Aspect

Mark(1-5)

Advice or Remark

Travel Consultant

5

I was impressed by the flexibility and response times from Kate about the trip.  I also realize we high expectations and gave little time to ensure they were met.  In that regard, we were very satisfied.

Tour Guides

Command of English

4

Oded was great.  No problem with the English language.

Knowledge of Subjects

4

Oded presented excellent information about the sites we visited and the various topics that were addressed.

Ability of Explain

5

Oded had no problem explaining what he understood as valuable information.

Attitude

5

Oded was humble and witty.  We enjoyed our time with him greatly.

Flexibility

5

Oded was very flexible, modifying the schedule as needed by changes of events.

Drivers and Cars

3

Oded drove during our guided tour. He did a good job and was cautious to make us feel safe.

The driver who picked us up from the airport and brought us to Tel Aviv was good, but the vehicle was much older and appeared to be a personal vehicle.  The driver who brought us back to the airport at the end of the trip was very professional and had a nice vehicle, although his English was very limited.  (This was not the same driver who picked us up originally.)

Hotels

Location

3

The locations were excellent. Right where we needed to be.

Comfort

3

When staying in Tel Aviv and Tiberius, we enjoyed the hotels greatly. The Fattal hotel chain appears to be top notch.  The food was good, and the rooms were all updated.

The Dan Boutique in Jerusalem left much to be desired. It was very dated. I had a cockroach in my room on the last day of the trip. The food was okay, but not great. The hospitality was only acceptable.

Upon researching the hotels in Jerusalem, I talked with my friends who were touring at the same time and the Hotel Grand Court – Jerusalem was much better priced, and the rooms were much larger than our hotel. They also had a package for and dinner in their pricing.  I didn’t remember until they reminded me but we stayed at that hotel in 2017 and were very satisfied with the accommodations and the food.  I’m sure the pricing would have been comparable to what we paid for the Dan Boutique.

Sights or Activities

Worthiness of Visit

4

Since I (Rick Ponzo) was the one who created the site list, I was very happy with the sites we visited.  Unfortunately, we weren’t able to tour the En Gedi Nature Reserve which is one of my favorite places in all of Israel because we were 10 minutes late for the entry.  The people manning the station were very argumentative and unreasonable.  I will be writing to the tourism ministry about our encounter there.

Meet Your Interests?

4

Most of our interests were met with the exception of En Gedi.  

Too Tight or Too Loose?

5

Flexibility was more important than too tight or too loose.

Meals

3

We ate out on the town for most of our meals, having breakfast at the hosting hotels.  As mentioned previously, the Fattal chain offered the best meals, while the Dan Boutique was adequate, but sometimes rude.

Public Transportation (train, flight, cruise, etc.)

4

We only took 1 taxi while in Israel on our free day, and it will be something we remember forever as we fit 5 adult men into a smaller Toyota vehicle.

Any Other Aspect

4

Overall, the trip was very good. We were initially surprised by the cost of food in the local restaurants, but realized that we were in Israel, and should expect it.

Overall Score of the Whole Package

4

The overall cost was higher than expected, especially when presented with the lower level of quality of the hotel in Jerusalem. My room had an uncomfortable desk chair, and no other place to sit except the bed, and a small ottoman. Derek and Joel had the best room, but it still had the feel that we were back in the 1970’s.  Michael and William had a room with 1 chair, and nowhere else to sit.

The Dan Boutique also told us the breakfast was at 7:00 a.m., but found out it actually opened at 6:30 a.m.  It would have been nice to know earlier so we could begin our tour earlier.

I appreciate Kate keeping in contact with me throughout the trip.  

Aspect

Mark(1-5)

Advice or Remark

Travel Consultant

5

Very professional

Tour Guides

Command of English

3

Some of them with some difficulties to find the correct words.

Knowledge of Subjects

4

Ability of Explain

4

Attitude

5

Very kind all of them

Flexibility

5

Drivers and Cars

5

Excellent car and punctuality.

Hotels

Location

5

Comfort

4

Sights or Activities

Worthiness of Visit

4

Meet Your Interests?

4

Too Tight or Too Loose?

4

Meals

4

The last breakfast (metropolitan hotel) not as good as the one of the other hotels.

Public Transportation (train, flight, cruise, etc.)

5

Any Other Aspect

4

Overall Score of the Whole Package

4