Black TomatoAvis 

Didn't get the opportunity to book travel the consultant said, 'don't travel to Egypt during Ramadan". She stated that the "guides will be more sensitive because of fasting" and it more of "family time and they are not as welcoming to foreigners" (yes, that word was used?!). Phone consult last 4 minutes and that was the end of our experience with Black Tomato. The whole interaction was quite sad that the idea of exposing a 'foreigner' to something unique and different should be avoided.

Our family holiday to Norway was first class. The execution exceeded our expectations and the brief was met perfectly. From a short stay in Oslo to the Lofoten Islands in the Arctic Circle, and then down the West Coast to Bergen we hiked, kayaked, fished, swam, cycled, ate and drank well and stayed at some memorable boutique accommodation. The on-ground partner was awesome. All round excellent experience

Decided to choose Black Tomato for my trip to Japan and I'm overall very happy with my decision. The whole process was easy with my travel expert, Michael Calvert. I appreciate the opportunities for suggestions as the trip went on as they very much catered to what I wanted to experience. Every guide I met was knowledgeable about the country and culture of Japan. I'd definitely choose Black Tomato again for future travels.

Black Tomato created a seamless adventure for us on New Zealand's South Island, including finding us some very special places we otherwise would not have known about. Ian, our BT contact, was incredibly well-informed and engaging -- a pleasure to plan with. Rob, our main contact in NZ was interesting, engaging and a pleasure to work with. We look forward to working with BT to plan future adventures.

Ian from London put together our dream trip to southern Australia. While I’d like to think we’ve been savvy travel planners for many years, we felt the need for expert assistance with a custom luxury trip to down under. Ian with Black Tomato (of which we’d read many favorable reviews) more than met our expectations. Travel arrangements were seamless, lodging and locations were superb, local guides were timely, informative and engaging. When we need help with any future boutique travel planning we’ll check first with BT!

We used Black Tomato for their specialized travel knowledge, and they designed a trip for us that was fun, relaxing, interesting, and luxurious. They personalized our itinerary and took care of all travel and touring. We had private drivers and guides everywhere, and had great service all around at hotels and excursions. Most importantly, we didn't have to do any planning or stressing and were able to unwind and enjoy our honeymoon!

I have traveled with the expert guidance of Black Tomato to so many corners of the globe, each one full of excellent nooks and crannies, amazing guides, fantastic places to stay, and surprises and delights along the way. Most recently, we went to Peru -- a once-in-a-lifetime exploration -- and have previously traveled to Iceland, Japan, Scotland, Austria and Hungary all with the best details planned and memories ensured. This year, we are heading on a trip to Egypt and we can't wait!

We wanted:
- Nature & wildlife
- Social & cultural immersion
- Real and authentic experiences
- Off the beaten track (No / less tourists)

We got:
Quote from my 2 kids:
"That was the best vacation ever!" :-)

Black Tomato makes travel personal, seamless and special! We have used them several times (Central America, South America, & Europe). Everytime the details are taken care of, the guides the best available, and the adventures unique. We place value on experiences and seeing the world with our children. Black Tomato has always delivered.

I had a very special trip to South Africa with Black Tomato. The booking process was the best I’ve experienced, very friendly experts who helped guide my choices and they really knew their stuff. The properties I stayed at excelled in both the luxury experience and wildlife guiding. Will use them again.

Found them to be very difficult to communicate with - unresponsive, scattered. Not what I expected from what is sold as a luxury agency.

Thank you for this company they listened to customer needs . they helped a lot to us , it was easy and smooth booking. Definitely will use this again

Another great trip from BT! Alys & Caroline planned us an incredible twelve days in Croatia and Switzerland and it was our most memorable trip yet. Our guides and drivers were top notch and the pace was perfect for us. We did so much but never felt overwhelmed or tired. Our highlights were the boat trip around Vis & Besovo, the winery day and the chocolate making class. Thank you so much!!!!!

Another wonderful BT trip - their "boots on the ground" folks, in each city, were outstanding. The itinerary was carefully curated with all our hopes and wishes in mind. The accommodations were excellent and wonderfully situated. The guides took great care to explain and teach and engage, making Italy come alive. We can't wait for the next adventure!

We had a great experience with black tomato and our planner, Ian. They helped us plan the most unforgettable honeymoon in New Zealand. They thought of every detail and it was wonderful to have all the logistics planned out for us. Each hotel they planned was gorgeous and very customer centric, we would not have found most of these hotels on our own.
We wanted a more adventurous trip and they helped us find great excursions. Highly recommend working with them!

