitate to recommend both you & Yampu. I hope we cross paths one day or certainly when I return to that magical part of the world I will contact you.

Jenny and Penny from Australia

Sorry about the delay in letting you know about the great trip you put together for us. Our trip went extremely well – all connections worked and the weather cooperated by giving us 18 consecutive days with sunshine (see some of our enclosed pictures! If I had to select three highlights (which is very difficult due to the great experience we had at each of the locations on our trip), I’d say the Lake District, the glacier cruise and Iguazu Falls stand out. We did note that folks in Santiago were very much aware of the fact that they’re living in earthquake country (as are we in California!) so we were sorry to see the devastation the latest quake caused. I hope you didn’t have too many clients in the immediate area during the quake. The Wrights join me in thanking you also for helping us put together this great itinerary.

Klaus and Erika

Sorry for the delay but time has been tight since our return. No need to worry though, we had a great time.

Buenos Aires was great – very sophisticated and reminded us of Paris a bit. Tours were very good and the guide was pleasant and informative.
Tango Rojo show was just wonderful – skilful, creative and a great spectacle.

San Telmo Flea Market was fine

El Ombú de Areco was fun. The Estancia was very basic (no air con), but colorful and fun. Barbeque lunches were good and there were nice snacks and drinks all day on demand, but breakfast and supper were OK. Staff were very nice and helpful and the horse riding was brilliant apart from the huge numbers of mosquitoes!.

Iguazu was just amazing – worth the whole trip on its own. Fantastic views both sides, good hotel etc

Rio de Janeiro was great – not as refined as Buenos Aires but just the buzz was brilliant. Corcovado and Sugar Loaf were spectacular. Champions parade inside the Rio Sambadrome was just amazing – not to be missed.

All the hotels were fine, but to be honest did not spend much time there. So all together a great success and would recommend to our friends.

George and Magda from the UK

I am writing to tell you that the Lassiter’s were absolutely delighted with everything that was done for them and by the experience of your excellent ground providers in Argentina. You helped to make a repeat client for me and established your agency as the first that I will call for South America itineraries. It would be an honor to be used as a reference to any of your future clients!

Joseph (Travel Agent)

We only returned to Paris yesterday since we stayed a few more days in Buenos Aires after the trip to Iguazu you organized for us. For your information: Tierra Atacama was extremely enjoyable, almost perfect. The hotel was very good, the staff exceptionally helpful, the excursions well organized, the guides very competent. Iguazu was also very good, a level below however. The Amerian Portal was beautiful, very well situated and comfortable, the excursions were convenient

S.Levy from Paris

As Norm said, we had a great time. Overall, everything ran smoothly and we were impressed with the level of attention we received. So, thanks very much for your planning and organization and we will certainly recommend you to our friends.

Diane from Australia

Overall we had a really good time. Peru was probably the highlight for us. The guides and the people were very friendly and attentive. The sites we visited were very interesting. Having only travelled in relatively wealthy regions before it was a little confronting to see the poverty of some of the people and it made us realize that we are very fortunate to live in Australia. We were lucky not to have been caught up in the problems at Machu Picchu. Given the very difficult terrain that the train and roads pass through it is understandable that flooding in the valley could cause the problems that occurred. We had some minor landslides as we went out via the Andean Explorer to return to Cusco. That trip was more than 13 hours. The trip to Inkaterra was great and the eco lodge was very well set up and managed. The tree top walk was a highlight as was the actual boat ride to get there.

Argentina and Calafate were great. Seeing the glaciers and going on the boat trip was very good. Damain was a great guide and made us feel very welcome in Buenos Aires. It is interesting to compare the size of the cities and the general standard of the public infrastructure to Perth. The waterfalls were well worth seeing and the boat trip up to the base of some of these was fun. I took a lot of pictures and will be able to use some of these in future geography textbooks.

