Dear Wanda,

We are more or less back to our life before our trip except for being ready for bed by 9:00 p.m. 

At your request, here are my comments which I think reflect the group for the most part.

Venice- Fausto picked us up punctually at all times. Our tour guides were very good at each place where we had guides. They were on time and knowledgeable and friendly. We enjoyed the island trip in the private water taxi. We didn’t know what to expect at the glass factory but were a bit surprised that the shop owner thought we would buy some pretty expensive glass when he led us to his second floor show room. But I found a friend who had that same experience so i guess it it the usual. We might have liked to walk around Murano more to see some other glass shops. The trip to Padua started out with a glitch. It was an add-on right before we left so we didn’t check to see that we were to order our own water taxi. We thought that had been arranged so we were 30 minutes late to meet Fausto. He called ahead and we made some adjustments with our guide. We felt badly that the guide had been waiting for us in the rain. But the chapel was well worth the drive so we were glad we had done this.

Fausto, as you know, did not have the appropriate sticker for his car upon entering Slovenia which it seemed to us he should have had. This caused some problems and Jim Spreitzer ended up putting the ticket on his charge card resulting in an alert from his credit card company. I hope this has been taken care of. Fausto had not done the Slovenia trip before so he struggled a bit along the way. He did find us a very nice restaurant in Aquilea where we got to know him a bit better. 

The hotel in Venice was very nice to say the least and well located. We loved the breakfast room which looked out onto the Grand Canal through open windows- lovely. Your restaurant suggestions were good. We ate at the Assassini- interesting place known by Venetians.

We fell in love with Slovenia and really liked the Antiq Hotel- very charming and unusual but wonderful staff and atmosphere. I would recommend it. It, again, was well located for touring the city. Dragan, our guide, was very good and suggested some restaurants and a walk in the Vindgar Gorge near Lake Bled for a nice afternoon hike. 

Ljubljana is a wonderful city- very energetic with a mix of the old with the new. I would recommend it to travelers as a very friendly and interesting place to visit.

The driver who took us to Croatia was great- Borjo. He was a bit shy at first but we grew to really like him. He was prompt and made a suggestion when we told him we wanted to see Porec. We ended up canceling the lunch reservation you had made but after touring Porec, he took us to a the Restaurant Fjord on the Lim Fjord which was very nice. We got to see the fjord which is a tourist location and enjoyed our lunch.

The Monte Mulini was outstanding. The rooms were large with spacious bathrooms and very comfortable beds. We were able to use their bikes to take a nice ride around the area and there were great hiking and running trails. The grounds were lovely with access to the Adriatic where we swam and even ordered lunch and drinks. Very lovely. We were lucky that we had sunny warm weather while in Rovijn so that helped. It was about a 20 minute walk into the town and the restaurants were great. We did find the Puntilino where we sat on cushions on the rocks at sunset and enjoyed the local wine. We found a great local small restaurant suggested by our guide, Mariam-Gianinos. Great place. Oh, and we liked Puntilino so much we ate dinner there on our last evening. 

Pula was amazing and wonderful and Mariam, our guide, was very good. She is so enthusiastic and friendly and full of facts- very impressive. And Meneghetti was a wonderful place for a relaxing and very good lunch and not as expensive as we thought it might be. The grounds are beautiful. It’s a special place which we really enjoyed.

I would say that had the weather been rainy in Rovinj the resort might not have been as good a place to stay. And we would highly recommend Mariam as a guide and Borjo as a driver. He got up very early to get us to the Pula airport for our early morning flight to Zadar.

At the Pula airport we had to pay extra for our luggage because it was a short flight on a small plane. We did not expect this. Our bags were obviously packed for 2 weeks so were heavier than they allowed. That flight was smooth and Mario was at the other end to pick us up. Because it was so early, he suggested that Zadar would not be a good stop because nothing was open. This was OK because there is not a lot there that we could tell and we needed breakfast. He suggested stopping in Sibenik for breakfast and also to look at the UNESCO site of the St. Jakova Cathedral. We did get inside and it was quite beautiful. We had an added treat of it being a celebration day for the city so suddenly a marching band came down the middle of the street providing some local color for us. Mario took a while to warm up but then was quite informative and knew a lot about the area, obviously.

