Everything everywhere

We had a wonderful trip. The accommodation was all great. Dar Hanane was probably our least favorite but having said that I could not really find fault with it in any way. The taxis all arrived on time and the drivers were all extremely pleasant. The trek was great too. the food was excellent and our guide and cook were both extremely nice. We were lucky with the weather on the way up- cold but dry. we woke to snow on the following day which turned to torrential rain as we got further down the mountain! However we kept walking till lunch when the guides found us shelter and Mohammed sent transport to pick us up. I would certainly recommend your company to others, and indeed have already done so.

Elizabeth Stirling reviewing Coast, Souks & Mountains

We have had a brilliant time away, and our Morocco experience was fantastic.

The specifics:

Trek Guide: Rachid. Fantastic 5/5. Very nice young fellow who was very attentive to Sally who was fighting off a bug during the trek, and managed the pace to ensure that she and Lucy finished it. His English was also very reasonable and we were able to communicate fairly well during the two days. (Our command of the Berber language on the other hand is still surprisingly rusty but we managed to get a few expressions under our belt alhumdulillah!). We enjoyed the walk very much but really had no idea what to expect. Given the gradients and altitude, it would have been rated medium at least but probably hard in the Australian bushwalking guides - but I had a chuckle when Rachid said that it was easy! and we do some hard walks here at home. Whilst it's reasonably high at 2500m for people accustomed to living at sea level, the impact was only marginal, though our son Ben did have a headache for most of it. A little more information in your guide about expectations would assist (and I'm thinking here of people like us who weren't travelling to Morocco just to walk). The accommodation was very basic but fine given where we were and what we were up to. It was extremely cold of course but Rachid arranged for some blankets to augment the sleeping bags and we were fine. The sleeping bags were also perfectly fine by the way and looked hardly used - they were just extremely thin, without the blankets they would have been hopeless! The village was an awe inspring glimpse into the past - biblical housing with satellite dishes!

Driver: Yusef. Fine 3/5. Completely different character to Rachid though. It's a challenge for sure to keep the conversation up for six days when your Darija is as rough as ours and the English is not so good - but this is getting picky given where we were.

Accommodation:
Dar Hanane - fantastic - probably best of the lot - 5/5. Felt like home. Stuart and Mandy very welcoming and key staff were excellent.
Kasbah bab Ourika - 3/5. Why? Being rated at 5 star and given the tariff, our expectations were of course high. It was very nice, but for the money you might expect a bit more polish or something. It certainly had a feeling of subservience in relation to the staff - having come from Dar Hanane where the staff were all happy and relaxed, Bab Ourika had a comepletely different feel. The food was also very average. Sally says she could cook at the same standard at home!!
Dar Adrar - 4/5 Great. Very neat and tidy - great service - nice homely feel.
Kasbah Ellouze - 4/5. Again very nice. Sally did notice holes and stains on the sheets(!) but overall very nice and great service. It wasn't ask clean as other places.
Dar Sidi Buono (M'Hamid) - 3/5 - a bit tired but again OK for what it is. Nancy was lovely - very engaging and enchanting and service from the staff was OK.
Luxury Desert Camp (erg Chigaga)- 4.5/5. Brilliant concept, very novel accommodation, terrific service. BoBo was brilliant - very interesting and engaging individual who could just about write the text book on marketing and customer service. The food we ate here was about the best we had in Morocco. To produce that kind of fare in a tent kitchen was a miracle although both Ben and Sally ended up with food poisoning following the desert but not sure where it came from. Interesting for you to note this just in case anyone else reports it.
Dar Qamar (Agdz) - 4/5 - just a bit out of the way - so tricky to get back into town without a car. We would have walked if Sally and Ben were feeling better.

Service and Advice from Tourdust:
This was always going to be a challenge given that we couldn't walk into your office to discuss things, but overall I think everything was just fine. We didn't have a hitch and you or Anna were available for a chat when we needed it - we just needed to be organised with the specific questions needing answering.
Mohammed was also very professional and helpful on the ground and was available by phone when needed. He also went out of his way to organise for Ben's fleece top to be collected from Agdz when he had left it at Dar Qamar - very much appreciated.

That's it! We have had an amazing time. We enjoyed the contrasts that Morocco had to offer - it certainly is a collision of the ancient and modern. Apart from mudhouses with satellite dishes, the one thing that struck me was the nomadic Berber, who still pack up and travel with all of their worldly possessions on camels. We saw them when returning from Erg Chigaga - half a dozen camels being led by a gentleman in a jillaba talking on a mobile phone whilst his wife and daughters brought up the rear with the goats. Brilliant.

