I went to Slovakia without a plan, but went because that is where my family is from. I contacted Michal on a Saturday evening and told him that I wanted to try and find out some information about my family. I gave him my great grandparents and great, great grandparents names, date of death and the town they were from, Sintava, about 45 minutes outside of Bratislava. I asked if we could head out on Sunday and he suggested we head out on Monday instead because that's when public offices would be open. He did some research, picked me up from my hotel Monday morning and on the drive out to Sintava the town hall that keeps all of the records called him back. They invited us in and pulled books from their cabinets and I saw the death records of my great grandfather, my great, great grandfather and they showed us the museum they have just put together on the town. The woman that was helping us said that one of my relatives still lived in this town and I could go and meet him. Of course Michal was translating all of this because I do not speak Slovakian. It was truly an exceptional, unforgettable experience to trace my family roots.

Not only did he assist me with my family he also took me to the oldest cookie factory in Slovakia. I stocked up on these delicious treats. Then it was onto Nitra which is a beautiful city. We had a traditional Slovakian meal. Since I am a vegetarian it was a bit more difficult for me, but I did manage to find some fried cheese, fries, tomato soup and wine. The last stop was the castle at Devin right on the river.

I highly recommend Michal for his expertise, research skills, friendliness, and willingness to go the extra mile.

Michal was a great tour guide. He took us to the places of interest in Slovakia and also a traditional meal in a quaint restaurant. He was very knowledgeable of his points of interest and very pleasant to be with. He questioned us as to what we wanted to see and tried to fill our every request. After all was said and done, I would definitely recommend this trip to any one with Michal as your tour guide.