Testimonials

When it comes to choosing a group travel company for your adventure, we know how important trust is. Rise & Rove may be a new company, but that doesn’t mean the founders are new to crafting group travel. In fact, it was the experiences Marissa and Kori had leading trips before Rise & Rove that really sealed the deal that this is their calling. Hear what some past trip goers had to say!

I went on a trip Marissa designed and led that included Prague, Budapest, and Berlin and I had the BEST TIME. She has an amazing ability to think through all the details and “what ifs,” and to pick quality guides and experiences. She is meticulous in her planning and her standards are high, so I know that if I’m with her, we’ll always be well taken care of…and well fed! She thinks through all the details that I tend to overlook when I’m traveling on my own, and it is so easy to rely on her expertise. It might sound strange, but it feels good to be a “lazy” traveler–I can just jump in and enjoy the moment, because I know she’s got all the logistics sorted out.

For example, she planned all of our train travel between countries and it was absolutely seamless. Zero stress. Some of our favorite parts of the trip were a candlelit Hungarian wine tasting in a hidden cellar beneath a castle in Budapest, a fun night out drinking at a ruin bar, and a progressive foodie biking experience in Berlin with drinks and tastings at each stop. Another favorite experience was meeting a local guide in Prague that made us feel so at home with her and with her city. She walked us around Prague showing us some hidden spots that aren’t on tourists’ radar and telling us what it was like to grow up behind the iron curtain.

The entire trip was full of unforgettable moments. Let me sum it up like this: Marissa loves to have fun but is also a totally responsible human who will not let you down.

I have had the great privilege of embarking on 2 multi-country adventures with Kori and they were both phenomenal experiences! One was to South America and the other to Africa. Kori planned everything, including the little details. Both of these trips were multi-leg adventures involving several flights and airport transfers. Kori was meticulous about keeping expectations in mind and choosing the best options. I will travel with Kori any day (if only I had more vacation time from work!).

The South America trip included Easter Island (which was on my bucket list FOREVER); a cruise in the Galapagos Islands; and Peru, where we hiked the Inca Trail. Kori found fabulous local guides who helped us to see and explore their cities. Hiking the Inca Trail was extraordinary.

The Africa trip included South Africa, Victoria Falls and Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar. In addition to seeing the majestic waterfall at Victoria Falls, our activities included a couple of game drives and thanks to Kori, both of these game drives were very different so I didn’t feel like we were doing the same thing over again.

Tanzania was another exceptional experience:  We embarked on a 7-day excursion in Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, and best of all – several days in Serengeti National Park where we stayed at a luxury tented camp with beds and running water, yet we were out in the middle of it – we could hear hyenas, and even lions roar at night! An excellent pick by Kori!  We rounded out our stay on the African continent with a few days on Zanzibar – a perfectly relaxing way to end an epic adventure.

I’ve known Marissa for over 10 years now and I’ve joined her trips in several countries and all have been awesome, but Iceland takes the cake. She arranged for a large, comfortable van and we took off exploring for a week. She made sure we saw all the best things, timed everything so we wouldn’t be at places during the peak crowds and found accommodations in different small towns that were perfect for the itinerary to make the most of our time. She found the best little restaurants to stop at, the perfect trails to hike the glacier, and even arranged for us to see the northern lights TWICE! OK, she didn’t do that. That was our luck.

But let’s just say without having to plan anything or stress about logistics at all, I just booked a flight, showed up to the airport and then went on a journey of glaciers, ice lagoons, more waterfalls than I can count, rainbows every few hours, geysers, ponies, diamond beaches, blue lagoons, northern lights, alien landscapes, the colorful town of Rekjavik and so much more. Plus, she gave us a really comprehensive packing guide that was perfect since Iceland’s weather is super unpredictable. I was fully prepared thanks to her guidance. Easiest grand adventure I ever had!

I went with Marissa on a tour through Croatia. I have complete trust in her and she is very thoughtful in her approach to trip design. She makes sure you see the main sights but also have very local experiences that aren’t tourist traps and she also leaves enough free time in the itinerary to chill and do your own thing. She navigates moving through a foreign country with ease. We started in Plitvice and saw the national parks and waterfalls then drove through the countryside to Split where we then hopped a boat to the islands. We visited Hvar and Dubrovnik before flying home.

Highlights were a dinner at a family’s estate in the countryside of Hvar with just 6 tables, a boating trip through the islands with a stop at a small, local island for lunch and a cable car ride to the highest point in Dubrovnik where we had drinks, saw an epic sunset and could see Bosnia from where we stood. She picked out great restaurants and we even did a day excursion to Montenegro! I think the best thing about traveling with Marissa is that she is always prepared and I feel like I’m in good hands and really don’t have to worry about anything which leaves me to just enjoy and soak in the destination. The thought and care she puts into her trips really shines through.

Sign me up for a Marissa trip! I know I’ll love my hotels, eat at the best places, see all the things. She knows what she’s doing. My favorite trip I went on of hers was Thailand. We did Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Krabi. She arranged everything and gave me the complete briefing of what to pack, what shots I needed, etc. She works in the iconic stuff (like the thing you’re supposed to do in the place you’re supposed to do it) but also finds the best “off the beaten path” adventures, not to overuse that term.

In Chiang Mai we spent the day with a 40 year-old retired monk who was funny and sweet and took us to his personal favorite temple that no tourist would find and it was empty except for a few monks and us. Total peace in the mountains of northern Thailand. We also visited an elephant sanctuary where we spent the day with elephants that were rescued from the tourist trade trekking and even bathing a baby elephant! Marissa picked the best hotel that was gorgeous and in the middle of everything in central Chiang Mai and I literally had Thai massages every day.

In Bangkok we hung out with a local guy named M who took us on a whirlwind adventure, showing us the coolest nooks and crannies of that overwhelming city we would never find ourselves plus trying all the awesome local food (that the locals actually eat). We learned a ton about his life growing up in Bangkok and his view of the Western world. We also had an awesome adventure boating to a small fishing village about an hour outside Bangkok, seeing swimming monkeys!! They even jumped in our boat and one sat on my lap! Followed by a fresh caught seafood lunch in a stilt house. Not to mention we hit up swanky rooftop bars because, Bangkok.

In Krabi my favorite thing we did was have a sunset picnic dinner on a deserted island in the middle of the Andaman Sea. The resort Marissa arranged was ultimate luxury which was perfect for the setting. I trust her 100% when it comes to planning a travel experience. I love that she founded Rise & Rove. It’s truly her calling.

Not many people can corral 14 people through Mexico with a smile and margarita in hand, but Marissa can. She arranged for the most amazing villa overlooking the ocean in the Zona Romantica in Puerto Vallarta which was literally perfect.  We had a lavish breakfast every day, a great balance of chilling and activities and really comfortable rooms I’d describe as boutique luxury.

She arranged for a tequila tasting our first night which really loosened everyone up, a private morning yoga session on the terrace overlooking the water, excursions into town, a bit of bar hopping, a sunset cruise and a taco tasting foodie tour that took us to local spots throughout the city. She handles all the logistics and herds the cats in an effortless way. You can tell she genuinely just wants to see people have a great time and she wants to have fun herself. When you’re with her on a trip, you just don’t have to worry about anything. It’s awesome. Show up and enjoy.