Ron and Chris have been Penshurst locals their whole married life. They had spotted Forward Travel near the train station so one day they decided to pop in. They immediately felt at ease with Rose and confident in her knowledge of the region.

“Rose is very personable and she is an easy person to talk to. We didn’t have any qualms that it wasn’t going to be okay. We felt very much at ease. I know she is widely travelled herself. We never felt that she wasn’t capable. It was great to just be able to pop in and see her as we went through our planning.”

Ron and Chris’s friend wanted to travel to the Panama Canal but his wife didn’t want to do a cruise. The group didn’t want meals included in their itinerary so they had the freedom to explore at their leisure.

Chris had read about the Devil’s Nose Train in Ecuador and wanted to include that on the trip. None of these requests were a challenge for Rose – she just built the itinerary to suit the four travellers.

It served us so well. That was the best format I’ve ever seen.”

More than guiding them as to their daily itinerary, Ron and Chris were able to use The Book to help with a misunderstanding at a Colombian airport. Airport officials were questioning Chris and Ron about when they were returning to Australia. There was a communication barrier with neither side understanding the other. Chris and Ron simply showed them The Book and the issue was resolved.

Ron and Chris particularly loved Ecuador. They recall that the tour guide in Ecuador, booked by Forward Travel, was outstanding.

“The tour company in Ecuador was first class. We had a small hiccup that a restaurant we had booked at for lunch didn’t receive the booking. It wasn’t the guide’s fault at all but he sorted it out. And then we received a complimentary meal at the hotel on our second last night, paid for by the tour company. The guide was absolutely delightful and so was the driver. They really looked after and cared for us.”