Testimonials
I have traveled on over 60 international tours and probably as many domestic tours. I have NEVER encountered better service, dedication, attitudes, and general quality from a group of guides. Smartly Vamonos had two per group…that presented such a wonderful service and flexibility. An asthma inhaler was left in San Juan…Bernardo drove at night while we rested to retrieve it. Tito et. al, handled the water need…boy was that amazing and fantastic. Every last detail was carefully prepared so we would have the best trip of our lives. Unbelievable. I had coffee and other drinks brought to me…ice cream for the kids…it is obvious that the Vamonos Tours guide group is a level above other tour companies and at the top of our list. We also love the games and educational quizzes we shared on the coach!”
– Kevin Meidl, Badger State Choir
I have done long distance school trips using 3 different tour companies and Vamonos Tours is the absolute best by far. They have the trip so well organized, with a full itinerary and necessary resources for all circumstances. Good words to describe them are flexible, accommodating, organized, patient, safety minded, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, helpful, fun, expert, engaging, proactive, open-hearted and service-oriented. Those characteristics all make for a most enjoyable travel experience.
I like that they encourage giving our time and friendship to charities above money, and they “walk the walk” themselves. They also understand middle school minds and needs. They showed our group the best of #PuertoRico and kept us well informed all along the way. We got a true taste of the culture, cuisine, language, history, art, flora, politics, dance, and various ecosystems. By the end of the trip, Bernardo and Nery were “family.” The kids all wanted to stay even longer, because they knew that they would never be able to repeat the feeling of this trip.
It was an unforgettable trip for everyone, thanks to Bernardo (tour guide), Nery (security/transportation), Tito (greatest marine creature show ever), Emanuel (most skilled bus driver ever), and Jorge (Head of Vamonos Tours).
I strongly recommend choosing this company above all others if you are considering taking an educational trip to a Spanish speaking country. You will be amazed and grateful for their part in making your trip meet all your goals.
– Sharon Miles, Indian Creek School
I do not have the right words to express how amazing the trip was. This trip far exceeded my expectations in so many ways. It was an amazing learning and growing experience for all of the students on the trip. I feel like my students feel like Puerto Rico is their second home now. That is all thanks to the people of Vámonos! With all of that being said, we are starting the planning for our next trip with Vámonos.
– Shannon Barden, Horizon Community Learning Center
While I still have not caught up on sleep, I am extremely happy and just can’t stop smiling as I recall how wonderful our time was in PR.
– Joy Hankins, Horizon Community Learning Center
The buzz at the high school is all about the trip – one of the great parts is that the students are going back to their history and science teachers and sharing what they learned! Bernardo and his support team were wonderful, informative and devoted to what they do. I’m so pleased because I feel that in one intense week they got so much! It was a pleasure to work with you and be a part of Vámonos Tours. Hasta la próxima.”
– Nelida Lepore teacher, Medford High School, Massachusetts
We had an incredible time; oddly enough each trip seems to surpass the last, although I’m not sure how that’s possible since they started in phenomenal fashion! Thanks for all you (and your crew) did to ensure a safe, educational and fun trip for us!
– Craig Ross, teacher, Leesville Road High School, North Carolina
Hola – Wow, what an amazing trip! There are so many excellent parts I wouldn’t know where to start. Students also share my opinion! Muchas gracias!”
–Marie Cole teacher, Vermilion High School, Ohio
Thank you for all you did to make it such a wonderful trip. The girls came back full of excitement and joy, they had a great time!”
– Dara Hoffman teacher, Baldwin School, Pennsylvania
Your staff was amazing!!! We all love them!! They felt very connected to them and that is something you do not achieve with many guides on other tours. Also, the people from the tour in Utuado and the “Caja de Muerto” experience were very knowledgeable and very helpful. We felt safe and taken care off at all times. Gracias to the administrative Vamonos staff. You work a lot behind the scenes in order to make the experience an unforgettable one. One of the best things is your flexibility and desire to work with your group leaders.