We were impressed by the organization and the way the system worked with someone to meet us at each point. I would not like to travel first up into South America without this support. As you mentioned the planes are not that reliable. It is probably not a good idea to schedule connecting flights. We were lucky on the connect to Lima from Calafate. Our luck ran out when we went from Lima to Sao Paulo with TAM. That made the connect to Rio a problem. It was also the same when we came back to Australia. Interesting to compare the responses. We spent about 5 hours in the airport in Sao Paulo while they sorted out our luggage and accommodation and new flights. In Sydney we were met by a Qantas rep with details of new flights and accommodation as we stepped of the plane from Buenos Aires.

All in all we had a great time and the organization was excellent from your end. Your suggestions of locations was very good. I will CC this to Diane so that she can make her own comments. I am still trying to get back into local time and am writing this at midnight in Perth.

Norm (Group of 4 from Australia)

Sorry for the late reply. Trip was great. We enjoyed ourselves. We enjoyed ourselves very much, and your organization of the trip is 5 out of 5 stars. Thanks for everything, we’re very grateful for all your hard work, and maybe one day we’ll contact you again for a South America tour.

Bille from Australia

Fantastic trip——forced 1st. day tour of B.A. was helpful. 2nd. day to estancia was a push so early in the trip, after a long few weeks of work, and a long flight, but the ranch was well worth the effort, and if we had tried for one of the next 2 days we would have been either denied, or trapped by freak floods.

Hotel Alvear was special—Fran had stayed in the Paris Ritz a few times, and other like hotels in London, etc., and the Alvear was, to her, nicer. It was grand. Do tell people to eat before the very fun show at Senor Tango, as the food is dreadful. The B.A. guide, Alicia was very personable and accommodating, as was Paula in Montevideo. The side trip to Colonia was also very nice, however, it led to quite a long

The hotel at Punta del Este was also excellent, albeit more rustic (which we very much appreciated ). The service was always perfect, and the views of the sunsets and the views of miles of fireworks from the vantage point of the mountain top on New Years.

All in all, we were really happy with the vacation, South America, the people, the ‘digs’, and wouldn’t hesitate to return.

Fran & Dan

Everything went well with the tour, all the transportations and guides were efficient and always on time. We were impressed. Iguazu falls is majestic and Buenos Aries is very enjoyable. I will have no problem recommending your service to all my friends.

Thank you.

Connie
Australian Group of 20

We really enjoyed the trip though it seems like an age away now…......All in all everything went fairly smoothly. Buenos Aires was great for food and shopping (the credit card bill has just
arrived. Enjoyed the tango lessons though the 2nd class was better as less
people and no intermediate class with us so actually got to dance with men!! The tango show was great.
Iguazu falls were amazing, much better than Niagara and the zodiac boat ride brill if very wet. The estancia was gorgeous, wish we had a bit longer there, it was so beautiful. The accommodation was all good , with the Mendoza hotel being a bit more basic but it was fine and we had great weather all the way through. So thank you for your organization and I would certainly recommend your
company.

Julie (UK Client)

Thank you for your recommendation, time and patience. Cheers.

Janet

Thanks for everything you did to make our honeymoon fantastic. It was absolutely the best 10 days I could have imagined! My wife and I are very appreciative of your hard work, and we’ll definitely recommend you and Yampu in the future! Everything on the honeymoon went great. The guides, excursions, and hotels were wonderful. As were your suggestions about nightlife and relaxation activities. Thanks!

Steve

The trip was fantastic. We have become good friends with the guide in Tucuman! The LAN flight was on time but I noted those of Aerolineas Argentinas were late, so I would only recommend LAN for flight in Argentina for your other clients. I will contact you again for my once a year South America trip next year. God bless.

David
Repeat Client from New Orleans

We are home after a fantastic trip. We will be in touch in greater detail before too long, but I just wanted to respond to your message. We so appreciate all that you all did for us – your flexibility before our departure as well as your quick response after we were diverted to Cancun. We will certainly recommend you all to everyone who will listen!

Denise
Moss Beach, CA

Our trip was fabulous thanks. Patagonia was absolutely beautiful and Buenos Aries was just what the doctor ordered after a month and a half of travelling.

