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We were educated, inspired, and deeply moved by the D-Day program and tour!  The tour was life-changing.  Thanks to you and your team for doing an outstanding job in conveying the extraordinary bravery, courage, and sacrifice by U.S. and Allied military personnel during WWII.  We are forever indebted to them for the freedom to live our lives as we do today.

The group on the tour was a terrific mix of students, alumni, and friends of the University.  You and Sheryl are now members of the SMU family.

Cheyenne and I have already told others about the extraordinary quality of your work and that you have an effective business that delivers the tours.

It is a shame that rating Essential History Expeditions is limited to only five stars. EHE earns a constellation of positive recognition.

Brian is learned in history of great depth as well as the ability to impart such knowledge in a clear and enthusiastic manner. His knowledge is not limited to the topic at hand, in this case EHE’s D-Day tour, but of eclectic history over the ages. We passed a street in France and when someone mentioned the name of the street Brian entertained us with an impromptu mini lecture on the person after whom the street was named, who they were and what they did that earned a street. We visited Mont Saint-Michel whose groundbreaking occurred in the 10th century and the ribbon cutting ceremony centuries later and yet once again Brian provided great insight into the history and events surrounding this island commune.

Sheryl, Brian’s most capable and gracious business and life partner, made a complex trip look easy. A most worthy and appreciated skill. Be it lodging, box lunches, transportation (impromptu or otherwise), it all just magically happened(!). I have never been so well cared for on a hosted trip.

I learned so much from this trip of a lifetime while being well cared for and socializing with well matched people of similar interests all of whom immensely enjoyed the camaraderie.

We all were guided through the shadow of history of very brave people, soldiers as well as civilian; Allied as well as Axis and we were honored to do so. I encourage you to experience Essential History Expeditions. It could be your trip of a lifetime as well.

I just returned from a 2-week tour of Vietnam with Brian and Sheryl of Essential History Expeditions. When I initially read the itinerary on this trip, it immediately piqued my interest and I signed up. But there was no way that I could ever imagine what an educational, cultural and pleasing experience of the senses this would be. We did not just go to typical tourist sites in Vietnam, instead we traversed the country starting in the south in Ho Chi Minh City and making our way up through the Central Highlands, stopping along the coast, winding up mountainous regions eventually ending up in Hanoi and then almost to the Chinese boarder in the Tonkinese Mountains of Sapa. We visited sites in the cities, in villages and along rivers- the Mekong, the Perfume and the Red Rivers. We learned so much about the history of this country through Brian’s expertise and his military knowledge – he immersed us in the history at the very sites where it took place – at battle grounds, prisons, forts and fortresses, Presidential palaces, Vietcong hand dug tunnels and trenches…
Between Sheryl and Nhu, a Vietnamese tour guide who traveled with us,  every detail of the trip was planned and executed – from the travel from place to place to the hotels and restaurants and sites to see. Whether traveling by van, SUV, boat, or cyclo – our vehicle awaited us at the very hour it was scheduled. The accommodations at each hotel we stayed at were superb and each restaurant a unique atmospheric and new and tasty experience for the palate. I can’t say or write enough about this tour company and about Sheryl and Brian – not only their attention to detail and their knowledge, but also their warmth, enthusiasm and their genuine concern for each participant who travels with them.

We just got back from the D-Day/Normandy trip with our family. Since our five kids are now between ages 27 & 17, it was likely our last vacation with the whole family. Two friends of our children joined us. Perfect falls short of describing it. There were excellent accommodations, comfortable transportation to the sites, tasty meals, completely thorough presentations of the history with a personal touch and fine company to share. It all went off like clock-work – even bathroom breaks. Sheryl & Brian have this wired and are experts at their craft. Worth every dime and beyond our wildest expectations – we were thrilled to have this experience for our family. It was a stress-free trip and the standard by which all other vacations will be judged.

My son and I just returned from the World War I trip. It was better than I ever imagined. Everything was absolutely beyond what I had envisioned. Brian made the history come alive, and Sheryl attended to every little detail. I could have spent another week or two with them. 5 stars is not enough. Can’t wait to go with them again.

We traveled on the D Day trip. It exceeded my wildest expectations! Brian and Sheryl were the consummate professionals and I now have a bunch of new friends!

