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We
value the opinions of our clients
Greetings from Ireland!
We have now returned to Ireland to resume our tour
here and would like to thank you all for
organising our recent tour "Best of Lithuania" .
Special thanks to Virginia for a great guided tour
of Vilnius, Trakai and Kaunas. Special thanks
also for including the Vilnius cemetery and all the
history and special significance it contained.
Special thanks also to Lilija for her time and a
wonderful guided tour of Siauliai, Klaipedi and
Palanga.
Thanks also to Tautvydas for driving us safely and
his patience as we toured the various destinations.
We have many great memories and we look forward to a
return when we can join one of your tours which
include the music festivals.
Thanks again and best regards from Bill and Virginia
Frazer
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Dear Sirs:
The services offered by everybody were perfect and
completely met our expectations. We particularly
appreciate that a schedule change caused by a missed
flight was accommodated with no problems. In
addition, our specific interests were addressed by
the guides during the course of the tour. I look
forward to another wonderful visit.
Regards,
David Kwinn
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GERESNĖS KOKYBĖS PASLAUGŲ UŽSIENIEČIAI IEŠKO
LIETUVOJE
|
Š.m. rugsėjo 20-22
dienomis Lietuvoje svečiavosi aštuoniolikos
asmenų grupė, kurią sudarė Norvegijoje
reziduojančių ambasadorių sutuoktinės ir
Norvegijos klubo “International Forum” narės.
Atsakomybės supažindinti koleges su savo gimtąja
šalimi ėmėsi ambasadoriaus žmona p.Birutė
Eidintienė, tuo palaikydama LR ambasados
Norvegijoje užsibrėžtą tikslą – skatinti
įvažiuojamąjį turizmą iš Norvegijos. Viešnios
aplankė žymias Lietuvos kultūrines vietas,
susipažino su Vilniumi, išklausė Vilniaus
Filharmonijoje vykusio koncerto, susitiko su
savo kolegėmis esančiomis Lietuvoje.
Be kito ko, viešnios išbandė Lietuvoje
teikiamas SPA ir rekreacijos paslaugas,
apsilankė prekybos centruose, kirpyklose ir
maitinimo įstaigose. Viešnios iš Norvegijos liko
sužavėtos Lietuvos sostine Vilniumi ir
negailėjo komplimentų p.Birutės Eidintienės
sudarytai kultūrinei ir pažintinei programai.
Tikimasi, kad ši graži
iniciatyva sulauks nemažo atgarsio Norvegijos
spaudoje ir taip paskatins dar daugiau turistų
iš Norvegijos, vertinančių geros kokybės ir
kainos santykį, aplankyti Lietuvą. |
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Dear Lina,
I would like to thank you for cooperation from
myself and client.
I spoke with the client. Guests were delighted of
services. Especially guest “glorify” the guide. They
had a long sightseeing but extremely interesting
thanks Mrs. Aldona. They like the hotel and
restaurants too.
One more time thank you very much.
Best regards
Magdalena Najman
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To whom it may concern:
Visit Lithuania head office staff helped us create an engaging trip,
provided us with useful feedback and were very
accommodating when we proposed to deveate from the
original itinerary. They responded immediately after
each e-mail with clarity and insight. The hotels we
were booked in provided better than good value. We
were pleasantly surprised by their location and
character in each of the communities in Lithuania
and Latvia that we stayed in. There was never an
issue about entering any of the sights. Our package
contained all the necessary vouchers and brochures.
Visit Lithuania's driver provided courteous and safe
transport, helpful hints for dining and shopping,
great company, and was always good humoured and
punctual. Travelling by van was a far more civilized
means of holidaying, rather than being being herded
on a tour bus.
Each of Visit Lithuaniar local tour guides were
articulate, charming and very informative, providing
us with interesting commentary and entertaining
tales that you couldn't pick up from history books.
They went out of their way to show us the most
important sights in an unhurried manner and
suggested further areas of interest. Each had an
excellent command of the English language, important
in our case, being unilingual. We would take on the
order of a thousand photographs during our stay.
We are very grateful for the outstanding service
provided by Visit Lithuania staff and my son
and daughter and I will carry fond memories of
Lithuania for many years. I would rate them five
stars (out of five).
Sincerely,
Julius, Mark and Samantha Gorys
Toronto, Canada
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Dear Lina,
Just a note to say thank you.
The Salkowitz's had a wonderful time. They said the
trip was planned well, the hotel locations were
terrific, the guides were very knowledgeable and
helpful.
I appreciate how easy it was to work with you, and
will be happy to contact you in the future.
Sincerely, Marsha
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Dear Lina,
We made it back to Toronto after a memorable trip to
Lithuania with your help as well as the great
support of Tautvydas, Emilija and Lilija. Tautvydas
was an excellent and very careful driver and guide,
and we loved having Emilija and Lilija as very
knowledgeable as guides and very outgoing people.
Barbara did not know what to expect in Lithuania but
was impressed with it and really enjoyed it. She
decided even in Lithuania that we should return in
the near future to spend perhaps a full week in
Vilnius and 2 full days in each of Kaunas and
Klaipeda. She also liked the food that we had
(except that on September 1 in Palanga we could not
have any drinks or wine with dinner ..... ha ha
ha!).
