Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many it's hard to choose one. Seeing two cheetahs giving each other a very affectionate wash and brush up. The stand-off at the OK Waterhole - when five lions approached the two elephants occupying it, the elephants weren't having it. The lions called for reinforcements, and another five turned up. So the elephants also called for reinforcements, and a third elephant arrived. We then watched them squirting the lions with water, and chasing them off now and again. The lions had to make do with a puddle at the far end of the waterhole. Seeing an adult male lion sniff out a tiny three week old cub. We watched with our hearts in our mouths, but he was a new dad and had been left to babysit. The cub wanted to cross the road, and dad tried to stop it without much success. He was very gentle, and it was a delight to watch. Seeing a serval, which our guide said was most unusual. And last but by no means least - a mother leopard taking a surprising lunch back to her half-grown cub - an African wildcat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Anton was very knowledgable, and extremely clever at driving round the back of the other vehicles to get a better view from the other side. He also knew when to wait - if nothing exciting seemed to be happening and he was in no hurry to move on, there was always a reason.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a small camping light for the tent, and lots of wet wipes. Also take a power bank if you have one, and as many spare batteries as you can afford. I have a camera trap, and I set that up on several nights so that I could see what was sniffing round the tents - turned out to be a honey badger and a hyena. If you need to go to loo several times in the night remember that it's not a good idea to leave the tent. I took a litre-sized plastic jar with a lid, and was very glad I did.

Most Inspirational Moment

Breakfast on the road watching the sun come up. Lunches cooked by Madame Le Chef from Tana Seeing the countryside change as we cycled south.... Relaxing on the beach at the end.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Mel, was excellent. Put his heart into making us have a special adventure in his country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Madagascar is off the map for a lot of travellers, but it has interesting wildlife and stunning scenery. It is also a very poor country, but the people were very friendly. A lot of the locals speak French, rather than English, so be prepared to speak some basic French. In August, its winter, so cold nights but warm days - ideal for cycling...and less mosquitos !

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the Orosi valley with its lush vegetation and beautiful views, along with experiencing fantastic wildlife so close up in its natural habitat, that has inspired me to see and learn more in the future. Not to mention, casually riding or driving by several of the country’ s volcanoes ( Arenal, Poas, Turrialba and Irazu) peeping out of the clouds was stunning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andres and his crew were always helpful, patient ,informative, had a high regard for safety and were just generally good fun. Andres’ knowledge of wildlife was second to none. He inspired us all. Nothing was ever too much trouble and he always maintained a professional manner at all times. It was no coincidence the group ‘ gelled’ so well together from the first instance - instead that was credit to Andres and his personal and helpful nature. He is an excellent, yet modest cyclist too. He was always encouraging people up the hills and trying to keep the group together at all times.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take more warm clothes for the low season as there was around three much cooler mountain evenings ( not cooler necessary for cycling though in the daytime ) , plus a good few pairs of decent cycling shorts and a hairdryer to dry them off last minute as it’s very humid! Take lots of DEET and a decent camera, SLR or compact. There is no need to take your own snacks or rehydration tablets for cycling as their was always ample supply in the mini bus during frequent stops. Roads are good quality tarmac with few pot holes , there is little traffic on the planned cycle routes and the drivers are courteous often given a friendly ‘pip’ to cheer you on.

Most Inspirational Moment

Rising to a new challenge every day. The first day we walked up a mountain in extreme heat. Everyone pulled together despite only meeting the night before and supported each other.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Stefano was simply amazing. He was patient, funny, knowledgeable and encouraging at all times. I’m worried about how to manage without him now that I’m home! He deserves a medal!

Advice for Potential Travellers

The level was 2 but I do think people need to have a degree of fitness to complete this walk. Take walking poles, water bottles and energy! It is a full on week so be prepared to be on the go all the time!

