Customer Feedback

First of all it was nice to meet the man behind the tour, good job.

We were booked into an 11 day tour with Kevin.  Needless to say, it was an incredible experience!  The accommodations were first rate, the breakfasts were great and the surroundings were terrific. (you see I am running out of superlatives!)

As for Kevin, I am sure you know the Irish gem you have in him.  He was caring and thoughtful of his charges, making sure we were well informed, well photographed and of course well fed.  He was very accommodating to each of us making sure that our interests of the trip was met.  He was although al bit jealous that we met the King of Ireland and listened to his music and he did not.

We had a wonderful trip filled with wonders and beautiful scenery, I’d come back just to see all the sheep in the mountains!  There was also lots of “craic” from us and the rest of the group.  I will not hesitate for one second to recommend this trip or any other Vagabond experience to my friends.  The thoughtfulness that was evident on this trip made us feel very special.  Again I ramble.

Thank you so much for providing us the opportunity of seeing Ireland through the eyes of true Irishmen.

Mary Therese and Peter Kluender, 11 day Discover Ireland tour, September 2012

We just wanted to tell you that we enjoyed our tour tremendously and that Kevin was a great tour guide.  He was full of knowledge,

stories and songs and  kept our interest the whole time (except for maybe a few minutes of napping, especially in late afternoon before arriving at our next hotel)!  Kevin was like a shepherd protecting his sheep!  We just sat back and enjoyed the ride!!!!

We can’t stop talking about our wonderful experience and are recommending it to everyone who hasn’t been to Ireland yet.

It was also a pleasure to meet you, Rob. (and John).  We can see what pride you take in your company and how you are always

trying to improve things or add new things, with feedback from your customers. Thank you for a wonderful tour!!  We love Ireland!!!

Nancy & Butch Codi, 11 day Discover Ireland tour, September 2012

Hi Rob -

Just wanted to let you know that our experience with Driftwood was absolutely splendid!  The tour was wonderful and Brendan was quite a fabulous guide and driver – if he ever leaves you, send him our way! Barbara, 11 day Discover
Ireland tour, September 2012

Just home in Australia after a 33 hour travel home – Australia is too far from everywhere!

We (Brian & I) had a wonderful time in your beautiful country. Brendan, our driver/guide, who is younger than our youngest son! did you proud. He is a gem. So laid back and flexible, he made the trip so relaxing. His driving was exemplary, so careful.

We had a great small group of 10 which after 5 days became 8 and we all got on really well. I commend you for the trip we did and seeing Ireland and Northern ireland the way we did.

We sure did have the best time ever and the weather was not too bad either.

Thanks for a wonderful tour.

Sue Adams, 11 day Discover Ireland tour, August 2012

Judy and I wish to thank the team at Vagabond-Driftwood for what we consider to be a highlight tour in our many travels through Europe.  It is clear that much thought and experience have gone into the development of the tours.  The flexibility that has been built in to allow for the wants/likes of the different people on the tour and to adjust for the vagaries of weather made for a rewarding visit.  I cannot think of, nor have I come across in my research on touring Ireland, a more appropriate way to get an overview, and in-depth insights, of the DRI and Northern Ireland: their history, their lifestyles and their magnificent beauty.

I cannot say enough about our tour guide, Kevin.  He displayed not only an extensive and deep knowledge of Ireland, its history and the ins and outs of the different regions/counties and their people, but portrayed it in narrative and song, and with a deep passion, as, I feel, very few could.  He was very attentive to the diverse needs of the tour group and did so cheerfully at all times.

Based on our experience, we would certainly recommend the Driftwood tour to others, and have already done so!

And to you, Rob, I wish to extend our thanks and deep appreciation for the expediency with which all of our requests were dealt, and for having maintained a high level of timely communication throughout the planning, and post-tour.

