Almaz Journeys
Our founder Joe Sandillo’s passion for Latin America began early, working toward fluency in both Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese in high school and college in Florida. Joe was bitten by the travel bug during undergraduate studies at the University of Florida, when he spent nearly a year living and studying in Brazil and traveling to Argentina and Paraguay. Read More… At Almaz Journeys, we are passionate about Latin America and her myriad landscapes, cultures and cuisines, after years spent living and traveling throughout the region. Our goal is to translate our passion into unforgettable private journeys for you. And luckily for us, we happen to be working with some of the most awe-inspiring countries and locales anywhere in the world! Read More… Passionate specialists in Latin America Everyone on our team has a personal connection with the region, and nothing gets us more excited than traveling and creating new memories there. We bring all this to bear in planning your upscale journey, to give you the trusted, up-to-date input you expect. Read More…
OUR FOUNDER
ABOUT ALMAZ
OUR DIFFERENCE
Past Client’s Praise
There isn’t one thing I can think of that would have improved our trip with Almaz Journeys. My wife, travel companions and I were blown away by Colombia. We enjoyed the fact that at every turn in Cuba, we learned something and that the learning experience led to more questions. Extremely thought provoking trip. Top to bottom – everything fell into place without any hitches. Could not have asked for anything better for our trip! Amazing trip with Almaz Journeys! The experience was totally different than expected….Cuba is hardly “stuck in the 50’s” – the Cuba we experienced feels optimistic and alive with energy and hope. Almaz Journeys designed a people-to-people exchange that included a fairly diverse cross-section of what is available to do in Cuba- we cruised the streets in vintage convertibles, dined at delicious restaurants, met with local artists, hiked through the forest and swam under waterfalls. We wanted a people-to-people exchange that combined culture, art, music, some politics and a bit of bit of hiking – Almaz Journeys didn’t disappoint! What an incredible whirlwind of an experience in Havana, Cuba! Wonderful people, beautiful architecture, rich culture, complex history, and fantastic food – for consumption…and thought. Almaz Journeys used their connections to set up fascinating exchanges based on our interests, and really took care of every last detail, so we could relax and enjoy our trip to the fullest. My people-to-people exchange in Cuba with Almaz Journeys exceeded my wildest expectations. We started in Havana, ventured west to Viñales, and then ventured east to Trinidad, Baracoa, & Santiago de Cuba. The country is breathtaking, and its souls are welcoming and real. Never once did I experience anything contrived. Perhaps the highlight was Santiago’s carnival, an extra-lenten tradition that dates back to the 1600s. Almaz Journeys made all of this possible by bringing you up close and then seamlessly disappearing so that you can thrive and learn on your own. Almaz Journeys opened my eyes to Peru in ways I never realized were possible. We experienced some of the best of Lima’s food and culture scene and then spent time in both the well-visited and off-the-beaten path parts of the Sacred Valley. Mostly the trip was memorable because of the dedication Joe and team showed to making my trip special and enjoyable. I can’t wait to experience a Cuba trip with them! We became believers. Most friends asked us why Colombia, to which we responded, “why not?” Colombia is a lot more than just coffee and emeralds. Our family cannot thank Almaz Journeys enough for pointing us in the right direction, putting together a top- notch itinerary, and delivering first class trip to Cuba. We had an incredible experience, and creative memories that will last a lifetime! Top-notch advice and service on planning and executing the trip, especially with a quick date change. The private tour of the Panama Canal control tower was special, as was the boat trip on the canal as we were able to get close to the ships transiting the Culebra Cut. All of the experiences were fantastic. They gave us the mix of urban and rural that I was looking for. We literally enjoyed everything we did. From the very start Joe was communicative and had loads of information. Every step of the way was easy from booking flights to deciding where to go. They were fast on the email response and quick to answer questions. I could not have had a better experience with them. The guides, hotels, drivers were top notch.
David Tager Boynton Beach, FL
Craig Lengyel Dallas, TX
Nancy Hart Harrison, NY
Heidi K. Murray Dallas, TX
Andy Doyle Washington, DC
Andrew Blotky San Francisco, CA
Andrew Edson New York, NY
The Rust Family Orlando, FL
Ken Andrews Marlborough, MA
Mark Levenstein Encino, CA
Devon Kelly Newport Beach, CA
