Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The bears without a doubt! Lovely to see in the wild, however, visiting the sanctuary in bright daylight produced the best photos.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide, Thomas, couldn't have been more interesting (and funny) and extremely knowledgeable about the fauna, flora and history - simply the best!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of water on your hikes, especially if warm weather. Villa Hermani - don't bother with their wi-fi; extremely slow (used 4G instead).

Most Inspirational Moment

I thought it would be the elephants crossing the river at Chobe, or canoeing on the Zambesi, or Victoria Falls, or seeing giraffes or or or - the list goes on. However, the sudden gorgeous orange red glow of the African sunsets will stay with me forever as will sitting by the waterhole in Etosha and watching the animals arrive, especially the 40 elephants.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guides were Ende - the outgoing, but sensitive, leader anxious to please us whilst keeping us in check to make sure that we fitted in a very full itinerary, Andrew who was quietly extraordinarily efficient and always on the lookout to make sure we were all right, and Innocent whose knowledge of birds and stars was phenomenal. Their cooking was amazing - don't believe the trip notes' description of 'basic'. It wasn't long before we felt we were travelling with knowledgeable friends. Thank you Ende, Andrew and Innocent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a hat, binoculars, anti mosquito spray and keep clothes to a minimum. Warm sleeping bag, (possibly + liner). Some long journeys, so you might want a kindle.

Most Inspirational Moment

The wildlife, as we got to see Lions, a Leopard (out in the open too, not hiding in a tree or undergrowth), Cheetahs, an African Wild Dog pack and even a glimpse of the elusive Serval. Elephants, hippos crocs, etc etc.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Moses was first class, knowledgeable, humourous and friendly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes, the transport (and I must admit this seems to be the norm for Botswana) was an open Toyota Landcruiser with 12 seats for viewing game. It's fine for viewing game etc. but quite hard travelling at speed on tar roads when you get blasted by the wind. The flexible sides of the truck can be lowered to ease the blast but then it is too hot! Please be aware of this.

Most Inspirational Moment

Every place we visited had its own charm. Lake Ohrid was fantastic. It is beautiful yet not so crowded. We had some free time there and I had the chance to go for a short swim in the lake. I was very pleasantly surprised by Skopje. It is beautiful!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nebojsha was very knowledgeable, calm and friendly. He liked to socialise with the group which was appreciated.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a waterproof jacket, the weather can be unpredictable, and a swimming costume to take advantage of the spa hotel in Skopje and/or to swim in Lake Ohrid. Make sure you have enough space on your memory card.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of Dead Women's Pass at 4215 metres. Such a sense of achievement and the views were spectacular. Also walking to the final campsite through the cloud forest and seeing Machu Picchu mountain in front of us and snow capped mountains in the distance to the left and right. I managed to phone my wife from this campsite which was great (and also found out England had won 6-1 in the World Cup the day before). Unbelievable views again when I woke up the next morning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Julio was a really great group leader, very informative, helpful and encouraging throughout the whole trip. How he remembered everything he explained to us when we stopped off at the many Inca sites on the way I will never know. He showed a great deal of care towards all of us and also towards the environment of the trail, frequently seeking out orchids and other flora in the cloud forest (and pointing them out to us) to check on the health of it.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If trekking the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is something you are thinking about, all I can say is Just Do It. You will not regret it, it's fantastic. Don't worry too much about the altitude - as long as you take your time and drink plenty of water you should be fine.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing my wife get to the summit when I had to turn back. Well done my love.

Thoughts on Group Leader

JT was superb. He was joyous and enthusiastic about Kili, Tanzania, his crew and us. He and his crew welcomed us into their family and we all left, I think, leaving a little part of us with him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to be smelly - you cannot really wash until getting back to the hotel - but when you do it is fantastic! Get yourself fit, physically and mentally, it is a hard trip and you will most likely have to go past your comfort zone and what you are used to. Close you eyes at some campsites - they are crowded and there is quite some detritus

Most Inspirational Moment

Expect to be amazed ! ... From bizarre Ashgabet, historically dense Bukhara and Samarkand, roadside interactions with local herders in their Yurt camps to stunning high altitude lakes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

For a trip such as this, which encompasses moving almost every day, 5 currencies , many meal arrangements and visa challenges at borders, an extraordinary guide is paramount for success. Our guide Alejandro (Alex) was without doubt the reason for the smooth progression of the trip. His positive manner, perceptive nature, great humour and organisation skills endeared him to us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Beware: The trip is exhausting (particularly with temperatures averaging around 40 degrees celsius in August for much of the trip) even though much of the time is spent sitting in the vehicles. Pack light but include extra layers for high altitude. Be very sure your visa arrangements are correct.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved waking up early two mornings to ride while watching the sunrise. Not only did that mean we avoided cycling during the hottest part of the day (in the afternoon), but the sunrise over the mountains was really dramatic and the morning light was just breathtaking.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting up close and personal with the ring-tailed lemurs was completely unexpected. Their indifference to us was fantastic as we watched them go about their business. Night walks seeking out the mouse lemurs, chameleons and tree frogs was equally exciting. The amazing range of scenery was stunning, even the long dusty roads against a blue-sky backdrop were dramatic.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Claudia, was brilliant. She was in control at all times, had an excellent sense of humour and always in a good mood despite a few challenges along the way - especially when our internal flight to get us home was cancelled and she had to make alternative arrangements at very short notice.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you take a head-torch for the night and cave walks. Pack light if you can - there's only a 5kg carry-on limit on the internal flights and they do try to enforce it. If you're carrying an SLR take it out of your bag before they weight it - it'll save a lot of weight! Make sure you take some Imodium with you, half of our group needed it at some point and you'll be very grateful for it on the long drives! If you're into photography, take a tripod and get some pictures of the night-sky. The views of the milky way are spectacular - especially from the beach at Ifaty. The menus can become monotonous, if you just want a sandwich for lunch rather than a full meal then just ask for one. Also, stock up on snacks when you can.

Most Inspirational Moment

Taking the wooden sampan boat on the river in Hoi An during the night, the river was full of beautiful floating lanterns. We were lucky enough to be in Hoi An over the full moon and the city had such a buzz about the place. Another highlight would be visiting the War Remnants museum in Saigon, a very emotionally moving set of exhibitions where it really hit home for me how much the friendly and happy people of this country have suffered in the past.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bac was an excellent leader, he was knowledgeable and very keen to give us an in depth understanding of his country. His English was fantastic and he always answered our many questions enthusiastically. Bac's ability to solve any problem quickly and effortlessly was very impressive.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Budget to take more money than the trip notes suggest, there are lots of optional excursions offered for between £15-30 each and they're so good that you won't want to miss them. The extra cycling tour in Hoi An was a particularly good one. Take cycling shorts or a padded bike seat cover for the cycling tour in Hue, the saddles are extremely hard.