Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Pompeii, Herculaneum and Napoli museum. The latter really made the sites "come alive" and I was amazed at just how many artifacts were recovered.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fine and "mellowed" as the week went by. Sometimes didn't appear to be very positive when asked about alternative things to do. Spent a lot of time pointing out 5* hotels and celebrity houses etc which is of no interest to me.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just be aware of amount of steps to be negotiated and time spent travelling each day. Amalfi and Napoli are accessible by public transport from just outside the hotel. Great restaurant near the hotel for days when dinner is not included - turn right outside hotel, walk a few metres to the road junction and turn back left up the main road. Restaurant a few minutes walk on left. Lovely food at good prices.

Most Inspirational Moment

The hike to the clifftop - sacrificial alter overlooking The Treasury and views of Petra 5-star accommodation at the Saraya Wadi Rum Camp, whilst star gazing Enjoying a sundowner, overlooking the Red Sea at our own private Aqaba beach. Floating in the Dead Sea at your leisure, in an area designated only for hotel guests. Enjoyed a home-cooked Jordanian meal, which was arranged by the Tour Leader

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayyad was excellent, his attentive manner made everyone in the group feel special and well looked after. His knowledge of Jordan and delivery of information was first class. Have made a friend for life.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Comfortable walking boots with traction on the sole. You will find an ATM at the entrance of Petra, that will offer the best exchange rate, should you need to withdraw additional cash. Plan your clothing wardrobe to pack, according to the weather for the time of the year, as temperatures are very cold in February.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of Adams Peak where we visiting the temple and watched the sun rise with all the locals, who also made the journey to the top.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was phenomenal!

Most Inspirational Moment

Two moments stand out for me. The first was spending more than an hour in the company of Ritthi, a large female tiger as she dozed in the sun no more that 30m from me before stalking (and not catching) two spotted deer. And then watching as she stalked and caught a wild boar. The second was when our guide, Naveen, arranged with our hotel manager in Bundi for us to watch the celebrations and ceremonies in honour of Hanuman, the monkey faced god, whose birthday it was. Bundi is one of those rare places that haven’t been adversely affected by tourism and as we watched from the side of the street we were made welcome and then became a focus of attention for those in the procession. I think I appear in more selfies than I took photos. And all the while we felt safe and comfortable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Naveen is an excellent guide and leader. His briefings were clear and concise and any questions were quickly answered. He made sure that the group was ok at all times. As we approached each town we had a full explanation of any options and activities. At the historical sites he made sure we understood the restrictions on bags, food, and the dress codes required for respect and tradition in advance. The act that sums up his attention to us happened at the airport when the group flight people were leaving. Having dropped us off, he waited at the barriers to make sure we all got through the initial security checks for entry to the airport before leaving himself. Mention must be made of Vijay, our driver. He was a calm and quiet character who was more than capable of dealing with all the traffic conditions we encountered during the trip. For the longer journeys I was sat at the front of the bus and despite oncoming traffic in our lane, desperate overtaking by cars and trucks and one memorable moment as a lorry rushed towards us in our lane, I had confidence that Vijay could deal with it all. When I return to India, I would choose Naveen as my guide and Vijay as my driver.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Many of the days are long as there is a lot to do. We travelled in April and temperatures were reaching 35c+. In the forts and temples, there was a lack of breeze and the heat reflected off the stonework. Exodus trip notes are pretty accurate; in those temperatures you need to drink plenty and dress accordingly. In many historical sites bags are either not allowed or are subject to long security checks. Most sites forbid any food to be taken in. Religious sites require you to take off your shoes. Those in our group who weren’t wearing socks regretted it as the stone floors got very, very hot in the afternoon sun. A spare pair of socks would be a good idea for those visits. For the game drives a mobile phone will not do the wildlife justice. If you don’t bring a camera with some kind of telephoto lens, a pair of lightweight binoculars will help with watching the birds and smaller mammals. Expect to be hassled by street vendors. It’s not personal or aggressive and the best way I found of dealing with it was to politely say no/shake the head and then ignore them. It can be hard when they persist, but they soon get the message and move on to the next person. I saw people engage in conversation and regret it as the hassle continued for minutes. I saw very few beggars and the advice is to donate to registered charities rather than someone who approaches you on the street. Walking in the narrow streets can be intimidating but the traffic is not trying to hit you and the horns are there to let you know someone is approaching, not to rebuke you. Be aware of the traffic, watch how the locals deal with it, don’t do anything unexpected and you’ll be fine.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the tigers and leopards - it can get quite emotional when you seeing them walking towards and past your vehicles. The trip to the Taj Mahal - was very busy but worth it. We dressed up for it as had spent so long in dusty safari clothes

