Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Not sure what inspirational moments were on the trip as it was exciting and informative . Meeting and moving amongst the locals was great. It reminds us what we have and what you really do need. The only real inspiration was to make sure that we repeat the holiday trips regularly.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was great, he got to know us and allowed the trip to develop, it never feeling too much of a rush or exercise to be completed. His talks on the general history were pitched just right and were informative and interesting. The issues and political landscape since independence were well explained and informative. He made an effort to understand and nurture the group

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring plenty of insect repellant. Clothes can be laundered at a reasonable cost at the hotels so not some may clothes need be brought resulting in a lower weight suitcase to lug around.

Most Inspirational Moment

Snorkelling with turtles and sharks

Thoughts on Group Leader

Katty is a great leader, she is very passionate and knowledgeable about Galapagos and is fantastic at spotting and identifying all the flora and fauna. She made some excellent changes to the itinerary which meant we could see the sulphur mines and also have time to visit a tortoise breeding centre and a local brewery without compromising the visit to the mines as the walk would have been similar to the previous day and a lot of it would be Misty. We still walked back from the tortoise breeding centre so still got lots of exercise.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Taking a wetsuit is a good option as the water is cold and it helps with floating . You can buy for under £30 and if you hire them it is approx £10 a day. Take lots of sun lotion as sun is very intense. No need to apply for the Galapagos tourist card as the local operator will have sorted it for you. A waterproof camera or go pro camera for underwater as lots to photograph. If you have time go to the Napo wildlife centre, totally different but equally enthralling Insect repellent is recommended for Isabela.

Most Inspirational Moment

Just how well the country has recovered from the devastating American/Vietnam war and how the people have gotten on with their lives.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were very lucky to have Ashley Truong as our leader. A young woman from the central part of Vietnam who was always happy to chat and share her knowledge of all parts of Vietnam. Apart from the organisational aspect of her role which she fulfilled admirably, she was fun and understood the group's sense of humour which wasn't too off the wall but is often difficult for a non native English speaker. She explained a lot of the history and current political issues of the country without appearing to be biased or bitter. She made the trip all the more worthwhile.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The homestays are quite adequate for westerners although you do have to share with several others and the toilet facilities are clean but basic. The hotels are clean but generally 3 star and perhaps a bit dated in the decor. It seemed very safe (although you do have to take sensible precautions with wallets and cameras). Crossing the road is a case of walk purposely across without hesitation and the scooters will drive around you which can be a bit disconcerting at times. The treks are really just walks around the homestays and the bike rides are mostly on roads with the attendant lorry and scooter traffic. So the activity level is pretty moderate. You are on the go all the time except for a couple of nights in Hoi An which is a fun filled city where you can get bespoke clothes made up overnight.

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved visiting the Berber villages and staying in remote areas and learning more about the Berbers and Nomads.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I can tell that our leader loves his job. He was always prepared, provided us with all the information we needed to be safe and enjoy ourselves and multi tasked often to ensure our needs were met. He was kind, warm and very knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Set your expectations correctly. You may not always get to take long showers (extended drought) or have diverse options for food. But you won’t go hungry.

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing at the top of a dune near our Berber camp in the Sahara desert, feeling like you're miles from civilisation!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hamid was a great guy, good company and clearly passionate about his country. He was very knowledgeable and was able to take us to some interesting extra sites to break up the drives, such as an Islamic library and a kasbah in Zagora.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light for the camel ride to camp and take plenty of water. A good water bottle is a must in general, Hamid was excellent at keeping ours' filled up with cold water. There's an early start for the optional walk in Tijhza, but we found it well worth it!

Most Inspirational Moment

So many inspirational moments cycling with such a great group! We enjoyed the cycles at our own pace and got to know everyone well over the 2 weeks. I loved staying in Kruger for the 2 nights and heading out on game drives to spot animals. The hot spring pools in Badplaas were a nice treat!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adonia was so helpful throughout the trip and always good fun. He and Evans were both very knowledgeable about the areas we were cycling through, the animals, nature, and history. & an excellent cook!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Lots of hills to climb and initially is at very high altitude.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were too many different things to do and see. I enjoyed the optional cycle tour in Hoian where I tried to weave mats, samples rice wine and made rice paper. The bamboo theatre show in Ho Chi Minh was an excellent entertainment on our last evening. The tunnels in HCM City are terrifying, and although I baulked at going down with the group, I did manage a solo scamper. The thought of people crawling through and living in tunnels a quarter of the size that we went through is terrifying but inspires admiration. My advice? take part in everything so that you can experience everything.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ashley was beyind excellent. I arrived a day earlier than the trip start and she responded immediately with recommendations of activities for the morning. Throughout the trip she was well-organised and calm. She has a grear sense of humour and sense of fun and showed that she really cared that we had a good time

Advice for Potential Travellers

Try as much as you can and join in! The treks are not arduous and the cycle rides are short with plenty of rest opportunities

Most Inspirational Moment

Being lucky enough to be on this trip with of our wonderful guide Valerie Parkinson who was the first British woman to complete a successful Manaslu ascent without oxygen. Her bedtime stories of her mountain adventures kept us enthralled. .

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have travelled previously with Valerie and her gentle encouragement, expert care, attention to detail and ability to keep an entire group motivated, combined with keeping expectations realistic, led to an unforgettable and happy experience for all of us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get friendly and make connections with the local guides, porters and the lodge owners to genuinely enhance your understanding of what goes into making these trips work so well. Some of the lodges are quite basic so please don’t expect too much in terms of amenity or comfort. However, I was genuinely surprised that some had Wi-Fi (payable),decent hot showers (payable) and occasional power sockets (free) in the rooms to keep devices charged up and that really did feel like luxury!

Most Inspirational Moment

2 full day Petra stay and desert stay.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get to the airport at least 3 hours before to prepare the manually check in and long queue if you take flight with Royal Jordanian.