Here are some quotes from the students’ journals:
- ” It was all just one huge, amazing time!” (Garrett Moores-Senior)
- ” You do things that you would not do in your life” (Eleanor Burke-Senior)
- ” I have never learned that much while having that much fun” (Michelle Caudle- sophomore, Randolph High School)
- ” I was very immersed in the culture and it greatly improved my understanding of the Spanish language” (Elizabeth Earles- Senior) (She wants to live in Puerto Rico!)
- ” This trip was great because of the laid-back vibe and the amazing food, activities and weather” “I loved it all…! :)” (Kendall Frawley- Senior, Randolph High School, Alabama)
Thank you all again.
– Rosa Almodovar teacher, Randolph School, Alabama
Thank you so much for your patience as we organized our group trip to Puerto Rico. We had an absolutely wonderful time for the kids and the adults alike. They were encouraged to use Spanish as much as possible and learned new words and phrases. The unique experiences will be the most memorable as they not only saw sea creatures up close but closer yet as they held octopus and starfish.
Thanks to the assistants. Our security guard did so much and we felt safe the entire time. He helped serve drinks, interacted with the kids, and escorted us to places after hours. Our bus driver deserves kudos for getting us safely around. Many activities on our itinerary were not close by with some up to 3 hours away. My son referred to him as our ‘cool, laid back driver’.
I can’t say enough about the guide. She’s so much more than a tour guide. She served in a role that was much more than I expected or imagined. She was den mother as she really took responsibility for the kids and the parents felt totally comfortable stepping back and allowing her to do what she seems to enjoy so much. She is great. She took them under her wing and was concerned about everything involving them including safety, hydration, eating and trying the local foods. She really made the experience outstanding with her knowledge of the area and history of Puerto Rico. The trivia was fun and the kids learned a lot from the games and activities she created. Thanks again for everything and we hope to come again”
– Barbara Waits of John Hanson Montessori School, Maryland
“In this occupation everything we do, we do it to create a learning experience, in a safe environment. Thanks to you, Jorge and the whole Vamomos team – my students were exposed to a wonderful experience outside the classroom. They were exposed to a culture and language and it became alive when they were able to interact with native speakers. Thank you!”
– Arnaldo Landrau, teacher, Yonkers Montessori, New York
(Spanish Review)
“Jorge, no sé cómo expresar nuestro agradecimiento por el viaje tan maravilloso que nos organizaron. Todo fue genial. Bernardo es una de las personas más humanas y trabajadoras que he conocido en mi vida. Tito super divertido y leal (estuvo a nuestro lado en todo momento). La verdad, es que puedes estar super orgulloso del equipo que tienes en PR. Ya te enviaré fotos de nuestro viaje, todas las actividades fueron muy bonitas y muy apropiadas para el tipo de grupo que llevabamos. Para mi la visita a la escuelita fue uno de mis “highlights”, ver a mis estudiantes hablar con los niños de allí me hizo mucha ilusión. Así que muchas gracias por todo, por estar con nosotros en los buenos y en los no tan buenos momentos. Ha sido un viaje mágico. No dudes en dar mi nombre para referencias. Un abrazo y hasta pronto ;-)!!!
– Cristina y el equipo de Belmont Day School, Massachusetts
“Your guides were AMAZING. The students absolutely LOVED them as I did. A lot of our students have pictures of the guides on their FB walls. They, along with me, felt very sad to leave. They ALL were so kind to us. I appreciated Tito’s patience and kindness with me since I had difficulty with the physical difficulties of some of the treks. The customer service of the guides, staff was amazing. So kind, GENEROUS, giving are just a few traits to mention. Without a doubt I would recommend it and if I ever decided to go to PR again, I would be contacting you.”
