Client Testimonials

"Marina made everything a breeze, even with countless changes of the “plan” on my part. She kept her cool and worked with us to make every trip a success."

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"Not to mention she simplified our lives."

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"WOW…your advice was so perfect, everything you said about Costa Rica is so true, and everyone of your recommendations was just perfect, after talking with you I felt so much more at ease about traveling to Costa Rica with my young daughter…who had a blast, by the way!"

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"Marina and she turned out to be a real gem from the start. Not only was she patience, responsive, would listen, provide suggestions, recommendations, however what we valued most was her local knowledge in all aspects once we were able to convey across our “needs” & “expectations”. She really turned out to be our eyes and ears on Costa Rica."

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"The trip Marina helped to plan was flawless, we were never asked for proof of payment, groups tours were very small & personal and more importantly exactly along the lines on what she had suggested. It turned out to be value for money vacation and no wasted days or tours. We would do it all over again in hindsight!"

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"We were fortunate to have come across someone like Marina who we could trust on the professional guidance she provided, spends more time then the payment she receives in lieu, delivers on her promises and more importantly an experience we will never forget."

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"Great thanks to Marina Villatoro (travelexperta.com) for not only recommending Tulemar, but for getting us a great discount as well! I would strongly advise contacting her before you book anything in Central America as she is extremely knowledgeable and well connected."

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"Thank you, thank you for helping us plan such an amazing trip to Guatemala!! We had such a wonderful experience and were so pleased with all the guides and transportation arrangements for Tikal, Pacaya volcano and our wonderful trip around Lake Atitlan!"

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"By far, the best decision I ever made, as she was able to secure much lower rates than I could on my own, and the recommendations she gave for hotels, tours (she arranged all of them & our transportation) and the area were spot on. We are recommending her to all our friends and family and we will be using her again."

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"You were so helpful in executing the entire itinerary and I can’t thank you enough. You are very professional and diligent at what you do. I must have sent you over a hundred emails asking you so many questions. You always responded immediately with the best advice. You saved us money with all of our hotel bookings. I found Costa Rica absolutely overwhelming to plan and you came to the rescue with all of your great suggestions."

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"Thank you Marina. I have already recommended you to a few friends and will continue to do so. You definitely saved us so much time and money."

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"So overall everything about our trip was wonderful. All of the areas you suggested were great, all of the tours were wonderful, and I can’t thank you enough for helping us plan our trip! We are already thinking about when to come back or where we should take our next adventure. Again, we really really really appreciate your help in giving us one of the most amazing vacations. Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!"

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"Trip was simply perfect. Thanks to all the insights from you everything went very well and we had a great time for 9 days."

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Welcome!

Hi, so glad you're here! If you're new to my blog please sign up for my RSS feed and find me on twitter @marinavillatoro. I love helping people with their travel plans - SO ASK ME ANYTHING:).

Who am I? I'm a travel professional (addict), and an Expat living in Central America for over 10 years. You'll find resourceful articles for traveling, hotel and tour recommendations, tips, recipes and photos.

My goal is to help you plan the best vacation ever. I take care of everything and guarantee lower prices than if you were to do it yourself!

Learn more ABOUT ME here!

Weekly Travel Tip – How to Learn More About Local Culture

By Marina K. Villatoro · Sunday, March 07th, 2010

The best way to get to know the local culture from the country or town you’re visiting is not to go with a big tour group. It would be better to get a local, private guide. That’s because they will know more about what goes on in the town. Also big transportation companies usually don’t have staff from the specific town you are in. That means they won’t know as much about the area as a local one.

Another thing that will help you get a better experience is to shop at small grocery stores, pharmacies and outdoor markets. In them you will not only meet the locals but you will also get inexpensive souvenirs. Finally make friends with the hotel’s staff, they can give you lots of information about what the locals like to do for fun.

Get more Weekly Travel Tips here for a safe trip!