Salt & Wind Travel
Customer Reviews & Testimonials

“Kristen made our honeymoon dreams come true!

Hotels can make or break a trip, and she found our all-time favorite spots in the California central coast: two small boutique hotels that oozed with personality, charm, and service.

The Palihouse Santa Barbara raised our expectations for a luxury hotel experience, and we can’t wait to come back.

Thanks, Kristen and team!”

- Nick R.

"I’ve never worked with a travel planner before because I love to plan trips, but now that I have small children I’m extra short on time.

We wouldn’t have been able to plan a trip if it wasn’t for Salt & Wind Travel, and they made us feel like our best friend was showing us around their home town.

Every recommendation they made was spot on. The hotel, restaurants, tour guide, street food vendors and everything else they suggested was perfection.

Cannot wait to have them plan another trip for us!"

- Nicole G.

“It's not easy finding and booking an eventful summer trip to Italy with toddlers. Kristen at Salt & Wind Travel was an absolute pleasure to work with from day one.

The trip was tailored to my family needs (2 and 4 year old), and Kristen very flexible with the planning calls as my wife works crazy hours. I can't recall any issues with the trip, everyone had an amazing time! From staying at a farm resort to the boat trip, every day was so fun for the entire family.

It was the first overseas trip for my kids and wife so Kristen answered all our questions and was patient with us. I highly recommend Salt & Wind and will 100% use them for my next trip.”

- Ahmed T.

“Aida and her team at Salt and Wind Travel were excellent to work with.

They come with a deep, firsthand knowledge of the culture, including destinations to include or avoid, and incredible, hand-selected guides and activities to create lifelong memories.

It was a treat to skip hours stressing over travel details and endless research, only to feel like we made the wrong decisions once we arrived. Instead, everything was taken care of, and our trip was a dream!”

- Tessa A.

“When starting the planning process for a first-time trip to France for 18 days with our family of 7 plus an infant, I took the plunge to also use Salt & Wind Travel Services in supporting the planning.

This was the wisest choice among all of the choices made for the trip. From the initial consult call throughout all of the email communications and Zoom meetings, Aida was responsive, attentive to focusing on the pieces our family wanted to experience in this trip, and wise in offering insights and guidance every step of the way.

Aida recommended and secured guided tours for a variety of sites that we never could have found on our own. Each made the learning and the trip richer. I’ll plan our next trip with Salt & Wind!”

- Ann R.

“Rachel and Aida were incredible partners to help us plan our multi-generational family trip to Italy!

They worked with our specifications and needs to build an itinerary that felt full but relaxing, and our meals and experiences were delicious/informative/fun — and they all felt unique and special.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many of our family members, and they are so grateful to the Salt and Wind team for the support.”

- Jojo B.

“This wasn’t just a trip — it was a beautifully choreographed Italian adventure. Over three weeks, we explored several cities at just the right pace, and every detail was flawlessly planned.

From handpicked boutique hotels to exceptional restaurants and charming local guides who felt like old friends, everything was thoughtful, seamless, and elevated. Each city felt like a new chapter in a story we didn’t want to end. The agency’s custom app was a game-changer — our daily itinerary, guide contact details, tickets, and local recommendations were always right at our fingertips.

Whether it was navigating winding Tuscan roads with a rental car or finding the best gelato in Trastevere, we always felt supported, informed, and inspired. Their care, creativity, and behind-the-scenes magic made this a trip of a lifetime. Grazie mille!”

- Jenny L.

“Kristen was wonderful. We planned our trip very last minute and I contacted her in a panic as I was overwhelmed with CDMX. I had been eyeing The Brick Hotel, and she confirmed that it was a good choice and then got us a better rate with various perks.

She was also generous in sharing her insights, as she had lived in CDMX, which was very helpful. She organized a guide for a historical tour of the historic city center and he was excellent.

Kristen was very patient with me as I was traveling for work, and this planning was happening. She nudged me gently and appropriately, and we had a fabulous trip! Will work with her again!”

- Heidi R.

“Kristen was so easy to work with and was so attentive to all of our needs! Great recommendations, and we had the best vacation in Portugal because of her assistance!“

- Katie W.

