Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

For me there were two: Discovering the vast area of Petra beyond the Treasury was sensational. We drank tea at the Place of High Sacrifice and took a lesser-trodden route back – the scenery was simply stunning! Wadi Rum was amazing – an overnight in a tent in the desert is an experience not to be missed – the evening meal was delicious!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Mikhled, was a real ambassador for his homeland. Demonstrating he loved his job, he shared his passion for Jordan with the group. He was professional, caring and at all times determined that our holiday would be the best he could organise. His choice of restaurants and lunches was a feast for the palette and gave a great introduction into Jordanian cuisine. The cooking class he organised allowed us to make some of the dishes ourselves (the recipes were sent to the group to allow us to try at home). Mikhled was at all times courteous, smiling and able to keep the group amused with his dry sense of humor. When difficulties arose, he was able to support and help to find a solution. Thank you Mikhled for making our week such a special experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip gives a lot but also expects a lot from each group member. It is vital that each person takes responsibility for themselves, their belongings and their timekeeping. It is important not to overestimate your fitness or underestimate the physical demands necessary in such a trip. There are many vista rewards for walking and climbing the age old routes but good footwear is an absolute must. The temperature range is quite diverse (from 8-20 degrees during our week) depending on which location is being visited. Make sure you have layers, warm clothes and a hat as well as swimming gear. For the Red and Dead sea we took water shoes which protected our feet from coral and sharp rocks. A lunch pack is available in Petra – this is a great option as you can choose your stop based on where you are rather than where food is available for purchase. Take a small backpack as you will need to carry the lunch pack. Not all ATM’s work with all UK bank passes so it’s a good idea to get a few Jordanian Dinars before leaving or at the airport to make sure you have money as necessary. There are lots of opportunities for shopping and cash is sometimes preferable. We used about 350 dinars per person during the week.

Most Inspirational Moment

Valley of the Kings

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nemo was great

Advice for Potential Travellers

Credit cards not very welcome. US dollars in great demand. Be prepared to be hounded by vendors at every stop

Most Inspirational Moment

My late husband was into geology and was crazy about volcanos. I made a pilgrimage to Mt. Vesuvius in his memory, and was able to leave a tiny bit of him there. And as he would have done, brought a few small rocks back home to tie us together. It was a completely clear day with visibility for miles and an incredible view over Naples. The other inspiring moment was hiking the Path of the Gods. Indescribably beautiful scenery and solitude. I had a cold and so conquering some of the stairs coming back up were tough, but I was grateful to be there and have done it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Eduardo Palermo absolutely made the trip, and we adored him. He had lived in the area for many years, and was passionate and proud to share his community with us. He was highly knowledgeable of history and local matters, and brought every location to life for us. He was accommodating to special requests, and infinitely patient and gracious with a “challenging” guest among our group – far more so than I would have been! Eduardo was always around or accessible when we needed something, and seemed totally committed to our having a good time every day. Everywhere we went people seemed to know Eduardo, and his local connections were very helpful. He arranged for us to hire an outstanding guide he knew for the day in Herculaneum and Pompeii, at a reasonable price. We had many laughs together and learned so much from him. Do not lose Eduardo!

Advice for Potential Travellers

(1) Bring a water bottle for the day trips – I put hot tea in mine since it was January. (2) Bring a big appetite! But you’ll walk it all off during the day – didn’t gain any weight! (3) Bring good walking shoes and extra sturdy ones for the Path of the Gods. (4) Being in the small town of Bomerano is lovely and gives you a sense of “real life” in the Amalfi Coast, not just the glittery famous tourist towns nearby. Yet you’ll visit and have time to explore those places before retreating to your “family” experience at Due Torri. (5) For a contrast, consider a day or two before or after the tour on your own in bustling Naples. The archaeological museum there is a must-visit if you’re into history.

Most Inspirational Moment

Amazingly, the second walk took us along the levada and then the coast. The day finished with torrential rain and the group took refuge under gazebos at a bar, we were welcomed and served drinks. For me whilst this was not glam or what we had hoped for, it brought the group together in my view.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andre was great, I really liked him. He has good knowledge of all the subject matter relevant to the walks, and is confident leading them, and good at engaging with the group. As a walk leader myself, I would only fault him on sometimes not briefing the group on the next stage which in my mind would give some idea of timings and expectations.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the columns on Christmas Day - stunning views and history and (as usual) an experience made extra special by Thano's attention to detail (champers and Christmas biscuits as a treat).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thanos was absolutely amazing - in every way he succeeded in looking after everyone both as a group and individuals. We were exceptionally well fed and watered, and he made excellent use of his connections and knowledge of the island to make the week special. This included the history of the area and Greece in general.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Check the grading and who is coming - for me personally the trip was physically too easy, and could easily be marked as a 1. If you're after delicious food, views, easy walks and a lot of free time to relax this trip is perfect. Do bring boots! The terrain does warrant having the additional ankle support and lets you appreciate the views more.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were highlights every day, hard to pick just one

