TESTIMONIALS
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
Testimonials
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
"We booked our Alaskan Cruise through Magic Travel Genie and it was fabulous. Karen was able to get us a great cabin, explain all of the details (including what to wear) and it was seamless. I highly reccomend this company. In fact, I just booked another cruise through her and we are off to Australia/New Zealand in January."
Alisa posted to March 11 Karen, Thank you so much for your help with our Disney Vacation. When it comes to Disney you are an expert! The hotels were beautiful and all your work made it so stress free for us. Thanks again. This is the perfect career choice for you. From-Duane, Alisa, Carter, Isaac. Alisa T
"My nine year old daughter and I are always up for a travel adventure. Recently, I was planning a trip to the UK and touched base with Karen Taatjes at Magic Travel. After a lengthy discussion about the details of the trip and our expectations, Karen put together a proposal including a time line and cost. In addition to making fantastic suggestions that would have points of interest we both enjoyed, Karen arranged transportation from the airport to our hotels and back; love this! There is nothing like getting off a 10 hour plane ride to find someone standing in the middle of Heath-row airport with a pleasant looking man with your name on a placard!!! As we were preparing to return to the US, I realized we had a huge lay over in NYC. I texted Karen from Dublin and she quickly made arrangements for a hotel, directions, a phone number and of course her contact information in case we had a problem. We organized part of the trip and then Karen organized a part and the two worked together like magic!!
We had a wonderful time, no hitches at all, flights on time both directions. The Sheraton hotel is from now on, my favorite place to stay. Again thanks for all your professional help. You really are a magic travel genie. Eileen and Bob H
Our family booked our very first cruise through Karen. I was such a pleasant experience. Knowing she is a world traveler, we knew that we were in great hands and depended on her for tips & suggestions. Karen has gone above and beyond for us. We had a huge loss in our family recently. Not being able to think clearly, I reached out to Karen for help. She helped booked 5 round trip tickets to Louisiana. We are forever thankful for all you have done for us Karen! Thank you for going the extra mile!! Carl & Amy
When planning our 30th Wedding Anniversary I expressed an interest in going to Tahiti but within budget. Karen came up with the MS Paul Gaugin. This smaller Cruise Line with it's own diving operation was perfect. We had a fantastic trip and would highly recommend checking Magic Travel Genie for your future personalized travel. Seona & Jeff L.
Just wanted to touch base and let you know what a fabulous time we had in cancun! The resort was perfect for us, the food was good and our excursions were all really fun! And the water was fabulous!! Great trip, thanks for all your hard work! Max says two years and we r going to cabo! Shari
On behalf of the entire family plus my sister and brother-in-law, Maureen & Tom P, I want to offer sincere thanks for all of your help in the planning of what was a dream vacation! You and your partners really helped us squeeze every drop from each of our 17 days in Australia! We were very happy with all of our accommodations; the pick-ups and transfers went flawlessly, and all of the excursions you booked were top notch...the guides were all so friendly and informative. My mind has been opened to the benefits of pre-booking and also to the use of local tours as they really provided structure to our days and allowed us to have tons of fun instead of worrying about the next "what-" or "how-" to do!" We loved Australia and appreciate all you did to make our experience so amazing! I definitely recommend Karen Taatjes and Magic Travel Genie for your next "vacation of a lifetime!"
I had the great pleasure of having Karen as my travel agent! She was very knowledgeable in planning my whole vacation! From the hotel and flights to all of the great excursions we went on! I have all ready an will continue to recommend Karen for all travel arrangements!
Hey Karen it;s Tyler. I want to thank you for organizing such a great trip. It made the trips so much easier without having to plan everything. The report you booked for us was perfect! It had everything we were looking for.
Our vacation from start to finish was effortless and flawless. Karen made EVERYTHING so easy! I called Karen one day just inquiring about cruises and within two days we were booked for a week cruise to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas! Not only did she book my family of 5, but secured us with adjoining balcony cabins for my sister in laws family and Grandparents. Karen made the reservation process easy and she happily answered ALL my questions over the next two months as we prepared for our vacation. Being a first time cruiser myself it was wonderful having Karen's expertise as she has traveled extensively and been on many cruises herself. She knew the in's and out's of not only the ship but the excursions too! Karen was the utmost professional but friendly and personal at the same time. I would highly recommend Karen to anyone that wants to make their life and vacation easier. I will definitely use Karen and her travel agency for all future travels. Hopefully there will be many more!!
Thank you, Karen. We had a wonderful time and you made it a very simple process. Lots of great family memories and pictures to prove it! We especially loved the extreme canopy tour in Puerto Vallarta! Thanks again, Kelly Sandifer
We just returned from a beautiful diving/sighting vacation to Australia . From the moment we started talking about going on this trip, Karen Taatjes of Magic Genie Travel was wonderful. Her atte4ntion to every detail of the trip made for a very easy and relaxing vacation. All went smooth! eWhen we returned she called us to make sure we arrived safely. Amazing! Now that's customer service. Ron and Bonnie
Karen planned, organized, booked, and coordinated all necessary arrangements for our once in a lifetime vacation to Australia and our trip turned out spectacularly! This was tougher than it sounds as there were five incredibly independent "cats to heard". Having already traveled to Australia, Karen was able to direct us to the best values throughout our trip (and I'm a tough one to please). I found myself nodding silently to myself (often) as her recommendations not only helped us avoid stress & confusion, but helped us maximize our time & enjoyment! We always felt like she "had our back". One time in particular, I unfortunately encountered an issue with my ears on the first of three planned dives at the great barrier reef. It was clear I wouldn't be able to participate on the next two dives. On the fly, Karen was able to secure full refunds for the next two dives . It happened seamlessly. After out great vacation, I can recommend Karen without hesitation. Tom M.
"Magic Travel Genie set up an amazing trip for us recently to Australia and New Zealand. We cruised aboard the Seabourn line which had the most attentive and professional staff we have yet to encounter on any of our many voyages. We have used Karen before and have had consistently great results. We have booked vacations ourselves and even experimented with other agents with very mixed results. We think Karen excels for the following reasons: First and foremost, she spends time listening to what it is that we do and do not want in a package. To us, price is an important consideration. However, we also want to get the most for the money we invest and we want to feel like what we do allocate is money well spent. Secondly, Karen has traveled extensively and developed a network of others that allows her to comment intelligently on what each vacation has to offer. We highly recommend Karen's services for your vacation needs.
Once we decided we wanted to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon, we got into contact with Karen and discussed our budget and the importance of staying at a hotel that was more oriented towards couples than families, on an island that was a good mix of tourist and adventure. Karen took the reins and planned everything perfectly, allowing us to focus on planning our wedding! She was always available to answer our questions throughout the process by phone, text or e-mail. Karen took care of our flight arrangements and car rental as well, and printed all documentation for us, making our travels as stress free and seamless as possible. We had the trip of a lifetime. We stayed at the Makena Beach and Gold Resort in Makena-Wailea, Maui and had the most gorgeous ocean front room, with a stunning view of Molokini Crater (which we ended up snorkeling at)! Next time we plan another big trip, we are definitely using Karen’s services!
We are a couple in our mid 70's and had the opportunity of going on our first Cruise this past summer with Karen Taatjes being our travel agent..I can only say that she made everything so much easier as we are not real good on the computer and don't have the latest in the smart phones, no fax, etc!! She did EVERYTHING for us and it was all done and complete before our cruise, and we didn't have to worry about a thing--she even signed Dale and the Grandkids up for the "Extreme Canopy" excursion, and it all went fine except for a couple stubborn Donkeys!! (Just kidding!) There were 11 in our group and we just relaxed and enjoyed it...Thank you so much , Karen! (Now about Interstate 10 getting washed out a few days before our departure from Phoenix!!) Thanks again, Karen! Marge Barton
After deciding our vacation would take us back to Maui we contacted Karen at MagicTravelGenie. She put together a wonderful trip with great accomodations, found us a non-stop flight, and all within our budget. We stayed at the Aston Mahana in the Kaanapali area - great location. The accomodations were much better than we anticipated. We had a 2-bedroom suite on the beach and overlooking the ocean. The ground were maintained grounds with lots of shade, and had a swimming pool and BBQ area. Nicely furnished, well maintained and equipped (washer/dryer unit, granite countertops, fully stocked kitchen) apartment. The master had a king bed with large glass walled shower, the 2nd bedroom a queen bed with its own full bathroom, and a fold out sofa bed in the living room. Terrific housekeeping. The lanai ran the width of the bedroom and living room and had a table and four chairs. We'll definitely contact Karen at MagicTravelGenie next time we take a trip!
Karen recently booked us a trip to Europe including a river cruise. Suggestions she made for sidetrips and transportation all worked great. She thought of pre arranged connections from airport to hotels that we did not think to plan. She gave us plenty of documentation and help with our passports visas etc. That made everything goes smoothly. Great trip and we will have Karen arrange trips for us in the future.
We booked our 1st cruise through Karen to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Karen met our needs and got us the perfect cruise. She did an excellent job going above and beyond in getting us all the needed documents, we didn’t have to do a thing. She took care of every detail so that when we got there all we needed to do was walk onto the ship and enjoy. Karen also booked our flight, working with us to get the flights that best fit our needs. We will definitely use Karen again for future vacations. Thank you!! David & Andrea T
Karen, Just wanted to email you to say thank you for organizing our trip to Jamaica. Everyone had a blast. You took our short notice request and acted like it was a piece of cake. 9 people/2 families and all of our indecisiveness didn't seem like a piece of cake to me. You are a real professional. Here are some pictures of us. Please share with your future clients. Thanks again. Thanks, Alisa T
My wife, Yana and I were working and found it difficult to plan anything. We spent hours online trying to gather the information we needed for a successful trip with no results. A coworker of mine had suggested you to us. I'm so glad that you were recommended to us because there is absolutely no way we could have done it without your help. From the moment we met with you, I knew we would work great with you. All the guess work, time making phone calls, booking, researching was handled by you and helped us not to worry about anything. When we went on the trip we didn't realize just how much work it took to make this trip happen. We spent over a month in Italy and every detail was taken care of and all we had to do was just enjoy our trip! Little things that we never thought of like, transfers from the airport to our hotels, train tickets, would have been nearly impossible without your help. I have and will continue to suggest Magic Travel Genie and your service to everyone I know.
Judy K. What a wonderful way to go places, play games, eat wonderful food, drink good drinks, meet interesting people-------take a cruise. Have Karen set it up for you............it was worth it for her to take care of it for us.
My wife was born in Africa and the for the past 28 years she has spoken of wanting to return when she reached her 60th year. We reached out to Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie to help us plan the trip. We began our adventure at LAX and headed to Amsterdam where we were greeted at the airport by Avante and whisked off to our nice hotel in the heart of the city. This hotel was perfect for us as it allowed us to walk to museums, restaurants, around canals and generally experience this amazing city. Our next leg took us to Tanzania for an extended tour around the Serengeti and other national parks and game reserves. We were again greeted at the airport, assisted with customs and transported to the magical Arusha coffee house for another night of rest. The next 8 days were filled with game drives and with our excellent guide Joshua through Leopard Tours. I'm not sure how we would have found such great companies and luxury camps without Karen's guidance.
This summer we enjoyed a Canandian drive and rail trip from Vancouver, B.C. to Calgary. Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie worked closely with us to modify our Vacations by Rail package to perfectly fit our needs and add any missing travel components. She coordinated the adding of another night in Vancouver and adjusting different levels of hotel and Rocky Mountaineer train service.. She ran interference with Vacations by Rail when we realized at the last minute they hadn’t given us all the departure information we needed. With Karen’s careful planning and communication, our trip went smoothly from start to finish, and we had her contact information ready in case any problems arose. Upon our return, we communicated with Karen that maintenance had caused a room level downgrade in one hotel, and she promptly negotiated a partial refund. We recommend using Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie to assist in planning your next vacation!
Karen was an excellent travel agent I called her and asked her to find a trip to Cabo for myself and a friend and she provided us a resort that was simply amazing had a great price everything I asked she quickly responded to you I would use her again in a heartbeat her follow up was amazing and I'm thankful that she helped. Randy M
Thank you so much Karen for making our New York Trip Amazing!!!! I really appreciate you we're able to get us all on the same flight even though my older sons book two months later. And it was even less expensive for them. You pick a great location for us in the middle of time square. Our hotel was spacious enough for all 6 of us. You were great on accommodating all of our wishes for Benito's 21st Birthday. We will treasure all these great memories forever. I will definitely refer you to all my friends and family for sure. I give you *****. Thanks again Karen.
Our wonderful trip is coming to an end and it has truly been magical. All the credit goes to Kj Taatjes. If anyone is planning a trip (long or short) I highly recommend using Magic Travel Genie. I told Karen where we wanted to go, things we wanted to see and the amount of time in each place. Karen put together the perfect itinerary and the whole trip was seamless. From the drivers that picked us up at each airport or train station (and at our hotels when it was time to leave) to the beautiful hotels, tours spaced perfectly to give us plenty of free time to wander and the travel tips to ensure we were fully prepared - we could not have asked for anything more. Thank you my dear friend! You made our experience the perfect “trip of a lifetime”!
Once again, Karen and Magic Travel Genie, helped bring the magic to our recent trip to Costa Rica! Three of us enjoyed a fabulous vacation in the Arenal and Tamarindo areas of Guanacaste before heading to San Jose, where our son currently lives. Karen and her team take much of the stress out of travel and have a knack for booking fun adventures in each area. We enjoyed thermal hot spring pools, ATV riding up a volcano, zip lining over the jungle and so much more. The hotels and drivers were also top notch! Thank you, Karen!
Karen, Thank you so much for planning another wonderful trip for our family. Las Vegas, the Hoover dam, the Grand Canyon, and Tucson AZ all in one week. WOW! The boys loved the Hoover dam, and the helicopter ride over the Canyon. My favorite was the Mystere show in Vegas and the helicopter ride. The Hilton in Tucson was beautiful with lots of activities for the kids and a wonderful pool to relax by. Thanks again.
I had always dreamed of going to Morocco and Karen helped me make my dream come true through Gate 1 travels. As a first timer on a tour I had no idea what I was in for , but from the beginning when I was planning my trip to the moment I reached my destination , Karen was there with me via text making sure everything was taken care of. I genuinely appreciate her love and care to make sure I had the best experience possible. Gate 1 is a great group to travel with
Hi Karen, Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you once again, for organizing and helping us plan ANOTHER wonderful trip. The resort (Pueblo Bonito Rose - Los Cabos) is just as you described and more. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food that was offered. The staff was friendly and they were pretty accommodating. We had relatively no problems between the transfers to and from the resort, at the airports and at the resort. Working with you lets us go and just enjoy the entire experience. There are so many little things that you plan and book that make the experience that much more enjoyable. Really thankful for everything you have and continue to do for us. We continue to refer people to you and tell everyone about the wonderful service you offer. Thank you so much!! David & Yana
Greetings Fellow Travelers, We are Bill and Sheryl Neely living in Oakland CA. We have been traveling together within the US and beyond our borders since we were 25 and are now 72. Karen is our first and favorite travel agent for many reasons and notably our recent Viking River Cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Working and planning our trip was a wonderful experience with Karen. She arranged our booking with Viking, cabin selection, and flight details all with easy contact via email and personal phone conversations including weekends. I even made final flight decisions with her while I used my cell phone in the parking lot of the Information Center of the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California while on a camping trip. Karen is accessible, warmly personable, knowledgeable, a traveler herself, eager to learn about your travel experiences, and excited to provide services that help you make each trip the best adventure ever! Our ship board experience was amazing! Such fun!!!
We recently returned from another amazing adventure that truly was a trip of a lifetime. Karen’s attention to detail and knowledge of the area gave us the opportunity to experience each of these venues the way we envisioned. Our trips are so varied, Safari in Tanzania, ruins in Cancun, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, exploring wine country in France....and yet each adventure was wonderful. Thanks Karen for helping me work through my bucket list!
Karen has booked two cruises for us in the last months. We just returned from our Viking Ocean “Into the Midnight Sun” cruise to beautiful Norway, amazing Scotland and historic England. When she learned where our stateroom was located, she called and had it changed to a better location. She also helped us book our optional land tours and provided nice gifts as a thank you. She has been busy with our upcoming Halloween Disney cruise, ensuring we are able to have early dining at the themed restaurants. She is quick to respond to questions and resolve any issues. We’ve learned she is able to often beat online hotel rates, too. We have a long bucket list and we’ll put our travel plans in her capable hands!
What a wonderful time we had in Europe this summer when our son got married in Salzburg Austria! A big thank you to Karen who put together before and after trips. We visited Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucern & Zürich. Karen arranged walking tours with local guides, hop-on-hop-off buses, a glacier tour, very accommodating hotels at each city, all with attention to our wishes. We are so grateful for such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Karen Taatjes has earned our highest recommendation and respect. Planes, trains, automobiles, plus cruise ships, hotels, car rentals and insurance... Karen can do it all. Hotel room in Boston? Gullabo, Sweden? Paris? Newfoundland? No problem. A trip that begins in Missoula, includes three destinations and a return to San Francisco? She has it covered. Karen is a travel professional who is associated with other professionals world-wide who have been able to make our travels as easy a possible. The hotel rooms are high quality and ideally located. The plane connections work. The rental car accommodates the passengers and the luggage and travel requirements. And...my personal favorite...she can arrange for transfers from airport to train station; from train to hotel; from hotel to cruise ship and so on. What a relief that is! We will be calling on her for every future trip. Ray and Alice Down
Karen, The trip was awesome! We truly enjoyed ourselves and the accommodations were wonderful. I will add that the food was delicious, lots of variety, and staff had great customer service. Lovely, lovely, resort! Please email us with any great deals that may come your way. Carletha
Karen, What you’ve done for us this past year in preparation for this destination wedding is incredible. You’re more than a travel agent, you’re a friend and a shoulder to cry on. You always take such great care of your customers and make sure we get nothing but the BEST & we got the best. The resort was out of this world. Every single one of our guest were extremely impressed. The service, food, drinks, entertainment, excursions, and staff were excellent. We left with many great memories and hope to be back soon!! THANK YOU!!! Carl and Amy Givens
Karen, The trip that you were able to plan for us was absolutely amazing. Since it was our first time out of country with little ones, the emails and updates were timed well in advance, giving us plenty of time to prepare. The resort was breathtaking and the staff took great care of us. From the moment we landed until the time we left, we were catered to. Thanks for making this trip relaxing and care free for us Brian & Irma Cruz
Hi Karen, Thank you so much for coordinating our stay in Playa Del Carmen! The Playa Azul Beach resort was perfect choice for our family and for big groups!! I loved being Surrounded in nature, boys loved the pool next to our room and the main pool area by the beach was beautiful! The quality and variety of food and restaurant choices was wonderful, the music at night and the vendors on select dates was great! The staff at every area were super friendly and helpful. And It’s an amazing location for a wedding that were a part of! Thank you!! Love, Reyes family
Karen & Jeff, Wanted to let you know you guys did a terrific job getting our itinerary, rooms and rides for our Alaska trip. The 4 nights went by very fast and the we had wonderful sunny weather the entire trip. Temps were a pleasant 60-65 degrees. One of the highlights was the river cruise in Fairbanks. That Fairbanks River Cruise is exceptional as it is educational as well as fun. They teach about sea planes, dogs for dog sleds, Indian tribes, very well organized on a paddle wheel river boat that holds over 400 people. TIP: get on left side for best viewing. Thank you again, for you expert help and advice. If you look close at the third bend in the river you will see a large grisly bear. Just kidding....Scottie & Liz...
