Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

17 October - 6 leopards before 7.30am!  Most spectacular!  The group and the guides alike were just amazed and thrilled to share this special moment when the leopard and her 3 cubs climbed up the perfect tree for all of us to see.  For afters, we witnessed one of the biggest wildebeest migrations.  All thanks to Paul's experience and flair to take us there on that memorable day.Following Narasha, the cheetah and her 2 cubs, the excitement of the fawn chase on the first day, the drama of her missing cubs and the relief when we found them safe and sound, the worry when the 2 cheetah brothers walked past them, but simplest of all on the last morning - having breakfast in the jeep watching them just meters away.  Following the Marsh Pride, skilful team work of lionesses hunting and 6 adorable cubs fooling around providing endless fun

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very charismatic, Paul's passion for wildlife and photography is infectious.  It's clear to see that he loves what he does, hardworking and helped by exceptional guides, they make sure the group have the best opportunities and working as a team we always were at the right place at the right time.  He shares his time fairly within the group, giving some tough love to get the best out of your photos with excellent results.  Not forgetting lots of unPC jokes and silly games to keep the group entertained.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don’t have to be an expert photograph to enjoy this safari, just do some homework and learn the basics before, and you will have a brilliant time.  I will recommend it for any wilderness fan, the abundance and variety of wildlife is fantastic, along with beautiful scenery, amazing sky and stars gazing on clear nights...  Saying that it’s a real bonus when you take stunning pictures, and you will!!  I will recommend it for people travelling on their own.  I felt safe at all time, part of the group with like-minded people enjoying wildlife and photography, and never lonely.

Most Inspirational Moment

The fourth day of cycling was fabulous.  It seemed to go on and on.  Very slight inclines followed by endless gentle descents through the most dramatic scenery you can imagine.  Brilliant fun.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Richie Rocked!  Everything was run with military precision and he was authoritative without being bossy.   Top marks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

100% of our trip had a tummy bug of varying degrees during the week – be prepared!Even in October it was a little cool in the evenings therefore warm clothing is a must.  We were lucky to escape a storm in the mountains so I’d also recommend a wet weather riding outfit.Breakfast is Bread and Jam/Honey.  Bring your own if you want anything more nutritious. Take a pack of felt pens for the children in the mountains.  I still regret only having a biro and bag of Maltezers to give to the little lad wearing an oversized suit (think artful dodger) There is a possibility one of our group had money stolen from an unlocked suitcase at one of the hotels.  Take a suitcase lock.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching a huge group of dolphins jump in and out of the waves as they travelled alongside our boat. The calming sound of Grey whales breathing through their blow holes in an otherwise very choppy sea.A Grizzly bear fishing for salmon with her cub. The cub was picking salmon out of the river and playing with it.Seeing a pod of 11 Orca whales drift past our boat was pretty magical!Staying in a great hotel in Ucluelet after lots of time spent outdoors.  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jo was great and she worked tirelessly to ensure that the trip ran smoothly and that we were all happy - I've never met anyone with more energy! I loved her idea to organise picnic lunches each day and she found some lovely beauty spots for us to enjoy. She was great at managing supplies and topping them up every few days to ensure there was always something new available. Along with the great restaurants that we visited in the evenings, there was definitely no shortage of food! Jo also led several really interesting walks throughout the trip and had plenty of knowledge about the areas that we walked through.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would suggest taking binoculars and a good zoom for your camera if you want to maximise your experiences of the wildlife encounters. Also plenty of layers - the weather in September was generally warm but we spent a lot of time on boats where it was easy to get cold due to the wind. One of the boat journeys to see whales was very choppy and so sea-sickness tablets might be useful. Although wildlife encounters aren't guaranteed, we saw almost everything we hoped too. The landscape is also spectacular, which made boat journeys and ferry crossings really interesting too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Very helpful and especially good with people. He was friendly towards everyone and showed no favouritism or judgement which really helped to make everyone feel welcome.  On one or two occasions, members of the walking group got a bit left behind so maybe posting a back marker with a whistle would have been a good way to avoid this, providing one or more members of the group are willing to volunteer.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The walking grade on our holiday was described as easy to moderate. I would say that most days the walks required moderate walking skills rather than easy as there were a large number of steps. this was not a problem for us but it might be for some people

Most Inspirational Moment

The 'Walk of the Gods' was absolutely spectacular. The views were breathtaking. It was very hard work, more a hike than a walk, but well worth it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Eduardo Palermo was brilliant. He was funny, always on time, changed our itinerary so we got the most out of each day/best of the weather and he also was very caring and understanding with the members of the group who had to go slower on the 'Walk of the Gods' and on Versuvius. He was very knowledgeable about the local area. He also went out of his way to arrange/advise members of the group who wanted to do things that were not part of the itinerary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The 'Walk of the Gods' was a lot more difficult than we were expecting. There were sheer drops with no guard rails which scared some of the group who had a fear of heights . In some places we were climbing up on hands and knees. 4 of the group who had old injuries from broken bones/dislocations would not have done it if they had known how hard it was. It was well worth it but we were glad we only had October heat to deal with and not the height of summer!!

