Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

As always these trips are so well organised, the tour leader and back up staff go out of their way to help and assist you, nothing is ever too much trouble.  I just loved all the cycling through the back roads off the beaten tracks, stunning scenery with the ocean on one side.  The climb up Ooty was probably the most talked about subject on the trip - probably the hardest thing a few of us had done but at the same time manageable even if you have to walk part of the climb.  I have to say the accommodation on this trip was outstanding especially the houseboat!  And of course the food - just way too much!  Don't expect to lose weight on this trip!

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was brilliant, always willing to assist and part with information.  The 2 support guys were amazing too.  Such nice guys.  Always a smile on their faces. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

I do think you need to have some bike skills for this trip, cycling in the traffic can be a little daunting at times, luckily not too much of it.  If you feeling insecure rather pull over and wait for the large vehicle to overtake you - the pecking order is alive and well in India.  A level of fitness is obviously necessary, the first week is probably the hardest week, the 2nd week is mostly dead flat.  If you plan on waiting at the top of the Ooty climb for all the party to arrive perhaps put a space blanket or light jacket in your pocket, we had more than 2 hours to wait at the rest stop and were quite cold waiting for the others to arrive.  Cold in India, yes we did feel cold!  Apart from Ooty is is HOT HOT HOT and HUMID!The kitty works well - covers all the extras apart from alcohol, for 2 weeks you dont even have to think, everything is taken care of for you.  Outstanding. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Normally I would say the dog sledding which was just great but on our trip we were very lucky with the northern light's seeing them five night's out of seven with a tremendous display one night. This was without doubt the highlight of the week, Henri put the show in his all time top five!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henri was great, cheerful, helpful and informative and all in good english!

Advice for Potential Travellers

They issue you with all the clothing you need for the outdoors so you can probably leave some of the things you were going to bring at home, the only exception in my opinion is headgear which you can never have too much of.

Most Inspirational Moment

That first glimpse of the Treasury from the Siq at Petra has to be my first choice, but the vast silence of Wadi Rum cmes a close second.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Khaled is a wonderful leader. Nothing was too much trouble, and his considerable knowledge combined with  unfailing good humour ensured we never suffered from information overload. He was always there to answer the million questions we threw at him, and was equally willing to help with problems and queries beyond what I would expect from a holiday guide.  A truly inspirational leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Collect small change in coins at every opportunity. There are lavatory attendants at all tourist attractions (many handing out loo paper to each individual customer) who expect to be tipped. Calls of nature can become expensive when you have to hand out a 1 dinar note, roughly the equivelant of £1 each time you only want to spend a penny. Take flipflops or crocs for the Dead Sea -- the sand is very sharp and crunchy, even under water. Check the weather forecast for Jordan before final packing. I left a warm and sunny London in early March to find snow piled in the streets of Amman. It was unusual weather for the time of year, but luckily, I had warm and waterproof clothing. Three days later, we were swimming in the warm waters of the Dead Sea and sunbathing on the beach.

Most Inspirational Moment

We were very lucky in that we saw tigers on both of our drives (morning and afternoon) in Ranthambore National Park. The afternoon sighting was exceptional. We spent two hours sitting watching a tiger which was no more than 4 metres away from us. It was dozing, occasionally waking to look at us. It then got up and wandered past us for a toilet stop, before settling down again.This was a highlight, but to be honest, there were so many.  I could have spent all day sitting in a the magnificent Jain temple at Ranakpur.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mayur Hada was brilliant. He was experienced, knowledgeable and considerate - everything you want in a guide. He really made everything come alive, and the trip would not have been as good without him. He made sure that on the long driving days, we always had an interesting place to stop mid-way, rather than just having a simple lunch stop. Chittorgarh (an unscheduled stop not mentioned in the dossier) was the best of these, and actually warrants an overnight stop.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the dossier so you're not surprised by the hectic pace of the trip and the occasional very long driving days. Don't change too much money when you arrive - the dossier estimate of up to £15 per day for meals is way too high. Most dishes were £3  - £4 each, and would often feed two people. There are lots of ATMs, so change as you go.Leave space in your bag for some of the fantastic things you can buy.

Most Inspirational Moment

As other reviewers have pointed out, the Angkor Wat complex is, indeed, awe-inspiring.One of the moments for me, though, was taking a boat on Ton Le Sap lake - a truly massive lake upon which thousands of people live and work.  The poverty is shocking, but who are we to judge.  The homestay overnight and following day's boat-trip and cycle ride on the Mekong were also inspirational, and have given me a few ideas about going back to the region and maybe exploring life on the Mekong in much greater depth.The food!  Everywhere we went.   The villagers and village life, and their friendliness in those parts of these countries.  A complete contrast to the cities.

