Passengers Testimonials

We've just returned from our wonderful trip to Ireland. We really enjoyed the way it started out, meeting some neat folks, going "to the dogs" in Dublin,visiting the gardens at Powerscourt, and then having a wonderful dinner at Roli's all before the tour started. During our tour the weather was excellent, only an hour and a half of rain in two weeks.we understand that's not too normal for Ireland !!! pub crawling was frequent and very interesting. We saw some Irish dancing and lots of singing. I even had a dance with my wife at one of the pubs not Irish dancing but neverthe less!!! The Irish as we discovered are probably the most friendly people we have ever met.

We had lunch in a snug booth at the Crown Bar in Belfast and couldn't believe the stained glass windows and the beautiful ceiling. The Giants causeway was amazing and the ring of Kerry and Dingle peninsula scenery was spectacular. We've never seen so many cattle, sheep and horses in the bright green fields seperated by hundreds of stone fences. The baby sheep and foals were plentiful and playful as well.

The book of Kells and the Guiness brewery were highlights in Dublin. All in all we had an absolutely marvellous time. We were only one day away from the historic meeting between McGinnis, Paisley and Blair at Stormont as we visited it the day after their historic meeting. Our guide Richard Bury was so well versed in the history of the Republic and the North and was also able to give us a lot of information about the topography of the country and we still can't believe how Tony Davis our driver was able to negitiate some of the roads we travelled-they were so narrow in some spots that we didn't think two cars could pass each other let alone a car and a coach.

The hotels chosen by Insight were excellent and the arranged dinners were extremely tastey. The extra room in the coach made it very comfortable and we never tired of travelling. There were ample photo stops and also stops to view specific sights along the way. The tour exceeded our expectations in every way.

Thanks Insight for a most memorable experience.

Hugh and Heather

Dear Insight Vacations:

I just wanted to tell you that Rob and I had the most incredible time on our HL of Europe tour. Absolutely everything went well. We had the most patient, informative and helpful TD, Lorenzo (I know everyone comes back and says that, but he really was excellent). The hotels were great, the premium highlights were fantastic and the coach of course was fantastic. We had a great group - of which most of them have already sent us emails and I'm sure will remain lifelong friends. We've already planned a trip to Sydney to spend the weekend with another couple from the trip going to the theatre, and we're having a BBQ reunion at our place next month for a family and 2 other couples from Brisbane that were also on the tour.

Even Rob (who hates holidays) woke up every morning say "thanks for forcing me to come on this trip - this is the best holiday ever". I must say, I think Insight is even better than what we promote it as!

Sally

Queensland

We are delighted to inform you that the 'HIGHLIGHTS OF  SPAIN' tour E936 was a memorable vacation. This is due to the tour director Elena Lopez Carre, who has spared no effort to make our vacation unforgettable.

 The solid historical and current information about  the cities and towns we visited or passed were seasoned with her intelligent comments and wit. We do appreciate her swift response, with a cordial smile, to our queries; let alone her ability to create the atmosphere for thirty nine members of the tour to know each other and leave Madrid as friends.

Hopefully, we have a comparable tour guide in the next vacation.

 Muchas  gracias Elena.

Brigitta  and Samir

This is a special letter of appreciation for Tommy Hatem Abdl Aziz , the Tour Director for the Wonders of Egypt tour 1st to 11th February 2007.

I am a 73 year old retired Chinese Canadian. Traveling is my main pastime. Last year, I did 8 t rips and the year before 7. I have met a great number of tour directors . Tommy stood highly above them all. The Wonders of Egypt trip went beyond my expectation s. Thanks to Tommy who made this trip truly Egyptian . He is organized, knowledgeable, punctual, caring, fun loving and above all, very proud of his heritage. He presented Egypt with passion and brought us step-by-step, day-to-day with his boundless enthusiasm.

As mentioned previously, I travel a lot and many people turn to me for information and advice. Therefore, I will recommend your tour to my friends and hope they are lucky enough to have Tommy as their tour director.

I truly enjoyed the rich and wonderful Egyptian experience.

Sincerely yours

Pauline

MEMO TO : Insight Vacations

RE: Jacquie Pangman,Tour Director,Best of Spain and Portugal

FROM: Peter and Kathryn

DATE: 2007 01 09

We were members of the above tour directed by Jacquie Pangman. We wish to express our appreciation for the excellent manner in which Jacquie conducted this tour.

From the onset of the tour we were confident that this holiday would be a success.

Jacquie's managerial skills were exceptional. The mechanics of scheduling, accommodations, side trips, keeping to routines, timelines and emergency resolution, etc. were flawlessly executed. Despite our misfortune of getting lost in the airport upon arrival and subsequently having a luggage problem, Jacquie found us, solved the luggage mishap and assured us that all would be well.

Jacquie's knowledge of the area,customs,language,and history was a highlight of the trip.Throughout the tour she gave daily dissertations that were informative and entertaining. She has an excellent repertoire of tour guides and additional sites and activities to see that enhanced the trip.

Jacquie exceeded the expectations of the group in regard to the role and the personal interaction of a tour director. She responded "above and beyond" to the needs of all individuals without showing any favouritism. Each day she took time to interact with all members on a one to one basis to answer questions or to respond to requests. She treated all as if they were friends rather than just clients. Despite the rigours of her daily responsibilities she always had time for a friendly smile or a quick chat with "her clients". As a personal note, Jacquie took personal time to purchase medication for me rather than allow me to struggle with language barriers, etc..

