reviews

We were amazed by the green colour of Nyika plateau and the Livingstonia trail was a real highlight. The lodges were luxurious and the camping came with added comforts. The two days by the lake were restful and the trip round Bandawe school was inspiring. We saw lots of elephant and hippo from Mvuu lodge and the bush trek in Lliwonde National Park was fascinating - seeing things from an "animal's eye view". We were really welcomed and very well cared for by all of the local staff. We learned a lot about Malawi including how beautiful and mountainous it was.

Ann and Andrew Millross, West Midlands

Well, what can we say other than this was a truly fascinating trip and amazing experience. Our main comments are, in approx. order of decreasing significance - Semir was the best guide we have ever had, very energetic, kept the same level of interest in us throughout the trip, knew many locals which led to good local interactions for us too and genuinely wanted us to have the best possible holiday so took account of anything we said - the itinerary is brilliant. High quality walking making the best use of the terrain. Clever use of transfers to avoid road walking or less interesting parts albeit creating considerable logistical challenges given the time it takes to travel up to the high pick up points due to the state of some of the roads. Great to have a chance to see Peja and Decani to give a welcome rest day from the walking - the food. High quality and plenty that was vegetarian for my wife. Balbino Bolje, Doberdol and the meals in Peja and at the Gjakove hotel stand out but all were good - the friendliness of everyone we met. we seemed to be genuinely welcomed - the quality of the walking; lots of long ridges, expansive views, virtually no other people on the trails, good paths in the main - the accommodations, several of which were superb with special mention of the two homesteads Balbino Bolje and Reke e Allages. The choice of hotels in the towns was also appreciated; both were very good - the scenery of which the Doberdol valley excels - the benefits of having a guide, both for route finding which would be difficult in places without excellent notes/map but more importantly for the interactions with the local people and information on the history of the area as well as its fauna. Whilst this was intended to be a group tour, it turn into a private journey and we benefitted from this more than we had expected, mainly because several of the accommodations happened not to be full and so we mainly had a room to ourselves (we would not have expected this for a group) - all transport logistics worked very smoothly, including the use of horses to transport our bags on four of the days - not having wifi for most of the trip meant we could relax completely There was nothing at all that we would suggest could be done differently, which is quite surprising for a trip of this length. The only surprise to us, but perhaps it will not be a surprise for much longer, is that others did not come on this trip with us to enjoy such good walking in a near pristine environment without the crowds typically experienced in the Swiss Alps and elsewhere The message to others is that this is definitely a trip worth considering if you like high level walking, expansive views, alpine flowers, accommodations where you experience delightful local people who go out of their way to please, good food, an excellent itinerary, top notch guiding and the chance to explore an interesting wilderness area in near total solitude. For us, this holiday had it all. Indeed, we are likely to want to return to the area before too long and before it becomes a well known and more appreciated destination, attracting larger numbers of travellers with the ensuing consequences.

Andrew, Kent, Kent

We were with a mixed group of people who were of mixed ability and age and everyone enjoyed it and felt good about the challenges and their own personal achievements. The area was breathtakingly beautiful the whole way around and we would do the whole thing again.

Mrs E Rothera, London

Trek greatly exceeded my expectations, the mountains although not particularly high are incredibly dramatic and the scenery changes at almost every turn. Excellent route. At this time of year the spring flowers are stunning. The Rifugio's are superb, food and accommodation was exactly right for a week in the mountains, very comfortable and the staff exceedingly friendly. The trek guides were exceptional and made the week very interesting and fun, they did everything possible to look after us so well. A marvellous week in an exceptional area with a lovely client group.

Martin, Staffordshire

For a Central American country, Costa Rica defies preconceptions: it's politically stable, peaceful, well developed and has very high standards of hotels and service. But of course it’s the fantastic wildlife that steals the show. We saw so many wonderful birds and animals and yet we seem to have barely scratched the surface. Still, it’s always good to have a reason to return.

Mr P, South Gloucestershire

Long on my travel wishlist, Costa Rica didn’t disappoint. From seeing a smiling sloth on my first day to walking through the weird and wonderful landscape of Rincon de la Vieja on my last, it was a trip of constant surprises and delights.

Kirsty Parsons, Mountain Kingdoms, Gloucestershire

Definitely could have not picked a better trip to go on or company to book it through! The trip was truly spectacular friendly tour guide who was beyond helpful to all of us! Any advice or queries we had were answered straight away! Fantastic accommodation,absolutely stunning scenery! You couldn’t ask for anything better than that really!

Miss Hannah Morgan, United Kingdom, Bracknell, Berkshire

Excellent trek, well graded, with beautiful scenery in between the clouds, and the chance to meet really lovely, warm and hospitable people in countries which till quite recently were only associated with war and strife.

Mrs Manisha Szamocki, Somerset

I have wanted to travel the Golden Road to Samarkand since I was very young and the trip did not disappoint. We were a small group (8 people) and got on very well together in the company of our excellent guide. The itinerary was very well planned and I appreciated the 'free days' with time to revisit the best places, explore further and spend time chatting to people.

V Houghton, Northamptonshire