Customer's Opinions about guide from Bucharest, Romania

Dear Istvan:

Last September, my wife Lorraine and I were on one of the Edward Jones trips to Bucharest and Transylvania. We very much appreciated the excellent services you provided as a guide for our group and were impressed by your knowledge about your country and its history.

Possibly you will remember that after the tour of the Black Church we talked with you briefly about Christianity and your thoughts about Jesus. Since then we have acquired a book titled "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Strobel was a former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune. He has a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School and was in his words a spiritual skeptic until 1981.

We would like to send you a copy of the book. You are obviously well read and learned and we are thinking that you would find interesting what another successful and learned person has to say about his investigation of the evidence for Jesus.

Again, thanks for your service last September. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and think often about our experience in Romania in which you played such a large part.

Glenn and Lorraine Lemmenes

We spent three whole weeks with Istvan in Transylvania travelling the length and breadth of this magnificent region. Istvan looked after us two 'old ladies' just as if he were a son. Great driver, great tour guide, great companion, it was all made so easy for us to sit back and enjoy. We had some good laughs too (Are you nuts!!) and splendid meals in gorgeous locations. We cannot wait to return, to revisit some areas and to visit places we didn't get to. Istvan kept us safe at all times (even on Romanian roads) and nothing was too much trouble. We wish you every success Istvan and will stay in touch as we now consider you to be a friend. Please come to Australia if you can.

Myself and two other colleagues were visiting our Bucharest office on business. We decided to fly in on Saturday and see all we could see on Sunday. Istvan met us at our hotel at 8:00 am and we spent the entire day touring the beautiful country of Romania. He was so knowledgeable, fun and pleasant to be with - the day flew by. An excellent guide indeed. For anyone visiting Romania, enjoy it's beauty with Istvan. Multumiri Istvan!

Traveling throughout the world, I have found that an educational tour is an expedient way to get an overview of a city and/or a country. Thus, I have had many experiences with this venue. I must say, without qualification, that of all the day tours I have ventured upon, my tour through Transylvania with Istvan has been the very best! Istvan’s knowledge of history brought Romania to life for me. The tour was skillfully organized to maximize the exposure to this amazing region. His depiction of the history of Romania was an honest portrayal. His desire to make the trip a living history and the know-how to accomplish the commission, made this for me the reality of a dream.
Our drive was pleasant, comfortable, scenic, and filled with historical facts and anecdotes that made this exotic country as interesting as any in all of Europe. It has now become favored in my eyes. Our first stop was the Sinaia Monastery, in Prahova County. I attended a Mass at the beautiful Byzantine church surrounded by beautiful courtyards. From there we went to nearby Peles Castle which was breathtakingly elegant. As one of Europe’s most beautiful castles, it houses one of their greatest collections of paintings. I was captivated by the exquisite architecture outside and the statues, sculptures, carvings and decor of the interior castle walls. It is an amazing work of art, built in a German Renaissance style. There are rich flavors of Rococo and Baroque amongst the Renaissance domination. The grand Armory room possesses a memorable uniqueness. The magnificent grounds of the castle, high atop innumerable pine trees, looking upon the beautiful Carpathian mountains left me spellbound. Istvan afforded me historical vignettes which enchanted me all the more.
The next stop was the Bran Castle. Although, it is known as Dracula’s Castle, the only real connection may have been a very brief two day imprisonment in the dungeon. Nonetheless, it is full of the mystique of Bram Stoker’s legendary tale. The castle is a monument to the beloved Queen Marie, the wife of King Ferdinand of Romania. The air of mystery follows you throughout the visit making the legend of Dracula into the reality of Vlad the Impaler. Istvan’s recollection of the historical perspective along with the folklore, enhanced my knowledge as well as preserving the mythical ethos. Finally, our last stop was Brasov. At this point, I was astounded by the resplendence of ancient sites. Brasov is a beautiful city surrounded by the Carpathian mountains; Transylvania at its finest. A beautiful day strolling around the Old Town Square was a culmination of the adventure I shall never forget. The old gothic Black Church was incredulous! The medieval sense is alive and well in the Old Town Square, witnessing the remaining bastions that once protected the city, including the White and Black towers. There are still remnants of fortifications that surrounded the cities to ward off the invaders. To authenticate the Old Town Hall, Cathedrals, Merchant Houses with the red bricked rooftops and narrow windows was surrealistic. I enjoyed relaxing in the Old Town Square, watching the town folk and reflecting upon both ancient and recent events. Istvan’s pleasant relaxed manner made this one of the most splendid days of my life.
Istvan was wholly responsible for this remarkable expedition which seemed more like a pilgrimage than a sightseeing tour. This adventure would not have been possible without Istvan’s guidance. From my personal experience, which has been significant, Istvan is the greatest tour master in the world! To be sure, this testimonial was completely unsolicited. The cost was reasonable, but the memories were priceless!
Pamela Watkins Elmore
Denver, Colorado - USA

Dear Istvan, it was a real pleasure to spend some days with you in Bukarest. Your professional guiding helped us to better understand your country, to spend very usefull our time. We are pretty sure, if there will be another possibility than we will use again you services to visit more places in Romania. Thank you again we remain with warm regards Istvan Kallai and Mariann Husz

Good day!

We are a family of 4 from Montréal Canada. Aistvan Janos Kaitar was our guide in Bucharest for 1 day. Mr Kaitar offers professional, friendly and complete services. He knows what "client services" means, returning calls and answering emails quickly.

He showed us Bucharest's main attractions, including the Museum Village and the Parliament Palace, amongst others. He also took us to a very nice typical Romanian cuisine restaurant, with a beautiful decor and great food, at a very reasonable price.

Obviously, Mr Kaitar masters his country's history and it was very interesting for us to learn about Romania.

He guided us for 1 day, and then the next day, not only did he take us to the Gara de Nord train station, he helped us with our luggage, had our Eurail Pass validated at the ticket booth (great to have someone speaking Romanian!), and waited with us for our train. He also helped us board the train (heavy luggage)!

We were sad to say goodbye, as Mr Kaitar had then become a friend to us!

We highly recommend Mr Kaitar to anyone interested in visiting Bucharest and other regions of Romania. We would, without a doubt, use Mr Kaitar's services again, should the occasion arise!

Also, last but not least, Mr Kaitar is a very careful driver!

Multsumesc Mr Kaitar!!!

Excellent tour with lots on the history of Romania as well as detailed discussion about the communist years which i was really interested in. Excellent meal for lunch and very friendly and approachable guide. I would tour with this guide again.