Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

We travelled to Spain in October ‘24 with Ivan as our WOW List planner. His itinerary was accommodating and well-curated for our needs. His special ability to listen and respond is what makes him a true WOW guy! My guess is that he is a guide as well as a planner, which gives him a unique understanding of what works well… and how to execute those plans.

We asked for a tour of history mixed with culture and some bike riding…. and each activity was really wonderful. Flamenco dancing, tropical fruit orchard, a day cooking with a chef, visits to artisans in their leather shop, cape shop and espadrille shop…

Drivers were professional in every way and although we had several guides, each was so knowledgeable for that experience. Anytime we chose the guide or Ivan’s meal recommendations, we were pleased, anytime we took the hotel advice, we were disappointed.

My husband and I recently spent 3 days in Barcelona prior to a cruise. I reached out to Ivan from Wendy’s Wow list, who answered me quickly to set up a call to talk about what we were interested in doing and seeing. We had previously been to Barcelona and so wanted to do different things this trip. Ivan quickly came up with suggestions that we loved.

On the day we arrived Ivan arranged a driver to meet us at the airport. We were quickly taken to our Hotel the El Palace which we loved. That evening we were met with our fabulous guide Nestor. We spent a couple hours on a walking tour of the old town and then went to a couple tapas bars. Nestor truly loves his city and is very knowledgeable about everything in it, we learned so much. The tapas bars were much better than the restaurants I booked on my own. The next morning we were met at our hotel by Chef Ricard for a private cooking class and visit to a local market. The cooking class was so much fun and the food was delicious. I’m looking forward to getting the recipes and trying to cook it ourselves.

Later that afternoon we were meet by Nestor at our hotel to tour Park Güell and the church of La Sagrada Familia. We had previously been to both places, but this time we learned so much more. We arrived at La Sagrada Familia in time for sunset. The church was stunning with all the stained glass windows and the perfect time to go. Nestor then escorted us to the restaurant that I had booked and asked the waiter to make sure we got to Taxi for the return to the hotel. This was on his time and not included in the tour.

On our last day Nestor again met us at the hotel with a driver to tour a family winery in the Penedes wine region. We were treated like royalty and given a wonderful tour. Nestor recommended a great lunch spot in the small town before we headed back to Barcelona. Nestor was a great guide and now friend, and Ivan definitely booked the best of the best for us and handled everything perfectly. He also checked in every day to make sure everything was going as planned and if we were happy. I look forward to booking another tour with him in the future!

Ivan, our trip planner, listened to our interests and he delivered. We had many gastronomic activities which included visiting a cheesemaker, an olive oil producer, and our favorite—an Iberian pig farm. We learned about the strict regulations in this industry and the diets and exercise requirements for the pigs!

Every guide and driver we had was excellent. They felt like friends by the end of the afternoon. We loved the charm of Seville and Cadiz—there was nothing better than wandering down the centuries-old narrow streets and squares filled with restaurants and fountains.

The trip was perfect and we will never hesitate to use your travel services and network of consummate professionals again in the future.

Mina Miller Sabritt next to a piano in the Chopin Museum, in Mallorca.

Trip highlight: Concert-pianist traveler takes a private tour of the Chopin Museum.

Mallorca had been on our “bucket” list for a special reason. As a concert pianist, I had always wanted to visit the village of Valdemossa and see the monastery where the composer Frédéric Chopin spent a winter and composed several important piano works. In celebration of my milestone birthday and our 47th wedding anniversary, we decided that this was the moment.

We told Ivan that we were not going to Mallorca for the beach and wanted to avoid crowds and mass tourism. We also knew that we would arrive exhausted and wanted a place where we could relax and be pampered at the start of our trip. Ivan found us a magnificent hotel that met all of our needs and more. Our room had the most extraordinary view of the sea.
Ivan planned a Mallorca itinerary that focused on the history and culture of the Island. Our trip to the Chopin Museum was the highlight, and it included the surprise of a private tour and meeting with the museum director that Ivan made a special effort to arrange. We also worked with Ivan to extend our trip with six days in Catalonia, first in the beautiful seaside village of Cadaqués, and then the Penedès cava region.

Ivan was extremely patient, generous, and attentive to our needs. We had originally planned this trip for earlier in the year but needed to postpone it because of unexpected health issues. When we were ready to rebook, Ivan jumped back in immediately. He was flexible when there were last-minute changes that we wanted to make. In the popular Penedès region, he managed to secure excellent hotel accommodations, drivers and guides – not an easy feat for a very busy holiday weekend at peak harvest time.

Throughout the trip, Ivan was in close touch by email. He wanted to ensure our satisfaction at all points. He informed the hotels of our celebration, and on Mallorca we were greeted at our dinner table with beautiful flowers and a bottle of cava.
It was a pleasure working with Ivan. He was a true partner in the planning of our trip and a perfectionist in its execution. No detail was overlooked. He did all possible to ensure our satisfaction at every point along the way. We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him and for the experience he was able to create for us. Our trip went beyond all expectations because of Ivan’s care and expert planning.

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