Sincerely, Boyd and Judy Case. 11 day Discover Ireland Tour, August 2012

Tony and I just finished the most fantastic tour we’ve been on.  When I signed up with you for the 11-day Driftwood tour that began on August 20, our goal was to learn more about Ireland, its people, culture, and history.  With a combination of a good itinerary and a wonderful tour guide/driver (Brenden McDermott), we did just that.  Brendan’s lay-back style was perfect as we saw everything planned without feeling rushed.  He combined Irish music CDs with stories and history about what we were seeing.  He is very knowledgeable as well as being an excellent driver in difficult driving conditions.  We appreciated his willingness to be flexible with the schedule and itinerary, and he went out of his way to make sure we were having a good time.  We have no complaints and only good comments about Brenden.

One of the highlights of the trip was going to Brenden’s cousin’s Beach Bar.  It definitely gave us the opportunity to talk with “regular” Irish people, see how they live, and to see a unique bar.  The walk along the ocean there was peaceful and scenic.  Other highlights of our trip that we especially liked are the Kissane Sheep Farm, Dingle Peninsula (glad we had 2 nights there), Galway (need more time there!) and the Burren.  We enjoyed watching a weaver weave wool in Aradura, and the residents of Aradura doing their weekly folk dancing (exercise) in the Heritage Centre was a wonderful experience.  The famine houses and learning about the tragedy and hardship of the Irish people in the 1800′s (and on) are imprinted on our hearts.  The black taxi tours in Belfast gave us more perspective of the troubles in Northern Ireland.

Thank you, Rob, for a wonderful tour.  I will certainly recommend your Driftwood tour to anyone thinking of visiting Ireland.  We made a wise choice in going with your tour company, and we are thankful Brenden was our tour guide.

Barbara & Tony Vella, 11 day Discover Ireland Tour, August 2012

Bill and I enjoyed our 11 day Driftwood trip very much.  Our guide Kevin was the best tour guide we have ever had….he was considerate, well spoken with a great sense of humor, very informative, an excellent driver and a pretty good singer!  Plus he offered photography suggestions and even took photos with our camera when we were unable to leave the van. The sights and sites on the trip were just what we had hoped for, the van was incredibly comfortable, and the tour companions were a nice addition. The hotels were very good and offered a nice variety.

Ireland is indeed a beautiful country, especially when the sun shines upon it, not always the case on this trip.  We learned a great deal about the history and current conditions in the many different areas of the country, and we found the Irish people very friendly and welcoming.

Thanks for answering all our questions and concerns prior to the trip, and once again, we found this trip to be very much to our liking, and we will certainly recommend your company and this tour to our friends.

Sincerely, Bill and Norma Ford, 11 day Discover Ireland Tour, July 2012

So, there’s this Irishman, a German lass, 2 Aussie gals & 5 Yanks and they walked into a pub…and then they sang & drank & laughed & sang & laughed & drank some more & then the next day they packed up their van, drove off & did it all again! Along the way they saw spectacular scenery, explored all the back tracks and short cuts and long ways around. They took in heaps of history & local knowledge and had a mighty time. At times, sad stories & songs made them cry. Other times, they laughed til the tears ran down their cheeks.

Dear Brendan, Rob & All at Driftwood & Vagabond

To say I’ve had the best holiday is such an understatement. The tour delivered everything it promised but so much more besides.  I don’t want to throw any more clichés at you – spectacular scenery, beautiful, hospitality, blah, blah, blah….  It was simply brilliant.

Brendan, your ‘research’ has proved invaluable! All those hours put in on previous trips, checking out pubs, bands, restaurants and cafes, exclusively for the benefit of your guests, saved us so much trouble & time. The music was always great & the food was always beautiful – we are indebted. Please carry on that research and find someone who can do Waltzing Matilda justice.

I love that you’ve sought out smaller, often family run businesses to support. Their genuine appreciation for our business and want for us to have a wonderful time was obvious. The boys on the Garinish Ferry were great – didn’t mind being taken over by mutinous Aussies at all.

I loved the CDs while we were travelling. I loved the van, comfy and cruisy – perfect. The size of the tour – to have only 9 and then 5 of us in the group was brilliant.  Brendan, I loved your calm and careful driving – thankyou.