We have traveled quite a bit over the years (and in
my work I had to travel regularly to other Canadian
cities), so we think we know hotels. Your choice of
them in Lithuania was excellent -- thank you! We
really enjoyed the Barbacan Palace hotel with its
friendly staff and comfortable rooms. We had no idea
that it was so quiet around it and had asked for a
quiet room away from the street. When we got there,
we realized that it was in a very quiet spot,
laughed ourselves silly and felt stupid ... It was
also near just about everything in Vilnius within
easy walking distance. Wonderful. Perhaps you should
tell Barbacan Palace to have on hand pillows made of
material other than down. Barbara had to take
anti-histamine pills and one of our daughters would
develop asthma on the very first night because she
is allergic to down and feathers. Just having
alternative pillows at the Barbacan if someone
wanted them would be of help in the future. The
other hotels were also excellent and quiet!
Thank you very much again for your friendly
assistance for a great time that we had in
Lithuania.
Warm regards,
Algis.
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Dear Rimas,
We have now gotten home from our fantastic trip to
Lithuania and are finally over jet lag. We want to
thank you for all of the arrangements for the trip.
Lithuania is a beautiful country and everything far
exceeded our expectations. The tour company did an
excellent job of planning the places for us to stay
and to visit. We really got a feel for the country,
its history, culture, geography, the different
regions and the food. The guides, Virginija and
Lilija, and the drivers were so knowledgeable and
willing to answer all of our many questions. Thank
you again.
Please share these comments with the staff members
back in Lithuania and feel free to give our name to
anyone else who might want to talk to someone who
has taken the tour.
Doris and Joseph Dopkin
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Hello Rimas,
I'm back at work and trying to dig out and make
sense of everything I left when we went to
Lithuania....so this note is a short one, but I just
wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your help
with the trip to Lithuania. It was just an
incredible experience, and we were very happy with
the travel agency and all their personnel. KLM was a
wonderful airline, but I think next time around I'll
try to find another airport to use other than JFK...what
a mess it is there! I can't imagine how people with
limited English can figure out anything when we
found it confusing, dirty, and difficult...but then,
it IS New York City...
I hope to get a chance soon to start writing out
more of a travel narrative/synopsis of the trip,
from the notes I made enroute, and also sort through
my 400 photos to determine which to keep/print/etc.
The highlight, though, was visiting our distant
relatives, which we could not have done without your
help. I was a bit taken aback at how poor they are,
but they were, as expected, very welcoming and I
hope to keep up some correspondence with them,
although I'll have to impose on a couple people I
know to translate letters for me! Perhaps sometime I
can take the language instruction course at U.
Vilnius sometime!! Some basic words came back to me
on the trip, and much came back to our aunt, who was
rattling away in her American Lithuanian by the end
of the trip...the highlight for her was to see the
church where her mother had been baptized in the
late 1800s...and for me one of the highlights was
being able to see the location where my
grandmother's village had stood until the late
1970s, when the Soviets relocated everyone, razed
the 12 houses, and made it into a collective farm.
Only our relatives could have shown us that, and
again, I'm grateful to you for all you did for us.
Thank you, thank you. I hope I can be helpful to you
or to the travel agency sometime--I could talk
anyone's ear off about how wonderful the
arrangements were! Oh, and the other couple from NJ
were just a delight, and so understanding of our
elderly aunt and her repetition of stories....
Take care, hope we can stay in touch perhaps and
even meet someday!
Paula Davis
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I was one of the "sisters" in a recent trip to
Lithuania. There were 12 of us on a special tour
arranged by you for us. There are no words to
describe the absolutely fantastic experience I had.
Of course being with my sisters goes without saying
but from the very start to the last moment of our
trip, ever second was fabulous. I loved Vilnius! The
sites were excellent and the tour guide,
Marguerite,so knowledgable about everything we were
seeing. I loved the quaint streets, the churches,
the archetecture. LOVED the local entertainment at
the resturaunt! So much fun!!!
Another high spot was the trip to the village where
we walked to the home of a local gentleman and were
served lunch in his home. The ladies from the
village were so much fun! The singing and dancing
just a blast!!! His little daughter was adorable,
too!
Our second tour guide Lilija was equally excellent.
Loved her flexability! She made sure we were able to
adjust to get in a few extra things like the brewery
tour and the visit to the master carver. WOW!!!!
No words can describe the absolute joy we all
experienced touring the villages of our
grandparents. Our guides were very patient with us
and gave us time to explore and soak in the very
moving and emotional time for us.
Our bus driver Andrew was also just a gem. How many
guys could tolerate with a smile 12 sometimes silly
women!
We were all moved by the history of the country, the
stubborness and perseverance and the PRIDE of the
people! It brought tears to my eyes when at the
Dance and song festival the crowd started shouting "Lietuva"
as the fireworks were going off!
Again, no words can descroibe the excellent
experience of the entire trip. I would change
nothing and only wish I could go again tomorrow.
Many, many thanks to all for sharing so much. I am
so very proud to call myself Lithuanian!
Sincerely,
Margie Mueller
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This was truly the trip of a lifetime for us. Being a
group of 12 family members, we were able to have a
private tour group, which was a wonderful way to see
Lithuania. The guides were excellent; not only were
they knowledgeable about the history, culture and
traditions, but they also shared their own
experiences and feelings about all the changes that
have come about in their lifetimes. Visits to our
grandparents' villages were added to the
itinerary...growing up as second generation
Lithuanian/Americans during the time of Soviet
occupation, we never would have dreamed of seeing
these places. We were deeply moved. Our guide also
added, at our request, a visit to the Svyturys
brewery in Klaipeda, which we all enjoyed, as well
as the generous samples and "beer snacks."
The service was very personal. I had left some of my
cosmetics at the hotel in Kaunas. Our guide got a
call on her cell phone the next day, and my cosmetic
bag was waiting when we arrived back in Vilnius at
the end of our trip.
We loved the Mabre Residence hotel in Vilnius and
Daugirdas in Kaunas--both small and friendly. Hotel
Klaipeda was OK, but seemed to be overrun by large
tour groups. Breakfast was crowded--difficult to
find seating and they kept running out of food.