“Trip of a lifetime! Our family of 6 traveled to Florence and Sorrento for 9 days. Kristen did an amazing job helping us curate a trip that we will never forget. Everything worked seamlessly from our hotels, transfers, day trips and dinner reservations. Our guides were incredibly knowledgable about Italy and its history and culture.

A highlight of our trip was a hike on the Path of the Gods trail along the Amalfi Coast. Our guide Franco was one-of-a-kind leading us along the path with history and cultural notes. We stopped along the way for fresh squeezed orange juice and lemon slushies and at a shepard’s “house” for a light lunch-all with amazing views of the coastal towns and ocean. We ended with a full lunch/dinner at Franco’s house with home cooked 5-6 course meal including wine, sangria and limoncello and homemade tiramisu.”

- Jill F.

“I innocently came across Salt & Wind Travel using a google search and had no idea I just discovered an extraordinary gem of a travel advisor! After learning more about our desired goal for a family vacation, Kristen came up with locations that were unfamiliar to us and now will be locations we cherish and want to return to every year.

Every detail from the hotel selections, dining options, and excursions were planned with such thought and consideration to our family’s specific desires. Moving around to various locations throughout Europe was seamless and the coordination with reliable transportation was so precise because of the detailed logistics that were given to us and arranged ahead of time.

We are so grateful to Kristen for all her dedicated time and expertise which provided our family a truly wonderful vacation which we could actually enjoy because all the logistics from big to small were taken care of by her in advance. Can’t wait for our next adventure with Salt & Wind!”

- Karly M.

“This is our second experience using Salt & Wind Travel with Kristen at the helm of our travels and it did not disappoint!

We like to create our own vacation that allows us to immerse ourselves in the area and country. Using Salt & Wind Travel has enabled us to ensure our adventure plans are safe and have incredible and unique experiences with locals of the areas we are visiting.

The local guides are experienced and professional and provide us with an immersive cultural and historical understanding as well as lasting connection should we have questions or wish for recommendations after the experience has completed. These experiences would be difficult to procure without the connections to the local area that Salt & Wind Travel provides.

From planning to travel return, Kristen facilitates a curated trip that meets the travel needs of our family and friend group.”

- Jessica E.

“Aida is absolutely wonderful to work with! Salt and Wind has deep knowledge of the areas we visited, and their expertise made our trip seamless and stress free.

I would highly recommend their services to anyone looking for flexible, customized travel planning – whether you want a little help or full support.

The vendors they work with were also fantastic. Having everything organized in one place through the Vamoos app-daily schedules, tickets excursions and local recommendations-was a total game changer! It made everything so easy and enjoyable!”

- Stephanie C.

“We can’t recommend their services enough. We had never before used a travel agency because we consider ourselves adventurous and able to navigate most travel, but with only a short time we wanted to make the most out of our Italian travel.

Truly Kristen went out of her way to know us personally and what we would enjoy while abroad. She was able to give us options on multiple different itineraries and what would best fit our pace. Her contacts/colleagues in Italy gave us five star tours with historic and native culture backgrounds that we would’ve never experienced had we had attempted to do this on our own. From wine tours, coastal hikes, fiat rides, food tours, and simple things like where to go with spare time we were blown away by our experience there in Italy.  It was a trip of a lifetime! 

The app was so useful for daily planning and having the hotels and transportation details at our fingertips. When we had one travel snaggle Kristen answered immediately and handled it for us. What a security to have when your in a foreign country. We would highly recommend salt and wind to keep the stress low and the experience high for your vacation.“

- Sharolyn C.

“Aida and the team at Salt and Wind helped us plan a multi-generational trip to Maui. She understood the group's wishes and limitations and crafted an itinerary that suited us perfectly.

I was especially grateful for her curating activities and recommendations based on our input, which greatly simplified the planning process.”

- Megan W.

“Kristen and her team were excellent to work with! We can't say enough about her recommendations aligning with our travel and budget goals. We planned a trip to Milan and Portofino very late in the season and as soon as Kristen took the reins, all of the stress went away.

She connected us with a local Milanese guide to provide a lifestyle tour, and that experience brought a unique element that we continue to talk about weeks after returning! 

Our hotel in Portofino was highly recommended by Kristen after she had toured the property. All of her descriptions matched reality and allowed us to enjoy our stay even more.  Just days before leaving for Italy, she alerted us to an upcoming train strike and her prompt saved us from a lot of potential stress. We look forward to working with Kristen again!“

- Megan A.