Thanks for all your help.

Andrea

Our trip was WONDERFUL!! We got back on Tuesday and I have been trying to write a couple of reviews each day for all the places we stayed on Trip Advisor. I will certainly be writing a GREAT review for Yampu in the coming days:)

Cavas was an amazing place!! This is one of the best hotels/lodges I have ever visited- truly an amazing experience. The property was gorgeous and the service is great. It was very cold when we were there (we had snow one night!) and it was always such a treat to return to our cozy room with hot water bottles placed in our bed- amazing surprise! As a recommendation to future clients, I would say the Special Programme is not really “worth it”, but Cavas will still arrange tours for you at a reasonable a la carte price.

Miravida was also great- a perfect part of town and a great boutique hotel. The host was so helpful and we enjoyed time in the wine bar with other guests every evening!

Teresita’s cooking class was a great day! It was great to get out of the city and explore the markets in the suburbs and then do some cooking…and eating!

Anavalhinas was great as well…the most luxury one could hope for in the Amazon without sacrificing the natural beauty. Their services were great and well organized.

Porto Bay was a fantastic place to stay- overlooking the gorgeous beach!! If we ever return to Rio, I think I would stay in Leblon or Ipanema for the great walking neighborhood, but I am glad we stayed in Copa for this first visit. Our tour guide was also great for the city tour.

Overall- we were VERY pleased with how organized everything was. There was always someone to meet us at the airport and everyone was very helpful- THANK YOU!!!

Thank you so much for all of your hard work in making this a great vacation. I will post a review on Trip Advisor soon and e-mail it to you as well, if you wish you add it to your website. I will definitely recommend Yampu

Trip Advisor Posting on Yampu: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294314-i3023-k2747786-Yampu-Cusco.html

Monica
San Francisco, CA

We got back last night after a fantastic trip. I think Georgie would agree that it was one of our best trips we’ve been on. I am rushing all over the place today as off on holiday again at 4.30am tomorrow. Nothing like another holiday to get over the post holiday blues! All in all a fantastic trip. Overall I think what really worked well was that we felt we spent just the right amount of time in each place.

Thanks again for all your help. It was much appreciated, particularly given the limited time we left to organise it all!

Prudence
UK Client

The Briggs and we have just returned from our 4 week trip to South America. In general we are extremely happy and pleased with how well it all went. Your agency is to be commended for doing such an excellent job. Initially we thought the price was a bit high. However with everything that we experienced along with all the services you provided, we now feel that you earned the money. The service you provided was excellent. We were met at every stop, there were no delays from the tour people, the one problem we did have was resolved quickly and more importantly, in a timely manner. People were kind, pleasant and in the mood to please. We were treated very well. I would rate your agency very highly and would recommend you to anyone. That may happen as we do have a lot of friends who travel. I thank you personally for the service that you provided. We have traveled a lot, both on our own and with agencies. This was one of the best trips that we have ever had.

We can’t thank you enough. In today’s world, with complexity of this trip, it was nice to see such efficiency and competence. If we were to grade your service (after all we are all teachers here), we would give you an A. The trip itself for us was A+ because everything else worked out so well for us including weather, food, people we met, etc. We appreciate the quality of the service you provided and immensely enjoyed the entire trip.

Yampu rocks!

Candy and Keith
Carlsbad, CA

I have to admit that the both of us were very impressed by the tour. Obviously the (Iguazu) falls themselves are unbelievably beautiful but also the tour itself was fantastic. Honestly we did not envision that we’d have a private tour guide all weekend but we found this to be extremely valuable. All in all it was a great trip and I will make sure to recommend it to everybody planning to go there!

Carsten
Erding, Germany

Thanks for your email. My mom and I had a wonderful trip. We can’t thank you enough. The accommodations were great, especially the Casa Andina properties in Peru.

We were also very impressed by the knowledge, professionalism and kindness of our tour guides. Damian (BA); Gracie (Bariloche) and Flora (MP) really stood out. They made sure that we knew all the details of our upcoming activities and answered all of our questions. Also the restaurants that were included on our trip were great-Lima, BA & MP.

