Customer Testimonials

Excellent value! Lots to see and do.

— Ken Foote, Aloha, OR

My uncle and I just returned from the "Incredible Thailand" tour. Let me start by saying this was our second trip with Friendly Planet. We decided it was time to take another trip and didn't even bother with any other sites. We knew Friendly Planet was the way to go. This was the trip of a lifetime!! All of the accommodations were exquisite. The Temples were amazing. It was really interesting to see people trading, eating, and interacting at the Floating Market. The elephant trip through the jungle and orchid farm was breathtaking. I can't possibly begin to express how amazing our tour guide Lek was. It was like meeting a friend you hadn't seen in a while. She spoke proudly of her culture, her country, her people, and her King. Often when on driving portions of the tour, Lek would have our driver pull over so she could jump out and buy some of the local flavors. She also wanted to make sure that we didn't miss a single thing on this trip. When it was time to go our separate ways many of us said a tearful goodbye. So thank you again you made this trip more amazing than I could have ever hoped for.

— Jessica Laffie, Pico Rivera CA

We rave! It was most fascinating, educational tour that we have ever been on! Had some of the best guides around. Didn't gain any weight because we were walking all the time on those tours! Felt like I could identify the ruins between Greek/Roman and Christian eras by the time we finished. Then we were lucky enough to have the extension on to Istanbul--amazing! Loved the hotel, loved Istanbul! We went inside the mosques, into the spice market, took a day cruise up the Bosphorus. We were part of the over 60 crowd, but the younger people with us were so much fun too!

— Kay McNealy, Rindge, NH

I just read the recent post on the blog about the Taste of China tour. You missed one thing that was included in the price; 100% pure awesome. My fiance and I took this trip last October and was astounded at what we got. The hotels were top notch. The other travelers were a joy (not your doing, but, I'll give you the credit anyway). The guide, Peter, was unbeatable. The sites...oh the sites...those were too amazing to describe. An experience never to be forgotten. I had been a little wary of booking the trip with a company I had never heard of. I searched around and couldn't find anybody who had anything bad to say about you. The price seemed too good to be true for everything that was included. But, we decided that we would take a chance. I'm *so* glad we did. After the wedding, we will be going on as many Friendly Planet trips as we can muster the vacation time for :). We took every optional tour available...we didn't really see them as optional; how could you miss these opportunities?!?! The dinner with the family provided possibly one of our favorite nights on the trip and definitely the best food. I have been meaning to send a message off to you thanking you for providing such an outstanding opportunity, and your blog post prodded me into doing just that. Thank you. We look forward to seeing Egypt next...then Morocco...Thailand...India...

— Kevin Mohandro

I saw your story about building wells in Cambodia. ...thanks to our trip to Cambodia last January, my wife and I have donated for 2 wells and I am raising money for a large well for a village. I hope to have that done by the time we go back in February 08. We stay in touch with our tour guide, Theap Bunthin. We love Friendly Planet and the experiences we have.

— Conrad & Nancy Knab

I am here to sing Friendly Planet's praises! Last year, I was booked on a tour that included a cruise and four days on land in Greece. The flight was canceled due to torrential rains that caused a delay in the trip. All during that weekend, there was someone that could be contacted throughout what appeared to be a disaster. Our contact person was Harry who tirelessly worked to get us booked on another flight. All of the people were there to assist; in spite of everything, the trip was excellent! The tour company in Greece was excellent as well. Even after the trip was over, the staff was always there to answer questions and to assist. Kudos to Friendly Planet - I highly recommend their services.

— Rita Berry, New York, NY

I loved this tour. The guide, Isa Levant was wonderfully personable and knowledgeable. The hotels were deluxe. The food very good. I am an artist and my next show is inspired by what I saw in Turkey. I am including some of my paintings.

— Esther Charbit, Chicago, Il

Everything was perfectly arranged. All transportation to and from different places was punctual, comfortable and efficient. Thank you for making our vacation so easy and so smooth. It was our best trip ever!