Hi Karen, Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you once again, for organizing and helping us plan ANOTHER wonderful trip. The resort (Pueblo Bonito Rose - Los Cabos) is just as you described and more. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food that was offered. The staff was friendly and they were pretty accommodating. We had relatively no problems between the transfers to and from the resort, at the airports and at the resort. Working with you lets us go and just enjoy the entire experience. There are so many little things that you plan and book that make the experience that much more enjoyable. Really thankful for everything you have and continue to do for us. We continue to refer people to you and tell everyone about the wonderful service you offer. Thank you so much!! David & Yana
We recently returned from another amazing adventure that truly was a trip of a lifetime. Karen’s attention to detail and knowledge of the area gave us the opportunity to experience each of these venues the way we envisioned. Our trips are so varied, Safari in Tanzania, ruins in Cancun, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, exploring wine country in France....and yet each adventure was wonderful. Thanks Karen for helping me work through my bucket list!
Greetings Fellow Travelers, We are Bill and Sheryl Neely living in Oakland CA. We have been traveling together within the US and beyond our borders since we were 25 and are now 72. Karen is our first and favorite travel agent for many reasons and notably our recent Viking River Cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Working and planning our trip was a wonderful experience with Karen. She arranged our booking with Viking, cabin selection, and flight details all with easy contact via email and personal phone conversations including weekends. I even made final flight decisions with her while I used my cell phone in the parking lot of the Information Center of the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California while on a camping trip. Karen is accessible, warmly personable, knowledgeable, a traveler herself, eager to learn about your travel experiences, and excited to provide services that help you make each trip the best adventure ever! Our ship board experience was amazing! Such fun!!!
What a wonderful time we had in Europe this summer when our son got married in Salzburg Austria! A big thank you to Karen who put together before and after trips. We visited Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucern & Zürich. Karen arranged walking tours with local guides, hop-on-hop-off buses, a glacier tour, very accommodating hotels at each city, all with attention to our wishes. We are so grateful for such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Karen has booked two cruises for us in the last months. We just returned from our Viking Ocean “Into the Midnight Sun” cruise to beautiful Norway, amazing Scotland and historic England. When she learned where our stateroom was located, she called and had it changed to a better location. She also helped us book our optional land tours and provided nice gifts as a thank you. She has been busy with our upcoming Halloween Disney cruise, ensuring we are able to have early dining at the themed restaurants. She is quick to respond to questions and resolve any issues. We’ve learned she is able to often beat online hotel rates, too. We have a long bucket list and we’ll put our travel plans in her capable hands!
Karen Taajjes at Magic Travel constructed an amazing trip for us in France. She listened to all our thoughts re: planning and came up with a powerful itinerary. It included a PRE and POST adventure around a Viking River Cruise. Karen booked us into charming hotels that were in the centers of towns in Nice, Marseilles and Paris. She lined up excellent drivers to pick us up and deliver us to our hotels & trains. She also got us tickets for the trains and even helped with a minor glitch in our transportation. She knows her business and her recommendations are "spot on". We had a wonderful time and we look forward to working with Karen again.
Dear Karen, Just a note of thanks to you for your outstanding work in making all of the travel arrangements for our recent trip to Italy. From the time we left home and through all of the airline flights, train rides, car transfers and hotel stays, everything went off totally without a single hitch. The airline connections were conveniently timed, the hotels were exceptional and located so as to make the next transfer simple, and in each case where auto transport was necessary a driver was awaiting our arrival, ready to pick us up in a clean, high-quality automobile. I would also like to note that the local tour/excursion operators that were contracted provided us with the most friendly, courteous and professional service. Your services saved us inestimable time and effort that would have been required to make all of the arrangements ourselves. Thanks again
Karen Taajjes at Magic Travel constructed an amazing trip for us in France. She listened to all our thoughts re: planning and came up with a powerful itinerary. It included a PRE and POST adventure around a Viking River Cruise. Karen booked us into charming hotels that were in the centers of towns in Nice, Marseilles and Paris. She lined up excellent drivers to pick us up and deliver us to our hotels & trains. She also got us tickets for the trains and even helped with a minor glitch in our transportation. She knows her business and her recommendations are "spot on". We had a wonderful time and we look forward to working with Karen again.
Karen is the best! We were so frustrated trying to plan ourtrip to Europe on our own and then we were recommended Karen! She not only saved us tons of money, but planned tons of fun things for us to do while we were abroad. We highly recommend using Karen for any and all travels you might take. She is fast, friendly and takes exceptional care of her clients! 10/10 without a doubt!
Karen, Thank you so much for booking our trip to St Lucia. This was the most amazing vacation we have ever had. The people of St Lucia are the most helpful and friendly people we have ever met. You lined up everything so wonderfully. You again out did yourself. Thank you for giving Duane and I the chance to get away and reconnect. That is a priceless gift. Thanks, Alisa and Duane
Well, Karen booked us two vacations that were going to run concurrently. First, my son and I had the chance to go to Australia and New Zealand. We flew to Sydney and then sailed on a cruise ship around New Zealand. On the way back, our son flew to Utah to meet up with my husband/his dad for a week of skiing at Park City Utah. Karen booked every detail of both trips and everything went off without a hitch (even the flights were almost all on time - not sure she can make that happen but willing to give her credit for it). She sent us the documents we needed in paper and electronically, e-mailed and texted with us and ensured there was nothing left to chance. Go with Karen....it saves you time, money and worry! Thanks Karen and Magic Genie! Next up a trip to Europe that Karen is taking care of too!
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recommends
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We finally made it to Hawaii!!! A huge thank you to our amazing travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie. Getting to Hawaii during covid is a nightmare and Karen made it smooth sailing all the way. She was there to answer every single question, and believe me she had lots! We had a small glitch with the luau and had to call Karen and even thought it was almost midnight her time she was on top of it and got us in no problem. Now that’s service LOL! Can’t wit to go back, how about next week? Who’s coming!
Dana Sacks
If you want to go to the best place go to Grand Wailea in Maui.....Good rooms, close to the ocean, great sun, funthings to do, great food...Don't miss it.
We had such a great time with the help of our Tral Advisor Karen Taatjes. She always taks such good care of me.
Judy Kauffman
estimonial:
Karen planned the most spectacular eco-adventure/family vacation to Costa Rica, for us. Every last detail was taken care of, including private transfers to each destination, and every activity/adventure. Each leg of the trip was amazing! Our hotels lovely, and our adventures exciting. Services were spot on, every one. We saw some of the best parts of Costa Rica. I could not have planned this trip without her expertise, nor would our experience have been so wonderful. Our memories will last a lifetime! We highly recommend your five star service! Thank you Karen.
Joleen M
Karen, I want to thank you for all your help in coordinating our travel experiences. You are so easy to work with, and your forward thinking allowed us to move forward with our Italy trip at just the right time. Your coordination with your associates in Europe was most helpful. You are always there when we call or text, to help solve any unforeseen problems. Your help with the travel insurance issue this year was above and beyond.
Karen was wonderful in planning our trip to Iceland. Our hotel was perfect and the excursions she booked for us were fantastic! Any time we had a question or concern she always was quick to help. Thank you Karen. Can’t wait to book our next trip with you! Jane and Carl Schlosser.
Dear Karen,
I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to write to thank you for all you did to make our recent trip absolutely perfect!! We’ve been absorbing all our memories and telling everyone all about it.
Many times, throughout the three weeks, we simply said, “Thank you, Karen!” Whenever our transport arrived, another bucket list item was checked, or we checked into another gorgeous hotel.
Speaking of hotels, I will be forever spoiled by the Hotel Borg!! It is spectacular in every way. Lovely hotel, incredibly kind staff, amazing spa and wonderful daily breakfasted. We hated to leave after 8 nights as our home base.
Each of our excursions exceeded our expectations with the drivers and guides making us feel welcome. They were full of advice and suggestions. We dined like kings every night and loved our time in and out of Reykjavik.
I don’t regret staying the extra night to visit the Blue Lagoon. Thank you for getting us the best package so we would have robes. We enjoyed the restaurant there as well.
The airport hotel was perfect for early flight to Amsterdam. Spending the last few days in Bruges with Bob & Diane making our way by train back to Amsterdam was a memory maker. The hotel in Bruges was STUNNING with a breakfast Diane said made her feel like a Princess!
Our train trip was so well planned by you making the travel day easy. We had no idea we would get such a lovely lunch on the train!
The hotel in Amsterdam was a tiny walk from the train station which was perfect! And our driver picked us up as planned for our return flight the next day.
Please don’t hesitate to give my contact info to anyone with questions about our trip.
It’s great to be home but we will be in touch soon with our next destination. We will never travel again without Magic Travel Genie!!
Best regard,
Lynda & Pat
Traveling during COVID was an adventure, and our travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie helped us navigate through this unprecedented time. Karen booked beautiful hotels, first class motor & train transportation and our Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel. When we had questions about flight upgrades and COVID tests, she researched & was on the phone(s) with vendors for hours on our & other clients’ behalf.
Diane & Bob
After an 11 hour flight & an airport staff shortage, it was a relief knowing that the driver Karen had arranged would meet us & drive us to our hotel. The hip Albus Hotel in Amsterdam, the opulent Grand Hotel Casselbergh in Bruges, and the great location of the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel in Amsterdam were wonderful selections by Karen. We felt like royalty riding first class & being served a meal on the trains from Bruges to Amsterdam.
We did enjoy our trip on two river cruises-BoatBike (with 28 family & friends) & Viking-as well as all the beautiful countries, their history, amazing tours (Keokenhof Gardens & Marksburg Castle were my favorites) and the wonderful people we met.
Traveling during COVID was an adventure, and our travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie helped us navigate through this unprecedented time. Karen booked beautiful hotels, first class motor & train transportation and our Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel. When we had questions about flight upgrades and COVID tests, she researched & was on the phone(s) with vendors for hours on our & other clients’ behalf.
After an 11 hour flight & an airport staff shortage, it was a relief knowing that the driver Karen had arranged would meet us & drive us to our hotel. The hip Albus Hotel in Amsterdam, the opulent Grand Hotel Casselbergh in Bruges, and the great location of the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel in Amsterdam were wonderful selections by Karen. We felt like royalty riding first class & being served a meal on the trains from Bruges to Amsterdam.
We did enjoy our trip on two river cruises-BoatBike (with 28 family & friends) & Viking-as well as all the beautiful countries, their history, amazing tours (Keokenhof Gardens & Marksburg Castle were my favorites) and the wonderful people we met.
Bob & Diane
Thank you Karen for the excellent job you did with our travel package to Italy to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. You couldn't have catered to our liking any better! Everything we planned with you was well above our expectations. Your personal touches that we would have not thought of was much appreciated.
We had a fantastic memorable vacation and we will definitely use your services for our next journey!
Sincerely,
Dave and Kim
Planning our latest vacation started in 2019. Several rounds of Covid caused cancellations by us and our cruise line pushed it to May of 2022. Navigating through vouchers, cash, refunds, dates, flights, hotels and changing regulations was a challenge to say the least. During this time Karen was always there for us every step of the way. She never stopped working with our cruise line to ensure we received the best deal. The end result was that our vacation was spectacular.
It has been said that the true worth of an individual is seen when things go wrong. The worth of Magic Travel Genie (Karen Taatjes) as our travel agent was never more obvious than going through the Covid impact on our travels. She truly does work magic and we cannot thank her enough.
Thank you for everything you do for us.
Cheers
Bob & Joan M
My husband and I never hesitate to recommend Karen Taatjes, Magic Travel Genie, to family and friends seeking travel expertise. Karen is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of trip planning including destinations, accommodations, and local excursions.
The first time we sought Karen’s expertise she interviewed us to learn our leisure travel preferences, hotel expectations, cost comfort level and bucket list dreams. Since then we’ve relied on Karen to work her magic while planning perfect trips to Iceland, Greece, eastern and western Europe, Alaska, Egypt and Turkey.
A recent month long trip included multiple destinations, transfers, air and rail reservations, cruise lines, and tours. To say the trip went flawlessly is a feat in itself! We had everything we needed on an app that directed and never failed us.
When you travel with Karen’s expertise you are assured attention to every detail is met. You will enjoy itineratesthat are clear, well timed and filled with experiences memories are made of. Your hotel will have that Karen magic that leaves you grateful you listened to her advice. We don’t travel without our Genie!
Testimonials
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
Alisa posted to March 11 Karen, Thank you so much for your help with our Disney Vacation. When it comes to Disney you are an expert! The hotels were beautiful and all your work made it so stress free for us. Thanks again. This is the perfect career choice for you. From-Duane, Alisa, Carter, Isaac. Alisa T
"We booked our Alaskan Cruise through Magic Travel Genie and it was fabulous. Karen was able to get us a great cabin, explain all of the details (including what to wear) and it was seamless. I highly reccomend this company. In fact, I just booked another cruise through her and we are off to Australia/New Zealand in January."
"My nine year old daughter and I are always up for a travel adventure. Recently, I was planning a trip to the UK and touched base with Karen Taatjes at Magic Travel. After a lengthy discussion about the details of the trip and our expectations, Karen put together a proposal including a time line and cost. In addition to making fantastic suggestions that would have points of interest we both enjoyed, Karen arranged transportation from the airport to our hotels and back; love this! There is nothing like getting off a 10 hour plane ride to find someone standing in the middle of Heath-row airport with a pleasant looking man with your name on a placard!!! As we were preparing to return to the US, I realized we had a huge lay over in NYC. I texted Karen from Dublin and she quickly made arrangements for a hotel, directions, a phone number and of course her contact information in case we had a problem. We organized part of the trip and then Karen organized a part and the two worked together like magic!!
We had a wonderful time, no hitches at all, flights on time both directions. The Sheraton hotel is from now on, my favorite place to stay. Again thanks for all your professional help. You really are a magic travel genie. Eileen and Bob H
Our family booked our very first cruise through Karen. I was such a pleasant experience. Knowing she is a world traveler, we knew that we were in great hands and depended on her for tips & suggestions. Karen has gone above and beyond for us. We had a huge loss in our family recently. Not being able to think clearly, I reached out to Karen for help. She helped booked 5 round trip tickets to Louisiana. We are forever thankful for all you have done for us Karen! Thank you for going the extra mile!! Carl & Amy
When planning our 30th Wedding Anniversary I expressed an interest in going to Tahiti but within budget. Karen came up with the MS Paul Gaugin. This smaller Cruise Line with it's own diving operation was perfect. We had a fantastic trip and would highly recommend checking Magic Travel Genie for your future personalized travel. Seona & Jeff L.
Just wanted to touch base and let you know what a fabulous time we had in cancun! The resort was perfect for us, the food was good and our excursions were all really fun! And the water was fabulous!! Great trip, thanks for all your hard work! Max says two years and we r going to cabo! Shari
On behalf of the entire family plus my sister and brother-in-law, Maureen & Tom P, I want to offer sincere thanks for all of your help in the planning of what was a dream vacation! You and your partners really helped us squeeze every drop from each of our 17 days in Australia! We were very happy with all of our accommodations; the pick-ups and transfers went flawlessly, and all of the excursions you booked were top notch...the guides were all so friendly and informative. My mind has been opened to the benefits of pre-booking and also to the use of local tours as they really provided structure to our days and allowed us to have tons of fun instead of worrying about the next "what-" or "how-" to do!" We loved Australia and appreciate all you did to make our experience so amazing! I definitely recommend Karen Taatjes and Magic Travel Genie for your next "vacation of a lifetime!"
I had the great pleasure of having Karen as my travel agent! She was very knowledgeable in planning my whole vacation! From the hotel and flights to all of the great excursions we went on! I have all ready an will continue to recommend Karen for all travel arrangements!
Hey Karen it;s Tyler. I want to thank you for organizing such a great trip. It made the trips so much easier without having to plan everything. The report you booked for us was perfect! It had everything we were looking for.
Our vacation from start to finish was effortless and flawless. Karen made EVERYTHING so easy! I called Karen one day just inquiring about cruises and within two days we were booked for a week cruise to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas! Not only did she book my family of 5, but secured us with adjoining balcony cabins for my sister in laws family and Grandparents. Karen made the reservation process easy and she happily answered ALL my questions over the next two months as we prepared for our vacation. Being a first time cruiser myself it was wonderful having Karen's expertise as she has traveled extensively and been on many cruises herself. She knew the in's and out's of not only the ship but the excursions too! Karen was the utmost professional but friendly and personal at the same time. I would highly recommend Karen to anyone that wants to make their life and vacation easier. I will definitely use Karen and her travel agency for all future travels. Hopefully there will be many more!!
Thank you, Karen. We had a wonderful time and you made it a very simple process. Lots of great family memories and pictures to prove it! We especially loved the extreme canopy tour in Puerto Vallarta! Thanks again, Kelly Sandifer
We just returned from a beautiful diving/sighting vacation to Australia . From the moment we started talking about going on this trip, Karen Taatjes of Magic Genie Travel was wonderful. Her atte4ntion to every detail of the trip made for a very easy and relaxing vacation. All went smooth! eWhen we returned she called us to make sure we arrived safely. Amazing! Now that's customer service. Ron and Bonnie
Karen planned, organized, booked, and coordinated all necessary arrangements for our once in a lifetime vacation to Australia and our trip turned out spectacularly! This was tougher than it sounds as there were five incredibly independent "cats to heard". Having already traveled to Australia, Karen was able to direct us to the best values throughout our trip (and I'm a tough one to please). I found myself nodding silently to myself (often) as her recommendations not only helped us avoid stress & confusion, but helped us maximize our time & enjoyment! We always felt like she "had our back". One time in particular, I unfortunately encountered an issue with my ears on the first of three planned dives at the great barrier reef. It was clear I wouldn't be able to participate on the next two dives. On the fly, Karen was able to secure full refunds for the next two dives . It happened seamlessly. After out great vacation, I can recommend Karen without hesitation. Tom M.
"Magic Travel Genie set up an amazing trip for us recently to Australia and New Zealand. We cruised aboard the Seabourn line which had the most attentive and professional staff we have yet to encounter on any of our many voyages. We have used Karen before and have had consistently great results. We have booked vacations ourselves and even experimented with other agents with very mixed results. We think Karen excels for the following reasons: First and foremost, she spends time listening to what it is that we do and do not want in a package. To us, price is an important consideration. However, we also want to get the most for the money we invest and we want to feel like what we do allocate is money well spent. Secondly, Karen has traveled extensively and developed a network of others that allows her to comment intelligently on what each vacation has to offer. We highly recommend Karen's services for your vacation needs.
Once we decided we wanted to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon, we got into contact with Karen and discussed our budget and the importance of staying at a hotel that was more oriented towards couples than families, on an island that was a good mix of tourist and adventure. Karen took the reins and planned everything perfectly, allowing us to focus on planning our wedding! She was always available to answer our questions throughout the process by phone, text or e-mail. Karen took care of our flight arrangements and car rental as well, and printed all documentation for us, making our travels as stress free and seamless as possible. We had the trip of a lifetime. We stayed at the Makena Beach and Gold Resort in Makena-Wailea, Maui and had the most gorgeous ocean front room, with a stunning view of Molokini Crater (which we ended up snorkeling at)! Next time we plan another big trip, we are definitely using Karen’s services!