So, thanks for getting us around Morocco! We enjoyed it immensely and would recommend you to people in Australia trying to organise their trips to Morocco.

Timothy Head reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Kasbahs, Mountains & Souks

We had an absolutely fabulous time and were delighted with your arrangements. Les Jardins de Maroc was outstanding as was our stay at Kasbah Touboukal. Our guide on the hike was very professional - all in all we could not fault anything and had a truly memorable holiday.

Many thanks to you and the team at Tourdust.

Christopher Wilmot reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

The trip to Morocco was great. Your information prior to travel was very helpful and being able to carry the "dossier" on a Kindle was so much better than printing the document. Dar Adrar was a great place to stay - they were so helpful, particularly when we arrived so late on our first day. The distances we trekked each day worked well given the conditions we were walking in - we had rain and snow on the second day so we needed time to dry out on the third so some time sat in the sun was more than welcome.The snow also meant walking was more difficult so the distance covered each day was about right. However, had the conditions been good, we did feel that some of the distances were a bit short. The guide and cook/muteteer were a great team. Abdul had lots of local knowledge but didn't force it on us. He was also very good at setting an appropriate pace. The food Mohammed cooked was brilliant for walking. He even managed to cook porridge for breakfast when he found out one of us couldn't eat bread. Ginger the mule was also an excellent companion - a bit on the quiet side but she definitely had an understated sense of humour!
The gites varied considerably. They were very cold at night but most had extra blankets. The only really difficult night was after the rain. Despite our waterproofs we were soaked to the skin and had no way to dry coats and trousers. Had the bad weather continued we would have had a miserable time being so wet and cold. Fortunately day 3 was bright and sunny so we steamed as we walked!

Eileen Tolan reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

From the very beginning, Tourdust was a delight. Our itinerary was ideal - and perfectly ordered given the the range of things we had wanted to squeeze into our 10-day break to Morocco. We could not fault the accommodation choices - they were idyllic and we were very well looked after in all four of our locations. Our guide, Ibrahim, in the Atlas Mountains was wonderful - especially when we struggled (mentally!) through some unseasonal rain, hail, wind, snow and blizzards on our first day. The photos the following morning made it so worthwhile. I am sure we will find something decent to enter the photography competition with! Thank you

Katherine Walton reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

Jodie and I were very impressed with EVERYTHING about our holiday experience with you.

The pre-trip information and transportation to greet us at the airport and transport us to the Atlas Mountains worked like a dream (always very nervous of this when you arrive in a new country) so top marks to our driver there! Accommodation on the trek was far better than we had prepared ourselves for, visiting some lovely houses with clean sanitary conveniences (again we had packed the 'wet wipes' but were so pleased for hot showers!) Both our guide Lasan and Rashid were very accommodating and enjoyed having a laugh with us which made us feel very relaxed. I think only the 'mule' played up as she escaped one evening which caused a slight panic amongst them all!!!

Making our reservation at the Riad in Marrakesh (Dar Hanane) was a wonderful way to relax in Marrakesh.

All in all we will be contacting you again for our next trip (!) but also recommending your Services to our other friends as it was a completely stressed free, enjoyable trip.

Sarah and Jodie reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

It has been absolutely beautiful and very very special. Thank you much for your help.

Bobo was such a brilliant guide to the desert, the children loved him too, it made the whole trip in the desert extra special and brilliant. I would recommend that part to everyone, maybe even as a yearly retreat, it was so tranquil and so serene as well as extremely well organised and luxurious.

Ait Ben Haddou was also beautiful, we had a good walk round on our own and explored the whole village. We also visited someones house who had been part of many films in the making there and was clearly so proud to show us his pictures.

The hotel we stayed in there was ok, but not as great as others, it was a bit too posh and lacked something special, food wasn't so great, service not much either, nothing specific to complain about, just it didn't quite had what we preferred.

The kasbah near Agadir was perfect, really lovely services, a fantastic castle on the hill and a little drive from some fabulous beachy places. a real recommendation with lovely pool and food and rooms and all, the kids were happy too!

All in all, something to remember forever for us and the kids, thank you for your help and recommendations, its been more special, beautiful and interesting then we could have hoped for.

