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My husband and I have just completed our week trip to Chapada Diamantina which was organised by Boutique Travel Experts. The trip was fantastic and we have seen so many amazing sights and stayed at some great hotels and posadas. Elena was very prompt at responding which was one of the main reasons I decided to book this trip through Boutique Travel Experts. The trip was tailored to the length of our stay and what we wanted to do during our visit. Elena provided some great suggestions through initial communication.Everything was super smooth and easy, starting from the initial pickup in airport through all the local hotel stays and local tour company. While it was expensive, it's worth the money and I have no regrets about using Boutique Travel Experts for what has been a very unique and memorable trip.
Yes, we had a really great trip and thoroughly enjoyed the tours. So many aspects of the tour were so great it is difficult to select just one as a favourite. We so enjoyed a chance to visit the favela and to meet some of the local folks and see how they live. The carnivale experience tour was also great, being able to see behind the scenes how much work and effort goes into producing the parade was amazing. The side trip to Valo do Cafe was fabulous. Visiting the Fazenda São Joao da Prosperidade really was like stepping back in time. The home is so well preserved and the hostess was so gracious and accommodating, it felt like home. The accommodations at Fazenda Alliança made us feel like coffee barons for the weekend :-). The staff took great care of us and the food was amazing. It was so peaceful and relaxing. The evening visit at the lookout gave us unbelievable views of the surrounding area, amazing!The visit to Queijos Duvale cheese factory was great. The host explained how his family ran the farm all the way back to his great grand father and how he is training his kids to take over one day. The lunch they prepared was a real home style Brazilian cuisine made in a rock oven, all natural and flavourful. We had samples of the award-winning cheeses produced by the farm and purchases several varieties to take back home with us.The visit to Mascates Brewery was great. We learned about how they operate an environmentally friendly operation to minimize waste. The cachaca and beer making processes were very informative and we had samples of a variety of both. Excellent.The tour guides, Neuza and Daniela, were excellent, very knowledgeable about the local culture, food and accommodating to our needs. First class!!Yes, we will check you out when we start planning our next adventure. We are looking forward to it!
We had already been traveling independently in Brazil for three weeks when we realized we needed help to explore the more remote regions we still wanted to see. With high holiday-season flight prices and long bus journeys not ideal for our group — two sisters and my super-fit octogenarian dad — we reached out to Boutique Travel Experts. Elena, the Brazil specialist, was outstanding. Early in the consultation, she took the time to ask what kind of activities we enjoyed and what we wanted to avoid, ensuring the entire itinerary was tailored to our preferences — from wildlife and nature experiences to must-see highlights. She quickly put together a beautiful and diverse custom itinerary, helping us experience Brazil from Salvador to Pipa, the Amazon, Pantanal, and the unforgettable Iguaçu Falls. Every detail was covered: great accommodation, thoughtful activity planning, and excellent guides who spoke English or French. Elena adjusted the itinerary with incredible speed and care — even mid-trip. This journey gave us lifelong family memories, and we’re so grateful for her expertise and support. Highly recommend!
We had a fantastic time traveling in NE Brazil, the local organization and communication was fantastic and the places we visited were spectacular and memories we will cherish forever. Communication with the team at Boutique Travel and the local team was brilliant and we were always handed off to the next part of the journey in person.
We travelled with BTE (Boutique Travel Experts) to Madagascar in October/November 2024 for 15 days. What an unforgettable journey. The standout moments were definitely the visits to the Avenue of Baobabs at sunrise and sunset—absolutely magical. Further south, the breathtaking beaches, crystal-clear lagoons, and surreal baobab forests were out of this world. We then returned via Isalo National Park and the Ranomafana rainforest. While there were long drives (some over eight hours), the stunning views were worth it. The accommodations, like the cozy Five Senses Lodge and luxurious Jardin du Roy, were excellent, providing comfort and great food after adventurous days, while others were simpler, but still nice. The lemurs were so fun to see up close, and the beaches were like paradise. Honestly, it’s one of the best trips we ever made.
We are on a trip to Brazil for 3 weeks.. a family of 6 people, 4 adults 2 kids.. all the way from india to Brazil..We decided this trip almost 2 month in advance so we don’t have much time to do enough research for everything that to when we are with kids.. still we googled places and made inquiries on different tour companies.. Boutique travel expert, Elena was first one and only one to give us response even though we are still not sure to make booking with her.. the way she responded, it feels like she knows place very well.. she did give us different recommendations for stays and also days required at every place..still we could not finalise whether we want to go ahead with Elena.. but the way she made our private itinerary and quick response we get from her made us to finalize with her..we visited grossly 5 places.. north pantanal, lencois, Amazon jungle, rio, iguazu waterfalls.. so many place far apart.. she gave us recommendations for domestic flights..at north pantanal, we stayed at Santa rosa chale de rio where we saw 13 jaguars in different boat safari over 3 days..there were no mosquitoes at all when we were there in October end.. we had a issue with our guide on first day.. Elena made change of our guide immediately on second day.. our local agent in Lancois was of great help as there was great language barrier in route of emotion tour .. Elena made one WhatsApp’s group with local agent of lancois so it made our communication smoother..being vegetarian we had problem in food but again Elena conveyed every hotels about our food preferences..later we went to Amazon jungle at one of the tributary of river negro..it was drought like situation at that time ..still we could manage to do all activities in Amazon..jungle was gorgeous.. Amazon echo lodge tried to cancel our activities like pink dolphin encounter, river cruise.. but with help of Elena we could manage to get all activities as per plan.. Rio we find little bit overhyped and unsafe.. but highlight of rio was having Indian food..lastly Iguazu waterfall was very huge and star attraction of our trip..Brazil is such a big country and travel from one destination to another with family of 6 without missing any single place according to itinerary in luxurious way was possible because of Boutique Travel Experts-Elena.. we are really grateful to Elena for organising such a memorable trip with personal touch .. can’t thank enough ..
