| Our clients' testimonials |
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Matthew, UK
(Jan, 2004) |
Honestly, the pleasure that I have gained from the trip has been so great
that I would return tomorrow given half the chance. Unfortunately my work
is extremely busy at the moment and this makes any imminent return
practically impossible, but I dearly want to see my friends in Belarus
again.
What was your image of Belarus and in general of the former Soviet
states before your visit? We know that some stereotypes always exist.
May be something from TV and other mass media?
Not many people visit Belarus to be honest, and I know of nobody else that
has ever gone there. How can I have a stereotype as a result of that?
Personally, I hate the word stereotype anyway, and like to form my own
opinion. From this perspective, my image of Belarus was simply factual. I
knew that you had suffered after the second world war and that the
demographics of the population were different from the normal 'western'
countries. I also knew that Belarus had been extremely unfortunate with the
Chernobyl disaster, which although being situated in the Ukraine, due to the
conditions at the time, 70% of the fallout had contaminated your country.
What countries did you visit before? How can you compare your last
visit to Belarus to some other tours abroad?
Well I am not really that well travelled. I have been to Belgium, Holland,
Canada, Spain, Greece, Romania and France (and I suppose I should also count
Wales and Scotland) and have visited Corfu and Gran Canaria being islands
controlled by Greece and Spain. I actually quite like my own country, but I
would like to see more of the world.
I enjoyed Belarus very much. I definitely want to return, particularly as I
met a very special person in this country. My opinion may be tainted by
this fact, but I will try and remain objective. Belarus is a beautiful
country in the winter - far more beautiful than Britain - you should be
proud of it. I do not mind cold weather, so I was not put off by the
temperature forecasts. To be honest, although it was cold, it did not feel
too bad, as you have very little wind. It was noticeable that many of the
buildings were comparatively modern, even though your history is so rich - a
side effect from the second world war. It is also noticeable that there is
a variety of entertainment, but not much selection - few restaurants,
theatres, cinemas. That being said, after two weeks, I felt that I had only
scratched the surface, and would have readily stayed longer - but perhaps
that was down to the company I was keeping...?
Is it usual for the British to travel a lot? You know accountants
here in Belarus can afford in most cases to travel to their summer
cottage and back!
I suppose we do travel quite a bit, but normally to the 'traditional'
holiday resorts. We are lucky to have many airports and as a result, the
price competition is favourable to us. It is actually cheaper to go to
France and Spain for a holiday than it is to stay in a cottage in England,
as flight fares are very low to popular destinations. Having said that, the
fare to Belarus was not cheap, but worth every penny (or rouble)!!!
Please, comment somehow on the formalities you had to pass through to
get to Belarus. DO you think the formalities are rigid enough to
prevent many people from going here or not?
The formalities were not completely alien to me as I had experience of
Romania. My main concern was being turned away at the airport for whatever
reason, as I thought the controls were strict. Quite frankly, I doubt if
the visa situation would deter many people if they had decided to visit the
country, but they may be a factor if they had a choice between two
countries. I don't know. Soon we will all need visa's for the USA anyway,
and I doubt this will put off anybody - it will just make it harder, that's
all.
The most trivial question. What were your first impressions when you
arrived? What was the feeling before departure?
A very easy question to answer. The trip to Belarus was via Paris, so not
completely straight forward. I had arrived at Gatwick airport at about 5:00
am in the morning and had only one concern at that time, and that was
ensuring I managed to catch the flight to Paris. I had plenty of
opportunities to think about what I was doing, but knew exactly what I
wanted, and didn't care about anything else. So long as I arrived in
Belarus to meet with my lady, I didn't care about anything else in the world.
I am completely serious - I had all the paperwork in my hand luggage and
with help from you had prepared everything - if my other luggage had been
lost, I wouldn't have worried. The flight to Paris was 45 minutes. During
the flight, I asked the stewardess where I needed to go to catch my next
plane - I cannot tell you how worried I was to make sure I was on the
correct plane, it meant the world to me. The closer I came to your
country, the more emotional I felt. I had high expectations of the trip,
and knew that whatever happened, it would affect me for the rest of my life.