Marjolein Humphries reviewing Luxury Family Desert Holiday

The walking was just right for us. We were a little anxious about whether the boys would happily participate - they haven't been great walkers. But they were fantastic: bounding ahead of us slow oldies, often over quite challenging terrain. They took to our guide, who struck a good balance between helpfulness and letting us get on with things. Accommodation was fine - and the guest house was lovely. And the food was just right.

Marrakech was a bit of a shock to the system after the tranquility of the mountains, and boys were a little uncertain about it at first - the chaos and the noise. But the accommodation was a great base to retreat to, and by the end boys were happily guiding us through the souks. I loved the vibrancy of it all - quite a contast to Stockholm.

Nicholas Howe reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech & Mountains

We wanted to say what a fantastic time we had with the Tourdust trek. We couldn't fault it from start to finish. At the outset from my first call you were really helpful and engaging. I had been looking at a number of different operators but decided to go with you based on the consideration you showed on what I was looking for, the detailed information you sent through in a timely manner, the value for money of the trip and quality of your service. Tourdust immediately came across as flexible in terms of trek start dates, duration and pick-up/drop off transport.

In terms of the actual trek, our guide Adil and cook Mohamad should be singled out. They always ran to schedule (from pick up and drop off to the actual schedule on each day); they were considerate and attentive; professional; kind; they were always ready to answer our questions and interested in us and what we had to say and good conversationalists. We felt very well looked after the whole time. We were met at the trek starting point by the local rep which was a nice touch and he showed us a map of our trek and had a mint tea with us making sure we got away on the trek okay.

We particularly wanted to praise the cook/Muleteer Mohamad. He catered to our dietary needs as vegetarians making fantastic food every day. He was always happy and positive and made us feel very special, making sure we were happy with our food. The catering was excellent.

We noticed other muleteers not treating their mule so well whereas Mohamad had a great relationship with our mule and it responded to his verbal prompts which was impressive.

The actual trek was breathtaking. It was a good combination of physically challenging with stunning scenery; we loved the fact that is was an alternative trek so we hardly saw any tourists and really felt we had the mountains to ourselves. The lunch picnic spots were beautiful and again we felt like a king and queen being given cushions and blankets to sit on, hot mint tea to start things off and then lots of fresh, hearty and healthy food. The length of walking each day was just right.

The accommodation (and loos), as you advised, was basic but a great experience. It did get cold at night but we were given extra blankets and the dinners and breakfasts kept us going. I liked the fact we were staying with a local family/their place in a small village rather than a touristy place. After the trek on the first day when we had quite a few hours free, Adil our guide offered us an additional walk around the village which was really nice.

The whole standard of service from start to finish was 10 out of 10. We would definitely recommend Tourdust to friends and colleagues and are already talking about coming back again.

Thank you again for all your help in making this a fantastic experience and please pass on our thanks and feedback to the local team.

Rashmi Becker reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

A big thank you to the team at Tourdust for our fantastic trek to Mount Kenya.

We made it. It was a tough climb and not for those who are afraid of heights. I learnt loads about the flora and fauna of Africa from our expert guide Francis and we enjoyed great food prepared by Ngari.

Full write-up and pictures of my trip are here

Kathryn Bullock reviewing Mount Kenya: Sirimon - Chogoria Trek

Just to say thank you for organising this trip - it was FANTASTIC. Amazing experience, I saw every animal I wished to I couldn't believe how close up you get to the animals, the staff were so friendly and looked after me unbelievably well and the camp was fabulous (I feel very lucky to have been upgraded, the tents were wonderful and they had warthogs/elephants/hippos walking through the camp!). Very well organised from the moment I landed in Kenya.
Thank you I'll be recommending you to my friends!

Franchesca McGarry reviewing 3 Day Masai Mara Flying Safari

Hotel More was absolutely wonderful. What an incredible place! I think we got lucky with the room in which we stayed (jacuzzi on the balcony overlooking the sea) but we regret not having eaten in the hotel itself as the restaurant we found further down the coast was truly awful (not your fault though, of course!)
Lopud turned out to be our favourite island. It was a sweet place with a lovely, whimsical old dog. It's a pity about the grand monstrosity of a hotel on the other side of the island - totally soulless and so glad we don't go for that type of holiday. We had a few issues with the aircon initially but it was sorted.
Our host was great (forgotten the name now, sorry). We really enjoyed the homecoming at his family house with a little live music. We would have liked a little more time kayaking but the weather was an issue.
The Croatian food wasn't too great so it was definitely worth going to Dubrovnik, if only for just a short while, as the restaurant we went to improved the experience (and Dubrovnik was pretty incredible!). However, easily the best food of the whole trip was Hotel Bozica on Sipan.
A lovely trip on the whole.