Thanks again for all your help in making this trip possible.

Karin & Coral
Pflugerville, TX

My mom and I had a wonderful trip. We can’t thank you enough. The accommodations were great, especially the Casa Andina properties in Peru. We were also very impressed by the knowledge, professionalism and kindness of our tour guides. Damian (BA); Gracie (Bariloche) and Flora (MP) really stood out. They made sure that we knew all the details of our upcoming activities and answered all of our questions
Also the restaurants that were included on our trip were great-Lima, BA & MP. Suggestion for future guests would be to have cash available, as several nice places did not accept credit cards Thanks again for all your help in making this trip possible.

Karin & Coral
Pflugerville, TX

We are back from our trip and I wanted to say a special thank-you for everything that you have helped us with. The trip was unbelievable; we had the best time of our lives. If I had it over I would not change a thing!

We are definitely interested in a Central American tour, maybe in a few years time and I would not dream of going anywhere but straight back to you to help me plan it!!!! I’m also more than happy for you to use me as a reference; I would love to encourage people to enjoy the same amazing experience as I had!

Thanks again for everything :-)

Cheers

Jodi
Australian Client

Our holiday went very well indeed – we loved every minute of it! That’s why we went back to Yampu. : ) The Explora lodges in Atacama and Torres del Paine in particular are both standouts – the service was fantastic, the lodges themselves superb and the guides are amazing. Have never met a bunch of people so passionate about and eager to show off their environment. We learnt a lot.

Elaine and Eu Han
Third time repeat clients from Hong Kong

We’re back from our very enjoyable trip across South America. Here’s an update on how things went.

What would we do different ? Nothing; it was a great trip. Thanks much for organizing it for us. It’s ok to post this for others, if someone has questions on any part of the trip, they can call us at 651-731-2263.or e-mail us.

Evelyn & Gary
Gold Canyon, AR

I just wanted to let you know that our Yampu tour at Iguacu Falls was just terrific. Everything went smoothly, and I am still in awe of the majesty of the falls. Our guide was terrific, the accommodations lovely, and God just did the rest to make it perfect.

Thank you for all your help.

Marsha

I returned home from my visit to South America last night. It was perhaps the most fabulous trip I have taken, especially the Australis Cruise. I had no idea the accommodations would be as nice as they were which made the trip that much nicer. We had requested simple and unique and that is exactly what we got. It was also a good value too. It seemed as though your team worked hard at keeping all of our desires in mind while planning the trip. I appreciate all of the work your team went into to set up all of our excursions and guides. Everyone was where they should be at the designated time which gave an added sense of security to the trip.

Again, it was a wonderful trip and if I ever go to South America again I will use your company and recommend you to others who plan to travel there.

Elizabeth
Colorado Springs, CO

Thank you. Home and well. I’m holding on to the peaceful moments. Both countries were incredible. I must say I fell in love with Chile. I wasn’t expecting that but the people, history, culture and the open air were all breathtaking. I really enjoyed Torres Del Paine National Park. The hiking was great and the entire park is exactly how it should be. I really got excited on the Mare Australis cruise. What a spectacular opportunity. I’m so glad I stumbled upon your website and found out about this one of a kind trip. The food was delicious, the staff was super friendly, and the excursions were way more that I expected. We saw so many birds, penguins, and even a few dolphins. Thank you for setting up a very safe and organized trip. It was worth every penny and then some. Can’t wait to book my next trip.
Sincerely,

Nicole
Stamford, CT

We would like to thank you for organising our Argentine extension to our holiday. The arrangements went perfectly. The people in Buenos Aires were always on time and they kept us informed of the programme well in advance. The Sheraton at Iguazu was fine and the Falls were terrific. The Emperador was a 5 star hotel and the staff and service were very good. It made for a great time Many thanks

Doreen and Norman
UK Clients

Single female traveler from CA
Took part in the Tango Lessons in Buenos Aires

We’ve just finished our second Argentinian holiday with Yampu in 2 years. Once again we had a very good time visiting on this trip Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and Buenos Aires. Argentina is a very good country to visit and we would very much recommend anyone to use Yampu for arrangements. They have complete packages and can also customise from those . Every tour, every hotel and every ground arrangement they’ve made has been excellent. Their office staff (we used their NY office) have consistently been polite, knowledgeable and above all very responsive to requests.

