Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Everyday was full of mini adventures - making it to the top of Sirigiya, elephants on the way to Polunnaruwa, the Spice Gardens massage(!), cycling through the towns, making it up the hill Nuwara, whale watching, tea with the locals, greetings from the local children, cooking demonstrations, monkeys ....to mention a few.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Suresh, Suranga and the crew are excellent. We were all extremely well looked after but in a very relaxed manner.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The cycling is generally along the quiet back roads but their are a few sections which are along busier roads and towns.....keep your wits about you and go for it! Stating the obvious...Sri Lanka is hot and humid! Drink lots of water (followed by Lion beer!). There's opportunities to do laundry etc, so no need to bring lots of cycling kit. Enjoy - Sri Lanka is fab.

Most Inspirational Moment

flight across Nazca lines one of the most mysterious places on earth Machu Picchu.....so wow of a spectacle it brought me to tears

Thoughts on Group Leader

awesome facilitator and organizer making everything happen for a full on trip seamless

Advice for Potential Travellers

certainly a trip worthy to a top of the bucket list destination

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the Dambulla Cave Temples... Really any temple in general. But the Cave temples were so beautiful and the detail was amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Suresh was great! He had the information everyone needed and he took care of us. he always made sure everyone was happy.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra and walking down the Siq to discover the "rose-red city" was the most inspirational moment of our trip. The Treasury and Monastery were amazing! Walking to some of the high places was both exhilarating and beautiful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nidal Alateaq was a great leader. He was very knowledgeable and wanted very much to show us his beautiful country. He was friendly and approachable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I am glad that we did the 12 day trip as opposed to the 7 day because we had three nights and three days in Petra. This was definitely required if one wants to visit Petra properly. We went from April 12th to 23rd and the weather was just right-not too hot but not too cold either. I would recommend taking a light jacket for this time of the year as it did cool down in the evenings. The coach/bus we travelled in was compact so don't take excess luggage.

Most Inspirational Moment

All the spring flowers

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alexis was great, very helpful - especially when my luggage was delayed, as he lent me his down gilet for extra warmth! He put a lot of effort into making sure that everyone had the best possible holiday, and was always cheerful and flexible

Advice for Potential Travellers

The weather was very variable on our late April trip - expect a range of temperatures and weather, sometimes in the same day

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the wildlife up so close and personal

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pablo was an amazing group leader in every sense of the word. Everything well organised, always on hand to help . Very good communicator, with a fabulous sense of humour...

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although the trip says leisurely/ moderate due to the humidity when we travelled some may find the walking harder than they expected.. never underestimate the strength of the sun ( as Pablo would say)

Most Inspirational Moment

I am not sure there was a moment. But the people of Sri Lanka are beautiful people. They are a kind and gentle people. It was lovely seeing the families including several babies at the temple. Families enjoying the beach together. The children running out to say hello to us when biking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Suresh was A-One! He was well organized but laid back. He imparted much information. A lovely man who is approachable, kind and funny. He truly made our trip wonderful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a great stepping stone before visiting India. You will have some of the influences without the craziness. Some level of fitness is required if you would like to bike, hike etc.. January and February are peak seasons. The off season of April was a wonderful time to travel. Not as many people and weather still pleasant. Sri Lanka has it all: Beaches, Temples, Elephants, Monkeys, Lion Rock, beautiful Scenery.

Most Inspirational Moment

Completing the whole trip without having to get in the support vehicle at any time! Cycling through rain, thunder and lightning on the last day to finish without any mishaps! My inspirational room mate who kept me going all week.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Inspirational, encouraging and very supportive. He went above and beyond the hours he needed to work. Very organised, kept us informed and organised as a group and brought us together. I would definitely book another holiday with the same guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Mind over muscle! You can achieve if you think you can - and train more than you think you need to. Enjoy yourself too - the week goes by too fast.

Most Inspirational Moment

The view of the Atlantic Ocean as we cycled, particularly if we came round a corner and saw it below us blue with the white surf and the cliffs ahead.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nino was great. Good leader. Assessed the Group on the first day, and let people go at their own pace, so if they wanted to race ahead they could but had to wait. Gave enough time for those of us who didn’t want to race to get our breath back before setting off again.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for 80 euro lunch kitty. It also paid for drinks at the cafe stops and saved a lot of time, and the picnics were great, as well as the buffet lunches we had. When they say there may be a point that vertigo sufferers may not like, don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I hate edges and drops, and it was ok. It was only one small part one day. There is a barrier at the worst bit. Only slightly hairy bit is coming down the road, with cars behind you. Just stay in the middle of the road and make them wait! We were given the option of going in the van to miss it out, but I’m glad I did it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Well... there were a few All of the walks were good: those with a view of the sea/ down the coast were great! Walking the path of the Gods was a special experience Optional visit to Herculaneum was great I loved Pompeii - and our guide (Fabio) brought it to life

Thoughts on Group Leader

Vania was amazing from start to finish! Her enthusiasm and sense of fun were catching and her ability to lead the group from the back, the front or the middle allowed everyone to walk at their own pace. Vania was relentless in her pursuit of ensuring we all had a great time - any minor issues were dealt with immediately and she was keen to ensure that everyone's needs were met. Really good company at breakfast or dinner - she didn't seem to get a minute to ourselves! Two of us were keen to do some extra walking on the 'day off' and Vania opted to come with us as it was a walk she hadn't yet done - of course, she ended up leading by default and even apologising that there wasn't a coffee stop en route! I would happily recommend Vania as a guide to anyone wanting to walk the Amalfi Coast.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring clothes for all weathers! We had fog on Vesuvius and temperatures can vary enormously from the top of a hill to sea level. Really, everything was taken care of in the trip notes, I think. However having seen a few people struggling in groups other than ours, it is definitely worth paying attention to the nature of this trip. It's mostly coastal walking, so LOTS of ups and downs - and most importantly, via many hundreds/ thousands of steps. Some of these steps are very uneven and there are a couple of walks where they seem a bit relentless for a while, but it's all worth it! The views they afford are incredible. My calves felt tired and a bit sore every morning (along with everyone else's except Vania's!) but were easy to walk off. Consider a trip to the hotel masseur - she's very good!