Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention but I loved the harder cycling days through the Sierra Maestre mountains, coupled with the legendary salsa clubs of Santiago and Trinidad. Also loved the frequent swimming opportunities in natural rock pools and almost comically-perfect tropical beaches.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hard to fault - Freddy was brilliant. My only regret is that I can't pack him in my rucksack for my next adventure as I fear future guides now have a really hard act to follow.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's worth doing a little training beforehand - none of the rides are super-hard but the heat adds an extra element so I'm not sure this is the ideal trip for a complete cycling novice. That said, we had people ranging from early-thirties to early-seventies, with varying degrees of cycling fitness, and the vast majority coped perfectly well with all the rides. Hungrier riders might want to pack their own energy snacks - the support team kept us well topped-up at snack stops with fruit and water, alongside the occasional local treat, but packing a few of my own energy bars would have been sensible too. Also as noted elsewhere, I would take plenty of hard currency with you - Cuba is not as cheap as some might expect and the availability of ATMs is still pretty limited outside larger towns so worth planning ahead.

Most Inspirational Moment

The end! Knowing I had finished, achieved and arrived at beautiful Florence

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alex was very knowledgeable about the region having guided this trip before. Together with Tug, I found them to be encouraging and supportive. I particularly liked the distraction techniques Tug used to help with the hill climbs

Advice for Potential Travellers

Train, train, train! I was totally unprepared in terms of how much cycling I had done pre trip. In particular I had not done enough hill training and there are lots of hill climbs. In Tuscany, all the villages and towns we visited sit atop a hill. This means you spend a short time cycling down and then most of the day cycling uphill. September was a great time of year to go as it was warm, but not too hot. I can only imagine how hard this trip would be in the heat of summer.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit, despite the weather. (we had all 4 season in 3 days, sunshine, snow, wind & torrential rain)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Overall good leader. Great level of English, kept us well informed of where to be and when. The second guide spoke no English, so couldn't really communicate with him at all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's not overly challenging from a technical aspect. Expect some scrambling on summit day to negotiate some large rocks, which can be rather slippery when wet. Take some good water proof gloves, several of us experienced very cold hands due to the inclement weather. It was the last of the summer trips, so weather wasn't the best on summit day, so ensure you do have good, warm and water proof clothing. Make sure to put all your belongings into dry bags inside your kit bag - they aren't water proof, and with the torrential rain we had on summit day, some peoples gear got a little wet. There's an abundance of places to purchase water and other refreshments, so no need to carry copious amounts with you at all times. One thing to bear in mind is change is in short supply, so it might be worth trying to obtain some smaller notes to aid shop keepers.

Most Inspirational Moment

I can't think of one.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was a little on the young side at only 24 years old, but otherwise he was fine.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not book this holiday if it includes staying at the Hotel Sumartin, Dubrovnik.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many inspirational moments on this trip but for myself it was myself spotting a leopard at the side of the road in the Kruger and the driver backing the vehicle so that we could take a photo. I just managed to get one in the scrub but then it was gone. St. Lucia would have been better if there had been water but there had been water shortage for several weeks so washing with wet wipes was needed. The time in the Drakensberg was superb with excellent views yet again.Camping in Tsitsikamma was fabulous on the sea front in an excellent campsite watching the dolphins close to the beach and Whales further out and of course the sunsets. In Lesotho staying in a Rondevel and going on the walks to the gorge and the Bushman's caves with the locals. Even children sang for us in the Echoing cave. Whale watching in Hermanus was an experience especially as the sea was so rough on our return. We quite liked Cape Town but would have preferred a better hotel. The flora was incredible as was the scenery. Too many moments and I must have missed loads. GO AND ENJOY

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wynand our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. If he couldn't answer a question he would willingly research it for us. He had a lot to put up with on this trip with people complaining about camping, long distances etc. and not having read the trip notes. Sofiso the driver was excellent, never felt worried about his driving, very good at spotting animals and always so helpful, full of fun. Joannel trainee guide was super company, had a good sense of humour and a very good wildlife spotter, a delight to be with. Should make a good guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

READ THE TRIP NOTES you really must read the trip notes, this is a camping holiday mainly with small hotels as well. Lots of driving to be expected as we were covering a large area from Johannesburg to Cape Town, via Swaziland & Lesotho. Be prepared to be flexible, this isn't a luxury holiday but one to be really enjoyed being one with nature. One thing we weren't told is that in Lesotho the people would appreciate any clothes, also feminine products and schoolbooks and pencils. We were able to stock up on the latter items before we entered the country and some of us left clothes behind. In Cape Town, the hotel only has European charging points as its owned by a German, this some people found rather annoying when you have travelled all the way with SA plugs. Fortunately I threw in a worldwide plug at the last minute.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the remains of the walled cities.

