Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many highlights - it is hard to choose just a few.I loved swimming with the baby sea lions. They are so playful and come to have a close look at you.Snorkelling with turtles, rays and sharks was wonderful.The 'crossing the equator cocktails', the panga rides, the birds, the sunsets.....

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, David Paez, was absolutely great. He was friendly, enthusiastic and fun as well as professional and ensured that everyone respected the wildlife. He was very knowledgable (biology degree and Galapagos Guide additional qualifications) and really made sure that we got the most out of every part of the trip. Thank you David!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it!Don't take shampoo, shower gel or towels. These are provided in Quito at the hotel, and on the boat you have to use the environmentally friendly shampoo and soap provided. There are towels on the Cachalote for use on board and separate towels for beach use. There are power sockets and a safe in the cabin, also air conditioning which works well. Food is great and always a good selection. Snacks available after snorkelling/walking etc so no need to take any with you. Dress is informal. Pack light if you can as space is limited in the cabin. There are pegs and hooks to hang a few things inside the cabin and you can dry out your wet gear out on deck.The suggested tips may seem high at first glance, but the crew work so hard that they really do deserve them. 

Most Inspirational Moment

The local school in the village where the gite is was insprational to us, in that the school is very poor by our standrds, yet the local kids were there trying to learn and be educated. We spoke to the tour leader and we went with him to the school and gave some gifts of pens to the schoolteacher for the children. The desert experience was amazing !!!! The stars.....wow!! We felt very small & insignificant underneath the star filled sky. And the sunrise next morning... Don't miss it!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader Mustapha ( the slim one!) was brilliant! His local knowledge, enthusiasm and love for his country was limitless! Nothing was too much trouble for him, he showed us the real Morocco and we loved it all! He seemed to know just where to stop & show us such interesting things, a local pottery, a local market, villages etc. He was full of helpful advice for every situation!

Advice for Potential Travellers

The desert experience was wonderful but it was cold at night. Apart from a sleeping bag, a silk liner is a good idea and also wear 'layers' to keep warm, take hat & gloves. The stay at the gite was great, but it was very cold in our bedroom (we were upstairs & it was December!) ..so definitely pile on the layers there! We used sanitizer before we ate each time and didn't suffer any upset tums. We took walking poles and used them when needed. Try and have a Hamman and a massage when you get to Marrakech.. Your tour lead should be able to arrange it for you.. We did & it was great! We bought some currency from Travelex at Heathrow airport, but other members of the group said they hadn't got any dirhams left when they had tried to purchase some. You will be able to get some from an ATM / bank the next day. Follow the yellow line at Casablanca airport to the departure lounge, our connecting flight from Casablanca to Ouarzarate was very late in departing....we were in the departure lounge for ages & no explanation was given!! Having asked 'official' looking men (airport police??) a few times, the general answer was 'it will go soon' !!! Eventually we boarded & all the group luggage turned up in Ouarzarate!

Most Inspirational Moment

Where do you start? The guides and porters were fantastic. Getting "back to basics", the stunning views and the group I travelled with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be under no illusions the alltitude is a real issue. On our trip, out of our group of 11, only 5 succesfully made it to the summit and the rest sufffered varying degrees of altitude sickness and were turned back by the head guide for thier own safety.

Most Inspirational Moment

What was going to be put in the sandwiches each day!

Thoughts on Group Leader

The local leader (Jose Miguel) was extremely informative about the area and brought great enthuasism to his job.  He managed the group well, ensuring that all members were able to participate in the walks.  He was also very helpful in dealing with medical dietary requirements, as were the two accommodation places.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit enough and have some experience of more strenuous paths/terrain conditions and, in the cooler months of the year, have all the appropriate gear.Take walking poles, but ensure you have experience in using them properly beforehand. Be open-minded about the possible requirement to share bathrooms in the second accommodation.

Most Inspirational Moment

Whales at Wilhelmina Bay.  We set off in our Zodiac boat and went for a cruise.  Within minutes we were encircled by Humpback and Minke Whales!  For around 3 hours we were treated to whales fluting, spyhoping and bubble feeding, within meters of the bow of our boat.  The most amazing wildlife experience of my life.

