Dan Barmatz
Mooving into the travel industdy didn't happen as soon as I finished college, and it took me a while to decide. As many people I chose to pursue a "normal" career. But for a long while I felt the travel bug biting, and kept finding myself buying tickets, especially to the Philippines. After a while, I decided to just go for it!
Now I'm am a travel specialist with everything that has to do with the Philippines. As the leading travel specialist at my company, I make it a priority to explore every nook and corner, and leaving no stone unturned in the search of the best deals for my clients. My aim is to make traveling in the Philippines accessible and simple for everyone.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"We arrange packages to all major tourist destinations in the Philippines. We can take care of anything travel related in the Philippines, so don't hesitate to make any special requests. Seasonality is a huge deal in the Philippines, as the country has 4 different climate zones. Knowing where is safe when is really important here.
The activities I like when it comes to the Philippines are either of an adventurous nature, like canyoneering, rafting, hikning, and island hopping, or of an historical and cultural nature, like immersive city tours, pre-colonial and Spanish era related trips, and WW2 sites and monuments.
I especially like, and have a personal interest in diving. I am lucky to be in a country that has some of the best diving in the world. Not only that the marine life and habitats are at top level, there are many professional dive centers the take care of you. My personal belief is that you don't have to be an expert in order to dive, and many clients I had who tried it for the first time on their vacation got hooked for life! "
How did you get involved in travel?
"After long years of traveling in the Philippines for leisure, I decided to share my knowledge to help travelers have great trips. Basing myself in the Philippines was the first step, and then constructing our center of operations, our company, was the second. Ever since we're constantly getting better and better in what we do, and there is nothing more fun than turning my passion into reality!
Luckily for me, I met wonderful people along the way, and many of them were expats who chose to live in the Philippines, starting resorts and hotels, travel agencies and travel related businesses. In turn, all offerred a hand when I disclosed my intentions regarding becoming a travel specialist in the Philippines, which proved itself to be extremely helpful."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"As a person who never lived in the countryside it's no wonder that I have an affinity to urbanized areas. I've never seen myself living a more laidback life somewhere that's more relaxed and quiet. Until I first step foot in Coron that is...
At a first glance it looked as another provincial town in the Philippines, with the tricycles, smoking evening BBQ stalls, and fishy smell that creeps from the direction of the small harbour. It's only on the next day, that together with my new Filipino friends who happened to own a small pumpboat, I came to a shocking realization.
We visited places like I've never seen before: Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, and Barracuda Lake. I felt like I'm on the set of Jurassic World, while hearing bird chirpinng vigorously from the green top of the limestone cliffs dramatically crashing into the torquoise ocean. We were swimming, drinking cold beer and eating freshly cought seafood that we grilled ourselves.
Even though I've just met these people they showed so much generousity towards me, and we were laughing and kidding about silly things that seemed so funny back then, like best friends of years sharring the same secrets. 'Am I in paradise?' I thought to myself, as I was amazed to be in such company and such a place.
'One doesn't have to die in order to get into paradise' is a thought that keep on lurking in my mind ever since then. Happiness can be found here, on this planet."
Dan's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice
This 15-day itinerary offers the perfect combination of adventurous and relaxing activities. You will snorkel shipwrecks and aquamarine lagoons, visit secluded beaches, and...
Covering some of the Philippines' most desirable beaches, this 11-day tour offers the perfect romantic getaway for couples. Stay in luxury resorts in exotic locations from...
Discover the best of the Philippines on this 15-day tour as you paddle, snorkel, hike, and fly across the country. Begin in Manila, working your way north to the Banaue Rice...
Recent trip reviews for Dan
Everything was great! The best island was El ...
Philippines
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Nov 22 - Dec 1, 2019
Everything was great! The best island was El Nido for us so i think it would have been nice if we had stopped there first!The overall trip was a very unique experience!
Thank you Shari!
I'm glad that you had a great time here, and noted about El Nido. I'm trying to keep the best for last usually, but it would have made sense otherwise as well :)
Hope to see you soon, and that your winter won't be so cold back in the states.
Cheers!
Dan
Awesome adventures in Philippines
Philippines
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Nov 22 - Dec 1, 2019
Very pleased with our tours and all the arrangements. It was a life time experience and loved our private tours. Highly recommend it.
Thank you so much Sarah and Shari! It was a pleasure to meet you here. Hope to meet you again soon :)
YGD - Wonderful service resulted in an amazing vacation!
Philippines
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Nov 6 - Nov 16, 2019
Thank you very much for your review! Me and the YGD Team are grateful to be a part of your vacation here in the Philippines. It's always heartwarming to realize that our service did in fact made some one's trip better, and to us it means the world.
Until we meet again,
Dan and the rest of YGD Travel :)
El Nido, Coron, camiguan, cebu
Philippines
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Jul 10 - Jul 18, 2019
Thank you very much for your kind words! It gives us pleasure to find our guests here in the Philippines satisfied.
We are very thankful to have guests like you.
Hope to see you again,
Gazle, Dan and the rest of the team :)
three days in the Philippines
Philippines
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Jun 30 - Jul 4, 2019
Philippines 2019
Philippines
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Mar 29 - Apr 9, 2019
Using Kim Kim was pretty easy. Dan set us up with things in line with what we were looking for. Our local guides were good, but I’m glad I spoke the local language as some of the English skills were rough.
Hi James!
Thank you for your review. We always love to read that our guests are satisfied with our service, and had fun during their stay in the Philippines.
We would love to see you again on your next trip :)
Best,
Dan
Explore and family wedding
Philippines
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Jan 30 - Feb 13, 2019
Hi Chad!
Thank you very much for your review! I believe it will give future clients an idea of how their vacation here in the Philippines can look like, and what's our capacity. We always make sure our guests get the best, as this is what they deserve!
Hope to see you here in the Philippines again some day.
Best,
Dan
Palawan
Philippines
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Jan 30 - Feb 12, 2019
Dan planned my whole trip to the Philippines and it was exactly how I wanted it to be. He was very knowledgeable about all the places we talked about and made good suggestions of what we should do if I was unsure about anything. I would highly recommend Kimkim to all my family and friends as they tailor the trip to whatever your needs are. I am very happy. Thank you so much will definitely be booking with KimKim again
Thank you so much for your kind words Izabella!
Looking at your lovely pictures makes me happy I was able to be a part of your visit here. I had a great pleasure serving you, and would love to do the same for any of your family members or friends in the future.
I hope to see you here again one day :)
Best regards,
Dan
Christmas getaway
Philippines
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Dec 24 - Jan 8, 2019
Dan did an amazing job planning my trip. When I encountered an issue with my first hotel. Dan took care of it immediately. I loved all of the destinations he chose for me. The trip was very well organized. I would definitely book future travel with Dan. I would definitely HIGHLY reomeend him to my friends. I would rate my experience a full 10/10. Thanks so much.
Thank you very much Segal!
We had a pleasure having you here, and will love to see you once again in the future. I'm personally delighted that you enjoyed the itinerary we designed together.
Thanks again for your kind words.
Dan