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

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

You nailed the timing for Iguassu Falls exactly right. One full day, with overnights on either side was plenty of time. We took a tour of the Itaipu hydroelectric plant the morning of our full day, then visited the falls in the afternoon. Saw the release of the latest Harry Potter movie that night – Portuguese subtitles; great fun! The morning before we flew out to Manaus we took a city tour of Iguassu Falls that was not great. Four of 12 people on the tour spoke only English; our tour guide spoke no English, and asked our teenage friend to translate for us. Again, this was not something you arranged…we booked it at the hotel we were staying in. I got my money back graciously from the operator.

The three flights from Iguassu Falls to Manaus were uneventful. South American airlines seem to have held onto some of the good things that American companies have abandoned: no charge for baggage; food on every flight (not a lot, but a hot sandwich for no extra cost made me long for the good old days of air travel!). Leg room was a problem…I guess nothing is perfect!

Our day in Manaus was very nice. For whatever reason, I had thought the boat tour to the Meeting of the Waters would last a couple of hours then we’d have some time to explore Manaus. As you undoubtedly know, it was an all day affair. The ride down was fun, the side excursions were very good and the guide, etc., was great. The trip back up Rio Negro to Manaus was very long, hot and tedious…not that there’s likely anything that could be done about that. Overall, we gave the tour high marks.

Tropical Hotel was very nice – we didn’t get to make use of any of the amenities because the all-day trip was so taxing (and our flight in arrived late at night). My one comment about the hotel is that the beds were the hardest I have ever encountered…ever! For all I could tell, I was sleeping on a slab of concrete. The second night, we found soft blankets in our closet (too tired the first night) and slept on them to lessen the hardness of the beds.

Flight to Tefe was fine. Our transfer guides were about 30 minutes late to the airport…a few moments of uncertainty as every taxi drive within a mile was pestering us to let them take us to town. Good outcome from that time was that we met a family from Rio de Janiero who were part of our Uacari tour group and were waiting just as we were…formed a bond with them.

The Uacari resort experience was fabulous. I can’t say I had any expectations about what it would be like, but I can’t imagine a better way to experience the rainforest. Biggest challenge was sore butts from spending 6-9 hours per day on hard seats in canoes exploring the forest…I learned sitting positions I never would have imagined before! That’s not a complaint at all…what we experienced in those canoes was so great. I’m a backpacker, so was ready for the silence and wonder of the great outdoors, but even I “found a new gear” that I didn’t know existed. I was a little worried that my 17-year-old son might feel bored by the repetition of going out in canoes for hours each day…no such thing! He filled out his own evaluation for the Uacari folks and rated everything at the highest level available.

Your choices for our trip were terrific. I’m glad we didn’t try to “do it all” in Brazil. All the times allotted for experiences were just right. It was a time I know that neither Alex or I will ever forget! Alex wants to live there…whether as an exchange student or taking a semester of college or who knows what. That desire speaks volumes about the experience. Thank you!

Lee

My trip into the Amazon has been an eye opening experience. I want to thank you for helping me organize everything, despite my many changes to the itinerary. I also met many great people, both travelers and employees at the lodge.

Steven

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

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 a lovely trip. Thanks you so much for organizing it for us. You did a very good job.

We really enjoyed Rio de Janeiro and the Hotel you had picked for us was just the best, right on Copacabana beach. Iguazu Falls was truly amazing. The Amazon was exceptionally good! We had the best lodge ever just next to the Rio Negro which meant Mosquitoes free. Our Guide, Leando was brilliant and we can not thank him enough for showing us all the natural beauties.Finally, Salvador de Bahia was a great addition to our trip. We got to experiment with the local culture, relax on lovely beaches and watch the famous Capoeira dance. The Hotel was really good. Our guide here, Ariel, was exceptionally good and very helpful!!!

Again thanks very much for a lovely trip.

