Update! Need another reason to use a Expert Travel Agent?…read moreWife and I on our way to London today for our annual Conference we host. Delta sends us an email saying " your flight is delayed 50 minutes." Unfortunately we booked a flight with one stop - 40% less. The delay, if you believed it was only 50 minutes would put us on the edge of missing our connecting flight. I called CHARLIE told him we'd appreciate his intervention and experience to see if he could get us the Virgin flight non stop from SFO. ( understand the Upper Class tix are selling for $8500 each. Crazy right?) we had one free using miles on Delta and a greatly reduced ticket using Delta Vacations. He was able to get us the Virgin flight, Biz Class, no extra $. Do you really think you can do this yourself online using Expedia?? Not. The $40 I spent per ticket ( his fee) was inconsequential. Enough said.

I used SBT many years ago for a European trip and had a great experience, so I tried them again for…read moreanother European trip. Unfortunately, this time was not good. I will not use names in this review as it is not my intention to hurt them but to report what my experience was so readers can make an informed decision. If you have mobility issues, please use a travel agency that understands and caters to these specific issues. SBT does not and it was obvious based on many issues including the location of some of the hotels, and certain arrangements that they did not complete. After the initial contact, I waited one month without contact and had to call and email them to get a response. The bottom line is that another agent took over. I was relieved until I found out that the original agent was doing most of the work. The new agent was on a three-week vacation during the planning and contact was not easy. Due to the original agent's lack of understanding or experience, the plans were incomplete, not what we wanted or more importantly not what I needed. As far as the train arrangements for wheelchair service, I was told they were made but they were not. When I emailed them from overseas regarding this issue, I was emailed the information and told to contact the service on my own. It was so bad that we skipped using the train two times and hired a taxi instead at four times the cost of the train. Three of the five hotels were on severely sloped streets and were so sloped it was impossible to use a wheelchair. Also, I had asked for all hotels to have an in-house restaurant and 3 of 5 did not. The final hotel was at the airport, and I was told it was in the terminal. It was not in the terminal and to make it worse there were no shuttles to the airport from this hotel. I do want to give you the positives, the second agent recommended a Masseria to stay in, and it was great, and we truly enjoyed the experience. He also recommended a restaurant in a cave and that was seriously awesome too!! Honestly, the entire experience with SBT was so frustrating. The day before the trip started, I was still desperately emailing them to finalize plans for the trip. There is a lot more that went bad but there is not enough time to cover all the issues. I wish I could recommend SBT, but I cannot. Sadly, I will be looking elsewhere for a new travel agency.

There really is no better travel agent than Cathy Kroll!…read more She's passionate, worldly, knowledgeable, extremely "into you having THEE BEST trip", and works tirelessly to make sure everything works out perfectly! She will always go the extra mile for her clients no matter what! Not only have I known her for 38 years, but I have taken trips through her. And I honestly can say she is one of a kind! You will not be sorry if you book through her, she's worth every penny!

I have not used a travel agent to plan a trip in decades (William Shatner has handled the majority…read moreof my bookings), but when it came to traveling to two countries I had never visited, a friend suggested Cathy Kroll as she had been to Ireland and Scotland (and apparently the rest of the globe) on several occasions. I thought I would receive some good hotel and tour recommendations, but what I received was much more valuable. At every hotel/B&B/Castle we stayed in we received upgrades (free breakfast/ larger rooms with 5-Star views/ complementary massages, etc...) that were worth at least $2,000 when added up (although it is hard to put a price on some of the views). Also to my surprise, our airfare was lower than what we had found using various travel websites. Cathy met with us several times before our trip to insure she had covered all of our needs and then tracked us during our travels to insure we were receiving all of the extra perks, and upon our return she inquired as to any changes we would suggest to the itinerary she suggested. I would highly recommend Cathy to anyone planning a trip and will be using her on all future trips!!!

I really want to thank Ruth of Hot Spots for dealing with my families' very difficult and lengthy…read morebooking for their trip out here to visit. She was very diligent in finding us EXACTLY what we needed without losing patience with us. Let me tell you that was no easy task I am sure. We were certainly a handful with our endless questions about every option and ever changing minds about the perfect place to stay. We needed a group booking with a block of rooms, as our family was coming and going at different times, and Ruth calmly handled all of the switches and last minute changes with ease. Everyone was pleased with their accommodations and I will absolutely use Hot Spots again. Thanks again Ruth for your professionalism, patience and outstanding customer service, it's a valuable and extremely helpful service you are offering.

