Island Experiences

About the activity provider

Island Experiences was founded in 1998 and is under the directorship of Gunda Busch-Harewood, who was born in the North of Germany and has lived in Trinidad for over 37 years – and her son Tano Harewood. With nearly 30 years of experience in the tourism industry Gunda covered the most important aspects of tourism, specifically tour guiding, tour coordinating, marketing in Trinidad & Tobago and abroad, managing, planning and supervising. Having been able to experience all different aspects of tourism personally she is well-qualified today to plan, execute and constantly improve Island Experiences' product. For over a decade her son Tano Harewood and his wife Senissa have been working in the company bringing in fresh innovative ideas and new technologies. Their office is well equipped with various staff in both Trinidad and also in Tobago. ISLAND EXPERIENCES is a Destination Management Company / Incoming Tour Operator servicing both Trinidad & Tobago. We are cultural ambassadors to T&T - bringing visitors closer to the mystical and wonderful nature of our very special islands and their amazing people. We pride ourselves in being able to guarantee a highly personalized service – we create and implement both group itineraries as well as FIT packages with the utmost precision and customisation to ensure our customer’s satisfaction. We pay special attention to every detail- our guides are well educated and groomed, experienced, and trained; our drivers are charming and polite; and our vehicles are well kept, as we are always sensitive to the needs of our foreign and local guests. Our office is located at the Normandie Hotel with opening hours are from 9-5pm, Monday to Friday. On weekends and Holidays we can be reached on our cell phones and of course via e-mail, we are available 24 hours, any day, any time! We offer transportation and tours on weekends and on evenings as well. Our services include: •Transportation services in both Trinidad and Tobago •Tours for both local and international clientele (multi lingual) •Itinerary planning (groups and individuals) •Airport transfers & Meet & Greet at the airport •Accommodation bookings •Car Rental and domestic flight bookings •Destination Briefings •General representation (outgoing tour operators/travel agents) •24 hour emergency service •Cruise Ship Ground Handling incl. excursions •Conferences / Events / Incentives / VIP Services / Weddings •Media Facilitation (documentaries/movies etc) •Specialized tour services, e.g. birding, hiking, adventure, Down the Island private tours etc We are a full member of TTITOA (Trinidad & Tobago Incoming Tour Operators Association) and Tano Harewood (our marketing manager/tour coordinator) was the PRO of TTITOA in 2014/15. We are certified by "Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Industry Certification" (TTTIC) / Bureau of Standards. This certification guarantees Public Liability Insurance coverage. Our industry partners include large tour operators as well as many small travel agents from all over the world. We are the ground handlers for several cruise lines for both Trinidad and Tobago. However, we also work with a lot of individual travelers who book customized packages including airport transfers, accommodation, tours and domestic flights to/from Tobago with us. Our services are multi-lingual. On a national level we have worked with large companies such as Neal & Massy, Angostura, Unit Trust, Worley Parsons, various Embassies, UWI(University of the West Indies), TDC (Tourism Development Company) and the Ministry of Tourism etc. Aim: "Island Experiences" is a Destination Management Company with a special focus on eco-cultural tours - our aim is to ensure that after a memorable stay in Trinidad visitors to our shores leave the island not only with a good impression of the beautiful sites and nature but also a deep knowledge of the culture of our beautiful people. We also aim to inspire our local people to love their country by introducing them to the most beautiful sites. We aim to provide an excellent service based on dependability, professionalism, honesty and high morals and ethics. WALK GENTLY ON MOTHER EARTH! We uphold love and respect for nature and culture as our most important aims. References: 1.Gunda Busch-Harewood worked for the following cruise lines as a Tour Coordinator/Manager and Tour Guide for many years: •Celebrity Cruises, Compagnie Des Iles Du Ponant , Cunard Lines, Fred Olsen Cruises, Ocean Village Cruises, Princess Cruises (UK)Ltd, P & O Cruises, Seabourn Cruises. 2.Island Experiences is Ground Handler for the following Cruise Lines: •TUI CRUISES, Germany (2014/15 Tobago) Award received in 2015/16 from Ministry of Tourism /TDC •Hapag Lloyd Cruises, Compagnie Des Iles Du Ponant , Delphin Kreuzfahrten (def.), Hansa Kreuzfahrten (def.), Passat Kreuzfahrten, Reederei Peter Deilmann 3.Island Experiences is the incoming tour operator for the following tour operators/travel agents (among others): • TUI (largest German tour operator), DER TOURS, Miller Reisen, Wildlife Expeditions/Karibikreisen - Germany Sunny Islands (Austria) •Afro Caribbean Travel, Top Tours (Sweden), SNP (Holland), •Adventures Abroad, Merit Odyssey, Big Five, Senior Tours (Canada) Pan Caribe (USA) Pulse Holidays (Australia) •Condor Verde, Natoura (Venezuela), Suriname Holidays, O!Project (Russia) 4.Island Experiences worked with the following Media Houses: ZDF and WDR (German TV stations), various Venezuelan TV stations 5.Island Experiences has worked with many corporate clients, the major one being Neal & Massy / Tracmac Engineering – we were hosting tours/transportation for their annual PACDA conference in 2012 (Pan American Caterpillar Dealership Association) with 160 VVIP attendees, out of the Hyatt Regency. 6.Further references re Island Experiences can be found in the following guide books: Rough Guides, Lonely Planet, Footprints, Frommers, Petit Fute, Stefan Loose Reiseführer and others. We also have a strong online presence - just google us and you will discover many positive feedbacks about our tours and other services, especially on Trip Advisor, where we are No 1 for tours in Trinidad, Viator and Expedia.