Aisha and Pierre from the UK

Yampu and its subcontractors are outstanding! Everything went like clockwork, and all services were very well done. Most amazingly, every flight was on time! Unbelievable in the current environment! With the exception of one tour guide at Iguazu who was a little weak, everyone was both professional and personable. The private tour to Petropolis was terrific!

The hotels and restaurants were outstanding: upscale and very comfortable with good food and excellent service. The Tropical Manaus was a notch below the others, but considering the location and weather, I believe that they did a good job under the circumstances.

As for the schedule, we found that the time allocated for each destination to be about right. That said, I have to admit the pace was pretty fast, especially for “mature” tourists like us. The two overnight flights were pretty tough on us, but it’s obvious that it must be done this way. The early morning reveilles were also quite a workout from time to time. I’m sure that doubling the cost would take care of some of these issues, but then, not so many people would be signing up!

We found the following things to be particularly appealing:

The usual stops in Rio, and very surprisingly, the show at Plataforma! Some of the travel guides describe the show as very kitschy, but I believe that those write-ups may be out of date. An attempt to present Brazilian history as a series of dance routines has been replaced with a full-on, over-the-top revue with dancing, martial arts demos, singing, etc. In other words, Brazilian vaudeville. Iguazu is almost unbelievable, and the Hotel das Cataratas is a real treat (once you remember how to navigate the halls). As for Manaus, the city tour was very interesting as long as the tourists remained hydrated! We’ve always wanted to see the Opera House and we were not disappointed. Since we’re very interested in nature we found the Jungle Lodge on par with Rio for us as being very appealing. The tours were great, and the accommodations were surprisingly nice considering the location. The cuisine was superior to that offered by the big city hotels. We also enjoyed an abbreviated visit to the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), and Bonnie had a great time shopping at an upscale mall on Avenida Paulista.

I could carry on and on, but I’ll spare you that and just thank you and Yampu very much for a wonderful trip! We’ll be recommending Yampu to anyone interested in seeing Latin America.

Roy & Bonnie

Thanks for getting in touch. Basically everything was great, and we had an unforgettable experience.

Ian

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

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 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)

We had a great time. All the places that we went to are incredible. The flight back was a bit chaotic but we knew that was the case to get the cheaper fare. All in all, it was a good trip. Will definitely keep you in mind for our next South America trip. Thanks.

David

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

The trip was excellent. The lodge was perfect. I had a good time. Thank you for the discount offer. I hope to be able to travel again soon.

Marie

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

Laura and I had the most wonderful time in Brazil!! The tours were fantastic and we really enjoyed the very knowledgeable and professional guides. We were very impressed with our accommodations and itinerary. We felt very safe and always taken care of even though we are women travelling on our own. Thank you so much for the fantastic experience and we will definitely recommend you to our friends !

Laura and Jeanette
Irvine, CA

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

I am now home for about 4 weeks so thought I would drop you a line to thank you for the fantastic holiday you arranged for me in Brazil.

I must say I did have some concerns about the cost before I went but the adage ‘ you get what you pay for’ is certainly true. The organisation was faultless, the hotels excellent, the choice of venues and experiences were even better than I imagined. As for the guides….. everyone was superb. They were knowledgeable without being boring, tailored the trips according to my preferences and abilities, were always on time and (very important) had a sense of humour.

I will have no hesitation in recommending your company to anyone who is thinking of booking a trip to Brazil. Perhaps when I am next in London I will take up your invitation to drop by your office for a coffee!

Once again, thank you – I would never have done it without your help and guidance.

Geraldine (UK Client)

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

We came back from our trip to Brazil yesterday. We need to say thank you for your help. Such a wonderful trip! We enjoyed everything you selected for us: hotels, tours, guides, airlines, transportation, etc. Everything was so well organized, punctual, kind and reliable. Thanks again, and we will make contacts with you about next trip

Miyuki
NYC

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

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

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

We had a wonderful trip and it was everything we had hoped it would be.

