Customer Testimonials

Simply put, Outstanding. Far exceeded our expectations on every level. The staff, accommodations and most of all the game drives, were terrific. Couldn't recommend it more.

— Bill B, Seattle, WA

Clearly the Egypt trip was the BEST value in traveling we've ever had, and, believe me, I search all over. I would heartily recommend that trip and, based on it, Friendly Planet for exceptional travel organization and service. Looking forward to traveling with you again.

— Jean McGlaughlin, McClure, PA

This was the trip of a lifetime and was a phenomenal deal. I will definitely go on another Friendly Planet tour.

— Stephanie Palmer, Studio City, CA

Everything was easy, user friendly and we were even reimbursed for savings Friendly Planet discovered! I completely enjoyed my experience in China. I thought Friendly Planet's prices were extremely reasonable [and] I really was very happy with the hotels. All the people on my tour found out about Friendly Planet through friends, and relatives that recommended Friendly Planet because they had been so pleased with the tours they had taken. Word of mouth is working very well for you.

— Agnes Schuppel

In writing our evaluation, we did not have enough room to tell you about our guide, Patricio. He was, without a doubt, the most friendly, patient, and knowledgeable guide we have had out of many tours we have taken. We hope that you will pass this information on to the Friendly Planet office in Ecuador, as we feel that he should be given special recognition for the superb representation of your company. We had two medical emergencies with travelers in our group. He was able to get doctors for them and arrange for one of them to join our trip the next day. Another time, while telling us of the exportation from Ecuador of roses, he asked our driver, Jose, to stop for a moment. He came back a few minutes later with roses for all of the women on the bus! These were just two of the many kindnesses he extended to our group. He really understands the meaning of "guest service" and is to be commended for the way he conducts a tour. We came away feeling like honorary Ecuadorians!

— Cathy and Rich Sholtanis, Tamworth, NH

My husband and I just returned from a 9 day tour to Costa Rica. I can't say enough nice things about how the trip was planned, the guides and the wonderful people of Costa Rica. To say we enjoyed those 9 days is an understatement. We will certainly use Friendly Planet for our next vacation.

— Sue Woody, New Carlisle, OH

I thought the trip was great. Overall it was well-organized, well-priced and the service was good both before the trip and during the trip.

— Alex Dobson

Awesome! Booking was easy. All our pre-trip questions were answered in a professional and timely manner. The trip far exceeded my expectations. The country was a pleasure to visit, and made even better by our guide's intimate knowledge of the people and culture. I have no idea how you provide this kind of trip for the price as the tours, food, accommodations and guides (including assistants and drivers) were fantastic. Our guide gave us such a wide variety of experiences -- including tourist and non-tourist type excursions. You [Friendly Planet] are doing a great job. Keep it up so that we can continue to see the world on our budget!

— Julie Fischer

Our congratulations regarding the tour to Kenya we took with Friendly Planet last October. The tour guide was willing to satisfy our desires for pictures and was clever enough to spot the wild animals. We saw wonderful scenery, such as lions eating their prey and many other kinds of wild animals. All that in a quite relaxing atmosphere, vehicles spacious enough for 6, excellent accommodations, fulfilling my high expectations for an African photo safari. Even though I'm 71 and walking with a cane, this tour was very enjoyable for me.

— Chantal Bouyssounouse, Novato, CA

I love Friendly Planet! I had a great time and the service was excellent.

— Nailah G. Beraki

Friendly Planet has put together an exceptional tour package at a fabulous price. We enjoyed so many of China's offerings and the information our guides gave us enhanced our appreciation. (You cannot appreciate the importance of what you are seeing without background information.) I preferred joining the organized events, but we were allowed plenty of time if you enjoy exploring on your own. I joined the tour alone, but my fellow travelers were so wonderful, I never felt alone.

— Connie Clark

I was planning to cancel my participation in the tour, having recently sustained two fractures in my right hip. At the last minute, hoping I would not be a drag on the rest of the group, and being assured that a wheelchair would be made available, I made the trip. The accommodations, food and service at all the hotels were first-class. The optional tours were too good to miss. The guides did a fantastic job in keeping us informed as to what we were visiting, and, more importantly, in continually checking that we were enjoying every experience to the max. We were given excellent opportunities to indulge in shopping, but were never pressured to buy. All our guides made sure I was part of the group at all times, and my temporary disability proved no drawback. My use of the wheechair was discarded after I reached the top of the Great Wall with the help of my cane. You are fortunate to have Peter Pi as a national guide. Both he and Jon Wang went way beyond their duties to befriend every tour guest. For me the tour gave new meaning to "The Experience of a Lifetime!" Thanks Friendly Planet.

— Dorothy Kellher, Palm Beach, FL

“Everything was perfect, I give a A+++ to Noi our tour guide, she made every moment perfect.”

— RAFAEL HARO

Great destinations. Outstanding guide. Beautiful hotels. Variety of wonderful side tours. Would not think twice about using Friendly Planet on another tour.

— Roger Spadafora

Thank you for a wonderful honeymoon experience! The Treasures of Thailand tour was very well organized. Our tour guide Matthew was a delight. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastically helpful. We had a wonderful time getting to know our fellow tour participants. We're definitely very happy we chose the Friendly Planet Tours as our honeymoon vacation. And as you can see from the pictures, we had quite an adventurous time! P.S. Thank you, Friendly Planet, for the extra-special treatment, for us honeymooners, at all of the beautiful hotels we stayed at.

