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02.09.2008 |
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Julia and Bruce
Johannesburg, South Africa |
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Hi Jerry
We had a wonderful trip, thank you. We especially enjoyed our stay in Vence and Arles. However each place had its own character and charm, all the hosts were very welcoming and all the accommodation was extremely centrally and well situated.
Thank you again for the excellent, extremely prompt and professional service. We would not hesitate to use Umfulana’s services again in the future, and hopefully that will be sooner rather than later!
Warm regards
Julia & Bruce |
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01.09.2008 |
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Joanne Iurato (joiurato@msn.com)
Connecticut, United States |
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Merwin:
You arranged a wonderful holiday for us....just perfect...every spot was great...the accommodations were top notch...we loved it so much we are doing Cape Town in January.......just wonderful....the only problem was really bad directions......needed more information for Pretoria and others...otherwise....perfect....Thanks so much for making our honeymoon so special..
Joanne & Ed Baird |
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26.08.2008 |
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Stephen Woodall
La Coruna, Spain |
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Dear Jessica,
Thank you so much for booking such a wonderful holiday for us in Italy. We had a fabulous time and enjoyed every location we visited.
Every property you booked us into was unique, very comfortable, and surprisingly spacious by European standards and all of the hosts were obliging, friendly people to whom nothing was a problem. Dievole was our absolute favourite – what a place!!! Absolutely stunning. We could have spent a week there. It was so beautiful we didn’t even bother to visit San Gimignano or Sienna. The timing of our stay there was also perfect. After a few days of soldiering around Florence in 40 degree heat it was wonderful to relax in the Chianti hills, do the pool to death, and sample the Dievole wines before heading off to Venice for more foot-slogging (although our hotel there was so well located we even came back during the day just to use the loo!) The hotel near Lucca was also very special and we were nicely surprised to have the option of dinner at the B&B the night we arrived, and also the use of the kitchen facilities. We actually had either our own kitchenette or use of a shared kitchen at La Spezia, Lucca, Dievole (ha..as if we’d ever use it), and Lake Como, which was generally unexpected but very welcome, particularly travelling with a child. I’m not sure if you are familiar with the B&B at Lake Como as I know it wasn’t on your original list, but it was lovely property with views of the entire lake, only renovated in the last few years, and the owners were a very welcoming family with young children. The advertising was a little misleading about having stairs leading to the nearby beach – it turned out to be a 10 min walk down and a car ride back up!! The actual house would not be ideal for anyone with mobility problems as it hugs the side of the hill and is on 4 levels with the owners occupying the first 2.
The only negative comment I have to make is in regard to the hotel in Venice (whose name escapes me). It was in a fantastic location, staff were great, room was spacious and clean, but it was let down by the breakfast facilities. The breakfast room was so small and cramped, people were having to wait in the hall or go back to their room and come back later. It was amusing the first day, ho-hum the next, and over it by the third. By the look of the hostess I think she was over it too! They do offer breakfast in your room if you prefer but there is no table to eat at so it’s actually easier to brave the breakfast room.
We had one small hiccup at the Agriturismo in La Spezia where a baby cot was provided, although we had requested and believed we had confirmed a bed for Jack. We paid the additional €72.00 for the extra bed and spoke to Sonia in your office the same day to find out what the problem was. She advised that she was aware of the extra charge if we elected to take a bed, but apparently the message had not quite made it to us. [Note from Umfulana: The amount paid for the extra bed has been reimbursed.]
We have already recommended you to another Australian family living here in Spain so I hope they have been in contact. As an ex-travel consultant of many years I have never let anyone else take care of my holiday planning, but I have been converted. You did a wonderful job and we were impressed with your selection of properties. I’ve been lucky enough to either stay in or inspect some pretty special places around the world, but, although it wasn’t 6-star luxurious, the charm of Dievole was quite enchanting and I haven’t stopped talking about it.
Thank you again,
Kind regards,
Mandy, Stephen and Jack |
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26.08.2008 |
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Mark Avellino
Victoria, Australia |
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Hello Jerry,
The trip you organised was fantastic. The venues were indeed very interesting and elegant and at times we felt like celebrities, especially in Weimar where we had a picture book view from our room.
Both Helga and I were impressed with the quality and service of all the venues you had organised in our itinerary. The pre-booking and advice you provided saved us a lot of time.
Briefly we can report the following for each venue:
Berlin: Location is very central, transport close by, accommodation and environment gives you that sense of grandeur, very friendly and excellent serving staff.
Dresden: Stunning property, relaxing atmosphere by the river Elbe, helpful staff, excellent breakfast
Prague: Good romantic setting, very unique atmosphere and position. The location of the hotel was a little difficult to find. Mr Paul tried very hard to accommodate our wish for twin beds and as a result we had to climb up stairs that were difficult for Helga (forgot to mention to you that Helga has a problem with her hips). We would have expected like all the other hotels that at breakfast, eggs be included in the hotel tariff and not an extra, but it is not a big deal.
Weimar: Wished we stayed there longer – a very interesting and elegant place to stay, which gives you the feeling that the guest is really warmly welcomed and appreciated. Interesting Altstadt, culture, etc. and at the same time very relaxing. Excellent food at the hotel restaurant.
Trust this short feedback may be of use to Umfulana. Thanks for all your assistance in making our trip very pleasurable and we would personally recommend your services to any of our friends.
Regards
Mark and Helga |
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11.08.2008 |
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Dirkie de Villiers
Riverfield, South Africa |
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Best Jerry and Jessica,
We had a great trip. Everything was organized perfectly and we had no hassles whatsoever. The B&B's that you have selected for us were absolutely perfect and the hosts stunning.
We flew from Paris to Venice, where we had a comfortable room and breakfast was the normal (breads and yoghurts). From there we went by car to Lake Garda. Everthing was ready for us when we arrived at Avis. We had to take the Ferry over Lake Garda to our final destination, which was something we will never forget. At Lake Garda our hosts were excellent. They shared their knowledge of the region and advised us where to go and what to see. The house is breathtaking as is the views from the bedrooms. Our breakfast was set for Kings and we felt spoiled. The rooms where wonderful. We stayed for only two nights and it was defenitely to short. From there we went by car to Florence. I thought we would stay in a small Tuscan Village and it was a shock to realize how busy Florence really is. We had to go and look for the Tuscany that we had in mind – hillsides, sunflower fields and sipres trees. Our host was excellent – when she heard we wanted to go to the beach for a day she organized that we went to their private beach, which was lovely. From there we went to Rome where we stayed in an apartment about two blocks away from St Peters Cathedral. Again a wonderful place to stay with excellent hosts. We couldn't ask for a better tour. Thank you for helping us make a dream holiday come true. We will tell all our friends about Umfulana and will make use of your wonderful service again soon.
Thans again,
Dirkie de Villiers |
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