Thoughts on Group Leader

  Jonathan Chester......well lets start with his redeeming features.  He appeared to be very familiar with Antarctica and had encyclopaedic knowledge of the area, a sound Antarctic pedigree and good working knowledge of maritime travel.  Unfortunately, I did not find him passenger focused, personable, caring, interested or inspiring.  He seemed to be preoccupied with the Jonathan show, constant reminders of the films he's assisted with, 15 books he'd written and who he knows. I expected the tour leader to lead by example and to show an interest in passenger satisfaction.  On one occasion (following a request to submit photos for a slide show) I informed him that one of the ship PCs had a virus.  He corrected me stating that there was only 1 PC.  I advised him that my memory stick had been corrupted and that I had lost photos.  I also advised him that another passenger had lost work and photos.  Our glorious leader's response?  "Go tell Dana" (another member of staff) thereafter turning his back and sauntering off.  No apology, offer of help or solution, he couldn't even be bothered to pass the message on to the relevant person. On the last evening there was a photographic slide show.  Jonathan gave an overview and thereafter introduce the photo slideshow.  Following this me and another passenger created slideshows with video footage.  The other passenger asked if we could show them as they only lasted 3/4 minutes and some of the footage was pretty good.  Yet again, our glorious leader was as much help and a chocolate teapot.  He declined and stated that there wasn't enough time.  Following the show there was happy hour within the bar.  Me and the other passenger then sowed our videos in the bar area, a resounding success, people were asking for copies of our shows and buying us drinks.  Thanks for the encouragement. At one point he told a passenger that was in his 20's, that he was part of "generation X" and wouldn't amount to much.  That's really appropriate.All in all I was underwhelmed by Jonathan Chester and will be avoiding any future trips that he will be leading. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get a Gopro Camera with a pole attachment.  There's so much to see and do and this will help you capture every moment.As much as it looks crazy, bring a ski mask.  An absolute must when out on a cruise in the Zodiac.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sitting watching penguin colonies for hours. They had chicks who were very high maintenance indeed, constantly pestering their parents for food. They are compelling birds and it is impossible not to fall in love with them.Wilhelmina Bay was easily the trip highlight for me. Owing to certain currents, vast quantities of krill are forced into quite a restricted area which creates whale foodie heaven and therefore paradise for mere mortals like me who love watching wildlife. Blue skies and calm seas with deftly carved icebergs, the scene punctuated by whale tails wherever I looked. The humpback whales were bubble net feeding inches from the zodiac - reminded me of a certain overused quote from Jaws.....It really was moving to be so close to these gentle leviathans. I can't understand how any country can justify their scandalous slaughter. Our zodiac guide couldn't contain his whoops of excitement, what a job!As an added treat we got to bivvy camp on a small snowy island in a sheltered cove. This involved digging a shallow hole (grave?) then sleeping in a bivvy bag. I was toastie warm and it was fun trying to sleep listening to nearby glaciers moaning and groaning all night. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