Thoughts on Group Leader

1) He clearly had problems with communications, and this has nothing to do with his language skills as he was fluent in English. He was reluctant to let us know what to expect and how to plan for the activities. It appears that he just expected us to follow his every instruction at the last minute, without realizing that the group consisted of seasoned travelers who appreciated being briefed about what to expect ahead of time. 2) His manner of communications with us was also inappropriate. He always wanted to have the last word in every conversation, and many of us just decided not to contradict his opinions after some time, in case he made things difficult for us for the rest of the trip. I would have expected a certain level of professionalism in his communications with us, his customers. 3) His affections towards a particular group member also clouded his professional judgement on many occasions. His public display of affections made several of us extremely uncomfortable. While I am not against him developing feelings for an attractive customer, he should only act on his feelings during "after hours".

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the chateaus and picnicking alongside the Dordogne river in beautiful surrounds, browsing the farmers' markets, unwinding over dinner at the hotels which served excellent food and had great wine selections.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were on a self-guided trip, but Keith and co at Headwaters provided great support, taking our gear between hotels and thoroughly briefing us on the area and the bikes. They took good care of our luggage and had in-depth knowledge of the region

Advice for Potential Travellers

Worth spending a day or two in Brive before starting the trip - beautiful little town and the Black Truffle is a great place to stay. There aren't many vineyards along this route, so unless you are going to Bergerac or elsewhere on the wine route, map out some side visits to vineyards in the region. Have lots of picnics, picking up local ingredients from charcuteries and boulangeries. The entry fee to the chateaus is worth it, particularly Chateau de Fenelon and Chateau de Losse. The ancient towns of Domme and La Roque Gageac are must-visit locations. The prehistoric heritage of the area is fascinating, but investigate the supposed attractions carefully online first - some of them are tacky theme parks. The exception is the Lascaux caves - an excellent site.

Most Inspirational Moment

Without doubt, Khiva. It would have to be one of the greatest cities on the Silk Road. Walking through this monotoned medieval mud inner walled city with it's turquoise domed monuments and labyrinth of mosques, trading domes, madrassa and minarets is like stepping into another era. The people, ideas and goods that must have travelled east to west and return have left indelible marks on this country's landscape, it's culture and people. Overnight in the yurt great fun and we all enjoyed a day away from looking at monuments and listening to history and the intertwining of Muslim Soviet Uzbekistan. The group was excellent, all wonderful travel companions also entertaining dinner and shopping companions.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dilshod is an excellent guide. Incredibly patient. Supplied us daily with water and sweets whilst on the bus. He arranged some incredible lunches whilst on the road including vodka shots! Our driver was excellent considering the roads are dreadful. He kept the bus immaculate. Very comfortable bus despite the roads.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Uzbekistan though beautiful and steeped in culture has an oppressive government. Read Christopher Aslan Alexander's excellent book 'A carpet ride to Khiva' before departure. Then you are presented with quite a different outlook from the prescribed information you are given on tour approved by the Russian backed government. Then you can draw your own conclusions from both sources. Look beyond the lights going out without warning, water that sometimes doesn't flow at night, showers sometimes cold. Street lights that don't exist, bring a small torch it will be invaluable. We all succumbed to Tashkent Tummy, bring Immodium, Buscopan for stomach cramps and rehydration salts. High salt content in the water particularly Khiva, bring hair conditioner and use liberally to counteract the salt! Bring your own roll of toilet paper for public toilets the local version is like corrugated recycled cardboard! It's all worth it.

Most Inspirational Moment

No better way to experience the variety and arid beauty of the Moroccan landscape, the timeless rhythm of Berber villages, oh and some killer climbs with crazy descents...

Advice for Potential Travellers

When trip notes advise good fitness level and off road experience this should be noted. Occasional spins around the park or along the canals won't be enough to fully enjoy it. There are some loose and meaty climbs, fast and rocky descents, technical in places.

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing Etna and walking around the main craters, listening to the distant rumbles from within. Also watching Stromboli erupt at night with lava rolling down to the sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Chiara was excellent - she was knowledgeable, friendly, very good at organising the group and making sure that everything ran smoothly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go on the optional trip up Etna, it's well worth the expenditure. Stromboli is (as of early Oct 2014) more active so the top is closed - nor would you want to go there - the view from halfway up is excellent. If the weather is good and you like to swim, a boat trip onto and around Salina on the free day is recommended. Also I went to Siracuse for a day or so before the holiday started to see more of mainland Sicily - I enjoyed this and there's a good bus service from Catania airport (see Interbus web site). If you are wheat intolerant the holiday is doable, but I advise you to take some of your own snacks.