“A BIG thank you to Kristen for helping make our last-minute trip to Sicily memorable. With limited time to research the area, we contacted Kristen for help planning our itinerary. She was amazing. She immediately jumped on board with ideas, helped us make some bookings, and gave us a detailed bucket list of what to do and where to eat in each area.

Usually, the research part of the trip is half the fun for me, but her expertise was invaluable! Even if you like to travel-plan yourself, their inside information, expertise, and connections will turn a good trip into a great trip. This is our second time using Salt & Wind for travel (Mexico City was first), and it won't be the last!“

- Lisa and Elie S.

“My partner and I booked a trip to Europe; while it wasn't our first time in Europe, it was our first time visiting multiple countries in one trip. We were a bit stuck in the planning process, but the timing of us getting stuck was "meant to be" as that's when I learned about the Salt & Wind Team and their expertise with the countries we were planning on visiting!

We booked an Hourly Consulting call and it was by far the best decision we could have made! Aida gave us so many great recommendations along with some tips and tricks for each country! She got us unstuck and we visited as many of the recommendations as we could. It was great being armed with the knowledge she shared with us.

Thank you, Aida and the Salt & Wind Team! We will definitely be coming back for help with our future trips!”

- Tania C.

“We engaged with Salt and Wind as we started planning our extended vacation in France. Since this was not our first trip to France, we wanted to explore less traveled areas and prioritize experiences and sustainability.

After completing a brief survey of our interests, we met with Aida for an hour of expert consulting. It was well worth it to help us focus our planning: to determine which cities to base our stay and the timing of events we may want to consider planning around.

We could easily book a great vacation based on their recommendations from this consultation but will probably reach out to them again to go deeper in a few areas that really interested us – their experience and thoughtful recommendations were exactly what we were looking for.”

- Emily W.

“Travel planning made super easy. Aida and Kristen made our summer family vacation to Hawaii so effortless and memorable. Excellent recommendations that met our needs. Excursions and experiences tailored to preferences. Guidances and suggestions taking all the stress away while traveling.

Easy to communicate. Very prompt and quick to respond on text, voice and emails. Full itinerary and day-by-day plan shared back to us in a easy and simple to use app.

Highly recommended for anyone who want to enjoy your vacation and do not want deal with the hassle of planning.”

- Raghu I.

“Aida planned us an amazing vacation. I love doing travel research, but faced with a two-week trip to Sicily, I didn't know where to begin. Aida listened to our preferences and selected the perfect cities, hotels, restaurants, and activities.

We did things we'd never be able to find on our own, including a visit to a pistachio farm during harvest season and a home-cooked lunch at a cheese farm. If you want to experience your destination like a local, eat fabulous food, and drink great wine, work with Salt & Wind!”

- Michelle K.

“Salt & Wind is by far the best travel and tour company I have ever worked with! We had an amazing time in Mexico City! They know the best places for street food, the best markets to visit, the best fine dining places, the best bars and speakeasies to hit up and the best places to adventure to!

We were there 5 days and had the perfect mix of street food, markets, adventure to the butterfly migration and some incredible fine dining experiences. The butterfly migration was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will never forget.

If you are looking for someone to help with your travel plans through Mexico City, look no further! They will set you up with experiences that will blow you away! Thanks Salt and Wind! I can’t wait to come back and visit soon!”

- Leslie Z.

“My husband and I turned to the amazing ladies at Salt & Wind to plan the food and wine-filled European honeymoon of our dreams!

Our two-week trip to Spain and Italy was meticulously curated with experiences that truly captured the local beat of whatever city or town we were in. From 3-star Michelin dining to off the beaten path locals-only joints, the Salt and Wind team really listened to what we were asking for and custom-tailored the exact experience to our preferences.

Every local guide they put us in touch with was as passionate as they were knowledgeable. The vibe was always more of a Friday dinner party with your favorite food-obsessed friends than your traditional tourist trap activities.

They took care of all the logistics of booking, making reservations, etc so that we were stress-free and relaxed from day one. If you're looking for high quality travel planning from people who REALLY know their stuff, you are in the right place. Can't say enough good things!!!”

- Kate D.