We are a couple in our mid 70's and had the opportunity of going on our first Cruise this past summer with Karen Taatjes being our travel agent..I can only say that she made everything so much easier as we are not real good on the computer and don't have the latest in the smart phones, no fax, etc!! She did EVERYTHING for us and it was all done and complete before our cruise, and we didn't have to worry about a thing--she even signed Dale and the Grandkids up for the "Extreme Canopy" excursion, and it all went fine except for a couple stubborn Donkeys!! (Just kidding!) There were 11 in our group and we just relaxed and enjoyed it...Thank you so much , Karen! (Now about Interstate 10 getting washed out a few days before our departure from Phoenix!!) Thanks again, Karen! Marge Barton
After deciding our vacation would take us back to Maui we contacted Karen at MagicTravelGenie. She put together a wonderful trip with great accomodations, found us a non-stop flight, and all within our budget. We stayed at the Aston Mahana in the Kaanapali area - great location. The accomodations were much better than we anticipated. We had a 2-bedroom suite on the beach and overlooking the ocean. The ground were maintained grounds with lots of shade, and had a swimming pool and BBQ area. Nicely furnished, well maintained and equipped (washer/dryer unit, granite countertops, fully stocked kitchen) apartment. The master had a king bed with large glass walled shower, the 2nd bedroom a queen bed with its own full bathroom, and a fold out sofa bed in the living room. Terrific housekeeping. The lanai ran the width of the bedroom and living room and had a table and four chairs. We'll definitely contact Karen at MagicTravelGenie next time we take a trip!
Karen recently booked us a trip to Europe including a river cruise. Suggestions she made for sidetrips and transportation all worked great. She thought of pre arranged connections from airport to hotels that we did not think to plan. She gave us plenty of documentation and help with our passports visas etc. That made everything goes smoothly. Great trip and we will have Karen arrange trips for us in the future.
We booked our 1st cruise through Karen to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Karen met our needs and got us the perfect cruise. She did an excellent job going above and beyond in getting us all the needed documents, we didn’t have to do a thing. She took care of every detail so that when we got there all we needed to do was walk onto the ship and enjoy. Karen also booked our flight, working with us to get the flights that best fit our needs. We will definitely use Karen again for future vacations. Thank you!! David & Andrea T
Karen, Just wanted to email you to say thank you for organizing our trip to Jamaica. Everyone had a blast. You took our short notice request and acted like it was a piece of cake. 9 people/2 families and all of our indecisiveness didn't seem like a piece of cake to me. You are a real professional. Here are some pictures of us. Please share with your future clients. Thanks again. Thanks, Alisa T
My wife, Yana and I were working and found it difficult to plan anything. We spent hours online trying to gather the information we needed for a successful trip with no results. A coworker of mine had suggested you to us. I'm so glad that you were recommended to us because there is absolutely no way we could have done it without your help. From the moment we met with you, I knew we would work great with you. All the guess work, time making phone calls, booking, researching was handled by you and helped us not to worry about anything. When we went on the trip we didn't realize just how much work it took to make this trip happen. We spent over a month in Italy and every detail was taken care of and all we had to do was just enjoy our trip! Little things that we never thought of like, transfers from the airport to our hotels, train tickets, would have been nearly impossible without your help. I have and will continue to suggest Magic Travel Genie and your service to everyone I know.
Judy K. What a wonderful way to go places, play games, eat wonderful food, drink good drinks, meet interesting people-------take a cruise. Have Karen set it up for you............it was worth it for her to take care of it for us.
My wife was born in Africa and the for the past 28 years she has spoken of wanting to return when she reached her 60th year. We reached out to Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie to help us plan the trip. We began our adventure at LAX and headed to Amsterdam where we were greeted at the airport by Avante and whisked off to our nice hotel in the heart of the city. This hotel was perfect for us as it allowed us to walk to museums, restaurants, around canals and generally experience this amazing city. Our next leg took us to Tanzania for an extended tour around the Serengeti and other national parks and game reserves. We were again greeted at the airport, assisted with customs and transported to the magical Arusha coffee house for another night of rest. The next 8 days were filled with game drives and with our excellent guide Joshua through Leopard Tours. I'm not sure how we would have found such great companies and luxury camps without Karen's guidance.
This summer we enjoyed a Canandian drive and rail trip from Vancouver, B.C. to Calgary. Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie worked closely with us to modify our Vacations by Rail package to perfectly fit our needs and add any missing travel components. She coordinated the adding of another night in Vancouver and adjusting different levels of hotel and Rocky Mountaineer train service.. She ran interference with Vacations by Rail when we realized at the last minute they hadn’t given us all the departure information we needed. With Karen’s careful planning and communication, our trip went smoothly from start to finish, and we had her contact information ready in case any problems arose. Upon our return, we communicated with Karen that maintenance had caused a room level downgrade in one hotel, and she promptly negotiated a partial refund. We recommend using Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie to assist in planning your next vacation!
Karen was an excellent travel agent I called her and asked her to find a trip to Cabo for myself and a friend and she provided us a resort that was simply amazing had a great price everything I asked she quickly responded to you I would use her again in a heartbeat her follow up was amazing and I'm thankful that she helped. Randy M
Thank you so much Karen for making our New York Trip Amazing!!!! I really appreciate you we're able to get us all on the same flight even though my older sons book two months later. And it was even less expensive for them. You pick a great location for us in the middle of time square. Our hotel was spacious enough for all 6 of us. You were great on accommodating all of our wishes for Benito's 21st Birthday. We will treasure all these great memories forever. I will definitely refer you to all my friends and family for sure. I give you *****. Thanks again Karen.
Our wonderful trip is coming to an end and it has truly been magical. All the credit goes to Kj Taatjes. If anyone is planning a trip (long or short) I highly recommend using Magic Travel Genie. I told Karen where we wanted to go, things we wanted to see and the amount of time in each place. Karen put together the perfect itinerary and the whole trip was seamless. From the drivers that picked us up at each airport or train station (and at our hotels when it was time to leave) to the beautiful hotels, tours spaced perfectly to give us plenty of free time to wander and the travel tips to ensure we were fully prepared - we could not have asked for anything more. Thank you my dear friend! You made our experience the perfect “trip of a lifetime”!
Once again, Karen and Magic Travel Genie, helped bring the magic to our recent trip to Costa Rica! Three of us enjoyed a fabulous vacation in the Arenal and Tamarindo areas of Guanacaste before heading to San Jose, where our son currently lives. Karen and her team take much of the stress out of travel and have a knack for booking fun adventures in each area. We enjoyed thermal hot spring pools, ATV riding up a volcano, zip lining over the jungle and so much more. The hotels and drivers were also top notch! Thank you, Karen!
Karen, Thank you so much for planning another wonderful trip for our family. Las Vegas, the Hoover dam, the Grand Canyon, and Tucson AZ all in one week. WOW! The boys loved the Hoover dam, and the helicopter ride over the Canyon. My favorite was the Mystere show in Vegas and the helicopter ride. The Hilton in Tucson was beautiful with lots of activities for the kids and a wonderful pool to relax by. Thanks again.
I had always dreamed of going to Morocco and Karen helped me make my dream come true through Gate 1 travels. As a first timer on a tour I had no idea what I was in for , but from the beginning when I was planning my trip to the moment I reached my destination , Karen was there with me via text making sure everything was taken care of. I genuinely appreciate her love and care to make sure I had the best experience possible. Gate 1 is a great group to travel with
Hi Karen, Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you once again, for organizing and helping us plan ANOTHER wonderful trip. The resort (Pueblo Bonito Rose - Los Cabos) is just as you described and more. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food that was offered. The staff was friendly and they were pretty accommodating. We had relatively no problems between the transfers to and from the resort, at the airports and at the resort. Working with you lets us go and just enjoy the entire experience. There are so many little things that you plan and book that make the experience that much more enjoyable. Really thankful for everything you have and continue to do for us. We continue to refer people to you and tell everyone about the wonderful service you offer. Thank you so much!! David & Yana
Greetings Fellow Travelers, We are Bill and Sheryl Neely living in Oakland CA. We have been traveling together within the US and beyond our borders since we were 25 and are now 72. Karen is our first and favorite travel agent for many reasons and notably our recent Viking River Cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Working and planning our trip was a wonderful experience with Karen. She arranged our booking with Viking, cabin selection, and flight details all with easy contact via email and personal phone conversations including weekends. I even made final flight decisions with her while I used my cell phone in the parking lot of the Information Center of the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California while on a camping trip. Karen is accessible, warmly personable, knowledgeable, a traveler herself, eager to learn about your travel experiences, and excited to provide services that help you make each trip the best adventure ever! Our ship board experience was amazing! Such fun!!!
We recently returned from another amazing adventure that truly was a trip of a lifetime. Karen’s attention to detail and knowledge of the area gave us the opportunity to experience each of these venues the way we envisioned. Our trips are so varied, Safari in Tanzania, ruins in Cancun, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, exploring wine country in France....and yet each adventure was wonderful. Thanks Karen for helping me work through my bucket list!
Karen has booked two cruises for us in the last months. We just returned from our Viking Ocean “Into the Midnight Sun” cruise to beautiful Norway, amazing Scotland and historic England. When she learned where our stateroom was located, she called and had it changed to a better location. She also helped us book our optional land tours and provided nice gifts as a thank you. She has been busy with our upcoming Halloween Disney cruise, ensuring we are able to have early dining at the themed restaurants. She is quick to respond to questions and resolve any issues. We’ve learned she is able to often beat online hotel rates, too. We have a long bucket list and we’ll put our travel plans in her capable hands!
What a wonderful time we had in Europe this summer when our son got married in Salzburg Austria! A big thank you to Karen who put together before and after trips. We visited Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucern & Zürich. Karen arranged walking tours with local guides, hop-on-hop-off buses, a glacier tour, very accommodating hotels at each city, all with attention to our wishes. We are so grateful for such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Karen Taatjes has earned our highest recommendation and respect. Planes, trains, automobiles, plus cruise ships, hotels, car rentals and insurance... Karen can do it all. Hotel room in Boston? Gullabo, Sweden? Paris? Newfoundland? No problem. A trip that begins in Missoula, includes three destinations and a return to San Francisco? She has it covered. Karen is a travel professional who is associated with other professionals world-wide who have been able to make our travels as easy a possible. The hotel rooms are high quality and ideally located. The plane connections work. The rental car accommodates the passengers and the luggage and travel requirements. And...my personal favorite...she can arrange for transfers from airport to train station; from train to hotel; from hotel to cruise ship and so on. What a relief that is! We will be calling on her for every future trip. Ray and Alice Down
Karen, The trip was awesome! We truly enjoyed ourselves and the accommodations were wonderful. I will add that the food was delicious, lots of variety, and staff had great customer service. Lovely, lovely, resort! Please email us with any great deals that may come your way. Carletha
Karen, What you’ve done for us this past year in preparation for this destination wedding is incredible. You’re more than a travel agent, you’re a friend and a shoulder to cry on. You always take such great care of your customers and make sure we get nothing but the BEST & we got the best. The resort was out of this world. Every single one of our guest were extremely impressed. The service, food, drinks, entertainment, excursions, and staff were excellent. We left with many great memories and hope to be back soon!! THANK YOU!!! Carl and Amy Givens
Karen, The trip that you were able to plan for us was absolutely amazing. Since it was our first time out of country with little ones, the emails and updates were timed well in advance, giving us plenty of time to prepare. The resort was breathtaking and the staff took great care of us. From the moment we landed until the time we left, we were catered to. Thanks for making this trip relaxing and care free for us Brian & Irma Cruz
Hi Karen, Thank you so much for coordinating our stay in Playa Del Carmen! The Playa Azul Beach resort was perfect choice for our family and for big groups!! I loved being Surrounded in nature, boys loved the pool next to our room and the main pool area by the beach was beautiful! The quality and variety of food and restaurant choices was wonderful, the music at night and the vendors on select dates was great! The staff at every area were super friendly and helpful. And It’s an amazing location for a wedding that were a part of! Thank you!! Love, Reyes family
Karen & Jeff, Wanted to let you know you guys did a terrific job getting our itinerary, rooms and rides for our Alaska trip. The 4 nights went by very fast and the we had wonderful sunny weather the entire trip. Temps were a pleasant 60-65 degrees. One of the highlights was the river cruise in Fairbanks. That Fairbanks River Cruise is exceptional as it is educational as well as fun. They teach about sea planes, dogs for dog sleds, Indian tribes, very well organized on a paddle wheel river boat that holds over 400 people. TIP: get on left side for best viewing. Thank you again, for you expert help and advice. If you look close at the third bend in the river you will see a large grisly bear. Just kidding....Scottie & Liz...
Hi Karen, Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you once again, for organizing and helping us plan ANOTHER wonderful trip. The resort (Pueblo Bonito Rose - Los Cabos) is just as you described and more. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food that was offered. The staff was friendly and they were pretty accommodating. We had relatively no problems between the transfers to and from the resort, at the airports and at the resort. Working with you lets us go and just enjoy the entire experience. There are so many little things that you plan and book that make the experience that much more enjoyable. Really thankful for everything you have and continue to do for us. We continue to refer people to you and tell everyone about the wonderful service you offer. Thank you so much!! David & Yana
We recently returned from another amazing adventure that truly was a trip of a lifetime. Karen’s attention to detail and knowledge of the area gave us the opportunity to experience each of these venues the way we envisioned. Our trips are so varied, Safari in Tanzania, ruins in Cancun, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, exploring wine country in France....and yet each adventure was wonderful. Thanks Karen for helping me work through my bucket list!
Greetings Fellow Travelers, We are Bill and Sheryl Neely living in Oakland CA. We have been traveling together within the US and beyond our borders since we were 25 and are now 72. Karen is our first and favorite travel agent for many reasons and notably our recent Viking River Cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Working and planning our trip was a wonderful experience with Karen. She arranged our booking with Viking, cabin selection, and flight details all with easy contact via email and personal phone conversations including weekends. I even made final flight decisions with her while I used my cell phone in the parking lot of the Information Center of the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California while on a camping trip. Karen is accessible, warmly personable, knowledgeable, a traveler herself, eager to learn about your travel experiences, and excited to provide services that help you make each trip the best adventure ever! Our ship board experience was amazing! Such fun!!!
What a wonderful time we had in Europe this summer when our son got married in Salzburg Austria! A big thank you to Karen who put together before and after trips. We visited Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucern & Zürich. Karen arranged walking tours with local guides, hop-on-hop-off buses, a glacier tour, very accommodating hotels at each city, all with attention to our wishes. We are so grateful for such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Karen has booked two cruises for us in the last months. We just returned from our Viking Ocean “Into the Midnight Sun” cruise to beautiful Norway, amazing Scotland and historic England. When she learned where our stateroom was located, she called and had it changed to a better location. She also helped us book our optional land tours and provided nice gifts as a thank you. She has been busy with our upcoming Halloween Disney cruise, ensuring we are able to have early dining at the themed restaurants. She is quick to respond to questions and resolve any issues. We’ve learned she is able to often beat online hotel rates, too. We have a long bucket list and we’ll put our travel plans in her capable hands!
Karen Taajjes at Magic Travel constructed an amazing trip for us in France. She listened to all our thoughts re: planning and came up with a powerful itinerary. It included a PRE and POST adventure around a Viking River Cruise. Karen booked us into charming hotels that were in the centers of towns in Nice, Marseilles and Paris. She lined up excellent drivers to pick us up and deliver us to our hotels & trains. She also got us tickets for the trains and even helped with a minor glitch in our transportation. She knows her business and her recommendations are "spot on". We had a wonderful time and we look forward to working with Karen again.
Dear Karen, Just a note of thanks to you for your outstanding work in making all of the travel arrangements for our recent trip to Italy. From the time we left home and through all of the airline flights, train rides, car transfers and hotel stays, everything went off totally without a single hitch. The airline connections were conveniently timed, the hotels were exceptional and located so as to make the next transfer simple, and in each case where auto transport was necessary a driver was awaiting our arrival, ready to pick us up in a clean, high-quality automobile. I would also like to note that the local tour/excursion operators that were contracted provided us with the most friendly, courteous and professional service. Your services saved us inestimable time and effort that would have been required to make all of the arrangements ourselves. Thanks again
Karen Taajjes at Magic Travel constructed an amazing trip for us in France. She listened to all our thoughts re: planning and came up with a powerful itinerary. It included a PRE and POST adventure around a Viking River Cruise. Karen booked us into charming hotels that were in the centers of towns in Nice, Marseilles and Paris. She lined up excellent drivers to pick us up and deliver us to our hotels & trains. She also got us tickets for the trains and even helped with a minor glitch in our transportation. She knows her business and her recommendations are "spot on". We had a wonderful time and we look forward to working with Karen again.
Karen is the best! We were so frustrated trying to plan ourtrip to Europe on our own and then we were recommended Karen! She not only saved us tons of money, but planned tons of fun things for us to do while we were abroad. We highly recommend using Karen for any and all travels you might take. She is fast, friendly and takes exceptional care of her clients! 10/10 without a doubt!
Karen, Thank you so much for booking our trip to St Lucia. This was the most amazing vacation we have ever had. The people of St Lucia are the most helpful and friendly people we have ever met. You lined up everything so wonderfully. You again out did yourself. Thank you for giving Duane and I the chance to get away and reconnect. That is a priceless gift. Thanks, Alisa and Duane
Well, Karen booked us two vacations that were going to run concurrently. First, my son and I had the chance to go to Australia and New Zealand. We flew to Sydney and then sailed on a cruise ship around New Zealand. On the way back, our son flew to Utah to meet up with my husband/his dad for a week of skiing at Park City Utah. Karen booked every detail of both trips and everything went off without a hitch (even the flights were almost all on time - not sure she can make that happen but willing to give her credit for it). She sent us the documents we needed in paper and electronically, e-mailed and texted with us and ensured there was nothing left to chance. Go with Karen....it saves you time, money and worry! Thanks Karen and Magic Genie! Next up a trip to Europe that Karen is taking care of too!
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recommends
We finally made it to Hawaii!!! A huge thank you to our amazing travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie. Getting to Hawaii during covid is a nightmare and Karen made it smooth sailing all the way. She was there to answer every single question, and believe me she had lots! We had a small glitch with the luau and had to call Karen and even thought it was almost midnight her time she was on top of it and got us in no problem. Now that’s service LOL! Can’t wit to go back, how about next week? Who’s coming!
Dana Sacks
If you want to go to the best place go to Grand Wailea in Maui.....Good rooms, close to the ocean, great sun, funthings to do, great food...Don't miss it.
We had such a great time with the help of our Tral Advisor Karen Taatjes. She always taks such good care of me.
Judy Kauffman
estimonial:
Karen planned the most spectacular eco-adventure/family vacation to Costa Rica, for us. Every last detail was taken care of, including private transfers to each destination, and every activity/adventure. Each leg of the trip was amazing! Our hotels lovely, and our adventures exciting. Services were spot on, every one. We saw some of the best parts of Costa Rica. I could not have planned this trip without her expertise, nor would our experience have been so wonderful. Our memories will last a lifetime! We highly recommend your five star service! Thank you Karen.
Joleen M
Karen, I want to thank you for all your help in coordinating our travel experiences. You are so easy to work with, and your forward thinking allowed us to move forward with our Italy trip at just the right time. Your coordination with your associates in Europe was most helpful. You are always there when we call or text, to help solve any unforeseen problems. Your help with the travel insurance issue this year was above and beyond.
Karen was wonderful in planning our trip to Iceland. Our hotel was perfect and the excursions she booked for us were fantastic! Any time we had a question or concern she always was quick to help. Thank you Karen. Can’t wait to book our next trip with you! Jane and Carl Schlosser.
Dear Karen,
I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to write to thank you for all you did to make our recent trip absolutely perfect!! We’ve been absorbing all our memories and telling everyone all about it.
