Southern Explorations

I recently traveled to Ecuador

I recently traveled to Ecuador, this was the third trip I have contracted Southern Explorations to organize for me. Once the information was collected from me about what activities I wanted to do and see, Marisa did a wonderful job at organizing an itinerary for me and my friend. We had such a great experience. We saw Ecuador’s beauty, we experienced the local culture, the amazing food and how charming the Ecuadorian’s are. The accommodations they selected for us were perfect. It is a vacation I will never forget.

Great Patagonia Experience

My wife and I travel regularly to different parts of the world, but this was our first South American vacation. Southern Explorations arranged a 15-day tour that included Australis Glacier Cruise, hiking in El Chalten, visiting and hiking on Perito Moreno Glacier, visiting Iguazu Falls, and several other destinations. Before the trip, they worked with us to customize a couple of their standard packages to fit our wishes and schedule. Pricing was upfront and straightforward with no hidden or unexpected fees, and everything was as good or better than promised, including hotels, private guides, airport transfers, etc. Private guides were all friendly and highly knowledgeable. We experienced one airline delay on final day when returning from Iguazu Falls to Buenos Aires to fly back to the US, and I was able to call Southern Exploration help number and get the assistance we needed to still be able to return to US the same day with only a few hours delay. I normally book my own itineraries, but for this trip, Southern Explorations' experience in South American travel provided low-stress, high quality travel experience to a collection of great destinations. Very likely we would have missed some things and not had as good of a trip if I had made my own travel arrangements.

Trip to Peru and Galapagos

Our multi-region trip to the Sacred Valley/Macchu Picchu, the Peruvian Amazon, and the Galapagos was flawlessly organized. Our guides, drivers, and transfer handlers were personable and highly competent. The accommodations were all high quality. The tours and excursions were uniformly enlightening and interesting. We were very impressed with Southern Explorations

Great trip and excellent (Jose) guide!

Machu Picchu, Amazon Basin, and Galapagos trip

Everything was well planned and expertly executed by very helpful, kind, and professional staff. Excellent

A great experience in Ecuador

Southern Explorations did a great job planning our trip to Ecuador (the Amazon rainforest and Galápagos Islands). They were able to tailor the trip to our budget by finding different dates that worked for us and suggesting options in different price categories. They answered our numerous questions very promptly. Once we booked, they also provided lots of information to prepare for the trip, from needed vaccinations to a packing list. The trip itself went very well. All of SE's recommended places to stay - hotels, lodge, and Galapagos yacht - turned out to be excellent choices. There were a lot of moving parts on this trip and SE did a great job coordinating everything. Our airport transfer drivers were always waiting for us on time (or early). They always had the necessary paperwork/airline tickets we needed or handed us off to the people who did. Really my only complaint is a lack of follow-up once we left on the trip. I would have liked for them to check in on us to see how everything was going - or to let us know about timely information (for instance, when there were protests in Quito that affected our trip). They also missed letting us know about a declaration form that needed to be filled out before we could get on our flight to Ecuador, leaving us scrambling at the airport. All in all, though, I would use SE again and recommend their services!

Staff have been wonderful to work with

Staff have been wonderful to work with. Our tour guide Jose Luis was informative and incredibly helpful. I became ill on the trip and he came to the hotel to assist and stayed with us throughout. I can't emphasize how great everyone has been and how appreciative I am. I will definitely use them again.

The trip was very well planned.

Tips not included in the price of the trip. Include the number of persons will be expecting a tip (guides, bus drivers)

The trip was seamless - moved from one activity to another without any difficulty. The entire trip was well planned. Knowledgeable guides. Thank you.

Expect many people at Sacred Valley Inca sitesoutdoor

Outdoor traditional meal at the lake after visiting Moray and Ollantaytambo was special

Too many transfers

Too many transfers. Always seemed like we were rushing somewhere

Great experience with knowledgeable and…

Great experience with knowledgeable and kind guides.

The trip was extremely well organized

The trip was extremely well organized, the food was generally excellent . My one suggestion ; when we flew back to Lima after touring Machu Picchu, we were put up at a hotel 46 minutes from the airport and then needed to leave the hotel at 4:30 to get back to the airport for our flight to Quito. Why not put the group in a hotel near the airport?