We had a great experience with black tomato a few months back, I highly suggest everyone to book their tours with black tomato atleast once a year. Worth the amount paid!

I took a Get Lost trip where I did not know where I was going until just before leaving California. It ended up being Mongolia and it was spectacular from the moment I landed in Ulaanbaatar until the second my trip ended. In between was magic- I trekked across remote parts of the country, navigating by compass and sight, and was rewarded with memories that will last a lifetime. Somehow they were able to create luxury in one of the most remote regions in the world including a hot shower hundreds of miles from civilization. The people and the culture were unforgettable as were all the surprises that Black Tomato had at every corner (helicopter transfer, ultra luxury yurt, a performance on horse back, to name a few). I wholeheartedly recommend Black Tomato and the work Rob and team did to create such an amazing experience.

I had decided to go to Spain for my
60th birthday celebratory vacation. My plan was to give myself the gift of a luxurious 5 star vacation. Last year I had a bad experience when I worked with a different travel agency to help me plan my vacation in Greece. Needless to say I was hesitant to work with another travel agency. Then I stumbled upon Black Tomato. Working with Black Tomato has been a truly fantastic experience!!!!! I was assigned to work with a travel expert named Caroline Quinn. Caroline did a fantastic job of guiding me through each step of the planning and booking process. At the beginning of the process she interviewed me to find out my interests and what kind of vacation I was looking for. She then advised me on the best locations, and the length of time to spend in each location. She suggested the best tours and best 5 star hotels to fit my needs. She was very attentive to my questions and comments and provided me with very prompt responses. At the end of the process my entire vacation was booked and confirmed and I was given online access to all of the details. Black Tomato also provides support once you get to the location. Working with Black Tomato and Caroline Quinn in particular has provided me with a seamless and thoroughly enjoyable experience. I will be using Black Tomato as my travel agents for all of my upcoming vacations. Thanks so much Caroline Quinn and Black Tomato. I couldn’t be happier with your services and excellent customer service! I am so excited for my upcoming luxurious 60th birthday celebratory vacation in Spain!!!!

We recently returned from an eight day journey in Turkiye that was arranged by Sunil Metcalfe at Black Tomato. This was the second trip Black Tomato coordinated for us.

Despite the fact that my wife owns a travel agency, we turned over execution of almost all the logistics to Sunil's capable hands. First and foremost in importance for us in traveling to a foreign land is minimization of the stresses involved in the transfers, and Black Tomato's, and its on-the-ground affiliate - ITM's, execution of these details was flawless. At Istanbul airport, we were greeted immediately off the plane by handler and whisked across the giant terminal in golf carts, processed through customs in a priority line, assisted with our bag collection and escorted to our waiting driver. This alone was a massive stress-reducer after a 17-hour travel day.

After our transfer to the hotel, we were greeted that afternoon by our extraordinary guide, Cemil Kara. Quite honestly, Cemil was really the key to making the trip special. His English was flawless, his knowledge of Turkiye was boundless, his sense of humor was delightful and he attended to our needs with genuine concern and warmth.

Our first adventure was a private cruise on the Bosphourous and we spent three days with Cemil exploring the sights, sounds and food of Istanbul.

From there, Black Tomato and ITM coordinated with a charter company for private air travel all around the county, to visit Cappadocia, Nevsehir, Pamukkale, Ismir, Sirince, Ephesus and Canakkale - an amazing amount of ground to cover in 5 days.

Were there hiccups? Of course, it comes with the territory. There was a miscommunication with the balloon company in Cappadocia that caused us to miss our early AM flight. The Nissanyan House hotel in Selçuk only had a double bed, when we asked for a King, and was far more rustic than we expected. But, Sunil, Cemil and the teams from Black Tomato and ITM addressed the challenges in stride and always sought to promptly resolve any of this mostly minor problems and annoyances.

All in all, the most important part is that we felt well cared for. I am not certain that one could ask for anything more from your travel planner.

Simply the best. BT (and Jihane) helped us plan a detailed getaway and family visit to Indonesia that became an extraordinary experience for our entire family. From our excursions to our accommodations, everything was absolutely first-class and their in-country travel partners were ALL very helpful and accomodating. We'll definitely use them again, and I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND.