Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Waking up in the morning, sitting in my tent door drinking tea whilst looking out over the top of the clouds a sight I've only previously seen from plane windows.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henry was knowledgeable, watchful, friendly and approachable. He run a tight ship with everything in camp being well managed. He provided lots of advice and support throughout the trek and constantly checked that everyone was ok. His briefings in the evenings where corehensive and he was able to answer all our questions

Advice for Potential Travellers

Drink lots and lots of water hydration is key, eat as much as possible (even when you don't want to) as you really burn through the calories. Make sure you strengthen your legs before the trip as I saw a lot of people struggling with the steep climb on the main day

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing at the top of Gongmaru Pass with fantastic views in all directions was truly inspiring.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The Group leader Ngima could not have been better nothing was too hard for him he was committed tot he group 24/7. his commitment an happy smiling face help to make the trek the wonderful experienced that it was.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The river crossing can be a bit tough on two days we spent several hours following the river bed crossing and recrossing the river jumping from stone to stone, I personally found this a bit challenging due to problems with a dodgy ankle.

Most Inspirational Moment

The variety of the cycling in terms of both the terrain and scenery that you pass through and the warm smiles on the faces of the Sri Lankans even if we must have looked a strange sight in lycra, wearing helmets and being on bikes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Suresh is clearly very passionate about his country and his passion is totally infectious.

Advice for Potential Travellers

For me the hotels were better than I expected and with a reasonable level of fitness doing all the cycling is definitely achievable. I realise it is fairly obvious but be prepared for it to be hot and humid however, our trip was not really affected by the forecasted rain.

Most Inspirational Moment

1. Seeing hundreds of Macaws fly at dawn. 2. Making it up Dead Woman's Pass 3. Reed Islands on Lake Titticaca

Thoughts on Group Leader

Amazing, very knowledgable and knew the best sites, times, camping areas. He jokes also kept our spirits high ( plastic tarantula at the summit of the pass!) Bobby was very proud to be fron the Andes and conveyed his love of the mountains to us, walking the trail held some very special reflective moments for the majority of our group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don't have to be super fit but you do need to be determined. If you want to trek at this altitude you CAN do it. Follow the advice of your guide - little or no alcohol and easily digestible food. Cocoa chewing gum helps and talk and iPod

Most Inspirational Moment

Successfully reaching the optional additional peak on the last day and experiencing the amazing views and the sense of achievement.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Outstanding! Alvaro was all that one could want in a guide. He was endlessly encouraging and patient and went out of his way to ensure that absolutely everyone got the most out of the trip whenever possible allowing everyone to go walk at the pace that was natural for them. He had a passion for his area and a seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge of the flora and fauna , local history, culture, and food and drink.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it! I would say you do need a good level of fitness. I'd agree with the level 3 rating though some felt that it was possibly a bit higher. The dispensers in the hotel bathroom have very acceptable quality shower gel and shampoo and there is no need to take any extra towels if you do the beach trip on the free day.

Most Inspirational Moment

I will never forget walking round Vesuvius, away from the tourist trail. Panoramic views of the Bay of Naples on one side and steam rising from the depths of the volcano on the other.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take walking poles and plenty of tubigrips if you have dodgy knees. I'm so glad I took my waterproof - it nearly stayed at home. Most of the week was beautiful, but when it did rain it was torrential. I'd also recommend earplugs. The hotel and village were very peaceful, but the local cockerel had a serious pair of lungs.