Many times, throughout the three weeks, we simply said, “Thank you, Karen!” Whenever our transport arrived, another bucket list item was checked, or we checked into another gorgeous hotel.
Speaking of hotels, I will be forever spoiled by the Hotel Borg!! It is spectacular in every way. Lovely hotel, incredibly kind staff, amazing spa and wonderful daily breakfasted. We hated to leave after 8 nights as our home base.
Each of our excursions exceeded our expectations with the drivers and guides making us feel welcome. They were full of advice and suggestions. We dined like kings every night and loved our time in and out of Reykjavik.
I don’t regret staying the extra night to visit the Blue Lagoon. Thank you for getting us the best package so we would have robes. We enjoyed the restaurant there as well.
The airport hotel was perfect for early flight to Amsterdam. Spending the last few days in Bruges with Bob & Diane making our way by train back to Amsterdam was a memory maker. The hotel in Bruges was STUNNING with a breakfast Diane said made her feel like a Princess!
Our train trip was so well planned by you making the travel day easy. We had no idea we would get such a lovely lunch on the train!
The hotel in Amsterdam was a tiny walk from the train station which was perfect! And our driver picked us up as planned for our return flight the next day.
Please don’t hesitate to give my contact info to anyone with questions about our trip.
It’s great to be home but we will be in touch soon with our next destination. We will never travel again without Magic Travel Genie!!
Best regard,
Lynda & Pat
Traveling during COVID was an adventure, and our travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie helped us navigate through this unprecedented time. Karen booked beautiful hotels, first class motor & train transportation and our Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel. When we had questions about flight upgrades and COVID tests, she researched & was on the phone(s) with vendors for hours on our & other clients’ behalf.
Diane & Bob
After an 11 hour flight & an airport staff shortage, it was a relief knowing that the driver Karen had arranged would meet us & drive us to our hotel. The hip Albus Hotel in Amsterdam, the opulent Grand Hotel Casselbergh in Bruges, and the great location of the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel in Amsterdam were wonderful selections by Karen. We felt like royalty riding first class & being served a meal on the trains from Bruges to Amsterdam.
We did enjoy our trip on two river cruises-BoatBike (with 28 family & friends) & Viking-as well as all the beautiful countries, their history, amazing tours (Keokenhof Gardens & Marksburg Castle were my favorites) and the wonderful people we met.
Traveling during COVID was an adventure, and our travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie helped us navigate through this unprecedented time. Karen booked beautiful hotels, first class motor & train transportation and our Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel. When we had questions about flight upgrades and COVID tests, she researched & was on the phone(s) with vendors for hours on our & other clients’ behalf.
After an 11 hour flight & an airport staff shortage, it was a relief knowing that the driver Karen had arranged would meet us & drive us to our hotel. The hip Albus Hotel in Amsterdam, the opulent Grand Hotel Casselbergh in Bruges, and the great location of the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel in Amsterdam were wonderful selections by Karen. We felt like royalty riding first class & being served a meal on the trains from Bruges to Amsterdam.
We did enjoy our trip on two river cruises-BoatBike (with 28 family & friends) & Viking-as well as all the beautiful countries, their history, amazing tours (Keokenhof Gardens & Marksburg Castle were my favorites) and the wonderful people we met.
Bob & Diane
My daughter, friend and I just spent the most wonderful 12 day tour/boat cruise on the Rhine river. Viking cruises are the best. Clean, great service, fabulous meals, especially breakfast! Nightly entertainment for all ages.
We started with the Passion play in Germany and ended with the windmills in the Netherlands. Karen Taatjes travel agent with Magic Travel Genie. Our tours planned it all for us. She makes it look easy!
Our planes flights were uneventful and able to sleep on both flights. Karen has so much knowledge and experience about travel to so many countries.
We three would highly recommend this beautiful trip! Beautiful memories.
Going on the Royal Caribbean Bahama cruise was my husband’s maiden voyage, my second experience. This was my first experience working with a travel advisor and our experience made us totally confident that Karen had everything under control. She was always accessible, getting back to us in short order if we had a question or concern. I will definitely be calling Karen when we plan our future Alaskan cruise.
Testimonials
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
"My nine year old daughter and I are always up for a travel adventure. Recently, I was planning a trip to the UK and touched base with Karen Taatjes at Magic Travel. After a lengthy discussion about the details of the trip and our expectations, Karen put together a proposal including a time line and cost. In addition to making fantastic suggestions that would have points of interest we both enjoyed, Karen arranged transportation from the airport to our hotels and back; love this! There is nothing like getting off a 10 hour plane ride to find someone standing in the middle of Heath-row airport with a pleasant looking man with your name on a placard!!! As we were preparing to return to the US, I realized we had a huge lay over in NYC. I texted Karen from Dublin and she quickly made arrangements for a hotel, directions, a phone number and of course her contact information in case we had a problem. We organized part of the trip and then Karen organized a part and the two worked together like magic!!
"We booked our Alaskan Cruise through Magic Travel Genie and it was fabulous. Karen was able to get us a great cabin, explain all of the details (including what to wear) and it was seamless. I highly reccomend this company. In fact, I just booked another cruise through her and we are off to Australia/New Zealand in January."
Alisa posted to March 11 Karen, Thank you so much for your help with our Disney Vacation. When it comes to Disney you are an expert! The hotels were beautiful and all your work made it so stress free for us. Thanks again. This is the perfect career choice for you. From-Duane, Alisa, Carter, Isaac. Alisa T
We had a wonderful time, no hitches at all, flights on time both directions. The Sheraton hotel is from now on, my favorite place to stay. Again thanks for all your professional help. You really are a magic travel genie. Eileen and Bob H
Our family booked our very first cruise through Karen. I was such a pleasant experience. Knowing she is a world traveler, we knew that we were in great hands and depended on her for tips & suggestions. Karen has gone above and beyond for us. We had a huge loss in our family recently. Not being able to think clearly, I reached out to Karen for help. She helped booked 5 round trip tickets to Louisiana. We are forever thankful for all you have done for us Karen! Thank you for going the extra mile!! Carl & Amy
When planning our 30th Wedding Anniversary I expressed an interest in going to Tahiti but within budget. Karen came up with the MS Paul Gaugin. This smaller Cruise Line with it's own diving operation was perfect. We had a fantastic trip and would highly recommend checking Magic Travel Genie for your future personalized travel. Seona & Jeff L.
Just wanted to touch base and let you know what a fabulous time we had in cancun! The resort was perfect for us, the food was good and our excursions were all really fun! And the water was fabulous!! Great trip, thanks for all your hard work! Max says two years and we r going to cabo! Shari
On behalf of the entire family plus my sister and brother-in-law, Maureen & Tom P, I want to offer sincere thanks for all of your help in the planning of what was a dream vacation! You and your partners really helped us squeeze every drop from each of our 17 days in Australia! We were very happy with all of our accommodations; the pick-ups and transfers went flawlessly, and all of the excursions you booked were top notch...the guides were all so friendly and informative. My mind has been opened to the benefits of pre-booking and also to the use of local tours as they really provided structure to our days and allowed us to have tons of fun instead of worrying about the next "what-" or "how-" to do!" We loved Australia and appreciate all you did to make our experience so amazing! I definitely recommend Karen Taatjes and Magic Travel Genie for your next "vacation of a lifetime!"
I had the great pleasure of having Karen as my travel agent! She was very knowledgeable in planning my whole vacation! From the hotel and flights to all of the great excursions we went on! I have all ready an will continue to recommend Karen for all travel arrangements!
Hey Karen it;s Tyler. I want to thank you for organizing such a great trip. It made the trips so much easier without having to plan everything. The report you booked for us was perfect! It had everything we were looking for.
Our vacation from start to finish was effortless and flawless. Karen made EVERYTHING so easy! I called Karen one day just inquiring about cruises and within two days we were booked for a week cruise to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas! Not only did she book my family of 5, but secured us with adjoining balcony cabins for my sister in laws family and Grandparents. Karen made the reservation process easy and she happily answered ALL my questions over the next two months as we prepared for our vacation. Being a first time cruiser myself it was wonderful having Karen's expertise as she has traveled extensively and been on many cruises herself. She knew the in's and out's of not only the ship but the excursions too! Karen was the utmost professional but friendly and personal at the same time. I would highly recommend Karen to anyone that wants to make their life and vacation easier. I will definitely use Karen and her travel agency for all future travels. Hopefully there will be many more!!
Thank you, Karen. We had a wonderful time and you made it a very simple process. Lots of great family memories and pictures to prove it! We especially loved the extreme canopy tour in Puerto Vallarta! Thanks again, Kelly Sandifer
We just returned from a beautiful diving/sighting vacation to Australia . From the moment we started talking about going on this trip, Karen Taatjes of Magic Genie Travel was wonderful. Her atte4ntion to every detail of the trip made for a very easy and relaxing vacation. All went smooth! eWhen we returned she called us to make sure we arrived safely. Amazing! Now that's customer service. Ron and Bonnie
Karen planned, organized, booked, and coordinated all necessary arrangements for our once in a lifetime vacation to Australia and our trip turned out spectacularly! This was tougher than it sounds as there were five incredibly independent "cats to heard". Having already traveled to Australia, Karen was able to direct us to the best values throughout our trip (and I'm a tough one to please). I found myself nodding silently to myself (often) as her recommendations not only helped us avoid stress & confusion, but helped us maximize our time & enjoyment! We always felt like she "had our back". One time in particular, I unfortunately encountered an issue with my ears on the first of three planned dives at the great barrier reef. It was clear I wouldn't be able to participate on the next two dives. On the fly, Karen was able to secure full refunds for the next two dives . It happened seamlessly. After out great vacation, I can recommend Karen without hesitation. Tom M.
"Magic Travel Genie set up an amazing trip for us recently to Australia and New Zealand. We cruised aboard the Seabourn line which had the most attentive and professional staff we have yet to encounter on any of our many voyages. We have used Karen before and have had consistently great results. We have booked vacations ourselves and even experimented with other agents with very mixed results. We think Karen excels for the following reasons: First and foremost, she spends time listening to what it is that we do and do not want in a package. To us, price is an important consideration. However, we also want to get the most for the money we invest and we want to feel like what we do allocate is money well spent. Secondly, Karen has traveled extensively and developed a network of others that allows her to comment intelligently on what each vacation has to offer. We highly recommend Karen's services for your vacation needs.
Once we decided we wanted to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon, we got into contact with Karen and discussed our budget and the importance of staying at a hotel that was more oriented towards couples than families, on an island that was a good mix of tourist and adventure. Karen took the reins and planned everything perfectly, allowing us to focus on planning our wedding! She was always available to answer our questions throughout the process by phone, text or e-mail. Karen took care of our flight arrangements and car rental as well, and printed all documentation for us, making our travels as stress free and seamless as possible. We had the trip of a lifetime. We stayed at the Makena Beach and Gold Resort in Makena-Wailea, Maui and had the most gorgeous ocean front room, with a stunning view of Molokini Crater (which we ended up snorkeling at)! Next time we plan another big trip, we are definitely using Karen’s services!
We are a couple in our mid 70's and had the opportunity of going on our first Cruise this past summer with Karen Taatjes being our travel agent..I can only say that she made everything so much easier as we are not real good on the computer and don't have the latest in the smart phones, no fax, etc!! She did EVERYTHING for us and it was all done and complete before our cruise, and we didn't have to worry about a thing--she even signed Dale and the Grandkids up for the "Extreme Canopy" excursion, and it all went fine except for a couple stubborn Donkeys!! (Just kidding!) There were 11 in our group and we just relaxed and enjoyed it...Thank you so much , Karen! (Now about Interstate 10 getting washed out a few days before our departure from Phoenix!!) Thanks again, Karen! Marge Barton
After deciding our vacation would take us back to Maui we contacted Karen at MagicTravelGenie. She put together a wonderful trip with great accomodations, found us a non-stop flight, and all within our budget. We stayed at the Aston Mahana in the Kaanapali area - great location. The accomodations were much better than we anticipated. We had a 2-bedroom suite on the beach and overlooking the ocean. The ground were maintained grounds with lots of shade, and had a swimming pool and BBQ area. Nicely furnished, well maintained and equipped (washer/dryer unit, granite countertops, fully stocked kitchen) apartment. The master had a king bed with large glass walled shower, the 2nd bedroom a queen bed with its own full bathroom, and a fold out sofa bed in the living room. Terrific housekeeping. The lanai ran the width of the bedroom and living room and had a table and four chairs. We'll definitely contact Karen at MagicTravelGenie next time we take a trip!
Karen recently booked us a trip to Europe including a river cruise. Suggestions she made for sidetrips and transportation all worked great. She thought of pre arranged connections from airport to hotels that we did not think to plan. She gave us plenty of documentation and help with our passports visas etc. That made everything goes smoothly. Great trip and we will have Karen arrange trips for us in the future.
We booked our 1st cruise through Karen to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Karen met our needs and got us the perfect cruise. She did an excellent job going above and beyond in getting us all the needed documents, we didn’t have to do a thing. She took care of every detail so that when we got there all we needed to do was walk onto the ship and enjoy. Karen also booked our flight, working with us to get the flights that best fit our needs. We will definitely use Karen again for future vacations. Thank you!! David & Andrea T
Karen, Just wanted to email you to say thank you for organizing our trip to Jamaica. Everyone had a blast. You took our short notice request and acted like it was a piece of cake. 9 people/2 families and all of our indecisiveness didn't seem like a piece of cake to me. You are a real professional. Here are some pictures of us. Please share with your future clients. Thanks again. Thanks, Alisa T
My wife, Yana and I were working and found it difficult to plan anything. We spent hours online trying to gather the information we needed for a successful trip with no results. A coworker of mine had suggested you to us. I'm so glad that you were recommended to us because there is absolutely no way we could have done it without your help. From the moment we met with you, I knew we would work great with you. All the guess work, time making phone calls, booking, researching was handled by you and helped us not to worry about anything. When we went on the trip we didn't realize just how much work it took to make this trip happen. We spent over a month in Italy and every detail was taken care of and all we had to do was just enjoy our trip! Little things that we never thought of like, transfers from the airport to our hotels, train tickets, would have been nearly impossible without your help. I have and will continue to suggest Magic Travel Genie and your service to everyone I know.
Judy K. What a wonderful way to go places, play games, eat wonderful food, drink good drinks, meet interesting people-------take a cruise. Have Karen set it up for you............it was worth it for her to take care of it for us.
My wife was born in Africa and the for the past 28 years she has spoken of wanting to return when she reached her 60th year. We reached out to Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie to help us plan the trip. We began our adventure at LAX and headed to Amsterdam where we were greeted at the airport by Avante and whisked off to our nice hotel in the heart of the city. This hotel was perfect for us as it allowed us to walk to museums, restaurants, around canals and generally experience this amazing city. Our next leg took us to Tanzania for an extended tour around the Serengeti and other national parks and game reserves. We were again greeted at the airport, assisted with customs and transported to the magical Arusha coffee house for another night of rest. The next 8 days were filled with game drives and with our excellent guide Joshua through Leopard Tours. I'm not sure how we would have found such great companies and luxury camps without Karen's guidance.
This summer we enjoyed a Canandian drive and rail trip from Vancouver, B.C. to Calgary. Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie worked closely with us to modify our Vacations by Rail package to perfectly fit our needs and add any missing travel components. She coordinated the adding of another night in Vancouver and adjusting different levels of hotel and Rocky Mountaineer train service.. She ran interference with Vacations by Rail when we realized at the last minute they hadn’t given us all the departure information we needed. With Karen’s careful planning and communication, our trip went smoothly from start to finish, and we had her contact information ready in case any problems arose. Upon our return, we communicated with Karen that maintenance had caused a room level downgrade in one hotel, and she promptly negotiated a partial refund. We recommend using Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie to assist in planning your next vacation!
Karen was an excellent travel agent I called her and asked her to find a trip to Cabo for myself and a friend and she provided us a resort that was simply amazing had a great price everything I asked she quickly responded to you I would use her again in a heartbeat her follow up was amazing and I'm thankful that she helped. Randy M
Thank you so much Karen for making our New York Trip Amazing!!!! I really appreciate you we're able to get us all on the same flight even though my older sons book two months later. And it was even less expensive for them. You pick a great location for us in the middle of time square. Our hotel was spacious enough for all 6 of us. You were great on accommodating all of our wishes for Benito's 21st Birthday. We will treasure all these great memories forever. I will definitely refer you to all my friends and family for sure. I give you *****. Thanks again Karen.
Our wonderful trip is coming to an end and it has truly been magical. All the credit goes to Kj Taatjes. If anyone is planning a trip (long or short) I highly recommend using Magic Travel Genie. I told Karen where we wanted to go, things we wanted to see and the amount of time in each place. Karen put together the perfect itinerary and the whole trip was seamless. From the drivers that picked us up at each airport or train station (and at our hotels when it was time to leave) to the beautiful hotels, tours spaced perfectly to give us plenty of free time to wander and the travel tips to ensure we were fully prepared - we could not have asked for anything more. Thank you my dear friend! You made our experience the perfect “trip of a lifetime”!
Once again, Karen and Magic Travel Genie, helped bring the magic to our recent trip to Costa Rica! Three of us enjoyed a fabulous vacation in the Arenal and Tamarindo areas of Guanacaste before heading to San Jose, where our son currently lives. Karen and her team take much of the stress out of travel and have a knack for booking fun adventures in each area. We enjoyed thermal hot spring pools, ATV riding up a volcano, zip lining over the jungle and so much more. The hotels and drivers were also top notch! Thank you, Karen!
Karen, Thank you so much for planning another wonderful trip for our family. Las Vegas, the Hoover dam, the Grand Canyon, and Tucson AZ all in one week. WOW! The boys loved the Hoover dam, and the helicopter ride over the Canyon. My favorite was the Mystere show in Vegas and the helicopter ride. The Hilton in Tucson was beautiful with lots of activities for the kids and a wonderful pool to relax by. Thanks again.
I had always dreamed of going to Morocco and Karen helped me make my dream come true through Gate 1 travels. As a first timer on a tour I had no idea what I was in for , but from the beginning when I was planning my trip to the moment I reached my destination , Karen was there with me via text making sure everything was taken care of. I genuinely appreciate her love and care to make sure I had the best experience possible. Gate 1 is a great group to travel with
Hi Karen, Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you once again, for organizing and helping us plan ANOTHER wonderful trip. The resort (Pueblo Bonito Rose - Los Cabos) is just as you described and more. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food that was offered. The staff was friendly and they were pretty accommodating. We had relatively no problems between the transfers to and from the resort, at the airports and at the resort. Working with you lets us go and just enjoy the entire experience. There are so many little things that you plan and book that make the experience that much more enjoyable. Really thankful for everything you have and continue to do for us. We continue to refer people to you and tell everyone about the wonderful service you offer. Thank you so much!! David & Yana
Greetings Fellow Travelers, We are Bill and Sheryl Neely living in Oakland CA. We have been traveling together within the US and beyond our borders since we were 25 and are now 72. Karen is our first and favorite travel agent for many reasons and notably our recent Viking River Cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Working and planning our trip was a wonderful experience with Karen. She arranged our booking with Viking, cabin selection, and flight details all with easy contact via email and personal phone conversations including weekends. I even made final flight decisions with her while I used my cell phone in the parking lot of the Information Center of the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California while on a camping trip. Karen is accessible, warmly personable, knowledgeable, a traveler herself, eager to learn about your travel experiences, and excited to provide services that help you make each trip the best adventure ever! Our ship board experience was amazing! Such fun!!!