My boyfriend and I went on a tour to Cuba. It was absolutely wonderful! Sheryl is always on top of the logistics and is very detail oriented, so you do not have to worry about a thing. Brian is very knowledgeable and taught us so much about the history of Cuba. This was an eye-opening trip where we gained so much while having an awesome vacation. I love that Brian and Sheryl always make an effort to help the Cuban people as much as possible by taking us to Cuban-owned restaurants and places.

History comes to life within all of your senses on a tour with Essential History Expeditions.  A magical and professional team of travel experts take care of every detail in order to allow for total immersion.  Our tour of Vietnam was beyond my expectations of learning and experiencing in a very visceral way.   Brian is an exceptional historian with a gift of language and knowledge that keeps you totally engaged.  His passion for sharing historical events, dates and details allows clients to open their minds and absorb the information with contagious thirst.  Sheryl’s planning and organizational detail along with an amazing agenda and wonderful places to stay provide a stressless and wonderful experience.  Very quickly you feel as though you are traveling with family. Even if you are only curious about history of An particular area, you will be more than pleasantly surprised how you will be “pulled In” and want more.  Sheryl and Brian will have another repeat customer in me and I will recommend them without pause.

I have made two trips to Cuba. The most recent visit with Brian DeToy and Essential History Expeditions was far and away the better of the two. Brian has extensive experience in Cuba and his encyclopedic knowledge of the military, social, and political history of the island contributed to a fuller understanding of the nation and its people. His ability to successfully team with Cuban guides enabled the group to see things not on most itineraries. I was impressed with his flexibility to meet the special interests of a group of fortification and coast artillery enthusiasts. Brian’s extensive academic training, experience as an instructor at the college level, insight gained as a career Army Infantry officer, and field experience on the ground makes him an interesting, enjoyable, and personable companion and guide.

I just completed a tour of the Battle of the Bulge, with an add on segment in Prague.  Brian and Sheryl run a terrific tour with everything smoothly taken care of.  The restaurants were always great, the information from each of them about the history of our locations were superb, and the overall enjoyment level was outstanding. I had previously done a Gettysburg tour which was great, but the European trip surpassed it.  Highly recommended.

Essential History Expeditions is the real deal if you care about history.  With Brian DeToy and Sheryl Shafer, you get it all: a guide who is a superb teacher – Brian makes it all vitally interesting and relevant – and a tour manager in Sheryl who is quietly and graciously capable of handling any problem or concern. You will have no worries with them. All you’ll be required to do is to love every minute of your tour. We just completed the Normandy and Battle of the Bulge tours, and the moments of true inspiration and emotion were too many to count. Though it is a guided tour, and you will be in a van or bus, you always feel you are sharing important and memorable experiences with a group of friends. And we had the most fantastic food and wine, in beautiful settings!
GO!! You will love it.

My husband and I just returned from a trip to Prague with EHE. The experience was excellent in every way — educational, enlightening and fun! Sheryl and Brian are the quintessential tour guides:  Brian’s encyclopedic knowledge of historical events is beyond impressive, but it’s the stories that he weaves into his “lessons” that make the history come alive, ensuring a rich educational and cultural experience for all. Sheryl’s attention to detail and quality with all the logistics make it easy to relax and enjoy the full experience. The hospitality and camaraderie they facilitated with the group made it even more fun. As the five-star rating suggests, EHE is as good as it gets for historical tours!

My wife and I recently took two trips with Essential History Expeditions — back-to-back tours of Normandy (D-Day sites) and Belgium and Luxembourg (Battle of the Bulge sites). Both trips were excellent. We learned much about the historic campaigns from a first-rate teacher who loves history, and loves to share his knowledge with others. The tours did not just focus on the opposing armies, but the human stories and faces of battle. The trips were meticulously planned and executed, and when we were not touring, we enjoyed wonderful food in beautiful settings, and the company of friendly travel partners who shared a common purpose of understanding these important moments in history.

Many thanks for a WONDERFUL trip. We know you’ve done it several times now, but it is still hard to believe how you put together such a great team and a comprehensive tour. Brian, we have decided that you are the first true Renaissance man we have met. Sheryl, we are in awe over your ability to make things come together so smoothly and never let anything rattle you.

