Starting with our pick up at the airport in Barcelona, every detail was well thought out. Reacquainting myself with the things that matter most to me — the earth, animals, history and dance — was transformative.
— Sanja DeGarmo, Spain
Wow. The Azores are a gem. Such lovely people and beautiful scenery. A wonderland to explore! And Portugal — a real treat for the senses. Our granddaughter has had her eyes opened to the world outside her customary life. She will be forever changed in positive ways and seems so happy upon her return! Lana Byal and Emily Jump have been a true delight to work with. We were a challenging group for many reasons, and they kept working to make everything absolutely perfect for our little entourage. Honestly, I can't imagine having a better experience with travel helpers!! Thank you so much!!!!
— Robin Giddings, Portugal
Our trip was the perfect mix of adventure, philanthropy, mystical, extraordinary, and educational. We had wonderful guides at every destination. Their knowledge, personalization, and candor made our experience so enjoyable and gave us an understanding of Peru beyond a typical tourist. While it was an immense adventure, there was ease all the way through knowing that everything was taken care of for us from transportation to stays. We learned very quickly that any event we had planned was going to be memorable and unique whether it was service work, tracking through the Amazon rainforest, hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, sleeping on the side of a cliff, or getting to know who our guides are through car rides and lunches. A huge thank you to Lana and Emily on the Elevate Team, and Erica, and Efrain in Peru.
— The Cook Family, Peru
Traveling internationally can be daunting especially not knowing where you are going or what to see. Dominique helped guide us through Greece seamlessly, making sure to create a stress free trip that was one we will remember for a lifetime. Our family spent days on the beautiful Mediterranean lounging or learning the deep history of the Greek gods. By night we ate seafood caught minutes ago off a pier next to us in an antique fishing village. There was always something beautiful to do or see. Our trip was nothing short of magic.
— The Smith Family, Europe
I just wanted to thank you again for arranging such an unforgettable trip. We had an absolute blast. Javier, our guide, was amazing. His depth of knowledge, relationships and hospitality were first class. We will certainly go back to the Arctic at some point… We are already excited to return to Africa next summer with Elevate!
— Kevin Samuelson, Norway
Elevate Destinations is not a travel agency but rather a creator of luxury travel experiences. Trip design/seamless integration of travel, accommodations, activities, and attention to detail are extraordinary. Perfect for families or groups of friends traveling together.
— David Mainman, Switzerland
Lana went the extra mile to make sure we were able to do everything we wanted in the week we were in Mexico.
The week in Mexico snorkeling with sea lions and whale sharks was a wonderful experience. The highlight of the trip had to be our close up encounter with a gray whale in Magdalena Bay. The whale stayed with our boat for twenty minutes or more engaging with us.
— Susan Stein, Mexico
The trip to Sri Lanka was fantastic. We were pleasantly surprised with the country, the people and the different locales we visited. From the Tea Estates to the wildlife safari to the “surfer town” – everything was A+. Great planning and organizing by you – thank you for everything.
Krishan was a great guide, informative and engaging. Would highly recommend him. Look forward to the next adventure with you guys!
— Jaytee Kanwal, Sri Lanka
It was a great experience for our daughter. You clearly alerted the staff that we were traveling with a kid that was special needs and it showed. They were outstanding, really sensitive, caring, open, accepting, and engaging with her. She had a great time. I’ll write more [soon], as special needs parents would be interested. But it was outstanding and the way they interacted with her was skillful and loving.
The staff was particularly helpful and sensitive with our daughter. They willingly engaged with her and went the extra mile to make her feel happy. They openly took the lead from us in terms of what worked in interacting with her and were wonderful. This made the experience particularly positive for her. It was her first trip overseas and, obviously, first to the continent. It won't be her last.
Thank you for all you did to make that happen. I know I'll be asking again to do a trip with her. I loved it.
— Kahrl Family, Tanzania
We absolutely LOVED New Zealand and all of the adventures, hotels, food, culture, etc!! Really a BEAUTIFUL part of the world.
The itinerary was perfect!!!
— Melissa Allen, New Zealand
It was a delightful trip, the best of the ones that I have taken. George was a marvelous, well-informed, thoughtful guide who took care of our needs extremely well. We learned a lot from him not only about the animals, but also about the culture in which he had grown up and lives in now. Each day had more than one highlight to remember.
The accommodations were very good, especially the two Sanctuary camps. The staffs at both were very attentive and friendly. And the food was, well, amazing. Of course, with little exercise other than wobbling over the bumpy roads, our waistlines expanded a bit, but it was worth it!
So thank you for such a fine itinerary. I have complete confidence in recommending you to others.
— Julia Kahrl, Tanzania
Our trip program had wonderful highlights which we all loved. The Kimi Ora resort was simply gorgeous and the activities of sailing in Abel Tasman and paddling the waka were beautiful. We loved meeting the Maori man who took us in the waka and shared Maori culture with us. The group (not I, as the Heathy track was too much for me) absolutely loved the hike in the Heaphy Track, going into the caves, and learning from the guide. The Pancake Rocks were phenomenal and we loved that day of seeing them. Driving down the coast and seeing so much undeveloped and unspoiled seacoast was gorgeous and inspiring. In the US we would never see anything like that--our coasts have so many homes, hotels, restaurants along them. The rest of the group also loved the bike ride, which was when Pamela and I went to Wanaka, a lovely town with fantastic yarns made of merino and possum. Learning about the travesty that the possums inflict upon the trees was important to know. For me the bird life was a huge highlight. It was lovely to listen to them and see their charming faces. The fantails were among my favorites. The wine tasting in Wanaka was wonderful. Such delicious wines! It was surprising to learn how different sauvignon blanc tastes when it is not from Picton Bay or Marlborough.
— Kathleen Vieweg, New Zealand
