It was great to learn more about Poland, especially the history and our guide Marta J. did a wonderful job. However, I thought it was more than I wanted to hear because the dark history seemed constant especially in Warsaw. There was really no "light" day, just continuous WWII & the Jews, so it didn't feel like a vacation but a history class. Krakow was better, there were other things to focus on like Pope JP II. I liked learning about his time at the university because it made him more real to me. I also liked getting out of Krakow and going into the countryside. It was so beautiful out there and we had a perfect day river rafting. The highlight was visiting Marta's home and having a meal there. There is still a lot of food to eat and I even left out things that were part of the plan. Maybe there should be another meal plan like 2 items instead of 3 items and priced accordingly or perhaps both plans so we have a choice. I believe I spend more money on food than what I eat. I would like to spend that money elsewhere in Poland or whatever country I happen to be in. Have you thought of making the trips more than 10 days? There's so much to see and not enough time even when you pack a lot in one day. Also, I'd like a little down time to walk around on my own and observe or shop or eat or whatever strikes my fancy, but there is no time for that.

The country of Turkey was amazing, especially Cappadocia, and of course the women we traveled with made the trip unforgettable. I am rating 2 stars because I did not appreciate that the tour was actually organized through a third party "Azim Tours" and this was not disclosed beforehand. Also, the itinerary booklet had incorrect information listed and most of which could have been corrected. For example, one of the sited listed was Cleopatra's Baths which has been closed for renovations for the past 6 months (well before the booklets where printed and sent out) and the tour was booked during an Islamic 4-day holiday. When planning a trip to a country where 95% of the population is a part of the religion, it would be important to make sure places will be open during the holiday. We ran into major traffic and rescheduling because of this oversight. All of this can be overlooked because I know things happen but, the main reason why I only gave 2 stars is because of Sights and Souls Travel as a company and their lack of appreciation for long time customers. There were multiple women on this tour (not myself since I am still new) who have been going on annual or multiple S&S trips per year for well over the past 10 years who were not shown any appreciation and blatantly disregarded by the tour leader at the time of tipping. That lack of customer appreciation or simple acknowledgement, especially for a decade of loyalty, truly tells me everything I need to know about a company.

Had a great time and I have to give the most positive comments about our tour leader, Renata. She was marvelous. All the women on this trip were very nice. Everyone was always on time and prepared. I did think the trip was a little bit ambitious. While there are so many sites to see in a country the size of turkey. I think some of them could’ve been skipped and substituted for those closer to Istanbul. I say that with the exception of Cappadocia, which is not to be missed. That was extra extraordinary. Euphresia was a down right dangerous site. The streets are laid out with extraordinarily slippery stones and a lack of railings and that no one was hurt going downhill was pure unadulterated luck. And truly if you’ve seen one Roman amphitheater, you’ve seen most of them and I think they were some of the sites that were there that could be found closer and maybe safer to Istanbul . I felt that the entire day and the trip to some of the surrounding sites could’ve been completely skipped. I sadly have to say the same about the 2 1/2 hour journey each way to see the beautiful blue pools. You can get the gist from a picture as a site is so crowded and it’s a difficult journey to get to them. Thank God, they had rented the car in advance, but truly it’s not like you’ve got to wait around in them. And I did not like the hard cell we got at the pottery shop where we stopped. Well the demo was great all the sales people to send it on us and it’s a full court press. To buy. The time we spent at the seaside town was lovely. It probably could’ve been a day shorter, but the shopping was good. Unfortunately the hotel we stayed in was downright dangerous. I have pictures to show you. Well, I’m sure it gets the highest ratings in that area, it was nowhere near four star just with beautiful views and a great pool. Everything we did in Istanbul was fantastic., Excellent hotel great security at the Conrad Hilton, excellent choice of restaurants, the mosques, the palace, the cemeteries, and the river were not to be missed. I will definitely do another site and soul tour. Thank you for the opportunity to travel with your groups and for the chance to give you candid comments. Best regards, Lisa Curtin.

This trip was fabulous!! Accommodations and food were excellent! There was a very ambitious schedule and a bit of relaxation time would have been appreciated!

Wonderful group of women and tour leader was outstanding.