We recently returned from another amazing adventure that truly was a trip of a lifetime. Karen’s attention to detail and knowledge of the area gave us the opportunity to experience each of these venues the way we envisioned. Our trips are so varied, Safari in Tanzania, ruins in Cancun, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, exploring wine country in France....and yet each adventure was wonderful. Thanks Karen for helping me work through my bucket list!
Karen has booked two cruises for us in the last months. We just returned from our Viking Ocean “Into the Midnight Sun” cruise to beautiful Norway, amazing Scotland and historic England. When she learned where our stateroom was located, she called and had it changed to a better location. She also helped us book our optional land tours and provided nice gifts as a thank you. She has been busy with our upcoming Halloween Disney cruise, ensuring we are able to have early dining at the themed restaurants. She is quick to respond to questions and resolve any issues. We’ve learned she is able to often beat online hotel rates, too. We have a long bucket list and we’ll put our travel plans in her capable hands!
What a wonderful time we had in Europe this summer when our son got married in Salzburg Austria! A big thank you to Karen who put together before and after trips. We visited Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucern & Zürich. Karen arranged walking tours with local guides, hop-on-hop-off buses, a glacier tour, very accommodating hotels at each city, all with attention to our wishes. We are so grateful for such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Karen Taatjes has earned our highest recommendation and respect. Planes, trains, automobiles, plus cruise ships, hotels, car rentals and insurance... Karen can do it all. Hotel room in Boston? Gullabo, Sweden? Paris? Newfoundland? No problem. A trip that begins in Missoula, includes three destinations and a return to San Francisco? She has it covered. Karen is a travel professional who is associated with other professionals world-wide who have been able to make our travels as easy a possible. The hotel rooms are high quality and ideally located. The plane connections work. The rental car accommodates the passengers and the luggage and travel requirements. And...my personal favorite...she can arrange for transfers from airport to train station; from train to hotel; from hotel to cruise ship and so on. What a relief that is! We will be calling on her for every future trip. Ray and Alice Down
Karen, The trip was awesome! We truly enjoyed ourselves and the accommodations were wonderful. I will add that the food was delicious, lots of variety, and staff had great customer service. Lovely, lovely, resort! Please email us with any great deals that may come your way. Carletha
Karen, What you’ve done for us this past year in preparation for this destination wedding is incredible. You’re more than a travel agent, you’re a friend and a shoulder to cry on. You always take such great care of your customers and make sure we get nothing but the BEST & we got the best. The resort was out of this world. Every single one of our guest were extremely impressed. The service, food, drinks, entertainment, excursions, and staff were excellent. We left with many great memories and hope to be back soon!! THANK YOU!!! Carl and Amy Givens
Karen, The trip that you were able to plan for us was absolutely amazing. Since it was our first time out of country with little ones, the emails and updates were timed well in advance, giving us plenty of time to prepare. The resort was breathtaking and the staff took great care of us. From the moment we landed until the time we left, we were catered to. Thanks for making this trip relaxing and care free for us Brian & Irma Cruz
Hi Karen, Thank you so much for coordinating our stay in Playa Del Carmen! The Playa Azul Beach resort was perfect choice for our family and for big groups!! I loved being Surrounded in nature, boys loved the pool next to our room and the main pool area by the beach was beautiful! The quality and variety of food and restaurant choices was wonderful, the music at night and the vendors on select dates was great! The staff at every area were super friendly and helpful. And It’s an amazing location for a wedding that were a part of! Thank you!! Love, Reyes family
Karen & Jeff, Wanted to let you know you guys did a terrific job getting our itinerary, rooms and rides for our Alaska trip. The 4 nights went by very fast and the we had wonderful sunny weather the entire trip. Temps were a pleasant 60-65 degrees. One of the highlights was the river cruise in Fairbanks. That Fairbanks River Cruise is exceptional as it is educational as well as fun. They teach about sea planes, dogs for dog sleds, Indian tribes, very well organized on a paddle wheel river boat that holds over 400 people. TIP: get on left side for best viewing. Thank you again, for you expert help and advice. If you look close at the third bend in the river you will see a large grisly bear. Just kidding....Scottie & Liz...
Hi Karen, Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you once again, for organizing and helping us plan ANOTHER wonderful trip. The resort (Pueblo Bonito Rose - Los Cabos) is just as you described and more. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food that was offered. The staff was friendly and they were pretty accommodating. We had relatively no problems between the transfers to and from the resort, at the airports and at the resort. Working with you lets us go and just enjoy the entire experience. There are so many little things that you plan and book that make the experience that much more enjoyable. Really thankful for everything you have and continue to do for us. We continue to refer people to you and tell everyone about the wonderful service you offer. Thank you so much!! David & Yana
We recently returned from another amazing adventure that truly was a trip of a lifetime. Karen’s attention to detail and knowledge of the area gave us the opportunity to experience each of these venues the way we envisioned. Our trips are so varied, Safari in Tanzania, ruins in Cancun, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, exploring wine country in France....and yet each adventure was wonderful. Thanks Karen for helping me work through my bucket list!
Greetings Fellow Travelers, We are Bill and Sheryl Neely living in Oakland CA. We have been traveling together within the US and beyond our borders since we were 25 and are now 72. Karen is our first and favorite travel agent for many reasons and notably our recent Viking River Cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Working and planning our trip was a wonderful experience with Karen. She arranged our booking with Viking, cabin selection, and flight details all with easy contact via email and personal phone conversations including weekends. I even made final flight decisions with her while I used my cell phone in the parking lot of the Information Center of the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California while on a camping trip. Karen is accessible, warmly personable, knowledgeable, a traveler herself, eager to learn about your travel experiences, and excited to provide services that help you make each trip the best adventure ever! Our ship board experience was amazing! Such fun!!!
What a wonderful time we had in Europe this summer when our son got married in Salzburg Austria! A big thank you to Karen who put together before and after trips. We visited Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucern & Zürich. Karen arranged walking tours with local guides, hop-on-hop-off buses, a glacier tour, very accommodating hotels at each city, all with attention to our wishes. We are so grateful for such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Karen has booked two cruises for us in the last months. We just returned from our Viking Ocean “Into the Midnight Sun” cruise to beautiful Norway, amazing Scotland and historic England. When she learned where our stateroom was located, she called and had it changed to a better location. She also helped us book our optional land tours and provided nice gifts as a thank you. She has been busy with our upcoming Halloween Disney cruise, ensuring we are able to have early dining at the themed restaurants. She is quick to respond to questions and resolve any issues. We’ve learned she is able to often beat online hotel rates, too. We have a long bucket list and we’ll put our travel plans in her capable hands!
Karen Taajjes at Magic Travel constructed an amazing trip for us in France. She listened to all our thoughts re: planning and came up with a powerful itinerary. It included a PRE and POST adventure around a Viking River Cruise. Karen booked us into charming hotels that were in the centers of towns in Nice, Marseilles and Paris. She lined up excellent drivers to pick us up and deliver us to our hotels & trains. She also got us tickets for the trains and even helped with a minor glitch in our transportation. She knows her business and her recommendations are "spot on". We had a wonderful time and we look forward to working with Karen again.
Dear Karen, Just a note of thanks to you for your outstanding work in making all of the travel arrangements for our recent trip to Italy. From the time we left home and through all of the airline flights, train rides, car transfers and hotel stays, everything went off totally without a single hitch. The airline connections were conveniently timed, the hotels were exceptional and located so as to make the next transfer simple, and in each case where auto transport was necessary a driver was awaiting our arrival, ready to pick us up in a clean, high-quality automobile. I would also like to note that the local tour/excursion operators that were contracted provided us with the most friendly, courteous and professional service. Your services saved us inestimable time and effort that would have been required to make all of the arrangements ourselves. Thanks again
Karen Taajjes at Magic Travel constructed an amazing trip for us in France. She listened to all our thoughts re: planning and came up with a powerful itinerary. It included a PRE and POST adventure around a Viking River Cruise. Karen booked us into charming hotels that were in the centers of towns in Nice, Marseilles and Paris. She lined up excellent drivers to pick us up and deliver us to our hotels & trains. She also got us tickets for the trains and even helped with a minor glitch in our transportation. She knows her business and her recommendations are "spot on". We had a wonderful time and we look forward to working with Karen again.
Karen is the best! We were so frustrated trying to plan ourtrip to Europe on our own and then we were recommended Karen! She not only saved us tons of money, but planned tons of fun things for us to do while we were abroad. We highly recommend using Karen for any and all travels you might take. She is fast, friendly and takes exceptional care of her clients! 10/10 without a doubt!
Karen, Thank you so much for booking our trip to St Lucia. This was the most amazing vacation we have ever had. The people of St Lucia are the most helpful and friendly people we have ever met. You lined up everything so wonderfully. You again out did yourself. Thank you for giving Duane and I the chance to get away and reconnect. That is a priceless gift. Thanks, Alisa and Duane
Well, Karen booked us two vacations that were going to run concurrently. First, my son and I had the chance to go to Australia and New Zealand. We flew to Sydney and then sailed on a cruise ship around New Zealand. On the way back, our son flew to Utah to meet up with my husband/his dad for a week of skiing at Park City Utah. Karen booked every detail of both trips and everything went off without a hitch (even the flights were almost all on time - not sure she can make that happen but willing to give her credit for it). She sent us the documents we needed in paper and electronically, e-mailed and texted with us and ensured there was nothing left to chance. Go with Karen....it saves you time, money and worry! Thanks Karen and Magic Genie! Next up a trip to Europe that Karen is taking care of too!
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recommends
We finally made it to Hawaii!!! A huge thank you to our amazing travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie. Getting to Hawaii during covid is a nightmare and Karen made it smooth sailing all the way. She was there to answer every single question, and believe me she had lots! We had a small glitch with the luau and had to call Karen and even thought it was almost midnight her time she was on top of it and got us in no problem. Now that’s service LOL! Can’t wit to go back, how about next week? Who’s coming!
Dana Sacks
If you want to go to the best place go to Grand Wailea in Maui.....Good rooms, close to the ocean, great sun, funthings to do, great food...Don't miss it.
We had such a great time with the help of our Tral Advisor Karen Taatjes. She always taks such good care of me.
Judy Kauffman
estimonial:
Karen planned the most spectacular eco-adventure/family vacation to Costa Rica, for us. Every last detail was taken care of, including private transfers to each destination, and every activity/adventure. Each leg of the trip was amazing! Our hotels lovely, and our adventures exciting. Services were spot on, every one. We saw some of the best parts of Costa Rica. I could not have planned this trip without her expertise, nor would our experience have been so wonderful. Our memories will last a lifetime! We highly recommend your five star service! Thank you Karen.
Joleen M
Karen, I want to thank you for all your help in coordinating our travel experiences. You are so easy to work with, and your forward thinking allowed us to move forward with our Italy trip at just the right time. Your coordination with your associates in Europe was most helpful. You are always there when we call or text, to help solve any unforeseen problems. Your help with the travel insurance issue this year was above and beyond.
Karen was wonderful in planning our trip to Iceland. Our hotel was perfect and the excursions she booked for us were fantastic! Any time we had a question or concern she always was quick to help. Thank you Karen. Can’t wait to book our next trip with you! Jane and Carl Schlosser.
Dear Karen,
I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to write to thank you for all you did to make our recent trip absolutely perfect!! We’ve been absorbing all our memories and telling everyone all about it.
Many times, throughout the three weeks, we simply said, “Thank you, Karen!” Whenever our transport arrived, another bucket list item was checked, or we checked into another gorgeous hotel.
Speaking of hotels, I will be forever spoiled by the Hotel Borg!! It is spectacular in every way. Lovely hotel, incredibly kind staff, amazing spa and wonderful daily breakfasted. We hated to leave after 8 nights as our home base.
Each of our excursions exceeded our expectations with the drivers and guides making us feel welcome. They were full of advice and suggestions. We dined like kings every night and loved our time in and out of Reykjavik.
I don’t regret staying the extra night to visit the Blue Lagoon. Thank you for getting us the best package so we would have robes. We enjoyed the restaurant there as well.
The airport hotel was perfect for early flight to Amsterdam. Spending the last few days in Bruges with Bob & Diane making our way by train back to Amsterdam was a memory maker. The hotel in Bruges was STUNNING with a breakfast Diane said made her feel like a Princess!
Our train trip was so well planned by you making the travel day easy. We had no idea we would get such a lovely lunch on the train!
The hotel in Amsterdam was a tiny walk from the train station which was perfect! And our driver picked us up as planned for our return flight the next day.
Please don’t hesitate to give my contact info to anyone with questions about our trip.
It’s great to be home but we will be in touch soon with our next destination. We will never travel again without Magic Travel Genie!!
Best regard,
Lynda & Pat
Traveling during COVID was an adventure, and our travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie helped us navigate through this unprecedented time. Karen booked beautiful hotels, first class motor & train transportation and our Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel. When we had questions about flight upgrades and COVID tests, she researched & was on the phone(s) with vendors for hours on our & other clients’ behalf.
Diane & Bob
After an 11 hour flight & an airport staff shortage, it was a relief knowing that the driver Karen had arranged would meet us & drive us to our hotel. The hip Albus Hotel in Amsterdam, the opulent Grand Hotel Casselbergh in Bruges, and the great location of the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel in Amsterdam were wonderful selections by Karen. We felt like royalty riding first class & being served a meal on the trains from Bruges to Amsterdam.
We did enjoy our trip on two river cruises-BoatBike (with 28 family & friends) & Viking-as well as all the beautiful countries, their history, amazing tours (Keokenhof Gardens & Marksburg Castle were my favorites) and the wonderful people we met.
Traveling during COVID was an adventure, and our travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie helped us navigate through this unprecedented time. Karen booked beautiful hotels, first class motor & train transportation and our Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel. When we had questions about flight upgrades and COVID tests, she researched & was on the phone(s) with vendors for hours on our & other clients’ behalf.
After an 11 hour flight & an airport staff shortage, it was a relief knowing that the driver Karen had arranged would meet us & drive us to our hotel. The hip Albus Hotel in Amsterdam, the opulent Grand Hotel Casselbergh in Bruges, and the great location of the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel in Amsterdam were wonderful selections by Karen. We felt like royalty riding first class & being served a meal on the trains from Bruges to Amsterdam.
We did enjoy our trip on two river cruises-BoatBike (with 28 family & friends) & Viking-as well as all the beautiful countries, their history, amazing tours (Keokenhof Gardens & Marksburg Castle were my favorites) and the wonderful people we met.
Bob & Diane
My daughter, friend and I just spent the most wonderful 12 day tour/boat cruise on the Rhine river. Viking cruises are the best. Clean, great service, fabulous meals, especially breakfast! Nightly entertainment for all ages.
We started with the Passion play in Germany and ended with the windmills in the Netherlands. Karen Taatjes travel agent with Magic Travel Genie. Our tours planned it all for us. She makes it look easy!
Our planes flights were uneventful and able to sleep on both flights. Karen has so much knowledge and experience about travel to so many countries.
We three would highly recommend this beautiful trip! Beautiful memories.
Going on the Royal Caribbean Bahama cruise was my husband’s maiden voyage, my second experience. This was my first experience working with a travel advisor and our experience made us totally confident that Karen had everything under control. She was always accessible, getting back to us in short order if we had a question or concern. I will definitely be calling Karen when we plan our future Alaskan cruise.
“This year my boyfriend and I decided we wanted to visit Europe, but as first time travelers, we didn’t know where to start. Planning a vacation across the world became daunting very quickly…just when we were about to scrap the trip, a family friend recommend working with Karen at Magic Travel Genie. After a phone call discussing our desires for the trip, Karen quickly got to work putting together a travel itinerary that included transportation, accommodations, and excursions based on our outlined budget and requests. Karen exceeded our expectations and organized an amazing two week trip to France, Germany, and Switzerland. We stayed in beautiful, safe, clean hotels, and were able to take part in very unique activities, such as a private chocolate tasting / making tour and visiting the highest train station in Europe. For anyone who is looking for support organizing their next trip, I highly recommend working with Karen. I look forward to many more stress-free vacations planned by her in the future!
We had the most spectacular vacation in Croatia last month. Filled with special memories of a stunning country. The color of the Adriatic Sea is like no other I have experienced. The warm, beautiful waters were a treat to swim in every day. We started in the picturesque city of Split, ziplined over a river gorge in Omis, then toured the Dalmatia Coast for 7 glorious days on a yacht with 34 other passengers. Our stops included Trogir, Hvar, Vis, Korcula, Slano & Ston, and ended in Dubrovnik. Along the way we tasted wine, visited a UNESCO Blue Cave, had a private oyster and mussel tasting, visited Mljet national park, and a number of city walking city tours. Most of all we spent quality time together, enjoying a truly beautiful country! These memories will last a lifetime ❤️
*Special thank you to Karen with Magic Travel Genie for making this trip of a lifetime possible. She is the most amazing travel agent! 🤩
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
Testimonials
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
"My nine year old daughter and I are always up for a travel adventure. Recently, I was planning a trip to the UK and touched base with Karen Taatjes at Magic Travel. After a lengthy discussion about the details of the trip and our expectations, Karen put together a proposal including a time line and cost. In addition to making fantastic suggestions that would have points of interest we both enjoyed, Karen arranged transportation from the airport to our hotels and back; love this! There is nothing like getting off a 10 hour plane ride to find someone standing in the middle of Heath-row airport with a pleasant looking man with your name on a placard!!! As we were preparing to return to the US, I realized we had a huge lay over in NYC. I texted Karen from Dublin and she quickly made arrangements for a hotel, directions, a phone number and of course her contact information in case we had a problem. We organized part of the trip and then Karen organized a part and the two worked together like magic!!
Alisa posted to March 11 Karen, Thank you so much for your help with our Disney Vacation. When it comes to Disney you are an expert! The hotels were beautiful and all your work made it so stress free for us. Thanks again. This is the perfect career choice for you. From-Duane, Alisa, Carter, Isaac. Alisa T
"We booked our Alaskan Cruise through Magic Travel Genie and it was fabulous. Karen was able to get us a great cabin, explain all of the details (including what to wear) and it was seamless. I highly reccomend this company. In fact, I just booked another cruise through her and we are off to Australia/New Zealand in January."
We had a wonderful time, no hitches at all, flights on time both directions. The Sheraton hotel is from now on, my favorite place to stay. Again thanks for all your professional help. You really are a magic travel genie. Eileen and Bob H
Our family booked our very first cruise through Karen. I was such a pleasant experience. Knowing she is a world traveler, we knew that we were in great hands and depended on her for tips & suggestions. Karen has gone above and beyond for us. We had a huge loss in our family recently. Not being able to think clearly, I reached out to Karen for help. She helped booked 5 round trip tickets to Louisiana. We are forever thankful for all you have done for us Karen! Thank you for going the extra mile!! Carl & Amy
When planning our 30th Wedding Anniversary I expressed an interest in going to Tahiti but within budget. Karen came up with the MS Paul Gaugin. This smaller Cruise Line with it's own diving operation was perfect. We had a fantastic trip and would highly recommend checking Magic Travel Genie for your future personalized travel. Seona & Jeff L.
