Richard
GBFIVE STARS to Southern Exploration & Galapagos Marisa at Southern Explorations gave wonderful guidance to plan our Galapagos vacation. My wife and I are experienced travelers; however, traveling through Ecuador and aligned with the National Park operators definitely required proven experience! The Tip Top V crew was professional and welcoming, and our Park Guide, Nancy, was quite expert. We also benefitted from calm seas, perfect temperatures, and all flights “on-time”. Arriving a day in advance to enjoy Quito (and have a 24 hr buffer in case of delays) was great advice and our Quito hotel stay and old city tour very worthwhile. I did not appreciate Quito is 9,000’ elevation! Marisa and Southern Explorations arranged all the “pre” and “post” Galapagos stays and logistics and the on-site service for all was top notch. If you are in the mood to visit the Galapagos, certainly we give Marisa/Southern Explorations and Tip Top our highest recommendation.
Karen
GBSouthern Explorations planned an amazing trip Southern Explorations planned an amazing trip for us!! Jonathan listened to what we wanted and made an exceptional itinerary. Everything went flawlessly! Pickups were prompt, the service at all the lodges was terrific, the choice of locations and lodges were perfect! Our guides were great, particularly Victor at Arenal. We were on the go practically every minute, tiring, but exhilarating! Ziplining, canyoneering, snorkeling, hiking, rafting, what a variety! Nayara upgraded us to a Rainforest Pool Villa, gorgeous, we think the bathroom alone was about 350 square feet! Definitely have to be hearty and adventurous for this itinerary, but we were up to the challenge and did great! Second Southern Explorations trip and would use them again for sure!
CS
GBThe trip was well-organized and… The trip was well-organized and well-paced. The guides, especially in Bariloche, were excellent! They were able to pivot and provide an alternative hike/activity when the original first-day hiking trail was closed due to rain the previous day. The hotels were well-situated and comfortable.
Holly and Praveen
GBCustomized Itinerary Working with Jonathan on our trip to Costa Rica was a great experience-he listened to our interests and customized a perfect itinerary that was fun, adventurous and paced out well. He was also responsive, resourceful and transparent. The trip was very smooth with no glitches and we also found the SE App helpful while travelling. Our local tour guide Juan Carlos was amazing and we learned so much about the country and saw so much that we would not have seen if we rented a car and planned our own trip. Pura Vida!
Kathleen
GBExperience was beyond our expectations… Experience was beyond our expectations from start to finish! We were met at the airport and escorted to our bus transportation with our luggage seamlessly! Our boat and staff were excellent and luggage was moved to and from our staterooms with no problems. SE took us through the Quito airport on our departure day also! Only let us go once everyone was through security and on their way. Our guide and hotel in Quito were incredible! Old town tour and gondola ride great! Wonderful trip!