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Guest Testimonials
After each trip, we ask our guests to fill out a written evaluation form asking them to comment on their trip. (In some cases, guests have requested that we not post their surname). Here are some of our favourite guest comments:
We felt all was highly professional and concerned for our well being at all times. Very good and organized. Favourite thing was seeing the birds and wildlife and jungle surfing. Martin [SWJ guide] was excellent; we enjoyed him as a guide. We actually missed not having him with us while in the Daintree. Places we stayed we “eco-friendly” and what we brought into places on tour we took out.
Caroline at Small World Journeys worked really hard to accommodate all of our wishes for a tight schedule. We particularly enjoyed the visit to the Cattle Station, and with Maggie as our personal guide for three days around the Tablelands, the whole experience was hugely enriched by her knowledge of the flora and fauna and much more. Rose Gums and Thala Beach Lodges were lovely places to stay at as a small family and spear fishing with and aboriginal guide was a hit with our 9-year old. Our overnight stay on a dive boat was great, but we missed not having our guide there as her knowledge of the marine life was not matched by the boat staff. However, they made you feel safe snorkeling/diving. Super time!
We spent a week in Cairns and had a great time courtesy of Small World Journeys. Highlights included: mountain biking which was very relaxed and accommodating for beginners like us. Ended up at a spectacular watering hole which was both refreshing and beautiful. A journey to several waterfalls and through the rain forest. Although it was a long day - the tour guide was friendly and informative and despite a lack of water in the waterfalls (due to the time of year), they were all well worth seeing - and we survived a cassowary sighting, or should we say, stalking...Great Barrier Reef diving trip - lovely stay on a simple, yet comfortable boat at the reef. Nothing fancy but good food, competent and friendly dive masters/instructors and enough coral and fish to last a lifetime. Magical! Could have survived the "walkabout", which - despite a lovely lunch, seemed a bit lame and not all that friendly on the whole. All arrangements were done well. Well organized and we appreciate the great service from Small World Journeys. Double thumbs up!
Extremely satisfied. Roz and Laurie were very easy to work with, and made special arrangements for our family's needs - for example, checking whether our kids needed children's menus for the arranged meals. We were particularly impressed by their responsiveness setting up our scuba diving trip, as our plans changed from not diving, to diving, to needing an instructor to finish up a PADI referral course for our son. Thanks so much for arranging (and re-arranging, and re-arranging) Gavin's scuba lessons. Anna was a great instructor for him; she was very knowledgeable and patient. Runner up [of favourite things] was the rainforest walk with the Kuku Yalanji. It was very interesting to learn about their culture and practices and flora/fauna from them. Accommodations were very good. It was extremely useful to have the washers and dryers available in the rooms at Il Palazzo; this let us pack less clothing. Meals were very good overall. Even Gavin, our picky eater, usually found something he'd eat. Thank you for hosting our trip to Australia. We had a wonderful time, and came home with lots of great memories.
From the very first contact via your website your team’s attention to detail must be commended. At each stage of planning for this trip we were updated with a concise and detailed itinerary and made aware of any changes that were required to be made. The amount of time that was taken to research and organize a tour package that has so much significance for many different people on so many ways was evident. Having the opportunity to listen to some of the most knowledgeable scholars in their field was an added bonus to the whole experience. With being met personally and called by name to seeing another of your team members waiting to guide us to our boat when pulling into the marina, there are the little things that make the difference.
Having 3 young children and organizing meals can at times be a challenge when holidaying; this was far from the truth of this trip. The food provided each and every time was again 5 stars and there was never a problem with supplying different options for children if required. This was much appreciated and provided a much more relaxed atmosphere for us as parents. Nothing was too hard, everything could be organized. The whole experience in travelling with the Small World Journeys team has been a positive one. We would have no hesitation in recommending your company to any of our friends who may be thinking of taking a holiday.
Every day had its own share of excitement, with a good variety to keep everyone happy. Booklet was well prepared. I like how you minimize the need for lugging people around by bus. [Guides] Very nice and friendly, great support! I will recommend you guys to friends and family.
So many highlights, very difficult to single one out. I’d commend Small World Journeys for an extremely well thought out and put together itinerary – with Rick [guide] the icing on the cake. The trip notes were particularly useful and a thoughtful resource. Almost impossible to find fault in any aspect of the trip, and for obvious reasons! However, we suggest closer supervision of boomerang chucking, and only one boomerang in operation at any one time. Rick was first class, start to finish. Encyclopedic knowledgeable, an obvious person for his country’s nature wonders, sharp-witted and a dry sense of humor. An excellent companion. We couldn’t have asked for more or better service. Unconditionally and without hesitation recommended.
[Small World Journeys] seems to have the right philosophy and approach. Pre-trip materials were excellent, very comfortable rooms and the food was generally quite good with some minor variations. Very satisfied. Dr. Martin Cohen [guide] was particularly excellent.