Most Inspirational Moment

Yeah - I can't decide - Climbing to the top of the Waterburg plateau was fun and challenging, resulting in a fantastic view; the sand dune climb was a terrific experience (we saw a dancing white lady spider!); the hike back to Deadvlei (no other tourists here!!); the phenomenal waterhole experience at Etosha, and interactions with the Damara, Himba and Herero were all so good. We also did an extra 2 hour dunes flight out of Swakopmund (arrangements made by the tour guide), and the Living Deserts Tour in Swakopmund - both well worth it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We benefitted from 2 group leaders: Sven and Shane. Both were very knowledgeable, capable and enthusiastic. They helped several of us out a couple of times - I left my credit card at a shop - no problem - let's go get it; one person's bank card got sucked into an ATM - she got help cancelling the card and getting to a bank, and one night we were investigated by a curious elephant that resulted in some minor tent damage - new tent the next day! They were very patient with lots of bathroom requests, the need to stop and photograph each and every elephant, and our desire to stop at roadside stands to shop. VERY very good - both of them. Our camp assistant was Ruben (not sure of the spelling), and he did a LOT more than assist. He set up and broke down the campsite, prepared our meals, did the dishes, and was very interesting to talk with about current Herero lifestyle. A VERY nice and hard working man.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A couple of things: Rand was accepted freely everywhere with the possible exception of the Living Deserts Tour in Swakopmund (although I'm sure you can check that out ahead of time). And since Rand can be converted back to Euros and USD, it might be worth getting more Rand than Namibian dollars. ATM's work for some and not for others, so do your homework ahead of time and make sure the ATM system in Namibia meshes with your bank at home (it didn't for us, but we had done our homework). Biltong!! Yes - we wanted to bring some back to the US, but you may get asked to go to the Agriculture desk at US customs. Our group had mixed results - some were allowed to bring it in, others had to surrender it. Electricity: You need a specific Namibia/South Africa plug configuration which kits do not contain, even if they say Africa. Again we had done our homework and the entire group borrowed our adapter throughout the trip. Do plan on the add-on activities in Swakopmund. We did the 2 hour flight over the dunes which was well worth it. Not only do you gain an appreciation of the vastness of the dunes, you also see lots of other things like shipwrecks, abandoned mining camps, the salt works, seals and flamingoes. We also did the Living Deserts Tour. This was led by Chris who was masterfully multilingual, entertaining as well as passionately environmentally aware. Everyone enjoyed themselves, saw some small creatures and really learned respect for a very fragile ecosystem. Well suited for youth and adults with no difficult walking.

Most Inspirational Moment

I most enjoyed walking the higher peaks and high pasture areas of Picos. Our evening meals together as a group were always really fun.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alvaro, our group leader, was excellent. He is friendly, well-informed about the region ecologically, historically and culturally, and was very good at managing our group so that everyone got the most out of the experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring your own hair-dryer if you use one regularly.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is impossible to say. In terms of cycling Days 4,5 & 6 are the most enjoyable with varied terrain and the challenge of the longest climb. The visit to Venice at the end was amazing as was the opportunity to go to the opera in the Roman amphitheatre in Verona.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michele was a fabulous leader with a great sense of humour and significant knowledge about the areas visited. He made the effort to fill every minute with optional extras such as an early morning Verona tour and organising tickets to the opera.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it! Other than that a little training will make the cycling more comfortable along with plenty of padding. You will not need a daysack as mentioned in the trip notes as a handlebar bag and a pannier are provided.

Most Inspirational Moment

This is so hard to say - things like great sunrises, quad biking and seeing wild animals very close up in their natural habitat are the obvious ones, but it was also amazing just to learn about Namibia and its ancient and more recent history. The last morning was very special as well, eating a Happy breakfast at a small and very pretty campsite, overlooking a great African vista.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group was led by Shane, ably assisted by Happy and Beli. They were a great team and I cannot speak too highly of them. They were hard working, competent, knowledgeable and always on the lookout for ways in which they could help. Their wildlife spotting abilities were amazing and they were endlessly patient. Even the best of us leave our brains behind when we go on holiday sometimes and they were calm and practical in all sorts of potential crises [mentioning no names, but if I say lost phone which turned up (eventually) in back pocket, you know who you are!]. Happy deserves a special mention for his cooking - what he can do in iron pots over an open fire is incredible - and for our party he did veggie and gluten free options as well. In general all the food we had was good but we all agreed that there was no restaurant meal we had that lived up to our campfire meals. He gives Happy Meals a whole new meaning! Shane was an endless fount of knowledge about all aspects of the country; history, politics, wildlife, you mention it and Beli's dancing was brilliant - very funny. All three of them were exeptional; they made our holiday really.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a head-torch. Take African (three round pin) adaptors. Make sure you've got a couple of fleeces and warm PJ bottoms for night toilet visits and generally chilly evenings. We went in the dry season so didn't actually get bothered a lot with mosquitos, but you should still do all the preventative stuff. Be prepared for early starts "Families! Good News! We only have to get up at 5.30am tomorrow!!" Have a sense of humour and be prepared to be flexible. Read the trip notes properly - they are accurate and informative.