Our experience with Yampu was flawless and every transition from hotels, airports, tours, etc. was without complications and very smooth. No complaints and I would certainly recommend Yampu to anyone interested in traveling to Latin America. Everyone was very welcoming and accommodating. Peru in particular was a very enjoyable and we would definitely go back again.

Our guides were very good and a few, Marcia in Rio de Janeiro, Lisset (sp?) in Machu Picchu, Cusi (sp?) in Lima and her driver Jose, and Jesus in Inkaterra Amazonica Lodge were excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are very thankful for the service you have provided us.

Robert

Brian and I had a magical holiday; we loved it. The SAMBADROME was superb where we left at 6.00am. Sugar Loaf mountain, the Iguaçu falls, Ipanema market, a football match and of course the shopping amongst so much more. We made several friends and exchanged email addresses.

Thank you for arranging it all for us, so many people are so envious; and we would love to go back to Rio. We would be happy for you to use our feedback and contact details to go onto your website.

Avril and Brian
UK clients

Thank you for your phone call – it was nice putting a voice to an e-mail. Yes, of course, I’ll add to the testimonial collection but I’ll never do my trip justice!

Here it goes. It is difficult, impossible, to exaggerate how impressed I was by Emma’s organisation of what was a very open ended, possibly over ambitious South American adventure for a loner.
The route planned – Santiago, Easter Island, Atacama Desert, Iguazu Falls and the Pantanal was perfectly coordinated with superb hotels and brilliant guides, especially in Easter Island. Ernest, our guide in Iguazu has to come in for special praise, also.
The two glitches, both minor, were completely my fault. I especially appreciated Emma’s recommendation of background reading, her prompt response to my often stupid questions and the very personal approach to the whole experience. It meant a lot. If all this sounds rather fulsome -it’s not meant to be. I’ll be singing Yampu’s merits until my friends are fed up with me.

Megan
UK client

Please do not be surprised about the late feedback report. My husband and I were in LA for the past few weeks due to work commitments. So here comes my feedback report for you: THE HOLIDAY WAS A DREAM!

I would like to start by giving Meike a big compliment for booking our anything but easy flight itinerary. I would give you an Oscar for it, if there would be such a thing. All went super smooth and we had no problems whilst flying from one country to another. Compliments!

And then the Galapagos Islands – whilst I am a journalist, I am short for words. That is something one must experience! The holiday was amazingly organized, and even in such a short time we achieved a very good and comprehensive understanding of flora and fauna. I feel like I experienced Galapagos and not just visited. Your guides were very good and also deserve a big compliment. We felt like Yampu was spoiling us!

Also absolute perfect were all our hotels. And what a total surprise that Lima airport hotel is such a little designer gem, whilst other airport hotels in the world are the total opposite. The accommodation on the Galapagos Islands were typical Ecuadorian hotels and very clean. So very different to European hotels in the best possible way. The NU-House in Quito is fantastic and Ecuador has so much to offer.

Meike did a great job and made it so easy for us to realize a dream. We will recommend Yampu to all our friends and one thing for sure: The next trip we do will again be with Yampu – there is no other choice. We can just say: Thank you!

Monika
Austrian client

Our trip was fantastic!! We were really impressed with the organization—everything was so well coordinated. We had an AMAZING guide in Rio (Luis). All things went very well in Bahia, too and we loved the region.

Great hotels, food, and visits! This was such a good trip!!!

Thanks again,

Marieme

We are back from Brazil and had a really good time.

I like Rio – I didn’t know what to expect but it is a very easy city to be in. Our hotel was very good even though it is a 3 star. The position of it is great and the service efficient and friendly. We stayed in the Martinique Hotel which is almost on the front of Copacabana beach. The night market was a stone’s throw away and was good to visit.