When the plane broke through the clouds for its final decent into Minsk, I
cannot describe my emotions. I was so relieved that I was almost in tears.
It was so beautiful - the snow and the thought of seeing the person I had
grown to like over the past months was way beyond any feelings I have ever
experienced before. We were really going to meet - providing I was allowed
into the country .... Obtaining my visa at the airport was easy, but it is
a lonely procedure. They take ages to complete the forms, then you need to
buy medical insurance, and then the military look at your passport as if you
are an escaped convict. That is not all - then you need to collect your
luggage (which could quite easily have been put on the wrong plane), and
finally pass through the x-ray machine (although I think I escaped that bit
because I couldn't understand anything anybody was saying to me). Then it
was as though a huge weight I had been carrying for three months had been
lifted from my shoulders, and I was finally going to meet the person I had
only ever dreamed about. Could she be as perfect as in these dreams? I was
nervous.
So... What you liked here and what might seemed a bit frustrating or
disappointing?(I know it is not the question you would like to answer
but at least write something about... I don't know lack of card
service and strict rules at the hotel)
I liked the snow! I also
liked the culture and the respect everybody seemed to have for each other.
I was very impressed by the politeness and helpfulness. There were no real
down sides, but I would say that the lack of credit card facilities was a
little frustrating, and the strict hotel laws were a bind. It was also
difficult to find somewhere to eat after 10pm!
Please tell what you think about the thing that in many cases prices
for the foreigners are higher and sometimes even several times? Is it
present in any foreign country you visited?
Not in the same way, for example, charging a different rate for a foreigner
is strange to me. But you will always find the 'tourist traps' in any
country. It is not something I particularly like, but you have to accept it
most of the time. Romania was a classic example, as within the tourist area
the prices were many time higher than in the 'non-tourist' area.
What places here you liked most?
I did not dislike anything, but my favorites were the horse riding, the
reptile house, the skiing and the Chinese restaurant!
What about the meals at the local restaurants? Is the service good?
I think the service on the whole is very good, although the bread is always
stale! The food quality otherwise is very good indeed and tastes
marvelous.
In general do you think that the cost of having vocations here is
corresponding to the quality of service you get?
I have no complaints. It was expensive to get to the country, but
relatively cheap within it.
If you have such a possibility, what advise or some useful tips you
would give to your countrymen who will want to visit Belarus?
I would suggest that they find a friend within Belarus to arrange everything
from within the country, as it is practically impossible to do so from
outside!
And the last. Will you visit Belarus once more? And what feelings you
have towards this trip?
I will return to Belarus. I would still be there now if I could. These
have truly been the best two weeks of my life.
|
Andrew, Canada
(June, 2004) |
I travelled to Belarus in
June of 2004 and had a great
trip.
They organized
everything and I had very
little to do myself which I
was very grateful for as I
didn't know much about
foreign travels. Coming from
Canada it was a long journey
but once I was there I had a
wonderful time.
The people
are kind and courteous and I
really enjoyed the food!
Although I did miss home I
really didn't want to leave
Belarus and wish I could've
stayed longer.
Traveling with Beltourist
was a wonderful experience.
I would suggest them to
anyone traveling to Belarus.
|
Theo, Netherlands
(March, 2005) |
I came to Belarus to meet a lady with whom I was communicating through BelBride Dating Agency
for about 4 months.
I was nervous before coming as I didn't know how it would go like but everything was perfect. I wanted to spend there as much time as it was possible and don't
spend a lot for this.
What I liked at Beltourist was there personal approach. They were very cooperative and proposed me flexible solutions for everything I wanted.
it was cold by the surrounding people were warm with their attitude. I am grateful to Viktoria and other managers of Beltourist. Good luck, guys!
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Larry, Florida, USA
(April, 2005) |
Went on a business meeting in Minsk. I could hardly spend a lot time for different arrangements. These people arranged everything for me saving much time and efforts.
The only thing that shocked me was snow falling in Minsk in April!!!
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