I spoke to our client today and she was very ecstatic about her trip to the Galapagos. She really had a great time. The staff on board the ship took good care of her and the guides were very knowledgeable. I am so glad that we were able to make the arrangements in such a short period. Thank you very much for your assistance. I hope to be able to book more passengers through you in the future!

Teresa

The trip was fantastic, what a great country to visit. One could have breakfast on the ocean, lunch in the Andes and dinner in the Amazon jungle. Everything went as smooth as silk. Drivers & guides were always on time & knowledgeable. Edison in Quito & Juan in Cuenca were particularly good. Hotels were fine, Napo lodge was superb. If you can, reserve rooms 302 & 303 at Stubels, a million dollar view. The restaurant was very good & convenient. Small rooms at Stubels were quite small. Thanks for all your help, especially with the Airlines. Friends are expressing interest in doing a similar trip & we have not hesitated in recommending you. We will contact you next year as we are interested in Argentina & a cruise around Cape Horn. Until then thanks again for a wonderful trip.

Bob

Let me start by thanking all of you for your endless efforts in making this trip a reality for us. In 2005 we used Kon-Tiki for our trip to Peru. All our dealings at that time were with Jose. That trip was flawless and we were impressed as can be – that stayed with us for 6 years and we did not hesitate to use the newly named Yampu for this trip. Once I saw Jose’s name was still associated with it we never looked anywhere else. Yampu has not let us down.

The Galaxy is an awesome boat and the itinerary was amazing. Both Karen and I said our only regret was that we didn’t do the 8 day trip. This is a fairly rough time of year in the water, but once we got snorkeling and exploring it was incredible. There really is no place like the Galapagos on earth. I found myself saying that a few more times once we left.

Lake Titicaca was a great experience. We were in the hotel in Lima when we first arrived and the phone rang. The desk clerk handed it to me and said, “It’s for you.” It was about midnight at this time so nothing good was going through my mind. It was your local office just checking that we got in okay and confirming that we would be meet in Juliaca tomorrow. And that is what Yampu is all about. You should all be very proud.

Our time on the Lake and the islands was like a dream. We were immersed a little more into the local culture by staying with people on the island – an opportunity not everyone gets.

Santiago is a beautiful, modern, very North American city. We were there for a total of 4 nights so I have to include it as being part of the adventure, not just a stopover. Patagonia was another “out of this world” destination. I think we were fortunate to have been there in the winter. The scenery was breath taking, especially with the snow. We were the only ones at the Hotel Remota and the staff treated us like royalty. There was nothing they couldn’t do for us. The food was incredible and the waiters became our friends very quickly. It is an incredibly interesting venue on its own.

We finished our journey on Easter Island and it was nothing short of fascinating. The history, the culture, the people of Rapa Nui are wonderful. In all the places I have been in the world this is one place that has the most amazing sunsets.

Yampu made certain that this whole trip came off without a hitch. All the people you contract with did a fabulous job. All the flights were scheduled well – some with a bit of a painful wait at times but that cannot be avoided. LAN is a terrific airline. Stephanie, the hotels you selected were wonderful. All these things made our trip truly the trip of a lifetime. We also got to see our son and daughter-in-law so that was the icing on the cake. We love South America and would like to return. We will certainly go with Yampu again. Who knows, maybe Africa beckons…

Eric and Karen

It’s long overdue, but I just heard from Dianne about their trip and wanted to be sure to send her comments. Everything was “fantastic!” She couldn’t stop raving about every aspect of the trip! She said there was absolutely nothing she could criticize! The hotels were fabulous (she especially loved the Quito hotel and Ana said the hotel on the island before their cruise was her “favorite in the world!”, the ship was terrific – food at least 4 star or better, fabulous service, the guide you arranged was outstanding. She said I should have no hesitation when using you again – which I didn’t anyway – you and your company deserve big kudos! So, THANK YOU! You made me look like a miracle worker and magician all on the same trip! Keep up the great work and I look forward to working with you in the future!