In closing, Jacquie creates the impression she is deeply committed and involved in her chosen career. She conducts herself in a very professional manner at all times. It is important to her that her clients receive her personal best. We believe she is truly a great ambassador for and an asset to Insight Vacations.

Yours truly,

Peter and Kathryn

Re: Best of Ireland & Scotland

We have just returned from the above trip and wish to let you know how impressed we were with our guide, Gary Willmett.

He was very pleasant, helpful & organized.  We were amazed at the in-depth histories of Ireland & Scotland that he rattled off without the aid of any notes!

He really made the past come alive.

We believe Gary is a great asset for you, and felt we must write to tell you so. We would definitely go with him again.

Sincerely,

Tom & Sally

Comments on Easy Pace Spain Trip

I just wanted to write in and share my thanks and appreciation to Insight for the fabulous time I had on my trip.  I have just returned from taking the Easy Pace Spain and Portugal trip (Sept 1 to Sept 14) and wanted to let you know what a superb job the Tour Director (Elena Lopez) and Tour Driver (Augustus Viera) have done!!

This is my second Insight Vacation and because of Elena and Augustus I am now planning my next year's vacation with Insight as well.  I have always been impressed with the service and knowledge of the Insight Tour Directors and Guides but, Elena has raised my admiration for Insight even more.  She was extremely knowledgeable with the History of both Portugal and Spain as well as, her natural love for the countries was infectuous.  Her pride in working for Insight also was a large factor in the enjoyment of the trip.  She made sure all the details were taken care of, we were on schedule and that we were able to truly be able to say we had an Easy Pace tour which allowed us to see as much of each city as we personally wanted to.  She provided expert advice for travelling with the local transportation, she gave us excellent directions to where we wanted to go and, she made us feel like one big family. Bravo Elena on a fabulous and much appreciated job!!!!!

Augustus was excellent as well. He always made sure we got to see the scenic ways and scenic spots.  He made sure to take us to the best places to get out photo opportunities.  He was courteous, timely and an excellent driver.  I would entrust my safety on a vacation to him anytime.  He has been the best tour driver I've had in my several vacations to Europe !!

Again,  I just want to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for providing and hiring such excellent and capable staff!!  Also, if possible please pass along my gratitude and thanks again to Elena and Augustus.  I look forward to travelling with Insight again next year.

Thank you,

Brenda

Recent Insight Vacation to France ...

Dear Sir/Madam

On 15 Sep2006, we started a 10 day trip ( Normandy , Brittany & Loire Valley ) with Insight Vacation.  We were a little apprehensive at first since we had never been on an organized trip in the past (bus or otherwise).

I would just like to say that this has been the most wonderful vacation we've ever had.  Our travel guide was Philippe and the bus driver's name was Farid. They were the very best.  I cannot imagine having a better guide or driver.  I would really appreciate it if this email could be passed onto them.  They deserve all the glory they get.  They made the trip!  There are no words to express how much we enjoyed our vacation.  What a treat it was that we did not have to worry about driving or finding accommodations like our last trip to France . 

This might very well be our first organized trip but it will not be our last.

Yours truly,

Wayne & Mona

Recent Tours of Italy and Egypt. Sept 06

My wife and I recently were on the Easy Pace Monte Carlo and Tuscany tour. It was  lead by Sherri Moorey on Sept 2nd 2006.

She did an excellent job in organizing our days and providing extras such as seeing the "Last supper" by DaVinci in Milan . She made sure we were comfortable in our lodging and gave excellent advice on where to eat and shop. Lots of fun and an educational trip as well.

The hotels were very well selected, we thought. Sherrie made sure we  all made our flight connections and checked at the airport if there were any problems.

The trip to Egypt was lead by Neveen from Cairo. This tour started Sept 12th. Neveen was an excellent guide and provided us with  lots of easy to understand ancient history. Indeed she used  members of our group as various people of history  as part of her explanation at times and it was not only more poignant, but fun as well. She made sure we ate and shopped at good stores and helped us in selecting gifts if we asked her. She arranged for us to start early and avoid the heat as much as possible. All in all she was an excellent tour guide.

We certainly appreciated the representative staff for Insight in their help on arrival and departure at Cairo Airport.Especially when they picked us up at 0230 hours on a thursday  to go to Cairo airport. They even made sure we were checked in and ready for passport control before they left. I believe our contact representative was Lacey. Very well done!. We would  certainly recommend Insight again.

Please pass this along to appropriate staff.

Sincerely, MaryAnna and Peter

Tour E958A September 16

It is my usual practice to send an email to supplement the questionnaires that my wife and complete at the conclusion of the tour.

The tour director was Terry Morgan. The driver was Helmut Neuner. The beginning date was September 16 for the highlights of Europe although we started from Toronto on September 15. We left the tour early in Prague as previously planned.

Terry Morgan was as enthusiastic a tour director as we have ever had. He was unfailingly pleasant and helpful and was extremely generous with his own time particularly in Berlin. I trust you will convey to Terry our thanks for the interesting, fun and informative tour. Terry's organization was very much appreciated, particularly the way the room keys were distributed on arrival at the various hotels.

