Destination X: Latin America Travel Specialists

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Testimonials

After each trip, we send welcome home message to each of our clients. We are always receiving positive responses, and here are just a few of the comments. Each entry that contains an e-mail address has authorized us to them as a reference and post their comments online.

Got in late last night - our trip was 100% awesome!!! Could you hear your ears ringing as we sang your praises? Everything went so well- there was not a moment of stress. Each step of the trip we were met by a friendly, helpful person or staff. The Nu House in Quito was especially wonderful. And the Galapagos...well that goes without saying. We would recommend you and Destination X to anyone. Overall, our hopes and expectations were met or exceeded. Thanks for all your planning and help!

Jenny and Luke Parker
Ecuador and Galapagos
June, 2009

Yes, we had an amazing trip! Perhaps I /we should speak by phone sometime. Thanks so much for your bottle of wine in Cusco and the dinner in Quito, and esp. for requesting the upgrades for us everywhere, which I did also on arrival. We were upgraded all but one night in Quayaquil and the last nite in Cusco after Machu Pichu, but that was fine. Especially the boat Junior Suite was a delight!

Everything went very well except Quito had some mix ups that mostly were sorted out later but not correct at first: They had no record we were scheduled to have a restaurant lunch included on 6/9 and that we/you prepaid, on the Tuesday 6/9 city tour even tho I had a copy of our program with me! They refused the lunch so we just opted a simple cafe snack with our independent guide Gabriella whom we liked a lot, eventually she/their office me for the snack in cash on the thursday am on the way to the airport, but we never had a nice lunch there.

We loved Cusco, Machu Pichu and we both climbed to the Sun gate and me also to the Inca bridge. We also loved the Galapagos and met lots of really interesting fellow travelers everywher we went! Several going around the world!

Thank you very much for all you did to make this such a special trip! I guess we did not need the insurance in the end, but this time was glad we had it. Both of us, esp me had some upset stomach issues, esp on the boat (& several/many were also sick there) but we at least had the right medication to always keep going!

Glad we're home and thanks again! we've already recommended you to others and will continue!
All best Alan

Alan & Mollie
Galapagos Legend with Essential Peru
June, 2009

Just a note to say "fabulous". We had a great time, you did an excellent job, the hotels were wonderful and the food was "out of this world". Thank you for your help.

Diana & John
Essential Peru with Sacred Valley
May, 2009

I hope you are surviving the snow - we're both still in weather shock after leaving Lima!

Overall we had a fantastic trip - thank you again for putting it all together for us. After the rocky start thanks to Delta, things went really well. That phone call I made to you from the plane probably wasn't the clearest but obviously you got the message to Quito and Alex was a great sight for sore eyes when we finally made it through customs and immigration at 2am. In fact she was a great host and guide and a real trooper for waiting for us, especially as she had to be up at 5am to get her kids to school! Evidently the problem was that the plane Delta had lined up for the flight to Quito wasn't equipped to land at high altitude so we had to wait a while for them to find an appropriate plane and then shift all of us and the luggage over! Oh well we got there eventually. The Patio Andaluz was lovely.

The Galapagos Islands were just amazing. The Coral 1 was ok, the public areas were much nicer than the cabins. I think in hindsight the Coral 2 is a much nicer vessel, but we didn't go to the Galapagos expecting the Queen Mary II. There was, however, a definate problem with the plumbing in our cabin (17) that produced a pretty unbearable smell at times, especially during the two long overnight trips at sea. But that is a small point. The crew were great, the food was fantastic (especially the bbq on the final night), the guides were really good, the excursions were interesting and well timed to avoid the heat of midday and we saw pretty much every animal we went there to see above and below the water - it was incredible, and to top it all off the group of people we were with were really great. There were lost of hugs all round when it came time to leave.

All of our flights within Ecuador and Peru left and arrived on time and absolutely put any US airline to shame. Taca was great and I would definately fly with them again.

All of our contacts at in Peru were great. The Hotel in Lima was lovely. We both really liked Cusco and were very happy to have a day free there just to hang out and wander around. The city tour in Cusco was very good as it was nice to get out and see some of the smaller Inca ruins in the area. The vistadome to Macu Picchu was excellent and I think the only mistake of the trip was not having at least another day just to spend at the Inkaterra - by far our favorite hotel of the trip and one that we will definately be going back to. We had classic rainy season weather but got to spend a couple of very sunny mornings up at the citadel before coming back to the hotel to relax. It really was the perfect spot.

