Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Samaria Gorge. It is as awe-inspiring as everyone says. The village of Loutro. I wish I could have spent an extra day there, hanging out. The city of Rethymno. Great vibe. So many interesting streets, alleyways, shops and restaurants to explore.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide, Yorgos Prinarakis, could not have been better. He was attentive and informative, and could talk about the nature, culture and history of the places we visited with ease. Plus he was fun, and an all-around great guy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you're in shape! It is challenging. And though you may be accustomed to walking around London or New York all day, it is not the same as walking up and down steep ravines, over loose surfaces, exposed to the sun.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the Balloons fly at sunrise, we headed up to watch from the cliffs instead of going on the balloons themselves and the views were spectacular. Whether you are in one or watching them, there are about 160 balloons in the sky and it's incredible.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Ayyykut, was engaged with the group and chatty. Had a clear knowledge of his country and was passionate to show us everything it offered.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack for all weathers, yes, Turkey is hot, but central Turkey and the Cappadocia region sits at 1000m above sea level. We got thunder storms, rain, 27 degree heat, sun and over cast days so we really got it all.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the cast feet of the Baltic Way

Thoughts on Group Leader

Most excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Highly recommended trip

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably seeing "The Treasury" at Petra with my own eyes after seeing so many photos over the years on the internet etc. A famous part of world history and impressive sight in it's own right. I also enjoyed the beauty and serenity of Wadi Rum in the evening at sunset.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mikhled. Mikhled is an excellent guide in every aspect. Knowledge, organisation, humour, patience he has all the ideal qualities. It was a pleasure to be guided around Jordan and be educated about life in Jordan by Mikhled. We were in good hands.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go Now! Despite the ongoing events in Gaza (at the time of writing in June 25) this is going on a long way from Jordan and has no direct impact upon Jordan, especially from a tourists perspective. Unfortunately it has had an impact upon toursim and visitors are staying away. This is however to our advantage because otherwise potentially busy sites like Petra are far less crowded than they could be, which made our visits better all round. I found Jordan to be perfectly safe and with very welcoming pleasant people. A few times, while on the coach, we'd be driving slowly through part of a town and young children would wave at us. It just made me smile. Other stuff... every hotel we stayed in had either "British" plug sockets or multi sockets that accepted a British/Euro/US plug without an adapter. The Wadi Rum desert camp tent had a Euro/US socket. My departure was 17th May. I did not see a single mosquito anywhere. I didn't actually see many insects at all during my visit. Apart from flies at Petra that were drawn to the horses used for rides from/to the main entrance. In the second half of May temperatures were already peaking at 40C in open places like Jerash and Petra. Good luck in high summer! Wadi Rum desert camp was not cold, about 18C at dawn but I believe it can go a lot lower. At our first briefing Mikhled assured me it was ok to wear shorts anywhere we were going in Jordan... and it was! I even saw some young women wearing well above the knee shorts and they didn't seem to be getting any grief about it. Bartering over the price of certain things is common practice in Jodan. As a Briton I am generally useless at this. Embrace it or just accept that traders may do well out of you. Even the nice coach we travelled around Jordan in had WiFi as did every hotel. No digital detox! No WiFi at Wadi Rum desert camp though but some did get a patchy network data connection. Payment by card was almost always an option in most establishments, hotels and restaurants but I got the feeling that cash still comes first in Jordan. Obtaining Jordanian Dinars from ATMs or exchange kiosks was not a problem. I had an extra day at the Holiday Inn Dead Sea resort at the end of the trip because of my flight arrangements. This turned out to be a small bonus and allowed some of us to see a little more in the area and of course a morning dip in the dead sea. Maybe you'd like to consider and extra day. Consideration of an extra day at the start of the trip might not be a bad thing either. Due to Royal Jordanian's flight schedules from the UK we didn't arrive at the hotel in Amman until something like 2am and were up only a few hours later for our morning trip to Jerash. Not unbearable but a quicker turnaround than ideal.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of each climb

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adrian is inspirational kind caring and very humorous. Very organized and understanding of the challenges that each tripper experiences on a guided tour with varying degrees of ability. All are included and treated with respect.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Allow the trip to play out as thought and effort has created the best and safest experience for people of varying abilities. Trust the plan for the day, relax, exercise and enjoy the best the Alps have to offer

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adrian was Excellent

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit of Aiguilette des Posettes and seeing the stunning scenery all around us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Adrian, was knowledgeable, passionate and inspiring. His knowledge of the region was impressive and his enthusiasm stood out. He had an innate ability to read the group’s pace always ensuring everyone felt safe and supported. A large part of what made this trip so unforgettable was because of him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be sure to read the trip notes thoroughly as they provide valuable information! I was fully prepared with gear, fitness level and overall expectations! Highly recommend this trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

The deep gorges around Yagodina were so inspiring.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nelly was the best! So passionate about these mountains and all their beauty!

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is not alpine hiking but a much easier relaxed pace to explore nature along the way.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to pinpoint just one to be honest. The river cruise on the Kinabatangan River was such a great experience. Seeing the wildlife was amazing. The other thing I enjoyed was exploring Georgetown with our group. All the buildings and the history was so interesting. There are just so many to highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I loved our Guide(s). I think it was great we had 1 guide in Borneo (Nelson) and 1 guide in the Malaysian Peninsula (Jason). Both are exceptional guides and very experienced. Not only is their knowledge of history and nature amazing, but their passion for what they do is clear. They really went the extra mile to take care of everyone in our group. Even though they have done these trips for years, I can't thank them enough for that spark and passion for what they do.

Advice for Potential Travellers

For those that don't know, Malaysia is very hot and humid. Now the good thing is you have air conditioning in your hotels; however, since it's so hot outside, one of the things I highly encourage all people to bring are electrolytes. It helped me and other travelers on my trip. Also think about a small compact umbrella. Not just for the rain, but also for the sun as it's fairly strong in the afternoon. Speaking of Rain, bring something to keep you dry because when it rains in Malaysia, it RAINS.