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nico our guide was excellent and very informative throughout, a great ambassador for his country.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the pyramids on Christmas Day was a pretty amazing way to start the trip! Karnak temple was wonderful, huge and impressive, and although busy I found a quiet spot to sit and take it all in. The Valley of the Kings was great - being able to go inside tombs which almost look freshly painted was just awe-inspiring. And after all that, sitting on the sundeck of the boat cruising along the Nile and watching the world go by was a pretty good way to spend a couple of restful afternoons.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ahmed was amazing and made us feel so welcome in Egypt! He gave us lots of information in a really engaging way, using the group as characters to tell us the complicated history of the pharaohs. He managed a good balance of guiding and free time for us in the places we visited, and always made sure we had coffee time at the end of a visit. He gave us good advice on how to deal with vendors and was clear about where was (and wasn't) good to shop. Ahmed was always smiling and cheerful, even at 3am! And he was great at dealing with any problems (when I had an issue with a hotel room, he fixed it straight away). A brilliant guide!

Advice for Potential Travellers

The one thing I would change is when I arrived - the group flight arrives late in Cairo (and later for us as we had a two hour delay at Heathrow) so we didn't reach the hotel til gone midnight and left at 7.30 the next morning for the pyramids (and then the following day is a very early start for the flight to Luxor). I'd highly recommend coming in a day early to avoid that first morning exhaustion, but also to see more of Cairo, as there is a lot to see that I didn't get to (the Coptic cathedral, the Citadel). I'd also say do as many of the optional excursions as you can - Philae Temple in Aswan was wonderful and Abu Simbel, while an early start (and a pricey trip) was well worth it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Only one? That would be difficult. At the beginning of the trip, after the first day in Tortuguero where the wildlife is extremely abundant, I felt like I could return home satisfied. It got better from there..... I have to mention dinner in Manuel Antonio - we looked out of the restaurant and saw a sloth mother with baby on her tummy, travelling along the telephone wires in the pouring rain!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jorge was truly outstanding. He is friendly, helpful, fun and extremely knowledgeable about Costa Rica - its geography, history, wildlife and ecosystems, and happy to share that knowledge. I learned a lot on this trip, thanks to him. His skill at spotting wildlife is impressive, as are his bird calls! I'm sure we wouldn't have seen half of what we did without his help. He ensured that everyone was comfortable, and went out of his way to help some of us with our post-trip arrangements. We couldn't have had a better, or nicer, guide!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Sunscreen and insect repellent are a must. Costa Rica is hot and humid - pack accordingly. It's helpful to have light-weight, quick drying trousers for walks in the forests. Laundry facilities are available at two locations. It was useful to have an extra pair of walking shoes, since one pair got drenched in a rain shower and took a couple of days to dry out enough to wear. It is quite cool in the Dota region (Savegre cloud forest), so a warm jacket is definitely needed there. Be prepared for rain - I had a raincoat, but a poncho or backpack cover would have been helpful. If you have a camera - consider how you are going to protect it from the rain.

Most Inspirational Moment

The last four days of the trip were my favorite- the quinzee building, snow showing walk/hike, huskies and ice climbing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Martty was great, very knowledgeable and friendly and was around practically 24/7.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Basecamp will give you a thermos, but will ask that you don't put tea or coffee in it only water or squash. It would be useful to know that you should take your own thermos if you don't want hot water or squash. There is no kettle for tea/coffee in the rooms, although there is also tea/coffee available all day in the communal area. The outer wear that is given to the group was worn and old. If you have your own better quality clothing then take that, there is no standard or anything specific about their clothes for the cold temperatures. The bar closes at 10pm, and there is no drinking up time and you can't take drinks back to your room, or bring your own.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a tiger in Ranthambore National Park. This tiger came up so close to our vehicle and walked unperturbed past a long line of jeeps which were on the path with us. We spent a good 20 minutes watching her. The second most inspirational moment was seeing the Taj Mahal reveal itself slowly from the early morning mist.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I cannot praise Naveen Bazaz highly enough. He was so caring and looked after our every need so well. I enjoyed listening to his commentaries on the places we were visiting and he was very attentive. We all loved his sense of humour and the way he socialised with us. We valued his advice at meal times when choosing our food. Naveen gave us many local experiences such as visiting a Delhi family for a cookery demonstration and meal afterwards, taking us to sample street food and a famous "lassi" shop, to name just a few. We were very lucky to have Naveen as our leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring warm clothes for Delhi and Ranthambore National Park. The hotel in Ranthambore did provide blankets for the early morning game drives. Take a mask/buff because there's a lot of dust on these game drives. Also take binoculars. A pack of cards for the long train ride.