It was really a dream trip, a fabulous experience! We think it was good value. Laurie and Caroline answered all of our questions, and we were extremely satisfied with the professionalism, customer service and organization. Our favourite things were the day with the aboriginals, the cattle station, the swim at Lake Eacham, for the relationships and the wild beauty. Martin and Cedric [guides] were perfect! Martin is extremely interesting and Cedric was a very good interpreter. Thank you very much for the great trip! (and sorry for our very bad English!)
My favourite thing about the trip was the Aboriginal hunting and gathering. It was well organised and a fantastic day. Guides were very informative and very good at their job. I was very satisfied with my trip – for example [Small World Journeys] picked me up from the airport after midnight is one of the reasons.
The itinerary was very well detailed, everything seemed respectful of the environment, I would recommend it to others. Dan who did the mountain biking went out of his way to explain things about the environment and Matt who did the hiking trip was very passionate about his work and gladly made time for interesting discoveries. The boat crew was professional, friendly and awesome! I don’t know how much it would cost booking activities myself but I felt I got good value for the extreme fun I had.
"“I had a relaxing and fun time with lots of activities to enjoy and learn about the Cairns region. Aboriginal tour was probably the best since it was super unique experience and very intimate to have an aboriginal open his home for the food. Loved it all!””
"Starting with a personal greeting at the airport to an itinerary that was timed perfectly, all I needed to do was follow the schedule and show up. I felt well taken care of the whole time. On the Intro SCUBA course, the instructors are thorough and attentive, which made me feel safe and able to enjoy the experience underwater. I was quite impressed with the helpfulness of the staff and my communication [before the trip] was always pleasant. Great value for money – I found the money was stretched a long way. I appreciated the water bottle and the adoption of some rainforest area; these are nice touches that I doubt other companies support.”
"Very satisfied with Small World Journeys customer service and organization. It would be difficult to organize everything we did on our own. And trying to figure out where to be and how to get there is stressful. Our guide Rick was wonderful - very knowledgeable, very enthusiastic, lots of fun to be with, the best part of the trip. The face-to-face contact was wonderful, but things would not have gone nearly as well without your support behind him. You have no idea the panic level I was reaching while my Dad was in the hospital. And then the rain. The potential was certainly there for it all to have become a complete disaster. But you handled everything very, very well, and I can't thank you enough. I will HIGHLY recommend you to anybody who is even thinking of a trip to Australia! You have set the bar high!”
"Favorite things – too many to mention! We wanted a city-free Australian experience and Small World delivered! Laurie & Roz worked with us to tailor the trip we wanted. Small World managed to put together a much fuller, comprehensive package for us than what other companies could do for the same amount. In addition, when issues came up on the trip (Kangaroo Island car rental, Discovery Centre payment, etc.) you were readily available and helpful. It was delightful and easy to work with you. You understood what we wanted, and were always professional. We liked getting the burlap bags, as we ended up using them as day bags for some activities. Plus, the bottle of wine at our hotel was sublime, and just what we needed! We will recommend you to all!”
"My favourite thing was the personal touches and the way I was treated like a VIP! People all wonderful. Choice of hotel excellent and treated well there. Loved the flexibility of arrangements and knowledge someone was 'there' in case of trouble. Did/saw a lot in a short time and it was varied/interesting/fun/informative. Could have done with another day or two (my fault I didn't). Fit my criteria for an "eco-friendly" company? Yes! Choice of activities was very good from this point of view, especially wildlife spotting trip in the evening with Adrian. Thank you for everything!”
"We would recommend Small World Journeys highly. In addition to the professionalism, we received very personal attention, and interaction that was thoughtful and thorough. Both Martin and the boat guides were excellent – knowledgeable, considerate, communicative and enjoyable to spend time and experiences with. It was great interacting with someone who shared our interests in wildlife biology. They were clearly sustainability focused, and the company itself made its position clear –even to the suggestions of the restaurants! We have been very happy with your services from start to finish.”
"This was one of the most amazing trips of my life. Great food and organization. The Great Barrier Reef and The Whitsundays [were my favourite] because of the natural beauty and the way we did the trip. Great value for money."
"Tours were 'authentic' and respectful of the environment. Guides were very knowledgeable and prepared. Tours, accommodations, itinerary were chosen and carefully planned, nothing was left to chance. The holiday was overall great and the organization was impeccable."
"Definitely good value for money - the hotels were really nice. The trip booklet was a great idea. The guides were knowledgeable and passionate about their areas and they took time to educate us and provide insight. I loved the fact that all of the trips stressed minimal impact to the environment, and I really liked how the stops on the Alice Springs tour that put money directly into the hands of the [aboriginal] people who needed it. The service was professional, competent, and done in a short time because I started planning my trip late! Small World Journeys took care of every detail needed to make it as pleasant as possible. All of the minor details were taken care of and the airport transfers and shuttles made a stressful part of any trip relaxing and fun. Extremely satisfied "
“[Small World Journeys guide] Rick was fantastic. In addition to his hospitality, friendliness and knowledge, he was GREAT with our children.”