Stephen Boyes reviewing Tailor-made Boutique Dubrovnik Kayaking Holiday

We are very pleased with the trip we booked!
People were in time, polite, correct and keen on giving us a perfect holiday!

Jonathan Van Dyck reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

On the 20th Jan 2013 we started our 3 day valley trek from imlil in the atlas mountains.

Ibrahim Aztat was our guide and Samir was our cook/mule handler. It was a great trek up to 2300m in the snow. Over the whole of our trek Ibrahim and samir were brilliant and really looked after both of us, helping us along the way as we were not quite as fit as we should have been. They made sure we went at the right pace, stopping when required. With this help we enjoyed the trek and all the food was really great. I would really recomend this trek and would give 10/10 for ibrahim and samir. The gites are a little cold so bring plenty of warm clothing for the overnight stays.

We also stayed in dar hanane in marrakech and in casa lila in essaouira, both were brill and we were transported by mustafa from the airport to all of our locations over the 10 days. Mustafa was always there on time and did a really good job. We really had a good time with plenty of laughs with ibrahim and samir and would like to thank them again.

richard gallacher reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

We absolutely loved our trip, thank you.

The organisation from your side was perfect - everything went very smoothly, just as planned, and we felt very well looked after from start to finish. We really appreciated you changing plans for us at the last minute, and we were pleased with the arrangements we had. Even the day treks from Dar Adrar were very spectacular, and our guide Rashid was able to vary the to and from journeys to make it even more interesting. Mohammed and his team looked after us very well, and drinking mint tea on the terrace each afternoon was a joy. The boys were able to do all the walking, but found it really fun to ride on the mule anyway. We were all blown away by the delicious lunches and dinners. All so healthy, tasty and beautifully presented. It was a holiday we will never forget, and I hope we will go back many times!

Marrakech was also fabulous, although it took a little getting used to after the peace and quiet of the mountains!

So basically, we had a great time and would not hesitate to recommend Tourdust to other holiday makers, especially families who might not have considered that such a fun and adventurous holiday could be open to them with children.

Sarah Sharrock reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech & Mountains

We had an excellent trip, thanks!

The guide was very knowledgeable and flexible with breaks, timings, etc. He kept phone contact with the main office to ensure all connections/vehicles were in the proper place at the right time. The lodging was acceptable for a trek. Nothing great, mostly hard huts or tented camps, but nice to have a warm shower on days between our tenting nights. The one night we were supposed to be in The Pelican Lodge, we were changed to Lake Nakuru Lodge, which was fantastic!

During the trek, the cook made wonderful breakfasts and dinners. There was a decent variety of soups, vegtable and meat dishes. Lunch was a basic 'box lunch' with a sandwich, chicken, boiled egg and fruit. Lunch was acceptable and fueled us for the journey, it just got a little redundant by the end of the trek.

All pre-trip literature was informative and sufficient.

I have already and will continue to recommend this trip to others. For the trek: the days are long and tiring, but it was very worth the effort, and the sense of accomplishment is immeasurable. The safari itself was also great. The amount of time spent driving between the trek end to Nakuru and Nakuru to Masai Mari got old... however, this is unavoidable when trying to do it all.

Thanks again for aranging a very enjoyable trip!

Alan Bardsley reviewing Mount Kenya: Burguret Chogoria Traverse

Heather & I had a great time - with the guide and hotel in Addis and Lodge in Gondar all rated at highly.

Richard Scott reviewing Classic Simien Mountain Trek

This was a great trip! Great value for money and a great way to learn about the Atlas and see Morocco! I felt a million miles away from home, with the breath taking views and of course both the cook and tour guide helped to make it a great experience. We never went hungry and the food was great!

Helen Dennis reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

We had a really good time and would thoroughly recommend anyone to go to Morrocco with Tourdust. The trekking was really good, although basic gite is exactly what they were!! We had a bit of an issue with a loo which caused a little concern but apart from that the guide was great as were the cooks. The food was generally good though i must admit i don't need to have a tagine again in a hurry!! Chez Momo was lovely, a real relaxation. I'm lead to believe that it is not quite as good as it was, the menu was a litte uninspiring, but for us it was perfectly timed as we needed a little R and R then onto Marrakech. The riad (Bel Haj) was amazing as were the staff there it was a little haven of tranquility in the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. Blue Morocco was so good the kids loved the surfing and the whole ethos of the place. They made us feel so welcome and I would send the kids back there no porblem!!