The hotels on the tour were better than we have had on other Insight tours. Thank you. The Diplomat was perhaps the least attractive of the hotels.

Bill

October 6, 2006

Best of Italy

To whom it may concern

My wife and I just returned from the B.O.I on Sept 24th and we had a wonderful time. I would especially like to thank our tour director Craig Sunney. He was wonderful in every way possible, that made our trip memorable. The trip exceeded our expectations and he did a great job to ensure that it did.

I would certainly go with insight again. Hopfully in the near future.

I hope this e-mail is forwarded to head office to give credit where credit is due.

Thank you

Dennis Darragh

European Explorer Sept 15, 2006

My wife and I wish to compliment Brad Allamand our Tour Director for an excellant job on our recent tour. he created many nhappy memories for the whole tour.

Roger and Eleanor

Dear Insight:

My husband and I just returned from the "Taste of Europe" tour (September 4-10/06) and we were immensely impressed by the organization and dedication that went into the tour.

Specifically, we had an amazing Tour Director by the name of Sharon Tooman.  She not only made the trip stress free but also added her personal touch that made all of us feel like family. Her organization, knowledge and familiarity with local customs and traveled areas was astounding.  She is an absolute treasure and we would like to commend her for a job well done.

I myself work for a Fortune 500 company which has locations all around the world.  I am involved in many types of arrangements for those who travel to and from Europe so I can appreciate first hand the amount of work that goes into preparations. 

It is very intimidating traveling to lands you are not normally accustomed to.  Having someone take the stress out of your worries is a great comfort.  Sharon took care of each required need with personal dedication. There was never a time when we were concerned or distressed about anything along the way.

A big pat on the back to Sharon for a job well done. We would definitely take another trip with Insight.  Of course, we would put a special request in for Sharon !!!

Would you kindly make sure that a copy of this e-mail is sent to management at the office she works from in London .  I believe in giving credit where credit is due and since we were lucky enough to have Sharon, I think it is important that those she works for be told of the gem she is and what a fabulous time she gave us.  Many thanks in advance.

Thanks again for giving us the opportunity to obtain such irreplaceable memories.

Katharine

Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada

Hi! Insight,

I recently returned from European Heritage Tour E916A 12th July 08.
Wonderful tour met all my expectations and more loved the variety of the tour two night stopovers great, fabulous accommodation nearly always in the centre of our destination you would not stay at these Hotels if you were traveling alone due to the cost.
I travelled alone. Anyone thinking about it just do it. I never had any worries.

I would like to say our tour guide Tim Pendlebury was the ultimate professional and because of his great organisational skills we didn\'t waste a moment and the tour coasted along without a hitch. I also felt very safe on the coach as the driver Thierry DL Vlieger was such a capable driver particularly on those windy roads plus he had the task of lifting my heavy case on each day thankyou.

So Insight you have won me back again!

Kind Regards
Vicki

Hi,

My name is Roslyn and I went on the 22 day Britain & Ireland Discovery Tour which left London on Wednesday 2nd August, 2006.

I thought it was the most fantastic tour paced at just the right pace. Our tour Director Michael Glass could not have been more helpful and informative, his wealth of knowledge was astounding. He was on top of everything from morning til night for the whole tour. Our driver Robert Rennie was also wonderful and with him driving it was most relaxing on the winding roads.
Congratulations Michael, Robert and Insight.

Thanks,
Roslyn

Subject: Wonders of Egypt

To: Insight Vacations Reservations

My 14 year old son and I travelled with a Wonders of Egypt tour in June 2005. I wanted to write to tell you how much we enjoyed this tour. While being initially quite culture-shocked arriving in Cairo, from Australia, we fell in love with Egypt and its people.

We began at the fabulous Marriot Hotel in Cairo, met our fellow travellers and became accustomed to language, currency and customs. 

The hotel, although in the process of renovations was magnificent. 

The service, restaurants and accommodation were excellent.

We met our wonderful guide Mohammed and began our adventure. The sightseeing around Cairo was fantastic. A great introduction to the city and surrounds.

On to Luxor by plane. A lot of fun flying over endless desert. With a few passengers being initially a little concerned by the  size of the plane, we were delighted with the experience by the time we arrived at our destination.

We boarded our boat in Luxor and were thrilled with our accommodation and services on board. We loved the cruising, we loved the sightseeing, we loved the entertainment on board, we loved the food, the staff, the service, the pool etc... It was absolutely brilliant all round.

When we arrived in Aswan we stayed at the wonderful New Cataract Hotel. 

Another wonderful hotel. We, once again, were thrilled with our accommodation, service, food, tours etc...

The extra tours on offer were all wonderful and well worth it. We tried to fit in as much as we could while we were there and were never disappointed with anything on the tour. With wake-up calls for all early tours it was easy to be ready on time. Our every whim was catered for. The bus drivers were wonderful, always helpful, friendly and punctual. We didn't even have to carry our luggage. It was all done for us!

Airport check-ins were a breeze. Hotel check-ins were a breeze, Even our entry to tourist sights was all taken care of swiftly and easily. 

This of course was thanks to "amazing" Mohammed. What a gem our wonderful host was. I think you a very lucky to have such a talented tour guide. We were in awe of his knowledge, of both ancient history and modern life. Mohammed made our trip so easy and looked after us beautifully. Looking back now, I realise how fortunate we were, first of all, to have chosen the Wonders of Egypt tour and secondly to be so well taken care of by Mohammed.

