Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

It is a fascinating time to visit Cuba and you are very aware that this is a country in transition.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent leader.

Most Inspirational Moment

Close encounters with the animals.Camping in the wilderness under the night sky.Cocktails on the beach in Zanzibar 

Thoughts on Group Leader

All the crew were first rate at their jobs. Many thanks to Ben the driver, Ken the cook and Lelei the guide.Local guides were used from time to time and these were all professional quality 

Advice for Potential Travellers

There were relatively few mosquitoes  during early March. No one was badly bitten.Pay the single supplement. 2 people in a tent would be a squeeze. Contrary to Exodus paperwork ,you don't need a photo for a Tanzanian visa. It costs $50 and they don't take other currencies. Apart from that ,you could take your cash in Sterling. That saves changing your money twice,  into dollars and then into Kenyan and Tanzanian currency.  An ATM card would be handy for when exchange places aren't available. - e.g sundays or where there's a huge queue in the only bank in town.The beach hotel in Zanzibar gave a poor exchange rate. Change your money in Stone Town before you leave for the beach. There are opportunities to do a bit of handwashing, now and again. Give clothes away as you go. They'll be gratefully received.

Most Inspirational Moment

The night walk and hanging bridges at Monteverde were both atmosphericThe hot springs at La Fortuna were heaven after an afternoons walk back from the waterfallThe sunset cruise looking for dolphins at Manuel Antonio was very memorable. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gustavo was a great leader, he was extremely knowledgeable about both the flora and fauna and Costa Rica in general. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he often went the extra mile for us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don't need a separate bag for Tortuguero.A poncho/waterproof was essential wear in a number of the locations. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a tiger for the first time and the adrenalin rush it gives.  It comes out of the blue and you are so focussed on what the tiger is doing that taking photos is the last thing on your mind and then when you do you are shaking so much it takes time to focus.  As seeing tigers was the main reason for booking this trip, visiting the Taj Mahal and Red Fort at Agra was like a separate weekend break!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna had been dropped on us at the last minute as the original leader was taken ill two days before we arrived in India.  He was passionate and dealt with the disappointment of not being able to join us on the game drives with true professionalism.  As his name and details was not on the original booking he was not allowed to accompany us even though an official letter giving the details for the change was not accepted.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Money - unless you arrive in India before joining the trip there is nowhere to change your money other than at Mumbai airport where the exchange rate is not very good.  It would pay you to arrange to change your money back at a bank in Delhi on the last day - keeping enough of course for your last meal out that evening.Take a sink plug - in all of the accommodation there are signs saying save water, but none of the sinks has plugs, so while washing/shaving, etc the water just goes down the drain.Sightings - don't be too disappointed if you don't see a tiger.  On the 14 game drives the maximum number of sightings overall by our group were four, some only had 2 and it is very hard to keep going out, not seeing any and then coming back at the end of the drive to find that others in your group had wonderful sightings.  Of course there is plenty of other wild ife to see including spotted deer, monkeys, peacocks, bird life, etc and by your last game drive you'll say to yourself "and another spotted deer"!Food - enjoy the indian food because it's better than any you will get at home.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely exemplary.  Christine managed to combine fantastic leadership skills whilst somehow, very cleverly, making everyone feel that she was very much part of the group!  She was very in tune with each individual, extremely informative and well prepared and great fun.  I have nothing but praise for her.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you're not used to walking with poles and are fit and healthy, then don't bother to bring any.  You can borrow one from the hotel, if you change your mind.  I didn't think that any of the walks warranted the use of poles apart from for those participants with knee or hip problems.I wore walking boots for each of our 6 days and that worked out fine!The evening meals are enormous and you never know how many courses will be served so resist the temptation to fill up on bread with the first course!No need to take anything 'dressy, as the whole holiday is very casual and relaxed.Since so many parts of Pompeii are currently closed, we had about 3 hours there, then visited Herculaneum which was really good to help us to see how different the 2 Roman sites were.  On our 'day off', we ascended Vesuvius and then some of us packed in Ravello too, just to make sure we'd seen everything on our lists! If you're looking for a bit of early spring weather and greenery at the end of February, you may be disappointed!  For our trip, the landscape was every bit as brown as the UK and we had snow flurries on our first day! 