Lisa

We thank you for a great trip!

I am attaching our summary of our Ecuador and Peru tours. Edison (Ecuador) gave us a form but I hadn’t completed it. Carlos had us fill out a form when he dropped us at the airport in Cusco but LAN had changed us to an earlier flight (our motto is take the plane that’s there rather than wait for another one which isn’t) and so we only had a minute to fill it our form for him and so had no time to write detailed comments. Here they are now.

My only other comment is that we would have preferred to have another night at the Inkaterra. This would have allowed us to be more relaxed about touring Machu Picchu itself as well as insurance against delays in the trains (our “to” train was delayed about 4 hours taking a big cut out of our first day at the site).

In all we had a great trip! Thanks again. I would certainly recommend Yampu!

Donna and Jim

The Galapagos and the rainforest are just fabulous. I wish we could have stayed at both places longer, it seems you leave just when you get settled and start to acclimate. We would definitely reccomend both destinations and tours/resorts. The Coral 1 is immaculent (even the engine compartment which Bruce toured). We tried sleeping in one bed together the first night which was horrible, so I talked to the captain the next day about another room, they were able to move the beds together which worked out great. Glad we did that! The food is great as well and we loved the layout of the boat too. This is a nice size boat and not too many passengers, I think there were a total of 21. We left very sad and could not believe that we had not done this before!
The Napo lodge is fantastic as well. I am so glad that we were able to stay there! It is such an adventure getting there! We just had a tiny taste of what is there to discover, it is overwhelming! The guides were all great too! We learned so much! The only problem that I had was with the heat. One hike was a 4 hour excursion and this was getting to me, I think that I came close to heat exhaustion. We wore rubber boots on most of the hikes. Just FYI for future tourists: the boots rubbed a blister on my ankle so I could not do any more walking but the long canoe ride was totally fine! Loved to paddle and we saw a lot on that trek!
I must say that with all the travel connections in Ecudor with pick-ups, drop-offs, etc. all worked perfectly! We were very impressed!
We had a fantastic trip in spite of delays getting back home, but I feel sure that we will travel again!

Linda and Bruce

I just got back from an AMAZING trip to the Amazon in Ecuador with Yampu Latin American Tours. It was absolutely wonderful!

I have traveled now 42 countries, and have to say, Yampu Latin American
Tours did an incredible job. Every part of the adventure was precise and
organized from flights, to excursions, to transportation.

I am planning on going back (Central America, South America, and
Galapagos), and will by far use the above company.

anonymous

Thanks for the email. Overall our trip was great, specifically

All connections on time—-unbelievable considering the number of flights etc!
By location;

Quito—
Accommodations—great
Guide—great
Driver—great

Galapagos—
Boat—great
Guide and excursions—great
Food—-very good to great

Lima—
Guide—great, maybe the best, but all were great
Accommodations Airport Ramada—ok, very convenient, they would not supply bottled water, instead said that the unrequested Pisco sour they gave us on arrival was in lieu of water Miraflores—Park—great

Cusco—
Guide—great, was Quechan so was very good from that standpoint, the Spanish heritage did suffer a bit as a result, but then…..
Accommodation—very good, to some extent too noisy
Food—-very good

Macchu Pichu—
Guide—same as Cusco—was great here—no maybe better!
Accommodation—great—non-mountain view rooms were very, very noisy waking up at 3 as people gathered in line to get up strongly recommend mountain view
Food—-very good

Reserva Amazonica—this was definitely the low light of our trip. Accommodations were very close to each other and open air so you could hear your neighbor whisper. This seems to be a place for people with smaller children to come—with the corresponding noises of smaller whining, crying children which makes the close quarters very noisy.
Guides were good.

Overall the trip was wonderful though—guides were wonderful much more than I expected!

Now for next year—any suggestions for a Safari in Africa?

Steve

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 hope this email finds you happy and well. I am so sorry, I have been meaning to call you for so long to give you feedback on the trip to Central and South America late last year, but as John Lennon once said ‘Life’s what happens while you’re busy making other plans’. My heartfelt apologies.