With a 14 year old boy, I wondered if he would enjoy the tour. Well he certainly did. In fact he absolutely loved all of it. We met some wonderful people on the tour and made some great friends.

So thank you Insight for an amazing time. Your attention to detail and outstanding organisational skills were greatly appreciated. You have given us a fantastic holiday and we are very grateful.

Kind Regards,

Belinda and Thomas

Subject: European Explorer Tour

Hello Insight Staff

Just wanted to thank you and all your staff for a most wonderful holiday using Insight for the first time.

My family (of 5) had our first major holiday travelling throughtout Europe with Ruth and Andre and cannot speak highly enough about our time away. It held memories we will never forget.

We thank insight and their staff for organising such a fantastic, enjoyable and problem free holiday and especially our thanks to Ruth. We are sure most of your tour leaders are of the highest quality but we feel we got the best and will seek her out again for our next adventure.

Words cannot stress how wonderful she is in her quiet confident way; nothing is a problem and there never seems to be any issues (but i'm sure there were many).

Thank you again to Insight, we will be recommending you to anyone who plans to travel abroad..... now we wouldn't travel any other way.

Posted At: July 13, 2006 9:20 PM

Posted To: CA - IS_Info

Conversation: My recent Insight holiday to the Northern Capitals and Russia

Subject: My recent Insight holiday to the Northern Capitals and Russia

July 13, 2006

Hello,

I would like to tell you how please and thrilled I was to have taken the Northern Capitals and Russia Tour on 18 June 2006. The trip was well planned, the accommodations were excellent, for the most part, with the exception of the hotel in Copenhagen . Russia just "blew my mind away." I feel that in no small way were the excellent guide, Anna Lüthi, and the very capable driver Pascoal, instrumental in making everything run like clockwork. Anna's indepth knowledge of the areas we visited is very commendable. Pascoal's patience and friendly smile made  me, and I feel, the other participants, at ease during the whole 19 days.  If there is any way possible, I would appreciate your passing on to them my sentiments. I have taken many tours with various companies around the world, but I don't think I have met any guide as capable, helpful and friendly as Anna, and no driver who could surpass Pascoal's competence.

I have one suggestion to make, if I may be so bold - I would like to see a Siberian tour offered by your company.

Thank you,

Calvin

Tour Reference: "European Grandeur" 915-028 departing London Tuesday 16 May 2006

Insight Vacations Management Team

I would like to place on record the immense pleasure that my wife and I received as a result of undertaking the above Insight Tour under Tour Director Gary Junge. Our daughter who travelled separately on the same tour has conveyed similar thoughts.

We had been self managed travellers in the past, both in Australia, New Zealand, USA and the UK so this was our first foray into guided tours. The thought of 27 days captive in a coach was somewhat daunting but it did seem the best way to cover Europe on this our first visit there. I have always been wary of claims about what benefits are derived from travel packages - we did a South Pacific Cruise in December 2005 that, although enjoyable, didn't quite live up to the'propaganda' espoused by the promotion documents.

As it transpired, we had absolutely no need for concern as the arrangements were above expectations. Gary's guidance on optional tours that would provide best benefit overall were right on the mark and we owe so much to him for his input. It really did make for that'once in a lifetime tour' to be so memorable.

The benefits resulting from the Insight tour were recognised by all those on the tour. These can be summarised as follows and I have probably missed some:

• the specific sites selected for visitation as part of the main tour;
• guidance from the experienced Tour Director on optional tours to match needs;
• guidance from the Tour Director for individual free-time sightseeing at various cities;
• the location and types of hotels;
• the special befits such as additional night's stay in London and also airport transfer;
• the provision of a single room when a suitable match for room-share could not be provided for singles prepared to share, thereby avoiding the single-room supplement cost (as happened for our daughter);
• convenience of room-to-room luggage handling arrangements;
• meal arrangements;
• not having to worry about transport or parking;
• convenience of access to visitation sites;
• the avoidance of queuing at these sites;
• the room in the coach;
• the skill of the driver in ensuring that we had safe passage for 10,000 kms or so;
• the depth of knowledge of relevant history conveyed to us to explain the areas & facilities visited by Gary and his support  from local guides;
• the tips from Tour Director Gary on local customs/idiosyncrasies that would help keep us out of trouble or avoid frustration and generally make the little things more pleasant;

There were some sites listed for visits that beforehand didn't seem to hold much interest. We are not Roman Catholics so Lourdes & Assisi didn't really grab us. How wrong we were!  They were both amongst the many highlights. Clearly, Insight's experience over many years of putting tours together has enabled it to determine what are the more memorable and spectacular locations for such an overview tour. On our own we would have missed such pearls.

The ability of the Tour Director to adapt optional tours to suit our needs was excellent. He arranged the normally separate Pompeii and Isle of Capri visits together into a single day's outing for us utilising a range of transport modes, each a highlight in its own right. It was a long day but what a day!

Key to it all was the performance of the Tour Director. I reiterate that Gary's capabilities were superb. We really could not have had a better Director. In fact one has to wonder if he is one out of the box. Not only was his conveyance to us of local history so good, his multilingual skills were excellent, and his interpersonal skills and genuineness were first-class. It has been said that most Australians can sniff out 'bullshit' well before others. Gary had this busload of 36 Aussies, 2 Kiwis (as good as Aussies) and 2 Yanks (Aussified by the end of the trip) on side with him all the way.