We all loved Split and the hotel ( Marmont) there was very nice. It was in a great location once again and easy to get to the shops and sites. Once again, the guide there, “Harry” was excellent and gave us a good tour. Our tour the next day to Salona and Trogur was good though it turned into a hot day so walking in Salona was tiring for all of us. it is such an extensive site with lots of walking involved. The guide was once again very good- almost as good as Mariam-Nada. And Mario drove us again.

We could have used more time in Split. There are a lot of good Art Museums and places to explore. Some of us walked/ran up to the top of the hill overlooking the city to a wonderful park. 

The trip was wonderful with few glitches. Our one flight glitch was back in Chicago when our flight to Duluth was canceled because of the problems left over from the fire at the Aurora control tower. They would have put us up in a hotel but didn’t guarantee we could get out even the next day. So we rented a mini van and drove through the night, getting home to Duluth at 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 2nd. It was OK actually as we took turns sleeping and driving and had a good time talking to keep each other awake.

I would recommend this trip to others. The one thing that was awkward was using another agency for the plane reservations. There was some confusion at the beginning about the reservations and the boarding passes. We were a bit unclear about things. I know you don’t do the plane reservations but having another person/agency do this was a bit difficult for us. Part of it was that I was trying to give all the information out while others were on vacation which made the whole thing more difficult.

The hotel choices were very good and the guides and drivers were also very good with the possible exception of Fausto. He did the job but wasn’t as good as the others and then we had the problem of the car sticker. 

Thank you for arranging the trip. We all learned a lot and enjoyed every day of the trip. And we are still speaking to each other! The ruins, antiquities, Basilicas and art were especially enjoyable and pretty amazing. And we were surprised by the beautiful countryside with the vineyards and the beautiful Adriatic. 

Joan Peterson – Duluth, MN
May 2014

Wanda helped us to organize the trip of a lifetime. We had been planning to make this trip for over a year but the logistics were not easy, trying to organize 10 people traveling so far away. My mother in law is from Croatia and has a lot of family still there and in Slovenia. Since we were mainly visiting family and many of us have been there before we chose to drive ourselves and had very specific destinations we wanted to go to. Wanda accommodated all our needs and never pushed us to use services we didn’t need or want. It was very clear that what mattered to her the most was that we have the kind of trip we wanted to have. We spent a couple of days in Ljubljana at a lovely hotel right in the old town and we also visited our family just outside of Ljubljana. Wanda also found us an outstanding place to stay near our relatives farm in Pravutina, The Rural Retreat. It was very secluded, very simple but comfortable with beautiful views and the food was out of this world. From there we were able to spend the days with my husband’s Aunt and cousin. Then we went on to Plitvice Lakes, which is absolutely stunning and has to be seen to be believed. The second week of our stay was in Oprtalj in the north of Croatia. The house, while not the easiest place to get to, was great for us with yet more stunning views and a very friendly outdoor cat, promptly named Friskie by my daughter. Sophie, who owns the house, went out of her way to accommodate us. My mother decided to join us for the week in Orptalj and Sophie put an extra bed in the library so we would have room enough for all without charging extra. She was there to greet us when we arrived and was very kind and helpful. The house was a beautifully restored old house and what we liked the most about it was that although it was so nicely decorated it felt very welcoming and comfortable. We felt as if we could really live in it and not just perch for a few days.

I spent time in the former Jugoslavia as a child with my family and this was my second time back since then. It is still one of my favorite parts of the world, especially Ljubljana and Rovinj. Beautiful, friendly and relatively unspoiled. You can’t do better than have Wanda help you arrange your trip there. She is from Croatia, goes back regularly and knows the places she sends her clients. What I also like is that she wanted to know how our trip was when we got back and welcomed feedback to make sure she is giving the best service possible

What else can I say? There were ten people traveling in all including a 10 year old, a 16 year old and 2 young men in their early 20’s and it really went off without a hitch. Everyone had a great time and it was wonderful to see my daughter run around on her great Aunts farm and for us to swim in the Kupa river where my husband’s mother and sisters swam as children.  Those 2 days on the farm were 2 of the most memorable days of any vacation I’ve taken. There was no tv, no video games, no distractions. Everyone talked about memories they had and the kids drew pictures of our adventures on napkins. The best part for me was to see the reunion of my mother in law with her sister after ten years and to see my sister in law come back to a place where she spent time as a child. I have to admit that I cried to see that and I cried when we left.