Most Inspirational Moment

Husky sledding up on a high fell.. surreal snowy blobs that are trees, fantastic golden light and sky, what a place to get to. and the only control needed for the dogs was to stand on the brake.Also really pleased I tried Ice climbing- excellent equipment, brilliant instruction, and i got to the top of all 3 routes! lovely to have reliable ice and snow to try all these things. And Not be cold!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Different activities led by different staff members- consistently good teaching in use of equipment, techniques, humour and patience shown at all times-and by us!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Give it a go- it`s easier than you think Leave your everyday life behind- go out to play in the snow-the right gear and the right teaching-  and a truly fabulous environment- you can achieve anything if you try

Most Inspirational Moment

Never having been to this part of the world in winter, the whole experience was inspirational.  Highlights were the Little Bear trail (longest day walking) and Riisituntri with it's snow-laden trees.  Also the optional activities of cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Leader for our week was Meiju, who was truly excellent.  She looked after the group very well and kept everybody together without being overbearing.  She also has excellent knowledge knowledge of the flora and fauna around.  I must say that all of the staff we came into contact with (and there were several) seemed equally good.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We found the snow shoeing very easy indeed, much more leisurely than moderate - the longest walk was only 4 hours or so and the stops were frequent.  The only time we felt we were working was when cross-country skiing, which we did our day off.  Returning to base for a hot lunch most days (packed lunches were avalable) was a bit of a surprise as we would have hoped to spend longer on the walks, but had it been much colder then maybe we would have thought differently.You need to buy your lunch every day - the only choice is buy it at basecamp or go without, as there is no choice of venue everybody we spoke to felt that this should be included in the price tag, even if that is then correspondingly higher.Boots - we took our own but didn't use them.  Don't bother, the ones supplied are much lighter and much warmer.  Clothes - apart from one occasion where we wore a basecamp outer jacket, we used our "winter walking in the UK" gear.  Yes, they supply everything (and it's all washed before handing to anyone else) but I'm usually a Medium size and had to take XXL to get the sleeves long enough.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hearing first-hand about the work of the Indian Wildlife Service, and how the local population are protecting the snow leopard in Hemis rather than persecuting it as in other parts of its range. Support for local communities, in the form of homestays with local families, as well as employing local guides and staff, is a central part of the ethos behind this trip. As a result of this support, and encouraged by the revenue available from sustainable tourism, poaching in the park has been reduced to zero. In a world of environmental bad news, this is surely an inspiring example of how people and wildlife can coexist for the benefit of both.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Valerie is a fantastic leader, but it was also brilliant to see how the local guides were so enthusiastic about the wildlife of the park and it was great to see them warm to the different personalities in the group over the course of our stay. Once animals were spotted, the local guides were just as keen to get time at the spotting scopes and take photographs. And they are good at finding the animals. Quite how they can spot a leopard curled up on a ledge high on a rocky mountain side is amazing to the untrained eye. As a result we were treated to several hours of sightings of a number of animals which far exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although the trekking days on this trip are neither long nor arduous, extremes of temperature and the effects of altitude can combine to make it more challenging, so I would say that this trip is towards the tougher end of grade B. A super-warm sleeping bag is vital, as is lots of high-factor sunscreen.

Most Inspirational Moment

How to decide? The challenge of a completely new experience, the fantastic views, the insight into the past in Pompeii and the realisation that even the rain did not dampen my enjoyment and achievement.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Christine was friendly, organised, professional and a very considerate leader. She made the experience enjoyable for all and is obviously very popular with the locals

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't be afraid to travel solo;the trip notes are very helpful and so is a walking pole on some of the slopes and steps.

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing in a deserted stretch of ski track with nobody else around, the wind was howling, the sky was blue and I was panting. I felt alive!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both group leaders, Mary and Ilse, were patient and knew exactly when to push us and when to hold back, providing just the right levels of instruction. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a flask so you can have a hot drink at lunchtime. Haribo were a welcome treat too. Have a crack at it. Cross-country skiing is not scary or impossible. It's surprisingly easy to pick up after day one. Don't get frustrated, just try to smile and laugh at yourself.