The expedition I was part of was on the Akademik Sergey Vavlilov which is operated by One Ocean. The leader was Jonathan Chester. Putting it diplomatically, I have found other trip leaders to be more inspiring and charismatic and he didn't seem especially fussed with customer service.The stand out staff members for me were Derek who was a biologist and Zodiac driver. He was obviously genuinely interested in the wildlife we were interacting with and very sensitive to avoiding wildlife harassment at all costs. Katie the historian was knowledgeable, personable and made everything she talked about interesting with offbeat quirky facts.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Aerolineas Argentinas are a law unto themselves regarding scheduling changes, don't rely on them for time critical connections and make sure to arrive in Ushuaia the day before the trip. I'd recommend the Hotel Albatros which is across the road from the pick up point to get on the boat. Luggage can be collected by boat crew directly from here. Don't book flights prior to 12pm on disembarkation day in case of delays.Antarctica is obviously prone to extreme weather and you should come prepared but remember it is summer there and I've been colder at home in Scotland to be honest!  A balaclava is handy for Zodiac excursions as the wind really nips your cheeks. High factor sunscreen is essential. Get seasickness meds before going as the ship has limited supply. I found promethazine the best ( unfortunately I have had occasion to try lots of others.........) . You can buy this over the counter marketed as Sominex - sold as a sleep aid but the same drug. The Vavilov is a lovely ship. It was quiet and very stable. The lounge/bar area is fantastic. It is on deck 6 and has panoramic views and a viewing deck out the back. For someone like me who gets seasick on a duck pond and especially when shut into windowless rooms, the lounge was a godsend. Bear this in mind when booking as the sister ship the Ioffe does not have this facility apparently.Take up the offer of wet weather gear, penguin crap is stinky and better on hire gear than your own!There were a sizeable party of travellers from China on this trip. I think partly owing to it being Chinese New Year and also owing to increasing interest in travel from the expanding middle class. Unfortunately, I found this group to be probably the worst behaved I have had the misfortune to encounter. Everyone on the ship has to go to a compulsory briefing on how to behave around the wildlife and on the Zodiacs which is provided in different languages if necessary. Despite this, I witnessed members of this group tramping directly through the middle of penguin colonies, disregarding the 5 metre rule, repeatedly failing to follow instructions to safely behave in a Zodiac and generally behaving in a rude, noisy and selfish manner. If I have the good fortune to repeat a trip such as this in the future I will be enquiring as to the make up of the passenger complement and would seek to avoid repeating having to put up with foul behaviour.

Most Inspirational Moment

An amazing trip that lived up to my expectations. A great group consisting of singles and couples aged 20's to 70's.Vinales was beautiful and I could have stayed there longer. The Casa check in here is unique-your name and guest house hand written on A4 paper and waved at coach.Being in Trinidad for the 500th anniversary and surrounded by music and dance in the streets.Lots of rum-preferably dark and at least 7 years old.Being given a friendship bracelet by the landlady in Trinidad and the welcome in all of the casa's. Welcoming but not intrusive.  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jorge was brilliant with unending patience and diplomacy. Any problems were sorted and  always helpful with ideas when having free time. I hope he is enjoying the union jack umbrella I gifted to him, we never lost him on the tours as we could spot him a mile away.Alex was an excellent driver who drove the comfortable Chinese bus safely. Jorge tells us China have donated about 2,000 buses. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack lightly as this is the first holiday I have been on when I have never unpacked my case.If doing the optional catamaran trip from Trinidad which I would highly recommend, you need beach shoes as there are sea urchins in the area you swim.A beach extension for a few days would have been good as a hectic but fulfilling schedule.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling in the rural areas in particular.  We enjoyed learning about the different crops like rice, rubber plantations, and how people make their living, and the culture.   

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nee was a great leader.  She made the trip very enjoyable and we felt very safe.  She is knowledgable, friendly, and she made sure we all had a good experience.  She worked well with the other local guides and kept us on time so we wouldn't miss out on anything.  

Advice for Potential Travellers

Some of the cycling is in fairly heavy traffic so you should be comfortable riding in traffic.  The group used hand signals to indicate potholes, obstacles, etc. for the rider behind which was very helpful.  

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit in the home stay and the biking in the Mekong Delta was the best part.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A very plesent expirience, we had the best guide you could give us. She was very aware about our securety and very paitent with everybody. She also had a great knowledge of how people lived in the different countries and how one ought to behave.

Most Inspirational Moment

The tiger painting I purchased at the local art studio in Ranthambore National Park!!!  It is incredible, a life long memory and to see the artists at work and view their work was absolutely fantastic.  The money paid is used to train young future artists, support tiger rehabilitation and the remainder to the artist.   The Taj Mahal was spectacular but so was the opportunity to view a tiger on safari and I particularly liked the insight into countryside India.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A very presentable and knowledgeable young man.  However as we travelled there was not much interaction or description of buildings, areas and sights along the route, particularly noticeable as we drove out of Delhi and passed some incredible buildings without knowing what they were.  If asked about a particular thing he was quite forthcoming.  On previous holidays we have had leaders who would forewarn us of sights about to come into view.  This was something that would have added to long hours of travel in buses.

Advice for Potential Travellers

India was enjoyable and would advise travelling light as there were so many different hotels and long hours on buses.