This service is great. I learned about Hot Spots about 4 years ago (September 2009) when I was…read moretrying to find a room for one night for my sisters bachelorette party. Hot Spots found us a fantastic sweet in the perfect location. The room was totally reasonable and the hotel waived the 2 night minimum stay. This is huge when you are visiting SB in peak season. I used Hot Spots again in June of 2011 when my boyfriend and I wanted a weekend getaway, but didn't want to spend all our vacation money on the hotel. Again, Hot Spots gave us options and rates that were fabulous. This past weekend was the best experience. We stayed at a hotel that did not honor the rate that Hot Spots quoted. It was a misunderstanding with the hotel staff. I called Hot Spots and, without any hesitation, they took care of everything. The hotel apologized and refunded us. More than anything, Ruth was ready to correct the fee discrepancy without hesitation before she even contacted the hotel. I knew that I could trust Hot Spots to honor their rates. Great service. Great attitude. My husband (the former boyfriend from trip #2 mentioned above) and I rave about hot spots. We simply do not understand why more people do not know about them. We are doing our part to spread the word.

What an amazing experience we had we rode horses for an hour and a half. The horses were all so…read morebeautiful and well taken care of everyone was so welcoming and helpful during the full experience. Our guide was Jimmy he was so great told us stories and some background of the horses and the ranch. After we went to their bar and had some drinks, they were a 10 out of 10. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for some fun or romantic experience. Thank you so much :)

Went horseback riding for a friend's birthday on Saturday and it was wonderful! Driving to the…read moreranch felt like entering a fairytale! The road was filled with streams, shady trees, birdsong, and gorgeous green countryside. We brought produce for the horses to snack on and got to feed them! We did the 1.5 hour trail ride and there were only 4 of us in our group, making it comfortable with fun conversation. It was such a beautiful day and beautiful trail. Our guide was funny and kind, and helpful when some of the horses were going a bit slow (shout out to Tot and 530, the horses!). Every cowboy we encountered were also funny and kind. We truly had a wonderful experience and wish we could've stayed the whole day just hanging out at the ranch!

Steve and his expert team have helped my family enjoy the wonders of the world for years! From…read morePortofino Italy to the Inca Trail in Peru :) and don't even get me started on the incredible cruises. They handle all the details and we have never been disappointed. They are truly the best and they make traveling with kids stress free. LOVE THEM, SWEAR BY THEM, YOU SHOULD USE THEM!!!

I can't stand making travel plans so when my out of town girlfriend was planning to come visit and…read morehad "nice hotel with spa services" on her wish list I was at a loss over where to stay. Another friend told me to call Isabel and I am so thankful for the suggestion - she handled everything, from finding dates that worked within our price range to the booking to the spa credit and I didn't have to do a thing! She replied to every email promptly, made great suggestions, and my friend and I had the most wonderful relaxing weekend. I have often thought about vacations I want to take with our family but we always end up just going to Santa Barbara or Palm Springs or to visit family on the east coast (which are all lovely of course) because of how much I do not enjoy figuring out travel - I'm so happy to have found someone who can do the legwork. We may actually get out of California for a real family vacation one of these days! I will definitely work with Isabel/Strictly Vacations in the future. Thanks Isabel!

Rachel is awesome! Super knowledgeable of the ocean, water, marine life, and history of the area…read more What a rad human being to have guiding the tour. As it turns out, all of the harbor seals, and sealions have names. We befriended one named Steve, he is much better at swimming than I am. He also taught me secret techniques to paddling. This one Pelican named Parry got into a barking match with some sealions, which is a fight he wasn't gonna win, let's be honest. Though I was hoping to see an M-A-N-A-T-E-E ... next time! If you're gonna go down on Haley street, where the dogs are easy and the sun is cheap, you never know just who you'll meet, on Haley. (But hopefully it's Rachel from the Santa Barbara Adventure Company, and you get her kayak tour; shout out!)

This would have been a 5 star review, however, I felt like just a few things could be improved on,…read moreso it's a solid 4.5 stars experience for me. For almost a decade now, I've been wanting to visit The Channel Islands National Park as it's one of the more unique US national parks which require a ferry ride to get over to the islands, so does require some planning. I booked the Santa Cruz Island kayak and snorkeling tour online and the process was simple and all instructions for the tour was laid out clearly and simply. It does recommend that you're intermediate level for both activities. On the day of tour, you do need to make sure you book your ferry tickets that coincide with the tour. You need to be on the 8am ferry out to be in time for the kayak and snorkel tour. They do have a harbor side 7:30am orientation and provide you with clear instructions on what to do as soon as you reach the island. Once on the island, another staff greets you, gives you another orientation and then you head over to the gearing up area. This took about 90+ minutes as you had to find the right wet suit, hood, mask, snorkel, fins, life vest, kayak jacket, and helmet. Note that a lot of the equipment is pretty well worn and I didn't have the best pair of fins (and forgot mines at home) as side clasps were sticky and not working properly. Masks also kept fogging up (and wished I had remembered my own mask). Wet suit was bit tighter than I like. You can use your own gear and next time when I come back, I'm bringing my own. Once everyone gears up, which does take awhile, everyone heads down to the shore and that's when we launch our kayaks, there are solos and tandems available. Kayak tour was great and we got to see at least 5 or 6 sea caves, a lot of fun! These sea caves are some of the most numerous in the world. I really enjoyed one of the sea caves that has a Green Room, water was gorgeous and so clear. Got to see plenty of cormorants, pelicans, sea kelp. I did get yelled at by one of the tour guides as he told me it was his fourth time having to tell me to zip up my life vest. I think it was a couple of times and not 4 but ok, I get it, safety first. It made me feel like a school kid again. I'm a pretty safe person and wished he could have been nicer about the information he needed to communicate to me. We then had lunch on a small beach and then geared up to snorkel. The water is fairly cold, probably around 60ish, so a 7mm wet suit and maybe more would be good. I wished I had some gloves and forgot my booties, which would have kept me a tad warmer. We snorkeled/swam for about a mile, saw snails, sea urchins, fishes, anemone, etc. We sort of lost time at the end of the tour and really had to rush to get back to our original point and we all had to kayak pretty quickly back. And to top if off, had to really work fast to get out of all our gear and wet suits are never easy to get out of. Made it in time for the ferry but barely and got stuck with some of last seats available on the ferry back. I feel like the timing of that could have improved. Overall, a very good experience just with some issues that could be improved one. Highly recommend this tour! I would do it again!