Overall, due to your wonderful expertise, the trip was fantastic. Thanks for your troubles, and needless to say, we’ll be in touch when we’re ready to hit Latin America again.

Domit from Australia

Our boat, “Queen of the Galapagos” was the best & I would certainly recommend it to everyone! The cabins were well appointed & my favorite things were the huge windows (could see the islands coming up in the am & the stars at night) & the several little areas that you could hang out. You could get romantic with your loved one & scoot away for a little while (even though we were lucky enough to have great passengers on board), it was still nice to do.

The woodwork throughout gave it a classic feel & the little bit of rocking we did (mostly at night) was handled well by this magnificent catamaran. The crew was wonderful but didn’t speak much English (some more than others) but mostly the Naturalist Guide, Billy Mead. He was both knowledgeable & a pleasure to know. I can’t say enough good things about him! I think we were the luckiest group out there! I would definitely recommend him as a guide & I know when booking you can request both the guide & the boat. He usually works 2-3 weeks on & the same off (just FYI).

Our guide in Quito, Alexandra Cuesta was superb! She was there to meet us at the exact time stated, she made sure we were taken care of at the airport (in every aspect until we left), she helped translate at the hotel & even gave us recommendations when we asked for different things. She was there to greet us when we returned from Galapagos & you could tell that she really cared that we were well taken care of & that we were having a good time. When she took us on the City Tour in Quito, she was so knowledgeable that if she hadn’t shifted the order of events, we may not have been able to do the skylift (due to weather). But with her expert advice & knowledge, she kindly asked us if we minded doing the equator line first, & next thing,etc. I would definitely recommend her to others & ask for her by name. So please keep her contact information for future clients. They’ll come back as satisfied as we did.

I will be more than happy for you to contact me if you ever have clients coming to Cayman or just need information. I used to be a travel agent for many years so it’s still in my blood. Happy to help. Please stay in touch.

Rose from the Cayman Islands

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

Just a quick note to thank you for arranging a wonderful trip to the Galapagos for me. I had
a great time and all of my guides and contacts there were fabulous. Everything detail worked
to perfection.

Thanks again for everything!

Dan

Thanks for your email welcoming us back home. I just want to acknowledge the email and to say that the trip was absolutely wonderful and the arrangements you set up for us were excellent. Thank you. Once I get my feet back on the ground, I will send you a more detailed email telling you about the trip, what we particularly liked. The one thing I do want to say now is that we encountered one guide/driver, Edison Landeta, who was an absolute jewel and a real asset to your organization. He was the single most important reason on the ground in Ecuador that we had such a wonderful trip, and I wanted you to know about him.

Again, thanks for arranging such a great trip for us. We would be glad to be used as a reference.

Fritz

Wanted to mention that the guide, Andres, and our driver, Ernesto, were both exceptional. Andres was ever mindful of our needs and he was incredibly informative….like having a live Wikipedia with you!! The hacienda was truly spectacular, would have liked to spend more time there. Every place had something special, the only disappointment we had was not being able to ride the roof of the train for the devils nose. All transfers went smoothly, we felt safe at all times and were well taken care of. Thanks, it was an unforgettable trip!

Joanne

I just wanted to let you know that we had very nice time and the whole trip was fantastic (visited Quito, Cuenca and Galapagos). We had lot of fun. Our guide in Quito was very good and gentle soul. Thanks for arranging our trip.

Gurdas
South Euclid, OH

We had a fine time. Everybody was very nice, especially the people on the Santa Cruz. The highlights were Helen jumping off a bridge in Banos, she was attached to a bungee cord, but still… and the snorkeling. That was amazing. I was surprised by how well planned the boat schedules were, I was expecting many other boats in the same places at the same times. Anyhow, the trip was really interesting and everything went as planned. Thanks for all your time and effort on our behalf.

