I've just come back from THE most fabulous trip to Brazil, organised by Boutique Travel Experts ('BTE') and I felt compelled to sing their praises. They have already won multiple awards but I can now totally understand why.I originally stumbled upon this company by doing a search on the internet and instantly loved the look and feel of their website. Beautiful prose and exquisite photos ~ I am very visual and outstanding photography is a big draw for me. I also loved the fact that BTE wanted to promote the lesser known side of Brazil and didn't settle for the more 'classic' tours. I wanted to work with someone who would be as excited as I was about exploring a lot further afield and I certainly found a kindred spirit in Elena, the Director. The pousadas she promoted were very quaint and so different from the clinical aspect of the chained-brand hotels ~ all of this really appealed to me. From day 1, Elena was very approachable and very quick to respond to my queries ~ often late at night too, bless her - which you won't get from the bigger travel agencies who stop trading at 6pm. I had already done a lot of research on what I wanted to see but she had first hand knowledge of the destinations I was interested in, having lived in Brazil for several months herself. She really understood the logistics involved in making my dreams come true (another big brownie point ! ;).I wanted to spend 1 week in Jalapao and 1 week in Lencois Maranhenses and she worked with my budget, without compromising on the 'boutique' aspect that I so valued. She patiently sent me MANY drafts until we had reached the perfect itinerary... and then she kept in touch practically every day I was in Brazil, checking that everything was running smoothly. Now....considering that she lives in France and that I was 5 hours behind, time-wise, it was no small feat and showed quite a lot of dedication to her clients' satisfaction. This kind of service was something that I had never experienced before as most travel agents stop all contact once they have made the sale, right ? (and I may add here that I have already visited 82 countries, so I have dealt with a LOT, a LOT of travel agencies... so, when I say that BTE is of the highest calibre, trust me, it means something).Also, the local contractors that BTE partners with were absolutely fantastic, very welcoming and caring ~ my cousin & I felt pampered throughout. Yes, private tours are more expensive, but what you get out of them is SO much more special: you can go at your own pace, ONLY focus on what you want to maximise your time and keep on tweaking things if your local guides make further suggestions based on our particular interests. I know that Elena personally vetted all these partners and checked their work ethics ~ which was really important, especially in the North East, as so few foreigners go there ! I could go on & on but you get the gist of it... In depth knowledge + on-going dedication = BTE has exceeded my wildest expectations :) I'm not planning to deal with any other travel agent from now on... 2nd best won't do anymore ;)
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Award-winning independent tour operator specializing in bespoke travel and tailor-made holidays to selected destinations. Book family holidays, honeymoon trips, adventure escapes and more. Visit Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Madagascar, France, Kenya, South Africa and Japan.