The Iguazu Falls are amazing and a must for anyone who goes to Brazil. We had a really good guide too who was very knowledgeable and of course got us into the National park quickly avoiding the queues. I hadn’t really appreciated that we would be spending a day in Argentina, so that was exciting. There is one thing that I really did need to know beforehand and wasn’t told: The soaking under the falls is extreme. I didn’t know that I would be getting that close to the falls and that the boat would be actually going under the falling water. I was actually terrified. It was a fantastic experience though!!

The resort at Recife is a lovely place. I can’t fault the food or the staff there and the setting and the beach is beautiful. However, I do think that people should be aware that it is about 45 minutes car drive out of Recife, and so there is not anything really around the resort. The next small town (Porto do Galinas) is about 20mins away but is not the sort of place you would want to go to of an evening as it is very set up with local bars but nothing that is just a restaurant.

Overall though a very good relaxing holiday. Best Regards,

Valerie
UK clients

We had a truly fantastic time in the truly amazing continent and of course it was nowhere near long enough to really appreciate everything. We want to thank you for a holiday which in the most part went off without major problems. All of the hotels were friendly and helpful (as were all of the people we met in South America).

My leg problem had got particularly bad by Puno and the hotel staff went out of there way to make us comfortable, they sent extra pillows, found a restaurant who would deliver food to our room, and sent staff to the pharmacy with my husband to ensure the correct translation to get the drugs I needed for my leg. Please please thank them on our behalf we felt they went way beyond just doing their job and really accommodated my health problems how very very kind of them.

All of the guides throughout the holiday were understanding and supportive and changed the trips to allow us to enjoy the best of the countries without putting more stress than necessary on my leg. This ranged from booking us onto different trips, down to finding wheelchairs or asking for me to go ahead in queues to save the standing, these were kind and appreciated gestures. In fact no one ever made me feel my inability to walk far was a problem for them, even at Machu Picchu. In fact the personal guide we had paid for here was perfect, taking me on a very quick route straight to a seat in Machu Picchu from which I could venture further if I wished and Ian to the long walk, It would be worth letting other frailer traveller know this is a possibility at Machu Picchu it may mean some people who could be put off by a walk will be able to go.

The (Iguazu) Waterfall was out of this world, and although sadly I couldn’t reach the boat the rest of it was still truly incredible. In Brazil we were met by such a lovely guide called Carlos. He was kind, friendly and supportive and a true proud ambassador for his country. What a delight to be ferried around by such a lovely man. Again he took every care to ensure that my leg was catered for and he really made our short but sweet stay in Brazil special. Again securing a wheel chair and aisle seat at the airport, to enable me to travel back in as much comfort as I could. We really recommend you continue to use him in your trips.

Reading the literature you sent we were shocked and concerned for our safety in Peru but while we always took sensible precautions our experience of the people of Peru was of friendly kind and hardworking people, their sales techniques were highly visible but not too pushy if you said no and we were left with a wonderful experience of these lovely people.

All in all the holiday was wonderful, we would recommend to others to go, and we felt you arranged a good and wide ranging experience for us.

Thank You

Jacqui and Ian
UK Clients

Gentille was our guide in Rio and he was FABULOUS! His English was perfect. He was funny, nice, respectful, accommodating, smart, and provided a lot of information. We would recommend him to anyone! We really enjoyed the Sugar Loaf and Cristo look out points, as well as being driven around the city to get a better idea of the different neighborhoods. The Oceano hotel was nice too. While the room itself was just standard, the bathroom, roof, and lobby were very nice. We also enjoyed its location in Copacabana.

In terms of Buzios, we LOVED it. We ended up staying at the Colonna Park Hotel, because apparently the Colonna Beach Hotel was closed. This Colonna Park Hotel was AMAZING- excellent view, room, food, and staff! It seemed to have an even nicer view than the Beach hotel.