I loved the freedom to turn … left or right??? I loved the couple of hours at The Beach Bar. Taking over the bar, talking to the local farmers about cattle prices, rainfall, acreage and road frontage. To meet and get to know real people is priceless and what I will remember forever.  The flexibility to spend some time however we wanted was much appreciated.

The time spent at Beech Hill House was a standout. The accommodation and meals were absolutely superb, but the time spent in front of the fire with John the Barman & the lovely young Chef was the best bit. (Apart from that Library of course)

 I love the respect you all obviously have for Ireland and for the Irish people that have paved the way for us all. It’s a passion that you don’t always see in Australia – we are such a lucky country and take a lot for granted. I’ve learnt a lot from you in that regard.

I felt totally safe and catered for. Every detail of the tour was taken care of, but most of all, it was just so much fun.  I will shout ‘Driftwood!’ from the rooftops, along with a coo-eee for good measure, and recommend your tours to everyone.

I can only say, Thanks a Million,

 Clara Harris, Geraldton Western Australia, 11 Day Discover Ireland Tour with Brendan July 2012

I just wanted you to know how much we enjoyed our 11-day Driftwood tour with Mark (first 4 days) and Brendan (last four).  We’ve been home since September 28th and I’m still sorting through the many pictures I took.  Janet and I are also exchanging photos.  Ireland is such a beautiful country with such a rich history……there were photo ops everywhere we went!  Even the weather cooperated and allowed us to enjoy several beautifully sunny days!  Our day on Inis Oirr was a case in point.  Both Mark and Brendan were excellent driver/guides, full of information, patience, and a great sense of humor.  We enjoyed them both.  All the tours were great, but the two guided ones in Derry and Belfast stand out in our minds.  They were both eye-opening and very sobering, and having the opportunity to talk with each of our group’s Black Cab drivers in Belfast (one Catholic, the other Protestant) was most enlightening. All the best & thanks for everything!

-Carol, 11 Day Discover Ireland Tour,  September 2012

The tour was absolutely fantastic!!!  Better than Jim or I anticipated.  Yes, I did fall in love with Ireland, and in spite of missing our family and friends, we still were sad to leave.

I found each day to be adventurous and different than the day before.  I am so glad we chose the 11 day trip because I found Northern Ireland fascinating with its history as well. All the marvelous scenery will never be properly captured in our pictures and I miss seeing those beautiful pastures and mountains dotted with sheep and cows.  Most of the people were just so friendly and fun to talk to whereever we went on the tour.  I didn’t quite get the hang of the Euros and Pounds but even when I was trying to weed through my coins the storeowners or pubowners would help me out.

We can’t say enough about Kevin!   He was so professional and so helpful as well as being a walking history book!!  We loved his humor, his jokes, and his songs–he really made the tour eventful for us and at the end we felt like we were saying good bye to a dear friend.  I especially appreciated his taking the time to help me find a driver to go to Killaloe, as that meant so much to be able to at least see the town my ancestors were from.

We also thought how nice it was that you were there. Rob,  to greet us all before we took off on our tour (in spite of the 1000 questions we emailed you or Gillian about the trip!!!)  That was such a thoughtful gesture and it is those things that make your company stand out from some of the other tours.  I have already recommended your company to everyone I’ve talked to and one of these days I plan to come back too.

Thank you again for making this trip so memorable and enjoyable!!!

Maureen and Jim Budny, 11 Day Discover Ireland Tour,  September 2012

I just wanted to let you and our guides, Wendy and Kevin, know how much we enjoyed our 7 day tour. We had so much fun with our group and loved all the out of the way places we saw. It truly gave us a sense of Ireland and the knowledge of Wendy and Kevin was invaluable. They handled everything with patience and ease, making us feel that nothing was too much trouble. The van was so comfortable and made it easy to get around on those narrow roads.

