Galápagos and Rapa Nui Before I booked with Yampu Tours, I spoke at length with José to figure out what tour company to go with to the Galápagos and Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. After speaking with several companies, I decided on Yampu. One reason: it gives back to local communities in Latin America through a number of programs, including one in the Galápagos, an environmentally-protected place. Beyond that, I got a good intuitive feeling about José. My intuition was spot on: our trip and working with José were incredible! José communicated with me extensively before our trip, meticulous about details so we had the best experience possible in each city we flew in to. He suggested city tours with local guides who were extremely knowledgable about history and culture. The naturalist guides in the Galápagos were extraordinary, and the catamaran crew was in sync with all the guests’ needs. One of our party is vegan, and José made sure the chef onboard the Galápagos cruise was attentive to that, and both he and our local guides elsewhere suggested places to eat. The Rapa Nui leg of our trip was superb! Our guide was Rapa Nui and, in addition to personal history and culture, he gave us an invaluable perspective on how those who live on this remote island viewed visitors like we tourists. Unexpected issues, not due to Yampu, arose, and José handled them promptly with understanding and grace. He showed care for our situation, and our trust in him grew as we felt well-taken care of amid difficulties. Yampu is Quechua for the totora reed boat from Lake Titicaca. It also means bringing a vision to life. Yampu did that for us: it made a long-held dream a reality.

Wonderful Vacation in Colombia! Just got back from Colombia and had an amazing time - such a beautiful country! Our personal guides were wonderful, knowledgeable, generous, and accommodating. They were not just guides, but also became friends. This was our first trip through Yampu post-COVID and the quality of the vacation programming was perfect. Steph Rudolph at Yampu is just the best! She created an incredible, once in a lifetime vacation that met all of our needs - it was well paced, fun, and made sure that everything was perfect for us throughout! She is the absolute best and never disappoints in the vacation she plans for us! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Yampu: my travel agent for over 20 years I have had Jose at Yampu as my travel agent for over 20 years. On our most recent trip in addition to all his usual great service and detailed planning we reached him in the evening on New Year's Eve when our flight was delayed and we missed our connecting flight. We were stranded. Jose got us another flight with another airline...and our travel insurance picked up the cost.

Kenya: An Outstanding Adventure I had the pleasure of working with Karolina to book my Kenya safari. Kenya was magical and the itinerary was pulled off with almost no hitches...and with the one issue (bags didn't make the connection), Yampu was there following up to assure that my bags made it to where they needed to be. We went to three separate areas of Kenya -- each offering a different glimpse into the country and the animals: Amboselli, Samburu and Masai Mara. I thought one safari in a lifetime would be sufficient...I was wrong! Definitely hope to be able to return to Africa.

Superior Service We recently returned from another stellar trip to South America, arranged by Stephanie. We really appreciate her attention to detail and her suggestions before we left. This trip involved quite a few tours and long-distance transfers (with excellent and very safe drivers!), in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, and everything went flawlessly. The guides were so personable and enjoyable to talk to, and all the tours we took were both interesting and beautiful. Our two South America trips this year were absolutely wonderful and we would highly recommend both Yampu and Stephanie!!