Stacey and Mike are wonderful! They are the owners of TwoCan Retreats in beautiful Montecito, CA…read more The staff treat you like favored family members. The food is exquisite, full of flavor, and comforting. The location is off the beaten path, in a lovely area full of plants, trees, and big sky - with perfect mountain views. If you are looking for care, love, and tranquilty - this is the place for you. Take off the world as you step over the threshold. Lean in to being present and allow yourself to feel, honoring the reality of the moment as you grieve. This approach encourages gentle self-compassion, letting emotions exist without judgment. You'll find easement as you are lifted and cared for - together. There is hiking, yoga, and areas for quiet reflection. TwoCan Retreats is a mindfulness and grief-informed wellness company. They offer specialized all-inclusive grief, wellness, and adventure retreats in Santa Barbara as well as lush locations in Costa Rica. TWOCAN Retreats https://share.google/C3082EJKHXnUYxR6f

From the owner: TwoCan Retreats hosts unique all-inclusive retreats and special events in Costa Rica aimed at…read morehaving fun, strengthening connections, building community and giving back. In keeping with this philosophy, at TwoCan Retreats our mission is to organize a variety of themed group retreats that enable our guests to share unique experiences and build connections with friends old and new, explore new places and enjoy incredible adventures in a wide range of interest areas, all while giving back and creating memories that last a lifetime. All of our retreats include a day of giving back. We volunteer our time and donate to local nonprofits, while simultaneously learning all we can about the organization, their mission and the population they serve. We always make sure to reward your contribution with a Tico lunch, and a swim at a local waterfall. We are grateful to be able to participate in these adventures, to travel with friends and family, meet interesting people, experience a different culture, customs and foods, and contribute in ways that directly impact the communities we visit. We love Costa Rica — the country, its people and their way of life, known as Pura Vida (pure life). Costa Ricans (Ticos) are happier and healthier than many other cultures because they appreciate the simple things in life, and are grateful for what they have. We think Costa Rica is the perfect place to pause, take a breath, restore and connect, and we think you will too.

Beth from Cruise Planners has helped me plan 2 Virgin Voyages cruises as well as a road trip in…read moreUtah and Spain. She's really responsive & is a great resource for all types of vacations. We usually have a discussion first to talk about my goals for a trip and then she keeps me in the loop until she finalizes an itinerary that I'm happy with. Why would I do the planning myself when she can do all the work--it's a no brainer!

From the owner: At Cruise Planners, we don't just find you amazing cruises, we plan the vacation of your dreams…read morewhether it be an all inclusive resort or an escorted tour or independent travel. I can also help with honeymoons, destination weddings, baby moons, girlfriend getaways, bachelor parties, family reunions and school excursions. Even if you need just a hotel, car rental or concert tickets--anywhere in the world--you can book that directly on my website at www.getready2travel.com. Because of our relationship with American Express we have special offers you can't find elsewhere!

My boyfriend and I discovered this quaint outdoor Santa Barbara Visitor's Center since it was down…read morenear the Saturday Fisherman Market area. It is located on the 4th floor and it claims to have one of the most stunning views of the city. Despite being a quick visit, I really enjoyed the conversation we had with the kind volunteer working here. We got a useful map of the city that came with coupons along its' edges. There were also a lot of brochures and information on the city activities for tourists. Super helpful. This is one of many visitor centers in the city. We were lucky to enjoy their balcony that was pier facing for a quick moment alone before other travelers came in. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Definitely a memorable part of our trip.

Just go to the 4th floor! Such a beautiful view with a…read moreprivate feel like balcony. Friendly staff and good info/knowledge about the area Recommend all around .