Just wanted to touch base and let you know what a fabulous time we had in cancun! The resort was perfect for us, the food was good and our excursions were all really fun! And the water was fabulous!! Great trip, thanks for all your hard work! Max says two years and we r going to cabo! Shari
On behalf of the entire family plus my sister and brother-in-law, Maureen & Tom P, I want to offer sincere thanks for all of your help in the planning of what was a dream vacation! You and your partners really helped us squeeze every drop from each of our 17 days in Australia! We were very happy with all of our accommodations; the pick-ups and transfers went flawlessly, and all of the excursions you booked were top notch...the guides were all so friendly and informative. My mind has been opened to the benefits of pre-booking and also to the use of local tours as they really provided structure to our days and allowed us to have tons of fun instead of worrying about the next "what-" or "how-" to do!" We loved Australia and appreciate all you did to make our experience so amazing! I definitely recommend Karen Taatjes and Magic Travel Genie for your next "vacation of a lifetime!"
I had the great pleasure of having Karen as my travel agent! She was very knowledgeable in planning my whole vacation! From the hotel and flights to all of the great excursions we went on! I have all ready an will continue to recommend Karen for all travel arrangements!
Hey Karen it;s Tyler. I want to thank you for organizing such a great trip. It made the trips so much easier without having to plan everything. The report you booked for us was perfect! It had everything we were looking for.
Our vacation from start to finish was effortless and flawless. Karen made EVERYTHING so easy! I called Karen one day just inquiring about cruises and within two days we were booked for a week cruise to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas! Not only did she book my family of 5, but secured us with adjoining balcony cabins for my sister in laws family and Grandparents. Karen made the reservation process easy and she happily answered ALL my questions over the next two months as we prepared for our vacation. Being a first time cruiser myself it was wonderful having Karen's expertise as she has traveled extensively and been on many cruises herself. She knew the in's and out's of not only the ship but the excursions too! Karen was the utmost professional but friendly and personal at the same time. I would highly recommend Karen to anyone that wants to make their life and vacation easier. I will definitely use Karen and her travel agency for all future travels. Hopefully there will be many more!!
Thank you, Karen. We had a wonderful time and you made it a very simple process. Lots of great family memories and pictures to prove it! We especially loved the extreme canopy tour in Puerto Vallarta! Thanks again, Kelly Sandifer
We just returned from a beautiful diving/sighting vacation to Australia . From the moment we started talking about going on this trip, Karen Taatjes of Magic Genie Travel was wonderful. Her atte4ntion to every detail of the trip made for a very easy and relaxing vacation. All went smooth! eWhen we returned she called us to make sure we arrived safely. Amazing! Now that's customer service. Ron and Bonnie
Karen planned, organized, booked, and coordinated all necessary arrangements for our once in a lifetime vacation to Australia and our trip turned out spectacularly! This was tougher than it sounds as there were five incredibly independent "cats to heard". Having already traveled to Australia, Karen was able to direct us to the best values throughout our trip (and I'm a tough one to please). I found myself nodding silently to myself (often) as her recommendations not only helped us avoid stress & confusion, but helped us maximize our time & enjoyment! We always felt like she "had our back". One time in particular, I unfortunately encountered an issue with my ears on the first of three planned dives at the great barrier reef. It was clear I wouldn't be able to participate on the next two dives. On the fly, Karen was able to secure full refunds for the next two dives . It happened seamlessly. After out great vacation, I can recommend Karen without hesitation. Tom M.
"Magic Travel Genie set up an amazing trip for us recently to Australia and New Zealand. We cruised aboard the Seabourn line which had the most attentive and professional staff we have yet to encounter on any of our many voyages. We have used Karen before and have had consistently great results. We have booked vacations ourselves and even experimented with other agents with very mixed results. We think Karen excels for the following reasons: First and foremost, she spends time listening to what it is that we do and do not want in a package. To us, price is an important consideration. However, we also want to get the most for the money we invest and we want to feel like what we do allocate is money well spent. Secondly, Karen has traveled extensively and developed a network of others that allows her to comment intelligently on what each vacation has to offer. We highly recommend Karen's services for your vacation needs.
Once we decided we wanted to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon, we got into contact with Karen and discussed our budget and the importance of staying at a hotel that was more oriented towards couples than families, on an island that was a good mix of tourist and adventure. Karen took the reins and planned everything perfectly, allowing us to focus on planning our wedding! She was always available to answer our questions throughout the process by phone, text or e-mail. Karen took care of our flight arrangements and car rental as well, and printed all documentation for us, making our travels as stress free and seamless as possible. We had the trip of a lifetime. We stayed at the Makena Beach and Gold Resort in Makena-Wailea, Maui and had the most gorgeous ocean front room, with a stunning view of Molokini Crater (which we ended up snorkeling at)! Next time we plan another big trip, we are definitely using Karen’s services!
We are a couple in our mid 70's and had the opportunity of going on our first Cruise this past summer with Karen Taatjes being our travel agent..I can only say that she made everything so much easier as we are not real good on the computer and don't have the latest in the smart phones, no fax, etc!! She did EVERYTHING for us and it was all done and complete before our cruise, and we didn't have to worry about a thing--she even signed Dale and the Grandkids up for the "Extreme Canopy" excursion, and it all went fine except for a couple stubborn Donkeys!! (Just kidding!) There were 11 in our group and we just relaxed and enjoyed it...Thank you so much , Karen! (Now about Interstate 10 getting washed out a few days before our departure from Phoenix!!) Thanks again, Karen! Marge Barton
After deciding our vacation would take us back to Maui we contacted Karen at MagicTravelGenie. She put together a wonderful trip with great accomodations, found us a non-stop flight, and all within our budget. We stayed at the Aston Mahana in the Kaanapali area - great location. The accomodations were much better than we anticipated. We had a 2-bedroom suite on the beach and overlooking the ocean. The ground were maintained grounds with lots of shade, and had a swimming pool and BBQ area. Nicely furnished, well maintained and equipped (washer/dryer unit, granite countertops, fully stocked kitchen) apartment. The master had a king bed with large glass walled shower, the 2nd bedroom a queen bed with its own full bathroom, and a fold out sofa bed in the living room. Terrific housekeeping. The lanai ran the width of the bedroom and living room and had a table and four chairs. We'll definitely contact Karen at MagicTravelGenie next time we take a trip!
Karen recently booked us a trip to Europe including a river cruise. Suggestions she made for sidetrips and transportation all worked great. She thought of pre arranged connections from airport to hotels that we did not think to plan. She gave us plenty of documentation and help with our passports visas etc. That made everything goes smoothly. Great trip and we will have Karen arrange trips for us in the future.
We booked our 1st cruise through Karen to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Karen met our needs and got us the perfect cruise. She did an excellent job going above and beyond in getting us all the needed documents, we didn’t have to do a thing. She took care of every detail so that when we got there all we needed to do was walk onto the ship and enjoy. Karen also booked our flight, working with us to get the flights that best fit our needs. We will definitely use Karen again for future vacations. Thank you!! David & Andrea T
Karen, Just wanted to email you to say thank you for organizing our trip to Jamaica. Everyone had a blast. You took our short notice request and acted like it was a piece of cake. 9 people/2 families and all of our indecisiveness didn't seem like a piece of cake to me. You are a real professional. Here are some pictures of us. Please share with your future clients. Thanks again. Thanks, Alisa T
My wife, Yana and I were working and found it difficult to plan anything. We spent hours online trying to gather the information we needed for a successful trip with no results. A coworker of mine had suggested you to us. I'm so glad that you were recommended to us because there is absolutely no way we could have done it without your help. From the moment we met with you, I knew we would work great with you. All the guess work, time making phone calls, booking, researching was handled by you and helped us not to worry about anything. When we went on the trip we didn't realize just how much work it took to make this trip happen. We spent over a month in Italy and every detail was taken care of and all we had to do was just enjoy our trip! Little things that we never thought of like, transfers from the airport to our hotels, train tickets, would have been nearly impossible without your help. I have and will continue to suggest Magic Travel Genie and your service to everyone I know.
Judy K. What a wonderful way to go places, play games, eat wonderful food, drink good drinks, meet interesting people-------take a cruise. Have Karen set it up for you............it was worth it for her to take care of it for us.
My wife was born in Africa and the for the past 28 years she has spoken of wanting to return when she reached her 60th year. We reached out to Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie to help us plan the trip. We began our adventure at LAX and headed to Amsterdam where we were greeted at the airport by Avante and whisked off to our nice hotel in the heart of the city. This hotel was perfect for us as it allowed us to walk to museums, restaurants, around canals and generally experience this amazing city. Our next leg took us to Tanzania for an extended tour around the Serengeti and other national parks and game reserves. We were again greeted at the airport, assisted with customs and transported to the magical Arusha coffee house for another night of rest. The next 8 days were filled with game drives and with our excellent guide Joshua through Leopard Tours. I'm not sure how we would have found such great companies and luxury camps without Karen's guidance.
This summer we enjoyed a Canandian drive and rail trip from Vancouver, B.C. to Calgary. Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie worked closely with us to modify our Vacations by Rail package to perfectly fit our needs and add any missing travel components. She coordinated the adding of another night in Vancouver and adjusting different levels of hotel and Rocky Mountaineer train service.. She ran interference with Vacations by Rail when we realized at the last minute they hadn’t given us all the departure information we needed. With Karen’s careful planning and communication, our trip went smoothly from start to finish, and we had her contact information ready in case any problems arose. Upon our return, we communicated with Karen that maintenance had caused a room level downgrade in one hotel, and she promptly negotiated a partial refund. We recommend using Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie to assist in planning your next vacation!
Karen was an excellent travel agent I called her and asked her to find a trip to Cabo for myself and a friend and she provided us a resort that was simply amazing had a great price everything I asked she quickly responded to you I would use her again in a heartbeat her follow up was amazing and I'm thankful that she helped. Randy M
Thank you so much Karen for making our New York Trip Amazing!!!! I really appreciate you we're able to get us all on the same flight even though my older sons book two months later. And it was even less expensive for them. You pick a great location for us in the middle of time square. Our hotel was spacious enough for all 6 of us. You were great on accommodating all of our wishes for Benito's 21st Birthday. We will treasure all these great memories forever. I will definitely refer you to all my friends and family for sure. I give you *****. Thanks again Karen.
Our wonderful trip is coming to an end and it has truly been magical. All the credit goes to Kj Taatjes. If anyone is planning a trip (long or short) I highly recommend using Magic Travel Genie. I told Karen where we wanted to go, things we wanted to see and the amount of time in each place. Karen put together the perfect itinerary and the whole trip was seamless. From the drivers that picked us up at each airport or train station (and at our hotels when it was time to leave) to the beautiful hotels, tours spaced perfectly to give us plenty of free time to wander and the travel tips to ensure we were fully prepared - we could not have asked for anything more. Thank you my dear friend! You made our experience the perfect “trip of a lifetime”!
Once again, Karen and Magic Travel Genie, helped bring the magic to our recent trip to Costa Rica! Three of us enjoyed a fabulous vacation in the Arenal and Tamarindo areas of Guanacaste before heading to San Jose, where our son currently lives. Karen and her team take much of the stress out of travel and have a knack for booking fun adventures in each area. We enjoyed thermal hot spring pools, ATV riding up a volcano, zip lining over the jungle and so much more. The hotels and drivers were also top notch! Thank you, Karen!
Karen, Thank you so much for planning another wonderful trip for our family. Las Vegas, the Hoover dam, the Grand Canyon, and Tucson AZ all in one week. WOW! The boys loved the Hoover dam, and the helicopter ride over the Canyon. My favorite was the Mystere show in Vegas and the helicopter ride. The Hilton in Tucson was beautiful with lots of activities for the kids and a wonderful pool to relax by. Thanks again.
I had always dreamed of going to Morocco and Karen helped me make my dream come true through Gate 1 travels. As a first timer on a tour I had no idea what I was in for , but from the beginning when I was planning my trip to the moment I reached my destination , Karen was there with me via text making sure everything was taken care of. I genuinely appreciate her love and care to make sure I had the best experience possible. Gate 1 is a great group to travel with
Hi Karen, Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you once again, for organizing and helping us plan ANOTHER wonderful trip. The resort (Pueblo Bonito Rose - Los Cabos) is just as you described and more. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food that was offered. The staff was friendly and they were pretty accommodating. We had relatively no problems between the transfers to and from the resort, at the airports and at the resort. Working with you lets us go and just enjoy the entire experience. There are so many little things that you plan and book that make the experience that much more enjoyable. Really thankful for everything you have and continue to do for us. We continue to refer people to you and tell everyone about the wonderful service you offer. Thank you so much!! David & Yana
Greetings Fellow Travelers, We are Bill and Sheryl Neely living in Oakland CA. We have been traveling together within the US and beyond our borders since we were 25 and are now 72. Karen is our first and favorite travel agent for many reasons and notably our recent Viking River Cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Working and planning our trip was a wonderful experience with Karen. She arranged our booking with Viking, cabin selection, and flight details all with easy contact via email and personal phone conversations including weekends. I even made final flight decisions with her while I used my cell phone in the parking lot of the Information Center of the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California while on a camping trip. Karen is accessible, warmly personable, knowledgeable, a traveler herself, eager to learn about your travel experiences, and excited to provide services that help you make each trip the best adventure ever! Our ship board experience was amazing! Such fun!!!
We recently returned from another amazing adventure that truly was a trip of a lifetime. Karen’s attention to detail and knowledge of the area gave us the opportunity to experience each of these venues the way we envisioned. Our trips are so varied, Safari in Tanzania, ruins in Cancun, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, exploring wine country in France....and yet each adventure was wonderful. Thanks Karen for helping me work through my bucket list!
Karen has booked two cruises for us in the last months. We just returned from our Viking Ocean “Into the Midnight Sun” cruise to beautiful Norway, amazing Scotland and historic England. When she learned where our stateroom was located, she called and had it changed to a better location. She also helped us book our optional land tours and provided nice gifts as a thank you. She has been busy with our upcoming Halloween Disney cruise, ensuring we are able to have early dining at the themed restaurants. She is quick to respond to questions and resolve any issues. We’ve learned she is able to often beat online hotel rates, too. We have a long bucket list and we’ll put our travel plans in her capable hands!
What a wonderful time we had in Europe this summer when our son got married in Salzburg Austria! A big thank you to Karen who put together before and after trips. We visited Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucern & Zürich. Karen arranged walking tours with local guides, hop-on-hop-off buses, a glacier tour, very accommodating hotels at each city, all with attention to our wishes. We are so grateful for such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Karen Taatjes has earned our highest recommendation and respect. Planes, trains, automobiles, plus cruise ships, hotels, car rentals and insurance... Karen can do it all. Hotel room in Boston? Gullabo, Sweden? Paris? Newfoundland? No problem. A trip that begins in Missoula, includes three destinations and a return to San Francisco? She has it covered. Karen is a travel professional who is associated with other professionals world-wide who have been able to make our travels as easy a possible. The hotel rooms are high quality and ideally located. The plane connections work. The rental car accommodates the passengers and the luggage and travel requirements. And...my personal favorite...she can arrange for transfers from airport to train station; from train to hotel; from hotel to cruise ship and so on. What a relief that is! We will be calling on her for every future trip. Ray and Alice Down
Karen, The trip was awesome! We truly enjoyed ourselves and the accommodations were wonderful. I will add that the food was delicious, lots of variety, and staff had great customer service. Lovely, lovely, resort! Please email us with any great deals that may come your way. Carletha
Karen, What you’ve done for us this past year in preparation for this destination wedding is incredible. You’re more than a travel agent, you’re a friend and a shoulder to cry on. You always take such great care of your customers and make sure we get nothing but the BEST & we got the best. The resort was out of this world. Every single one of our guest were extremely impressed. The service, food, drinks, entertainment, excursions, and staff were excellent. We left with many great memories and hope to be back soon!! THANK YOU!!! Carl and Amy Givens
Karen, The trip that you were able to plan for us was absolutely amazing. Since it was our first time out of country with little ones, the emails and updates were timed well in advance, giving us plenty of time to prepare. The resort was breathtaking and the staff took great care of us. From the moment we landed until the time we left, we were catered to. Thanks for making this trip relaxing and care free for us Brian & Irma Cruz
Hi Karen, Thank you so much for coordinating our stay in Playa Del Carmen! The Playa Azul Beach resort was perfect choice for our family and for big groups!! I loved being Surrounded in nature, boys loved the pool next to our room and the main pool area by the beach was beautiful! The quality and variety of food and restaurant choices was wonderful, the music at night and the vendors on select dates was great! The staff at every area were super friendly and helpful. And It’s an amazing location for a wedding that were a part of! Thank you!! Love, Reyes family
Karen & Jeff, Wanted to let you know you guys did a terrific job getting our itinerary, rooms and rides for our Alaska trip. The 4 nights went by very fast and the we had wonderful sunny weather the entire trip. Temps were a pleasant 60-65 degrees. One of the highlights was the river cruise in Fairbanks. That Fairbanks River Cruise is exceptional as it is educational as well as fun. They teach about sea planes, dogs for dog sleds, Indian tribes, very well organized on a paddle wheel river boat that holds over 400 people. TIP: get on left side for best viewing. Thank you again, for you expert help and advice. If you look close at the third bend in the river you will see a large grisly bear. Just kidding....Scottie & Liz...
Hi Karen, Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you once again, for organizing and helping us plan ANOTHER wonderful trip. The resort (Pueblo Bonito Rose - Los Cabos) is just as you described and more. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food that was offered. The staff was friendly and they were pretty accommodating. We had relatively no problems between the transfers to and from the resort, at the airports and at the resort. Working with you lets us go and just enjoy the entire experience. There are so many little things that you plan and book that make the experience that much more enjoyable. Really thankful for everything you have and continue to do for us. We continue to refer people to you and tell everyone about the wonderful service you offer. Thank you so much!! David & Yana
We recently returned from another amazing adventure that truly was a trip of a lifetime. Karen’s attention to detail and knowledge of the area gave us the opportunity to experience each of these venues the way we envisioned. Our trips are so varied, Safari in Tanzania, ruins in Cancun, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, exploring wine country in France....and yet each adventure was wonderful. Thanks Karen for helping me work through my bucket list!
Greetings Fellow Travelers, We are Bill and Sheryl Neely living in Oakland CA. We have been traveling together within the US and beyond our borders since we were 25 and are now 72. Karen is our first and favorite travel agent for many reasons and notably our recent Viking River Cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Working and planning our trip was a wonderful experience with Karen. She arranged our booking with Viking, cabin selection, and flight details all with easy contact via email and personal phone conversations including weekends. I even made final flight decisions with her while I used my cell phone in the parking lot of the Information Center of the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California while on a camping trip. Karen is accessible, warmly personable, knowledgeable, a traveler herself, eager to learn about your travel experiences, and excited to provide services that help you make each trip the best adventure ever! Our ship board experience was amazing! Such fun!!!
What a wonderful time we had in Europe this summer when our son got married in Salzburg Austria! A big thank you to Karen who put together before and after trips. We visited Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucern & Zürich. Karen arranged walking tours with local guides, hop-on-hop-off buses, a glacier tour, very accommodating hotels at each city, all with attention to our wishes. We are so grateful for such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Karen has booked two cruises for us in the last months. We just returned from our Viking Ocean “Into the Midnight Sun” cruise to beautiful Norway, amazing Scotland and historic England. When she learned where our stateroom was located, she called and had it changed to a better location. She also helped us book our optional land tours and provided nice gifts as a thank you. She has been busy with our upcoming Halloween Disney cruise, ensuring we are able to have early dining at the themed restaurants. She is quick to respond to questions and resolve any issues. We’ve learned she is able to often beat online hotel rates, too. We have a long bucket list and we’ll put our travel plans in her capable hands!
