Member Experiences
Want to share a travel experience?
Start sharing your travel experiences today!
TRIP MERCHANT JOURNEYS: EGYPT HIGHLIGHTS
So hard to choose because this trip “ ticked all the boxes:” pyramids at Giza, camel rides, Nile cruise, Luxor, Karnak, Abu Simbel, Red Sea, Valley of Kings, Valley of Queens, visit to a bazaar, Bedouin visit in the desert.
Also enjoyed travelling with fellow Canadians.
Local guides were excellent: knowledgeable, keen, great Ambassadors of Egypt, obviously very experienced.
Read MoreAnd, of course, the outstanding tour directors, Tom and Ryan, who created this tour and also accompanied us throughout the trip. Clearly, they both know what they are doing. We were the fortunate recipients of their travel knowledge and years of experience in the travel industry. When friends back in Canada asked us how things went, we were able to tell them, “No problems, absolutely no problems; everything went as promised.”
– Traveler
VIET PRINCESS CRUISES: VIETNAM/CAMBODIA
Having a fabulous time!
We are very appreciative that you recommended this cruise to us – it is absolutely amazing. All of the staff are professional & friendly, the food is delicious, & our suite is incredible – they upgraded us!
The shore excursions have been really unique & interesting, and our guide is very knowledgeable, well educated, & speaks very good English. He gets off when we leave Vietnam & we will have a Cambodian tour guide after that.
The cruise director, Eric, is amazing! We were worried about currency &
Read Moretipping and he has arranged for all the tipping to be done by them & we will pay it with our bill at the end. It’s been great to not have to take money along & wonder if we are tipping the right people & how much. If we have any Vietnamese Dong currency left at the end, we can pay some of our bill with it.
I really like that this cruise company gives so much back to the communities that they go in to. Even the money from the on board shop goes to the children in Cambodia.
All in all, I can’t say enough nice things about this experience – we feel so lucky to be here & thank you again for introducing us to this fabulous company.
– Patti J.
COLLETTE: SHADES OF IRELAND
Myself, my spouse Kelly, my cousin Bruce and his lovely wife Barbara departed on “The Shades of Ireland” tour with Collette Travel, departing from Vancouver on April 8th 2019 and returned home again on April 20th 2019.
The tour was nothing less than fantastic from the time we were met at the airport in Dublin by the Tour Guide “Peter Murphy” and escorted to our lovely hotel accommodation on a “Collette Touring Coach” driven by Michael, until we arrived back to the Dublin airport from our overnight stay at the beautiful “Cabra Castle”in Kingscourt, a very full 12 days later.
Read MoreThe tour was coordinated like a “fine Swiss Watch” from beginning to end with the best tour guide and Tour Coach driver in all of Ireland.
Ireland is a beautiful Island, with picture book scenery and warm friendly people, despite some of the stress and turmoil the country has experienced. Historic old Castles are plentiful to visit along with the fields, fences and homes that are immaculate as though they were manicured daily.
We have hundreds of pictures from the trip as well as numerous stories and comments that were related to us during the tour.
Collette’s Mobile app is a wonderful tool, allowing you to have your itinerary available at your fingertips at all times including the daily excursions, accommodations and all the local information in the area.
We are very satisfied customers. This was our first trip with Collette but will certainly not be our last. One couple on our tour have travelled with Collette on 22 previous occasions and they were all very good.
Thank you Collette for exceeding our expectations.
– William (Ken) P.
EXPLORE WORLDWIDE: MOROCCO
I just wanted to say how much both myself and my friends enjoyed our recent trip to Morocco with Explore. We travelled on a 15 day trip and were able to see many different parts of the country. We were well taken care of and were provided with many opportunities to explore the culture. I would highly recommend this trip.
– Arlene T.
VIET PRINCESS CRUISES: VIETNAM/CAMBODIA
Listen. You need to book this trip! The Viet Princess cruise on the Mekong River is a class act and you will not be disappointed. The ship’s décor: suites, dining room, lounge and the sun deck area are beautifully appointed. The crew members are welcoming and bend over backwards to accommodate your needs and to ensure your voyage will create fond memories that will last forever. The cuisine for the buffet breakfast, lunch and the a la carte dinners is exceptional–a five star experience offered by the kitchen staff.
Read MoreThe daily tours on shore provide an authentic glimpse into the lives of the people in villages along the Mekong. The local tour guides who stay on the ship are enthusiastic and passionate about their country and make the tours an unforgettable experience. Of my many and varied travels, this experience is equal to my favorite journeys. Do not miss out on a chance to enjoy this amazing travel opportunity.
– Robin T.
TRIP MERCHANT JOURNEYS: EGYPT EXPERIENCE
Every one of our activities and destinations was a highlight for us! The Pyramids, the camel ride, the Sphinx and then eating lunch in a restaurant overlooking it all was amazing. There we were—touching one of the only Ancient Wonders that still remain!
The Egyptian Museum was also very interesting, however it’s too bad we didn’t get to visit the new-yet-to-be opened Museum.
The cruise along the River Nile was very interesting and relaxing. Our suite was spacious and the staff were especially attentive. The meals on board were delicious. Read More
The hotel accommodations were wonderful as well, with excellent and gracious staff.
Each of the temples we visited were absolutely amazing! Standing in the midst of ancient statues, artwork and hieroglyphs was spellbinding. Our additional trip to Abu Simbel made us speechless!
