Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The walk in the tea plantations and hills around Munnar was exceptional.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mixed - the group leader was unclear in terms if explanations and in a number of cases seemed deliberately misleading - for example, the trip notes referred to the wildlife walk in Periyar being before breakfast (which is what I would have expected to see animals), however the guide changed the time to late morning and when I challenged this he told me and the rest if the group there were no early walks. When we arrived at the park we met people returning from early walks. This led me to doubt the veracity of everything he told us thereafter.

Advice for Potential Travellers

For the walk in Munnar be prepared for an excellent but surprisingly strenuous walk. In Periyar take waterproof boots as the trail is very muddy and leech-infested - two of our group were bitten by leeches, one badly who was bleeding profusely. Be prepared for VERY slow service in restaurants and hotels - in Periyar we waited over half an hour just for a coffee at breakfast.

Most Inspirational Moment

Lake Garda is so beautiful and Venice is magnificent. All of the towns we stayed in were historic and interesting.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michele Quaresimin was an excellent tour leader and went out of his way to make this such a good holiday for all our group. He ensured that the holiday ran smoothly and quickly sorted out any problems that arose. He grew up in this area and knows it so well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip is a very good introduction to both Italy and cycling holidays.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me it has to be reaching the top of Monte Piano after an enjoyable and entertaining climb up.  The splendour that greeted us was just incredible.   I felt that I had arrived into another world,  trodden on sacred ground and was  left in awe of the surroundings.   Carl explained things very well indeed and kept us safe and entertained along the way.  It was a poignant moment when we stopped at a point on the way up where lay the graves of some  fallen heros of the brutal action during the war.  There were red  sanctuary lamps beside each rough woodden cross,  showing that they had not been forgotten  where they had fallen  , in that inhospitable spot.  As we walked  through the trenches and visited  observation posts,  Carl very knowledgably  explained what had happened there.   He  brought us over to the little war museum on the mountain.  It left me with a sense of just  how savage and cruel the kind of fighting must have been for the soldiers of both sides.   

Thoughts on Group Leader

Carl was an excellent leader.  Very approachable when you had a difficulty.  He is well qualified and it was plain to see that  he is a past master of mountaincraft.  As a result,  I felt very safe throughout the trip and had no worries.  He was also very entertaining and it was like  listening to David Attenborough as he spoke in quiet tones about some marmots that appeared in the vicinity.  For his  knowledge of the surroundings, its botany,  geography and the manner he presented it,  I would describe him as a scholar and a gentleman. The weather was not ideal the first two days but  we got sound advice with regard to our gear and equipment,  what to expect and what to do about it. Things came right after day two and Carl explained about how to cope with the heat and sun. Overall  he proved himself to be a man for all seasons.  I would go up any mountain with Carl.    Next time it will be a grade C and I am even dreaming about a via ferrata.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes, regarding pace.  Carl set an easy pace but some of the group appeared to lag behind splitting the group from time to time.  I could hear them complain on two occasions  that they felt that the  pace was too fast for them.  However I walked to the front and back of the group and made a point  of checking their pace against  the leader's and found it to be the same.  All they had to do was follow Carls instructions when he asked them several times to walk directly behind him in front especially when setting off after each break. If you do that then it is  you who will set the pace for the group.  The leader is trained not to  go any  faster than the people behind him are going.   Its also not a race to the top. I could hear him explain all of that that many times.   You need to take heed of the leaders instructions and also not dally about after everyone has started off  -unless of course you need a comfort stop. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mohammed was a calm, collected and easy going leader who ensured our safety and enjoyment throughout the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many but I particularly enjoyed our Saharan experience and night under the stars, our stay in the High Atlas where everything felt blissfully miles away from our civilisation, the Fez Medina for its mysterious beauty and mild craziness and Essaouira for its tranquil charm and chilled locals...Oh and eating delicious figs off the trees in the mountains! 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lahcen was very knowledgeable, friendly, personable and enthusiastic. He was also very open about the local culture and religious practices, which I genuinely appreciated. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

(Some of those may be obvious, only I was new to this kind of holiday)In no particular order: - sanitising hand gel is a must, we all used it and although there were some stomach upsets, it was nothing very serious. Imodiums and rehydration salts should also travel with you- earplugs, the call to prayer resonates 5 times a day, starting at 5am! Having said that, I personally found it very mesmerising- flipflops (for summer departure if pools are involved/ and the rest for hammams) - nappy bags or similar for the stay at Kasbah Oliver (no toilet paper allowed down the toilets) - insect spray (although this could be a summer annoyance)- a bottle of your favourite spirit possibly- alcohol can be tricky to get hold of - don't be afraid to haggle when it comes to more expensive items, somebody told us to aim for a quarter of the asking price- if you have some dirhams left, DO change them in Marrakech, possibly at the airport before you leave, as there is nowhere to change them in the transit area of Casablanca airport- beware of cheeky locals (Marrakech is the only place where it happened in all fairness) who might give you false information/directions about places of interest. If in doubt, ask a shopkeeper rather than passers by. - shaking hands over price deals, for example with taxi drivers who won't use a meter, is a good idea.  - a couple of the journeys on the minibus are long so ensure you have travel sickness tablets if you tend to suffer from it 

