Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Full moon in Wadi Rum. The light, the mountains, the group. Amazing.The mud at the Dead Sea. The photos are great. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Danny was brilliant. Full of knowledge and passion for Jordan.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The first two days of cycling are mainly downhill. The fourth day cycling has five climbs which are a challenge. It was also very windy so bring warm layers if going in Winter. The views are worth the effort.Petra is big! You will need the two days to get around it all. For those who want a beer at the end of the day remember Jordan is a Mulim country. Alcohol is available at hotel bars but not at most of the restaurants. It is also very expensive (£5 for a beer or glass of wine) There can be tax and service added, 26%. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the villages and the wide open spaces with a total feeling of freedom and peace. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sanjay and Harish were simply amazing, the whole team were. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for long days. Just go for it, you'll have a great time. 

Most Inspirational Moment

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Advice for Potential Travellers

Do stick to your pace and you will make it, do not let the group pressure to distroy your trip. It is amazing experience and the views up there are just incredible.

Most Inspirational Moment

Can't pick out one experience above the many others, to be honest.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fan-blooming'-tastic! Not an easy job but handled everything really well. ABCD - Above and Beyond the Call of Duty.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's worth taking some snacks & don't expect haute cuisine, but you won't go hungry. Go with an open political mind.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling downhill at high speed through surprisingly quiet back roads and tea planations. Spotting both a leopard and tusk elephant at Yala National park.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Suresh Gamlath is an absolute asset to the company. He was so good at his job. Very friendly, funny, always making sure everyone is happy. Our driver Upali and the support rider AK were fantastic too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Dont wear white clothes. Wear old clothes on the safari drive and if you are a lady, a sports bra :) Buy a tub of Gatorade/sports powder to put in your water bottle during the day to top up electrolytes. Good suncreen that wont sting your eyes, insect repellent, lip-screen, some muesli bars, padded bike pants, jeresy with back pockets or a bum bag. Nice clothes to change into at night.

Most Inspirational Moment

Obviously Petra, but I actually preferred the Monastery over  the Treasury.  It is well worth walking up to the Monastery - it is a bit of a hard slog but the Monastery really is spectacular.  There is a cafe there so you can sit and have a drink and admire the view.  That was a really lovely part of the trip.The desert was also excellent - the stars are so much better than at home, particularly if you look through binoculars.  We had a camel ride in the morning which was also a highlight for me.On our second day in Petra some of our group had a longer, guided walk with a Bedouin woman.  We did not see anybody else and it really felt like we were the only people in the world!  I would recommend this if you have the opportunity - the views were fantastic and it was good to get off the beaten track.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Danny Haddad - I thought he was excellent.  He looked after the group well, was clear about all the arrangements and helped out with money changing etc.  Some of us had a problem with a taxi on the very last night and, even though Danny was not with us, he helped us to sort out the situation over the phone.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I travelled in November and it was definitely helpful having a range of different clothes and layers as the temperature did vary quite a lot.  Layering is the key!  It was not nearly as cold in the desert as I was expecting at that time of year which was a pleasant surprise.  I wore an Icebreaker top, thermal leggings and had my 4 season sleeping bag and was pretty hot!!  The Bedouin are able to provide sleeping bags and extra blankets but quite a lot of people in my group seemed to have their own sleeping bag anyway.I am not a vegetarian but the 2 vegetarians in our group did find some of the food choices a bit limited at times.  For me, as a meat eater, the food was excellent.  Loads of really nice kebabs!  The houmous and falafel was absolutely superb.  I took sterling cash but did not change any money at Amman airport.  The following morning our guide took us to a money exchange that had a better rate than the airport so I was glad I waited.  I changed £200 which saw me through the entire holiday.   

Most Inspirational Moment

The light aircraft flight over the Okavango Delta was incredible - the sort of view you can only otherwise get from a David Attenborough film!I also loved the Chobe River Cruise - being able to get so close to so many different types of animals and to see them from the water was unique and very special.Finally, the day to day aspect of wild camping, walking and just being in the wild with the animals was a wonderful experience and a refreshing change from normal life!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam did a very good job. He organised the trip very well and really knew what he was doing. He tried hard to make it as enjoyable as possible, although perhaps struggled to deal with one or two of the more "challenging" members of our group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip notes were very helpful. I went in late October / early November and it was hot!! No need for fleeces or warm tops, and only a very light sleeping bag was required. Take a paclite for the occasional rare late afternoon downpour though.It was possible to charge batteries at several points along the route, as well as in the Landcruiser.Take plenty of dollars to change into local currency.Highly recommend the flight over the Delta, the longer helicopter flight over Victoria Falls, and the Chobe River Cruise - all amazing experiences!

Most Inspirational Moment

The simple act of giving an orange to one of the young children running a 'nick knack' stall close to the monastery in Petra. This gave me a small appreciation of the warm hearted nature of the Jordanian people and really made want to return and explore the country in a more leisurely manner.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Danny must rank as one of the best guides I have come across. He was amazingly knowledgeable about his country and was clearly passionate about sharing this knowledge. He was very proud of his country and showed this with enthusiasm. He could not have done more for the group and was always available to help (sorry about phoning with our Amman taxi problems when you should have been resting ready for your next tour!). The time he spent with the group to ensure we had as trouble free time as possible seemed to go above and beyond what I would expect to be reasonable.    

Advice for Potential Travellers

This can be quite an intense week. To get the best from Petra especially expect a strenuous couple of days with a very good level of physical fitness to fully explore the site. Don't expect much free time to do your own thing but do expect to see and do a lot in a short space of time. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Free walking up from the narrow gorge to Fishtail base camp and the vast bowl of Annapurna.Watching oxen used to trample/flail the rice, and the communal rick building.Wallowing in the hot springs pool, while watching the monkeys across the river watching us.   

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Undertook the leadership role with diplomacy and sensitivity. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Understand the basis of "layering" of clothing before you go. Take : flip flops, wet wipes, a good thermal sleeping bag, head torch, good book, kleenex tissues, spare lightweight footwear, hand gel, spare camera battery.

Most Inspirational Moment

There is so much to see, I wasn't prepared for the amount of animal spotting and guides were always on the lookout for a monkey in a tree or iguana etc. Finally spotting the volcano at Fortuna (it had hidden behind a cloud for 2 days), Mystica hotel an oasis of calm (and excellent pizza), wandering deer in Canas, border crossings (Nic - Cos, take some cards / book and the time will pass quickly), Panama Canal was fascinating, cycling through rainforests, cycling to the Panama border crossing - it was just a brilliant trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader was very well organised and made sure everyone was happy with their accommodation, congratulated everyone when they finished their ride for the day whether they were first or last to the end.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You get two days in Fortuna, its not technically a day off but you can choose not to do the ride that day, I'd recommend planning to do something as the town is small and you can cover that off in a couple of hours. I wish I'd had a plan before I got there as there was loads to do. Others in the group went white water rafting, horseriding and both were highly recommended by them. If you like your holiday trinkets buy when you can don't wait - I left Nicaragua with nothing to remind me not even a fridge magnet ! Bocas del Tora was another highlight, recommend sticking with your group if you have a good one and hiring a boat yourselves rather than an organised tour. Oh and gel seat :D and clothes that are dry almost as soon as you've washed themWashing day in Fortuna excellent service and they also do trainers