Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Desert, city, jungle, beach, and pampas all in one fantastic itinerary
Sandra Southwick | March 23, 2023

Desert, city, jungle, beach, and pampas all in one fantastic itinerary. My husband and I spent a month sampling the wonders of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. Paul organized a great itinerary with activities, free days and travel days that went seamlessly. Plus, we had a surprise WOW Moment/anniversary boat trip to one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil. Paul took great care of us, including checking us in for our flights and having the hotels print our boarding passes. He made restaurant recommendations and reservations for us. His hotel choices met all the needs we requested. The activities were varied, interesting, enjoyable and perfect for two people in their 70s.

We did a fabulous neighborhood tour full of murals from local artists. We loved São Paulo!
Shana Vaught | January 8, 2023

Paul Irvine planned a whirlwind tour of Brazil in December for me and my husband. This was my 2nd time trusting a Wendy Perrin travel partner with my vacation; Paul Irvine and his team did not disappoint. Paul was extremely patient and responsive throughout the entire process from planning, last-minute changes, to quick assistance during the trip when we had weather issues, both in Brazil and back home in Texas. Paul picked perfectly appointed hotels at every destination, and we really enjoyed all of our English-speaking guides and drivers throughout the trip. In Rio, we had Lais for two days of the city and art. She was one of the best, and most likable tour guides we’ve ever had — truly great, full of fun facts, history, culture and just a super interesting person. On to Paraty. It was a long (4+hour drive) to get to Paraty. We had an excellent driver who filled the time with great stories, info about Brazil etc,

While we found Paraty to be a quaint little village and our boutique accommodations at Casa Turquesa were seriously AMAZING; the tiny town itself wasn’t the highlight, not quite for us. The weather was cold and rainy, so unfortunately our tours were canceled. But, our driver picked us up early from Paraty and we squeezed in a day in São Paulo, which more than made up for the downtime in Paraty. My husband got to see a few art galleries on his list, and we did a fabulous neighborhood tour full of murals from local artists. We loved São Paulo! Unfortunately a bad freeze came through in Texas and the U.S. while we were traveling; my husband opted to go home early to winterize our home, while I continued on to Trancoso solo. Paul’s team helped us tremendously with these last-minute changes — they were flexible, accommodating and professional. The AXUS app Paul’s office uses was an invaluable tool to have. My time in Trancoso was nice, it’s a cute place and the tours, accommodation and food were great. No complaints at all, just a huge thank you to Paul and his team for all the help. We ended up being a high-maintenance client given our unforeseen issues. Thanks again to Paul, his team, and Wendy Perrin!

I am convinced that we were upgraded to the best room in the hotel everywhere we stayed
Bonnie Thompson | July 17, 2022

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We had a fantastic month-long trip to Brazil which we planned with Paul Irvine. Working with Paul was great – he listened very carefully to how we like to travel, and what activities we enjoy doing, and then he blended all of that into a wonderful itinerary. His choices were perfect – the hotels were amazing, the guides were knowledgeable and enthusiastic, our drivers were safe and professional, and the locations were delightful. Paul and I worked on the specifics of the plans for several months until it was precisely what I wanted. Before departure, we downloaded the app that he and his team use to send messages, keep us informed about the plans, to view our boarding passes, and any updates or notices. That was an extremely useful feature for our travels.

The first three weeks of our trip was just my husband and me, and it was a combination of vacation and working remotely. Paul was careful to book us in places with reliable wi-fi and a desk in the room. We stayed in each location for 3-4 days, which allowed us the opportunity to better understand the area before we moved on. Paul arranged guided tours in each place for the first day or two, and then the remaining days in that location we spent exploring (or remotely working) using the suggestions and information that Paul provided to maximize our time.

The third week of our trip was a family wedding – our nephew was getting married to a lovely young woman who was born in Brazil. The American family members flew to Brazil from all over the United States to help celebrate. And after those festivities, my husband and I, my sister and her husband – and all of our grown children! – stayed on for another 10 days of travel in two different locations. Paul arranged that portion of the trip as well, coordinating hotel rooms, transportation between locations, activities, guides, and drivers for all 10 of us. It was a very complicated task, and Paul handled it beautifully.

The added value of using Paul and his team is incalculable. At each hotel, we were greeted with notes from both Paul and the hotel staff, and welcome gifts in our room. I am convinced that we were upgraded to the best room in the hotel everywhere we stayed. Our room rates always included breakfast, teatimes, and other amenities not offered with regular bookings. Our guides and driver were always on time, the details of attraction tickets and lines and logistics were seamlessly attended to in advance so we never had to wait for anything. The pre-planning allowed us to maximize our time, and it reduced the stress of traveling for such a long period of time and with such a large group. We had a wonderful experience, and it is because of the superior work done by Paul and his team.

RE COVID: Most of the places we traveled in Brazil were very off the beaten path, and much of our exploring was outdoors, in smaller venues, and done privately. All of us were double vaccinated and we all had our booster shots — plus several of us had actually gotten very mild cases of COVID in the winter. We were not nervous about COVID exposure.

Paul also arranged for us to have the required departure COVID tests privately done by lab professionals who came to our hotel rooms. As it turned out, the requirement to test before returning to the USA was dropped the weekend we flew home, so it wasn’t necessary. But we certainly appreciated the effort.

Appropriate experiences that attended to our COVID concerns
Dana Watnick | May 5, 2022

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Re: COVID. This trip was pretty similar to one that we would have taken pre-pandemic. The trip planner did suggest appropriate experiences that attended to our COVID concerns, specifically having private tours and hotels with good COVID policies that felt safe/generally outdoor dining etc. Also, we had private taxis to and from airports although the drivers did not mask, which would have been more comfortable if they had been told to do so. Being from NY, we have been hit hard by COVID and are more cautious than most.

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