Every place we visited was special. I can think of
very little that I would have changed about this
trip.
Charlotte Dillis
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Thank you for making this a most memorable adventure!
The arrangements were outstanding...from the sights
to the meals to the accommadations. But it would not
have been the experience it was without the
wonderful guides and driver. Margarita and Lilija
were so personable and knowledgable! They became
like 'one of the family'. Their personal insight and
experiences they shared with us added to our
understanding and appreciation of our Lithuanian
ancestry. Both guides and our driver were flexible
in arranging our tours and showed great patience in
dealing with 12 American women!
Again, my sincerest thanks to your group and their
work in showing us Lithuanua!
Roberta Dillis Pittman
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 There
are trips you take in your life that stay with you
forever, my trip to my grandparents homeland of
Lithuania was just such a trip. My cousin and I
could not have asked for a better travel agency then
what we found in Visit Lithuania. Lina and Rimas
were always helpful in answering my emails before we
left, and Lina helped get the ball rolling for my
genealogy search.
Virginija, was the first guide to welcome us, a
beautiful woman who was a sheer delight with her
warm smile and absolute knowledge of this country
she loves so much. From Vilnius to Kaunas to Dzukija,
and ALL the other stops in-between, she brought our
grandparent's home alive for us. She is an enormous
asset to your company!
Lilija, our second guide, was also wonderful in
showing us around the coast of Lithuania with it's
picture perfect seaports and breathtaking sunsets
over the Baltic Sea. Again, a very knowledgeable and
hospitable guide that was always at our service.
We have been home for a few weeks now, and still can
not go through a day without thinking of, or telling
someone, about our joyful experience in Lithuania.
And of course I can not end this without singing the
praises of our driver, Tautvydas. In the ten days of
driving with him, there was never a time we worried
about anything but taking in the beautiful views of
our adopted country and enjoying his company. He was
responsible, attentive, and very patient with my
cousin and I who asked for numerous pictures stops!
Placing a cross on the Hill of Crosses for our
grandmother is a tender memory forever in our
hearts.
And on our last day, again under the expert care of
Virginija, we found our grandmother's village and a
living relative. She was relentless in trying to
find as much for us as she could, and we can never
thank her enough for that. To list the events of
that day alone would take another page, for it was
one of the most magical and memorable days
imaginable!!! I'm smiling and laughing just thinking
about it...
To say libai aciu somehow just doesn't seem enough,
for what you all planted in our hearts and minds is
a gift that is priceless. We want to come back
someday, but till then, please know that you are,
and your country is, living within us....
Su Dievuliu,
Joyce Peck
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Good morning,
I am happy to write that everything about our trip
was wonderful. The hotels were all excellent, the
meals superb, and the locations we visited were
educational and enjoyable. The whole trip was much
better than I had anticipated. Both guides,
Virginija and Lilija and the driver, Tautvydas were
excellent. My wife and I can't think of anything we
would change about the itinerary. We loved the
quality and variety of food and were impressed by
all the beautiful art and architecture. Learning
more about the history of Lithuania was one of our
goals and that was more than accomplished. We can't
thank you enough for all the attention you paid to
making the trip excellent in every way. Lithuania is
certainly a wonderful country.
You may refer anyone to me who may have questions
about your company or the excursion. I will be happy
to provide a very positive report.
Thank you very much for all your work. We look
forward to visiting again soon.
Ray Parker and Joan Green
Raymon P. Parker
Senior Associate Dean of the College
Vassar College box 715
124 Raymond Avenue
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604-0715
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Lina, Thanks for putting together such a fantastic
package for us. The song festival was spectacular. I
may even want to see it again in four or five years.
The Kayaking was also excellent. as were all our
guides. Our driver was very thoughtful and made for
a pleasant journey. I highly recommend Visit
Lithuania to anyone considering visiting the Baltics.
I am hoping to return in 2009 for the 100 year
celebration. I hope you can keep me advised as to
what events will be in that celebration. I would
also like to return to visit that one village we
missed due to the road construction. Thank you very
much for all the effort you put into making our
visit so very rewarding. Hope to see you again in
the future
John Ragaisis
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I can honestly say that our tour of Lithuania under
the guidance of Margarita Gruodiene was fantastic.
Not only was she a walking encyclopdia of Lithuanian
history but she helped locate relatives that I
thought might be impossible to find. We all thought
that she may be a relative of Sherlock Holmes from
the way she pursued every clue to locate our
relatives. We are grateful to her for that and we
enjoyed a grand time with them.
To sum up, it was a memorable adventure and upon
meeting our relatives for the first time was
awesome.
Credit goes to Margarita for all of this-----she is
the best! ---------
AUGUST DAMON
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Dear Lina:
My name is Rebeca Wainsztein and I've been to your
country last month.
I bought 2 tours from your agency and I want you to
know that I enjoyed them very much. You have very
good guides, like Beatrice and Lina Stasinskaite.
The latter was asigned for us for Paneriai and she
was very kind in explaining me many things about
that place. This was really important for me cause I
am jewish and my mother was born in Vilnius and came
to Uruguay when she was a child.
Well, I think that it's important not only to
complain when things are wrong but to be grateful
when they are very good as it was in my case.
Sincerely yours
Rebeca Wainsztein
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Labas,
I am still in "a glow" from my wonderful trip to the
place of birth of my parents, namely Lithuania.
Particularly do I want to thank our wonderful,
knowledgable tour guide, Virginija and our equally
adept and skilled driver, Raimondas.
You asked about any feedback concerning the tour.