All in all a real success

Sophie Hopkisson reviewing Two Week Family Trek & Surf Holiday

Our Morocco trip was a great success.We made it to the top of Toubkal,and then enjoyed kicking back at Dar Hanane.

Our guide on the trek, tall Mohammed, was excellent. Conditions on the final climb were tough. It rained, hailed and snowed the afternoon before, and we were slipping around a fair bit on the last day. The hut we stayed in at Lipeney was great. The Toubkal refuge was a shocker! Really crowded.

Stuart Walker reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

My guide, Duncan Kingori, was fantastic. In the three days we were with him I don't think I ever asked him a question, on any topic, which he couldn't answer in detail. He was a fountain of information about the mating habits, gestation periods, family practices, hunting strategies etc. of every animal we encountered, but never in an intrusive way. He also appears to be an excellent driver and mechanic, and in a dozen hours or so we seem to have seen pretty much everything Maasai Mara can offer - not least all of the Big Five.

I was also very impressed by the two Mountain Rock camps, and think the new temporary camp inside the park is particularly fine. It was exactly what I wanted: comfortable, but not featherbedded or faux-colonial. I can't say I am a big fan of the Rock House in Karen - the staff were friendly enough and the food was OK, but all the tortured wood and fake (fibreglass) rock gives the place a heavy, gloomy air!

Meals, service & advice and overall impression was great. It would have been good to know that the last two hours of the drive to Maasai Mara are over an extremely uncomfortable unpaved (and washboarded) road; people might want to consider flying from the local airstrip to their next destination if the costs of doing so aren't prohibitive.

Andrew Joncus reviewing 3 Day Budget Private Masai Mara Safari

We had a super holiday, thank you.

adam chamberlain reviewing Tailor-made Boutique Dubrovnik Kayaking Holiday

We had a great trip with Tourdust. The guides (especially the cook) were fantastic and very supportive. All accommodation on the mountain was great. The first refuge we stayed at was fab and we welcomed the teams advice to camp at the second refuge. We would (and have already) recommended Tourdust to friends.

Richard Taylor reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

First of all I wanted to thank you for this wonderful trip that you organised for us. we had a great time! The choice of the hotels was great, all of them were clean and had a nice atmosphere. The food was great in general and so were all cooks.

CHRISTOS GKOGKAS reviewing Simien Mountains & Northern Highlights

Our guide really was wonderful, calm helpful and very good company - he also took care of us incredibly well along with our two other companions and their mules.

Everything was as we had expected - and the mountains were wonderful.

Elena Isayev reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit

Three 50+ year olds had a fab time on the Croatian Island Hopping Holiday in June 2012. The trip was extremely well organised, but we didn't feel as if we were being over regimented. The kayaks were well maintained and we had the option of singles or doubles. The kayaking was challenging, due to unusually high winds, but was manageable if not a little tiring. We paddled between 12 and 19km/day. On a very windy day, the water activities had to be cancelled, but they were replaced with an equally challenging and enjoyable hike. We had the services of the guide for an extra day at the end of the week, which should have been a free day, this was an unexpected bonus to compensate for the missed day at sea. The accommodation was basic but adequate, our room on Lopud didn't have air-conditioning, which was fine in June, but may be uncomfortable in August. Other rooms in Lopud did have aircon. The food was plentiful, very fresh and lovely.

Joy Marshall reviewing Croatia Island Hopping Holiday

Brilliant in every respect.

Robert Waddington reviewing Croatia Island Hopping Holiday

We had an amazing trek.

Eileen Tolan reviewing Classic Simien Mountain Trek

We really have to thank your company for putting us in such capable and welcoming hands, we had an absolutely amazing experience with the two guides that conducted us from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi and back, and recommend a tour with either as highly as is possible.