Most Inspirational Moment

As usual the people on the trip. We all got on very well ( ages 18 to 60+ and 6 nationalities) some interesting characters, we were all relaxed, on holiday, up for a laugh and had some interesting stories to tell.The history, culture and contrasts of the 4 countries. Cheap beer and food. Discovering the Euro Velo routes, good to see that all that EU money is spent on something I can use!! more adventures to plan. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Agree with Simon, Anna was sociable and knowlegeable, in particular her experiences of pre 1989 Eastern Europe were very interesting to those of us who remember some of the era. This is an easy cycling trip and she did struggle a bit on the more difficult bits, and her and the drivers cycle maintainence skills were also somewhat lacking, good job a few of us were able to fix simple problems.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book an extra couple of days in Prague and Budapest, can easily be done through discount airlines. Taking your own bike is only 30 pounds each way ( Jet 2.com) but see below.

Most Inspirational Moment

 My personal highlights were meeting such wonderful people, snorkelling in the Red Sea, floating in the Dead Sea (and enjoying the luxury of the hotel) Petra at night, Bethany beyond the Jordan and sleeping outside in Wadi Rum. The perfect holiday with diverse and exciting adventures. It was inspirational to meet and connect with Jordanian people. People must continue to visit Jordan because it is a beautiful and fascinating country. I always felt safe and welcome.  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and charmed the group with stories and historical information at just the right level. The guide would often stop to collect interesting food for us, including on one occasion lemon leaves picked from a tree which we had in a refreshing tea. The guide bent over backwards to ensure that everyone’s holiday was perfect and added extra trips and excursions at short notice.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack hiking boots.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sounds a tad affected but I would say that cycling gave me a sense of being more closely attached to the land (and at times a wishful longing to dive into the sea!). Seeing the real Cuba without the barrier of a pane of glass to separate you from it provided many inspiring moments which I don't think would have been quite so powerful travelling on a coach. Amazing journey. Very special experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our team leader Laz made the trip what it was. His knowledge of the area, enthusiasm, sense of humour and genuine care for every member of the group was sustained throughout the entire experience. We were in very safe hands... made a very good salsa teacher too!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to spend the first two days aclimatising to the heat and strong headwinds. There is at times little shelter from the sun and roads can be relentlessly long, albeit flat. There is a support vehicle behind should you want to retire for the rest of the day which a few of us did! Don't be alarmed if you do find yourself suffering a little, keep going, I promise you will get used to it.   

Most Inspirational Moment

Their are parts of the wall that are very busy, and our group did not enjoy these as much - however, as you hike further you become quite alone on the trail and you feel like you're the only ones for miles around. The views were sensational, and although the days were hot, it was worth it for the stunning views; we had blue skies and really green land which made the wall really prominant and even more impressive than I had imagined. It was, at times, a lot harder than I had envisaged but the view from the highest points and the satisfaction you got from reaching the top of "the stairway to heaven" was amazing! My favourite climb was what Jerry called the "Spiderman" wall, as we had to use hands to get us up - we all had so much fun climbing up, and the views were worth the effort!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group Leader, Jerry, made my holiday. He was the perfect leader and provided us with excellent local knowledge, information about food and provisions, and a lot of laughs. He was a great motivator on achey mornings, and ensured that the group kept together without keeping us under each other's feet. He truly felt like a good friend  by the end of the holiday!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you take a nice big pack of baby wipes - they are great for wiping sweat, cleaning hands, and using in the toilet (very few toilets had toilet roll so take your own or baby wipes)Do not be fussy with food - try as many things as possible, and ensure you stock yourself up for the hikes; they give you big lunches etc for a reason! I'm not a lover of water, but you really do need to drink lots and lots to get you through the days - in hindsight I would have taken some squash or water flavour pouches to ensure that I drank more. On top of that - I was very jealous of those that had camel backs, because they didn't have to faff taking water out of their bags on steep parts, and it didn't get warm in an outside pocket; I will be investing in one for my next trip! Stock up on some supplies before you go - we were craving a little sugar hit, chocolate or coffee a few days in due to the food being a bit samey and a lack of desserts for our sweet tooths, and the exercise being so demanding. Stock up in beijing or bring some treats in your bag - a fruit pastel was the best thing ever after a steep up hill hike.When I changed up my sterling in to chinese currency I only got 100 notes - when you are in beijing ensure you change up around 300 into 10s - there isn't much change available, and you don't want to give the water sellers etc 100 notes! I spent just under £350, that includes a shopon the last day in the silk market.