Steve and Gail
UK clients

I wasn’t sure who to email, as I dealt with several people on the staff at your office, but I want to thank everyone for the trip you put together for us in February to Chile and Argentina. All the connections and reservations went without any glitches or delays, rather amazing considering all the transfers we made. The guide service was all very good. We particularly enjoyed the people we had out of Santiago, Francisco the guide and our driver, Carlos. All of the accommodations were quite adequate. The only change I would make from what we did would be to add a few more days here and there to look around on our own time.

Alan & Nancy

Just wanted to let you know that our “Trip to the End of the Earth” is on our website at marieandtom.com if you want to check it out or refer people to it.

Thanks again for everything,

Marie and Tom

We’re returning from our trip today. Had a wonderful time. We loved all of our hotels…particularly the Llao Llao in Bariloche and the Eolo in El Calafate. The lake crossing is a must for anyone visiting the lake district….had to be experienced to be believed.

Our tour guides in Santiago, Puerto Montt, El Calafate and Iguasu were WONDERFUL. All in all it was a fantastic, memorable trip and I would recommend Yampu to others.

Carole, Ladies Group of 6

Thanks for checking in. We had an excellent time in Chile and Argentina. Everything worked out perfectly. It was very comforting to have someone meet us in each city and facilitate our tours, while allowing us plenty of time on our own. All of the transfers and pick-ups were perfectly on time and were with very kind and helpful guides and drivers. Our only problem was in Chicago on our way home when our flight was cancelled, but there was really nothing anyone could do at that point. Otherwise everything was great!

We really enjoyed all the hotels and the tours you recommended and look forward to working with you again in the future.

Thanks again!

Sue

We did have a brilliant trip! Practically everything went according to plan and we were very happy with the itinerary, the hotels, the city tours and the other trips you booked for us in advance. The guides were all very good and some of them exceptionally good. We particularly enjoyed having someone to collect us from the airport and take us to our hotel and back again in unfamiliar cities. This is something we had never done before but it is definitely a very good idea and takes away most of the stress of travelling so much in such a short time.

John wants to visit Machu Pichu next and we will definitely get in touch with you when the time comes. With many thanks and good wishes,

Loli
UK Client

I can’t compliment you enough for the excellent preparations for our trip to Argentina and Chile. Everything went remarkably well, on time, without a hitch. We got excellent service from everybody in both countries. The guides Nicolas in BA, Sergio in Torres del Paine, and Lorena in Santiago were excellent with a vast knowledge of the area, the culture, the history. They were also most pleasant and very accommodating. Please make sure that their agencies know how pleased we were. Every time, everybody was remarkably punctual as well.

We also loved the choice of hotels. The Sofitel was a great recommendation because we would have never imagined. All of them had great concierge services. Useless to tell you, we ate very, very well. (I put a couple of pounds).

Many, many thanks for arranging this trip so masterfully and for having understood so well what we were looking for. I’ll be pleased to highly recommend your services.

Aracelia, Group of 6

We had a fabulous trip! The guides were very attentive, knowledgeable, and spoke perfect English. In every case we had private tours which were great since we could see just what we wanted to see. At each stop someone was always there to meet us. The hotels were well located and very comfortable and we were blessed with perfect weather. The only hitch was an unexpected 4 hour flight delay to Iguazu Falls but the tour company arranged for a private tour to see the Brazilian side so we didn’t miss out.

I want to thank you for all your help. It was a very special time for us and we feel that we had a chance to get to know some charming cultures, eat delicious local food and learn a lot. I would be happy to speak to any potential clients you might have who want to call a reference.