Most Inspirational Moment

I most enjoyed Salamis and swimming in the sea. I was also impressed with how productive the land is out on the peninsular.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes. Don't travel direct to Northern Cyprus because it means going via Istanbul. it is quicker to fly to Larnaca and take a taxi to the North.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip falls into three parts: the Rainforest, The Inca Trail and Lake Titicaca, so all three had their own inspirations.  The Rainforest - the diversity of animals and birds; The Inca Trail - achieving Dead Woman's Pass and reaching the Sun Gate; and the tranquillity of the Lake.

Thoughts on Group Leader

You don't get to meet the leader, on our trip this was Marcial, until you get to the airport in Puerto Maldonado.  The guide who met us at the airport in Lima didn't have much to say and didn't know his way round Lima, having to ask his way to sights on several occasions.  The guide in the Rainforest, Leol, was fantastic and so knowledgeable.  How he managed to spot the animals and insects in the dark and when there was only a fleeting glance during the day was unbelievable.  Marcial came into his own once we left the rainforest.  His knowledge of the culture of Peru was vast, he knew the best places to eat as he was local to Cusco.  Because we were a small group we only needed a mini bus, rather than a coach so we were up and ready each day on time and therefore he didn't need to chase anyone up.  His advice was accurate and he answered any questions we had.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Money - make sure you take enough US dollars.  The trip notes are pretty accurate, but that is just to get by.  If you are a spender then take more.  Change about $75 per person in the airport - the exchange rate is much better in Cusco - that will get you by for getting round Lima, the airports, water etc.  When you get to Cusco change quite a bit as you will need Sols for all your shopping and eating out, only some restaurants take card.  Tips for the porters can be in dollars, but you will need Sols for some of the additional trips rather than dollars.Luggage - pack as light as you can for the Inca trail - remember the porters can only 7kg of what you will need and some of that includes your sleeping bag and thermarest.  Make sure your sleeping bag is warm enough - work on the comfort rating rather than the temperature rating. A two season bag is not warm enough!  You will need more tops in the rainforest than you think as you will need to change at least 3 times during the day, where as on the Inca Trail you probably don't need as much as you think! And if you do, remember you have to carry it!Poles - if you are used to walking with poles, take them as they help with the ups and downs.  If you are used to walking without them, then you probably don't need them - you can always find a sturdy stick en route.Water bottles - take bottles that can be filled with boiling water as these can be used as hot water bottles at night while camping.See if you can get the earlier flight back from Puno to Lima as we had to hang around for 5 hours after getting back from Lake Titicaca before the 9.00pm flight to Lima and couldn't see any reason for this.  It means you don't get to the hotel until nearly midnight!

Most Inspirational Moment

Our two nights in Tortuguero on the north Caribbean coast were wonderful.  The boat trips, the cabins, the food, the beach and the turtles ... just perfect.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was an absolute mine of information, always keen to provide us with the best experience possible of his country. Tricky questions were answered honestly, his manner open and friendly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the rain - there can be lots of it! A good waterproof poncho or jacket is a must, consider a decent umbrella and walking shoes. Sandals during the wet season are not suitable in every situation, boots can be a bit much.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many but the single best moment was seeing a female leopard with her three cubs high in a tree and no more than ten yards away from our Landcruiser. This was followed no more than two hours later by a massive wildebeest crossing, one of natures great spectacles.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A very knowledgeable and highly expert wildlife guide during the day and a great raconteur during the evenings with a constant stream of highly amusing jokes and anecdotes. A larger than life character.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just sign up and enjoy a fabulous holiday. Once in the Mara the experience is faultless. Be prepared for periods of relative inactivity during the day, the wildlife does not perform to order, but on our trip there was always a spectacular sighting in the offing to maintain a high level of anticipation. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved the Demosarios Gorge walk also swimming from a lovely bay.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Can't speak too highly of Thanos. Not only was he interesting and entertaining but also very dependable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

No it's quite clear in Exodus literature