Just returned from a fantastic and life changing trip to Cuba made possible by Sheryl and Brian and their fabulous supporting cast in country. We had an exceptional exposure to and balance of culture, history and leisure and while we saw 12/15 Cuban provinces, I never felt rushed or overwhelmed. Every member of the EHE team complimented one another and every aspect of the trip was well planned and thought through. Exceptional in every way. What stood out to me was this; many firms can plan a perfect trip. This was Cuba, things change and we were asked to be flexible. Sheryl and Brian seamlessly worked through many changes, altered schedules and never, ever detracted from the experience. I have already referred many friends and plan on more adventures with Sheryl and Brian.

Brian — (World’s Best Tour Leader!) —

Thanks for a great trip! The other members of the tour felt just like I did — your knowledge and enthusiasm for what we were seeing made for a great and unique experience. Feel free to give my contact info out to any potential future travelers who might request a reference from a past customer. And thank you for your service in the military, too. Hope to travel with you again soon!

Sadly YELP only goes to 5 stars, because this company really deserves ten stars. Over the years I’ve been on many tours with all the major companies, have done some tour leading myself, and worked in the tourism industry for two of the biggest companies in the US, but I’ve never had a better experience than my first trip with Essential History Expeditions and their Cuba military history tour last month.  Brian and Sheryl have put together a great company that insures the near-perfect travel experience. Our tour leader Brian’s connections in Cuba got us very nice hotels and a comfortable travel bus, and an excellent driver and local guide. And Brian knows every inch of the country, so we saw things the other tour companies don’t stop at. Plus, he found us some excellent local places to eat some of our group meals, which really made the trip feel like you were getting to know the local people and country close-up. And thank you for the bottles of water on our bus each day! If you want to go to Cuba (or anywhere else), don’t go with any other company. I’ll definitely be taking some of Brian and Sheryl’s other tours in the near future.

I just completed an Essential History Expedition trip to Cuba led by its  Co-owner and guide, Brian DeToy.  All I can say is: Wow!This was my 5th trip to Cuba and my first with Brian. By far this was the best. Brian is a caring and knowledgeable guide who has a great sense of humor and is very flexible in meeting requests of tour participants. We followed Cuban military history from Havana to Santiago; covering significant events and places from the early Spanish conquest to the Bay of Pigs and the 1962 Missile Crisis.
But Brian made sure we had a chance to experience all aspects of Cuban culture and history from food and architecture to Ernest Hemingway and Classic Cars. You don’t have to be a military history buff to enjoy this trip. The hotel accommodations were always very comfortable, had great amenities and were always centrally located. The restaurants for dinner, which were both state owned and private(paladars) were always first rate. I highly recommend Brian and Essential History Expeditions for your Cuban travel.   I look forward to more trip offerings and future travel with this great company.

Words cannot express how great of a job Brian did in making the tour of the Battle of Little Bighorn come alive for me and my colleagues! He is an incredible historian who’s ability to recall all kinds of details and information is unparalleled. I highly recommend his services!

My wife and I just returned from an amazing ten days in Cuba with Brian and Sheryl.  It was truly a life-altering experience. One of the things that had attracted me to EHE initially was the promise of visits to the major Spanish American War sites in Cuba with a retired West Point instructor.  Little did I suspect that Brian is in fact something of a Renaissance Man who was just as comfortable taking a group of us through the Museum of Fine Art in Havana as he was conducting our tours of Siboney, Las Guasimas,  El Caney, and Kettle and San Juan Hills. Meanwhile, Sheryl handled the logistics of the trip with the dexterity of someone who has been traveling to Cuba for decades.

EHE asked us in advance of the trip to be flexible given the nature of travel in Cuba, but there was really little patience required of me that was not the fault of an airline or airport security,  and Brian and Sheryl were always able to help work out the minor issues that did arise. The restaurants and hotels they chose for our group were all top notch; the Iberostar Grand Trinidad hotel was memorable beyond expectations, and the farm to table restaurant we visited in Pinar del Rio was out of this world.

I would be remiss in not mentioning our outstanding Cuban guides, Hiroshi and Eliar, who did a terrific job of familiarizing us with life in Cuba, and our masterful bus drivers, Nestor and Lester, who amazed us with their skill at maneuvering a bus through both difficult terrain and city streets. I am missing Cuba already, and would be ready to return next year – with Brian and Sheryl, of course! Que Pais!