There is no doubt that this was but the first of more guided tours to come for us. Since returning we have already been 'selling' the virtues of the Insight tours to friends and colleagues who have expressed an interest in overseas travel.

Once again our thanks to Insight, to Tour Director Gary Junge and Coach Driver Rene Piersma for such a memorable tour. Bloody brilliant & we'll be back!

Kind regards

Jim

European Highlights May 2006

I chose Insight Vacations because the dates, length of the tour and itinerary suited me. No one known to me has been on an Insight vacation before, and I wondered if I made the right choice.

The holiday exceeded my wildest expectations!

The accommodation was excellent, the bus comfortable and the driver Steven van den Hoop highly experienced and professional.

Needless to say, Insight Vacations will now be the only choice I consider,...BUT...only if Andrew Ainscough is the tour director. His professional manner, excellent organization, wide range of knowledge, language proficiency, impeccable manners, humour and patience was to me the greatest contribution to the success of the tour. My gluten-free diet was no problem to him, and it is the only tour I have been on where allowances were made for my diet at every meal. The information I received from him, which explained 'coeliaci' in French, German, Italian and English as well as what food I can eat and what to avoid to help me buy food, was a first for me! It bears witness of his unbelievable consideration of others.

His personal interest in, helpfulness and friendliness towards everyone, even when some were sometimes unreasonable, late or rude, was admirable. He even managed to successfully shorten our detour through the Alps by keeping us up to date with events, interchanged with interesting information, and his quick actions ensured we were still able to do everything as originally planned.

The optional excursions were each something special, and the guides were well equipped, especially the guide in Rome who was a master on his subject, a good narrator with a lovely sense of humour. The lady in Paris ' enthusiasm, especially about the Mona Lisa, was a hit. I think in this Andrew's many years of experience played a role.

I read somewhere in one of your brochures that we should not compare tour directors, but I am hooked, and therefore next year I will make sure Andrew is the designated tour director before I book.

Posted At: June 17, 2006 4:22 PM
Conversation: Country Roads Of Ireland
Subject: Country Roads Of Ireland

On May 21st we left for the Country Roads of Ireland tour (which was recommended by Halcyon Days Travelaide) and met up with our tour guide Shona Pearn and her driver Bernard.

This was the first time we used the services of Insight Vacations but because of the experience we had on this tour we would recommend your tour services to anyone.

My wife and I wish to mention that Shona made this not just an excellent tour but one built around memories created,care, warmth, and concern for each person on the tour. If we are spared to go on another tour we hope that we would get someone like Shona as our guide.

Shona is a credit to your tour company and shows that Insight Vacations is a FIRST CLASS organization.Please convey our appreciation to Shona and Bernard for a trip of a lifetime. 

June 3, 2006  
Re: Insight Tour: Italian Escapade, April 30 - May 13, 2006  

Dear Sir or Madam:  

We recently took a holiday in Italy with Insight Vacations and feel that you should be aware of how pleased we were with our experiences.  

Our coach was clean and comfortable; the places of interest that we visited and the location and quality of the hotels were all above reproach.  

Our driver was Pasquale Leoncino. He handled himself, in all circumstances, in a professional and courteous manner and was kind to all his passengers. We were very impressed on a number of occasions with how safely and easily he manoeuvred his large vehicle through some very tight places.  

While the above were excellent, our tour guide, Kathy Cecchini was the single most important factor in this holiday being one of the best we have ever taken. She was knowledgeable and had a clear and humourous way of presenting information. Kathy gave us excellent advice on a number of things from shopping, to menu choices, to keeping our possessions safe. Kathy obviously has a gift for dealing with people as she appeared to effortlessly keep harmony amongst a group of forty strangers. (We did have two or three demanding people in our group and she handled them respectfully and successfully.)  

We feel it is important for Insight to be aware that the company has an exceptional employee in Kathy and hope she is treated as such. Because of Kathy and the enjoyment she gave us, we would have no hesitancy in recommending Insight to people considering travelling by coach tour.  

Yours truly,      

Bob and Lynn    

Posted At: June 4, 2006 10:27 AM
Conversation: Recent Trip to Ireland - May 21 - June 2/06
Subject: Recent Trip to Ireland - May 21 - June 2/06

Re: Tour Director Shona Pearn  

I wanted to send an email to let you know that our trip to Ireland was the best thanks to Shona. I asked if she had ever received an award for Tour Director of the Year and she mentioned that this isn't something that Insight offers.  

She was absolutely incredible.... firstly, she was able to follow up on my luggage for me after having filled out all the lost luggage forms and making a few phone calls myself with little or no results. I really appreciated her doing that for me. I marvelled at how she could keep everything so organized. Her knowledge of the history and the stories and music that accompanied our travels along the way was outstanding! I think mostly it was her passion for all of this that made her so unique. She must tell these same stories and relate the same history for each tour, however, it was like she was telling us for the first time!! She was so very personable and laughed not only at the repeated jokes but at herself!!  

We so enjoyed her expressions and the way she joked with the Driver, Bernard Kiern who was also very good! She is a very stylish individual... always making fun of her size, yet dressing for every occasion. I was always wondering what she would be wearing each day.  

