Private, Personal, Sophisticated
Since 1998, Yampu has been in the business of creating private and personalized travel itineraries for the discerning traveler who wants to step off the beaten path and experience the world their own way, without having to plan everything on their own. Find inspiration in the sample itineraries we have shared on our website, which exemplify experiences other travelers have had with us and serve to help you dream up ideas for your next adventure. When you’re ready to talk about where you want to go, connect with a specialized tour consultant who can create the perfect itinerary based on the destinations you want to visit, your ideal activities, your own departure and return dates, preferred accommodations and more. Let us help you make it all about you.
Why Yampu?
Personalized Experiences
Exclusive Insights
Private Local Guides
Value for Money
24/7 Support Team
Happy Clients since 1998
Destinations
Choose a region to travel
NORTH-EAST ASIA
MIDDLE EAST & NORTHERN AFRICA
SOUTH AMERICA
CENTRAL AMERICA
SOUTH-EAST ASIA
AFRICA
INDIAN SUBCONTINENT & HIMALAYAS
Experiences
Choose based on your interests
SPIRITUAL, SPA & WELLNESS
ROMANCE & HONEYMOONS
ACTIVE ADVENTURE VACATIONS
CRUISES
EDUCATION, CULTURAL IMMERSION & VOLUNTEERING
SPECIALTY LODGING
SAFARI, WILDLIFE & BIRDING
ESSENTIAL MUST-SEES
TROPICAL ISLAND & BEACH VACATIONS
FAMILY, TEEN & MULTIGENERATION
FOOD & WINE TOURS
LUXURY TOURS
Take a Look at Our
YAMPU STAFF PICKS
What Our Clients Are Saying
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"Yampu delivered! My first trip to South America and I wanted it to be special. I'm not a vacationer as much as I am adventurer. I wanted to be awed each and every day, not be part of a "herd" and have time to explore on my own. Minor hiccups occurred and were managed adequately. I had some tight turnaround times and 1-2 hotels I felt need re-evaluation but make no mistake, Yampu is top shelf. I was always on the go, had seamless transfers and all the flexibility I had asked for. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again, especially now that we have familiarity. All the guides were very knowledgeable. No question...the best "vacation" of my life. I'm finally home and coming down from that wild and wonderful trip. I wanted to say thank you for all your efforts....and especially your patience! It was nothing short of magnificent. Looking forward to my next adventure..."
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"The trip was awesome! Your planning and hard work made it a great trip. The local tour group Panama Trails were great, always on time, helpful. We did a lot! We need a vacation from our vacation. Yampu has adventure traveling mastered. I will definitely use you guys again. Even though we did see a lot of Panama. I'm not sure I would do so much domestic flying. Transportation back and forth to domestic airports( during Panama city rush hour), waiting for weather to clear, or flight crew to arrive, ate up a bit of time. Flying to San Blas was an adventure in itself, with the unscheduled stops and "airports" that are not labeled. We did find Playa Chicon and Yandup. The Guna family at Yandup were incredible. Thank you for planning an incredible trip."
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"Our guide was awesome, we loved every moment with her! Our trip was perfect, we fell in love with Turkey. Thank you!!"
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"Yampu Tours helped me design a dream tour of Japan for myself and my eighteen year old son, who is off to college next year. They found activities and venues that I had never thought of that turned out to be the highlights of the trip! They made getting around with minimal language skills a snap. Their guides became what I sincerely hope will be life long friends. The hotels were centrally located and friendly, spotlessly clean, and reasonably priced. We had only nine days, but with everything going so smoothly, we were able to enjoy every minute of the trip. It could not have been better. I can't wait for my husband to retire so we can call them again for trips for us together. I especially appreciated how Maggie, my contact person, answered every question within hours of when I emailed it to her. She was helpful in every aspect of the trip. She is a great communicator, and always willing to find special places and activities to fit our interests, such as my son's desire to see the Manga Museum, or my interest in temple gardens. She was flexible, creative, knowledgeable, and always fun to talk to. I look forward to working with her again soon"
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"I wished to send you a quick note expressing our pleasant experience during our recent trip to Peru. I had lived for nearly 2 years in the Cajamarca area and 1 year in Arequipa, over 50 years ago; however, I did not have time to explore and know the history and the Peruvian people during those years. Our recent trip was made wonderful by the quality of your guides and drivers. Particularly I wished to say that Ronald Muriel and his driver Milton, located in Cusco, were the best. Ronald was older, seasoned and had a wealth of historical information and was very patient with my wife, who does not speak Spanish. Thanks for making our second trip such a pleasure."
