Northern Europe Local culture Trips

First, I have to say that our tour guide John Phem was amazing. He always went above and beyond during the entire trip. We had several road trips and flights and all went smoothly. We were well fed and hydrated the entire time and were greeted daily with hand towels and bottles of water. I cannot say enough good things about John. Also, the local tour guides in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand were very good. Chen in Cambodia and Pat in Laos were very informative and thoughtful, and A in Thailand also went above and beyond. She helped us shop carefully in the local markets. My only critique is that we were a little over-programmed. I would have liked a little more free time at the hotels. We stayed in beautiful places but felt we could not enjoy the amenities because we were always on the go. I do like that Collette builds in impactful excursions and visits to local homes, however. They provide for an enriching experience. If there were a way to provide those and allow for a little more free time that would be perfect. Thank you for a special trip. I highly recommend it and Collette to family and friends.

Hard to pick a single favorite experience because there were so many great experiences. The food, the palaces and cathedrals were fantastic. So much history! Touring the wineries was a lot of fun as I had no experience with the wines we tried . It was fun to learn about Port and Rioja wines. The Douro Valley ( wine region ) was gorgeous. Staying at the winery hotel was an experience, the views of the terraced hills was amazing!

It was absolutely wonderful to be on this tour thru Spain and Portugal. I like Sevilla with its old town and cathedral, but I was mesmerized by Cordoba an old Mosque - Cathedral and 2000 years old Roman bridge we walked thru. I also loved Toledo that I visited 20 years ago, but it looked to me much better. Barcelona stole my heart - Sagrada Familia is build up and gorgeous. Spanish People are wonderful to be with - warm, funny and happy, the food is delicious - paella and the restaurants are great. Forgot about Valencia - old town and modern Art and Science Center built by Santiago Calatrava (Oculus in New York City is his as well) Portugal is a bit different and people more reserved. I was happy to be there and see Columbus' and Vasco De Gama's graves. Great tour, recommend to all.

Seeing the big blue chunks from the glaciers in the lake and the black diamond beach across the street. Loved Blue Lagoon swim and the singer/guitarist/comedian the first half hour of our farewell dinner was awesome! Our Tour Manager, Villum, was the best!

The trip is very aggressive, but the sites and activities are amazing. It’s challenging to be in so many hotels however, that’s the only way you can see both islands fully. The food was amazing. Our driver was very kind and skilled. Our guide was animated, funny and made the long rides bearable.

I have shared with friends how wonderful this trip was. I hope all your guides and drivers are as experienced and knowledgeable as and . They make a great team as they are organized, hard working and friendly. We fell in love with New Zealand!