I just returned from a month long travel adventure that began with 11 days in Myanmar with Big Five. Thanks to our fabulous travel agent, who contacted you when our first booking with (another company) fell through this summer, we were able to book a customized trip with Big Five and squeeze it into very specific dates. As (Agent) told me at the time, “this could end up being a good thing.” It was! Every aspect of our trip was fabulous–beyond expectations. I wanted to personally thank YOU for the extra effort involved in putting together such a wonderful itinerary at the last moment. I know you and (Agent) both jumped through hoops, and we are most appreciative.
All of the Big Five guides we worked with were top notch, and our hotel accommodations were breathtaking, especially the Governor’s Residence in Yangon and the Inle Lake Princess Resort. We loved our time with Thet Thet San at Inle Lake and Kakku. She was so passionate and knowledgeable; an absolute delight to work with. (We were still talking about her when we got to Uzbekistan at the end of our travels.) She maximized every moment without ever making us feel that we were rushed. Her personal touch with the villagers, from the lotus weavers to the boat makers, the paper makers and the silk weavers, was very authentic. They were all so happy to see her and greeted us with incredible hospitality and big smiles. Inle Lake was the highlight of our entire month of traveling!
I also want to comment on how much we appreciated the White Glove Service® that we received. To give you little background: the Irrawaddy Cruise on the Kindat Pandaw was a dream in every aspect, EXCEPT for the fact that the guides that they had hired for the week long trip were very substandard. There were two, and both of them were incredibly difficult to understand–their English was very poor–and their ability to tell a good story, put it into historical context, and keep a large group engaged and moving together was non-existent. As a result, we didn’t get nearly as much as we would have liked to out of the Bagan portion of our cruise. After that first disastrous excursion I shared my frustrations and concerns with the Purser, and asked if there was a possibility of getting better guides. While he was understanding, his hands were tied to do anything about it. He heard the same complaints many times over from the other passengers, who were from the UK, Australia, Tasmania, and Canada. Other than that, the river cruise was fantastic.
After the first day’s disastrous excursion with the Kindat Pandaw guides, I emailed the WGS hotline and explained our concerns. They responded immediately and arranged for private guides to work with us in the major cities and attractions for the rest of the cruise. Your WGS® team communicated closely with the Purser, and we were extremely well taken care of for the remaining itinerary. (Guide) in Mandalay provided an excellent finale to our trip to Myanmar. We were very grateful to be able to experience the sights there with a guide that was so efficient, knowledgeable, and personable.
We probably will never have the opportunity to return to Myanmar, so it was terribly important to get the most out of our experience while there. Your 24-Hour White Glove Service® Guest Assistance team made that happen. I wanted you to know that Big Five delivered Big Time on their WGS brand promise.
Thank you for everything!
R.W
November 5, 2015
This was our second adventure with the Big Five. The first was a few years back to Machu Pichiu &...
read moreI called yesterday to tell you what a fantastic trip we had, but your line was busy, so here it...
read moreBig Five, fabulous, the tours that we took in Cape Town, with our driver/guide was the very best that we have...
read moreI’ve been meaning to write you on (the clients’) feedback. They all had an amazing time. They thought 5...
read moreWe want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the fabulous adventure you created for us. From start...
read moreMy most heartfelt thanks for everything you have done to make the deWaart’s trip a success. I especially appreciate the...
read moreI have heard back from two of the ladies already, and they report is that the trip was WONDERFUL!!!!!!! They...
read moreAs I told you this morning, (Destination Specialist) was so patient and kind to me while he was helping me with...
read moreThank you for planning such an AMAZING trip for us! I am not sure where to start, except to say...
read moreI thought you would love to hear from these clients about their Kenya trip. Father/daughter team. This was a present...
read moreEthiopia was wonderful. The lodges were so beautiful, quiet atmosphere, hospitable staff, the food, everything was great. Touring Entebbe’s local market, they experienced the atmosphere,...
read moreThe trip was the most exciting time I have ever had and I think that I can safely say that...
read moreCosta Rica was amazing! We had a wonderful time. The tours were top notch and exceeded our expectations! It’s hard...
read moreSince I know you monitor our progress thru the whole trip, you already know we are back and had a...
read moreEl Mirador was incredible. Our first helicopter ride was exciting and fun. What I’d say about El Mirador is that...
read moreI want to thank you for all the thoughtfulness that went into our amazing South Indian adventure. We have a friend...
read more