Most Inspirational Moment

There was a collective beauty as the miles unfolded.. rivers flowing for miles on end, hilltop castles jutting toward the sky, unending vineyards and apple orchards, and fresh air to breathe in as each new scene came around the corners. Blending this with the group dynamics of idle chatter and laughter along the way and at various stops, and a few short history lessons now and then, made me feel like I was truly a visitor in a magical place for a while.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michele was a strong leader. His riding skills, group leadership and overall knowledge were exceptional. Michele’s sense of humour was much appreciated and he was a gentleman in anticipating the needs of all group members and took the time to ensure everything was running smoothly. He’s a good communicator and kept us well informed about the expectations of each day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It’s probably best to have completed several 75km daily rides to know the distance and time on the bike. The first day is particularly long and straight, so music and headphones might be nice to help enjoy the miles. We had some triathlete riders in our group who were fabulous.. and strong riders, so even though it’s NOT a race, it is nice to be able to keep up off and on. I didn’t mind falling back at times but was glad I could reasonably stay with the group along the way. Bring mosquito spray and sunscreen. Electrolyte water tablets were helpful. Small, easy snacks for the distances. A cooling towel during hot afternoons made a nice difference. Lake Garda beach is beautiful but rocky ( no sand), so flip flops are good to bring along. If you like scenery, the ferry ride is a pleasure as it criss-crosses the lake and ours was the last stop. We arrived around 9pm and by the time we checked in, a few of us opted out of dinner, so the pre-ferry purchases were dinner too. I stayed a couple of days in advance at Lido and took the boat rides into Venice to wander around. It was a great way to relax into the trip, and Lido Beach is well worth the time!

Most Inspirational Moment

It was probably seeing a sea turtle laying eggs - it was amazing! However, all the wildlife and scenery was incredible. .

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andreas was an excellent group leader - extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife, an excellent cyclist and we were always clear what we were doing and when.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Remember to take some layers for the mountains - there are 3 evenings which are definitely cooler! When looking at the distances it's worth noting there are quite a few hills in there! If you are weighing up going away on your own, just do it!

Most Inspirational Moment

The gorillas were just incredible.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Really nice chap, knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. Unfortunately he hadn't organised a boat trip so we waited around at a hotel needlessly for 2+ hours and went on a later boat trip after about 90% of the animals had left. These things happen and he did go out of his way for us on the rest of the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't base booking this holiday on the chance of obtaining a second gorilla permit.

Most Inspirational Moment

The islands and seeing animals in their natural habitat both on land and in the sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mauricio was great - very knowledgeable and friendly.

Most Inspirational Moment

The whole trip was amazing, but a few stand out. Being a few metres from a group of five white rhino on foot. They were totally chilled and accepting of people in their environment. Sneaking into a tent 2 meters from a bull elephant who decided to visit the water hole outside. He made for an interesting night as he enjoyed himself breaking trees just the other side of a piece the canvas. The most memorable moment was the visit to the Painted Dog Sanctuary. The staff there were so passionate about what they do and as a bonus there was a pack of wild painted dogs who regularly visit one of their family who was too injured to be released back into the wild.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rowan was passionate about the wildlife around us and very knowledgeable. If he didn't know the answer he has his library of books. He arranged a cake and bubbly to celebrate my birthday with the stunning sunset of the salt pans as the back drop. Our driver Sifiso was amazing and so much more than a driver. He joined us on all the early morning game drives and was as excited about the animals as we were, plus an awesome pair of game spotting eyes. He also had a wicked sense of humour and enjoyed spending time in the our company.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A few hints: 1. Currency in both countries is almost impossible to get hold of so arrange a credit card which can be used with out fees when abroad if you don' already have one. 2 Take torches and power packs for the frequent power cuts and a South African round pin adaptor as you will only find UK plugs in Victoria Falls. 3. Immigration at Vic Falls in a nightmare. You need to buy a multi-entry visa at $70 (not the Univisa Exodus suggests). 4. Finally, take the plane flight over the Delta and helicopter over the Falls. Both are stunning. We booked our helicopter flights before leaving with Bonisair - as we wanted a longer flight - however this is the company that the tour guide suggests if you book in situ.

Most Inspirational Moment

Completing the long climb up to Castellina was very satisfying. A close second was the view of Florence on first arrival in the city.

Thoughts on Group Leader

David was good - very knowledgeable, well organised, pleasant and approachable. He ran the trip very well and was always helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You need a reasonable level of fitness to do this and some experience of cycling. But it's not all about cycling - there's free time to enjoy Siena, which was a highlight, and the guides take you to some decent restaurants too.