Our main guide, Ilyas, was a wonderful tour leader in every respect, displaying a comprehensive knowledge of local history and culture. His enthusiasm for these subjects was infectious -- there's really nothing to help a place come alive like somebody who really knows it, loves it, and loves sharing it, and this is certainly a description of Ilyas. Aside from his helpful asides about out-of-the-way places that we passed on our whirlwind few day trip, or lessons on Amazir language and culture, Ilyas really did everything he could to make sure that we felt at ease and comfortable. Spending a couple near uninterrupted days in a small car with new acquaintances really helps one appreciate this. No question that we had was foolish, no request to stop ignored or unheeded. When we asked to stop somewhere for some camel milk, for instance, both Ilyas and Mohammed (our driver) took this request very seriously indeed. Combined with the clinic that Mohammed put on when it came to cornering and basic highway citizenship (police would recognize him along the way, and ask him for reports on highway accidents), both Jason and I are sure that we couldn't have asked for any better pair of guides to conduct us on our journey.

Sara Doran reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

We were extremely impressed with the organisation, logistics and execution of the trip by the local team on the ground - we didn't expect a trip to Africa to run so smoothly! Plus a lovely touch by a few hotels who acknowledged it was our honeymoon....petals on beds in Addis Regency and Gondar, with a free evening meal at the latter too!

Richard Waters reviewing Classic Northern Circuit & Simien Mountains

Thanks Tourdust, for showing us close up how people live in Ethiopia and its amazing wildlife.

Luke Pinney reviewing Simien Mountains & Northern Highlights

We really enjoyed both the Toubkal climb and the dessert trip! Very well organised.

We had the same guide for both, Elias, who treated us pretty well and was extremely flexible on changing routes or stopping where we wanted to. If I have to pick on something, and I may be a bit too fussy, is that he knew and explained broad historical/cultural issues but sometimes it felt that it was a bit limited. Probably give him a 4/5.

Accommodation was pretty basic, but I do realise that there is not a lot of choice when you are up there!Give you a 3/5

The meals in the toubkal trip were very good and very large amounts. We had the vegetarian option, and the only thing is that they were a bit the same throughout the trip. Another 4/5

Very good service arranging/organising the trip prior and during it- sorting out taxis, etc. Super reliable. Give you a 5/5.

Very good overall impressions. Very well selected routes and very enjoyable experience overall. Give you a 5/5 again and will definitely be looking for tourdust trips in the future!

Ignacio Vazquez reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

Both our guides were fine, did a good job, walked at a good pace for our group. Kept a close eye on us on the last night and helped me keep going even when not feeling well. Only thing i would say is that they weren't overly friendly. Felt a bit like they spoke to us enough to sort of do their job and make conversation but sort of expected that they might be a bit more friendly and enthusiastic. Might have been due to the fact we were two girls though? Didn't really stop us enjoying it, just would have been nice! 4/5

Considering your on a mountain the food was good and there was a lot of it. Though this became a bit of a problem as we felt so much pressure to eat it, not once did we finish all the food that was provided, and felt bad about the waste. Perhaps the cook needs to be more open to changing the portions of food he cooks depending on how much people eat! 4/5

All the information from tourdust through booking was excellent. We had plenty of information to help decide the route and to prepare for the climb. Though we were advised to take water purifying tablets, but actually they already purified the water. And walking poles were an optional extra however we were advised they were essential on arrival and had to rent some. 5/5

Emily Davies reviewing Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route

This was an excellent trip which exposed us to the life of Amazier (Berber) villagers in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco enhanced by the detail provided by the guides and complimented by the local food and service provided by the head muleteer, who was highly respected by the guides and others alike. The first three days provided an opportunity to acclimatise to the temperature more than the altitude but better that way than both at the same time. The next three days provided exactly what we wanted in terms of a challenging trek with the flexibility to change the itinerary to cater for our individual and group needs and the day at the end provided experience of the markets and conflicting lifestyle in Marrakech to that in the mountains.

The guides, cook and muleteers we had were excellent and couldn’t do enough to keep us happy even to the point of arranging surprise cakes and fritters on the third day of the trek when I mentioned it was one of the group members birthday. The food was excellent throughout, with fresh vegetables, fruit and some fish and meat was provided with the majority of meals, the only improvement would have been the provision of fresher bread as it became a little monotonous eating stale bread because you had it with everything; perhaps we were just spoilt on the days 1 and 2 at Dar Ardar. Our guides Mohammed and Ilyas were tentative and informative throughout and although Mohammed was clearly the more experienced of the two, Ilyas provided the group with a daily insight into the life of Berber and the history of the Amazier people which enhanced the experience had by all.

mkin reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

The Imlil accommodation ( Dar Adrar) & food were just right (5/5) although it came as quite a surprise (albeit a pleasant one for us) that the last 10mins of the transfer from airport to accommodation was by foot & luggage by mule.