Beth
Reisterstown, MD

I have just arrived home in N.Z. Many thanks for organising my trip. I was extremely impressed.
Everything went perfectly and I thank you for suggesting the boat of that calibre . It was excellent, the facilities, accommodation, food, guide and the crew were fantastic. Also a bonus to have the cabin to myself. My fellow passengers were good fun also. The Galapagos certainly came up to expectations – a wonderful trip.

Mo
Client from New Zealand

We are all home safe and tired. You did a fantastic job. The hotels were fantastic as well as the food and service. My kids were over whelmed with all the service and the guides. We had the trip of a lifetime, so glad we got upgraded to the Legend as we met so many nice people on our tour group. All the guides were so nice and very professional. I had some struggles with all the steps in Machu Picchu and they were very helpful and considerate. We could have stayed on the boat for a week. Thanks for all your help!!!

Patricia
Prescott, AZ

Scott and I got back on Tuesday. I have to tell you that we had the best time ever! The Amazon was amazing, Machu Picchu was great and our guide there was awesome. The Andean explorer to Lake Titicaca was great too. Thank you for arranging a once in a lifetime trip for us. Everything was really smooth and stress free because there was always someone to meet us at the airport and take us to our hotel. Gabrielle at Quito was the best. She got us in and out of Quito airport to the Galapagos without us having to stand in line for anything! She was incredible. Diving in the Galapagos was the best ever! I don’t think we are ever going to beat those dives. We saw eleven whale sharks, hundreds of hammerhead sharks and Galapagos sharks, not to mention the dolphins , turtles , sea lions and eagle rays. it was the best trip we ever had!.
Of course you can use my comments. I felt you were always on top of everything and when we had questions or a problem with the scheduling, you always got back to us promptly. We would recommend Yampu to any of our friends.

Ann
Las Vegas, NV

Thank you very much for helping me to organize trip to South America.
Trip was very good, we like it a lot and service was excellent. I will recommend friends this trip without any hesitations.

Alla
Tenafly, NJ

I just wanted to let you know that we had a great time in the Galapagos. The TipTop is a beautiful boat. The crew obviously takes great pride in her, and she is immaculately kept. The crew was very friendly, and the service was excellent. The food was delicious, and much more varied and better quality than I would expect given the limited space and stores available on a relatively small boat. I would definitely recommend the TipTop to friends.

June
Minot, ND

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 would love to give you some feedback from our trip to Ecuador, Peru and Chile. We can only congratulate you and Yampu for having organized a superb holiday. We had one small problem on the return trip from Machu Picchu that the train only went until Ollyantaytambo and not Cuzco, which was very quickly resolved by one of your local staff members arranging a private transfer for us within 30 minutes. We especially loved the Galapagos Islands and wished to have a few more days there, but also loved the beautiful Amazon Lodge in Peru with excellent guides, the Atacama Desert, Machu Picchu and the beautiful Andean Explorer train journey from Cuzco to Lake Titicaca.

Many thanks for the fantastic organization of such a long trip. We are happy to recommend Yampu Latin America Tours to anybody.

Stephan and Marianne
Aargau, Switzerland

So sorry for the late reply—it has been a very hectic month! Our trip was absolutely fantastic, and we were really happy with everything planned by Yampu/Yampu. The hotel and cruise stays were both above our expectations—always a nice surprise after a long travel. Nu House had excellent service, and it’s definitely a place I would stay at again. The day trips from Quito, both to the Equator Monument and the hot springs, were great—. Our guide, Mauricio, was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Our cruise around the Galápagos Islands was a wonderful experience, and we both agreed that it’s even worth going again if we ever come up with the funds. ;-)

The Galápagos Explorer had a great staff all around, and the landings and hikes were all very well planned. Their service was impeccable—naturalists, stewards, doctor, receptionists, everyone. We were very impressed all around. Overall, we were very satisfied with the trip, the organization and service. We’ll definitely contact you again for our next Latin American trip.