Southern Exploration customed planned our Bolivia Trip

This was our 4th trip with Southern Explorations and they did not disappoint. As with the others, we were well taken care of; but also given some time to explore on our own. During the planning process, they were open to our ideas and took into consideration our personal preferences. It was a collaborative process. We did not feel like they just gave us their packaged trip. From the hiring of amazing guides, great communication before and during, selecting unique hotels; each detail was given attention. Will use them again.

Great to work with

Kaitlyn was fantastic to work with - very responsive and quick. The trip was perfect, the transfers and suppliers were all extremely polite and thoughtful. Would recommend booking with Southern Explorations!

Connecting Dream Tours

Connecting Dream Tours Southern Explorations, in particular Rep Kaitlyn, with professionalism and care, wove a wonderful tour of the Sacred Valley, Peruvian Amazon, Lima, and Galapagos. This was while minding the age, energy levels, cultural and historical interests of the participants. All So. Expl. staff and contracted guides were exemplary. Hope to return someday before sunset.

Best Decision We Ever Made

Booking our trip with Southern Explorations was the best decision we ever made. We were hoping to create a travel experience for our family of four to celebrate our youngest child's graduation from high school, but we also wanted one that would affect our children's world view and expose them (and us) to cultures beyond our own. After sharing information with Jonathan about what kind of travel works best for our family and what type of experience we were looking for, he helped us choose an adventure-based itinerary in Peru. We ended up with the perfect flow, with a balance of time in Cusco, the highland areas, and Machu Picchu. We peppered our trip with adventure-sport activities and hiking, and ended with a fascinating and relaxing stay in the Amazon. Every detail of our trip went smoothly. Darwin, our guide, not only supported our trip, he enhanced it, and we were all sad to leave him. We had an incredible driver, Frank, and many lovely support guides for our various activities. We never worried about anything, and Darwin ensured that anything that came up for us personally throughout the trip was managed. He was really extraordinary. Jonathan also helped us create a nice balance of lodging experiences. We wanted to be comfortable with a few special-occasion choices thrown in, and wow, did he deliver. Our stays with the InkaTerra group were awe inspiring and truly felt like once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Beyond the obvious things that went well for us, with regard to all the logistics, what we really appreciated was the cultural experience we had. Darwin ensured we hiked, ate, and spent time in areas that were not terrribly populated, and he accommodated our wish to visit a local school to drop off supplies. From our time spent in the highlands to many other outlying areas, we really felt like we learned a great deal about the different cultural groups in the Sacred Valley, as well as the environmental, political, health, and social issues affecting Peru. This was a powerful experience, and I hope we can travel with Southern Explorations again in the future. We'd love to try their Patagonia trip!

The best guide enhanced this trip

The best guide enhanced this trip. We went to a 6 day Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley, with the upgraded hotels which were absolutely amazing!! Ask for Jose as your guide. He is so knowledgeable about the history, culture and traditions of the Inca civilization. Plus, he took excellent care of my daughter and me, and was an absolute joy to be with all day long.

We had a fantastic trip to Peru that…

We had a fantastic trip to Peru that was in large part due to the flexibility and attentiveness of our guide, Jose, and driver Aquiles. I joined the trip last minute and they were fantastic at flexing the itinerary to accommodate my needs and make sure I was able to participate as fully as possible. Jose added so much to our trip sharing his personal perspective and knowledge. We had an even better time because of his company. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime and making it so special.

Fabulous trip to Peru and the…

Fabulous trip to Peru and the Galapagos! Our trip was planned, modified and communicated wonderfully by Marisa. She was on top of a last minute change due to a Galapagos boat accident and quickly gave us options - better than other tour operators had been for their boat guests. We had outstanding guides, particularly Milagros in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. She was exceptionally thoughtful and attentive to our needs. She modified the itinerary to avoid crowds and to work with our timing and pace. She diplomatically worked with other tourists and guides for the best photo opportunities. The drivers and transfer agents provided flawless service including an issue when our flight was delayed several hours from Baltra to Quito. I appreciated having contact information for our guides and drivers. Plus the new app was a big plus for itinerary details, tipping guidelines, and restaurant suggestions. Our week in the Galapagos was an amazing experience with our wonderful guide, Pati, who provided her photos and videos to us at the end of the trip - so much better than my own. I highly recommend Southern Explorations for a trip of a lifetime.