From the start of my inquiry to the last day of the trip, things were done in a friendly and professional manner. We will certainly recommend Vagabond.

Best regards, Kim McDonnell. 7 day Treasure Ireland tour, July 2012.

You have an excellent company and we are so glad we booked with you. Kevin is an articulate, informed, and capable guide. I posted your website on my Facebook highly recommending your tours. Thank you for this excellent introduction to your most beautiful and charming country.

best, Marta Tanenhaus, . 7 day Treasure Ireland tour, August 2012

Rob, the trip was absolutely brilliant. It completely exceeded my expectations, which were really high to begin with! The value we got for what we paid was incredible.

You guys might actually want to think about charging more. There’s no shame in making a profit! I’ll be recommending this trip to many people here in the Middle East who are in need of some green!

Best regards, Regan Doherty, 7 day Treasure Ireland tour, August 2012

We spent two months in Europe for our honeymoon and did a few other tours after Ireland with several tour guides (some who’d been voted best for their company).  The Driftwood tour was the best (the places, the accommodation, the food) but without a doubt, Kevin was definitely the best tour guide we had.  When you go to some many beautiful places around Europe, it is not just the locations that make a tour memorable.  Kevin made sure that everyone had the best experience of Ireland and we really are grateful.

We will definitely recommend Driftwood to our friends and family.

Kind regards, Chantelle Miller, 7 day Treasure Ireland tour, June 2012

I Just wanted to let you know what a great time we had on your 7 day Driftwood Tour of the South and West with Kevin Clancy.  Our four person group really loved the experience.  Kevin was extremely knowledgeable on Ireland’s history, he and kept us entertained, on time, and enjoying the experience throughout the entire tour.

This was our first trip to Ireland and our first tour after many years of vacations “on our own”, and we saw so much more than I could have found, and many smaller locations that large tour buses could not even reach. In addition, the hotels, pubs, and food were consistently great.  I would highly recommend Vagabond Driftwood tours and Kevin to anyone looking for a first class and unique tour of the Emerald Isle.

Thanks, Craig MacLatchie, 7 day Treasure Ireland tour, September 2012

I’m writing to let you know that our Driftwood tour with Kevin Clancy was indeed fantastic!  Kevin is an awesome ambassador for Ireland- he generously shared his love for and knowledge about Ireland as we traveled to see ancient sites, spectacular scenery, and interesting people.  I can’t imagine a better guide- he told stories, sang, introduced us to interesting people, made great suggestions for places to eat and hear Trad music.  The itinerary was wonderful- beautiful and interesting.

In short, we were extremely pleased with the tour and would recommend Driftwood to anyone wishing to see Ireland!

Thank you!

Susan  & Peter Nielsen, 7 day Treasure Ireland tour, September 2012

I tried to do the survey, but I was not able to get it to behave when I tried to send it. But we do want you to know how much we enjoyed our Driftwood tour. Danny was an excellent guide–we do understand that he does not work directly for Vagabond, but he is a capable driver and a fine guide with a lot of useful and interesting information about Ireland and its history. We liked being able pick and choose activities–my husband and I elected not to go kiss the Blarney Stone (a few years ago in Pisa, we chose not to be photographed holding the leaning tower, so you can perhaps tell from that what kind of travelers we are) and I chose to go to Inishmore while my husband elected to see the sheep dogs and Galway. Happily, our tour group was very compatible and friendly–I joined two sisters who were traveling together for the Aran Islands trip, six of us rented a horse-drawn carriage, and we spent a very enjoyable afternoon exploring the island. We liked all the hotel arrangements–nice variety there and we were pleased that several of the hotels were in the central part of town within walking distance of many places.

Also, we particularly liked the small-group aspect of your tour.  One thing we definitely did not want was to be crowded into a huge bus with 50 other travelers (with a group that size, restroom stops alone would take half the day!) because the entire experience would, we think, be much more impersonal.