Ellen

Thank you for your welcome home message. We had a very good time and thank you for all your work. The following is my input:

- The transfers and the guides are great and way beyond my expectation basing on my experience of traveling in South America several years ago. Every single transfer on both Chile and Argentinean side was on time. The cars are above average in cleanliness and style. The guides are helpful and full of information.

- The guide that picked us up at Bariloche was full of information. His explanation on the economic down turn in Argentina few years ago was better than many.

- Since Llao Llao has its own transfer to and from airport, our own transfer was not absolutely necessary. But the advantage of our own transfer is that they keep track of the delays, informed us and pick us up at an appropriate time. As a result, we can sit and wait at the hotel which was more pleasant than sitting at the airport.

- Christine, the guide that picked us up at the airport in Buenos Aires was an angel. She was waiting for us at 11pm even though we were supposed to have arrived at 3pm. She arranged a city tour for us and also helped to change our return schedule (one day less at Iguaçu Fall and one more day in Buenos Aires because we were concern of delays that may cause us to miss our international return trip). Your local office was able to change our flight and hotel stay within a morning while we were touring and the new schedules were waiting for us when we return to the hotel in the afternoon. Christine even met us at the hotel and told us to go to the airport an hour earlier for our international return trip. She was right.

- With our schedule changes, we did not know what to expect. But everything was well coordinated, again beyond my expectation.

- We had (and did not expect) a private guide at the fall. We had only an afternoon and a morning, but thanks to her we were able to do everything. Claudia Placher was just the best.

- In short we are extremely satisfied with the travel arrangement. We jokingly said that we would go back just to experience that!

- Explora Lodge is every bit what we have expected and more.

Thank you again for your help. I’ll definitely work with you again.

Winnie (Family of 6)

We recently returned from a trip to South America. We had booked a cruise and wanted to extend our S. America experience by visiting Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro. We arranged this through Yampu (Yampu). Your staff was very helpful and the agents in Iguazu (Carlos and Julia) and Cynthia in Rio de Janeiro were great. Every arrangement was perfect! Thank you for everything.

Claire from Newport, Oregon

Here is my feedback and my overall impressions of the trip.

I had a fantastic time! Everything was very well planned (that includes excursions, transfers, accommodation, and reservations), I enjoyed the right amount of assistance and privacy at the same time.

The tango show was amazing and thanks for suggesting it; the Perito Moreno glacier was impressive; Tierra del Fuego Park beautiful- half day tour was exactly what we wanted. In Mendoza, wine tour was interesting and the wineries were beautiful and very different from each other (good to have variety). The Aconcagua excursion was worthy. Although 2-3 h drive to get there, the scenery is beautiful with lots of fresh air.

Hope that helps let me know if you need extra feedback.

Aliki
Greek client

Myself and my partner travelled to South America recently with Kon-Tiki; I’ve been meaning to drop you an email since our return but time just seems to have got away from me!

Just to let you know we had a fantastic time and were delighted (again) with the service we received from your company. Everything went like clockwork, our airport transfers were always on time (in Santiago they waited an hour while we had to sort out missing luggage details) and our guides were very friendly and knowledgeable.

Highlights were, of course, Machu Picchu (our guide Darwin’s enthusiasm for the subject was contagious), the day trip around the mountains in Salta and the wine tours with fantastic lunch in Salta.

Thanks for helping us to have a holiday that we won’t forget. Hopefully we will return to South America in the future, and if so, you will be our first contact.

Many Thanks

Iain & Deborah
UK clients

Our trip to Argentina was FANTASTIC and way too short! We would have liked to see even more of the country, Calafate and the glaciers, Mendoza and the wine country, etc. But there is only so much you can see of the country in two weeks and still call it a vacation (REST from work). Your interpreters were very helpful and spoke very understandable English. Ernesto in Iguazu was helpful arranging a meal and tour of that town, and Cesar in Buenos Aires was also very informative. Even the drivers who weren’t good at English were polite and helpful—especially Inez in Buenos Aires when we landed at a different airport and then they lost a suitcase. She politely stayed with us while we tried to find somebody to take our lost luggage claim which was almost 3 hours total.