Arriving back in Lima on the final day was a bit of a culture shock. Once we got to the hotel we spent a couple of hours looking around some of the small galleries in the neighborhood before taking the city tour. We probably should have cancelled this and just stayed at the hotel - the tour that was supposed to be just 2 hours actually ended up being 4 because of the appalling traffic in the city...and we literally ran through all of the sights we visited so the majority of that time was spent on the bus. We didn't get back to the hotel until after 6pm so we bascially had to cancel the reservations at la rosa nautica because there was just no way we could get ready, repack get to and from the resatuarant and eat before we had to leave for the airport. So this was frustrating and I'm gald I didn't prepay for the whole thing. It was the right decision though as it was good to have a couple of hours to relax before heading back out into the traffic which was equally bad at 10pm for the ride back to the airport. If you think it might be possible to get a refund from Condor for the cost of the cancelled transfer please let me know.

Anyway I hope this helps - we really did have a great time and I'm sure we'll be in touch again for future trips! Thanks again and best wishes!

Howard & William
Ecuador, Galapagos, & Peru
February, 2009

I am swamped with e-mails after this trip, so this will be short. Both Alex and I want to send our thanks to you and your whole team for making this dream trip come true!! Your whole team made it so easy. Planning a trip like this ourselves would have cost us COUNTLESS hours and more money too!! I hope you do Costa Rica, because that's next on our list!

Val & Alex
Peru, Bolivia, & Argentina
January/February, 2009

Thank you, thank you!! Your recommendations were perfect! This was an amazing way to spend New Years, exploring South America! We really appreciated your honest feedback and tips on where it was better to upgrade and where we could cut back to save on costs. Thanks again for one of the best and most memorable trips ever!

Justin & Amanda
Ecuador, Galapagos, & Peru
January, 2009

I never thought we'd actually get to see Machu Picchu and the Amazon in person... only on TV! LOL! Thanks for your help, everything went perfect and it was so much better than just seeing it on TV! We'll be in touch soon... maybe next... Brazil?

Daniel & Jessie
Essential Peru with the Amazon
December, 2008

Yes we did have a great trip. The arrangements and services were more than we expected. I’m trying to catch up on home stuff now will try to get back to you soon. Please bug me if I forget.

Roger
Essential Peru with Arequipa
October, 2008

All went very well. We had brilliant sunshine for the Condor Pass and Machu Picchu days. Condor travel staff was very personable and more importantly very reliable. We did have a long day at the Lima airport waiting for the 11:50PM flight to JFK. Otherwise both Roger and I thought the trip was great. Thanks.

Joan
Essential Peru with Arequipa
October, 2008

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Things have been busy the past few days. The trip was great!!!!! You did an amazing job. We were EXTREMELY happy with the entire trip. The local tour guide Alexander was great. Everyone was very reliable and very nice. We had a great time and will definitely recommend your services to our friends and family. I know there were some bumps along the way, but you really put together a wonderful trip that was a perfect honeymoon. Thanks again for your assistance.

Jacie & Sander
Quito, Galapagos Legend, and Napo Wildlife Center
September, 2008

I had an amazing time in Peru, thanks for organizing everything! I especially liked the city of Cuzco and the floating islands of Uros, the people there were so friendly. I wish we had stayed in a hotel closer to downtown Puno on the last couple of days, Jose Antonio was rather far away from the city center so we didn't get much of a chance to explore that part of the town. Overall, I'm very happy with this trip, I definitely saw and learned what I had wanted to and am very grateful for all your help.

Maggie & Erwin
Essential Peru with Lake Titicaca
August, 2008

I finally got around to writing to you. We had a great time. Thanks.
I wanted to give my daughter an adventure this summer and with the help of Destination X our trip was a success. We spent a fun filled week at Paradisus, a Playa Conchal Resort in Costa Rica. There were many activities to choose from both within the resort and outside. Destination X made arrangements in advance for our day trip to the volcano and the hot springs. The people were very friendly, the service accommodating and the food good. All in all we had a very memorable experience. Costa Rica is a beautiful place.