– Veronica Andrade, teacher, River Glen High School, California
I can’t thank you enough for such a fun trip, and all the support and smooth set up of all the things that needed to be taken care off. I can’t wait to work again with you all next year. Best regards from sunny and hot Washington, DC. Juanita Linero of Alexandria Country Day School, Virginia
I hope this finds you well! Just a short note to thank you again for everything that Vamonos did for us on our June tour to Puerto Rico. We had a great time, and loved our experiences there! I am going to be sending something to you in the next couple of days as a little thank you gift. There are some framed photos of the Vamonos staff who worked with us. Also, I have two items for the orphanage in Ponce. One is a framed photo of the boys from the orphanage at the concert in the square, and the other is a photo album that has pictures from both the concert and the service project. If you could share these with the orphanage, I would greatly appreciate it. Again, many thanks – I hope to see you in Puerto Rico again soon!
– Mike Gagliardo; Etowah Youth Orchestra
I wanted to let you know satisfied we were with our Spanish Immersion Trip! Here are a few of the reasons…
- Every detail of the trip was thought of and prepared for in advance.
- The staff (Bernardo, Nery, Tito, and the driver) were excellent. They were knowledgeable, kind, flexible, very relational with the students.
- We loved the balance of historical info, cultural experience, Spanish immersion, science enrichment, beautiful sights, etc.
I could not have imagined the trip going any better than it did!
– Mr. Sean Smith, Patriot Prep Academy
We were amazed at this trip and how authentic everything was. The staff was superb, friendly, and knowledgeable. My students loved Bernardo and Tito to the point that some of them cried as we departed PR. I took many trips with other tour companies. This has been the best by far.
– Jorge Pulleiro, Young Wolverines Spanish Club
I want to tell you that our trip with Vamonos was AMAZING! I am Puerto Rican and I saw places on my beautiful island that I had never been to! El Yunque was breathtaking! I mean that literally- whew! The climb up to the tower was a hike and a half for this old man. I almost quit, but my students encouraged me that the view at the top was worth it. They were right! I was moved to tears at the spectacular views.
The catamaran tour was worth the extra money. The beach was beautiful and the water crystal clear! What made our trip so great was our guide. He was very knowledgeable and fun! I learned so much about Puerto Rican history and culture that I didn’t already know. The other guys were great. The kids were impressed with Raulito’s driving and really bonded with Christopher since he was closer to their age. They were truly professionals who took excellent care of us at all times. We feel we have made lifelong friends in these men!
Christopher was also very helpful when it came to attending to our needs in regards to the young man who did not follow our guide’s “sunscreen, water, sunscreen, more water, and more sunscreen!” warning. Christopher carried us to get something to eat and took us to the pharmacy, and eventually to the doctor’s office. His presence was so helpful. This freed us up to tend to Kyle and the others. He was a real lifesaver!
Probably the most fun day was the Bioluminescent Bay. “Mr. Splendid” was such a treat! The kids were beaming when they talked about seeing the dinoflagellates in the water and on their swimsuits. Tito’s fisherman show was fantastic. It was really interesting to come so close to sea life that we otherwise might never have seen. It was even great to have an octopus on my face!
I could go on and on about how much we enjoyed this experience. It will definitely not be the last tour we take with your company. I will tell every Spanish teacher I know about your company. Thank you for representing my island and my people in such a positive manner!
– Albert LaBoy, native Puerto Rican, Southeast Whitfield HS
The 2014 Vamonos tour for Morrill High School and Wood Memorial High School so far exceeded my expectations that our Spanish Club is hoping to work with you to make another tour in the spring. The only negative for that trip was that students wished it could have been longer!
– Sara Beyer, Morrill Spanish Club
I cannot begin to thank you for the wonderful trip. Everything went so extremely smoothly! Bernardo, Tito, and Cheo were the perfect hosts: knowledgeable, easy to work with, the whole package. We certainly made some wonderful memories on this trip, and we look forward to the opportunity to travel with you again. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to use my name as a reference for other schools!
– Anne-Evan, Principal, Ridgewood School
Ether, our kids LOVED the trip, and it was just an overall amazing experience for all of us, me included. Sergio and Wendi were great and super helpful, and I was very glad to have them with us. I have been talking about the trip all day with my students today, and we have a lot of interest in going again next year. Thank you for helping to organize such a great experience for us.
– Mabel Lee, St. Anne’s Episcopal School