From D & P in Alberta:
Dear Peter: Our trip, with you to Ukraine was beyond our expectations.The hotel accommodations, the meals and the attention to detail was outstanding and was much appreciated. The travel arrangements to our specific villages, with the chosen drivers, was comfortable and helped to make our village experiences rewarding. Special consideration to all individuals in the tour by you and your hostess were noted. Stepan was certainly an excellent choice for bus driver.
The points of interest were well chosen enabling us to get a greater perspective of the region. The information that you provided us, during the journey, enriched our learning experiences. The shopping experiences were excellent.
Thank you again for providing us with an excellent experience. Sept 2011 Tour
From B & R in Alberta:
Hi Peter: Just wanted to say that it was a fantastic tour. Didnʼt know how much we would enjoy ourselves but we sure did once it started. It is fantastic the way the tour went. Seeing urban life and rural life is something to behold. Always heard stories about life in Ukraine (see I didnʼt say “The Ukraine”) but one has to be there and experience it to know what it is really like.
The places we visited were fantastic and nothing was really rushed like on other tours we have experienced. The tourʼs hostess was also fantastic. I would recommend this tour to anyone and if you want to use our names in future references we would gladly talk to anyone who wants to know more.
Thanks and.......“Budmo hay! budmo hay! budmo hay hay hay!!” May Tour, 2011
From D-A C. in Calgary:
Peter: I was apprehensive about coming to the country of my parents’ birthplace... not knowing what to expect. May I say that today I know that the tour with you, the hostess and the bus-driver was far past my expectations. You and your staff have produced an amazing tour for us to enjoy. Such foresight and competence. Many thanks and every good wish for continued success. Sincerely, D-A C., Calgary... May Tour 2011
From Cheryl T. in Toronto:
Hello Peter,
I hope all is well with you. I must say that I am still basking in the glow of our October tour. It was an outstanding adventure.... beyond my wildest dreams. I have you, our Ukrainian Hostess, the bus driver and the wonderful tour guides to thank for this.
I especially want to thank you and the Hostess for helping my sister and me find my grandmother's (my Baba's) village and our relatives. This was definitely the highlight of our trip. You were so helpful even before we left Canada in identifying possible villages and setting up the interpreter and driver to take us there.
Even before the trip to the village we were having a great time. The tour was so well organized and thoughtful. It brought the history of the country alive for me. I especially loved visiting private homes, the dinner in the Hutsul Kolyba and the music (Ivan's Hutsul Band) and the dancing we did along the way. The stop at Stork Alley and seeing life in a village was excellent.
I also can't forget the children - those who performed the folk dances and those who spoke with us in English in the Yaremche school. They were lovely.
I enjoyed all parts of the Tour’s Itinerary...there was a nice balance of sight-seeing and souvenir shopping and museums and churches and art galleries. The horilka tasting and beer factory were really fun too. Besides all of that, the hotels were great.... and the food was delicious!!
I don't know whether we were lucky on this trip but I have to say that I loved all of our tour mates. What a great group of people!
Peter, I will have memories of the trip to last a lifetime. If there are people who are interested in talking to someone about the tour, I would be glad to talk with them. And if you want to put any of this email on your website you have my permission to do so.
One other thing: Please pass along to Terri at Terri's Travel International that she was great to deal with. I enjoyed talking with her about my air travel plans.
Take care and have a wonderful Fall. And Christmas is almost here! Thanks again. I feel more Ukrainian than ever!! (October 2010)
From T.S. in Saskatchewan: “I give you and the Ukrainian Hostess high marks for a wonderful tour. Even though some visitors expect everything to be perfect today, for a nation that has had freedom for only 18 years, the country has come a long way in improving its image for tourists. It was a great experience to see “Life in Ukraine” for myself. (July 2010)
From K.E.M. in Saskatchewan: “This was our first all-inclusive tour. It was a wonderful experience, thanks to you and to the Ukrainian Hostess. You have “set the bar high” for future tours we may take.
We expected churches and museums. But the great variety of other visits: farm, forts, university, Tech-college, ski resort, brewery, school, village home... was exceptional. Also, the flexibility to do the unplanned... stopping at the Memorial Service in a village as we passed through.
I enjoyed Peter’s bringing history to life with his narration about the struggles of Ukraine over the years to the day of Independence.” (May 2010)
From K.S. in Alberta: “I really enjoyed our tour to Ukraine, the places we visited, the good times we had, the people I met on our tour and our great group, also. The food: very good variety and choices... I really enjoyed the borshch and pyrohy. It was great to see the wonderful country of Ukraine and the gentle people that still live and care for my country. I am very touched by my everlasting experience... now a memory. A special thank you, Peter and our Ukrainian Hostess.” (September 2009)
From M.W.M. in Manitoba: “To Peter, thanks very much for all your help, your sharing of your great knowledge of Ukraine and thanks for answering our many questions.” (September 2009)
From K.L. in B.C.: “There was great variety with lots of background information. The big farm was very interesting to me having lived in farm areas. The opera was a nice surprise and the visit to the school will be remembered. My best experience was the impromptu visit to the roadside wedding.
All museum visits were a real insight into Ukrainian culture, past and present.
The food was great... if anything, too much! I finally started just having the salad and soup at lunch with the hope I wasn’t insulting anyone. I found the tour to be well organized with many learning experiences.” (October 2009)
From T.R in Ontario: “Hey Peter … I think by now you have returned from the October trip, which of course was the one right after the trip in September with my mother and with me.
I just received a phone call from a gentleman in Niagara Falls to whom you gave my name as a reference. Peter it was my absolute pleasure talking to this person. Even though we spoke for almost 30 minutes, I could have talked with him for much longer!
Like I told him, we are very well travelled. Beach trips and cruises come and go each year. After awhile they all become too similar and some you even seen to forget. The trip to Ukraine was NOT one of those trips. It was one of those trips that you NEVER forget and will always smile when thinking of it!!!
I could not say enough about the trip. The hotels, the meals, the tours, the English interpreters, you and our Ukrainian Hostess!!
I told him that he will get his money’s worth and more!!!!! That my expectations of the trip were not as good as the end results. Meaning that the hotels were better than I thought they were going to be. That the restaurants were grander then I thought they were going to be. I even told him that I expected to read my book while on the bus travelling from area to area but that I couldn’t stop looking out the windows of the bus and taking photos!
I am honored that you gave my name and number as a reference Peter and please feel free to do it again!!!!
I hope you are doing well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” (September 2009)
From L.A. in Alberta: “I found all the places we visited interesting, particularly the City of Kyiv and the walking tour of the City of Ivano-Frankivsk. I was glad to have the opportunity to visit my father’s village. Even though I met no family there, it was good to talk to some of the locals. Overall, I enjoyed the tour, the various restaurants and the entertainment. The people in our group were great folks which made the trip so successful.” (May 2009)
From B.E. in Ottawa: “Excellent! Better than expected. It was the special things like Bukovel, the school, the Hutsul Restaurant and especially the farm. My best experience was to visit my grandfather’s village and connecting with family or “near family”. It was great to visit a school and to hear the students talk about their expectations for the future Ukraine. Our Hostess was great!” (May 2009)