Karen Taajjes at Magic Travel constructed an amazing trip for us in France. She listened to all our thoughts re: planning and came up with a powerful itinerary. It included a PRE and POST adventure around a Viking River Cruise. Karen booked us into charming hotels that were in the centers of towns in Nice, Marseilles and Paris. She lined up excellent drivers to pick us up and deliver us to our hotels & trains. She also got us tickets for the trains and even helped with a minor glitch in our transportation. She knows her business and her recommendations are "spot on". We had a wonderful time and we look forward to working with Karen again.
Dear Karen, Just a note of thanks to you for your outstanding work in making all of the travel arrangements for our recent trip to Italy. From the time we left home and through all of the airline flights, train rides, car transfers and hotel stays, everything went off totally without a single hitch. The airline connections were conveniently timed, the hotels were exceptional and located so as to make the next transfer simple, and in each case where auto transport was necessary a driver was awaiting our arrival, ready to pick us up in a clean, high-quality automobile. I would also like to note that the local tour/excursion operators that were contracted provided us with the most friendly, courteous and professional service. Your services saved us inestimable time and effort that would have been required to make all of the arrangements ourselves. Thanks again
Karen Taajjes at Magic Travel constructed an amazing trip for us in France. She listened to all our thoughts re: planning and came up with a powerful itinerary. It included a PRE and POST adventure around a Viking River Cruise. Karen booked us into charming hotels that were in the centers of towns in Nice, Marseilles and Paris. She lined up excellent drivers to pick us up and deliver us to our hotels & trains. She also got us tickets for the trains and even helped with a minor glitch in our transportation. She knows her business and her recommendations are "spot on". We had a wonderful time and we look forward to working with Karen again.
Karen is the best! We were so frustrated trying to plan ourtrip to Europe on our own and then we were recommended Karen! She not only saved us tons of money, but planned tons of fun things for us to do while we were abroad. We highly recommend using Karen for any and all travels you might take. She is fast, friendly and takes exceptional care of her clients! 10/10 without a doubt!
Karen, Thank you so much for booking our trip to St Lucia. This was the most amazing vacation we have ever had. The people of St Lucia are the most helpful and friendly people we have ever met. You lined up everything so wonderfully. You again out did yourself. Thank you for giving Duane and I the chance to get away and reconnect. That is a priceless gift. Thanks, Alisa and Duane
Well, Karen booked us two vacations that were going to run concurrently. First, my son and I had the chance to go to Australia and New Zealand. We flew to Sydney and then sailed on a cruise ship around New Zealand. On the way back, our son flew to Utah to meet up with my husband/his dad for a week of skiing at Park City Utah. Karen booked every detail of both trips and everything went off without a hitch (even the flights were almost all on time - not sure she can make that happen but willing to give her credit for it). She sent us the documents we needed in paper and electronically, e-mailed and texted with us and ensured there was nothing left to chance. Go with Karen....it saves you time, money and worry! Thanks Karen and Magic Genie! Next up a trip to Europe that Karen is taking care of too!
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recommends
We finally made it to Hawaii!!! A huge thank you to our amazing travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie. Getting to Hawaii during covid is a nightmare and Karen made it smooth sailing all the way. She was there to answer every single question, and believe me she had lots! We had a small glitch with the luau and had to call Karen and even thought it was almost midnight her time she was on top of it and got us in no problem. Now that’s service LOL! Can’t wit to go back, how about next week? Who’s coming!
Dana Sacks
If you want to go to the best place go to Grand Wailea in Maui.....Good rooms, close to the ocean, great sun, funthings to do, great food...Don't miss it.
We had such a great time with the help of our Tral Advisor Karen Taatjes. She always taks such good care of me.
Judy Kauffman
estimonial:
Karen planned the most spectacular eco-adventure/family vacation to Costa Rica, for us. Every last detail was taken care of, including private transfers to each destination, and every activity/adventure. Each leg of the trip was amazing! Our hotels lovely, and our adventures exciting. Services were spot on, every one. We saw some of the best parts of Costa Rica. I could not have planned this trip without her expertise, nor would our experience have been so wonderful. Our memories will last a lifetime! We highly recommend your five star service! Thank you Karen.
Joleen M
Had so much fun planning this adventure for these great ladies! What a way to celebrate! They started in Lucerne, Switzerland and ended in Lake Como, Italy!
Thank you Karen for a wonderful trip planned to Switzerland and Italy for our mom's 80th birthday. You took care of all the details big and small so we could just enjoy the trip and follow the iternarary. The tours you booked were beautiful and fun! We had a great time and look forward to using Magic Genie Travel in the future😊
Sincerely,
Andrea, Vicki and Joanne
Thank you Karen for the terrific trip you helped us plan to the Rhine River on a most spectacular river cruise. You were able to take care of all the details involved. This included not only the cruise itself but also our flights, and the driver to get us from Lake Como to Venice after the cruise. You answered all my questions and went above and beyond to make this trip special. I look forward to planning our next trip with Magic Travel Genie.
Sonja B
My husband and I have trusted Karen Taatjes from Magic Travel Genie to handle our travel arrangements for several years. We have always been extremely pleased with her work, as she is knowledgeable about the travel industry, as well as extremely thorough in her communication with the numerous travels and cruise companies. Karen always takes the time to keep us well informed of the status of the arrangements. Recently, Karen arranged for us a cruise through the Greek islands. We were delighted as to the quality of the cruise, as well as the organizational skills Karen displayed. She even went the extra mile in arranging a two day “post cruise”tour of Athens afterwards. We will always use Karen’s services, and we recommend her expertise to anyone who is considering a travel experience.
Cynthia and Fred Bittle
If you are looking for a travel agent, pick Karen Taatjes! she carefully noted our preferences, managed our schedule, and advised us on picking the perfect cruise for a relaxing vacation. she provided us multiple options and showed us how to get the most for our money. On top of that, she threw in a few surprise goodies we couldn't have gotten if we booked it ourselves. she always gathers our information ahead of time so when we are busy packing, we can rest assured that she's handled all of the details for us. Karen is our go-to travel agent because she's simply the best. I recommend her to anyone and everyone. Thank, Karen!
Working with Karen was so easy and carefree! I was a first time cruiser and my husband and I were overwhelmed with all of the options out there. Karen was able to do a consult with us and help us narrow down the options and helped us create the most memorable experience for my nieces graduation! Karen was always available to help answer all of the questions (even the seemingly silly ones). She checked in on us and even had a surprise in our room waiting for us. We had such an amazing time on NCL AND working with Karen that we already booked our 2nd cruise!!
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
Testimonials
"My nine year old daughter and I are always up for a travel adventure. Recently, I was planning a trip to the UK and touched base with Karen Taatjes at Magic Travel. After a lengthy discussion about the details of the trip and our expectations, Karen put together a proposal including a time line and cost. In addition to making fantastic suggestions that would have points of interest we both enjoyed, Karen arranged transportation from the airport to our hotels and back; love this! There is nothing like getting off a 10 hour plane ride to find someone standing in the middle of Heath-row airport with a pleasant looking man with your name on a placard!!! As we were preparing to return to the US, I realized we had a huge lay over in NYC. I texted Karen from Dublin and she quickly made arrangements for a hotel, directions, a phone number and of course her contact information in case we had a problem. We organized part of the trip and then Karen organized a part and the two worked together like magic!!
Just wanted to thank you Karen for our fabulous trip to Italy! Chris and I had never been to Europe so we had no idea where to begin. You took the time to learn about our likes and dislikes and put together the perfect trip! You even took the time to check in the day before to make sure we had everything ready and even emailed us in Italy to make sure we checked in for our return flight. We loved the hotels and activities you planned for us. I will definitely recommend you to all of my friends! You made it all so simple and seamless! We can't thank you enough. I think Siena was our favorite place, but each place was so amazing, it's really hard to choose a favorite. — with Chris Pickles.
We had a wonderful time, no hitches at all, flights on time both directions. The Sheraton hotel is from now on, my favorite place to stay. Again thanks for all your professional help. You really are a magic travel genie. Eileen and Bob H
"We booked our Alaskan Cruise through Magic Travel Genie and it was fabulous. Karen was able to get us a great cabin, explain all of the details (including what to wear) and it was seamless. I highly reccomend this company. In fact, I just booked another cruise through her and we are off to Australia/New Zealand in January."
Our family booked our very first cruise through Karen. I was such a pleasant experience. Knowing she is a world traveler, we knew that we were in great hands and depended on her for tips & suggestions. Karen has gone above and beyond for us. We had a huge loss in our family recently. Not being able to think clearly, I reached out to Karen for help. She helped booked 5 round trip tickets to Louisiana. We are forever thankful for all you have done for us Karen! Thank you for going the extra mile!! Carl & Amy
When planning our 30th Wedding Anniversary I expressed an interest in going to Tahiti but within budget. Karen came up with the MS Paul Gaugin. This smaller Cruise Line with it's own diving operation was perfect. We had a fantastic trip and would highly recommend checking Magic Travel Genie for your future personalized travel. Seona & Jeff L.
Just wanted to touch base and let you know what a fabulous time we had in cancun! The resort was perfect for us, the food was good and our excursions were all really fun! And the water was fabulous!! Great trip, thanks for all your hard work! Max says two years and we r going to cabo! Shari
Alisa posted to March 11 Karen, Thank you so much for your help with our Disney Vacation. When it comes to Disney you are an expert! The hotels were beautiful and all your work made it so stress free for us. Thanks again. This is the perfect career choice for you. From-Duane, Alisa, Carter, Isaac. Alisa T
On behalf of the entire family plus my sister and brother-in-law, Maureen & Tom P, I want to offer sincere thanks for all of your help in the planning of what was a dream vacation! You and your partners really helped us squeeze every drop from each of our 17 days in Australia! We were very happy with all of our accommodations; the pick-ups and transfers went flawlessly, and all of the excursions you booked were top notch...the guides were all so friendly and informative. My mind has been opened to the benefits of pre-booking and also to the use of local tours as they really provided structure to our days and allowed us to have tons of fun instead of worrying about the next "what-" or "how-" to do!" We loved Australia and appreciate all you did to make our experience so amazing! I definitely recommend Karen Taatjes and Magic Travel Genie for your next "vacation of a lifetime!"
I had the great pleasure of having Karen as my travel agent! She was very knowledgeable in planning my whole vacation! From the hotel and flights to all of the great excursions we went on! I have all ready an will continue to recommend Karen for all travel arrangements!
Hey Karen it;s Tyler. I want to thank you for organizing such a great trip. It made the trips so much easier without having to plan everything. The report you booked for us was perfect! It had everything we were looking for.
Our vacation from start to finish was effortless and flawless. Karen made EVERYTHING so easy! I called Karen one day just inquiring about cruises and within two days we were booked for a week cruise to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas! Not only did she book my family of 5, but secured us with adjoining balcony cabins for my sister in laws family and Grandparents. Karen made the reservation process easy and she happily answered ALL my questions over the next two months as we prepared for our vacation. Being a first time cruiser myself it was wonderful having Karen's expertise as she has traveled extensively and been on many cruises herself. She knew the in's and out's of not only the ship but the excursions too! Karen was the utmost professional but friendly and personal at the same time. I would highly recommend Karen to anyone that wants to make their life and vacation easier. I will definitely use Karen and her travel agency for all future travels. Hopefully there will be many more!!
Thank you, Karen. We had a wonderful time and you made it a very simple process. Lots of great family memories and pictures to prove it! We especially loved the extreme canopy tour in Puerto Vallarta! Thanks again, Kelly Sandifer
We just returned from a beautiful diving/sighting vacation to Australia . From the moment we started talking about going on this trip, Karen Taatjes of Magic Genie Travel was wonderful. Her atte4ntion to every detail of the trip made for a very easy and relaxing vacation. All went smooth! eWhen we returned she called us to make sure we arrived safely. Amazing! Now that's customer service. Ron and Bonnie
Karen planned, organized, booked, and coordinated all necessary arrangements for our once in a lifetime vacation to Australia and our trip turned out spectacularly! This was tougher than it sounds as there were five incredibly independent "cats to heard". Having already traveled to Australia, Karen was able to direct us to the best values throughout our trip (and I'm a tough one to please). I found myself nodding silently to myself (often) as her recommendations not only helped us avoid stress & confusion, but helped us maximize our time & enjoyment! We always felt like she "had our back". One time in particular, I unfortunately encountered an issue with my ears on the first of three planned dives at the great barrier reef. It was clear I wouldn't be able to participate on the next two dives. On the fly, Karen was able to secure full refunds for the next two dives . It happened seamlessly. After out great vacation, I can recommend Karen without hesitation. Tom M.
"Magic Travel Genie set up an amazing trip for us recently to Australia and New Zealand. We cruised aboard the Seabourn line which had the most attentive and professional staff we have yet to encounter on any of our many voyages. We have used Karen before and have had consistently great results. We have booked vacations ourselves and even experimented with other agents with very mixed results. We think Karen excels for the following reasons: First and foremost, she spends time listening to what it is that we do and do not want in a package. To us, price is an important consideration. However, we also want to get the most for the money we invest and we want to feel like what we do allocate is money well spent. Secondly, Karen has traveled extensively and developed a network of others that allows her to comment intelligently on what each vacation has to offer. We highly recommend Karen's services for your vacation needs.
Once we decided we wanted to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon, we got into contact with Karen and discussed our budget and the importance of staying at a hotel that was more oriented towards couples than families, on an island that was a good mix of tourist and adventure. Karen took the reins and planned everything perfectly, allowing us to focus on planning our wedding! She was always available to answer our questions throughout the process by phone, text or e-mail. Karen took care of our flight arrangements and car rental as well, and printed all documentation for us, making our travels as stress free and seamless as possible. We had the trip of a lifetime. We stayed at the Makena Beach and Gold Resort in Makena-Wailea, Maui and had the most gorgeous ocean front room, with a stunning view of Molokini Crater (which we ended up snorkeling at)! Next time we plan another big trip, we are definitely using Karen’s services!
We are a couple in our mid 70's and had the opportunity of going on our first Cruise this past summer with Karen Taatjes being our travel agent..I can only say that she made everything so much easier as we are not real good on the computer and don't have the latest in the smart phones, no fax, etc!! She did EVERYTHING for us and it was all done and complete before our cruise, and we didn't have to worry about a thing--she even signed Dale and the Grandkids up for the "Extreme Canopy" excursion, and it all went fine except for a couple stubborn Donkeys!! (Just kidding!) There were 11 in our group and we just relaxed and enjoyed it...Thank you so much , Karen! (Now about Interstate 10 getting washed out a few days before our departure from Phoenix!!) Thanks again, Karen! Marge Barton
After deciding our vacation would take us back to Maui we contacted Karen at MagicTravelGenie. She put together a wonderful trip with great accomodations, found us a non-stop flight, and all within our budget. We stayed at the Aston Mahana in the Kaanapali area - great location. The accomodations were much better than we anticipated. We had a 2-bedroom suite on the beach and overlooking the ocean. The ground were maintained grounds with lots of shade, and had a swimming pool and BBQ area. Nicely furnished, well maintained and equipped (washer/dryer unit, granite countertops, fully stocked kitchen) apartment. The master had a king bed with large glass walled shower, the 2nd bedroom a queen bed with its own full bathroom, and a fold out sofa bed in the living room. Terrific housekeeping. The lanai ran the width of the bedroom and living room and had a table and four chairs. We'll definitely contact Karen at MagicTravelGenie next time we take a trip!
Karen recently booked us a trip to Europe including a river cruise. Suggestions she made for sidetrips and transportation all worked great. She thought of pre arranged connections from airport to hotels that we did not think to plan. She gave us plenty of documentation and help with our passports visas etc. That made everything goes smoothly. Great trip and we will have Karen arrange trips for us in the future.
We booked our 1st cruise through Karen to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Karen met our needs and got us the perfect cruise. She did an excellent job going above and beyond in getting us all the needed documents, we didn’t have to do a thing. She took care of every detail so that when we got there all we needed to do was walk onto the ship and enjoy. Karen also booked our flight, working with us to get the flights that best fit our needs. We will definitely use Karen again for future vacations. Thank you!! David & Andrea T
Karen, Just wanted to email you to say thank you for organizing our trip to Jamaica. Everyone had a blast. You took our short notice request and acted like it was a piece of cake. 9 people/2 families and all of our indecisiveness didn't seem like a piece of cake to me. You are a real professional. Here are some pictures of us. Please share with your future clients. Thanks again. Thanks, Alisa T
My wife, Yana and I were working and found it difficult to plan anything. We spent hours online trying to gather the information we needed for a successful trip with no results. A coworker of mine had suggested you to us. I'm so glad that you were recommended to us because there is absolutely no way we could have done it without your help. From the moment we met with you, I knew we would work great with you. All the guess work, time making phone calls, booking, researching was handled by you and helped us not to worry about anything. When we went on the trip we didn't realize just how much work it took to make this trip happen. We spent over a month in Italy and every detail was taken care of and all we had to do was just enjoy our trip! Little things that we never thought of like, transfers from the airport to our hotels, train tickets, would have been nearly impossible without your help. I have and will continue to suggest Magic Travel Genie and your service to everyone I know.
Judy K. What a wonderful way to go places, play games, eat wonderful food, drink good drinks, meet interesting people-------take a cruise. Have Karen set it up for you............it was worth it for her to take care of it for us.
My wife was born in Africa and the for the past 28 years she has spoken of wanting to return when she reached her 60th year. We reached out to Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie to help us plan the trip. We began our adventure at LAX and headed to Amsterdam where we were greeted at the airport by Avante and whisked off to our nice hotel in the heart of the city. This hotel was perfect for us as it allowed us to walk to museums, restaurants, around canals and generally experience this amazing city. Our next leg took us to Tanzania for an extended tour around the Serengeti and other national parks and game reserves. We were again greeted at the airport, assisted with customs and transported to the magical Arusha coffee house for another night of rest. The next 8 days were filled with game drives and with our excellent guide Joshua through Leopard Tours. I'm not sure how we would have found such great companies and luxury camps without Karen's guidance.
This summer we enjoyed a Canandian drive and rail trip from Vancouver, B.C. to Calgary. Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie worked closely with us to modify our Vacations by Rail package to perfectly fit our needs and add any missing travel components. She coordinated the adding of another night in Vancouver and adjusting different levels of hotel and Rocky Mountaineer train service.. She ran interference with Vacations by Rail when we realized at the last minute they hadn’t given us all the departure information we needed. With Karen’s careful planning and communication, our trip went smoothly from start to finish, and we had her contact information ready in case any problems arose. Upon our return, we communicated with Karen that maintenance had caused a room level downgrade in one hotel, and she promptly negotiated a partial refund. We recommend using Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie to assist in planning your next vacation!
Karen was an excellent travel agent I called her and asked her to find a trip to Cabo for myself and a friend and she provided us a resort that was simply amazing had a great price everything I asked she quickly responded to you I would use her again in a heartbeat her follow up was amazing and I'm thankful that she helped. Randy M
Thank you so much Karen for making our New York Trip Amazing!!!! I really appreciate you we're able to get us all on the same flight even though my older sons book two months later. And it was even less expensive for them. You pick a great location for us in the middle of time square. Our hotel was spacious enough for all 6 of us. You were great on accommodating all of our wishes for Benito's 21st Birthday. We will treasure all these great memories forever. I will definitely refer you to all my friends and family for sure. I give you *****. Thanks again Karen.
Our wonderful trip is coming to an end and it has truly been magical. All the credit goes to Kj Taatjes. If anyone is planning a trip (long or short) I highly recommend using Magic Travel Genie. I told Karen where we wanted to go, things we wanted to see and the amount of time in each place. Karen put together the perfect itinerary and the whole trip was seamless. From the drivers that picked us up at each airport or train station (and at our hotels when it was time to leave) to the beautiful hotels, tours spaced perfectly to give us plenty of free time to wander and the travel tips to ensure we were fully prepared - we could not have asked for anything more. Thank you my dear friend! You made our experience the perfect “trip of a lifetime”!
