Vaya AdventuresReviews of vayaadventures.com

Liz worked so hard to get us on this adventure from 2019 till we actually went in 2022. She kept us updated of changes, lots of emails and the detailed itinerary was right on. She was able to tie together 2 different countries and added walking tours in layover cities to create a memorable adventure. Mountain Lodges guides were simply the best ever, you could tell their connection to the local people, history and scenic beauty of Peru. Loved the hikes and we did the harder ones they offered and fared pretty well considering we are in our mid 60’s. Both guides Carlos and Ruli were fantastic. They helped several ladies on the steep sections who were not quite prepared for the hikes. We got a great mix of culture, local interaction and stunning scenery. Each day learning more about the Incas and seeing bigger ruins till we reach Machu Picchu. Liz highly recommended a better boat for the Galapagos cruise than we originally were looking at. Her expertise was valuable and got us onto a boat with many activities each day. We saw another boat several days and they had far fewer outings for their clients. We were thankful to be on such a nice, small boat with a wonderful crew, rooms and facilities. Great guide who was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about the animals, birds and plants.

My wife and I just got back from a 2 week trip in Peru arranged with Vaya and planned by Marci and I cannot recommend them too highly. We had a complicated itinerary going from Lima to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, then by train down to Lake Titicaca and overload through the spectacular Colca Canyon to Peru's second city Arequipa. We had excellent guides, very knowledgable and helpful, and the trip came together with nearly no logistical issues, despite the ongoing covid restrictions. Hotel recommendations were uniformly first-rate, including converted colonial Spanish buildings and a plush eco-lodge on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Peru is an amazing country, but it's not an easy one to travel on your own, especially if you don't have good Spanish language skills, and it really helps to have someone who knows how things work there. Vaya is at the higher end as far as cost, but they delivered in spades on every front. Highly recommend, I would definitely trust Marci to arrange another South American trip.

Excellent trip. Loved the Galapagos Islands and the land portion of Ecuador as well. Gabrielle Venturi: Attentive and personalized service. Quick answers to all our questions and easy changes so that our vacation was perfectly suited for our needs and interests. The tour of Hosteria la Andaluza was wonderful. The rabbits and peacock in the interior garden were a nice touch and the basket of fresh carrots to feed the rabbits was the highlight of my day. The restaurant food was also top notch, and the hotel spa is not to be missed! The staff at each of our hotels was friendly and welcoming. All guides were knowledgeable and friendly and over the top helpful. We needed to see a doctor for a small medical problem one day and our guide found us an appointment with a specialist for the same day. Also personalized our trip to fit our requests, interests and needs. A big thank you.

Marci was great! We wouldn't hesitate to use her again. We had an issue with our flights, and she was available at night and on the weekends to help smooth things out. All the guides were very well educated about their communities and country. Their knowledge of the history of Peru and Inca ruins was very enjoyable. All the guides were very accommodating with any request. Both of our hikes were spectacular. The day trip to Machu Picchu and the two day hike to Rainbow Mountain were challenging but experiences that will remain with us forever.

Vaya, and specifically Gabrielle, were excellent. Communication was appropriate and regular, as this trip was rescheduled several times due to the pandemic. The information provided pre-departure was very thorough and helpful. Our driver and guide in Quito were sensational and we really felt comfortable being with them on the mainland. Then the highlight of the trip was definitely visiting the Galapagos. We had more snorkeling outings than we anticipated, which was a welcome surprise. The naturalist guide and boat crew were amazing, friendly, knowledgeable. We felt like we hit the jackpot with Gabrielle - - attentive, good communication, kind, thorough. Thank you!

We were thrilled with our trip to South Africa and Mozambique. It exceeded our expectations on multiple fronts. We’ve never been to Africa before and Dervla did an incredible job of walking us through this journey and helping to craft a trip that fit our wishes exceptionally well. This is the second trip we’ve had with Vaya travel and we’re thrilled with that consistently high-quality service Provided. Dervla was so fun, professional, thoughtful, detailed and effective. She was accessible when needed and had great suggestions based on our input. Look forward to going back to Africa and having Dervla craft us another gem. Each of the four places we stayed were remarkable in their own way. So thankful for the high-quality recommendations.

This is our third trip with Vaya, and, as always, every aspect of the tour went smoothly. The itinerary and preparatory materials prepared by Gabrielle Venturi were splendid, every connection was made easily and comfortably, the boutique hotels were charming and well located, and the outings in Patagonia and in the Galapagos personalized for our age and abilities.

We LOVE working with Gabrielle. She was our first ever Vaya rep years ago and we continue to come back to Gabrielle for more trips. We have used a few other travel services, including A&K, and Gabrielle is the best we have worked with - by far. She has no competition and every time we use another agent, we always end up comparing them to Gabrielle - she sets an incredibly high bar. This was so much more than a trip or a holiday - this was a complete immersive experience and adventure that we doubt we will ever see the like of again. We have Gabrielle to thank for that - she was and is as ever, totally amazing. This was a trip of a lifetime! We were so impressed by all of the Quark staff from Elmer who looked after us and our room, Kristeo the moonwalking waiter, Andrea the singing bartender, to our first rate kayak guides Ryan, Alex and Mark. They all helped to make a brilliant trip even more special and personal. The quality of the presentations on the non-excursion days was impressive. The speakers were knowledgeable, engaging and so passionate about what they do and why they do it. Quark and the crew and staff of the Ultramarine took Covid seriously and did everything right to keep both themselves and the passengers safe - for this we were grateful as we had heard of other ships not faring as well and we seemed to breeze through - they are to be commended for this in the new age of travel. They have shown it is possible to travel in Covid and to do it in style! If you had to do one trip from your bucket list only - make it this one!