Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling along the coastal roads of the Costa del Sud on day 7 was superb, so many beautiful views at every turn. Cycling down to the village of Nebida after a challenging climb on day 4, the lovely views, and a rewarding swim in crystal clear waters made it worthwhile!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michele Q was very professional and his English and knowledge of the area is superb. He obviously loves what he does and was great at keeping us all motivated, even on the tougher climbs. He even added extra hill climbs for those wanting to put in some extra miles! He and Ado (our support driver and provider of some very welcome refreshments) made a great team, both were fun, friendly and keen to ensure that everyone enjoyed their holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You do need some level of fitness to enjoy this trip but don't be put off by the reference to hilly climbs, it's really only on days 2 and 3 and it isn't continuous. The scenery (and ice cream!) will make it well worth the effort.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hanging out by the beautiful cascades! Not a bad place to have spent my birthday!

Thoughts on Group Leader

It was Alexis first time leading a group in Corsica, he was very well organised and didn't make any mistakes! Considering he is not a local (which worries me sometimes!), his knowledge about the place was great and you could see he genuinely was interested learning about this island. Fun and friendly, you'd be lucky to have him as your leader!

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the Sun Gate and seeing Machu Picchu for the first time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dennis Dolmos was excellent throughout. He was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful, making sure he was around for anyone who required anything from him. His recommendations were always good and we were all happy to take him up on them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Ignore the trip notes on currency. The US$ is widely accepted in Lima, however this is not the case anywhere else and soles will be required. They are fairly easy to get at ATMs.

Most Inspirational Moment

Stunning scenery throughout- way beyond expectations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent- a relatively new trip but well organised and suitably flexible where necessary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Albania is as safe as anywhere in Europe - don't be put off by any reports to the contrary.

Most Inspirational Moment

I think of what stands out the most of this trip is how our tour guide Marinella embraced each and everyone of the group and we felt like a big family gathering and had a blast! All because of Marinella's attention to our well being.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The most professional guide ever.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you train for hills . Even if only few of them they are still hills!

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking the mountains. Beautiful scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a hat and walking sticks.

Most Inspirational Moment

Pretty much everything we did was amazing on this trip. We were very lucky to see two male leopards in the Khwai reserve next to Moremi, endangered African wild dogs (one pair with 10 pups and a the next day a group of 5 dogs hunting), male lions (three times in Moremi) and a pride of lions in Savuti including about 6 cubs and 3 lionesses feasting on a wildebeest. Of course, there were many elephants too who will visit your camps in Savuti and Moremi and also zebra, impala, kudo, buffalo, wildebeest and beautiful birdlife too. The Okavango delta is really beautiful and I really enjoyed the Mokoro rides and the game walks. Also, it is really worth doing some of the optional extras at Victoria Falls - I did the white water rafting, 15 minute helicopter flight and the sunset dinner cruise. I would recommend all of these without hesitation.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam was great and very friendly. Kenny was a man on a mission when it came to tracking down the animals and as I mentioned we were lucky to find leopards and wild dogs and this was definitely down to his efforts. The guys who cooked for us at camp were also amazing and I don't know how they consistently served up such great food on the camp fire (including freshly baked bread!).

Advice for Potential Travellers

I went in June which is a really great time to visit. It's their winter but this means it's clear blue sunny skies and about 28 degrees every day which was perfect. The sun goes down at 6pm and then it turns cold which makes it more comfortable for sleeping but ensure you have some warmer clothes for the evenings. For the long drives the truck is open sided so take a lightweight scarf to protect your face from sand and wind and a warm jacket like a fleece and maybe some gloves and warm hat. There are some mosquitoes in Victoria Falls so take a mosi net for your tent as these are not provided. I used Incognito products instead of Deet and got no bites all trip. The optional Chobe sunset cruise is a must and as I said before it's definitely worth paying for the optional activities in Victoria Falls. Be aware that there are 4 staff that you will need to tip at the end rather than the normal one leader you have on most trips so factor this into your budget. The tips came to about $160 in the end although it's up to you what you give. Be aware that if there are more than 8 of you booked on a tour then the vehicle will be cramped. We had 7 which was just right as no one had to sit wedged in a middle seat with a worse view.

Most Inspirational Moment

On arriving at Petra right after checking into our hotel, we bought tickets for the 'Petra by Night' experience. My first glance of The Treasury illuminated by candlelight takes your breath away! Some musicians performed for us (although cell phone photography and selfie sticks, ruined a bit). Would love to experience it by candlelight and in total silence. (I get goosepumps just remembering about it)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Khaled Alomar was awesome! A true professional whose 22 yrs guiding shows in every respect. Always aware of his charges, his wealth of information knows no bounds and fields all questions put to him, kept a nice pace and again was aware of those of us who lagged behind due to condition or wanting that extra photograph. Mindful of every need and accommodated every single one of us. A nice gentleman with a terrific personality with a nice smile. There is no doubt that we're being guided by the BEST.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not expect fresh, brewed coffee in the hotels -- go outside! Even the man in the street brews a perfect cup of coffee flavoured with cardamon ... mmm, good!!!

Most Inspirational Moment

I was particularly impressed by Machu Pichu. The guide here, Wagner, was excellent. He told us a lot about the history of the Incas and how Machu Pichu came to exist. His witty manner of explaining and talking about things made it a really pleasurable visit to this truly amazing site. Another highlight of the trip for me was the homestay on Amantani Island on Lake Titicaca. The lake itself is absolutely beautiful. We arrived by boat and were met by the families who were putting us up. We saw the sun set - and rise - over the lake and enjoyed the warm hospitality of the families we stayed with. They were so friendly and welcoming! Thank you Marisol !

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sebastian Echegaray was great. He was friendly, calm and competent throughout the entire holiday. You felt that everything was in hand; you were able to concentrate on simply enjoying going to the different places, knowing that all the logistics of luggage, travel etc. were taken care of. I liked his unassuming, quietly competent manner. Before the holiday I had felt a bit wary of maybe encountering a bossy guide with us all following behind the upheld umbrella! But it wasn't like that at all. It felt more like going on holiday with a friend who was organizing everything for you! He was great at telling us all about Peru - its history, society and varying countryside - and was humorous at the same time. He took us to some great restaurants in the evenings and the daily briefings about what was going to be happening the next day were nice, informative get-togethers at the end of the day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that there are quite a few early starts! But it's worth it as you get to see so much of Peru in a relatively short time.

Most Inspirational Moment

Encouragement from our guide Michele as he encouraged, motivated and supported us in some quite difficult climbs. And the safety and relief in knowing that reliable Ado in the support vehicle would be there to help you and take care of you, if you needed it!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group leader Michele was encouraging, informative, professional, fun, spoke excellent English, had a great sense of humour, and was very supportive to all the group. Michele was supported by Ado Sanna, who was friendly, extremely helpful, generous, kind and he looked after everybody well, particularly on the more challenging elements of the tour. Nothing was too much trouble for these guys and we were thoroughly looked after. They made our holiday the more enjoyable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a great tour. It is graded as moderate. I would say that days 2 and 3 are challenging in the heat and need a reasonable level of fitness to enjoy.