Traveler Reviews

Carrie and Art, Greenwich, Connecticut (Scandinavia)

“We are back in Greenwich and back into our daily routine, missing the beauty of Scandinavia. You guys planned such a wonderful trip for us. It really was a perfect itinerary. The guides were terrific and the private boat tours were excellent. We really felt we had a good mix of down time and scheduled guides/trips. Overall, we simply loved the entire trip! So, thank you again. Both Japan and Scandinavia were wonderfully planned. We love working with you!”

Laura and Kara, New York City (Kenya)

“Laura and I had a magical time in Kenya! I don't think we realized how beautiful the land, people and wildlife was until experiencing in person. We both agree that it was a life changing experience and will forever hold our trip to Kenya close to our hearts! Regarding logistics to and from lodging, seamless is the best way to describe our experience. There was always a representative waiting for us at each and every stop. Our accommodations at each camp/lodge score a perfect 10! They were all beautiful or unique in their own way. We would recommend and stay at each camp/lodge again in a heartbeat. The service received from ALL properties made us feel like family. Pepo la Tumaini was an amazing experience, but it is truly hard to pinpoint a highlight as we were both in awe of everything we experienced/discovered. We certainly hope to return someday! Thank you for all of the work you put into making this a magical experience!”

Evan and Nicole, San Francisco, California (Mexico)

“My wife and I took a week to visit Mexico City and Puebla and had a wonderful time. They arranged safe and reliable transportation between sites, fantastic guides for museums, neighborhoods, and historical sites, and helped us find accommodations and restaurants that suited our needs. The whole process was super easy and both Piper and Andres were a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend their services!”

Karin and Peter, London, England (New Zealand)

“Firstly, thanks again for putting another great trip together. We absolutely loved our trip and couldn't have been happier with the itinerary. New Zealand is simply fabulous. We love the people and the landscape, the food, the wine, etc. A few highlights: We absolutely loved Waiheke. At Lake Taupo, we caught a trout — not bad for us city people to do fishing. The helicopter trip to White Island was spectacular. From there on we went to Napier, an Art Deco town which is really nice. The lesson we learnt in Hawke's Bay was that to enjoy wine tasting, you need a driver/guide. Let's remember that for our next trip! We loved Wellington and had the best seafood in New Zealand there. The gourmet walking tour with Heather was phenomenal. She was a great guide and person. We felt like we were friends forever after only a few hours. Finally, we continued further west and south. The highlight in this area was our 3-hour helicopter ride to Milford Sounds. Breathtakingly gorgeous. This part of New Zealand is absolutely special. Beautiful landscapes. The last part was Mount Cook, where we stayed at another retreat with a separate villa just for us. It was gorgeous, located right by Lake Pukaki. The 20 days passed in no time and we had a great time thanks to your meticulous planning and attention to detail.”

Glade and Tina, California (Thailand, Vietnam & Cambodia)

“Our trip was wonderful! You did a great job planning it. We are glad we went to Sapa, a very different experience from the cities. The ecolodge was wonderful. I was very happy with our Angkor photographer. Having both a guide and a photographer guide seemed like overkill, but it turned out great. The food was amazing! One of the highlights was the restaurant in Cambodia that you suggested. It lived up to its reputation. The chef came out and talked to all the diners. Overall, the trip was excellent. This is one of our top vacations, right up there with Japan. It was well planned, and the pacing suited us. We had enough time on our own and the guides and activities worked out well. We are so pleased with our adventures. Thank you again.”

Shawne and Pat, San Jose, California (Mexico)

“We enjoyed our trip to Mexico very much. The trip highlighted some of the diversity of Mexican culture, art and cuisine. [Our son] was excited by his first visit to Mexico and enjoyed the mix of activities as well as, surprising to us, the food. It was nice to spend multiple days with each guide in each location. Some of the highlights of the trip for me were the beauty of Mexico City (not what I expected for such a large city), the food!, visiting Bii Dauu (both learning about natural dyes and the home cooked lunch), learning more about Mesoamerican history and visiting the various historical sites, swimming in the cenote (we had it all to ourselves!) and the lunch afterwords at a local home (the wild boar was amazing!), and finally the flamingos. We enjoyed visiting the variety of artists and managed to bring back a number of beautiful pieces. Oaxaca was my favorite city, both for the food and for the beauty of the town. Of the properties that we stayed at, my favorite room was the one at Roses & Xocolate because it allowed us to spread out a little. The service at Las Alcobas was exemplary. Thanks for arranging this excellent trip. I look forward to working with you again.”

Cristina and João, Cascais, Portugal (USA)

“Planning the trip with the team from Boutique Explorer was a fantastic experience. They pay attention to all of our requests and are tireless in planning the trip and accompanying you during the trip. The balance between free days and guided tours was perfect and the quality of the guides was amazing. My husband and I loved getting to know Washington DC and learning more about American history and culture. And the national parks we've had the privilege of visiting in Arizona and Utah are breathtakingly beautiful. We had an incredible trip far beyond our expectations and we are counting down the days until we can work again with Boutique Explorer. Thank you so much.”

