Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The variety of wildlife was exceptional. The opportunity to say in places like Tortuguero where you explore mostly by boat, Manuel Antonio with its beaches, Esquinas rainforest lodge in a remote location and Savegre in a very comfortable hotel was a great combination. Montverde was a bit disappointing in comparison as in the cloud forest during the day we say very little wildlife. The night walk was more rewarding.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gustavo was a very professional and personable guide. He was excellent at his job and did it with humour and sensitivity. He was always helpful and patient with the many questions posed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Its a great place to see wildlife, particularly birds. Knowing how to get the best out of your camera would be a great advantage. You will take lots of photos. Hummingbirds are great little birds and you see many of them as several of the Lodges have feeders. It was quite wet when we were there , so take good rain gear. Chilean wine is usually available by the glass at a reasonable cost. Free Wifi is available in most places but sometimes only in the lobby area of the hotels.

Most Inspirational Moment

Fun with the wildlife especially the inquisitive, friendly sea lions brushing their whiskers across my face and the little bird dancing on my head as I was sitting on the rocks at the sea edge trying to take photos of diving boobies.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Juan was excellent. Very friendly and a mass of knowledge about the wildlife and the islands. Everything there is to know he knows it. At the end he gave us a very useful digital copy of photos he took of the wildlife we saw on each walk. So helpful when you get back home to identify the wildlife and also a record of your trip. Take a 16GB SD card or stick to store the info.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light as cabin space limited in the Cachalote. Take old or dark clothes as you might getting 'rust' stains because your washing gets hung out on the metal rails at the back of the yacht. Take ear plugs for sleeping at night as engines are noisy. Head-torch useful as cabin quite dim. Snorkelling a must and get prescription snorkelling mask,if you need to, and a waterproof camera before you go. Wear shortie wet suit to stay in water as long as possible. Either take your own or hire on board. I found strong waterproof sandals good for most walks but lightweight boots useful for other walks.

Most Inspirational Moment

Realising with a little courage and encourage I could suceed when I thought it was beyond me. Learning about the history of the place area and the adversity faced by the locals during both world wars

Thoughts on Group Leader

Karl was very knowledgable about the area and encouraged us to stretch ourselves to ensure we got the most out of our holiday, it was clear from the receptions he recieved at the hotel and mountain huts that he was considered a friend

Most Inspirational Moment

Walk of the gods and the view of Positano was breathtaking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Christine was an excellent leader, very knowledgeable and encouraging, and we had many chuckles listening to her many stories and anecdotes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring walking poles and good walking shoes and boots, as there is fairly challenging gradients at some points.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was experienced and personable. He worked hard. Very individualistic. He told stories rather than was a typical tour guide. He was very pushy when it came to asking for tips for the driver and beduins

Advice for Potential Travellers

The prices quoted in the Exodus material are misleading. You are taken to places to eat which are a lot more expensive than we expected. Think £20 for a basic lunch. Also the tips are more like a tax than being voluntary. The culture is such that they expect a tip regardless of the level of service. It got quite unpleasant when some people didn't feel this was appropriate. The total tips expected was about £60. The desert camping is very basic. No washing water is provided. The camps are well used so with the lack of toilet facilities there are is considerable mess which takes away from the enjoyment of the experience. I think having 1 or 2 nights in the desert would have been sufficient. Four nights was a slog. The walking we did each day varied considerably and did not follow the notes. Its worthwhile walking around the back of Petra on the way back rather than going in and out the same way.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me the whole trip was inspirational but two days stand out the most. The first being day two and the the climb to dead woman's pass at 4200 meters. The challenge was great, and for me arriving at the summit with a couple of our groups porters really made it for me. The second was on day four when we visited Wiñay Wayna after lunch. Our group had the place to ourselves except a couple of Lama and this time here gave me those few peaceful moments to reflect on the trip knowing that after a short (6km) walk we would see Machu Picchu. As I said though it was all inspirational and we were blessed when we arrived at Machu Picchu with no tourists on the site so our photos and first impressions were undistracted.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Reny (Renaldi) our group leader had a passion for his history and expressed this as he taught us about the Inca sites we visited. He is an exceptionally nice guy and now a friend.

Advice for Potential Travellers

some advice for future travellers is insect repellent is a must. A good one I think everyone got bitten. Drink plenty of water, it helps with altitude and dehydration cause if the suns out your going to sweat carrying your bag. And if you're hotel is the Warari in Cusco then pack a suitcase and take your hold-all inside, you can leave suitcases at the hotel full of any extra gear your not taking on the trek.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking in the beautiful beech forests

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent - so knowledgeable, encouraging, funny and helpful. She really looked after all of us & her love for the region was inspiring.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have gear for wet weather as well as dry and be prepared for plenty of home cooked Italian food!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the sunrise over Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri and 'Fishtail' from Poon Hill and Tadopani The Nepali's; the friendliest and most welcoming people I've met and all in the face of the most extreme circumstances imaginable - truly humbling.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lakpa was very friendly, knowledgeable, fun, and keen to share his country and its customs with us. However, he and his colleagues, Durga and Sonam, really shone through in the face of adversity. They remained calm in the minutes after the earthquake, gathering what little information was available to them at the time and taking decisive action to ensure the safety of the group and offering advice to others travelling without guides both immediately and over the next 4 days until we reached Pokhara; and all at a time when they were no doubt concerned about their own families and friends. I'm eternally grateful to them all and I hope we meet again one day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel light; you won't need as much as you think - non-essential and spare items can be left in Kathmandu while trekking. A strong pair of worn-in walking boots are essential as the terrain is steep, but the views make it worthwhile. Embrace the country, it's cultures and it's people and you'll have an experience you'll never forget.

Most Inspirational Moment

Two days in Petra is brilliant when most of the tours seem to stay about 2 hrs. On our second day in Petra we climbed the 800 or so steps up to see the Monastery. Fewer people go up there and it's stunning! We also climbed more steps that day to see the High Places of Sacrifice - just amazing! Our 4WD tour through the Wadi Rum culminating in perching high up on a rocky escarpment waiting for the sun to go down and turn the landscape pink was also a real highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Emad was great fun and very knowledgeable - we really enjoyed his company. He stepped in at the last minute when our original leader dropped out after one day and it must have been fate as Emad made our holiday even better! Our driver Nel was excellent too!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Jordan is quite expensive and there is a tendency for you to be taken to a restaurant where it's an all you can eat buffet - ask the price first it can be as much as 20JD and as it's roughly £1=1JD it will eat into your spending money quite quickly!! Do take something to put on your feet when you go to the Red Sea as it's very rocky under foot (the Berenice Beach Club at Aqaba is worth going to if offered to you!) and don't shave before you go in the Dead Sea (the salt water will find every little paper cut or nick in your skin that you had no idea existed! If you like a drink, do buy some duty free on the way there as alcohol is quite expensive in the hotels and bars aren't common - the exception being Aqaba where there are duty free liquor shops.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking together and admiring the beautiful hills and meadows of Provence

Thoughts on Group Leader

Yves impressed me as a very experienced and knowledgeable guide, with an excellent command of the English language and sense of humor. He knew the routes in detail and adjusted the walks to the weather conditions. Yves did everything to make the journey as pleasant as possible

Advice for Potential Travellers

I recommend going in June to see the lavender fields. Take light long pants for hiking and long sleeve shirt to protect against the burning sun. Opt for going to Aix-en-Provence on the free day. It's a charming picturesque town, with a maze of narrow streets.