Each of the modes of travel we took added to the richness of the trip—from the horse and buggy ride in Edfu, to the felucca boat on the Nile, and our ‘1st class train ride’ which we wouldn’t give up for a minute! We didn’t like waiting in airports, but understand that’s part of the process for flying. We will always remember the quote, “If you have time to spare, fly Egypt Air”. Our bus rides were comfortable and afforded us the opportunity to get to know our fellow travellers better as we saw the Egyptian landscape.
Our Egyptologist / Tour Guide, Yasser, was excellent. Yasser was a wealth of knowledge, a valuable advocate in language translation and in understanding local customs and expectations. Yasser, along with Tom and Ryan, were very personable and sincerely took an interest in the meeting the needs of each member of the group.
We were well taken care of from the minute we arrived in Cairo to the minute we left. The people who met us for the ground transfers were excellent! We don’t think we would have been able to do this on our own. Arriving at the airport at 3:30 am was especially challenging.
Thanks for an amazing trip Tom and Ryan!!
– Michelle & Ken K.
CROATIAN HIGHLIGHTS!
In October, 14 members and friends of CRTA journeyed to Croatia and Slovenia. Ryan Mikucki of Trip Merchant facilitated our registrations with Collette Tours. Our flights took us from Calgary through Amsterdam and onto Zagreb where we met our wonderful and knowledgeable tour manager, Eva. She kept us all well entertained and informed during the 10 days. This region of the Adriatic is filled with ancient cities, medieval architecture, intriguing culture, rolling hills and sometimes mountains, and stunning coastal scenery. We were frequently in awe of the bus driver’s abilities on the roads where it seemed the front end was meeting the back end of the bus! Did you know Mario Andretti perfected his driving skills on some of these very same roads?
Read MoreTruffle season and the farm to table feast was a definite highlight. Visually we enjoyed the countryside and seeing some hunters with their dogs digging up truffles. They are quite ugly to my way of thinking but, oh my, they did indeed taste heavenly in the truffle pasta we enjoyed at lunch. Opatija is referred to as Croatia’s Riviera. This is where the tourism industry of this region actually began for it was the summer retreat of Roman Caesars and Habsburg Monarchs. Plitvice Lakes is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage site, filled with 16 terraced lakes and waterfalls. Dubrovnik, another UNESCO World Heritage site had us climbing walls
and visiting the nooks and crannies and alleys of this mediaeval city. It is enjoying a new life through the great interest in Game of Thrones which was partially filmed there. The Diocletian’s Palace in Split was another site for filming and the beautiful coastal walkway more than enough for those of us not attached to Game of Thrones. Following a visit to the stunning Cathedral (especially the doors) of St Nicholas in Ljubljiana, Slovenia we proceeded to tranquil Lake Bled. We were rowed across the lake in a Pletna boat to the island in the middle of the lake. There we climbed 88 rock steps to the entrance to the cathedral. It is the only structure on the island. Inside the cathedral, those who ring the Bell and announce their wish to the beloved Lake Bled will have their wishes fulfilled. I am sure many of us made the wish to return to this lovely part of the world.
– Linda M.
JOURNEY IN JORDAN
The trip to Jordan that you had arranged for us was magnificent and well worth it! These are the highlights of our trip and features we were thankful for:
– Omar assisting us at the Queen Alia Airport with documentation and procedures for entering and exiting the country was superb and relieved the stress I had anticipated. He was very professional, well prepared, and did a great job for us.
– Mohammad Alqadi was our exceptional driver and host and we could not have asked for anyone better. His love for his country came through in all he did for us. Mohammad was gracious in accommodating our requests and answering our questions, suggested and showed us many extra things and sites, assisted with hotel check-ins and site admissions, Read More
was always on time, was a wealth of information and a great conversationalist. Remarkable!
– Visiting St. George’s Church in Madaba and Mt. Nebo were breathtaking!
– Ali Masada was our fantastic, very knowledgeable Petra tour guide. He kept the walking pace to the Treasury slow for Gerry and would frequently stop to explain the things we were seeing. Having a private guide was the best.
– Petra was spectacular, larger and more magnificent than we had imagined. A definite must-see! Gerry was very thankful to have ridden a donkey from the Treasury to the Basin and back, giving his ankle some much needed rest.
– We had a pleasant stay at the Petra Marriott Hotel and as it is located on a hilltop, we enjoyed amazing views.
– It was an incredible experience to float in the Dead Sea and slather ourselves with its mud! A definite must-do on the Jordanian side!
– The Dead Sea Holiday Inn location is great, with easy access to the water.
– Our visit to Jerash was terrific and having a private guide was beneficial. Jerash also was bigger and better than we had anticipated!
– The Geneva Hotel in Amman is a great location for a trip to Jerash and returning to the airport.
– The food in Jordan and Egypt was top-notch and delicious! We really miss the buffet breakfasts!
– Michele & Gerry
EXOTIK: MOROCCO & ALGARVE
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for an excellent tour in Morocco which our retired teachers group from British Columbia, Canada, participated in during the second week of February. The driver of the bus was excellent, our sapper very reliable, and Ali our main tour guide and interpreter, amazing. They were cohesive and reliable in their work and most congenial to us as a group and individually.
I would also like to thank all of you at Trip Merchant who designed a great trip for the participants. Good on yah!
– Fran S.
Elon Musk – Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.
Read MoreNemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?
Elon Musk – Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.
Read MoreNemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?