You seriously couldn't have a better person representing your company and hope that my sending this email can help her in some small way to further her career with Insight.  

Yours truly,  

Judy  

P.S.S. I have been on other bus tours and this tour was the best in large due to Shona Pearn!!  

Posted At: April 9, 2006 12:44 PM
Conversation: Looking to contact our Tour Director - Easy Pace Italian Tour - March 17 through March 29, 2006
Subject: Looking to contact our Tour Director - Easy Pace Italian Tour - March 17 through March 29, 2006

For your information, we travelled with 28 other people on the Easy Pace Tour and I must say that Annelies and Orlando, our Bus Driver were absolutely terrific, in fact they were the catalyst that made our group such a fantastic group of people.  Guests on the tour got along so well and were genuinely interested in each other for the entire tour.  The camaraderie during the 12 days was phenomenal, very positive and a testament for the success of the tour.  All of us felt the tour was too short.  Annelies went way over and beyond her 'call to duty' as she took individual interest in everyone and where some guests had difficulty walking on some of the site tours she arranged alternative transportation for these people so that they could meet us at important points of the walking tour rather than having the guests just sit on the bus and wait.  She gave individual attention to all of us ensuring we had a relaxing and comfortable tour and; her information, history of the many places was simply outstanding.  Annelies was very personable and very informed.  In short, she was magnificent and made the tour a wonderful event.  

Orlando was equally as professional and charming.  His handling of the Insight Bus was fantastic and never did he ever seem stressed out with the traffic, narrow roads or the time of day.  He always was part of the fun and the guests as we were behaving like a cohesive 'family'.  His knowledge of the roads, the people and tour was excellent.  His humour immediately evident upon meeting him for the first time as was the case with Annelies.  They made for a fantastic team for the thirty of us, as we travelled around the Italian countryside.  

In closing, I would like the management of Insight Vacations to know of our pleasure with the tour and with Annelies and Orlando.  Secondly, if possible, I would very much like to contact Annelies or have her contact us, as I respect privacy of staff.  Being a retired commercial flight operations personnel, I sincerely appreciate the work and effort that goes into any tour and transportation operation.  This tour a couple of weeks ago was absolutely terrific.  We owe a thunderous round of applause to all involved and thank you so much for such an excellent tour.  

Yours truly,  

Colin      

Posted At: April 3, 2006 8:34 PM
Conversation: A Big Thank You!
Subject: A Big Thank You!

Hi Mohamed:
Fouad and I would like to thank you for making our Egyptian holiday such a joyful experience. We had a great time, and will always be thankful to have been on Bus #1. We arrived back in Toronto safely, and ahead of schedule, other than Fouad had to open his bag at Customs which infuriated him, and of course delayed us getting home to clear all the spam from our computers!  

This was our 3rd trip with Insight, and each time the tour guide has gone above and beyond the call of duty for the group. I am sure you never expected to play teacher, or nursemaid, or doctor, or shopping service, or lost luggage expert, or drink buyer, but I guess in your job, those are the breaks. We really appreciate everything you did for our group, and glad to have your email address to let you know how thankful we are to have met you. Needless to say, we would never travel with any other Tour Group, and would highly recommend Insight for anyone travelling to Egypt, Turkey, Spain or Portugal or other countries that we will visit eventually. We have not decided on our next tour, but rest assured wherever we go it will be with Insight Vacations.

Kindest regards

Posted At: February 27, 2006 10:55 PM
Conversation: Italy easy pace
Subject: Italy easy pace

Hi all,

My wife and I would like to say thanks for a great holiday.  We were on the Easy Pace Italy tour in January of this year and we had a wonderful time.  The tour director, Debra D'Angelo was excellent and our driver Franco was also the best.  These two folks made the trip very special.  We had absolutely no bad experiences.  Hotels...top notch, bus...top notch, extra tours were all excellent.  And what a wonderful country Italy is. Again, thanks to Debra for her history lessons and insights.  Heck, what's not to love, we spent our 40th wedding aniversary in Roma!!   We will remember this trip for a long time.      

Many thanks,

Warren & Lynne  

Posted At: February 7, 2006 8:59 AM
Conversation: "Best of Egypt " Jan 27 to Feb 5, 2006
Subject: "Best of Egypt " Jan 27 to Feb 5, 2006  

To whom it may concern:  

My wife and I just returned home from the above noted tour and wanted to pass on our complete satisfaction with every aspect of the trip.  Your staff in Cairo were excellent in easing us through the "cultural differences" of arrivals and departures. Your Tour Director, Karim Mostafa, was a delight with his attention to detail and his vast knowledge of Egyptian history. I want to mention one incident which may or may not come to your attention through other channels.  This took place on Day 6 during the optional day trip to Abu-Simbel. As we were entering the airport terminal at Abu-Simbel for our return flight to Aswan, two members of our group (an Australian lady and her son) became very abusive with the Egyptian security staff.  This led to quite an uproar,  with the Head of Security becoming involved, and the possibility of charges being laid against the Australians.  Karim did his best to smooth things over before flight time, but the flight ultimately left with Karim and the two Australians being left behind.  Before our flight left, Karim arranged for the Tour Director of another Insight group on the same flight to make sure the remainder of our group got to our evening destination safely.  I believe this gentleman's first name was Essam.  Karim and the two Australians ultimately returned to Aswan on later flights after the  Australians were persuaded to apologize to the Egyptian officials for their behavior. My wife and I, and the others in our group believe the Karim should be applauded for the way that he endured these two "high maintenance" individuals. This incident in no way affected our complete enjoyment of the tour and we would have no hesitation in recommending Insight to others.  In fact my wife and I are booked on "Country Roads of Ireland",  May 28 to June 9, 2006.  

