Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The fabulous views over the mountains, the meadows full of flowers and the nuthatches and redstarts chirruping in the vineyard outside the bedroom window.Sitting in small cafes overlooking Tuscan villages scoffing pistachio gelati.. (or chestnut beer).Rocky ascent to Monte Sumbro and picnic at the top looking down at the mountains poking through the clouds.Cycling the medieval walls of Lucca on a tandem. Propping up the cathedral belfry in Pisa (the leaning tower!)  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Truly exceptional. Sara did a lot of little extras to make it easy and enjoyable for us--sorted laundry, wet boots, bought train tickets, provided individual annotated maps, catered for dietary likes and dislikes, provided a constant supply of chocolate biscuits. She was extremely well organized and very generous with her time and effort.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you like walking and good food, don't hesitate, book it. It is not rolling meadows though, be prepared for a little effort. Also, mountain weather is always unpredictable, so even in summer, waterproofs are a must.

Most Inspirational Moment

Scrambling up to the arch of Burdah in the Wadi Rum, challenging but had fantastic views. Petra

Thoughts on Group Leader

Great. Random camel stories..

Advice for Potential Travellers

Appropriate footwear, a good book, possibly a star chart when staring at the night sky. Be prepared for slight chaos when departing from Amman airport - will take longer than you think.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip was a real cultural feast it is not possible to pick just one moment but we really enjoyed our timebrowsing in the souk and the trekking in the Atlas 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lassan our group leader was superb he always went the extra mile and was great company as wellas a superb guide. His knowledge of Morroccan history and politics was very informative as washis knowledge of the Flora and Fauna of the region which added to our experience. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

This particular trip does call for a good level of stamina and fitness but is well worth the physical demands.

Most Inspirational Moment

Camping in the Wadi Rum and sleeping under the stars, was the most magical time for me. But visiting Petra, which I hadn't realised was so vast, was also an amazing experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Khaled was one of the most interesting, kind and experienced guides I've encountered on my travels. His love and knowledge of his country was very evident and he happily shared this with us. His dry sense of humour also went down well with the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for plenty of hiking in Petra, if you want to make the most of it. There is so much to take in.Absorb the culture and enjoy the food, it is wonderful.The only minor problem I had, was trying to drink the strong sweetened tea (mint or otherwise) that is customary in Jordan. Unsweetened weak tea, are not words Jordanians seem to understand!Traffic can be chaotic in Amman, so leave plenty of time to get to the airport at end of trip. Some taxi drivers smoke when driving, not pleasant for us non smokers, even if the windows are wound down.

Most Inspirational Moment

I spent alot of my

Thoughts on Group Leader

Toni and our expert driver Andreas were a very good team. They looked after us all very well. I spent hours talking to Toni and Andreas as they both very very interesting company. They helped me understand a lot about Cuba, the culture and way of life. They really made the trip for me.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Cuba is changing. The sooner you can go the better it is. The rate of change is not very fast but it is all changing.  

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting comfortable with snorkelling which gave me the opportunity to snorkel with penguins, a white tipped shark, turtles and a multitude of fish. Hearing howler monkeys in the rainforest (we got to see them too on  the canoe trips), seeing the colourful birds at the clay lick. Seeing a large pod of dolphins hunting just before sunset, seeing whale sharks right next to our boat and seeing just how unconcerned the Galapagos wildlife is about the presence of humans. Taking the cable car in Quito up to 4100m and not having any major problems with the altitude, which opened up a number of trip destinations for me.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Estoban (Quito), Patti (Napo), Juan (Galapagos Islands) were all excellent, well organised and enthusiastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take it easy the first few days in Quito, it can take a while to get used to the altitude, I felt lightheaded on a couple of occasions but nothing that some slow deep breathes couldn't fix.Take plenty of $1 and $5 bills for taxis and small purchases as getting change might be a problem with higher denomination notes.Use plenty of sun block when snorkelling, especially on your legs.Our flights back from Napo and the Galapagos Islands all ran to time so there was plenty of time to go on some of the optional excursions, allow for this in your budget.The cabins on the Cachalote are quite small so try and avoid taking huge bags/cases, you can always leave items in storage at the hotel in Quito. You can also get laundry done at Napo and at the hotel in Quito.Take more camera memory than you think you'll need, you wouldn't want to run out! It's also worth taking a second camera in case anything happens to the first one.

Most Inspirational Moment

It-s hard to say, but I will go for the moment just before the peak of Toubkal when finally we could see over all the other mountains, that view was inspiring after the efforts to get up there, and the early start :)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide (Lahcen and Hassan) was great, excellent at pacing and had a good feeling of how fresh people were. Plus a lovely chap, funny and very knowlegeable! 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Not much, I recommend the trek, also good in terms of value for money I think. If you want a week off from work, take this one. The business of Marrakech and the peacefulness of the moauntains are great! 

Most Inspirational Moment

Taking a few moments alone and basking in the quiet.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A fine guide but could perhaps be more considerate of the weaker members in the group; this would perhaps not be a problem if graded more accurately.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trek was by far the best part of the holiday, and the superb views driving through the Andes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Fab(rizzio) was brilliant.  He dealt with everything we threw at him, all organisation was  excellent.  At times some of it appeared beyond his actual remit.  He also coped (better than the rest of the group) with a couple of awkward members of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the long road journeys.

Most Inspirational Moment

Actually completeing the walks with the terraine.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader was excellent, she was friendly, considerate, knowledgeable and clearly enjoyed her job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't miss out on this trip.