Media & Testimonials
Reviews and Testimonials
“OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO PLEASE YOU AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN UNFORGETTABLE TRIP BY PROVIDING AN EXCELLENT AND SUPERIOR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE. FIND OUT WHAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT TRAVELING WITH A CLASSIC TOURS COLLECTION”
Whether you’re a first-time traveler with us or a repeat customer (and we have many who sing our praises!), you’ll appreciate the many personalized details we incorporate into each trip we plan.
JANET RAE DUPREE:
Mixing luxury with adventure, our tour’s exquisite attention to detail has been beyond compare. It’s one thing to piece together a first-class itinerary; it’s another thing altogether to remain open to serendipity and flexibility. This is how to experience a country authentically.
SCANNEL, DREAM VACATIONS:
I wanted was to THANK you again tremendously for what appears to have been an epic trip for Andy and Vera. Normally I wouldn’t just hand off clients to a supplier as I did with you but since I was traveling and their time was short, it was the best solution. Thanks for agreeing to it. I will continue to look for and bring you clients who want to visit India as I have no doubt you are now my #1 source for India.
PRESTON:
Hi Mark, A little review for u on the hotels: All great places to get a good sleep and all so far excellent breakfast and other food. The lovely hotel I’m in here in Siem Reap has a great location too. Can walk thru a lovely park complete with fruit bats high in the trees, to Nat’l Museum in a short amount of time and visiting the town is also walking convenient. Really good. Even though I have enjoyed and appreciated all of the Angkor temples I’ve seen, especially at sunrise, it brought to mind how amazing the Ellora and Ajanta temples are.
FORMAN:
Joyce and David:
Hi Mark, We were just reminded on the SEML that tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of our 1995 Total Solar Eclipse in India. It was such a wonderful tour and always gives us great memories when we think about the places that we visited and the interesting hotels in which we stayed. We were fortunate to meet you then and to travel with you since then. We are very much looking forward to March 2016 in Indonesia and to traveling with you again.”
Mary Ann Hayre:
I recently returned from a tour of India–Textile Tour with Deb Roberts. I must say I was very impressed. Having been to India several times before I know how difficult it can be to arrange anything, then make it happen. Your arrangements were always spot on. When there was supposed to be a bus, there was a bus; the bus drivers knew where to go; airline tickets were always correct; hotels were great (more about this later). I must congratulate you, your people in India were superb. Our guide, Balbir Singh Nar, wow, what can I say. He was patient, kind, knowledgeable and did I mention patient. Shuffling 15 women around could not have been particularly easy but he made is seem effortless, plus he was personable with a great sense of humor. I really enjoyed myself and saw parts of India I had not seen before. I will definitely keep your name in my mind for future trips.
Eli and Gwen:
Dear Mark, Returned safely home from a magnificent vacation. Myanmar was truly unique and spectacular! We can’t thank you enough for arranging everything for us. Each and every hotel was wonderful and different. But above and beyond the hotels, the sights, the itinerary that went off without a hitch was the guide and driver in Yangon. Those two men, Mo and Yey, have to be two of the nicest people we have ever met. They absolutely stand out as making the travel experience what it was. We cannot say enough about how great they were – there was nothing they wouldn’t do to make our stay enjoyable. (Example- we really wanted to visit the synagogue in Yangon and they arranged with the proprietor to have it open for us). Inle Lake was another treat – so interesting! The guide there was lovely and quite knowledgeable- great language skills. She was very amenable to adjusting when we indicated we were more interested in understanding about the people who lived on the lake and less interested in visiting the staged “craft/shopping” spots. So, in closing we thank you again for all your arrangements. We can hardly wait to book another trip with you! With warm regards,
Cindy Spencer:
We loved our experiences in Thailand and now Cambodia. The people have been so kind. Our Thai Home Cooking experience was exceptional and we would highly recommend it for future travelers. Our drive into the hill country on the Burmese border was stunningly beautiful too. I absolutely love the Cambodian people. So sweet and gentle. Our guide through the temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom was knowledgeable and patient in giving us time to explore. Thank you again for setting up such an exciting trip!
Dr. J. FABIAN :
The trip you arranged for us in Egypt was spectacular. The guides were great; they were very knowledgeable, cooperative, flexible and protective. In addition, the manager of your local office was very responsive to our desires, extending himself way beyond what was expected, to keep us company until we embarked on our journey home very late in the evening. I have spoken to many people about the excellence of your travel services and fully intend to travel with you again. The literature you provided about the history and development of the area and the sights was very informative and helpful in preparing us for each day’s exploration.
M. KRISTIAN:
I still think the people’s personalities are different in different areas and for me, they have made lasting impressions. I met that wonderful woman in Chennai who was my tour guide. So knowledgeable and had this regal air about her. Bottom line- I do know the power of your name in India. I remember being in many different places and if I mentioned you, things definitely took an upward swing and each person, would say…he/she knows Mark Sood!