— Jeff & Sandi Horton, Waco, TX

I went on two of your tours this year, Treasures of Egypt and Best of China, as well as two other tours (Athens/ Istanbul with optional Classical Greek extension; Croatia/Slovenia/Montenegro) in previous years. I don't know how Friendly Planet puts together such amazing trips so reasonably, as I couldn't book things separately for double the price. Treasures of Egypt, my last tour, was lead by a fantastic tour guide with an advanced degree in Egyptology! The accommodations on the cruise ship were top notch with all the amenities, great food, and a helpful and friendly crew. We also stayed in a luxurious hotel in Cairo. All the admissions to the various temples / pyramids were included. They even provide extra security guards, though we always felt completely safe and well taken care of. Best of China was wonderful! We had our guide, Sam, plus a local guide in each area we went to. The trip included a 4 day cruise on the Yangtze River (a highlight) with very nice cabins with private decks, a 4-hour cruise up the Li River through some of the most beautiful sites in China, many flights within China, which allowed us to see more of the country, 5 star hotels, clean and modern buses to transport us to the sites of interest, such as the spectacular Great Wall. My favorite parts were where we saw the mountains and other natural wonders of China. One of things I will never forget was an optional excursion out in the countryside up river from Guilin where we were able to meet a family and visit their 400 year old home and walk in the rice fields. I would wholeheartedly recommend this travel company.

— Margaret Bernarding, Forest Knolls, CA

The tour was well worth the money spent. I would definitely go with your company again! Everything was beyond our expectations. Thanks for a very well organized tour!!

— June Dimalanta, Pensacola, FL

Everything was perfectly arranged. All transportation to and from different places was punctual, comfortable and efficient. Thank you for making our vacation so easy and so smooth. It was our best trip ever!

— Jeff & Sandi Horton, Waco, TX

Wonderful tour, knowledgeable and helpful guides and a great bargain. Friends couldn't believe that I was getting air, luxury hotel, airport transfers and breakfast buffet daily for normally the price of just the airline ticket! Marrakesh was so special and to get an insider's view of the city and surrounding area was truly a memorable experience.

— Sondra Carpenter, Philadelphia, PA

Definitely will do another trip and recommend to everyone I know. You guys blew my expectations away!

— Hernan Carrasco

Before Jay-Z & Beyonce', I and my wife Kathy celebrated our ninth Anniversary with "Friendly Planet Travel Tour" on December 29, 2012 in Havana, Cuba. Our Tour Guide "Nancy" along with Our Tour Host "Lori" & Driver "Santos" and the entire Tour Group provided an evening that we will always cherish. My "85 year old Madre was on this tour and it was amazing to watch her Dance the night away in Cuba! The wonderful service was much more than we expected, THANKS

— Raymond Abdullah, Jacksonville, FL

[Italian Treasures] was wonderful and we are very pleased that we chose Friendly Planet as our tour provider. Our tour director, Flavio Nicoletti, was top-notch in every way. He was professional, knowledgeable, friendly and fun-loving. He went out of his way on many occasions to ensure that our group had the best possible experience. He arranged wonderful excursions, including an evening at a Tuscan Farmstead which my travel mates and I will always remember as a highlight of our trip. I co-host a radio Morning Show in North Carolina. During the trip I called into the show to report on the trip. Flavio even agreed to join me during the call and go on the air with us! He did a great job! My friends and I now feel that we have a friend in Rome. We are so thankful to Flavio and to Friendly Planet for making our once-in-a-lifetime trip so special and memorable.

— Tamera Rumfelt, Kernersville, NC

This tour was wonderful! Every day was full of things to do and see. Time was well-utilized so we got to see and do a great deal. The hotel choices were outstanding. I loved that we also got to cruise the Nile. You all provided the information I needed to make informed decisions about my choices.

— Cathleen Madge

One of best trips we have taken. Everything was first rate! If you are new to Friendly Planet, you will be telling all your friends about them. Peru is a wonderful destination.

— Byron Collins, Long Valley, NJ

Our guide was the very best I have ever had on any trips during more that 40 years of travel.

