Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching turtles lay their eggs on the beach late at night.. very lucky, very magical.. White water rafting - just the right amount of exciting! Seeing coasts, volcanoes, cloud forest, rain forest - getting a good picture in just 2 weeks of all that Costa Rica has to offer..

Thoughts on Group Leader

Really excellent.. We felt very lucky to have him on our tour. Edward is a really experienced leader who is passionate about conservation and knows lots about Costa Rica's flora and fauna, about the country's history and geography. He was really organised and made everything seem effortless and had a lovely sense of humour which really contributed to the group's enjoyment of the week. He wasn't too intrusive and also not too aloof, just right. Can't fault him on anything..

Advice for Potential Travellers

Light clothing with long sleeves/ trousers to cope with mosquitoes especially at rain forest locations. You only need dollars, no point taking local currency. Take a decent camera.. wildlife photography opportunities are endless. Save money on water by taking a water bottle.. All hotels let you fill them up from water coolers. Take up the optional activities - turtles, rafting and ziplining are definite highlights.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Cu Chi tunnels and War Remnants Museum.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Bao Tran who made our holiday an unforgettable experience. He was always enthusiastic, knowledgeable and patient with us. He went beyond the call of duty even when we/he had "free time" and had valuable suggestions as to what would be best to do.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't worry about your children not having a selection of different types of food to eat - lots of choice and vietnamese food in general was very good. Go to the AO show in the Saigon Opera House and take the Cyclo tour in Ho Chi Minh City.

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed everything but the view from Grand Col Ferret was especially stunning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Heather was a terrific leader - sociable, great fun but always professional. And Neil ran the camp with friendly efficiency and cooked a wonderful variety of fantastic food for us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's worth getting as fit as possible as some of the days are pretty strenuous.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling in the rain in Thailand with the steam rising from the tarmac and the rice being silently cut by hand in the fields beside you. Riding around Angkor Wat and getting a full appreciation of the scale of the temples there. The stunning brutality of the killing fields and realizing it all happened such a short time ago. The smiling children in the Mekong who have little except, energy, beaming smiles and high fives for all the riders. Riding with another 14 people in a tight pack a few feet from the guys in front and not feeling anything but exhilarated.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Its no easy task to manage 15 riders of varying experience, ensure they all have a great time, and, to do that with patience, skill, encouragement, sensitivity and humour. Well done Rit you really are a star.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Dont take USD100 dollar bills smaller denominations are easier to use in country. You dont need your own bike the ones on hire are fine. Do take, padded pants, gel saddle, bike water bottle, bike helmet, sun tan cream, chamois cream, mozzy spray, handlebar bag, a sense of fun. Dont worry, the cycling is all pretty easy and as time passes your cycling skills will increase until you can ride over a really narrow bridge with no handrails.

Most Inspirational Moment

Meeting children and families on route; the kids would always be thrilled to see us (lord knows why?!) and their enthusiasm never wore off. Sri Lankans are smiley and open. The moment where we saw a crocodile snap up a bird for dinner at the Yala National Park was also pretty cool.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Suresh is quietly confident (things happen almost without you noticing), very hard-working, a super cyclist, and a lovely guy. He has plenty of humour to spare and this is very welcome on a trip which is tough at times from a physical point of view. He has the patience of a Saint (being a novice cyclist, I very much appreciated this a number of times on the trip) and really is an Ambassador for his country; which you can tell he loves. He always does that little bit extra and made all of us feel very welcome and at home at all times.

Advice for Potential Travellers

For the ladies: take your own seat. The hire bikes are great, but from a purely physical point of view ladies would be better off with a women's seat. Gloves are a must, as is the anti-friction gel. I took several changes of cycling gear as you get dirty and sweaty of course, but there are two laundry opportunities too if needed. Rehydration salts are a good idea almost as a prevention rather than a cure as you're sweating a lot.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking around Tallin, Riga and Vilnius. Staying in some great hotels. Cycling on quiet roads. Not seeing any British stag parties in the cities!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lucas was great - very informative and a good sense of humour

Advice for Potential Travellers

You may want to spend an extra night at the start and/or end to see Tallinn and Vilnius in more depth.

Most Inspirational Moment

I don't think I have a most inspirational moment, loved it all.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Heather was fantastic - really enthusiastic & knowledgeable, plus motivational (when needed!). Neil kept everything running amazingly, copious amounts of delicious food and a well maintained bar- bliss to have a cold beer after a days walking… The food that he cooked in camp was better than the meals we ate out.

Most Inspirational Moment

a sense of achievement when completing the tour.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Remember that you are camping, and are REQUIRED to help with domestic duties.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit of the Brevant.

Thoughts on Group Leader

excellent

Most Inspirational Moment

On the Chobe river cruise, the entire boat watched as a baby elephant was cajoled by its herd to cross a stream that its parents could stride across, but was too wide for the baby's short legs; the sheer isolation of the wild camping in the salt pans; the big cat sightings that Jenny mentioned; the three families of elephants at the watering hole just yards from our camp in Zwei Zwei Pan; and I especially enjoyed visiting the Bushman paintings from 1500 BC that Stan took us to, to make up for the lost time when the truck broke down.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam attitude was excellent. Everything revolved around ensuring that we enjoyed our time on the trip and got as much out of it as possible. His cooking on a campfire was unbelievable - fish and chips, fresh bread, cabbage quiche - his recommendations on the extra trips were spot on, and his permanent good humour made for a relaxed and enjoyable journey. Even when the truck broke down - the immobilizer incapacitated the truck for a few hours - he kept his cool, updated us on progress, and managed to organize the alternative arrangements without getting flustered. Our guide, Stan's knowledge and enthusiasm were terrific. His book of pictures was excellent for explaining why the landscape is like it is, his tracking meant that there were more animal sightings than we could have hoped for.

Advice for Potential Travellers

For a couple of over fifties who had not camped in decades, the prospect was daunting. However, the camp-beds are comfortable, the food was delicious and plentiful, and while the tents are small, the guarantee that there will be no rain (in July) and so no wet clothing or leakages if you touch the tent, meant that this was all surprisingly civilized. However, even if it won't rain, do take waterproofs to combat just how windy an open sided truck can be. Good washing facilities in Victoria Falls means that we could have reduced our clothing amounts even further - only the Sunset Cruise in Victoria Falls needed anything even remotely smart. As others have mentioned, head torches and lip balm are good to have. Also, take wet wipes for the four consecutive night wild camping away from "proper" showers, although the bush shower was very effective and surprisingly good.