The "Lithuania Experience" tour was all that I could
hope for and more. I was fortunate enough to be part
of a small group which made it delightful in many
ways. My favorite places and experiences were
Vilnius old town; Dzukija region (meeting the farmer
and enjoying the excellent lunch prepared for us, as
well as the regional singers); the Curonian Spit
area on the Baltic Sea, particularly Nida; and most
appreciated was the visit to Rumsiskes outdoor
enthnic museum. I only wished to have had more time
at Rumsiskes. These are all my positive comments.
The only thing I might change would have been the
accommodations at Palanga. The walls were paper thin
in this particular hotel. Other than this, I thought
everything the tour offered was well worth it, with
the exception perhaps of Kaunas. I wasn't too
impressed with this city. However, it was once the
capital and has a lot of history, however, a
visitor's first impression is that it is a poor city
sadly in need of repair which I am sure will come
some day. Lithuania has come a long way from the
Soviet era and it will take many years for this
delightful, friendly country to catch up with the
rest of Europe, but I know they will do it. The will
is there if not always the ready money.
I want to thank Lina for being so very helpful
during my initial inquiries and questions.
Sincerely,
Diane Van Egdom
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Hello Lina,
Firstly let me say what a wonderful visit Betty and
I had to your country. We thoroughly enjoyed old
town Vilnius and Uzupis. We loved the outside cafes
and we ate way too many potato pancakes. I very much
look forward to being able to come back there
sometime soon. I believe your country will only get
more beautiful as the many reconstruction jobs
currently underway are completed.
Virginia and TV (I apologize but I cannot recall the
spelling of his name) treated us greatly. They were
very helpful to any request that we asked of them. I
am sure that they told you of one particular unusual
request about getting engaged in Uzupis.
...
Thank you and I hope you are continuing to enjoy the
beautiful weather that we enjoyed during our visit.
I am sorry that I did not get to personally meet you
for a chance to say hello and to thank you for your
help in putting the itinerary together.
Sincerely,
Steve Uzupis
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Dear Lina,
First of all, Maureen and I would like to thank you
for your very professional and enjoyable tour
experience. Please feel free to use me as a
reference for any other Americans who may ask for
one; just send me their email address first and I
will know the request came from you.
Your guides and drivers were most helpful in every
situation and we learned so much from them. Also,
sorry for the moment of panic about the drive to the
airport on Saturday. Please understand our only
experience has been from traveling from the US where
we are expected to queue up in line several hours in
advance. I like your system better! We made it, as
you said, in "plenty of time."
Sincerely,
Ann Richey
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Thank you for a wonderful vacation. As a first
generation American who speaks fluent Lithuanian and
who was returning to the native land of my parents,
I experienced such great joy to be in Lithuania. It
is so beautiful and historic. I felt as though I had
returned home. Our guides were extremely
knowledgeable and were ablo to answer all of our
many questions. They spoke English fluently with my
non-Lithuanian speaking husband and daughter and
gave me a chance to speak Lithuanian with native
speakers. Our driver was expert and so nice to us.
The hotels were beautiful...We have some many
beautiful memories.Thank you so much for a wonderful
trip. I am telling everyone about your superb
organization....
Sylvia
Olson
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Dear Lina, We had a fantastic weekend. Transfer, hotel, restaurang and Golf was at a high international standard. Sorry that we missed to meet you.
Anders Olsson
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We’re
home and a good time was had by all…thanks for
everything..it was great
Frank Steponaitis
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My daughter and I had a wonderful time, a good trip home and so many memories. We enjoyed this trip as much as the one last July when it was my husband and myself.
All your efforts to help with Baltic Air and to confirm Delta were much appreciated. Raimondas was a delight the entire time and helped so much in communicating with our family in Klaipeda. He is a wonderful asset to your business.
Of course we shall return again!!!!!
Ann Carol Karszes
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Ladies and gentlemen.
I hereby wish to thank you for the travel arrangements during our recent stay in Vilnius.
Our group consisted of 8 elder men one of which being tied to wheelchair. Travel arrangements were excellent with the exception of the lack of missing vehicle for transporting a wheelchair. We had great difficulties at arrival to haul the disabled member into the bus. On the second day the travel agency however managed to arrange a second vehicle where the disabled member of our group could be lifted.
In our country small buses with wheelchair lifting platforms are plentily available. This is why we could not understand your problem.
The hotel City Park was superbly situated right opposite to the cathedral. It was easily accessible even with wheelchair. The staff in both the reception and restaurant were friendly and helpful.
Your staff was very helpful and they were always plentily available when necessary. Even during the weekend Lina could be reached by phone.
The guide Neringa was a delightful person and spoke excellent Finnish. She knew the history of your country well and coud also answer our questions of todays Lithuania. Neringa also managed to arrange access for the buses right into the center of the machinery exhibition in
Kaunas.
The restaurants booked for us were easy to access with wheelchair and the food served was absolutely satisfactory.
While planning a new trip to Vilnius we certainly will ask for your quotation again.
Best Regards
Antero Aaltonen
Helsinki, Finland.
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Dear Lina,
I just wanted to thank you once again for allyour help. We had a super week-end and David just loved the snow
mobiling.
 Everything went to plan and helped to make it all so enjoyable.
We ate at the hotel and La Provence -had the most superb coconut risotto there-sublime.
Vilnius is a lovely place to visit.
We shall recommend both the city and your company.
Thankyou once again
Sue Byrne
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Hello Monika!!
I am sorry I have taken so long to respond - I am both moving and changing jobs in the states and have been quite busy since our return!