I think that wraps everything up. I want to thank you very much for being involved and I look forward to doing business with your company again. Everything was very smooth and organized. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Miss Oliver

This trip was beyond amazing!!!! The Amazon changed my life. Every single guide there seemed like my best friend! The falls were also incredible and our guide (Tony) went way way way beyond for us. I am so sad that it is over. I have such great memories of this vacation!!!! Thanks you so much for organizing a trip that fit every inch of our personalities. I feel like you knew us!

Devon

The trip (to Brazil) was soooo amazing! All of the guides were wonderful. The hotels were great, and Anavilhanas Lodge was a gem. :-) Thank you so much for everything!

Maura

I would like to say that my holiday was most pleasant, and the hotel Martinique in Rio was excellent and the staff nice. My tourist guides both were good especially the guide in Rio he was excellent!!! I love the personal guide and car it is so much better.

The Recanto hotel in Iguassu was very nice as well. The service Tap and Tam was excellent, Tap has the service of British Airways, with personal TV on the back of the chair. As for your travel agency I am very pleased with your service and you have kept in touch throughout. I have told a friend to contact you as she wants to go to Brazil next year. As for me I will be using your services again especially when I go back to Brazil in a couple of years again to do the Amazon and Salvador. Please let me know the different countries you cover
Many thanks
Dianne and Eylon

Dianne and Eylon
UK clients

Yes, that was a wonderful journey. We enjoyed it very much.

A very exciting and eclectic program, where one highlight followed the other! The hotels were excellent, clean, in a good location and with friendly service (but it was good to book 4 Star.)

The Anavilhanas Lodge was excellent! The location in the jungle and the program: premium! Next time I would stay one more night, given the case that one is in the Amazon rainforest. And getting to the Lodge also takes it s time.

The tour guides were good and professional. They were always on time, friendly and helpful.
We both usually travel independently, but because of the short time and the intense journey, it definitely was an advantage that everything was already organized and everything turned out so well.

Thus, I will recommend Yampu. Thank you very much, all of you.

Agnes
Swiss client

Our trip was fantastic and we all had our own favorites. The girls loved Galapagos, Filip’s most memorable experience was fishing piranhas in the jungle as was Kaj’s, and I enjoyed meeting the local people and tribes especially in Lake Titicaca and Amazon.

Finding the most suitable hotels during the journey is always a challenge and I think we were lucky. The Hotel Fasano in Rio was perfect with a great location and a beautiful, contemporary style. In Iguazu Falls we were really happy to stay inside the park and on Argentinean side. The Hotel Sheraton isn’t maybe the fanciest one, but the location was perfect for the tours. The boat tour under the falls is just awesome, a must do! Hotel in Lima was a bit disappointing. Miraflores as an area was nice and safe, but next time I would upgrade the hotel to 4-5 stars. We had an extremely delicious lunch at The Rosa Nautica restaurant. It was above all expectations. Cebiches and pisco sour are our new favourites!

The hotel chain “Casa Andina Private Collection” was a good choice in Cuzco and Machu Picchu, especially the big suite in Cusco. The Andean Explorer train to Lake Titicaca was a great experience. The Casa Andina hotel in Puno was perfect, as we stayed there only one short night. If we had stayed there longer, we would maybe upgrade it. The tour to Taquile and Uros islands was one of the highlights on our trip. The cruise on MV Galapagos Legend was also a great experience. Our guide Joffrey, as a native from Galapagos, was fun and very knowledgeable. He managed to keep the children entertained and interested in the beautiful flora and fauna during the several excursions. The bigger balcony suites onboard made the journey even more enjoyable, highly recommended. Swiss hotel Quito, with several good restaurants, pool and sport facilities, was a safe choice for the days at leisure and relaxing between the Galapagos and Amazon excursions.

And last but not least we enjoyed some of the most memorable days in the jungle at the La Selva lodge. It’s a bit rustic, but that made the whole experience even more exiting. Our local guides were fabulous. Having grown up in the jungle they know the area, its plants and animals so well and were able to give us an experience of a lifetime.