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"Kenya is on record on FB and Instagram as the best vacation ever that the Ahmads have taken! Thank you for all your efforts and attention to detail which made transfers and bookings so easy. I am still in Nairobi with friends about will reach out when I return to share details. Already planning a return for next year! :)"
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"Thank you for arranging a once in a lifetime trip for me and AJ on the Delfin and to Machu Picchu. It was all and more than I anticipated. We were anxious about travelling alone and were amazed about how effortless you made it. I don’t think I ever mentioned that I will be 73 this summer and I was determined to make this trip now as I wasn’t getting any younger. AJ is a few years younger but has knee issues. The only time I got real dizzy was in Chinchero. We stopped at a textile demonstration and shopping area. I got out of the car and had to sit down repeatedly. It didn’t deter me from making purchases. We are ecstatic that we did this and had so much fun. First – the Delfin. The entire experience was top shelf. The accommodations were great. The ship was kept spotless top to bottom every day without any inconvenience to passengers. We enjoyed our time on board almost as much as the time on shore. The mosquitos never bothered me. I can brag that I saw two anaconda, several poisonous tree frogs and beetles, lots of waterfowl, several species of monkeys and fished for piranha. Three times we were caught in rainstorms but the heavy rain ponchos came out. I did see the pink dolphins but didn’t go in for a swim. It was counter-intuitive for me to NOT drink the water but go in for swimming. I enjoyed feeding the manatee. The stop at the village to visit the school was refreshing. The children were enthusiastic and appreciative. "
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"Had a great time in Costa Rica. We did get stuck in San Jose for a few hours when that volcano erupted, but that just adds to the story. The sloth sanctuary was amazing. What wonderful people with such a wonderful story. Doing the insiders tour was the way to go, getting to go behind the scenes into the nursery with all the baby sloths. I would not recommend any other tour to anyone. When the people who ran the facility found out it was Nicole's birthday, they gave us both t-shirts that we picked out from the gift shop. I also really enjoyed the two people that transferred us to the sanctuary and back to San Jose! I also enjoyed the day in Manual Antonio. By far El Remanso was the highlight. I am glad Wendy recommended it when Bosque del Cabo could not fit us in. The owners make it a point to get to know you, and the staff was top notch and knew what we liked and our names quickly. The food was some of the best I have had at a lodge! That is a property you should recommend again and again!! Nicole also really enjoyed the whale watching. She had never seen a whale before and being in such a small boat the whales came right up. The captain also worked hard to find them for us! We did not end up doing the wildlife sanctuary because even though we did not sign up for a private tour, because we were the only tourists that had planned to go that day, the owner decided we should pay 100 dollars to get in. I thought (as well as El remenso) that was super shifty and she should not be able to do that to tourists, so we cancelled. It just gave us more time with the whales. We also ended up changing our tour to Corcavado to where we flew into Sirena Station,. Our guide at El remanso use to work there and knew that was the spot for tapirs (one of my main targets). He found me 3 within 50 minutes. That was also the most wildlife rich part of the trip. They told me doing the beach walk that we were signed up for, there would be a slim chance of tapirs."
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"My family and I had a great time on the trip to Peru and the Galapagos - I really enjoyed the tour guides in Peru who were very professional and informative, and the Galapagos was unforgettable. If only we had had more time to experience more of the islands. I thought the visit to Misminay was a very nice touch as well - my mom had a lovely time bonding with the villagers in particular and the food was very good. The hike to Huayna Picchu was certainly not easy, but worth it. We didn't have an issue with it, but I think that some travelers might benefit from knowing that the hike to Huayna Picchu itself is strenuous, while the additional circuit to the Temple of the Moon (which we also did) is also difficult, as correctly advertised. I definitely wouldn't do it if it had been raining, but we lucked out and it was sunny on that day. The restaurant you recommended in Cuzco - Cicciolina - is excellent as well. Definitely would encourage anyone to visit that place. The city tour that Ernesto gave us was also great - he had a lot of great insights we wouldn't have known. In terms of the Galapagos and Ecuador, Guayaquil is obviously not a place with lots of tourist sights, but I think Felix did a good job and the tour of the Las Penas area was quite interesting. I'm not sure if it would have been useful to have the hotel located in an area such as downtown though, as there weren't many eating options around the Wyndham except for Las Penas which is more bars than restaurants. The Galapagos obviously was great, and the Isabela II is a wonderful ship. 3 people in one room would've been tight though, but we got lucky as the boat wasn't at capacity and so the boat had an extra room for us."
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"I just wanted to let you know that we thoroughly enjoyed our trip! Everything was arranged & ready as expected. We loved our guides, especially ChrisBert and Eric. I think ChrisBert was everyone's favorite. The resorts were beautiful & every excursion better than the last. The staff at both Hidden Valley and Xanadu were very friendly and eager to please. I will write some great reviews for Yampu and the resorts, just have not had a chance. Thank you for organizing and making it a memorable vacation. I gave out your email to a client of mine today. Have a great day!"
From the blog
Promotions / News / Travel Tips
Yampu Employee Spotlight with Michelle Dorval
Categories: About Us
Learn all about our lovely tour designer, Michelle, who is an essential part of making clients' dream travel plans come true!
Name: Michelle Dorval
Hometown: Sutton, Massachusetts
How long have you been with Yampu? 10 months!
Q: What advice do you have for prospective travelers?
A: Go with the flow! You will be surprised just how many life long memories can be made when you keep your mind open to new ideas!
Q: What is the best vacation you’ve been on?
A: When I was a Junior in high school my Spanish class went to Costa Rica...
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