Our trip was absolutely FANTASTIC! Please allow myself and my brother some time to type out some more formal comments and we'll get those to you shortly. In the meantime, we all had a fabuloous time and saw more of the country in the seven days with our guides and driver than what we would have been able to see on our own.
Our guides (Emilija and Lilija) were truly exceptional and our driver (Raimondos) was a great asset on our trip as well.
I will send more comments from myself and my brother shortly...
Thanks again!
Abby Lozinger
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I would like to thank you for the efforts that you put into organising my family visit to Lithuania.
We appreciate the care you spent to understand our desires and to select hotels, guide and transportation that delivered a most enjoyable and informative holiday.
While, I can't credit you for the good weather, it also helped make the trip even better.
Our guide arranged that we saw the things that were most important to us and were particularly pleased with the arrangements to explore our family history through the official archives. The visits to the important sites of Vilnius and Kaunas areas gave us great appreciation for the history of the country and some of the tragic events that took place there.
The general level of cleanliness (except for the graffiti) impressed us as did the politeness we encountered.
Our special interest in Jewish history and sites were well handled and visits to communities where our family had lived were appreciated.
While, as always, there were things which we felt could have been better they were insignificant against the positive experience we had.
We look forward to future visits to continue our exploration of Lithuania.
Yours
Bernard Lind
10-16 September, 2006
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DEAR RIMAS,
JUST A BRIEF MESSAGE TO TELLYOU THAT THE TOUR WAS MEMORABLE. IT WAS A SPIRITUAL.
CULTURAL ONE THAT SURPASSED OUR EXPECTATIONS.
THE GUIDE MARGARETA MADE IT HAPPEN. SHE IS A KNOWLEDGABLE, CHARMING WOMAN. I HIGHLY
RECOMMEND HER SHE MADE LASTING FRIENDS WITH SOME OF THE GROUOP MEMBERS.
SHE WORKED WITH MONIKA, WHO I MET(LOVELY WOMAN), AND WE HAD A PRIVATE
CONCERT IN THE HOTEL.
YOUR PLANNING AND ADJUSTING TO OUR REQUESTS WERE CO MMENDABLE
THE FOOD WAS GREAT, JUST A LITTLE TOO MUCH. THE OPTION OF FISH OR
CHICKEN WAS GOOD, BUT IT WAS OFFERED AS A CHOICE IN ALMOST EVERY
RESTAURANT. NOT COMPLAINING. ONLY SHARING WITH YOU FOR THE FUTURE.
WORKING WITH YOU WAS A PLEASURE. YOU WERE READY, AND WILLING. TO
BE OF SERVICE.
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU.
SR. CHRISTINE
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Hello "Visit Lithuania" team.
My father and I are extremely pleased and appreciative of the caring service we received from you, which allowed us to have a most fulfilling trip to that "corner" of the world from where our ancestors, well over a century ago, departed for the "New World," the U.S.A.. From beginning to end, the service that your staff provided was professional and in fact inspiring, Our trip to Lithuania from remote Japan, where we reside now, was an adventure of a lifetime for us. It was my present to my father, who has long shown deep interest in our European roots, for his grand 88th birthdaｙ. I truly believe we could never have gotten so much out of this "wild" idea of mine to get as close as possible to where our ancestors once lived without the extraordinary care we enjoyed from you.
Yours sincerely,
Gretchen Mittwer
07-15 september,2006
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Monika
Thank you for a fantastic weekend. Everyone enjoyed
their time very much. Lithuanian people were very
friendly, food was very good, bars and clubs were very
good as well. Hopefully in the future I will visit
Lithuania again.
Take care and thanks again
Mark, Stag Weekend in Kaunas, 14 persons, 08-10
September, 2006
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 Dear Monica,
Just a short note to say sincere thanks to you for all your efforts on
behalf of the Scottish National Team, Officials and Media.
Everything went very smoothly and both hotels were excellent, your
assistance on arrival was invaluable.
Once again my thanks and I look forward to our next match in Lithuania
and will certainly use your services again.
Regards,
Maurice Brannan
Travel Manager Scottish F.A.
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Labas Monika and all,
 My mother and I have just returned from our “Lithuanian Experience” tour. I have to give a great big thanks to all of you for making it such a nice trip. The group was small and we were able to actually enjoy the places we visited instead of feeling rushed in a larger tour. Although the flying to/from Europe wasn’t the most pleasurable (we had some problems with the airline), the rest was terrific. The hotels were excellent, the restaurant selections were perfect, and our guides Virginija and Lilija were very friendly and informative. Our driver, Raymondas, was such a nice young man. Even the weather cooperated for us once we reached the coast. Clear blue skies and warm temperatures. It couldn’t have been better. The food was very, very good. There wasn’t a meal I didn’t enjoy. All the traditional items like potato pancakes, kugelis, cepelinai that I’ve enjoyed growing up in the US was outstanding in Lithuania...
Thank You!!
Brigita Feise
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Hello to all.
We left Boston around six in the evening (June 26)
only to find that security could not x-ray Aldona
which caused them a big problem. Even though we had
all the “legal paperwork” and had gone through the
correct channels and double checked with the airport
we had to go through “much red tape”, eventually
straightened out! Not once did anyone consult the
paperwork! ...
Final thoughts about our visit; I loved the area and
our dream would be to return in 2009, renew
friendships, and explore more of the country. The
arrangements prepared by “Visit Lithuania” and our
correspondence with Rimas Chesonis were excellent. A
very special thanks to those associated with the
ceremonies at Subartonys, they were outstanding. We
had the best driver and translators. Thank you
Raimundas, Rita and Lilija, for making our visit such
a wonderful experience, but mainly for the new
friendships which would also include Vladus, Sniega,
Domas and Elenute. Lithuania was more than we
could have dreamed for.