R & S ROBERTS:
Have just returned from my sixth fabulous tour organized by Classic Tours, this time to Ecuador. As is always the case the trip is easy, the accommodations fabulous and the guide highly informative. Mark Sood has a knack for scheduling tours that are beautiful and educational in depth.
AHUJA – SARMA & VARANASI FAMILIES:
WE HAD A FABULOUS TIME and everything was planned very well. We loved the Safari, and all the lodges, food, etc. Thanks again for all your help and to Classic Tours Collection for making this a memorable vacation. In particular, our drivers Hussain and Hari were amazing. Hussain also suggested we do a “bush lunch” in the crater which really turned out to be one of our highlights. It was amazing. Thanks so much for all of your help!
SILVER FAMILY:
Met or exceeded all expectations. Guides were great. We have several we want to call out for compliments. And, would positively recommend to anyone. We would look forward to talking in the next week or so.
PRESTON:
I want to generously thank-you for your effort to get my “unused day trip” refund. It makes me feel very good that there actually are ethical people in the world.
R & C UNDERHILL:
Thanks! We did have a very nice trip. All the things you planned went as planned (and all the things that we had no control over went well too). All other tours/guides/drivers/hotels were first rate and exactly what I asked for and expected.
J & B SINDELAR:
I wanted to pass along the guides we had that made the trip so much better. Turkey, they were extremely knowledgeable and fun to be with. They added so much to the whole experience. Also, our guide for the game drives in the Mara was a pleasure to be with and really knowledgeable on the area and the animals. He was so eager to please and never in a hurry to get back to the Hotel. Thanks again for putting this all together for us. Hope we get a chance to work together in the near future. Should you happen upon any deals “too good to pass up”, keep us in mind.
C. ALEXANDER:
Mark at A Classic Tour planned our tour to Southern India for my husband, myself and our friends from Oregon. He did an amazing job! I don’t think a better trip could have been planned for us. He provided us with a very detailed itinerary which included a description and some history of the area we were visiting together with a brief itinerary of our trip to take with us. From the transportation to the hotels, it was the best! Not only at the beautiful Taj Mahal Hotels, but Mark set us up with a stay at Mysore Mahal Palace Hotel which was the official residence of the former royal family of Mysore. And, it included a complimentary private special dinner prepared for the four of us. It was something that will always be remembered by us. Everything from the beginning to the end of our trip went extremely smooth for us. Our van trip and our plane rides went exactly as planned – everything on time! We all highly recommend that you plan your next trip with Mark as we know you will be completely satisfied with everything he plans for you. Thank you so much Mark for all that you did for us!
Diane – Travel Agent:
I cannot thank you enough, Mark, for handling the last minute changes and so perfectly! Your service in securing a last minute India VISA was amazing, when my client lost his Passport with VISA, Then changing the entire itinerary, based on a 4 day delay in travel. You met all of my clients desires for very special sightseeing arrangements in Nepal and Delhi. You even had to make additional last minute adjustments due to Air India flight cancellations and schedule changes. My client could not have been more pleased. Plus, for another traveler, you created the best solution for accommodating a most unusual situation. He had 200 pounds of equipment from the US to Bhubaneswar. You made perfect arrangements for him during his stop-over in Delhi, with a Van driver, hotel and a bonus of some sightseeing. Then you helped make changes to his Nepal vacation on his return from India, due to Air India flight cancellations and schedule changes. This delayed his arrival into Nepal by 1 day, so you had to shift hotels and sightseeing. Again, another happy traveler. Your follow through and accessibility to me during this process was beyond the call of duty. You are an outstanding travel source for me. I look forward to working with you again in the future. Many thanks does not seem adequate, but I sincerely appreciate how lucky I was to have you in my corner. Best to you, Mark.
ANTHONY DUNN:
My wife and I took your Eclipse tour conducted by Mark Sood. I believe the only way we can describe this tour is “beyond outstanding’. Mr. Sood turned this tour into the trip of a lifetime. His selection of sights to be visited and the accommodations used along the way show an understanding of the desires of his clients, His planning and taking charge was most evident in both trips through the Beijing airport to catch flights. Both times we seemed to waltz through the terminal bypassing the hordes of people waiting to clear the check in lines. His consideration for his party was always there, but not always obvious. At the Great wall in China, he positioned himself behind my wife as she climbed the stairs to help in the event she had any problems. Because the rest of our group had gone ahead, I don’t this anyone noticed his action, that’s how good he is. Many thanks and especially to Mark Sood for a most enjoyable trip.
ROLLIE & NANCY ANDERSON:
I have been meaning to email you to let you know that Nancy and I had a fabulous time. The service, Hotels and itinerary were outstanding. The guides were always friendly, helpful and of course knowledgeable about their particular city and/or country. You did your normal great job in putting the trip together. Thanks again from Nancy & me for a great and memorable trip.