— Jeanette Harrington

Not only is a Friendly Planet tour, fun, well-organized and very fairly priced—you really stick behind your customers. That's pretty rare these days. Thank you.

— Angela Whitehill, Island Heights, NJ

...the best trip we ever took ... was your Beijing Express tour. Thank you. Our trip to China was PERFECT; a real 'peak' experience. Looking forward to going on your Athens Express trip as soon as we can.

— Sterling Keck, Los Osos, CA

We were recently on a tour of yours to Thailand, and I just want to commend you for providing us with a great tour. It was wonderful, interesting, stimulating, and well done. But I want to single out our Tour Director for praise. He was constantly seeking out interesting things of particular interest to our group. He was amusing, thoughtful, and resourceful.

— Joanne Weston, Baldwinsville, NY

Everything on the tour [Vietnam and Cambodia] was excellent and the coordination was fantastic. It made travelling so easy with all the connections and details being taken care of. I was particularly impressed by the trip to Sapa which offered even more unique experiences.

— Naomi Lerman

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

The trip to Thailand was indeed incredible! It sounds great on the Friendly Planet overview but it's so much more! I don't know where to start. Hotels were great. Everyone should stay at the Dusit Thani [hotel]. We went back there for a weekend on our own. Our guide was awesome, she made extra stops for us along the road for things like sticky rice cooked in bamboo (loved that) and always asked if everyone had their passports, etc. when we went to a different place. She also took us on a boat to Laos and everyone got their passports stamped and of course we got to shop a little. As far as shopping goes, I'd say watch out - Thailand has everything and you're gonna want it all. Bangkok is easy to get around in and has a super mall close to the Dusit Thani... I've been to Egypt, Borneo, Morocco, Cambodia, Vietnam, Kenya and now Thailand with [Friendly Planet] and I'm going to South Africa this summer too. guess that tells you something. PS, our guide was the best I've ever had and y'all have some good ones. And Noni, her assistant, had a cooler with ICE and COLD soft drinks and water. I can't tell you how wonderful that was. A really great practice where it's so hot.

— Dr. Ak Schmidt, La Grange, TX

Have been on 3 trips with Friendly Planet and would highly recommend them to anyone. We especially enjoyed Kenya and have been there 3 times. It is magical and once you have been that is the only vacation for you. Excellent food, first class lodgings , fantastic scenery like no where else on earth, and a sense of adventure that I have never felt on any of our travels. It beat China, Thailand and all the other countries that we have visited. You won't regret the trip.

— Carolyn Hofacket, Napa, CA

Just wanted to let you know the trip was amazing. I already recommended Friendly Planet tours to a couple of friends. I'm very impressed, and I'm so glad I came across your service on Travel Zoo. It was excellent. Thank you so much.

— Josephine Castillo, West New York, NJ

"The tour was very memorable. Our guides were knowledgeable, spoke English very well, and this made a great difference in getting to know the land of China. Thank you for offering this wonderful trip."

— Diane Blackett, St. George, UT

Just returned from my first trip with Friendly Planet and was so impressed that I had to write this note. You have a lot of choices in travel and I have found my tour company at last. Everything about my trip was amazing—our guide, Ibrahim, was not only extremely knowledgeable, but also patient and very funny. Hotels, transportation, meals, added excursions were all superb. Everything went off without a hitch—I felt safe and cared for every minute and could spend ALL of my time enjoying the trip instead of worrying about the travel details. Turkey, its people, scenery, food, monuments and parks are just wonderful. I can't wait for my next trip. So little time, so much to see...

— Ann Ott, Cedar City, Utah

Fabulous trip because of Patricio and his driver Pablo. I was refered by a good friend to partake in this trip and it was well worth it. Patricio made the trip appear as a family trip with all participants members of his family. He tried to please all of us as best as he could. This included food changes, trips to replace a broken hat, etc. The rain was a minor setback as was the Labor Day in Quixto. However, we all had fun and looking forward to our next FP trip.

— Dr. Bruce Thaler, Philadelphia, 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