El Ombu estancia is beautiful land, and the owner Eva believes in personal service! She even drove us and other guests up to the main road when it rained all day and the taxi drivers weren’t willing to come down the muddy road to take us back to BA. Food was great too!

Annette and Jon

My girlfriend, Annie, and I had the most awesome time in South America. We arrived to snow which was a bit of bonus for me, coming from Australia. Apparently it was the first time in 80 years that they had had snow in BsAs (Buenos Aires).

The Kempinski Hotel was absolutely fabulous. They had a helpful staff, and it was probably the best position in town for us. They looked after our luggage while we went off to Iguazu Falls and Uruguay, and couldn’t have been more helpful.

In fact, all arrangements were on time in Argentina (apart from Aerolinas’ flights!) and after that first hiccup I must say we were impressed.

Iguazu Falls—what can I say? You booked the Grand Adventure for us and I shall never forget the boat trip and seeing the falls for the first time from the water! It was awesome. I am so glad we booked the Sheraton Hotel for its situation.

Staff at all hotels were excellent—Mabel and Mercedes at Colonia sorted out our vouchers and travel details for us, and we found that one of the male members on staff at The Balmoral spoke excellent English and even tuned the TV in so that we could watch the BBC World News.

I would definitely recommend the tour we did and we are even talking about seeing more of Argentina later on—perhaps combining it with a trip to Chile.

We met some very interesting people and thoroughly enjoyed all our tours. Thank you so much for looking after us so well.

Chris

We had a great trip! Paul and I are back and working (uggh) today!
Thank you for coordinating such a great honeymoon for us! Of course, you may use our e-mail and comments for reference. We had a fantastic honeymoon that was the trip of a lifetime, and it was beautifully coordinated at all levels! We will be remembering this trip for the rest of our lives, and we are looking forward to telling our children about it (and returning to Portillo to ski with them, when they are old enough!).

Thanks again!

Leila

Just a quick e-mail to say thank you very much yet again for your wonderful service. I just wanted to let you know that my now-husband and I had a fantastic trip around South America and it’s all due to you. Everything that you arranged went smoothly, and there was not one problem at all.

I have to say after booking the trip about six months in advance, we did wonder whether we would be remembered at our first transfer, but we were and were greeted by all with wonderful smiling happy faces and if you have a moment I would appreciate you passing our thanks on to those agencies too.

South America was a breeze due to you, and we had not one worry at all. The activities were brilliant. If we ever return to South America at all we will be sure to contact you. If you have any other countries you deal with, please let me know as I would gladly come back.

Thank you once again for everything.

Lesa and Simon from Australia

The trip to South America was awesome. Yampu did a fabulous job with all the arrangements. From Iguazu Falls to Buenos Aires to Lima and Cuzo to Machu Pichu, we were treated so great. The guides and rides were wonderful. The lodging was great. The food was superb. We had so much fun. It was the trip of a lifetime. Our son finished his two years in South America with a bang. It is great to have him home.

Jeff

I just got back from my trip on Tuesday,and this is the first opportunity I have had to answer any e-mails. So…sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. As far as the vacation goes, I can tell you it was an amazing experience. The guide that you had set up for us was GREAT. She was professional, overly attentive and very fun to spend the days with. She planned a few more excursions that we had not ever planned and made the 3 days absolutely perfect.

Thank you so much for the great job with our vacation. I definitely look forward to working with you in the future. I would love to make it down to Machu Picchu some time in the next year.

Keep in touch please.

Bryan & Alex

Many thanks for all you arranged for us at Iguazu and Buenos Aires, we are now just about to leave Argentina on the next leg of our holiday. We had a great time in Argentina and it was the arrangements you at Yampu put in place that made it so very enjoyable.

We will certainly recommend you to our friends. Thanks again to you and the Yampu team.

