Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Highlights - spotting the quetzal, the unbelievable noise in the evening in the rainforest lodge (frogs, cicadas etc), spotting tree frogs on the night hike, the boat trips round Tortuguero - a truly amazing place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant. Very patient, will quite happily answer the same question 4 times! Extremely knowledgeable, especially about plants and birds. Excellent (along with the driver) at spotting wildife - how you can spot a sloth in a tree whilst negotiating a minibus along a pothole-filled track I do not know, but he seemed to manage it.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you have any interest at all in wildife then go.

Suggestions

Don't forget your jumper. It may be 10 degrees above the equator but it does get cold in the mountains.

Most Inspirational Moment

Race around an iceberg in the Weddell Sea , the Adelie penguin colony on Paulet island as it was snowing so truly Antarctic weather but best of all Gold Harbour with the King penguins and elephant seals a magical place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

 See above cannot sing his praises enough. Without him and his determination to make sure we got assure at every opportunity it would have not been so excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take sea sick pills with you I would recommend Phenergan. Plenty of warm lightweight clothes but not on the boat which was always warm. Quark info is really helpful so follow that.Don't spend all your time taking photographs sit and watch and take it in the smells and the noise cannot be captured on a picture!

Suggestions

No!!!But I would like to go again and spend more time in the Falklands  and South Georgia as they were the best  !!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many moments to mention.  The best cycling day was the afternoon cycle along La Chocolata in Nicaragua while the sun was slowly setting ... and meeting with all the locals and animals en route.  While the cycling was fabulous it was the non-cycling moments that made the holiday ... the river rafting, the thermal spa, the coatis, the ferry trip to Omotepe Island, the border crossing in the rain between CR and Panama ...  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rob was fantastic - very calm and laid back but ensured that everything ran like clockwork.  Also excellent at roadside first aid!  The support crew was great too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You only need enough clothes for a one week cycling holiday - the laundry facilities in La Fortuna are excellent and very quick.  Take a gel seat cover or your own seat! 

Suggestions

All the hotels, with the exception of Hotel Tilawa (which needs to be removed from this itinerary as soon as possible - and for a number of reasons), were of a really good quality, many with pools and clean and comfortable.  

Most Inspirational Moment

Havana Old Town.  At first sight you are horrified at how run down and ruined the buildings are, how do people live like that?  Then you see the extensive renovations being done and just how beautiful Havana was and will be again.  My group.  We were on a solo departures tour and any reservations I had about the group were quickly resolved after a mojito or two! 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Freddie was excellent, he loves his country and all it's contradictions.  He was with us every step of the way, taking us to great places to eat and he always had a plan B in case the weather changed or the road was impassable.  Freddie and Emildo the driver made this holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Cuba is catching up with the western world so quickly.  Don't hesitate, it will never be the same again.

Most Inspirational Moment

The huskies, actually having a safe to sleep in igloo, the snowmobiles - everything!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Teemu and Olli were great, as were all the others. Eki had the patience of a saint putting up with me for the climbing. They were all really knowledgable, helpful, fun and friendly, but left us to have whatever space we wanted

Advice for Potential Travellers

You really don't need any snow gear, it's all provided. The lodges are vey warm, so you don't need endless thick jumpers etc there either. I managed to go with just hand luggage! If you are at all fussy about your food tell them in advance, and tlak to exodus staff about it. There was no choice at mealtimes, and we had fish and elk for most meals - not things you might think to mention as dieatary requirements! But that said the food is superb, including the elk, and there was plenty. Budget on an extra £500, as you do have a lot of spare time to fill, and won't always have a partner for just wandering off on your snow shoes, although the tobogans were a popular free pastime that filled many hours!