Our trip to Brazil was a beautifully organized adventure that allowed us to explore the country's rich culture, stunning landscapes, and vibrant hospitality. From the seamless booking process to the carefully curated itinerary, Boutique Travel Experts ensured a remarkable travel experience.The level of professionalism and responsiveness from Elena and the team was unmatched. Every guide and driver added value to our journey, with standouts like Felipe, Gabriel, Danielle, and Neuza providing exceptional service and deep insights into Brazil's history, culture, and natural beauty. Despite minor challenges like language barriers and some logistical improvements needed at certain accommodations, the overall experience was outstanding.Highlights included the charm of Paraty, the idyllic setting of Ilha Grande, the elegance of Fazenda Alliança, and the breathtaking Iguazu Falls. Each location was paired with top-tier guides, who made every moment unforgettable. The accommodations, like Windsor Leme Hotel and Belmond das Cataras, stood out for their quality and comfort.Brazil left a lasting impression with its warm people, incredible biodiversity, and enormous tourism potential. Boutique Travel Experts deserves high praise for their thoughtful planning, attention to detail, and dedication to creating unforgettable memories.Overall Rating: 9/10
It was a longtime dream to visit Brazil for me and my partner. We finally booked a 22-day long journey with Boutique Travel Experts in September-October 2024. Elena recommended to visit Costa Verde, Iguazu Falls (we saw it both the Brazilian and Argentine sides), Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. Each stop was well-organized with exceptional guides, seamless transfers, and charming accommodations. This was a totally stress-free experience. We are now curious to come back, as there is so much more to see. Boutique Travel Experts is a highly recommended company for traveling to Brazil, very responsive, great value and advice.
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 ;)
August 2024 Amazon Rainforest Tour:Elena was super responsive to our needs and desires as we planned this week long trip to the Amazon Jungle and she continued to be available during the trip for any questions. We were very pleased with the pace of both "seeing" and "doing" with enough down time to not feel rushed. We spent 3 nights in the beautiful Opera Hotel in Manaus where we enjoyed very good food and excursions with the very knowledgeable Francisco who spoke excellent English and was quite considerate. The next 4 nights we spent at the Trapiche Eco Lodge which we traveled to by car and boat. We felt very safe and well cared for at all times. Our guide while at the Trapiche was also extremely knowledgeable about history, plants, animals, and life on the Rio Negra & Amazon. Andre spoke adequate English but didn't always understand our questions. We were warmly welcomed at the lodge by the owners and were surprised to discover we were the only guests. While they were super attentive to caring for us, and Dora made us 3 delicious meals a day with great variety, it would have been nice to have been able to meet and chat with fellow travelers. For sunrise on the river, and other beautiful, peaceful excursions, it was actually nice to be the only ones as we had no distractions from the sights and sounds of nature which were an incredible experience. Swimming with the pink dolphins was a super sweet highlight, but honestly, there was not a single activity which we did not enjoy.The Trapiche was rustic, as described: There was a small AC unit in our room as well as fans which provided some relief from the 90+ degree heat in the August afternoons. I took a portable baby fan which helped a lot, even on the jungle hike. We had WiFi in the lounge but not in our cabin. There was only cold water in the shower which was OK in the heat. The room was clean but the linens were thin, worn, sparse and the foam mattress could use a nice pad under the fitted sheet. Best touch was the hospitality provided the day our host met us on an island where a BBQ lunch of fresh fish was prepared, hammocks were hung on a stretch of white sand beach for our siesta, and we were treated like royalty! Fortunately, Andrea was always near to translate for us since he was the only English speaker at the lodge.What would have been nice to know:~The price of all beverages at the Trapiche, we barely had enough cash at the end to cover the very inflated cost of the few beers and drinks we had while there.~To bring field glasses to better see birds and wildlife~A better estimate of how and when to tipWhat we were surprised by:~How little wildlife we saw (some, but I imagined there might be a lot more.)~How few mosquitos there were! (Elena told us but I could scarcely believe they were nearly non-existent!)~How clever various guides were in getting great pics for us~How wonderful the fish, fruit, sides and the Caipirinhas were!~How much fun it was to shop from local artisans~How delightful it can be to try a trip a little out of our usual comfort zone!Thank You Elena for a VERY Memorable Trip!
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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.
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