Once again, Karen and Magic Travel Genie, helped bring the magic to our recent trip to Costa Rica! Three of us enjoyed a fabulous vacation in the Arenal and Tamarindo areas of Guanacaste before heading to San Jose, where our son currently lives. Karen and her team take much of the stress out of travel and have a knack for booking fun adventures in each area. We enjoyed thermal hot spring pools, ATV riding up a volcano, zip lining over the jungle and so much more. The hotels and drivers were also top notch! Thank you, Karen!
Karen, Thank you so much for planning another wonderful trip for our family. Las Vegas, the Hoover dam, the Grand Canyon, and Tucson AZ all in one week. WOW! The boys loved the Hoover dam, and the helicopter ride over the Canyon. My favorite was the Mystere show in Vegas and the helicopter ride. The Hilton in Tucson was beautiful with lots of activities for the kids and a wonderful pool to relax by. Thanks again.
Hi Karen, Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you once again, for organizing and helping us plan ANOTHER wonderful trip. The resort (Pueblo Bonito Rose - Los Cabos) is just as you described and more. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food that was offered. The staff was friendly and they were pretty accommodating. We had relatively no problems between the transfers to and from the resort, at the airports and at the resort. Working with you lets us go and just enjoy the entire experience. There are so many little things that you plan and book that make the experience that much more enjoyable. Really thankful for everything you have and continue to do for us. We continue to refer people to you and tell everyone about the wonderful service you offer. Thank you so much!! David & Yana
Greetings Fellow Travelers, We are Bill and Sheryl Neely living in Oakland CA. We have been traveling together within the US and beyond our borders since we were 25 and are now 72. Karen is our first and favorite travel agent for many reasons and notably our recent Viking River Cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Working and planning our trip was a wonderful experience with Karen. She arranged our booking with Viking, cabin selection, and flight details all with easy contact via email and personal phone conversations including weekends. I even made final flight decisions with her while I used my cell phone in the parking lot of the Information Center of the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California while on a camping trip. Karen is accessible, warmly personable, knowledgeable, a traveler herself, eager to learn about your travel experiences, and excited to provide services that help you make each trip the best adventure ever! Our ship board experience was amazing! Such fun!!!
I had always dreamed of going to Morocco and Karen helped me make my dream come true through Gate 1 travels. As a first timer on a tour I had no idea what I was in for , but from the beginning when I was planning my trip to the moment I reached my destination , Karen was there with me via text making sure everything was taken care of. I genuinely appreciate her love and care to make sure I had the best experience possible. Gate 1 is a great group to travel with
We recently returned from another amazing adventure that truly was a trip of a lifetime. Karen’s attention to detail and knowledge of the area gave us the opportunity to experience each of these venues the way we envisioned. Our trips are so varied, Safari in Tanzania, ruins in Cancun, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, exploring wine country in France....and yet each adventure was wonderful. Thanks Karen for helping me work through my bucket list!
Karen has booked two cruises for us in the last months. We just returned from our Viking Ocean “Into the Midnight Sun” cruise to beautiful Norway, amazing Scotland and historic England. When she learned where our stateroom was located, she called and had it changed to a better location. She also helped us book our optional land tours and provided nice gifts as a thank you. She has been busy with our upcoming Halloween Disney cruise, ensuring we are able to have early dining at the themed restaurants. She is quick to respond to questions and resolve any issues. We’ve learned she is able to often beat online hotel rates, too. We have a long bucket list and we’ll put our travel plans in her capable hands!
What a wonderful time we had in Europe this summer when our son got married in Salzburg Austria! A big thank you to Karen who put together before and after trips. We visited Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucern & Zürich. Karen arranged walking tours with local guides, hop-on-hop-off buses, a glacier tour, very accommodating hotels at each city, all with attention to our wishes. We are so grateful for such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Karen Taatjes has earned our highest recommendation and respect. Planes, trains, automobiles, plus cruise ships, hotels, car rentals and insurance... Karen can do it all. Hotel room in Boston? Gullabo, Sweden? Paris? Newfoundland? No problem. A trip that begins in Missoula, includes three destinations and a return to San Francisco? She has it covered. Karen is a travel professional who is associated with other professionals world-wide who have been able to make our travels as easy a possible. The hotel rooms are high quality and ideally located. The plane connections work. The rental car accommodates the passengers and the luggage and travel requirements. And...my personal favorite...she can arrange for transfers from airport to train station; from train to hotel; from hotel to cruise ship and so on. What a relief that is! We will be calling on her for every future trip. Ray and Alice Down
Karen, The trip was awesome! We truly enjoyed ourselves and the accommodations were wonderful. I will add that the food was delicious, lots of variety, and staff had great customer service. Lovely, lovely, resort! Please email us with any great deals that may come your way. Carletha
Karen, What you’ve done for us this past year in preparation for this destination wedding is incredible. You’re more than a travel agent, you’re a friend and a shoulder to cry on. You always take such great care of your customers and make sure we get nothing but the BEST & we got the best. The resort was out of this world. Every single one of our guest were extremely impressed. The service, food, drinks, entertainment, excursions, and staff were excellent. We left with many great memories and hope to be back soon!! THANK YOU!!! Carl and Amy Givens
Karen, The trip that you were able to plan for us was absolutely amazing. Since it was our first time out of country with little ones, the emails and updates were timed well in advance, giving us plenty of time to prepare. The resort was breathtaking and the staff took great care of us. From the moment we landed until the time we left, we were catered to. Thanks for making this trip relaxing and care free for us Brian & Irma Cruz
Hi Karen, Thank you so much for coordinating our stay in Playa Del Carmen! The Playa Azul Beach resort was perfect choice for our family and for big groups!! I loved being Surrounded in nature, boys loved the pool next to our room and the main pool area by the beach was beautiful! The quality and variety of food and restaurant choices was wonderful, the music at night and the vendors on select dates was great! The staff at every area were super friendly and helpful. And It’s an amazing location for a wedding that were a part of! Thank you!! Love, Reyes family
Karen & Jeff, Wanted to let you know you guys did a terrific job getting our itinerary, rooms and rides for our Alaska trip. The 4 nights went by very fast and the we had wonderful sunny weather the entire trip. Temps were a pleasant 60-65 degrees. One of the highlights was the river cruise in Fairbanks. That Fairbanks River Cruise is exceptional as it is educational as well as fun. They teach about sea planes, dogs for dog sleds, Indian tribes, very well organized on a paddle wheel river boat that holds over 400 people. TIP: get on left side for best viewing. Thank you again, for you expert help and advice. If you look close at the third bend in the river you will see a large grisly bear. Just kidding....Scottie & Liz...
Hi Karen, Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you once again, for organizing and helping us plan ANOTHER wonderful trip. The resort (Pueblo Bonito Rose - Los Cabos) is just as you described and more. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food that was offered. The staff was friendly and they were pretty accommodating. We had relatively no problems between the transfers to and from the resort, at the airports and at the resort. Working with you lets us go and just enjoy the entire experience. There are so many little things that you plan and book that make the experience that much more enjoyable. Really thankful for everything you have and continue to do for us. We continue to refer people to you and tell everyone about the wonderful service you offer. Thank you so much!! David & Yana
We recently returned from another amazing adventure that truly was a trip of a lifetime. Karen’s attention to detail and knowledge of the area gave us the opportunity to experience each of these venues the way we envisioned. Our trips are so varied, Safari in Tanzania, ruins in Cancun, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, exploring wine country in France....and yet each adventure was wonderful. Thanks Karen for helping me work through my bucket list!
Greetings Fellow Travelers, We are Bill and Sheryl Neely living in Oakland CA. We have been traveling together within the US and beyond our borders since we were 25 and are now 72. Karen is our first and favorite travel agent for many reasons and notably our recent Viking River Cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Working and planning our trip was a wonderful experience with Karen. She arranged our booking with Viking, cabin selection, and flight details all with easy contact via email and personal phone conversations including weekends. I even made final flight decisions with her while I used my cell phone in the parking lot of the Information Center of the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California while on a camping trip. Karen is accessible, warmly personable, knowledgeable, a traveler herself, eager to learn about your travel experiences, and excited to provide services that help you make each trip the best adventure ever! Our ship board experience was amazing! Such fun!!!
What a wonderful time we had in Europe this summer when our son got married in Salzburg Austria! A big thank you to Karen who put together before and after trips. We visited Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucern & Zürich. Karen arranged walking tours with local guides, hop-on-hop-off buses, a glacier tour, very accommodating hotels at each city, all with attention to our wishes. We are so grateful for such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Karen has booked two cruises for us in the last months. We just returned from our Viking Ocean “Into the Midnight Sun” cruise to beautiful Norway, amazing Scotland and historic England. When she learned where our stateroom was located, she called and had it changed to a better location. She also helped us book our optional land tours and provided nice gifts as a thank you. She has been busy with our upcoming Halloween Disney cruise, ensuring we are able to have early dining at the themed restaurants. She is quick to respond to questions and resolve any issues. We’ve learned she is able to often beat online hotel rates, too. We have a long bucket list and we’ll put our travel plans in her capable hands!
Karen Taajjes at Magic Travel constructed an amazing trip for us in France. She listened to all our thoughts re: planning and came up with a powerful itinerary. It included a PRE and POST adventure around a Viking River Cruise. Karen booked us into charming hotels that were in the centers of towns in Nice, Marseilles and Paris. She lined up excellent drivers to pick us up and deliver us to our hotels & trains. She also got us tickets for the trains and even helped with a minor glitch in our transportation. She knows her business and her recommendations are "spot on". We had a wonderful time and we look forward to working with Karen again.
Dear Karen, Just a note of thanks to you for your outstanding work in making all of the travel arrangements for our recent trip to Italy. From the time we left home and through all of the airline flights, train rides, car transfers and hotel stays, everything went off totally without a single hitch. The airline connections were conveniently timed, the hotels were exceptional and located so as to make the next transfer simple, and in each case where auto transport was necessary a driver was awaiting our arrival, ready to pick us up in a clean, high-quality automobile. I would also like to note that the local tour/excursion operators that were contracted provided us with the most friendly, courteous and professional service. Your services saved us inestimable time and effort that would have been required to make all of the arrangements ourselves. Thanks again
Karen Taajjes at Magic Travel constructed an amazing trip for us in France. She listened to all our thoughts re: planning and came up with a powerful itinerary. It included a PRE and POST adventure around a Viking River Cruise. Karen booked us into charming hotels that were in the centers of towns in Nice, Marseilles and Paris. She lined up excellent drivers to pick us up and deliver us to our hotels & trains. She also got us tickets for the trains and even helped with a minor glitch in our transportation. She knows her business and her recommendations are "spot on". We had a wonderful time and we look forward to working with Karen again.
Karen is the best! We were so frustrated trying to plan ourtrip to Europe on our own and then we were recommended Karen! She not only saved us tons of money, but planned tons of fun things for us to do while we were abroad. We highly recommend using Karen for any and all travels you might take. She is fast, friendly and takes exceptional care of her clients! 10/10 without a doubt!
Karen, Thank you so much for booking our trip to St Lucia. This was the most amazing vacation we have ever had. The people of St Lucia are the most helpful and friendly people we have ever met. You lined up everything so wonderfully. You again out did yourself. Thank you for giving Duane and I the chance to get away and reconnect. That is a priceless gift. Thanks, Alisa and Duane
Well, Karen booked us two vacations that were going to run concurrently. First, my son and I had the chance to go to Australia and New Zealand. We flew to Sydney and then sailed on a cruise ship around New Zealand. On the way back, our son flew to Utah to meet up with my husband/his dad for a week of skiing at Park City Utah. Karen booked every detail of both trips and everything went off without a hitch (even the flights were almost all on time - not sure she can make that happen but willing to give her credit for it). She sent us the documents we needed in paper and electronically, e-mailed and texted with us and ensured there was nothing left to chance. Go with Karen....it saves you time, money and worry! Thanks Karen and Magic Genie! Next up a trip to Europe that Karen is taking care of too!
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We finally made it to Hawaii!!! A huge thank you to our amazing travel agent Karen Taatjes of Magic Travel Genie. Getting to Hawaii during covid is a nightmare and Karen made it smooth sailing all the way. She was there to answer every single question, and believe me she had lots! We had a small glitch with the luau and had to call Karen and even thought it was almost midnight her time she was on top of it and got us in no problem. Now that’s service LOL! Can’t wit to go back, how about next week? Who’s coming!
Dana Sacks
If you want to go to the best place go to Grand Wailea in Maui.....Good rooms, close to the ocean, great sun, funthings to do, great food...Don't miss it.
We had such a great time with the help of our Tral Advisor Karen Taatjes. She always taks such good care of me.
Judy Kauffman
estimonial:
Karen planned the most spectacular eco-adventure/family vacation to Costa Rica, for us. Every last detail was taken care of, including private transfers to each destination, and every activity/adventure. Each leg of the trip was amazing! Our hotels lovely, and our adventures exciting. Services were spot on, every one. We saw some of the best parts of Costa Rica. I could not have planned this trip without her expertise, nor would our experience have been so wonderful. Our memories will last a lifetime! We highly recommend your five star service! Thank you Karen.
Joleen M
Had so much fun planning this adventure for these great ladies! What a way to celebrate! They started in Lucerne, Switzerland and ended in Lake Como, Italy!
Thank you Karen for a wonderful trip planned to Switzerland and Italy for our mom's 80th birthday. You took care of all the details big and small so we could just enjoy the trip and follow the iternarary. The tours you booked were beautiful and fun! We had a great time and look forward to using Magic Genie Travel in the future😊
Sincerely,
Andrea, Vicki and Joanne
Thank you Karen for the terrific trip you helped us plan to the Rhine River on a most spectacular river cruise. You were able to take care of all the details involved. This included not only the cruise itself but also our flights, and the driver to get us from Lake Como to Venice after the cruise. You answered all my questions and went above and beyond to make this trip special. I look forward to planning our next trip with Magic Travel Genie.
Sonja B
My husband and I have trusted Karen Taatjes from Magic Travel Genie to handle our travel arrangements for several years. We have always been extremely pleased with her work, as she is knowledgeable about the travel industry, as well as extremely thorough in her communication with the numerous travels and cruise companies. Karen always takes the time to keep us well informed of the status of the arrangements. Recently, Karen arranged for us a cruise through the Greek islands. We were delighted as to the quality of the cruise, as well as the organizational skills Karen displayed. She even went the extra mile in arranging a two day “post cruise”tour of Athens afterwards. We will always use Karen’s services, and we recommend her expertise to anyone who is considering a travel experience.
Cynthia and Fred Bittle
If you are looking for a travel agent, pick Karen Taatjes! she carefully noted our preferences, managed our schedule, and advised us on picking the perfect cruise for a relaxing vacation. she provided us multiple options and showed us how to get the most for our money. On top of that, she threw in a few surprise goodies we couldn't have gotten if we booked it ourselves. she always gathers our information ahead of time so when we are busy packing, we can rest assured that she's handled all of the details for us. Karen is our go-to travel agent because she's simply the best. I recommend her to anyone and everyone. Thank, Karen!
Karen, you are truly one of the best agents/agencies I have had the pleasure to interact with. We thank you very much for all your work and dedication to making this Costa Rica trip happen! The Dreams Las Mareas resort was perfect in every way for our College Grads, Our Anniversary, Engagements & a family vacation & it met all of our needs.
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We recently had the pleasure of working with Magic Travel Genie for our vacation to Costa Rica, and we couldn't be happier with the service she provided. From the moment we contacted Karen, she was incredibly responsive and attentive to all our travel needs.
Karen was not only knowledgeable but also went above and beyond to curate the perfect itinerary based on our preferences. She took the time to understand what we were looking for, and her recommendations were spot on.
Throughout the planning process, Karen kept in constant communication, providing updates and ensuring that everything was in order. Her attention to detail was what stood out the most about Magic Travel Genie was her exceptional customer service. Whenever I had a question or needed assistance, she was quick to respond and resolve any issues. She genuinely cared about making our trip so much fun. She understood the assignment lol.
I highly recommend Karen to anyone looking for a reliable and professional travel agent.
Thank you Karen,
Amanda, Melanie and Justin.
I wanted to thank Karen for our amazing trip to Costa Rica. My husband and I had the best time and were able to totally reset in the best way. I had not worked with someone before to book out travel and but Karen made everything so easy and worry free. From our hotel, flights to our transportation, all arrangements were made and executed as planned. She gave us great suggestions for excursions and helped us get the last of the available rooms. We never worried about any aspect of this trip and just got to enjoy the beautiful country of Costa Rica. I apricate Karen’s help and personalized travel arrangements more that I can ever express, and will be reaching out for our next adventure!! Thank you Karen. Jon & Kari W.
Karen helped us plan the best family vacation we ever had with 14 family members on a Disney Cruise out of Ft Lauderdale. Every aspect of the trip was thought out and planned for smooth sailing…. All 14 family including grandkids from 2-22 agreed this was the BEST family vacation ever!!! Thank you so much Karen and Magic Travel! You all are the best!
Thanks to Karen we had a wonderful vacation in Greece. We were able to see Athens and 4 islands,having a wonderful experience. Everything from the Parthenon, a cooking class in Mykonos, riding horses and swimming in the Aegean sea, in Hydra. A fun wine tasting to three wineries, in Santorini, with our very own sommelier. The next day was a beautiful sunset cruise, with dinner and wine. One of my favorite days was in Crete with our guide. She talked about Greek mythology and history and then took us to the town of Chana. We visited a family owned shop where we watched the mother, son and grandson prepare the most wonderful Baklava we have ever eaten, Thank you Karen for helping us plan such a great trip. Jane and Carl Schlosser
Karen Taatjes from Magic Travel Genie knows how to turn a normal vacation into a once in a lifetime, unforgettable experience! She arranged every complex detail of our breathtaking Tanzania safari so we could focus on African elephants instead of accommodations. She coordinated the travel, dining, and room arrangements for each member of our extended family on our reunion Disney cruise. She even organized birthday celebrations for our son while on the cruise, it was such a nice surprise! If you want to take your trip to a whole new level go with Karen Taatjes at Magic Travel Genie!
Karen Taatjes is truly a magic genie of travel! I just returned from my first trip to Africa, specifically Uganda & Rawanda to see the mountain gorillas. She was my inspiration as she’s done this trip herself. Karen was so valuable from start to finish! I informed her what I wanted & she delivered! She babysat me thru the whole process as I had never been on such an adventure. I flew into Dubai & stayed for 4 days, to get acclimated to the time change before traveling on to Africa. Karen handled all of my travel arrangements, including flights, booking a beautiful hotel in Dubai & a personalized tour of Dubai. One minor snafu, an evening dinner cruise was canceled. Karen had that refunded to me before I even got home from my trip! She suggested I go with Natural Habitat Adventures for a 2 week safari & mountain gorilla trek. It was absolutely amazing! The adventure of a lifetime! I have several more trips in mind & am definitely going to have Karen book all of them! She’s insightful to one’s needs & so easy to work with.
Karen made planning our big family’s Norway cruise a breeze! She handled so much of the planning process —from picking a location, cruise line, helping book family members cabins, one dining time, and ensuring we had a great time in the Norway’s stunning fjords. Her attention to detail, flexibility with last-minute changes, and ability to find deals made the trip stress-free. Highly recommend for any large group planning a vacation!
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