Yours truly

Peter  

Posted At: January 2, 2006 3:22 PM
Conversation: Winter Wonderland / Xmas market tour
Subject: Winter Wonderland / Xmas market tour

Good afternoon:

I am sending this email to comment on my recent Insight Vacation through Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  My tour commenced in Frankfurt on December 17, 2005 and ended on December 25th in Frankfurt and it was called the Winter Wonderland/Christmas market tour.  Our tour guide was named Wolfgang and our bus driver was Ed.  

I wish to tell you that our trip was fantastic!   I couldn't imagine it being any better than it turned out and I wanted to express my delight to Insight vacations for a wonderful, well planned, stress free vacation.   Everything was perfect!   

Wolfgang was a wonderful, knowledgeable tour guide with a great sense of humour and a very caring attitude towards his group.  He was always available to answer any questions and always shared a warm smile with everyone - what a wonderful person to compliment our tour with Insight Vacations, he was a delight and should be acknowledged and regarded very highly by your organization.   

Our bus driver Ed showed incredible driving expertise and even in some harsher winter road conditions, he proved his ability to maneuver that bus through most anything and gave us all a feeling of confidence and safety.  

I will definitely book an Insight Tour again and recommend Insight Vacations to all my family and friends.   Thank you to all for a Wonderful European experience - the memories will last a lifetime !!!!!  

Debbie  

6th June, 2006

Dear Sir/Madam

TREASURES OF TURKEY : MAY 7 TH - 21 ST, 2006
TOUR DIRECTOR: ATAKAN ACAR
DRIVE: HUSEYIN KILIC

My husband and I have just returned home from the above trip to Turkey. We wanted to convey to you how much we enjoyed the trip.

Our Tour Director, Atakan Acar was excellent. His knowledge of Turkey and its history was explained to us in such an intelligent and well balanced manner, and we now have a better understanding of Turkey and its people because of his passion. He showed genuine concern for each and every one of the people on our tour. His sense of humour was also very evident and appreciated by all on our coach.

Our Driver Huseyin Kilic was a careful and competent driver and we all felt safe in his care. He remained calm in all situations which is most important for a coach driver.

The accommodation was excellent as was the food served in all the hotels.

We will remember this trip for many years to come and will certainly recommend a visit to Turkey to all our friends.

A copy of this letter is being forwarded to Insight Vacations Pty Ltd, 35 Grafton Street, Bondi Junction NSW 2022 Sydney Australia.

Yours truly

Ken and Sandra Greenfield

29th May, 2006

Dear Robyn,

I would certainly recommend "Insight" to all and sundry after our most wonderful experience on your "Highlights of Britain" tour.

We had a good group of 28 people on our Tour which commenced on 7 th May and were well looked after by our "Tour Director", Peter Huggett and driver Keith. Peter has great knowledge of Britain and its history and kept us well informed as we experienced the wonders of this journey. We were also very pleased with a number of additional excursions Peter organised for us, especially the dinner at "The George" at historic Lacock and the steam train / boat trip in the Lakes District.

All in all, we were two very happy Insight Travellers.

Thank you Robyn,

Regards
Joan Roach

PS Great Hotels too !

30th May, 2006

The Manager
Insight Vacations Pty Ltd
35 Grafton Street
BONDI JUNCTION NSW 2022

Dear Sir

We are writing to commend our Tour Guide Kathy Cecchini.

We vacationed on the 13 days Italian Escapade tour from 1 st May, 2006 to 13 th May, 2006 and had a wonderful time.

It was Kathy who really helped make the tour so memorable. Apart from her incredible knowledge of all things Italian and all the historical side of Italy she has the most terrific sense of humour and nothing was too much trouble for her - she has an extremely caring nature.

She worked very hard and most nights while we were enjoying dinner and entertainment she was tucked away in a corner planning the next days details. Her enthusiasm and boundless energy ensured that we had a holiday we will never forget. It has already whetted our appetite for another one in the near future.

If Kathy is a measure of your Tour Guides we will have no hesitation in recommending Insight Bus Tours to our friends.

Yours sincerely

JOE & DEE
Brisbane QLD
AUSTRALIA

Testimonial from Peter McMurtrie, Brisbane Queensland Australia

1st June 2005 Insight Vacations 20 days European Trip

I am in my late 50's and 6ft 6 inches tall and when I first started researching coach travel in Europe for 20 days I looked for seat and leg comfort for my wife and myself.

All the coach trips had 54 seats and Insight was the only company stating a 40-seat coach and plenty of comfort and legroom. The cost was higher but after experiencing the trip worth every cent.

The tour Director Steve Fowler was in a word "fantastic" he had a great personality and showed us so many interesting places off the beaten track.We all paid extra for these excursions and I highly recommend the extras to everyone and allow extra monies for that purpose, we had budgeted for such an event.

Luc our Belgian driver was also experienced in driving in Europe and he backed our coach into small streets and up hills near restaurants.Nothing was ever too much trouble for him, and he loaded and unloaded our coach, each day and no bags were lost.