Janine

Trip was incredible…..see the attachment…This says it all! I also have an Equator shot and a super cool picture of a giant Tortoise and baby sea Lion in the Galapagos too. Everything was great, everyone on time- hotels good..Especially Machu Picchu!

Diana

Trip to Galapagos was wonderful. All went well! Red Mangrove Inn and guides were excellent. Happy New Year.

Group Family

With apologies for the delay but just to let you know I had a wonderful (and I do mean wonderful) trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos. Everything went like clock-work and the ship and guides in the Islands were superb. A special mention of my guide Maria and driver in Quito who really put themselves out (especially with a 4.30am departure!).

Thanks to you and the Yampu team.

Kevin
UK client

We were planning to contact you but you beat us to it. We had a fantastic holiday and everything was well planned. All our contacts were great and well informed. Edison (our guide in Quito ) was very helpful as Peter needed a pharmacy and he took us to one and translated to the pharmacist. The catamaran was great as it was rough most nights so glad you recommended it.
We were so delighted with the holiday and all the hard work that went in to planning it. We would like to thank everyone and if you want any testimonials we would be happy to give them.
Regards,
Two happy holidaymakers.

Pat and Peter
UK Clients

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

The Galapagos was wonderful. The trip was incredible and I would love to do it again. We saw all sorts of wildlife right up close. It was a very active trip.

Anthony

The trip was amazing thank you for all your work making the arrangements; it all went without a hitch. I know it is a cliché but it really was a trip of a lifetime and was made even better by your wonderful guide in Quito, Andreas, who really looked after me.

I am already looking at my next trip – I think it will be Chile.

Andy, Fourth Time repeat client

Our trip to Peru and Ecuador was just completed. We so appreciated all the things your staff did to make it an exceptional experience. We want more – and the first place we will call will be Yampu.

The team in Lima was outstanding. Kuzi met us at the airport at some awful hour and made sure we got to our hotel and were briefed on next steps. She even was there when we did not show the night before due to weather delays. The staff jumped in to rearrange things when our plans changed (due to the weather delays in DC and Atlanta) and the Cusco staff was outstanding. We loved the hotel accommodations we had and the friendship we found everywhere.

Your staff throughout was eager, helpful, fun and very knowledgeable. We have already mentioned the Yampu name to many on the Galapagos leg so we hope that will turn into new business for you. We want to explore SA some more. Whether it is next year or the next, we will be back (the upper Amazon in Brazil or Ecuador, Argentina and Chile to ski and explore and Patagonia are all high on our list. Plus we did not get to Lake Titicaca due to the weather situation so of course we have to get there too!).

So you are not done with us yet! Thanks for all you did to make this one of our favorite family adventures ever!!

Valerie and John

I had three major concerns about going to South America –

1. Travelling with my children, would it be safe in Ecuador, Chile and Peru? – Well, of course you have to take sensible precautions anywhere in the world, but in just over three weeks there we always felt perfectly safe, and found all the locals very friendly and helpful. In Lima and Santiago our hotels were in nice neighbourhoods, such that it was fine to walk back to our hotel after dinner in the evening. In most of the tourist areas there was always a reassuring presence of lots of local police, who were always happy to help with advice and directions.

2. We were cramming in lots of sights (Galapagos, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Nasca Lines, and Easter Island). With such a busy schedule involving lots of transfers and flights, would delays and / or cancellations cause problems? – In fact everything worked perfectly. We were met by Yampu representatives at every change and all tickets and hotel bookings etc were managed excellently at every stage. The only problem came when our flight over the Nasca Lines was cancelled a few days before. However the local representatives talked it through with us and promptly arranged an alternative drive to a different airport and made sure we did not miss out (special thanks are due to Kusy in Lima, who was fantastic)

3. As none of the party could speak any Spanish would language be a problem? – Firstly, all the Yampu representatives and guides spoke excellent English and for much of the time they accompanied us and sorted out all the arrangements. They were all knowledgeable and genuinely made us feel welcome. We soon picked up enough simple words to manage in shops and restaurants, and even if the locals could not speak any English they were all happy to converse in sign language!