— Kunal & Leena Bhojawala, Jersey City, NJ

Each time I emailed with questions, it was answered within 24 hours. The information provided before the tour was excellent.

— Angela Lusk

What a wonderful trip. The tour guide, Vivian, was especially great. She found people who got lost, helped replace lost tickets, helped with disabled tourists (pushed wheelchairs, etc.), carried people's purchases, and generally became a good friend to everyone.

— Carol Arnold, Kirkland, WA

We just came back from our Classic Israel [tour], and boy, what an experience we had! It was moving and overwhelming every place we went. Your service was superb from the start through the end of our tour. Our tour guide, Micah, was good in explaining every place we went and gave us enough time to float on the Dead Sea. Your name really denotes what kind of people we had on our tour—"very friendly." Surely, we will have to travel with you guys on our next trip, and will really recommend you to our friends. Your service is unbelievable.

— Joyce Sael

I knew nothing about Friendly Planet when I booked the trip other than what I saw on their website. I held my breath and took a chance. The trip was fabulous and far exceeded my expectations. Our tour guide was extraordinary and went to great lengths to surpass any traveler expectations. Room accommodations, travel arrangements and a local Indian guide was superior. Kudos to Friendly Planet.

— Deborah Gerson, Baltimore, MD

Just returned from the Taste of Thailand tour with Ling as our guide! The tour and the guide was amazing. The hotel accommodations were amazing. Ling would always find ways to add tour, i.e. bringing various Thai fruits for us all to try. When traveling in the future I will begin my search with Friendly Planet...Thanks for making my lifetime dream come true...riding an elephant!

— Teresa McCulloch, Steele, MO

Just wanted to drop a note that this was a wonderful trip. My wife and I really enjoyed the group we were with and the hotels you selected were outstanding. The two different tour guides we had were top notch. We are traveling with you next to Israel and than South Africa. You give very good value for the dollar spent.

— David Imel, Sarasota, Florida

I got back recently from the Taj Mahal Express tour. Amazing trip at an incredible price. I will definitely use Friendly Planet again. Our tour guide in India, Vishal, was the best I've ever encountered on a group tour. He did a fantastic job and really went out of his way to ensure we had a great time.

— Melissa Waterfield, Columbus, Ohio

I think you guys provide a wonderful tour package for a very affordable price...Your staff is very responsive, friendly and attentive. Keep up the great work. I look forward to my next tour with you.

— Fredilyn Sison, Reno, NV

This is our third trip with Friendly Planet and definitely will not be our last. There are no surprises here. Everything was better than expected. Our guides and all of the supporting staff was magnificent. In my observation, all of the staff went out of their way to please everyone in the group! Wow what service and price! I love Friendly Planet!

— Maria Wells

We went on the Peru & Galapagos trip and loved it. The guides were terrific, the hotels were top notch, exceeding my expectations. The boat in the Galapagos had lovely large staterooms, good food, great naturalist guides, and was an overall excellent experience. I would do the trip again in a minute!

— Pat Atkins, Fort McMurray, Alberta

Very pleased with the way Friendly Planet took care of us--always there when they said they would be & went out of their way to make our trip extra special... A truly beautiful vacation with great tours, guides, drivers etc

— Gladys Gilbert

When we saw the price of this trip I booked it as a joke. My wife and I had never done an organized trip like this. Well, we were blown away by the whole experience. The guide Panu was wonderful and the trip was the best value I have ever had in my many travel experiences. We have two more trips booked with you and are really looking forward to them. Your company is the best kept secret around and we are glad that we tried you.

— Brian & Marilyn Goldman, Toronto, Canada

I just returned from your Treasures of Thailand tour. I wanted to let you know that I was so impressed with every aspect of this trip! When I booked this tour I was honestly apprehensive. The price was so good it seemed too good to be true. I really expected to have problems along the way, but there were none! Our tour guide, Ms. Atchara, was outstanding! She took a personal interest in everyone on the tour. There were many times she stopped and bought small presents for our group, like local food to sample or tiger balm for sore feet. The one thing that I really felt was over and above was the fact that she personally picked me up from the airport on my return from Phuket! I expected a private car for a transfer, but she came along just to see me again and to make sure I had a good time in Phuket! I feel like I've left a friend behind in Thailand, and I wanted to make sure you know what outstanding people you have working for you there! I can definitely say after this wonderful experience that I would highly recommend Friendly Planet Travel to anyone looking to see the world at a great price. I will absolutely be traveling with you in the future! Thank you again!

— Jenny Gontz, Chambersburg, PA

I have had traveling for over 20 years and this is my favorite trip. New Zealand is such a very pretty country. The hotels were excellent, and I give (this tour) 5 stars plus!

— Gloria de la Paz, San Jose, CA

My husband and I want to thank you for creating comprehensive, fun packed days of touring in China. We saw all the sights we had on our own lists and the city guides made sure that if possible, they worked in places the group requested. The daily planning, the food, hotels, the shows, and the ease of getting around made this package one of the exceptional values for a once in a lifetime vacation.

— Susan Razenson, Nanuet, NY