Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The dawn walk to Tre Cime - simply stunning!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jef is outstanding. He shares his knowledge of the area and environment and his enthusiasm is infectious. He is extremely well organised and provides excellent support and guidance to the group as a whole and very sensitively to individuals which was greatly appreciated. He is very approachable and sociable and certainly helped our group to simply focus on enjoying our holiday in good company.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you enjoy walking in spectacular mountains then just book, you won't be disappointed. Remember the weather in the mountains can be very varied. We travelled in August and the weather ranged from warm and sunny in the valley to very cold up the mountains. Take full waterproofs, plenty of layers and hat and gloves - you may need them all! Take swimwear for the excellent pool, sauna, steam rooms etc in the hotel. If your guide offers you the opportunity to go on a dawn walk to Tre Cime, do it! One of the most spectacular and memorable walks I have ever been on. Certainly worth the early start.

Most Inspirational Moment

We loved seeing all the wildlife in their natural habitat, especially the sloths, Toucans, scarlet macaws, iguanas and monkeys. The night time green turtle trip was amazing and the boat trips in Tortuguero stand out. It was also great to hear that tourism is contributing to protecting the wildlife as it give income to people as well as the banning of single use plastics in the national parks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alejandro was brilliant, very knowledgeable and always happy to go out of his way to help and organise things. Chico the driver was also excellent, often spotting wildlife and stopping the bus so we could see and take photos.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want to take photos then at least a 100-400mm lens is recommended. I got some amazing photos using this. If you only want a compact camera then 20x optical zoom or would be good. Dollars are widely taken and often prices are quoted in dollars. Colons are easily available from ATM and a lot of ATM will give dollars or Colons. Visa and Mastercard also very widely taken. (check if your bank charges a fee, mine doesn’t) Take an insulated water bottle, I appreciated having cold water during the day having filled it from the hotel water cooler.

Most Inspirational Moment

Some of us climbed the peak called Tete de Ferret after a hard hike to the Col. Highest point we reached on the TMB and could see where we came from and where we were going.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Augustine was one of the highlights of the trip. Knowledgeable, optimistic, funny and a great leader. He knew how to motivate us and made good decisions about routes and how everyone was feeling. It was a pleasure spending two weeks with him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Train hard.

Most Inspirational Moment

I really enjoyed the top of the mountain views. The views, regardless of the weather were just breathtaking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was very knowledgeable, able to manage a large group and could infuse a sense of fun with a professionalism & safety.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring & pack layers of clothes & plan for unpredictable weather.

Most Inspirational Moment

The sunrise walk to the Tre Cime (Drei Zinnen) - one of the best hikes I’ve ever done. It was well worth getting up very early to start walking at 4.45am. We had the benefit of the full moon and didn’t need to use torches as we began walking under the Tre Cime. We reached the saddle and the Tre Cime hut before sunrise and then settled down and watched as the day’s first rays of sunlight hit the top of the peaks. An absolutely magical moment. One of the other benefits was that we were at this iconic area before the crowds arrived. As we descended, the rest of the hiking world were climbing up. Thank you Jeff for proposing this.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jeff was an excellent leader. His briefings were clear and he commanded respect from the group. I felt safe hiking with him and felt he would be able to deal with any eventuality. He bonded well with the group and had a good sense of humour. He was passionate and very knowledgable about the natural world. He imparted his knowledge in an interesting and enthusiastic way.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take your swimming stuff so you can use the spa. Even if you don’t feel like swimming you can relax in the sauna or steam room at the end of the day. Consider hiring bikes on the free day. It was our first experience of e-bikes. They were great on the 20 mile, traffic free cycle route to Cortina. If you want to get some exercise use ‘eco’ up the hills, if you want a more relaxing experience put it into ‘turbo’. Take plenty of layers and hats and gloves. It can get cold when you stop at the top of the mountains even in summer. If you get offered the sunrise walk - go for it!

Most Inspirational Moment

The trails and the scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both were exceptional. See above.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The breakfasts were a bit samey. A little more variety would go down well.

Most Inspirational Moment

Amakahla game reserve

Most Inspirational Moment

“Surviving” the snow slush and wind at 2500 m

Thoughts on Group Leader

100% excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Train hard and enjoy the walk!

Most Inspirational Moment

Close up views of wildlife. We loved the zip lining and the hot springs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Organised, extraordinarily good English and a mine of information on all sorts of topics. He also shared some fabulous wildlife photographs with us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The wet season is really really wet so be prepared. It doesn’t necessarily rain every day but is overcast most of the time and there are days when the rain is absolutely relentless for the entire day. Nothing will dry so bring a spare pair of trainers or walking shoes.