Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Last 20 minute climb to Stella point - after a tough climb then seeing the sun rising off to your right and feeling the warmth of the sun, giving a great sense of achievement and happiness!  Big smile as itching to get up to the Summit and take in the fantastic views and scenery. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Great guy - very calm collected and experienced.  Never had any doubts in his abilities as a climber, leader or organiser.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pay very close attention to your kit - make sure you have what you need and practise packing and unpacking.  Prior preparation and planning.......  Also make sure you have good waterproof wear and when the rain and mud comes :) You can make the most of everything then without worrying, i.e. the scenery, the company, the experience :)  Fitness I did not think was such a big issue - but that depends on you personally.  You dont need to train for a marathon but make sure you are in good shape.  The final climb is a long way up and you will feel it - but don't worry and keep going you will make it - its as much mental fitness as physical for the last climb.

Most Inspirational Moment

Unexpectadly the scenery and terrain is so varied and different at every corner that walking alll day is a joy. The choice is yours, hang out with the group or be solitary and walk at your own pace till the next shade and sweet herbal tea break - of which there are many - for everyone to catch up. This stunning and quiet landscape can't help but make you feel at one with nature and yourself. Wild camping is brilliant and a must experience for anyone in the desert. Lying on your back with the sky above a blanket of glittering, shooting stars. In late April the nights were so warm that a sleeping bag was more than cosy. In fact every night we would all individually wander off to find a perfect place to bed down and get some privacy of sorts. Log fires and incredibley delicious and fresh food (hummous, tomatoe salads, bread, lamb stews, halva...yum), tea, and as much water as you could drink kept us all happily satiated. On one night some musicians came to play their local instruments and sing folk songs by the fire. On another day we walked to a caravan of camels and were welcomed into Bedoiun tents with tea.Perhaps the only tough day was climbing up to the arch of Burdah - a rock bridge across a canyon. Pretty precipitous in parts, with everyone helping each other and relying heavily on the strength and guidance of the local Bedoiun leaders. By the time we made it back down 4 people had ripped there trousers, one so badly the leader took his sweatshirt off to cover an indescently exposured derriere!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zuhair was kind, patient, very knowledgeabe and above all really helpful from start to finnish.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take loads of baby wipes (biodegradeable) to keep yourself clean and un-smelly for all those nights of not washing! Lots of Sumcream (was in mid 30C in the day) and some SPF lip salve. A head torch (Petzl are good ones) is pretty useful at night when your are trying to locate your toothbrush. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting up to 'Dead Womans Pass' is hard work but getting to the top and seeing the view of the valley, it was worth it. Obviously getting to the Sungate and seeing the clouds clear and reveal the icing on the cake brought a tear to my eye, not only was it beautiful but, I did it! The rainbows, ruins and snow capped mountains were also magical.   

Thoughts on Group Leader

Disnarda, was a great guide. Her and Orlando made sure that as a group we were fine and despite feeling like the weakest link in the group they did not make me feel as though I was holding anyone back. Be warned, they may be vertically challenged but they move like the wind along that trail with endless energy and enthusiasm.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have a good mechanism for keeping your kit dry, we weren't in the wet season but it rained and hard. Don't worry about taking too many snacks, you get given stuff daily. Toilet roll is always a good one. Take a good sleeping bag and pack some thermals, high altitude camping can get cold. Metal water bottles are good as they can act as hot water bottles when it is really cold but 'plats' are good whilst trekking. If you don't like things flying in your face get a face mosi net (I was so jealous of those that had the common sense to take them). Trip to the hot baths on the last day, I'd skip it if I were you, the 'hike' to get up there, in my opinion, is not worth it, better off sharing the cost of a hotel room and getting a good hot shower that way. Day pack rules for Machu Picchu seemed a bit 'changeable'. I had a 35 ltr pack but we told that the limit for day packs for the following 1 day entry would be 20ltrs. Luckily we were allowed in with our packs but I think it is one of those 'fickle' policies and walking poles are not allowed during your day at Machu Picchu.Final day, before train ride back to Cusco, get something to eat, you will be on the train for several hours, they serve drinks but that is about it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Highlights were the Draa valley and the Atlas mountains but for me personally the most inspiring moment was the end of the road in Mhamid. I wish we could spend more time in the area and explore it a little more.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Yaya (or whatever it spells) was doing a great job. Nothing to complain about.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Nothing more than is written in Trip notes.

Most Inspirational Moment

Spending the night in the Sahara.Amazing.Never been in such a beautiful environment before.Never seen so many stars.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mustapha was a joy to be with.Extremely knowledgeable,very accomodating and fun.Nothing was too much trouble for him.A true gent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A little French would be helpful.Take plenty of money with you.So much to buy, but you must be prepared to haggle.Its good fun but towards the end of the trip can be a bit tiresome.Watch out for the child pickpocketers in the square in Marrakesh especially at nightime.

Most Inspirational Moment

Unexpectedly seeing a whale in Hermanus, the wild baboons just chilling by the side of the road, the huge open plains and seriously impressive mountains. Then wine wasn’t bad either!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pete and his crew were great. Really friendly and happy to give some background on the places we saw. Cooking was excellent and just what I needed after a long day on the road.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t underestimate how tough the cycling can be as this is really an exhausting trip, not just because of the hills but also because of how difficult it can be cycling in such windy conditions. Take your own saddle, and padded cycling shorts as you’ll need them. Draught beer is cheap but pretty much everything else is the same price as in the UK.

Most Inspirational Moment

We climbed up the mountainside oposite Petra's "Treasury" and saw it from above.  Looking down on the famous site, with all the tourists looking like ants was amazing!

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was fantastic.  Very attentive, very knowlegable, and he gave us a lot of colorful information about the country, the history, the people, and the culture of Jordan.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you travel in the winter months be prepared for dramatic temperature swings, quite cold in the north and the mountains, quite warm at the Red Sea and Dead Sea.  Layers are a must!  Also, there is some trekking (well worth doing) so if you prefer to hike with poles, bring them along.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the Taj Mahal which is amazing.  The Forts at Agra and Jaipur were also really impressive and I enjoyed cycling through the countryside too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The two leaders, Sajay and Pramod were excellent leaders who not only guided the cycling but also kept us entertained. They worked hard in the background to ensure that the trip ran smoothly. The bike mechanic, bus driver and his assistant were also a good team.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for quite a few consecutive days cycling 40miles+ and consider taking your own saddle rather than a gel cover. If you take your own bike remember that supplies of spare parts such as chains and rear mechanism hangars are aimed at the local bike market and so you would be advised to take a few extra bike bits just in case.   The road surfaces can be rough in places and don't be surprised if the locals want to chat to you from their motorbikes whilst you negotiate pot holes, camels, cows etc in front of you.  This means that you should be confident of cycling in traffic and some experience of cycling on rough terrain would be advantageous.  It is best to cycle with at least one other person as, although almost everyone is friendly, sometimes the children like to jump out in front of you or throw stones. A supply of hand gel is also a good idea.  

Most Inspirational Moment

Sitting in a canoe on the mighty Zambezi, silently, while a few metres away an elephant watched us from the bank, flapping its ears. Watching (at a safe distance) a pod of hippos floating in the river and snorting at us. Sitting in the quiet of the evening wth a glass of wine (yes!) discussing the animals and birds we had seen that day with our guide.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader couldn't have been better.  He was knowledgable about everything - animals, local customs, countryside - and a good cook too!

Advice for Potential Travellers

This was a relaxing trip well within the capabilities of anyone who is moderately fit and wants a close-up safari.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant, totally brilliant!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don’t need malaria tablets – the trip dossier is wrong!