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna - was a fabulous - a very knowledge and informative guide. he helped make the trip

Advice for Potential Travellers

We took plugs for India and a USB charging block which served us well. As Angela mentioned the card machines sometimes didn't work so take plenty of cash. Most hotels and lodges exchanged GB pounds but the rates could be variable. Take dust covers for your cameras - and lens cleaning stuff. Plenty of batteries and SD cards! you can get carried away on the Tiger and leopard sightings. Plus phones/ Small video recorders to record the moments when the tiger walks towards you. Travel in the safari jeeps can be very dusty and also very bumpy. Take plenty of tissues and hand sanitizer. Swimming costumes - most of the lodges have a small pool you can cool off in.

Most Inspirational Moment

The beach visits

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant

Advice for Potential Travellers

Some of the walks involve a little easy scrambling

Most Inspirational Moment

For me it was climbing the rocks to world's end ...the view is spectacular and I can see why Cecil Rhodes wanted to be laid to rest there. Also walking through long grass in our hunt for rhinos, just magical

Thoughts on Group Leader

ONARY ...what a wonderful man. He was professional , friendly and kind, he made each of us feel special and included.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Oh yes...... Make sure you take : South African and English adapter plugs Power Bank Head torch I am the type of person that normally goes to 5 star resorts, so if I can do this trip and love it so will you! If you fancy a bit of adventure just go for it

Most Inspirational Moment

Everything! But Armando spotting a mother and baby sloth will forever be a magical moment !!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armando is a credit to his country, for which he clearly has a deep rooted love and passion for, and its environment and wildlife . He inspired us all and was professional but friendly , funny and approachable throughout! His knowledge was endless and he made everything so easy to understand

Advice for Potential Travellers

BOOK THIS TRIP ( BUT ASK FOR ARMANDO AND CARLOS ( driver)

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the villages was amazing, children running to wave and shout etc, Learning about the culture, history was very interesting

Thoughts on Group Leader

Loc was excellent, very helpful and interesting

Advice for Potential Travellers

Check if the majority are ebikes or regular bikes, depending on your fitness, the cycling is definitely doable on a regular bike, I enjoyed the challenge Do not overpack, you can wash cycling kit every night, shower gel/shampoo and conditioner etc in every hotel Snacks are provided every hour or so on the bike and are amazing so unless you want something specific you do not need to take any bars etc You are moving hotels nearly every night so the less you can take the easier it is

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the five tigers (mum, three cubs and a young male) in the waterhole at Banghavgarh was truly something special. Watching them interact and relax in the water, before coming out and walking right past our jeep was an experience I will never forget. Driving around the corner in Kanha NP and finding a leopard casually wandering down the side of the road, before crossing right in front of us and disappearing into the trees. We were the only jeep around lucky enough to witness the beautiful big cat just going about his business, thoroughly unconcerned by us. Our guide was so excited by the sighting, as leopards are very rarely seen in Kanha, which really added to the experience. Watching the pack of Indian Wild Dogs with puppies in Kahna NP, playing in the water and on the road in front of us, before heading into the trees to jump around on some fallen logs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was absolutely fabulous. His knowledge and passion for the country and wildlife was obvious and he went out of his way to ensure that we all had an amazing time on the trip and all got to experience that magical moment of the first tiger sighting. He was always in good humour and was ready to answer our questions and provide plenty of additional information on the areas and conservation activities going on around the national parks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1) Take buffs for your face and your camera equipment - the roads, especially in Bandhavgarh, are very dusty. 2) Go with the right attitude - there is more to see than just tigers and you will get out of the drives what you put in. 3) Take lots of bug spray and put it on under your clothes in the afternoon - the insects bit through clothing, especially in Pench NP. Non-DEET sprays like Incognito work well on the insects there. 4) European plug adapters worked everywhere we went. 5) Card machines did not work in all the resorts, so ensure you have cash available as well. ATMs stops can be made on the travel days between the parks. 6) Even in April, a light fleece and rain jacket were beneficial. It can be chilly in the mornings, and two of our drives were pretty much a wash-out from the rain. The jeeps are open-top, so if it rains you will be getting wet. 7) There are a lot of early mornings (4.30am early) and bumpy rides (really not suitable for anyone with a bad back). Although the trip is rated leisurely, it is not really relaxing.