Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

You will want to go on the optional bear hide trip (40 euros) as this is a highlight; you won't see bears on the hikes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide was very knowledgeable about local history, flora and fauna and most of the time put in plenty of stops to keep the group together.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Things I didn't pick up from the trip notes: - You have to pay the guesthouse in cash (Leu or euros) and there is a charge for WiFi and the sauna - Having some lei at the start of the trip is useful but not essential; get small denominations if you can. Overall as a couple we spent 500 Leu and 100 euros. - Walking poles are useful for the slippery slopes. I borrowed some from the villa. - There is plenty of food; no need to bring any snacks. - You can drink the tap water at the villa. - A visit to the local pub is highly recommended. - Make sure you know how to turn off your flash AND your focussing light (red/green light) before going to the bear hide. (It might be called AF assist.) - The bird-watching doesn't have any chairs or shelter for an hour and a half; if you don't fancy this, we were given the option to stay in Brasov instead.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing bear cubs from the hide and being surrounded by wild flower meadows on walks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Udo was good fun and very knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Perhaps take some snacks for walks if you want more than just sandwiches

Most Inspirational Moment

We met some characters who inspire us to see the world differently. The guide Udo was full of botanical knowledge, Koreen was so passionate about wildlife, there were poor shepherds who prefer to live outside than in and people preached about it being the most beautiful place in Europe. Watching wild bears was the highlight which makes us want to protect the forests further

Thoughts on Group Leader

Udo was a well experienced leader but he still had the enthusiasm to make our time there as engaging and interesting as possible. He enjoyed spending time drinking with the group in the evening, he liked telling stories and he ensured everyone felt included. He was a role model for other guides

Advice for Potential Travellers

Currency - get it in Romania, much better rates. No more than 1000 leu needed. We were told that the airport only accepts Euros, this was wrong. Food - not great. And bring snacks as there is no opportunity to purchase any as there are no shops until the end of the week. The restaurant had no vegetarian options. Avoid sheep's cheese given out by shepherds! Be prepared to queue for a long time for cable cars. If you want to go to the top of the mountain, it still takes 3.5 hours to walk after going up the cable car

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing wild bears from a hide was a real highlight, especially the mother with two cubs. The visit to the Bear Sanctuary provided an interesting comparison, and it was moving to learn about the stories of the bears living there. Our hikes took us through some beautiful scenery and it was great to encounter local shepherds (and at one point sample some some local cheese!). The visit to the monastery in the rocks was also really interesting, and made all the more enjoyable by the company of the friendly dog who decided to join us for the trek.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Udo was a great tour leader with a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm about the people and wildlife of Transylvania. He took the time to get to know everybody in the group and always made sure to take plenty of breaks during hikes to ensure no one got left behind! He was very personable and had a great sense of humour, which made the trip all the more fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you take a spare pair of shoes! Mine got wet on the first day and took a little time to dry off, so it was handy to have a second pair. It's also worth bringing a few snacks to add to your lunch if, like me, you sometimes crave the odd chocolate bar (lunch typically consists of cheese / ham sandwiches and fruit, and is prepared by guests at breakfast time).

Most Inspirational Moment

Being with a group of people from all different walks (pardon the pun!) who ended up genuinely caring for each other by the end of the week.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Udo was amazing, knowledgeable, personable, caring, kind and considerate. He is also a very funny and likeable person.

Advice for Potential Travellers

When going off trekking, stick with your group.

Most Inspirational Moment

The bears were of course a highlight. Going to the bear hide and knowing that these were wild animals so close in front of us was quite something! We were very lucky and saw around 7 bears including a 21 year old female and an 18 month old cub. When they were just sitting munching on the food more lively entertainment was provided by a couple of cheeky foxes sneaking around stealing snacks, sometimes burying it a short distance away (maybe they don't know about the bear's amazing sense of smell!). The bear sanctuary was inspirational too, to know that these lovely creatures who have suffered so much have a nice and well thought out place to live out their days. I would have liked longer time there, it was quite busy and we only had a short tour. The main thing I loved though was just being outside in beautiful countryside, getting fresh air and exercise, enjoying good company and picnic lunches with stunning views.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Udo is a great guide and a man of many talents! He is the go-to man for plant identification, knows all their proper names and uses, plus has a wealth of knowledge about wildlife, history, photography, shepherding, languages, and a great love and respect for the traditional Romanian way of life. He kept us entertained too and may roll down a hill if you ask him nicely/pretend that you will follow!

Advice for Potential Travellers

When you go to the bear hide you cannot use a camera that has a focusing light as it will disturb the bears. We couldn't work out how to turn ours off so we just had to use our i-pad which wasn't really up to the job given the fading evening light. So if you can work out how to turn it off in advance that would be handy, or take an SLR. We took binoculars too and they were handy on several walks but mainly at the bear hide where they enabled us to see a lot more detail. Ask Katharina if you can watch the film the BBC made about the large carnivore project and rural Romania, it gives a greater insight into where you're staying and how tough the life of the shepherds is. We took lots of snacks along - more than we needed but I hate to go hungry! There are walking poles at the Villa that you can borrow - we made us of these when one of ours broke. They do make walking a bit easier and came in useful to steady ourselves a few times on the rougher terrain. Dogs live outside in Romania - take ear plugs.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the bears from the hide was fantastic, but I found the discovery of scenery, plantlife and wildlife during the walks even more inspiring, with the walk through the gorge probabbly being the highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Udo was an excellent, informative and attentive leader, and Katherina was also extremely helpful and informative when she led the group on the bear-hide trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing bears from the bear hide. The fact that the minute we sat down, a bear appeared.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thomas was kind, knowledgeable and fun to be with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take earplugs because the dogs really do bark all night long.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being in the bear hide and seeing 8 bears - one may have come more than once. The mum with two cubs was a total bonus especially when one of the cubs was trying to get onto a rock and having to have several attempts. I also really enjoyed the visit to Brasov.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thomas was a good communicator and walk leader. He gave us a lot of historical information about Romania. It was a delight to see him in his traditional Romanian costume on Friday evening.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure that you wrap up really well for the bear hide. You are sitting still for a couple of hours and it gets VERY cold. If you don't have a walking pole, there are some you can borrow at Villa Hermani - you will find a pole useful at times. Be flexible about the itinerary, we had to make some changes due to weather conditions although it didn't affect our enjoyment.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing 5 bears including a mother and cub at the bearhide. Generally admiring the scenery on our hikes. Pastries and schnapps at the Saxon village! Seeing the Bears and learning some of their sad stories at the sanctuary.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Udo was charismatic, knowledgable, principled and possessed a wicked sense of humour. Crucially on the walks he ensured there were plenty of breaks and waited for everyone before imparting information. In the hotel Katharina was a very inspirational person to talk to. I recommend group members try to grab 20-30 minutes of her time to talk about conservation in the region.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I got away with walking shoes but ideally you should have waterproof hiking boots. The weather forecast doesn't apply to higher levels of the Carpathians! Lunch most days consists of ham and cheese sandwiches which you prepare yourself at breakfast. I was grateful for the snacks I brought with me as there is no food (officially!) available at the hotel between mealtimes. If you are unfit do not consider this trip. The walks are tough in places if you do not have a decent level of fitness. There are hiking poles available to use at the hotel. Most of our group used poles at some point and given the volume of slopes encountered I would recommend all but the most experienced hikers consider using them. The cable car to the top of the mountain in Brasov is not part of the itinerary but it is highly recommended for your free time there.