Aciu,
Aliukas and Lady Grace
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To all at “ Visit Lithuania”,
Firstly we apologise for sending this testimonial so late after our return to the UK and then Australia, we seem to have come back from our holiday and hit the ground running with little time to stop as life returns to hum drum.
However, we feel we must take the time to write to your company as feedback is so important and we want to acknowledge all the wonderful staff you have working at Visit Lithuania. Our experience with your excellent service and attention to detail really started with Monika, who was always prompt and efficient with emails including responses to any queries we had, nothing was too much trouble so to you Monika, a huge thank you for helping to take the angst away from organizing an overseas trip entirely over the internet from 12000 miles away.
The other thing to note was the absolute honesty in your promotional material, as jaded cynics when it comes to sales blurb and promotional brochures we were a little skeptical and did not think everything would be as described. However our faith has now been fully restored as we saw and visited everything and everywhere precisely as described in the itinery of the 9 day Visit Lithuania tour.
The tour itself was fabulous, both my sister and I came away with a far greater appreciation of our Lithuanian heritage something we are now both very proud of, especially as we come from the most intelligent of all the Lithuanian tribes!! But seriously the trip was so interesting we saw so much and got a great appreciation of both city and rural life. Vilnius is beautiful with its ancient architecture so wonderfully restored, it is a very dignified and elegant European city you have much to be proud of. Your countryside should be the envy of the rest of Europe it is real Red Riding Hood country complete with Wolves! Beautiful forests and many inland lakes, it was marvelous being driven through the countryside to see how it changes from one side of the country to the other. The lunch we had in the forest village was very special. It is an experience that will stay with us for ever, and I am glad we managed to entertain our Mother and Tautvydas so much with our poor effort at the ethnic dancing!! In fact all the lunches we had in all the restaurants were lovely, the lunch at Trakai was very special overlooking the lake and castle plus we got the opportunity to try some Lithuanian dishes I know my sister really enjoyed her smoked pigs trotters, but not so much the smoked pigs ears! And we thank you very much for choosing a Lithuanian restaurant on our last night of the tour which specialized in authentic dishes from my mother’s regional area, it was very thoughtful and really epitomizes the great care your company takes of its guests whilst in your country.
Our guides Virginia and Lilia (forgive me if I have misspellt any names) were wonderful we cannot praise them highly enough they were both so knowledgeable on all subjects from architecture and cultural history to where the best supermarket was! Lithuania has had to endure some very hard times and it would seem that right from the beginning of time others wanted to posses it, and it says much about the tenacity and determination of the in the character of Lithuanian people that no invaders have permanently possessed your land, you have always managed to grab it back, and now god willing it is yours forever more with no further occupations. Both Virginia and Lilia were wonderful in personalizing the tour and nothing was ever too much trouble. Especially when we reached Kleipeda (Mums home town) which she had not visited for over 60 years, Lilia was wonderful in digging out old postcards and maps for Mum to show what had happened to the town after the WW 2 bombing and to help her pinpoint where some of her old haunts used to be. We found her school (still a school today) and the street where she used to live as a child and the spot where she used to ice skate with her father, it was very special… for all of us. So a huge thank you once more to both Virginia and Lilia, both very lovely people who made out trip all the more special.
Lastly but by no means least we would like to especially mention out driver for the 9 days Tautvydas, he was a marvel. Not only was the car extremely comfortable but his driving made us feel very safe we knew instinctively we were in good hands, especially important as you don’t have to wear seatbelts over there!! He was very patient and a true gentleman he had much to put up with as he had four bantering woman in the car for long periods of time!! I think he struck up a special relationship with our Mother who sat in the front seat for all of the 9 days and he would often keep her company when she felt she could not join us for a walk somewhere, my sister and I would often return to find them both giggling over something they had found amusing. He also ensured he drove as close as possible to venues to save Mum walking too much, again that attention to detail and the personal touch means so much and makes such a difference to peoples experience and impressions. He also had a great sense of humour (very dry); he was fantastic and made our experience all the more special just by being there.
We saw and experienced so much we could write forever about how great it all was, it was filled with both happy and poignant moments as befits your country’s history, I am proud to call myself half Lithuanian and will definitely return not only because I have an emotional attachment to the country but simply because it is beautiful and I will want to return and share its beauty with others.
Thank you all at “Visit Lithuania”, each and every one of you has helped make a positive lasting impression; we shall always fondly remember our time with you …
Kind Regards
Emily McGrath
Also on behalf of Monica Piery and Christel Frith
PS My sister wanted me to mention that on our last day we had some Litas which we were not able to exchange back in the UK, she thought it would have been nice to be able to put them in a donation box to go toward a Vilnius restoration fund or something of that nature, maybe there could be such boxes in the hotel lobby so departing tourists can donate their small change, every little helps and it is better than the money doing nothing, just a thought…..
Emily McGrath
Compliance Officer
Audit & Compliance
Victoria Teachers Credit Union
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Dear Monika:
Ms Boucher has returned back to San Francisco and wanted you to know that she thought everything you arranged for her was EXCELLENT !!!!
She said that her driver was always a few minutes early, he was very personable and friendly, and he recommended different sights that weren't on that day's itinerary but that he thought she would enjoy. When she asked him if she could pay him extra for those sights, he said no, just to recommend Visit Lithuania to other people.
She also praised your hotel arrangements and all the help (and patience) you gave us during the whole reservation process. Everything went smoothly and she had a wonderful time.
Thank you as well for everything you did for my client.