Before the trip we were a bit concerned if traveling with the children would be safe in these countries. Thanks to your great and experienced guides we always felt perfectly safe, and found all the locals very friendly and helpful. Even the accident with a raccoon was dealt with swiftly and efficiently. Our guide Gabriel in Iguazu Falls dealt superbly with the situation doing his best to get Christine professionally treated. The whole complex rabies vaccination program, which Christine had to take during the rest of the journey, was arranged promptly. Although we had a very tight timetable, your guides Bruno and Natalia managed to arrange all the doctor appointments in Peru and Ecuador so that we could continue our journey without any major interruptions. A special thanks to Bruno and Natalia!

The itinerary proved to be well thought out. Everything was organized beforehand. Without a good scheduling and experienced guides we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy this much of the beautiful South-American continent. Although the schedule was partly very intense, wake up calls sometimes even at 5 am !! , we all loved this exciting program, where one highlight followed the other!

Thank you Meike for a very well organized trip and a special thank you to all our tour guides who were exceptional and spoke great English. After we sorted out our 9.000 !!! pictures taken on the trip we’ll start to plan the next one – maybe Patagonia and the Antarctica.

We can highly recommend Yampu for family expeditions in South America.

Hilkka & Kaj, Family of 5

Thanks for getting in touch. I enjoyed my trip. It was well balanced with the inclusive lunches at good restaurants and the samba show in Rio. The mixture of food, culture and adventure were just right for me. Also, whilst I could have opted for luxury hotels, the ones picked were acceptable. Maybe I could have done it cheaper on my own but too much hassle and I enjoyed being looked after.

I hope this is sufficient feedback but if you require any more, let me know. Thanks for arranging my trip.

Myron
UK Client

Thank you for a wonderful trip to Brazil! I got back early Saturday morning after a ten day stay in Rio and Bahia as you know, and wanted to tell you what a great experience it was. The accommodations were great in both Rio and Salvador, and the itinerary was followed flawlessly. I had the opportunity to enjoy the lovely beaches in Brazil, as well as take tours around the cities with most capable guides.
Thanks again to you and Yampu for making my visit possible.
Best regards,

Peter

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

Now that we have returned from the Rio Carnival and the round trip in Ecuador we would like to thank you for organizing this trip for us.

All the different locations in our itinerary were offered with German speaking guides. We would like to especially praise the naturalist guides Vanessa and Maria on the Galapagos Islands, who very extremely friends and knowledgeable and made our time there unforgettable.

To sum up our holidays, many thanks for all your help! We will recommend Yampu to anyone who wants to go to Central or South America.

Warm Regards

Siegfried and Brigitte
German Clients

I have attached my feedback from our trip. As I said, overall it was a brilliant experience, although I guess we were probably spoiled with the number of occasions when we had a guide to ourselves!

Dave
UK Client

Our Brazil holiday was superbly organized, all local guides were fantastic if not outstanding and we overall had great luck with the weather. We arrived back with many new impressions!”

Dr. Rudi
German Client

Thanks for the welcome home; the trip was fantastic. I saw little of Manaus, but that was my intention … I went for the river trip itself. It was even better than I anticipated. I’m so glad I did the two parts of the Amazon; the Solimoes and the Rio Negro portions were distinct and different. To have seen only one would have been incomplete. The vessel (Amazon Clipper) was superb, the food fantastic, my fellow travelers wonderful. Traveling solo proved to be no detriment at all. After the first portion, a 2-night/3-day trip, I couldn’t imagine how I could enjoy the second portion (for 3 nights/4 days) any better. But it was even better — a day longer with equally wonderful travel companions. Thanks for getting it all arranged. A dream come true.

Janet
Single Traveler

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

We have returned from our S. American adventure. Everything went perfectly. We were met every airport, our guides were friendly, personable and knowledgeable. The trip went without any problems (though the weather at Iguazu could have cooperated- we got drenched in a downpour; unfortunately not in anyone’s control!)