The coach had plenty of room and I had at least 20cm in front of my knees before the next seat and a footrest.
Great windows, lighting and air-conditioning.

The places we visited were all memorable and I will always remember the 300 year monastery we visited outside Florence, where we saw beautiful paintings, the private chapel, a monk's room and we observed a monk in silence in a corridor and this was a very moving experience for all present.

Visiting the historical places, listening to beautiful music, enjoying good homemade food and drinking local beers, wines and spirits made for a wonderful experience.

Having a great tour group made up of Canadians, Americans, New Zealanders and Australians, we all shared in unique experiences.

Visiting the Vatican at 7am to line up for entry, going to the top of the queues, having our own tour guides, having our own commentary head pieces made it easy to listen to our guide when moving through churches, museums, palaces, towns and cities.

Insight coach was always clean every day, having Steve to interpret for us in all languages made eating morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea very satisfying.
Toilet stops were always a good laugh and it did cost some coin to use them.

Overall, when we finally reached Brisbane, Queensland our home city, our fellow coach travellers have all kept in touch and we are planning a reunion in Brisbane in May 2006.

Our next trip overseas we intend to continue the unique experience of a 40-seater luxury coach in Canada and visit our Canadian mates from our 2005 trip.

Look at our DVD and you will see how much we saw and experienced. Click here>>

I can only say that if you are considering a coach trip with comfort, legs room, fantastic tour leader, a good clean bed every night, good food, a lot of laughs and luxury accommodation, then there is only one choice Insight Vacations.

Since Year 2000, I had been dreaming of travelling on these beautiful country roads and finally 5 years later, my dream came true.

This tour has enabled me to truly enjoy the enchanting & scenic drives on the winding country roads & along the way, I seen charming villages and peaceful small towns, historic streets & buildings.. and not to mention those beautiful and magnificent castles, as well as churches.

I am very glad to have chosen to travel with the Insight Vacations because it has given me an opportunity to meet with fellow travellers from other parts of the world & it was indeed a good experience.  Overall, the tour members were friendly, disciplined & very punctual.  Thus, the trip was pleasant and memorable.

Above all, we were thankful to have a good & knowledgeable Tour Director who tried his best to make sure that every arrangements gone on smoothly without a hitch.

Last but not least, we were fortunate to have an excellent Tour Driver (Kurt). Due to his extreme carefulness in driving, we could enjoyed safe & smooth journeys throughout the trip.  Besides, he helped to load and unload our huge & heavy luggages with smiles on his face, always.

Many thanks,

Geraldine, Singapore,
May 2005 (Country Roads of Bavaria, Switzerland & Austria)

View the PowerPoint pictures presentation click here

My husband and I have enjoyed our holidays tremendously. We've also made a lot of new friends in the group. We have piles of good comments on Insight, including the tour director Tom Williams and the coach driver Don. Tom has gone through great efforts and planning to allow us to see more (and the best) than what we expected. Don is forever so patient, providing us a safe journey from point to point. All their efforts and patience were greatly appreciated by us. The coach was the best I have ever taken. The 'more leg room' as advertised in your brochures is true! The meals have mostly been great and hotel rooms were generally good. It was a great holiday and we will definitely be traveling with Insight again.

(Tour - 17 Days National Parks Panaroma)

Wan & Gary, Singapore, July 2005

View the PowerPoint pictures presentation click here

We went on the 13 Days Britain & Ireland Explorer and this is one of the most fabulous holidays we have ever taken. The tour is well-paced and sufficient time is allocated for enjoyment at sightseeing spots. We have made friends with people from all over the world. The Tour Driver is very friendly, cool and extremely focused on driving to ensure maximum safety. Tour Director is so knowledgeable that he is able to give detailed description and in-depth history of the towns and places of interests. Both of them have added extra 'punch' to the overall satisfaction of the passengers. The seat rotation is wonderfully arranged, everyone cooperated and there is no complaint! We will definitely recommend Insight to anyone who wants to travel in style and we are sure to go on an Insight tour again - ABSOLUTELY!

Francis & Maggie, Singapore, April 2005

  View the PowerPoint pictures presentation click here

6th June, 2005

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,

Dear Sir/Madam,

I have recently arrived home in Australia after being away in London and Europe for the last seven weeks, for three weeks of my trip I went on Insight's Romantic European 20 day tour leaving London on May 24 th .

I would d like to commend to you the tour guide, Richard Linott. I cannot praise him enough, and he was so dedicated.

For the whole tour, having to handle 30 plus people, not once did he loose his cool, and, believe me, there where times when some of the actions of passengers would make a nun swear.

At all times, Richard was kind, caring, patient and very informative; his history knowledge is nothing short of brilliant.

There were nights when he must have been totally exhausted, yet he still guided us all along to having fun, laughter and very memorable times.

So too, the coach driver Ben, what a delightful young man he is. My husband and I have run a private bus and Coach Company in Australia N.S.W. for the past thirty years so I am some what familiar with drivers and their skills. Ben was a true professional, his driving skills are excellent, and his customer service is outstanding.

These two men are a total credit to your Company and I hope are very valued employees. I would hope that they would be made aware of your feedback of their excellence.

I will most certainly be traveling with Insight again.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this mail

Yours sincerely

Mrs Linda J

Australia