Sincerely,
Kathi Real
European Travel
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 We had a wonderful trip. The hotels were first rate and best locations possible. The guides were informative and entertaining. All three of them were from a little different background, and at least for me it was interesting to notice small differences in historical interpitation . Our driver was really tops. We all were impressed how somebody that young could be so mature. It’s the Lithuanian thing!
We loved sightseeing in all the locations. The change, at least for me, from year 1989 was almost overwhelming. I was going to tell my daughters how long were my trip from Pakuonis to California. But it was not that big. Our driver took us to two lovely theme restaurants in Pa’anga. They should be on every tourist list! We loved Lithuania food, and I was surprised that it is popular with locals.
We enjoyed our visit to Pakuonis. To me it was emotional trip, and to my daughters a wonderful visit to my roots. Pakuonis has a wonderful museum at school dealing with book smuggling , a church and cemetery that are very old and restored, a retired teacher that has wonderful collection of folk art, and a monument to partisans. How many little towns in Lithuania have similar attraction and should they be better known!
Danute V. Handy
23 May - 03 June, 2006
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Liebes Visitlituania-team,
alle Ihre Leistungen waren excellent, persönlich wie sachlich absolut untadelig, und
deswegen kann man jedem Besucher Ihrer wunderschönen Stadt - überzeugt davon
ihm damit einen guten Dienst zu erweisen - nahelegen, sie in Anspruch zu nehmen.
Mit herzlichen Grüßen und einem großen Dankeschön aus Burgthann!
Karl Heinrich und Michael Reutlinger.
Dear Visitlituania-team,
all your performance - personal, likewise concernig the practical realization - has
been excellent, absolutely blameless, so we everyone can recommend to use
your Service, be thoroughly convinced to do a good turn with it.
Kind regards from Burgthann!
Karl Heinrich und Michael Reutlinger
22 May, 2006 Vilnius and Trakai Tour
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Monika,
now I am back at work and fully recovered from the weekend, I just wanted to drop you a line.
A huuuge thank you from me, and all the members of our party. We had a fantastic weekend, a real experience to remember.
Everything was very well organised (a massive relief to myself). Every person we met and had dealings with were extremely warm and friendly, and made us feel more than welcome.
The guys on the 4x4 tour really gave us all a fantastic day.
We all agreed that Lithuania is a beautiful country, and I for one am already thinking of reasons why I can come back soon - when I do, you will be the first to know, as I would not hesitate to organise any trips there, through yourselves.
I have already recommended your services (and country) to several friends, and will continue to do so. I look forward to coming back very soon.
A big thank you again, and please pass on my praise and thanks to all those who helped make such a great experience for us all.
Regards.
Geoffrey Taylor
Stag Weekend, 17-20 March, 2006
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Firstly, let me say that I have only highly positive feedback to provide in relation to the tour. Accommodation was excellent and information provided on arrival was very organised and helpful during my stay. Both tour guides where exceptionally professional with a level of knowledge about the sites and the country, above and beyond what I would expect on a tour. I found them to be excellent sources in answering questions, as well as providing practical information on aspects such as places to eat, directions for getting to things, local customs ect. Given that I had made a decision to visit during winter I was also aware that this made it difficult to see some things due to limitations in things being open and weather conditions. Given these circumstances however I still thoroughly enjoyed the sites and did not feel that I missed out on anything – this was largely due to the skill of the guides who went out of their way to make sure my experiences were valuable and exciting despite the time of year and the weather.
T.V. was an absolute asset in his level of assisting me. <.......> I am so grateful for his assistance and excellent driving skills. I always felt safe and secure in his presence and believe that my experiences were enhanced through his presence when visiting these extra towns. He was willing to share his experiences and knowledge of being a Lithuanian which gave me wonderful insights into the country.
I will certainly be recommending a trip with ‘Visit Lithuania’ to friends and relatives and hope to return in the future during the summer months.
Thank you for wonderful service and equally wonderful experiences,
Regards
Melanie Wylie, Australia
13-22 February, 2006
Individual tour "The Best of Lithuania"
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Firstly, let me say that I have only highly positive feedback to provide in relation to the tour. Accommodation was excellent and information provided on arrival was very organised and helpful during my stay. Both tour guides where exceptionally professional with a level of knowledge about the sites and the country, above and beyond what I would expect on a tour. I found them to be excellent sources in answering questions, as well as providing practical information on aspects such as places to eat, directions for getting to things, local customs ect. Given that I had made a decision to visit during winter I was also aware that this made it difficult to see some things due to limitations in things being open and weather conditions. Given these circumstances however I still thoroughly enjoyed the sites and did not feel that I missed out on anything – this was largely due to the skill of the guides who went out of their way to make sure my experiences were valuable and exciting despite the time of year and the weather.
T.V. was an absolute asset in his level of assisting me. <.......> I am so grateful for his assistance and excellent driving skills. I always felt safe and secure in his presence and believe that my experiences were enhanced through his presence when visiting these extra towns. He was willing to share his experiences and knowledge of being a Lithuanian which gave me wonderful insights into the country.
I will certainly be recommending a trip with ‘Visit Lithuania’ to friends and relatives and hope to return in the future during the summer months.
Thank you for wonderful service and equally wonderful experiences,
Regards
Melanie Wylie, Australia
13-22 February, 2006
Individual tour "The Best of Lithuania"
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Laba diena, Monika:
Our trip to Lithuania was outstanding!!!
Your "Best of Lithuania" package turned out to be everything that we had hoped it would be and more. Everything worked perfectly as planned and both Virginija and Lilija were outstanding tour guides. Their enthusiasm and knowledge of their respective areas was unparalleled.
Also, our driver Arturas was especially helpful during every phase of our trip. He helped me learn a bit more of the language and added valuable insight to many things along the way to Klaipeda and back. He is also a very special person who made our trip a success.