Lesley Scammell – NJ
October 6, 2014

Wanda helped us to organize the trip of a lifetime. We had been planning to make this trip for over a year but the logistics were not easy, trying to organize 10 people traveling so far away. My mother in law is from Croatia and has a lot of family still there and in Slovenia. Since we were mainly visiting family and many of us have been there before we chose to drive ourselves and had very specific destinations we wanted to go to. Wanda accommodated all our needs and never pushed us to use services we didn’t need or want. It was very clear that what mattered to her the most was that we have the kind of trip we wanted to have. We spent a couple of days in Ljubljana at a lovely hotel right in the old town and we also visited our family just outside of Ljubljana. Wanda also found us an outstanding place to stay near our relatives farm in Pravutina, The Rural Retreat. It was very secluded, very simple but comfortable with beautiful views and the food was out of this world. From there we were able to spend the days with my husbands Aunt and cousin. Then we went on to Plitvice Lakes, which is absolutely stunning and has to be seen to be believed. The second week of our stay was in Oprtalj in the north of Croatia. The house, while not the easiet place to get to, was great for us with yet more stunning views and a very friendly outdoor cat, promptly named Friskie by my daughter. Sophie, who owns the house, went out of her way to accommodate us. My mother decided to join us for the week in Orptalj and Sophie put an extra bed in the library so we would have room enough for all without charging extra. She was there to greet us when we arrived and was very kind and helpful. The house was a beautifully restored old house and what we liked the most about it was that although it was so nicely decorated it felt very welcoming and comfortable. We felt as if we could really live in it and not just perch for a few days.

I spent time in the former Jugoslavia as a child with my family and this was my second time back since then. It is still one of my favorite parts of the world, especially Ljubljana and Rovinj. Beautiful, friendly and relatively unspoiled. You can’t do better than have Wanda help you arrange your trip there. She is from Croatia, goes back regularly and knows the places she sends her clients. What I also like is that she wanted to know how our trip was when we got back and welcomed feedback to make sure she is giving the best service possible

What else can I say? There were ten people traveling in all including a 10 year old, a 16 year old and 2 young men in their early 20’s and it really went off without a hitch. Everyone had a great time and it was wonderful to see my daughter run around on her great Aunts farm and for us to swim in the Kupa river where my husbands mother and sisters swam as children.  Those 2 days on the farm were 2 of the most memorable days of any vacation I’ve taken. There was no tv, no video games, no distractions. Everyone talked about memories they had and the kids drew pictures of our adventures on napkins. The best part for me was to see the reunion of my mother in law with her sister after ten years and to see my sister in law come back to a place where she spent time as a child. I have to admit that I cried to see that and I cried when we left.

Lesley Scammell – Montclaire, NJ
September 2014

Thank you so much for everything. You and your team were fantastic from beginning to end. You were available to make last minute changes, bookings and had excellent suggestions for dining. In addition the driver we had and our guide were both very knowledgeable. We were travelling with a young baby and it was priceless to have such a stress free vacation. I would not hesitate to recommend you highly and I hope to work with you again.

Gaya V. – New York, NY
September 2014

Dear Wanda,

Now that we are back home, I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the trip you helped us plan to Croatia and Montenegro. We really loved each of the places and all the hotels we visited, and all the guides, drivers, and excursions were outstanding. Thank you so much for all your efforts. I hope that you had an equally enjoyable holiday! Iva was also very helpful to us with some last minute details and adjustments. We would like to give her a gratuity for her help.  Thank you again for putting together a really unforgettable trip!

Kind regards,

Irene & Mario Ponce – CT
August 14, 2014

Hello Wanda,

I was hoping to contact you about our trip earlier but family issues got in the way. Just back home and received your letter. We had a wonderful time in Croatia. Everything was good but we certainly had highlights. 

The Esplanade and Zagreb were perfect in every way. Maja Polic in Zagreb went above and beyond as our guide. She was with us much longer than scheduled and what an interesting person, such a delight. She introduced us to friends that owned a gallery/coffee bar in Gornji Grad. We finished our tour with delicious ice tea and carrot cake supplied by the proprietor. Zagreb was fantastic with all it’s summer music festivals. It is such a wonderful city to walk. We highly recommend Trilogija located in the wall for dinner. We actually ate here twice and it was very, very good; no printed menu, chalk board with daily specials. Also had a wine tasting at Bornstein and so educational and a real treat. Another recommendation is pastries from Dinera consumed with coffee or beer at the Archaeological Museum cafe Lemon. 