All in all, the holiday exceeded even our most optimistic expectations. We saw so many fantastic things that it is simply impossible to select a highlight. I would have no hesitation in recommending the services of Yampu.

Paul, UK family of 5

The trip (to Ecuador and Galapagos) was great and you guys did a super job again. Thanks for your help. We will be in touch again.

Michael, Repeat 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

Our trip was amazing!

The Seaman 2 was extremely comfortable, we had a fantastic guide and we were joined halfway by the marketing girl from with a cameraman and Miss Ecuador! They were all charming and English speaking. The ground arrangements in Ecuador went very smoothly and although we did think that the Dann Carlton was a bit ordinary it was certainly well placed for the airport. Lovely hotel in Cuenca.

The arrangements for the jungle stay worked like clockwork and the lodge was fine. The most outstanding thing about this whole trip was everyone’s kindness. We were probably a bit old for the land trips on the Galapagos but everywhere, my husband particularly, had unfailing help getting about and where the lava was just too difficult we had a boatman who showed us along the coast and often saw more than the others.
A terrific trip all round, many thanks.

Carole and Tim
UK clients

All the guides were excellent and the hotels were also very good. I really enjoyed myself. It was a completely stress free 2 weeks – which is rare for me. Thanks and look forward to working with you again,

Jodi

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

My husband and I as well as our friends Alana and Bill had a wonderful trip. The day tour of Quito was interesting and informative. We were even lucky enough to have a full day of sunshine.

The Galapagos Islands were far more varied both in terms of scenery and wildlife than we had expected. We also thoroughly enjoyed all the snorkeling. We were even lucky enough to be wearing wet suits the one time we did encounter hundreds of little jelly fish. Generally the water was so warm that we chose not to wear wet suits.

We were delighted with all our guides. They were all personable and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the crew and staff of the Eric and were happy with the pace and variety of scheduled activities.

Polly

Carolyn and I had a wonderful trip. It was very well organized and we were well taken care of by everyone. The people there were so friendly, kind and polite and very knowledgeable. We learned a lot and saw wonderful things. All of the hotels we stayed in were great but the best was the one in Aques Callientes. We didn’t want to leave that hotel. The Galapagos trip was terrific and the boat was fine. We were with a good group of people which made it that much more enjoyable. Machu Picchu was amazing. We took several hundred photos which we’ll have to sort through them but I attached 3 that I thought you’d like to see; one from the equator, one from the Galapagos, and one from Machu Picchu.

Thank you so much for organizing this wonderful trip for us!!!!! It was an amazing experience. We will go back to Latin America again ( next time I’ll take my husband) and we’ll be in touch to get your help once again.

Wendy

Thanks for checking in. Our trip was great! Everything ran smoothly and your team was there to help during the Miami flight cancellation. The Aida Maria was great – wonderful staff (the guide was Rueben) and a great trip and the Napo Wildlife Center was also excellent (our guide there was great – Paul).

Overall, we had a wonderful time and appreciated the fact that everything was taken care of. We’re a little bit sad to be home, but now we can look forward to telling our stories and going through our pictures.

Happy Holidays :)

Shanna

Last week, we came back to Sweden from Ecuador where we had spent about a fortnight traveling around on a trip arranged by Yampu. We just want to tell you how satisfied we are! The country was amazing, the food superb, the people so nice and all the arrangements made by you worked out fantastic!!

We are recommending our friends to use you as their travel agency too.

Thank you very much!

Ma and Bo
Clients from Sweden

I have never had such a wonderful experience in my life. You put together the PERFECT itinerary for me, my family and our friends, the Coins. Never have I met such a great group of outstanding professionals, from our driver and tour director in Quito to the most wonderful boat in the Galapagos fleet, the Anahi. And our accommodations at the Marriott were ideal.

Thank you, thank you.