"We chose Small World Journeys because we wanted something that fitted in with our own environmental views, and it lived up to expectations. We were really pleased that we had booked through you as there was an overwhelming choice of things to do, places to go and companies to do everything with and to try and book things once we were there would have been a nightmare. As it was, we “hit the ground running” and didn’t waste any time. Hannah will certainly not forget it, or the chocolate [birthday] cake (thanks!)."
"From start to finish, this was a very professional service. The two guides were wonderful naturalists and we enjoyed our days with them – Liz was impressed by their knowledge. You found just the right types of activities and level of quality we desired. [The reef boat] was a lovely boat – just right for us. We appreciated your flexibility and willingness to adjust our schedule on the fly. Excellent service and knowledge about eco-travel."
"Thank you so much for everything! The trip was wonderful and well laid out. Thank you for being so thorough. I would highly recommend you to anyone."
Thank you for planning such an amazing trip! You worked with us to arrange the activities we wanted, and you are very helpful, friendly and greatly organized. We appreciate how hard you worked on our itinerary. We felt really prepared and appreciated things like the packing list and suggested reading materials. We had a awesome time.”
“Small World Journeys offered trips within one region so no time spent travelling from place to place every day. They offered activities that appealed to me. Excellent pack on arrival, and it was great to have the field guide and visitors guides! Very satisfied.”
“Everything provided by Small World Journeys was perfect. Everything was well organized, and Laurie was very helpful and friendly and great when dealing with the misplaced luggage situation. Very satisfied.”
“Unbelievably satisfied. With the luggage snafu, you couldn’t have been more customer service oriented and helpful. The Christmas gift bag was an incredibly thoughtful gesture. I don’t think it’s possible to surpass what you’re doing! Fantastic customer service, great preparedness, diversity of tour experiences and excellent accommodations. Thank you so much for making this trip such a pleasure!”
“Top notch, friendly and efficient. [Our guide] Bradley was hilarious. Great spots, aboriginal food/didgeridoo and family’s home was a nice touch. Pre-trip info was excellent and answered any questions I had. I’d recommend Small World Journeys because of their knowledge and care provided.”
“I would recommend Small World Journeys [for an Independent Journey] because you organized things to suit me. I really enjoyed the flexibility and the fact you worked around me on such short notice. Excellent service, top marks.”
“I so appreciate your attention to detail, your timely responses to all my questions, and especially your professionalism and personal attention. Our room was beautiful and loved it (just wish we had more time there). Thanks for the trees planted in our names - very cool. I loved that you are environmentally conscious and incorporate "green" activities. I would definitely recommend you to anyone I know taking a trip to Queensland.”
“I am not really a Naturalist, but after 10 minutes with John his infectious transfer of knowledge and his easygoing and humourous style were fantastic. My god what a find! John went out of his way to show us the unexpected, hidden and remarkable things in Queensland and we even got to photo a Golden Bower Bird, one of the rarest birds in the World. [The boat to the Great Barrier Reef] - the boat, the crew, the facilities and environment are all truly outstanding. For anyone who likes SCUBA this trip is a must. The choice of food, the friendliness and professionalism of the crew, the cleanliness of the boat and the quality of the diving gear were all first class, and we had a truly amazing 3 days. I even managed to get sea sick on the first afternoon but they spotted my plight within minutes and Charlotte one of the crew came to my rescue with some secret remedies.”
“I was travelling alone, so joining a group was interesting. Adventure trip proposes multiple and diversified activities. Exactly what I wanted. Our guide was a real book by himself! He really paid attention, was flexible and adapts to each person.”
“Mark, our Small World Journeys tour guide, was excellent. There were no problems with anything, and everything was top notch. Everything was so good, it’s hard to say the highlights. Getting to experience some of the natural beauty of Australia, hear the stories from the Aborigines, learn about the flora and fauna, etc - it was all great. A very enjoyable and well organized trip. Been on other tours and thought this one to be the best!“
“We were very satisfied with the level of customer service and professionalism we received from Small World Journeys. It offered us the ability to customize a trip. We’d recommend SWJ – it’s great have to the option to explore an area.”
“Our hotels had great rooms, and one was a great oasis in the heart of nature. Wonderful food. Our aboriginal guide was wonderful, informative and very personal.
“I chose Small World Journeys because they are eco-friendly and they arranged cool itineraries for single people and explained everything so you could really envision it. I would highly recommend Small World Journeys – I loved Queensland even more than I expected and I hope to return!”
“The name says it all. Small World Journeys’ commitment to the environment was a selling feature and the variety of activities to choose from was bar none the best when comparing. I appreciate the personal attention and spending so much time figuring out the best trip for me. Thank you so much.”
“You have truly gone above and beyond to make sure that my time in Australia was special. I really appreciate it. Thanks, too, for having me dropped off at the Opera House in Sydney - perfect!
“I was 100% satisfied with the individualized service and attention to detail. I was more prepared than any previous travel. Absolutely good experience and value for money”.
“Thank you for all your organisation of our break around Cairns. We really enjoyed it and were very impressed and amazed by the number of places opened up for us or where we got the best room/quarters, etc. Our hotel was clean and tidy with a helpful reception staff--good location for Cairns".
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