Joe and Eva, Pasadena, California (Spain)

“Our 2nd trip with Boutique Explorer was just as magical as the first. This time my wife and I explored and feasted our way through select parts of Spain. We’ll never forget the beautiful experiences, amazing meals, and delightful private tours that were so thoughtfully planned out by Andres and team. The trip was beautifully crafted from start to finish. Now, we’re planning for Italy and can’t wait to see what the team has in store for us!”

Janet C., Switzerland (Vietnam and Cambodia)

“I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this trip. Your planning and setting things in motion is phenomenal and I felt so taken care of and catered to. The super guides and drivers make each new place a different experience from the guide’s point of view as well as the new sights I was seeing. There was nothing on the itinerary that I look back on as not necessary. The bicycling in Hoi An, Hue and the Mekong Delta was fantastic. The hotels were superb and getting back to them after a day of touring in the heat was a treat when I fell into that lap of luxury (and the swimming pool). The Fast Track through several of the airports was very helpful, particularly when I saw the lines I would not have to stand in. I could go on and on but I won’t. Someone asked me what the highlight of my trip was and I couldn’t say. It was all equally wonderful and enjoyable and all of those other superlatives that just don’t do a good descriptive job. Thank you so much for your work putting this together.”

Andrew C., Australia (Scandinavia)

“Thanks for a brilliant trip, with so many stand-out aspects including the recommendation to stay at Falsled Kro before the organised section of the trip began. We loved the place and the surrounding area, so thank you for that. The logistics were seamless - all the pick-ups going to and from airports worked exactly as planned as did everything else, i.e. the fjord boat trip out of Bergen. Nothing was missed, all drivers were very professional and friendly. The guides were excellent and the half day guided sections were about as long as we needed/wanted. Each guide brought something new and fun to the experience. And the overall format and structure was just perfect, tailored exactly to what my mother could handle while also keeping my wife and I interested throughout. So, this is a longwinded way of saying THANK YOU. I wanted to give my mother a great experience and you made that happen.”

Lauren B., Seattle, Washington (Italy)

“There were many highlights of the trip overall, but the most important thing we want to express are our gigantic compliments to our extraordinary guide in Rome and our favorite guide EVER of all time! Giuilia was truly outstanding. She was particularly great with our kids and made all the historical stuff so much fun. Just as one example, when we went to Ostia Antica, she made up a narrative so the kids would feel like they were traveling from Rome in their chariots as merchants, stopping for a bite to eat, going to the laundry and the baths to spiff up, taking our business associates out to the amphitheater, having dinner in their fancy villa, etc.

Her enthusiasm and energy made Roman history come alive for all of us each day, but especially the kiddos. There is incredible wealth of knowledge, of course, but she truly went above and beyond in a multitude of ways. For our anniversary picnic she put together the most unbelievable lunch spread (including getting her dad to go to his local market where they apparently sell yummier fruits than they have in the city) and she also brought toys and games for our kids to play with at the park. In summary, she is a true gem and you should make sure to request her for all your Boutique Explorer guests especially if they have kids.

Even though the cities we visited were pretty busy, we were able to beat the crowds because we had guided tours and advance reservations. Everything was very smooth and well organized. It was helpful to have in-country support for when we had questions or needed to make changes on the fly. Our hotel in Florence was really, really luxurious (more than was necessary for us, honestly) but it was cool to stay in a place owned by the Ferragamo family and their concierge was A+ at getting us last minute dinner reservations!”

Beth and Jeff, Washington, D.C. (Spain)

“Just one of the many outstanding features of working with Boutique Explorer is that Andres and Piper listen to your interests and work with you to customize the perfect trip.  For example, most tours of the Museo Nacional del Prado are scheduled for two hours. Knowing our interest in art, Boutique Explorer arranged for a four-hour tour with an art historian for an in-depth exploration of this fabulous collection. We were thrilled. Similarly, in Barcelona an art historian provided us with a unique exploration of the Picasso Museum and the Joan Miro Foundation, deepening our appreciation of both artists. The guides for Besalu, Cadaques, and Toledo were also terrific and a lot of fun. The travel experts at Boutique Explorer excel in prompt communication, both in the planning phase and while you are on the trip. We love the AXUS app because we have all the trip information and tickets at our fingertips. No more paper! The AXUS app is updated frequently so you always have the names and contact information for your guides and drivers. This is our second trip with Boutique Explorer and there will be many more.”

Philip, United Kingdom (Jordan and Egypt)

“In 2019 Boutique Japan organized an amazing trip for me to Japan.  Accordingly, trusting their judgement when planning a subsequent trip to Egypt & Jordan, I asked them to recommend a travel agent. That is when I found out about Boutique Explorer (their sister company organizing trips all over the world).  The prefect itinerary was assembled tailored to my pace of travel, need to stay physically active most days as well as obviously taking in the must see sites and the rich history.  The guides were amazing and every need was seen to including all visas and seamless chaperoning through airports.  It was the definition of stress free travel which is normally an oxymoron.  As an aside, The Kempinski in Ishtar - Dead Sea and the Old Cataract - Aswan were two of the best hotels I have stayed in in the world.  The Sahara Rum camp in Wadi Rum was also a very special place.”