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November 17,2018 I am one of 4 people from the USA ( two senior couples ) who had the distinct PRIVILEGE ( and I meant to capitalize that word ) of being escorted for 2 full days by Susana Penisga in Portugal. Your 5 star rating system is not high enough to use your automated system ...so, i am sending this review via your e-mail to be sure you know what a STAR you have working with your company. Not only was she early when she met us, but she arrived in her spacious Mercedes Benz van with refreshments. She is a CERTIFIED GUIDE from the Portuguese government who has spent countless hours perfecting her skills....and boy, does it show it when you ask her a question. How she can remember what King married what Queen from what country for the past 900 + years is beyond me ( and she knows their children as well ) Her English language is impeccable and as good as her Portuguese, which she used many times when communicating with locals at restaurants, historic sites etc. for us. She knew all the back roads to take to avoid traffic and her walking tour of the Old City and the Alfama district was enlightening. We learned more from her in 2 days than we did in in one semester from our history teacher in the US . When we toured the old Monastery in Sintra, she was able to make it even more fascinating by her in-depth knowledge of the various methods of tile making in olden days. I probably could write many more examples of her sincerity and genuine interest in our well being throughout the 2 days, but then your readers would think I was one of her relatives or she had paid me to write this review. One other final comment.....when we indicated an interest in learning more about FADO music, she recommended a delightful performance at Fado in the Box, an awesome one hour (and economical alternative ) to the normal pricey dinner shows, allowing us to dine at another local recommended restaurant. Anyone who is thinking of choosing another guide to enjoy Lisbon and its surrounding, other than Susana, is making a BIG MISTAKE!!! Carmen Anthony Comite carmcomite@aol.com P.S She is also fluent in German , pretty good in several other languages, and laughs at my zany jokes ( but, I bet she repeats my cemetery one )…
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Date of experience: November 2018
Helpful
Susana was an extremely knowledgeable tour guide. She did a fantastic job explaining everything in Fatima. She picked us up promptly at the port and had us back in time. I highly recommend her.
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Review collected in partnership with this attraction
Date of experience: October 2018
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Once upon a time, I was in a foreign country for the first time, with very little time to explore the city. So I bought a ticket for a “tour.” Unfortunately, I didn’t do any research first. Calling the guy a “tour guide” was a real stretch. The “guide” wasn’t from the City, knew nothing about the sites, didn’t know the best way to get to or from the sites, or the hours, or even the days the sites were open, and had a terrible attitude about life in general and tourists in particular. I haven’t had a chance to go back, and I have always regretted my terrible decision. So when I had a chance to visit Lisbon, Portugal, for the first time, I vowed not to make the same mistake twice. Based on my prior experience, I knew I wanted a Certified Travel Guide. I narrowed down my search to three individuals. Then I sent an e-mail outlining my ‘Must See’ list, my available dates, and asked for suggestions. One Certified Guide, who had attended University to obtain her certification, quickly responded that my list might be a little optimistic based on the tour date (a Sunday) and suggested an eight-hour tour which would include highlights of Lisbon and Sintra. The Certified Guide who had so quickly and honestly responded turned out to be Ms. Susana Penisga of Guia Dinamico (“Dynamic Guide”). I asked Ms. Penisga to prepare a tour for two guests based on her prompt, and prophetic, response. When we met in our hotel lobby our Guide was already there waiting for us! She helped us into a very roomy and comfortable Mercedes six-passenger van. She asked if it was still allow okay to let her to plan the day for us (I should note that she is fluent in English and German as well as Portuguese). This was a critical decision as I later learned! It was, so we started out with a driving tour of Lisbon, and she told us she was avoiding those locations where church services were in progress (since we couldn’t get in during services). We saw a number of sites, including some which we hadn’t heard of, then drove us to Sintra. Ms. Penisga then took us immediately to the Pena Palace, arriving shortly after opening. There was a very long line for tickets, but as a Certified Guide she is allowed to cut to the front of the line, which saved us HOURS of wasted time. The Pena Palace was stunning, and afterwards Ms. Penisga took us on a road trip to Cascais, a beautiful beachside town. We went for a short walking tour, followed by lunch. She then took us back to Lisbon, and let us know that there would be long lines at the Monastery (which there were) but that the adjoining Church with the remains of Vasco da Gama and members of the Portuguese Royal Family were laid to rest had free admission. She gave us a tour of the Church interior (which others stopped to listen to!) and then it was off to the Monument of the Discoveries and the Tower of Belem. Ms. Penisga is also able to cut to the front of the line to get Pasteis de Natal! This experience, my first with a Certified Guide, was a complete success, and I can’t recommend Ms. Penisga and her Company highly enough! …
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Review collected in partnership with this attraction
Date of experience: November 2017
1 Helpful vote
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What a wonderful and exciting time we had in the Lisbon area. Suzanna and Luis were always punctual, pleasant and very knowledgable. They went our of their way to try to give us a locals perspective. We had a complex travel schedule and Luis/Susanna handled it like pros. Upon our arrival after the long overseas flight, Susanna gave us an introduction to the city of Lisbon, showing us the main historical sites. Before we went to our hotel to crash for the night, she made sure we tried the best and famous Portuguese pastry Pastel de Belem. Yummy! Susanna was right, no other Pastel's in Portugal could compare. On our return to Lisbon after seeing most of Portugal and the Azores we visited the cities of Parede, Cascais, Estoril, Sintra and Lisbon. The history and sites were incredible. Sintra is truly a storybook kind of place and Susanna is an expert historical narrater. We highly recommend this family team if you want an enjoyable and professional guided tour of Lisbon. …
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Review collected in partnership with this attraction
Date of experience: September 2017
Helpful
Susana was so knowledgeable and made our Sintra/Cascais day very special in every way. The four of us learned lots and always felt safe with her driving!
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Review collected in partnership with this attraction
Date of experience: September 2015
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