Steve and Gail from Sussex, England

We had a great trip and were happy with the service provided by Yampu. You can use my name as a reference. I have traveled to over 30 countries and your travel company made our trip to Peru, Argentina and Brazil one of the best and hassle free.

Ed

We just got back from our dream vacation to Peru, Argentina and Brazil. Everything was perfect! Your suggestions as well as your attention to every detail made this a most memorable vacation. Even the weather worked out well. I can’t think of anything that I would change if I had to plan the trip again. The hotels were beautiful as well as very accomodating. I must make special mention of a few of the guides that were delighted to have- Alejandro Epstein in Buenos Aires as well as Tamara Levenson in Uruguay. They are experts in their fields and were able to give us real insight – adding to the overall experience. I would highly recommend your services to anyone
who is planning a trip there. Once I get my pictures sorted I will forward a few to you.
Once again – Gracias
With best wishes,
Vivie Golubtchik

Vivie

Just to let you know that we returned safely and that we had a wonderful time. All the local guides were most gracious and so were the hotels. Our favorites were Buenos Aires, Iguazu, the tour of the Lagos, Puerto Varas is spectacular with its lake and volcanos. Pedro Neruda’s home in Isla Negra was a site to see. We certainly will consider going back to these
countries.

Berta and Herb

We just got back from our trip to Peru, Argentina and Brazil. I do not know what to say. How should I thank you guys for such a pleasant and beautiful trip? I found Yampu on-line completely by chance, never knew how great it turn out to be. The trip was excellent. My husband and I travel a lot, but this trip was something else. Machu Picchu and Iguazu cannot be described in words. We enjoyed every second of this trip. Your organization was excellent. You hotels and agents were great. I recommended you to all my friends here in California. Thanks again and look forward to work with you again in the future.

Saba

Jose, I wanted to tell you that we enjoyed our trip and that it went well.

The Hostal Sierra Nevada in Calafate and the Hotel del Bosque in Ushuaia were excellent; the Sierra Nevada is especially beautiful. The NH Latino in Buenos Aires is fine as well.

All guides and drivers were excellent and uniformly helpful and informative. Let me know if any other comments would be helpful.

Dan

Kathryn, You did a great job -we loved it – all went well – the tour company in Buenos Aires did their job well and were really nice to us. All and all we were really happy. I think you can safely recommend the hot springs and spa. We were the only English speakers there and it had great food and nice accomodations. The scenery is awesome. Mendoza was nice, hotel was fine the NH and the shopping was much much better as far as prices were concerned there. Thanks again. Best, Melanie

Melanie, Boston, MA

Dear Kathryn, Jose, Cindy and Chris,

I just wanted to tell you thanks for all the work ya’ll did to put together a perfect vacation package together for me not once but twice. Everything was superb in Peru, Argentina and Chile. It was just as I expected and more. I will recommend to anyone that they experience a vacation tour with ya’ll. If you want me to go into any details I can burn your ears for hours but thought I would just let you know that You all did a fabulous job and that the guides and workers there did a really great job to keep us happy. I want to especially commend Ivan
on the Jungle portion of our tour He is an exceptional young man and treated everyone with equal interest and concern. I loved him. Isabella in Buenos Aires was a brief encounter but she took very very good care of us. Thanks
for all our wonderful memories. P.S. The food was awesome especially in Peru. That was my favorite.

Geralyn

Just a note to say a big thank you for making all the arrangements for my trip to Argentina – I had an absolutely amazing time and all the arrangements went like clockwork, from the moment I landed in Buenos Aires, until the moment I left for my return to England. The trip was truly memorable, Buenos Aires is an incredible city -especially the steaks in the restaurants, the Evita tour, the Recoleta cemetery etc. I didn’t realize how far south it was to Calafate andRios Gallegos – next trip I hope to go down to Ushuaia and into Chile. I’m off today to get my photos and I’ll send you some copies.

Nigel
Leeds, England

Just wanted to let you know that my vacation (to Argentina and Uruguay) went great. I will be recommending you in the future. You may use my comments and I would happy to give recommendations via email.

Thank you!

Jennifer, New York