Please don't hesitate to use me as a reference for your agency and the great tour package - "The Best of Lithuania".
We can't wait to return to Lithuania.
Aciu,
Bob Zalner,
"The Best of Lithuania", 22-29 September, 2005
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Monika:
We certainly found Lithuania to be much different than we expected. What a pleasant surprise to have such a wonderful experience with the history, culture, architecture, scenic parks, great food, first class accommodations, and best of all, the genuine hospitality. We came home with a great appreciation for the country and people from which our ancestors left behind to move to the United States. The progress made since the dreadful times of occupation is miraculous. You have much to be proud of.
We must pass along our highest commendation to Lina, our tour guide for the early part of the visit. She was extremely knowledgeable, courteous, flexible to our interests, and a very caring person. She was simply SPECIAL.
Also, our driver for most of the visit, "T.V." took excellent care of us and our personal needs by stopping for our special requests.
Overall we have described the trip to our family and friends as "wonderful". You can be sure that anytime we have the opportunity we will highly recommend your tour to those who might come to visit. Our only concern is that as the secret of your country gets out so many people may come that you will not be able to give the kind of personal attention that we received.
Helen and Tom Carr
Lithuanian Experience, 09-18 September, 2005
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"Visit Lithuania" gave a very good impression from the beginning with Monica's immediate replies to our emails for a private visit,
and her help in contacting Lithuanian Archives.
On arrival we were met at the airport by a very polite young man, a very careful driver, who gave an excellent first impression
of the Lithuanian people.
We found our tours of old and new Vilnius very interesting, the renovation of old buildings being beautifully carried out.
We were provided with a very kindly and knowledgeable guide who went out of her way to help. It is amazing to see how the country has flourished
since Independence, alongside the remnants of Soviet Russia for comparison.
Our visit to Rumsiskes was very enjoyable, another excellent guide showed to us the farmhouses and Inns which would have been appropriate
to our ancestors living in Dzukia in the 19th. century. We were surprised at the pretty things they made for their homes and for their own
clothing, also the wooden creations such as bouncing cradles, baby stands, baby walkers, lunch boxes, dog kennels etc. which we had thought were modern inventions!
The 300km. journey to Klaipeda was along a very good dual carriage way, the scenery alternating between forest and farmland. Our excellent driver stopped at a beautiful place for a lunch break. It was a long day and we felt very sorry for the driver who then had to return to Vilnius. He was very much appreciated.
We spent the next day discovering the Curanian Spit National Park and the dunes at Nida. The first thing my daughter said to her husband on arrival home was
"I have found the perfect place to visit for total relaxation." She loved it.
The next morning at 9am. our driver arrived from Vilnius to take us back there, via the Hill of Crosses, which was well worth visiting. This time the driver very kindly took us to a lovely old windmill for lunch.
We felt very safe walking round Vilnius and Klaipeda in the evenings. We found many very good restaurants, with reasonable prices, and enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.
In Summary; One of the best and most interesting holidays we have had. Lithuania has an interesting past, present and future. The people are very pleasant,
stylishly dressed, and hard working. We are pleased Lithuania has become a member of the E.U. and hope it is of help to you.
"Visit Lithuania" is an excellent company with a very caring President and high quality staff. They are friendly, most helpful and well mannered. It is rare to meet such wonderful courtesy. I happily recommend this company to anyone visiting Lithuania.
J. Holden
England
20th -26th. August 2005
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 Rimas - I just wanted to thenk you for helping with my visit. I am so glad I went. The two guides we had ,
Emilyea and Lilja, were excellent. The driver we had was a lovely young man and a pleasure to work with.
We saw a lot! I now have a sense of your country, it's ways and its' people. While I didn't find any relatives
I did find there were people whose names were so similar to Matutat, which was comforting to me to at last
feel this is where my roots were.
Again - Many thanks to you and the Visit Lithuania group. It really made my
trip a great one.
Joan Valdes
Lithuanian Experience, 02-11 September, 2005
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I wanted to send you an email thanking you for the
great trip planning
to Lithuania that you did for me, my mother and my
Aunt. The trip was
seamless, the driver (TV) was exceptional and the two
tour guides were
informative, caring and entertaining. We will
definitely recommend you
to our friends! Good luck with your business. And
thank you for
scheduling such a perfect tour of the beautiful land
of Lithuania.
Best Regards,
Laura Huntley, 29 July - 08 August, 2005
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Dear Monika,
Our trip to Lithuania was excellent. We were able to
do and see so much. Our
two guides Irena and Lilija were very knowledgable and
very accomadating and
nice people as well. We learned so much about the
country our parents came
from. Our driver Algirdas was great. He was always on
time and where we
needed him. He also willingly answered questions when
the guide was not with
us on the trip to Klaipeda.The itinerary included all
the must see sights
and did not exhaust us. Both my husband and daughter
and my brother and his
wife thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Although I spoke the
Lithuanian language
as often as I could it was great not to have to
translate for them all the
time.
> I will highly recommend your agency to any of my
family or friends that
are thinking about visiting Lithuania. It was the most
hassle free and
enjoyable trip. Thanks for all your help in planning
our trip.
Audrey, Rich and Allyson Trachtenberg
Smithown NY USA
Sept 2005
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Dear Ms. Petrauskaite,
I want to let you know that I enjoyed my stay in
Lithuania immensely.
<...>
I will recommend your services to other friends and
family who are contemplating visits to the country.
While I have your eye, please extend my thanks to
Tautvydas for his driving, and for getting me to the
archives where I obtained some very useful information
about my maternal grandmother.
Aciu labe,
Mark Ratkus
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