In detail: In Rio, enjoyed Copacabana Palace and the excursions. Was well planned. Excellent guide. In Manaus, Tiwa Lodge was lovely. Excursions were good; In Iguazu, the Panoramic Hotel was also excellent, would recommend it. The guide also was excellent. In Buenos Aires, the Sheraton Park Tower, the accommodations are nice but the service was lousy. In Bariloche, it was great. Villa Huinid was perfect for us, the New Years party was beautifully done.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and feel as if we did everything we wanted to do on this trip. It was well planned. Thank you for organizing it and will recommend Yampu wholeheartedly to our friends.

Anjni

Happy New Year to you too! Brazil was fantastic. We had a wonderful time and that also thanks to your excellent itinerary. Everything was well organised, from the places we visited to the drivers and tour guides, we didn’t need to worry about anything.

We were very lucky with the tours as we were alone most of the time and it was like we had our private tour guide. Not to mention how wonderful and helpful all of the tour guides and drives were.

I’ll be very brief because I can talk (write in this case) for hours. Iguazu falls was breath taking, Rio de Janeiro was…is a beautiful city, very picturesque, colourful, happy people and the Amazon ….amazing, no words to describe, I’m just happy I’ve been there and we are definitely going again.

Thank you again for all your help.

Christina
UK Client

The trip (to Brazil) was wonderful, and Yampu did a great job with planning. Carlos was there to meet us when we arrived in Rio. The trip was a perfect combination of planned events and time on our own to explore. The wedding was beautiful, and we met one of David’s old high school classmates who now lives in Rio. Iguazu Falls and the hotel there were extraordinary.

Thank you so much for arranging a wonderful trip. I have recommended Yampu to several people already. I will call you for my next South American trip.

Miriam

Many thanks for a fun trip to Brazil. We were very happy with the arrangements and greatly enjoyed our activities. You certainly can use us as a reference and use our comments on your web site. We are hoping to go to Antartica for Pete’s 60th (09) – do you organize trips in that area?

Peter and Julia from the UK

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

I had a splendid trip to Brazil. Thank you so much for your part in my adventure and for your organization. I have wanted to visit Brazil for such a long time. Now I have been I can’t wait to go back….there is so much to see.

I look forward to booking my next trip to South America with Yampu!

Andrew

Our trip was great! Thanks for all your help in making the arrangements  we had no problems at all. The whole family was impressed with Rio, and the falls at Iguazu were amazing and spectacular (even though they are now the driest theyve been in 40 years!).

In Rio, our guide Carlos was excellent. He was full of information about Rio and its history and made sure we were enjoying every minute of his tours.

All in all, we had an incredible trip, and will certainly look to Yampu again to arrange our trips.
Thanks for everything,

Wade

Wade and Denise

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

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

Hi Jose (and Monica) – We are back from Brazil and had a great time. All of the transfers worked perfectly, and it was a great comfort to have someone meet us and take us to our hotels. Thanks so much for all of your efforts on our behalf.

Anne

Hi Jose (and Monica) – We are back from Brazil and had a great time. All of the transfers worked perfectly, and it was a great comfort to have someone meet us and take us to our hotels. Thanks so much for all of your efforts on our behalf.

Anne
San Jose, CA

I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we had in Cataratas & Iguazu Falls. Our guide Jose Luis Oliveira was excellent. He was very knowledgeable about everything and was an all around pleasant man. The hotel, like you said, was very nice and conveniently located. Again thank you for a real nice trip.

Linda and Ed, NJ

Jose & Kim,
Just a few pictures. Great vacation you did a great job!!! Everything was flawless and what a beautiful country (Brazil) with warm people. Oh – and the women (sorry Kim) if I was fluent in Portuguese I probably would have come back married.
I have already recommended your services to a number of people and told them you guys are first class!

Al