Steve

Following up on my phone conversation with you, I just want to thank you for organizing and planning my two-week adventure. Everything went so smoothly; the transfers were courteous and on time, and the trip to the Napo Wildlife Center was exciting and also comfortable—the food and accommodations were great.

My guide in Quito, Alejandra, was very helpful and did a great job. The flights from Quito to Lima and within Peru were good, and check-in processes were handled well. All of the hotels were good and well-located, especially of course the Monasterio and Sanctuary Lodge. The guide at Machu Picchu, Darwin, was very knowledgeable. He has written a book on the place and explained the symbolic background of the ruins very well.

Again, I was very pleased on how smoothly everything went, given that this was a somewhat complicated itinerary. I would recommend Yampu to my friends and look forward to using your services to other destinations in South America.

Jeffrey

I just want to say: THANK YOU SO MUCH, for the extraordinary trip you worked for me. This was more than what I expected. I’m more than happy with it. I don’t have any concern, with anything. Everything was outstanding, so thanks again.

Karel

We had a wonderful trip. It was the most unique trip we have ever taken. We were awestruck by all the interesting land and sea animals on the Galapagos Islands. My husband and I actually snorkeled with penguins, baby sea lions, sea turtles and other sea life. It was the experience of a lifetime. We also were so impressed with the organization and one-on-one care we received. Our guide in Quito was so informative and very professional. We really enjoyed our stay there as well. Everything went smoothly.
Thank you so much for your help.

Diane and Hayes

I just returned from the Galapagos and Easter Island Tour last Friday and wanted to let you and the Yampu staff know what an AWESOME trip it was!

The plane connections, meet and greet, and hotels were really good and the entire trip went off without a hitch. One of the highlights was the evening of Febuary 6th (my 48th birthday) when the staff of the Galapagos yacht Aida Maria brought out a trimmed birthday cake with my name on it for the evening dessert! I was really surprised.
Thanks to all of you and your staff for such expert planning and coordination. This trip was “over the top” and made for a wonderful birthday!!

Ben

We got back safely a few days ago from a fantastic vacation in Quito and the Galapagos. Everything went really well and there were absolutely no problems or difficulties. We have nothing but praise for your company and its representatives and agents. Many, many thanks for giving us such an unforgettable vacation. We shall certainly recommend Yampu to any friends or relatives who are contemplating a trip to South America, and you may certainly use us as a reference and quote our comments.

Thank you again.

David & Penny

My husband and I have just returned from our fabulous trip to Ecuador and Peru. We wanted to thank you for the excellent itinerary, services and guides that your agency provided for us. Everything went so smoothly. We loved both countries and their people. We certainly will recommend your agency to friends in the future.

We wanted to mention our guides personally. In Ecuador, Desiree Vinueza and her husband Mauricio Cordova were wonderful. Their English was excellent and they were very knowledgeable about all aspects of Ecuador and our travel stops. Spending eight days with someone you’ve never met could be a difficult experience, but not with Desiree and Mauricio. We felt very quickly that we were traveling with friends. When we think of Ecuador, we will always think of them.

In Cusco and Machu Pichu, Edwin Medina was a wonderful guide. He, too, was very knowledgeable about this very historic region and he spoke very good English. When we wanted to make an itinerary change and attend the Virgen of Carmen festival in Pisaq, he made the arrangements with Carlos and was very amenable to the change. We also want to mention that Carlos and Henry also provided us with excellent service while in this area.
In fact, we had the opportunity to meet Carlos at the Virgen del Carmen festival in Pisaq!

We only spent a short time with Alfredo Rombro in Lake Titicaca, but we were very impressed with him. He took us to this excellent out of the way restaurant on Tequile Island that we thoroughly enjoyed. Moreover, the day we flew out of Juliaca, there was a strike. When we arrived at the airport, we found that the flight was delayed. Alfredo remained at the airport with us until he was sure the flight would arrive. This was very reassuring for us because I would not have wanted to navigate back through Juliaca alone if the flight had canceled! The strikers there seemed to take things very seriously! My husband highly recommends given all the guides and personel a raise!!
We were thoroughly impressed by all your people here in the U.S. and in Ecuador and Peru.