Thoughts on Group Leader

All three were first class.  Siam (from Thailand) held the whole thing together really well over the three legs, while the others (Fila for Cambodia and Yam for Vietnam) provided intimate local knowledge on their individual segments.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is hot (>40C) in these countries in February/March, so people that have not done this sort of thing before might consider going a few days in advance to acclimatise.  The back-up crews are always on-hand with water, electrolytes and fruit/chocolate, but make sure you take on water at every opportunity.Try every type of food the guides suggest, including the crickets, beetles, and tarantulas to name a few.  But, by the same token, check with them before you try anything radically new!

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the Agouti walk out of the woods in front of me.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent natural history knowledge.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking aroung the rim of Vesuvius!.... Unforgetable

Most Inspirational Moment

As I did not reach the summit, climbing up the Barancha wall was a real achievement – especially after our guide told us that he tried to help Roman Abramovich up the wall, but he gave up by the kissing stone!

Thoughts on Group Leader

All the assistant guides were great, but I wasn’t impressed with the chief guide.  I struggled quite a lot to stay with the rest of the group, and I didn’t find him particularly encouraging.  When I said I wasn’t going to try for the summit, he didn’t encourage me at all.  My husband attempted the summit, but had to turn back due to altitude sickness.  Twice the guide told him to push on, even though he had been sick and had a very bad headache.  He should have taken my husband down to camp much sooner.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely hire an exodus sleeping matt, well worth it.  It gets very cold at night.  Only the first 2 nights were warmish, the other nights were freezing!  Wear lots of layers in bed.About half of our group didn’t take Diamox.  Two that didn’t take it ended up having to take it on summit night to help them reach the summit.  Stick together as a group as much as possible.  It’s not a race.

Most Inspirational Moment

For an apparently unmoveable atheist, I found the deity 'dressing' ceremony at the Jagdish temple in Udaipur astonishingly moving.  The sheer number of waves and smiles from local kids (and their parents / grandparents - some of whom might have looked glum, but a smile, wave and 'namaste' almost always broke through the facade of indifference) was fantastic.  As was the sighting of Sarus Cranes just before dusk in the Keoladeo National Park, and the tiger in Sariska National Park, and the carving in the main Jain temple at Ranakpur, and arriving in Pushkar to a brilliant orange sunset... etc etc etc

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pramod and Sanjay did a fantastic job, and the trip wouldn't have been the same if one or the other had been missing.  Pramod's quiet approach perfectly balanced Sanjay's frequent aspirations for everyone to have a go at 'Indian' dancing... On the bus... After rum and coke.  Brilliant!  To see them at their most competitive, put them on opposing sides during a 'friendly' cricket match...

Advice for Potential Travellers

The first afternoon in Delhi can feel like wasted down time, but bear in mind that you'll be up at 6am on many of the subsequent days and have probably just endured a tedious night flight - relaxing by the pool is acceptable!  Not having visited India before, I was rather unsure of myself and wish (in hindsight) that I had taken myself off to the Qutab Minar complex, which wasn't too far from the hotel.  If in doubt, negotiate a price with the tuk-tuk driver and crack on.  Whilst it's possible to eat incredibly cheaply in India, we tended to adjourn en masse to local restaurants in the evenings, where you could expect to pay in the region of 600INR (including beer) for a decent veggie meal.  Don't worry if you can't get hold of small money from the FOREX places in the airport - I found that I soon had a stack of 10, 20 & 100INR notes after meals (10INR notes proved invaluable for 'toilet tipping'!), and there are ATM stops en route if you need to top up supplies of cash.This was my first ever group holiday, and I was nervous about booking it beforehand (it was a birthday treat and I didn't want to have a miserable time!).  I can honestly say that I had a blast and would do the whole thing again tomorrow. 

Most Inspirational Moment

First Tiger sighting, silhouetted through grass, was thrilling, thereafter sightings just got better and better, with close encounters from the back of an elephant.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was wonderful. He was passionate about the survival of the Tiger and had a great sense of humour. When he heard a sound in the jungle, he would surprise you by saying it was a chicken laying an egg! He ensured our trip ran smoothly and always told us what to expect over for the day ahead. All except the weather which the didn't need to worry about.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Tolerate Twitchers, its amazing how much more you can appreciate in a 4 hour safari when there are no tigers to be seen.Girls, take a Shewee, I will next time!Be prepared for an early rise. Make the most of sightseeing, time can be a bit limited. And don't expect time to chill!Safaris are very dusty so dress accordingly and take a buff/scarf as well as a hat, mornings can be very cold but once the sun gets up it gets hot very quicklyDon't expect Sleepers trains to have compartments where you will change into your PJs and brush your teeth! Enjoy the company and try not to look at your watch too often, 12-14 hours can go remarkably quickly if you accept your lot! Just hope you don't need to use the loo too often, and try not to clock everything you see out of the windows.