Jerry

United States Of America

Customer
Rating

10

Customer Rating On return from their adventure we ask customers: “On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the highest, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?”

Jerry's Trip Date:

20th Dec - 7th Jan 2022

What was your most memorable moment?

There were many memorable moments, but the stay at Patagonia Camp was idyllic. The accommodations were unique and comfortable, the scenery breath taking, and the staff welcoming , gracious , helpful and kind.

Which of the following best describes your adventure?

Great holiday

On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10 out of 10

Tell us about The Atacama

The desert was beautiful, like living in a moonscape. We loved the town and the star gazing was like no other place on earth. The guide was very informative.

Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Patagonia?

The only thing we wish we would have seen were the penguins. And I would have liked to have been closer to a glacier so best to fully understand the different parts of that area. Because of our time we could not see everything. So plan accordingly.

Has your experience changed your perspective in any way?

I think living in a pandemic has made life hard for everyone, this provided our family a time to reunite , bond and have a respite in a most beautiful and gracious country.

Do you have any recommendations for Swoop, or feedback about the team?

Just a few things to consider. On a positive note your team in Chile is great . Southbound was very professional. The drivers were all good, The vans clean and all kept to Covid protocol. The guides were informative and all interesting and engaging. However, one guide stands out amongst the rest and that is Joaquin Gonzalez. We have traveled to a variety of places and all of us felt connected to Joaquin. He is the best of the best. He was informative, flexible, kind , and was able to speak English to us and Spanish to our children. He allowed for flexibility and help us learn so much about the history of Chile. If you could request him for your clients I would recommend him without question. Iian and Carys were very supportive. They were both engaged and helpful. The handoff between the two could have been better at the beginning but it all worked out and we quickly bonded with Carys. Just a point, as an older parent I am less adept at technology so using the portal was at times frustrating. Carys went above and beyond and stayed with us the whole trip. Any problems we encountered were quickly resolved. The Surfing lodge originally booked at was not at all what we thought. They had no usable equipment, there were no guests, just random people living there, like a commune, no yoga, it did not feel clean, the only food was breakfast and pizza and Covid protocol was not fully in place. They did not seem to be expecting us. ( feel free to ask the driver Christian that took us there) and it was far from the beach. So we would have to get a taxi each time. What would be helpful for Swoop is to do research on a hotel in Punto Lobos and have the surfing equipment brought to the room before hand, surfboard and wetsuit and have a local surfing guide available to take the surfer out. It wasted most of a day but we quickly recovered because of our own research and the full support of Carys. And in the end we all made it work. Carys kept us informed along the way. And we have already recommended swoop and Carys to friends. She is very accomodating and very available.

Was there anything else Swoop could have done for you to help you prepare for your trip?

The only other thing I would suggest is to really stay on top of the COVID protocols and testing requirements for each country That needs to be part of the itinerary and time and transportation planned for. Carys and I made it work . It is important to know where and when to get tested and guide the traveler through it. And a tip sheet separated out on what to do if testing positive. Fortunately Carys was very helpful and kept us informed.

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