Again, let me say that our trip was fantastic. We really like South America and hope to travel to Brazil and Argentina, as well as return to see the Galapagos Islands. We will contact your agency when we are ready to make more travel plans in the future.

Bravo to you all!!

Jean and Michael
Scottsdale, Arizona

The trip (to Ecuador and Peru) was really over the top – so much more than was anticipated. We enjoyed the market at Otavalo and took quite a few pictures. After going to the other markets, we thought that it was the best as far as merchandise and colorful costumes went. As you know, we stayed at the Hacienda Pinsaqui and enjoyed ourselves at a welcome cocktail party with 23 Italian tourists.

The Beluga was very comfortable and we can’t say enough about the staff. They were all from Ecuador and so proud of being able to help their visitors enjoy the trip. The Galapagos Islands are a wonderful destination and I can’t imagine someone not being thrilled to be there and learning what is being done. There were a total of 15 guests on the boat – six Brits, a family of four, two Americans, one German girl. All were easy-going and compatible with everyone else.

We flew to Guayaquil and had a great tour and wonderful dinner at a restaurant that the guide recommended. We went to the airport for our flight to Lima but it was delayed for a couple of hours. We finally arrived in Lima at 2:30 AM and there was our guide at the airport to meet us. Since our flight was leaving Lima airport at 7:30 AM, we decided to just stay there and not go to the Pardo Hotel.
Our flight arrived in Cuzco and we were taken to the wonderful Monasterio Hotel. This is probably one of the best hotels we have ever stayed in.

We went to the Sacred Valley and after overnighting there, took the surprising modern train to Machu Picchu. What a fun time that turned out to be!

Machu Picchu and the Sanctuary Lodge were both one of the highlights of the whole trip. Can’t figure out how people can just go there for a few hours and take the bus back down to Aguas Calietes.

Back to the Monasterio for two nights and we were upgraded to one of the Royal Suites. The trip really got better and better. Enjoyed the tours from Cuzco and when we went back to the airport to go to Lima, we found out our airline – Aero Continental had gone on strike. There were three people from Peru Vacations trying to get us on another airline. They worked at it for about three hours and finally we were able to go on one of the other airlines. If we had been there by ourselves, we would have still been trying to get to Lima.

All the people that were involved with meeting us were there. What impressed us was that the communication between each office was excellent. Everyone knew what we were supposed to be doing.
When we filled out the questionnaire asking for a rating of services, locations, etc., etc., we marked everything excellent which is truly a first for us.

Thanks for making all this happen. It was really such a complicated itinerary but both you and Jose made it all work.

Your efforts are very much acknowledged and appreciated.

Kathy & Frank

Dear Mr. Irauzqui: You had asked that we contact you on our return from the Galapagos and Quito, and we are very happy to do so. The whole experience was wonderful, and well coordinated. I can’t say enough about our guides. They were knowledgeable, personable, and eager to make our visit pleasant. Obviously they were well educated and trained, and had an excellent command of English. They also reflected great pride in their country. In Guayaquil, our guide was Veronica. Regretfully, we don’t know her last name, but we very much enjoyed her companionship.
Our naturalist in the Galapagos was named Washington. There too we did not get his last name. He was an excellent group leader and made everything flow smoothly. He had a wealth of information about the islands and the flora and fauna, and presented information very clearly. He was very attentive to one of our party who had some difficulty on the hikes without neglecting the rest of the people.In Quito we were very pleased with Patrizio Garcia, who extended himself to make our visit comfortable, interesting and informative. In three short days we came to think of him as a friend as much as a professional guide. Our accommodations at the Hotel Dan Carlton were excellent. Their staff was courteous and well-trained. The restaurant and wait staff, in particular, were superior. We had a Valentine’s Day dinner there that rivaled anything we’ve had in New York. Thank you for your part in making this an outstanding vacation.

John and Lynn, New Jersey