Suggestions

Thanks for a great trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Havana is one amazing city which you will never forget. The buildings are so grand I don't think I have ever seen ceilings so high. It matches the persona of many Cubans whom I found to be extremely graceful, elegant, full of substance, charming and highly educated. They may not have much in the way of material possessions but they know what they need and make the most of and appreciate what they do have. Their resourcefulness knows no bounds and I feel proud and privileged to have known them and shared their capital city with them if only for a few precious days. Also I was mesmerized and fell into a trance whilst watching the women in the Cigar Factory it must take years of practice to be so good at rolling Cigars. I have a lot of repsect and patience for Factory Workers, they are the salt of the earth (or perhaps that should be sugar hee-hee).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Cuban and so very highly educated and knowledgeable about many aspects of life in Cuba. He is very experienced and could answer all of our questions. He was also very well organised and we managed to get everything we wanted to get done in the space and time that we had available. Often he would give very detailed information whilst travelling to and from places on the bus and he could go on for more than an hour. (I might have fallen asleep on one occasion because I couldn't keep up with my concentration but in my defence it was siesta time and the holiday was so calming and relaxing I couldn't help it:)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Visit this destination over and above others around the World before the political context changes forever!!! Cuba is original, classic, special and unforgettable to say the least. I feel so lucky to have been able to experience it.However just one small point about the food. If you like spicy Thai and Indian curries etc take some hot chilli sauce with you to the restaurants to add to the food because I wish I had done this.

Suggestions

Go! go! go!

Most Inspirational Moment

Swimming in the White Nile, the white rhino and the gorillas.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring loads of memory cards for your camera (or film). You'll need it. Also, bring a fast standard zoom lens for watching the gorillas and a long zoom lens for all the other wildlife.

Suggestions

If you get the chance, go for a boat trip on Lake Mburo. We didn't and regretted it.If you like coffee, bring a percolator and treat yourself to some local beans/ground coffee.

Most Inspirational Moment

Looking down on summit day to see where we'd come from and, on the way down, looking back at Kibo which seemed so far away.....

Thoughts on Group Leader

Knowledgeable and helpful group leader, previous experience on Kili as a guide really helped to re-assure us about the trek ahead.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Warm clothes! Those beautiful starry skies are chilly. Don't underestimate them.

Suggestions

I dithered for ages about going. Take the plunge. It's worth it.

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed the whole trip, but the best bits were probably the climb up one of the Atlas mountains - fantastic views, & well worth the effort - and camel trekking to the Bedouin camp.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Muhammad was a very knowledgeable and helpful leader, with a good sense of humour!  He was also very good at finding us some nice places for lunch!

Advice for Potential Travellers

We travelled in January, which is a great time to go in terms of there not being too many tourists, but it was very cold in the evenings, so I'd advise taking some extra layers if travelling in the winter! Also, our luggage didn't make the connecting flight to Ouarzazate, meaning we had to spend 3 days with only the clothes we wore on the plane & whatever was in our hand luggage!  Apparently this can happen regularly, so it would be a good idea to take a few emergency clothes etc. in your hand luggage - especially as the second night is in the Bedouin camp.

Suggestions

I'd recommend the trip to anyone wanting to visit Morocco, it had a really good mix of the desert and city, and of active days and more relaxing days.  Plus the food was far better than I'd been led to believe it would be!

Most Inspirational Moment

There are so many, from Elephant Seals to King Penguins but one that i have fond memories was when sitting down just watching, not taking pictures, just sitting and watching Chinstrap Penguins.  You are all told at the start of the expedition that we must respect the animals space and not cause them any distress by being to close... Keep your distance...   These little guys, like the Adélie and Gentoo will waddle up so close, you could reach out and touch them. There is no fear from them, they are just so inquisitive. They melt your heart and leave you knowing this is the adventure and experience you’ve been looking for......

Thoughts on Group Leader

All Quark staff are fantastic and knowledgeable in there field of expertise from Historian to Ornithologist. All Expeditions are ran as the collective team, its the team that makes it work, no single individual, the expedition leader always gave praise to his team.  Graham Charles was our expedition leader. Energetic, a mass of knowledge about polar travel and above all else he does what it takes to make this a trip that you will remember. His adventures are inspirational, his tales leave you wanting more he is a master at what he does.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Expect the unexpected…  It does rain so take a rain cover for your camera and Lens.  Always keep a spare set of batteries close to you in your jacket to keep them warm.  Charge batteries every night as you will take more pictures then you can imagine. Don’t think you need an SLR with a huge lens. Penguins to Seals can be metres away, I saw great pictures from all levels of camera equipment.  Its not as cold as you might think, but take plenty of layers for those days when the wind picks up and the chill factor plummets...

Suggestions

Only one thing that i would advise any traveller on this trip.... Take time to stop... put the camera down and just watch everything that is going on around you..... its fantastic experience that is difficult to put into words.. don’t live the whole trip through a camera... You will miss so much....