We understood the importance of Verazdin and it was beautiful but it was 95 degrees in the shade that day and the city was empty. We saw everything in about an hour. The church was closed by the time we arrived and wouldn’t reopen until we were gone. 

Villa Astra and Lovran were a real highlight for us. Actually all of the Istria segment was incredible. We ate at the Villa one night and the young waiter Slovan helped make the night memorable. He actually bought us wines he recommended and delivered them on his day off. The swimming area in the  gulf and the path around the water to Lovran were wonderful, Restaurant Kukuriku and the view exquisite. We also ate at Nejade and quite impressed with the platter of fish we were offered to choose our dinner (as well as complimentary after dinner brandy). Istria guide Ondina Pifar and the driver (Cedomir?) were outstanding. What a fantastic day! Veli Joze for lunch perfect. So glad we saw that whole area with our guide and driver.

We had the same wonderful driver the next day on our way to the park. We enjoyed Plitvice and the Etno House.  We did the long walk and the lakes are really spectacular; so different than anything else we have seen. The morning we were to depart we definitely needed to leave earlier. Etno does not have anywhere to sit and wait for the driver. They needed us out of the room by 11:00 and the driver was scheduled for 1:00. They allowed us to sit in the dining room but not very comfortable. It poured that morning so we couldn’t go outside. No lunch available either. Really not a big deal but wanted to let you know for your next planned trip. Even if it had been sunny we would have liked to leave earlier. So much to see and the swimming pool area just okay. (You spoiled us at the Villa!)

Enjoyed Split and our guide (Ajlin?). Diocletian’s Place one of the most interesting tours we had. The Marmont Hotel was a perfect location and very nice. Ate on the steps at Figa which was good food and people watching. Most restaurants booked but hotel got us into Tinel which was delicious and fun with lots of celebrations and singing. Enjoyed wine at Paradox as well. 

Korcula a real treat. Loved the Lesic Dimitri Palace and their restaurant wonderful. Weather was iffy or we would have explored the island. The concierge offered and we would have loved to have seen more. Visited Seba Design and did purchase one of their larger filigree balls to hang on our Christmas tree, beautiful!

We had another excellent driver from the ferry to Ston and Dubrovnik. No wine tasting but Bota Sare was a nice long lunch with Josip?. (I am sorry I can’t remember all the driver’s names so lifting off of the itinerary. Hope they are the right drivers)

Villa Dbrovnik!!!!! We had a room with a view of the city which I am sure you arranged. Some favorite highlights were drinks at Buza at the end of the day, Tavern Sesame, Konoba Rozario (the waiter gave us samplings of his home made brandy), Lokrum Island, War Photo Museum, and the coral workroom and store located above delicious Buffet Skola . Weather iffy so boat from hotel to city only ran one day but a really nice touch. Easy to walk to the city. 

We want to thank you for this great itinerary. We hope to get back someday and spend more time on some of the islands and see more of the country. The scenery, history, food and people were all incredible. Hope this very long review is helpful. Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Again Thank You!

Bruce & Deborah Nelson – Clyde Hill, WA
August 2014

Dear Wanda,

You have been in my thoughts and I would have written before now, but, as you know, we returned via London for a couple of days, and then on my return I made a quick trip to Louisiana for a funeral.  I am just back.  We are brimming over with enthusiasm for our wonderful trip, and appreciation to you for your expert arrangements.  Our last day was in Dubrovnik and we found a charming little sidewalk cafe called Wanda’s on a shady street and drank a toast to you. 

Let me count the ways that we are grateful!  To begin with, the hotels were all terrific, as were their staffs,  from the Ambassador in Opatija, the Vestibul in Split, to the Villa Dubrovnic.  The Villa’s staff even suggested and followed through with a send off breakfast for our family at 3:30 in the morning!  Amazing!  Bob and I didn’t even get up that early!

You were also absolutely right about Croatia being a foodie’s Mecca.  Particular favorites were Meneghetti (one of the best meals I have ever had), Plavi Podrum where we had the most delightful birthday dinner for Bob, Kukuriku where all enjoyed a special meal, and Lambik in the Island of Hvar which was a highlight.  It was also such a relief that every restaurant was careful about our little Caroline’s serious allergies and we had no problems at all.

