Reviews

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.

Most Inspirational Moment

Just how safe it was. The money exchange in Petra had no locks, no security screens, no cameras. The staff had no need for them and were rightly proud of the fact.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Khaled was friendly, knowledgeable and informative. His input certainly contributed significantly to the success of the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go!Be prepared for lots of walking in Petra - but well worth the effort.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being rewarded for our patience and seeing the Quetzal.  The visit to the organic farm near Arenal volcano (optional extra) to see conservation and sustainability in action.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gustavo was excellent and nothing was too much trouble.  He obviously has a passion for his Country and kept us informed and interested during the travelling with his all round knowledge of Costa Rica. Both Gustavo and Mario (driver) were exceptional and particularly helped us with a medical problem whilst not impacting on the enjoyment for the rest of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Expect rain and humidity, the clue is in the fact that you are in Rain and Cloud forests and the Countryside is very lush and green.   Good binoculars are essential although you need to be pretty quick.  A good Torch for the night walks.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me there were two amazing moments. The first was at the Buddhist festival at Matho, when after hours of watching masked dancers and musicians, surrounded by expectant crowds of Ladakhis, the oracles appeared and raised the event to a very different level. The second unforgettable moment was when we were sitting on a ridge in the Husing valley and got a message to say that a snow leopard was visible from down in the valley. We sprinted down the mountainside and got to the spot where we saw a snow leopard going up the hillside and over a ridge - but not before he turned round and looked straight at us. This was both something I'd never expected to experience, but had also in some way been waiting for for 30 years. We saw snow leopards on two other occasions: once when stalking (unsuccessfully) a blue sheep; and the other when after watching it sleep, stretch, sleep for hours, it finally roused itself and walked slowly across the mountainside across the valley from us. I managed to switich my camera to video, and the 3 minute film I took is on YouTube.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Valerie Parkinson is the best leader I've ever had - or could hope to have. Her knowledge and understanding of Ladakh, Tibetan Buddhism, wildlife and 'people' is immense, and she shares it with generosity and enthusiasm. She had lots of difficulties to cope with, and did so with complete professionalism, but also with calmness and reassurance.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to take life very easy when you first arrive in Leh. It's quite an altitude jump from Delhi, and most people need a couple of days to acclimatise. It's cold in winter, so take as good quality warm gear as you can afford. And a set of light-weight crampons (Kahtoola microspikes) was really useful on the frozen rivers. In our group there were people with super cameras and others with compacts. The super cameras produced some amazing photos, and even those with compacts managed to get some shots. But I took a Panasonic Lumix 'bridge' camera (FZ150) which was light, robust and easy to use, and gave me some brilliant photos and video footage. Oh, and snow boots were really good for keeping my feet warm - as we spent a lot of time sitting and standing and waiting.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the local people in the villages around Giritale working to improve their lives in any way they can. We saw a local man making spoons out of coconut shells to support his family. He used to do this by hand, but his income had been greatly increased simply due to the donation of an electric tool to help him. Riding cross legged on the neck of an elephant, while feeding him bananas. He kept blowing hot banana breath on me through his trunk to persuade me to feed him some more.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujan was a perfect leader. He was entertaining, yet did not talk TOO much. The depth and breadth of his knowledge and information was amazing. He went out of his way to give us the best possible holiday that he could, and his love for his country was clear to see and very inspiring. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are intending to climb Adam's Peak and you have walking poles, take them with you. They were definitely worth the small amount of space they took up!!! Also, don't expect to be able to sit down and rest at the top. There was only just enough space to stand alongside all of the people who were sitting and sleeping everywhere.