The Ultimate Way to See Alaska

We are just back from two back-to-back extremely well-coordinated trips orchestrated with us by Rachael.  

First of all, taking the Nat Hab safari first was just the best idea offered by Rachel.  It is the “real way” to see Alaska up close.  There were only 12 in our group, all about the same age and abilities with a terrific Nat Hab guide, Mark Jordahl.  The variety of activities and travel options were each exciting; helicopters, bush planes, trains, a small boat, kayaks, etc.  Nat Hab has an extremely well-trained staff everywhere we went – they all seem to know one another.  We also felt very safe.  The food throughout was fresh and prepared with creativity and great care.  To take the Alaskan cruise without first experiencing Nat Hab would not have offered a “true Alaskan experience”.  The variety of expedition options on this trip was our overall favorite – never a dull moment every day – and seeing grizzly/brown bears in the wild up close was a once in a lifetime.

We are not really cruise people because venturing to one port after another for a limited 3 to 4 hours along with other cruise ships of 5,000 people doesn’t get us deep into an experience.  However, with Nat Hab in our rearview mirror, the Regent Seven Seas was an excellent choice.  We were extremely comfortable and well-fed.  The number of guests ensured the ship did not seem crowded.  We never waited for anything we wanted to do.  The staff is equally well-trained.  They represented 46 nations and were very proud to provide for us – all with perfect English. We especially liked the fact that “all was inclusive”.  Not having to pay or tip our way through the voyage made the sail very smooth.  We did get off the ship in 4 small cities for 4 hours or so and did enjoy the activities with each well-trained local staff.  However, there’s much more to Alaska to see than just on a cruise ship – no matter how luxurious the ship.  

Rachael put together our Pocket Travel which we used a lot.  We didn’t need to carry a lot of paper outlining where we should be when.  It was right up to date with even our current flight and limo info when we left.  We consulted often.

I highly recommend Rachael as a trip coordinator.  She was on top of every detail and gave me ample time to prepare for the next step – payments due, decision times, insurance, etc.  She didn’t plan it in isolation.  She consulted us at every step.

Thank you for an excellent 2-trip experience.  We certainly will highly recommend Town & Country Travel.

Mary Kay and Cloyd Marvin