Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of Monte Prado, the highest peak in Tuscany.

Thoughts on Group Leader

There will be one or two people in your life, who will have a huge impact on you, and Sara Bull had that impact on all of us.  She is a very experienced leader, and has a fountain of knowledge, which she shares with you of the local area from the history, to the villages and towns, flora and fauna etc. She kept us going with treats of biscuits and sweeties, and she led from the front and from the back, to ensure that those who were a bit slower reached the tops of the mountains along with the rest of us.  She is the kindest and most thoughtful person I have ever met, and if you come on this holiday you will have a very memorable time, and you will feel extremely privileged to have met her.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Walking poles are essential, as they are a great help both on the climbs up the montains, and on your way back down.  If you are thinking of coming, just book it, you will have a wonderful time.

Most Inspirational Moment

All of it really - two things in particular: reaching the summits each day to have lunch with stunning views and a real sense of achievement; and our guide Jose. Jose was ceaselessly motivational, passionate about the area, extremely knowledgeable, fun, sensitive to the group's needs, always aiming to surprise us with hidden treasures and delights of a view whilst being constantly concerned about our wellbeing. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

As above - Jose was a real star.  He was ceaselessly motivational, passionate about the area, extremely knowledgeable, fun, sensitive to the group's needs, always aiming to surprise us with hidden treasures and delights of a view whilst being constantly concerned about our wellbeing. A top guy!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Lots of people advised taking trekking poles. Jose was happy to lend his out when needed, so that helped on the descents when I needed them but meant I didn't need to carry them most of the time when not needed. Jose had brought several pairs, so you could get by without taking your own, but if you rely on them do take some.   Make sure you take plenty of water bottles - we refilled at several springs but a few had dried up!

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of dead woman's pass.......I did'nt think that I would make it.3 people almost did'nt,but were given all the help and encouragement they needed to get to the top. Arriving at the sun gate was a bit of a let down, after all the hyp;what was this funny little pile of ruins?.........then I saw Machu Picchu and it all fell into place.When we walked to the city I found myself keep turning towards that gate,and thought about that insignificant entrance to such a wonderful panorama.How I would love to be there at the solstice, to see the sun shine through the gate and into the city.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Disnarda was quite exceptional.........she worked so hard attending to our every need.Nothing was too much trouble:she was out 2 nights running,sorting out a doctor and collecting medicine for one of our number who was ill.Disnarda knew the best places to eat,and when we had a meal together on the last night,and I received change in soles(which I did'nt want as I was returning to the UK the next day)she had it changed to dollars.Disnarda did not abandon us at the airport,ensuring that we all knew where to go when we had checked in our baggage ,and she was incredibly sensitive to our needs when walking,giving us time to rest and reminding us to drink.She also arranged for porters to return along the trail to carry the backpacks of those who were struggling.She was always available.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You do need to be fit,and I am glad that I went for long walks before going.The toilet tent may well be difficult for some........it was not easy in the middle of the night struggling with the entrance zip, and slipping around in thick black mud in the dark,because the rains had arrived.Be prepared to be breathless with the altitude.......all of us struggled at times.You also need plenty of 'Deet" for the mosquitoes.

Most Inspirational Moment

The island of Mljet trip is not to be missed. That was a superb day out! Also the cycle on the last day we biked through some incredible scenery..     

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic Leader. Ana was fun, informative and extremely well organised. She knows the bike routes and ferry times and made sure we managed our time properly! Also there were no hassles with the bikes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get your fitness levels up and practice biking on hilly routes. You will really enjoy the trip much more!Also be aware that you will be spending a lot of time in a group situation with strangers. If that is not to your liking, this may not be the right kind of trip for you. We we fortunate as we had a great group of people and a superb leader.

Most Inspirational Moment

I don't do "inspirational". I enjoyed the last day of trekking most because it was the longest and hardest and I had a great sense of achievement when we came back. I also liked the visit to the oldest house in Tighza and the hospitality from the couple there. I also appreciated the fact that the area is one of the few places left on this over-populated planet where we could be totally away from other people. I enjoyed the (vegetarian) food in the gite... Need I go on?

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hassan was tall, dark and handsome, so he already had more than half of the group enjoying his company. His English was good and he could hold a conversation easily. The downside was that he was young and I think unaware that he should do more to start conversations and show interest in the different members of the group. He could also have been a little more formal about the trek, ensuring that we took it in turns to be the last couple, in case there were problems that he, as leader, would not be aware of.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a moderate trek - which means that you do have to be fit. A couple of people in our group were considerably slower than the rest of us which meant that we were not always together. We suggested that a mule be hired on the last, long trek, to assist those who were having problems. It was cheap (100 MAD = £8 for the day) and I would definitely recommend a mule as a back-up as a matter of course.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was diligent, thoughtful and well-meaning.  It was a shame that his spoken English wasn't stronger, as on a trip such as this, in such a different culture with such a rich history, it would have been great to have someone who understood our questions fully and even better, could explain things more spontaneously.  Nevertheless, our leader worked hard to cater for everyone and was very entertaining, and we think he liked us!

Advice for Potential Travellers

 Definitely take: - sleeping bag liner - walking polesDon't forget:  - a towel - good socks, blister plasters etc. - biscuits / emergency snacks! - insect repellent etc.

Most Inspirational Moment

There are lots of highlights on this trip.  But I think the best bit was reaching the top of the hill at Ooty, after climbing up the 36 hairpin bends.  Down the hill the next day is also a great ride as there are 45 km of downhill. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

The leaders and driver (Vishnu, Joseph and Shibu) on the trip were great.  They're all really friendly and together they are a great feature of the holiday. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

I really didn't have a bad moment on the whole trip.  Get stuck into the cycling, and into the curry and Kingfisher lagers too.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking through the Sun Gate (on a sunny day) after 4 days walking was one of those moments I hope not to forget.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader Carlos was excellent, and kept (most) of the group going and enthusiastic when it would have been easy to lose cohesion. He joined in wholewheartedly and got many of us enthused about Peru playing Paraguay in the world cup.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You need to pack everything for the range of weather expected, but don't take too much! Layers that you can you can use at different altitudes and in different climates are best. Good walking shoes are also fine for the Inca trail.

Most Inspirational Moment

1 - View from summit of Velebit Zavizan2 - Trekking along the Premuziceva trail 3 - Trekking through the gorges of the Paklenica National Park.....seeing those crazy climbers half way up the rock face!Difficult to pick a highlight, loved it all.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Edo was a great guide, funny, informative and well organised. Couldn't fault him at all, a great ambassador for his country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This was harder than I expected! Some stiff climbs on rocky paths followed by descents on the other! The trek to the summit of Velebit Zavizan was so much fun but also a good challenge.

Most Inspirational Moment

Waking at ABC to find the cloud clearing to reveal what must be one of the most stunning mountain panoramas in the world.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dawa was an excellent leader - keeping the team together and progressing at a pace that meant we achieved our goals while still having bags of fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you can walk up & down Snowdon and not be exhausted, then you're probably fit enough to do this trip.If you need mobile phone reception, then Nepal Telecom (check your mobile company's roaming agreement) has decent coverage in the mountain villages.Mains power is available in most tea houses for camera/phone battery charging, though mains power is mostly limited to light fittings in the bedrooms.The variety of tea-house food was much greater than we expected. Not just Dahl Baht!9pm bed time is considered late in the hills.If you've time, get away from the main tourist trail in Kathmandu to see how the real city lives.Roads are being driven slowly towards the villages in the Annapurna area. In 10 year's time, when the mule trains have been displaced, the character of the place will be very different. Go soon!