Ireland is an astonishingly beautiful country. The Slea Head drive alone was worth the trip to Ireland. Dingle is a lovely town altogether. The ferry ride to Inishmore was definitely an adventure–the young woman who lost her breakfast fortunately missed my shoes–and I would not have missed either the ferry ride or the island itself.We would definitely recommend your tour to others. Thanks for providing us with a wonderful visit to your beautiful country.

Gloria and Bob Johnson, Oklahoma City, OK, USA, 7 day Treasure Ireland tour, September 2012

We’re now back from Ireland after having had a fantastic time with Driftwood Tours. We were surprised to find there were only four of us on the tour (only two one day) and were delighted to find the coach had been down-sized to suit. Accommodation was right up to scratch and the places we visited were everything we expected. Even the weather was reasonable!

Our guide Brendan was a treasure – a really nice guy with good local knowledge who took advantage of the small coach to show us places other tours would never hear of. Nothing was too much trouble for him.

We learned a lot and enjoyed every minute of it. We’ll certainly recommend Driftwood or Vagabond Tours to any friends thinking of visiting Ireland.

While I’m about it, your feedback was excellent too from the first enquiry, even after we’d handed over the funds! We were well informed in advance and there were no unpleasant surprises.

Well done all round.

Best regards

Jim and Anne McEwen 5 day ‘Backroads and Byways’ Tour (south west Ireland), August.  2012

Hello! Rob!    Do you recall the 4 “spritely ladies”  (Danny’s nickname for us) that took your tour almost one year ago now?   Bernadette and her family has moved to Abingdon, Va. and this is one of many pics that she’s sent to me….claiming she’s found a wee bit of Ireland in America….

We still daydream and talk about our GREAT experience with the Driftwood adventure.   I hope that you are continuing to PROSPER!!!   I LOVE the

capitalist country that I live in and I am NOT interested in all of us being “equal”… let those that can become wealthy (legally) go for it!

Whew!  where did that soapbox come from??!! HA

Best Wishes….Mary Holt, Bernadette, Leslie and Saundra. ‘Backroads and Byways’ Tour (south west Ireland), 2011

My mum has just got back from her Driftwood Tour TODAY and wanted me to email straight away to say thank you and to let you know what a fantastic time she had. It was her first time as a solo traveller and she chose Ireland as a trial run on ‘home ground’ being from Dublin as she is, though living in the UK for many years. She wanted to tell you how FANTASTIC Brendan the tour guide was and wanted to say how knowledgeable, funny, friendly and professional he was and how he made the tour even better. She loved everything about it – The guide, the activities, the quality of the accommodation and how friendly the atmosphere was.Though she is Irish she has not spent much time in the west and she couldn’t believe how beautiful her own country was. Now she’s done it once she’s got the bug and wished she had booked for the 12 day tour – but she will be back to do that at some point! So because she had such a great first solo travel experience with you guys, you have just opened up a whole world of travel opportunity for her so thank you again.

I handled all of the booking and found your emails super helpful which helped me to get mum to the Grand Canal Hotel for an easy start to her trip – so thanks from me too! I did lots of research into other tours and I’m really glad I chose you!

Look out for my mum again!

All best wishes,

Caroline McDonald, 5 day ‘Backroads and Byways’ Tour (south west Ireland), Sept.  2012

I wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time and your tour guide Kevin was terrific.   The reason for the tour was for my mother’s 80th birthday and it far surpassed what I expected.  I will certainly recommend Driftwoods tours for anyone who is heading to Ireland.  I just wish you had tours in other countries because I would not hesitate to take a tour with Vagabond again.

Thank you for making a memorable vacation for myself, mother, sister and daughter.

Mary Ellen Bridge, 5 day ‘Backroads and Byways’ Tour (south west Ireland), October  2012

Brian & Livvia Goff – Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, USA, 7 day tour, 2011

Sandi and Bobby Davenport
May 2011

Kate Orlet Schuering, June 2011

Dov & Ricky Yarden, Israel
5 day tour, May 2010

Branka & Zoran Pavlovic, Serbia
7 and 5 day tours, August 2010