Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed all of it, it I guess highlights were seeing the Green Back turtle laying her eggs and returning to the sea; spotting not one, but four of the elusive Resplendent Quetzals in Savegre; seeing huge crocs; hearing howler monkeys at night ... the list goes on! Particularly loved the rainforest lodge in Esquina Blancas ... you will see what I mean when you go there!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armando was a fantastic guide. He was so knowledgeable about all the wildlife in Costa Rica and took great care to seek out as much wildlife as he could (trying to fulfil everyone’s wish list) and make sure we got good photos through his telescope. He gave us a lot of information about Costa Rica in general too whilst en route on the bus; about agriculture and the economy, history and the education system. He is well organised and has a great sense of humour and was very patient with us! All in all you couldn’t wish for a better guide! Also a big shout out for Maurizio, our lovely driver, who was an integral part of the team!

Advice for Potential Travellers

We went in August ... rainy season. We had one day of torrential downpours so a good poncho was vital. A pair of flip flops that could be wiped dry would have been useful. Other than that day, we were so lucky not to experience much rain! Take walking boots, a couple of fleeces and long trousers for the cloud forest. You need more variety of clothing than you expect to account for hot and humid climates, where nothing dries, to warm clothing for the cooler, more temperate Monteverde. Pack into strong plastic bags to protect your luggage from rain/damp! Optional trips worth doing: the turtle laying trip. Two night walks ... both offering different things to see... in Monteverde and Esquina Blancas. The hot springs in La Fortuna!

Most Inspirational Moment

We would like to think that the most inspirational moment of our trip was our Vietnamese cookery course in that we would hope it will inspire us to try cooking Vietnamese recipes at home! However the most thought provoking moments had to be the trips to the Remnants of War museum in Ho Ch Minh city. the Cu Chi tunnels, and especially in Cambodia the trips to S21 and the Killing Fields.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Phuong Le is an excellent group leader. She was always on hand if we needed her and she did her utmost to make sure we enjoyed every moment. Her knowledge of the destinations, history and culture are excellent and she managed the right balance between taking to us and letting us relax on the various bus trips. She seemed very quickly to understand the characteristics of the various individuals in the group and has a great sense of humour which all helped the group to gel with one another. We will not forget her as a couple of her phrases have already made it into our daily vocabulary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If travelling in August you won't need anything of the "slightly warmer in case it's chilly in the evenings" category, not even on the boat. Take plenty of lightweight tops as you might want to change during the day due to the humidity but there are options for laundry. We would recommend trying all the optional extras that are offered - nothing is expensive by UK standards. If you go to Cambodia you only need US dollars, not Cambodian currency.

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational moment of the trek for me was the realisation that I had got to the top of Konga Ri. I’d had a few days of self doubt and I’d found the climb in deep snow tough. But when I got to the top of the mountain, dropped my pack and just took in the incredible panorama of Beautiful snow capped mountains, none of that mattered. I think the slice of cherry cake Tamchos, our guide, gave me at that point may have helped as well.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Valerie, our group leader, was more than a match for anything the mountains could throw at us. She was able to adjust the route and camp sites to deal with the delays caused by weather and still keep us on track. Her knowledge and experience came across in her confidence, which in turn gave us the confidence that we would complete the trek. Our group provided her with some challenges of her own, but they were all dealt with professionally and without fuss or drama. I certainly benefited from her advice and encouragement. And she has some great after dinner stories that made our experiences pale into insignificance!

Advice for Potential Travellers

The internal flight and trek weight limits mean you have to be ruthless with your packing. If I was going back this time next year I wouldn’t take a heavy down jacket (which I didn’t use) but instead I’d use a midweight one and several fleece and base layers. The river crossings are inevitable and cold and you need to wear some kind of protection for your feet as the riverbed can be sharp and uneven. I took cheap crocs but as there was walking between crossings and it wasn’t practical to keep changing back and forth, I would take a cheap pair of walking sandals next time (as did most of the rest of my group). I ended up walking in my light fabric boots, which was fine, but they took a full day of sunshine to dry out. If, like me, your previous treks have been the likes of Everest Base Camp and/or Kilimanjaro, know that this is physically and mentally much more challenging. I found it hard to accept that although we were climbing passes between 4800m and 5300m most mornings, we would descend again to camp much lower, losing the hard gained altitude. It’s the nature of the terrain and its good acclimatisation but it might sap mental stamina as well as energy. A good group dynamic helped me.

Most Inspirational Moment

Almost too many to mention but top days included: Cycling through Laheema National Park and Curonia Spit National Park plus the Witch Wood; smoked salmon lunch in the museum; onion soup cafe!; Trakai Castle; swimming in the lake by Trakai castle; organ recital in Riga Cathedral

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrius was a great group leader - great sense of humour, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the Baltics and through his story telling skills bought the history of the country to life. Was alert to the needs of the group and ensured that were able to do our choice of activities whether minority or majority. We were lucky to have him take us this beautiful region.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be relaxed, follow your guide's advice, go with the flow and take a swimming costume

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling the Curonian Spit and I really enjoyed the folk night in Vilnius contrary to expectations

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrius held my interest from beginning to end with his extensive knowledge and great sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take your swimming trunks and have the smoked salmon at the fisherman's museum.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sunrise from Uhuru summit.

Thoughts on Group Leader

John Seka was excellent. Very competent, caring and humourous.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Down sleeping bag as the 2 nights above 4,500m were very cold Take Diamox 125mg twice daily Wear very comfy boots as you will be wearing them for 6 days.

Most Inspirational Moment

There was some enjoyable cycling, interspersed with some unusual but very interesting sights such as the Hill of Crosses and the Nuclear Missile site in Lithuania, which were about as different as you can imagine but both worth seeing. The nightlife in Vilnius was also a lot of fun!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrius was an excellent group leader, with great local knowledge, a sharp sense of humour, and able to tell interesting stories about the history of the places we were visiting. He was well organised, and coped well with a couple of first aid incidents! Food choices were good (the smoked fish a personal highlight!) and having a plan B on the only day it rained was great as well, as it meant we cycled an alternative route, while still heading in the right direction for the final destination, which the group appreciated.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go with the flow and you’ll have a very enjoyable trip

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the villages around Peipsie lake

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring your swimming costume.

Most Inspirational Moment

Riding in Lahemaa National Park and along the Curonian Spit.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Andrius, was very informative and explained the history and culture of the Baltic countries with candour and humour. He was very well organised so it all ran without a hitch and the pleasant extras were very enjoyable.

Most Inspirational Moment

Kayaking in Ha Long bay, then being taken to a secret beautiful beach to swim. We were all so delighted, and stayed for ages in the beautiful water chatting and getting to know one another.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely excellent. As I said above - Ashley was sweet, caring, capable, funny, knowledgeable helpful and enthusiastic. We all loved her. I particularly appreciated the fact that I could eat a whole variety of delicious food despite my severe nut allergy. Ashley explained it to chefs everywhere we went. In other countries I have accepted that I need to just eat plain, boring food. But everywhere we went, the cooks made special nut-free delicious food after Ashley had explained.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You have to go - it’s a beautiful country and an extremely well organised trip. Also, I worried about mosquitoes, but we hardly saw any.