Your guides were also excellent…Sandra in Pula, Nada in Split, Zrinka in Hvar, Lea in Korcila, and Marina in Dubrovnik.  They were all so knowledgeable, articulate and charming.  We learned and enjoyed the tours.

I think I have already expressed our appreciation of the captain and crew.  We knew we were in good hands.  They were the best!   The drivers were also first class. 

Incidentally, we had a very nice lunch in the fascinating port town of Ston at a little restaurant called Bakus.  I can’t believe I had never heard of the walls of Ston.  Extraordinary! 

If I could offer any suggestion it would be that if any of your future clients are flying in or out of Venice and staying at the Europa and Regina, that the hotel can arrange for a water taxi to pick them up at the Marco Polo airport.  You just roll your suitcases down to the marina and boat across the Lagoon and up the Grand Canal to the hotel’s dock.  It eliminates the transfer from airport to bus, drive via Mestre, and re boarding of a water taxi at the Canal.  Of course this works in reverse as well.  We did this two years ago and it worked well.

We are still reveling in our memories of our Croatian vacation.  The accommodations, warm welcomes, capable staffs, historic sites (colosseum, palace, walled cities, etc.) dramatic scenery, clear blue water, and cuisine were all perfect.  We and our family thank you again and again.

Let’s have dinner at Felidia’s soon!

With warmest regards,

Carol – El Prado, NM
July 2014

Our group of 7 friends engaged Wanda’s service to travel to Croatia for 10 days in May, 2014. From the very beginning, she and her assistant were very thorough in providing information and very responsive in our communication. Two of us had individual add-ons at the beginning and the end of the group itinerary. All the arrangements turned out to be smooth. Our guides in Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik were particularly knowledgeable in dispensing information, whether it be from a political, social, historical or cultural angle. A couple glitches required us to contact them while in Croatia (had to switch from a passenger ferry to a car ferry, etc.), the in-country concierge Iva was very quick to respond to our email and immediately took care of the (potential) problems. As soon as we checked into our hotel in Zagreb, we received a call from Iva telling us to contact her for any help. On the last day of check-out in Dubrovnik, we received a personal note from Iva under the door in our room thanking us. This kind of attention to service is really impressive. I’ve already recommended her agency to several friends who are considering a trip to Croatia.

Nicky Y. – VA
July 25, 2014

Dear Wanda,

Hello, I hope you are well today and had a good holiday weekend.

I wanted to write and express my deepest thanks for your organization of our honeymoon in Croatia. Stephen and I enjoyed every moment of our trip, and that was due in very large part to your wonderful selection of hotels (especially the beautiful rooms and views we were assigned), the vendors you work with (every single person, from Josip, our driver, to Marina, our Dubrovnik tour guide, was incredibly nice, endlessly helpful, informative, and professional), and the destinations you suggested. 

The flow of the trip, from the quiet of Mljet, to the slightly more upbeat Kor?ula, and finally to Dubrovnik, really worked perfectly. Knowing Iva was available to help us with anything we needed (she called us and sent us a nice letter during our trip) was also very reassuring. 

We had the trip of a lifetime and were so happy each and every day. 

We are incredibly grateful to have had such wonderful attention and organization from you. We look forward to exploring other regions of Croatia with your guidance in the future!

Very best wishes,

Lauren Knighton & Stephen Gradinscak – New York, NY
July 7, 2014

Hello Wanda –

It’s been a whirlwind since we came home, but Wanda, that was the best best best trip. I can’t thank you enough for everything – the fabulous itinerary (with just the right amount of time in each place), the incredible drivers (who were always on time, and so warm and helpful), the superb guides, the amazing and gorgeous hotels, the perfect restaurant recommendations (I usually spend hours researching and reading reviews but you made it so easy – every meal was great) and the comfort of having a local contact for the couple times we needed to make a little change. I have never been on such a perfectly organized trip – we were on our own, with not a worry about travel between locations. I have sung your praises to all my pals – and I think one may be calling for your help.   

Bob and I both agree – this was a wonderful vacation. Everyone we met seems to know you! I would be delighted to serve as a reference for you, should any potential travelers want to talk to someone who has used your services. I would rave !!!!

Thanks to you and your office for all your hard work on our behalf.

Lynne & Robert Gaynor – MA
June 29, 2014