Burdette
Paradisus Playa Conchal with Arenal
July, 2008

We had a wonderful vacation. Thanks for all the arranging. The tour sources you used in Ecuador and Costa Rica were top shelf. Everyone on time and organized. Our highest regards go to our guide and driver for the nine days in Ecuador, Edison. His English was perfect, he was easy to spend a gazillion hours a day with, and best of all for me, he was a great driver. WE spent many long hours driving down the spine of the Andes and it would have been a disaster with some hell-bent driver. We were quite happy with most of the hotels. The star for me was the one in Cuenca and for my husband, the one in Quito. The hotel in Vilcabamba was too weird for words, decor wise (seriously, only pictures do it justice), but my husband liked it because the people were so accommodating and he's not much for letting aesthetics get in his way. I'm the one who requested the Vilcabamba side trip, and I would not recommend it. It was a 7 hr car trip with not much to show for it, although, due to a land slide and taking a back ways route, we saw such scenery that the drive itself was spectacular. We would in hindsight cut out Guayaquil, as it took a lot of hard driving for what to us was a take it or leave it city. We had sticker shock in Costa Rica, with our hotel charging $25 for suntan lotion and $3.60 for a small bottle of water, for instance. The room they gave us was not nice at all and we were right next to their construction sight that woke us up every morning at 6:00am. After the second night I asked for a different room and they gave us an ocean view room that was much prettier. Ok, it sounds like I'm complaining for the sheer joy of it, but only to let you know for your future bookings. My husband and I were thrilled by our trip, and we were excited to discover that we are great traveling buddies. It was such a luxury to have you do all the arranging. I could have easily driven myself insane just booking the airlines tickets, much less hotels, guides, and itineraries. Thank you. Betsy.

Betsy and James
Ecuador & Costa Rica
July, 2008

I just wanted to write you a short review about our fantastic trip to Peru. "My wife and I just returned from a tour of Peru that included Lima, Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, and the gem of gems Machu Picchu and we wanted to thank you for a fantastic trip!! You guys exceeded our expectations by leaps and bounds. Destination X provided top-notch tour services including professional tour guides, comfortable transportation and centrally-located hotels. They provided everything we needed to make our travels pleasurable, worry-free, and an ultimately unforgettable experience in the fascinating and beautiful country of Peru. If we return to Peru ourselves, or if you are thinking of traveling to Peru yourself, definitely go with Destination X!!"

Best regards,
Tom & Julie
June, 2008

Sorry Chris, this got sent to the SPAM box for some reason. The trip was very nice - Peru is beautiful and we had a great time.

Honeymooners to Peru
June, 2008

My buddy Eric and I just got back from Ecuador and just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know everything was great! Thanks for your help!

Bobby - bp198122@aol.com
March, 2008

We're back! My wife and I just returned from the Galapagos and Machu Picchu Tour which was fantastic! We are very experienced traveler's and usually go the more "budget and back-packer" route, but we decided to take the higher level hotels you recommended and couldn't be happier! We even asked the hotels for a room upgrade... and got it! Thanks for your help arranging this journey!

Fred & Barbara
March, 2008

Julie and I just got back from the Peru with Inca Trail and we added on the Amazon Cruise.. and I CAN'T wait to go back! My only regret was that we didn't see Lake Titicaca, but there is always next time. I know for sure we'll be back to do the Galapagos next year!!
Thank you very much for all of your assistance!

Scotty & Julie - scottyyjames@gmail.com
April, 2008

I recently went on a trip booked a trip with you to Costa Rica (Arenal and Manuel Antonio National Park). It was one of the best international trips I have ever been on. All the tours they booked us were very authentic and not the usual boring "touristy" things. The price was great and I really felt secure in knowing that all of the connections and travel arrangements were in good hands with you. I will definitely be booking more trips through you guys and recommending Destination X to my friends!!

Leslie - Leslierussell1981@gmail.com
May, 2007

Hello,
My friends and I recently took a trip to Costa Rica with you as our travel specialist, and I have to say that it was the best trip we’d ever done together. We usually always did the “cruise thing” where everything is planned for you without much thought of your own. That’s fun and all, but this time we wanted a little more adventure but with all the amenities of a cruise. Destination X knew exactly what we were looking for and not only met, but exceeded our expectations. I will book my next trip with you and will certainly recommend your services to my friends.

John – jrusso@xcomusa.com
May, 2007