The guide Lasan and the cook Rashid were both excellent and literally went out of their way, an extra 3 hour walk for them, to help us on our return trip, it having snowed quite alot during the night, and so making the original planned return route difficult. Both 5/5 and Rashid's meals (5/5) produced on a mountainside were better presented, better tasting, and better quantities (too much sometimes) than some of the restaurant meals we subsequently had in Marrakech.

The Riad Dar Hanane was also good with very attentive service (perhaps occasionally over attentive for our tastes) and the overall feel of the Riad was perhaps a little sterile, but again that is a matter of taste; and breakfast quantities were a little spartan (4/5 - a loaf each instead of one to share is all that is needed and to be fair we did not request this at the time - I suspect it would have been granted). Aziz was very genial and, as it turned out, the hand drawn maps by Mohammed were valuable for navigating Marrakech.

The behind the scenes organisation in Morocco appeared faultless (5/5)

The UK bookings advice & service also good.(4.5/5)

Overall we had a very enjoyable break (5/5). Thank you

Richard Fuller reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

The Imlil accommodation ( Dar Adrar) & food were just right (5/5) although it came as quite a surprise (albeit a pleasant one for us) that the last 10mins of the transfer from airport to accommodation was by foot & luggage by mule.

The guide Lasan and the cook Rashid were both excellent and literally went out of their way, an extra 3 hour walk for them, to help us on our return trip, it having snowed quite alot during the night, and so making the original planned return route difficult. Both 5/5 and Rashid's meals (5/5) produced on a mountainside were better presented, better tasting, and better quantities (too much sometimes) than some of the restaurant meals we subsequently had in Marrakech.

The Riad Dar Hanane was also good with very attentive service (perhaps occasionally over attentive for our tastes) and the overall feel of the Riad was perhaps a little sterile, but again that is a matter of taste; and breakfast quantities were a little spartan (4/5 - a loaf each instead of one to share is all that is needed and to be fair we did not request this at the time - I suspect it would have been granted). Aziz was very genial and, as it turned out, the hand drawn maps by Mohammed were valuable for navigating Marrakech.

The behind the scenes organisation in Morocco appeared faultless (5/5)

The UK bookings advice & service also good.(4.5/5)

Overall we had a very enjoyable break (5/5). Thank you

Richard Fuller reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

Firstly Hassan our guide. What a lovely man, relaxed but attentive and primarily concerned with our wellbeing. On our final day we had to cope with some rather challenging conditions. Very high winds gusting on exposed paths with loose scree on either side of narrow tracks. For some of the way he hand held my partner as our ears filled up with small stones and dust,a professional job very well done top marks from us 5 out of 5.

Accommodation was good although fairly basic. A small issue would be the problem of lack of running water at our 1st accommodation especially as it was the “traditional” drop toilet. 3 out of 5.

Mustapha our muleteer and cook was also fabulous cheerful respectful and what a spread he would put on. Who else can put weight on while trekking in the Atlas? Top marks 5 out of 5.

Booking and service was good 4/5 out of 5.

Our overall impression was great. The trek itself was stunning and we enjoyed it no end and thank goodness within our capabilities another top score 5 out of 5. Thanks!

Sue Neate reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

We really enjoyed the tour. We found it to be well organised (both in booking /prior to departure and during), good value for money and very accommodating - for example the fact that we were asked if we would like to postpone our taxi ride back to Marrakech (we were staying at Kasbah du Toubkal for 2 nights after the tour ended, before travelling on to Marrakech), being given the option to store our excess baggage in the Tour Dust office in Imlil and then having this delivered direct to the Kasbah on our arrival, and our guide escorting us straight to the Kasbah at the end of the tour.

I think it would be important to state that the mules aren't with you at all times, so store everything you might need for that morning/afternoon in your daypack (we were caught in a heavy rain storm without our macs because of this).

Daphne Fordham reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

We had the most amazing time, I really can't say how wonderful the whole holiday was as from the start to the finish we were looked after by whoever was the person at the time so beautifully! Lasen the guide is truly such a lovely man who was a shadow when he was needed by my father but was sensitive when not! So 5 out of 5 for the guide, it was the most memorable brilliant holiday!! The only slight change that did occur was that we didn't go the Riad Dar Hanane, we turned up there and they said that we were staying at the sister riad, which was called Riad Tzarra which was seriously amazing.

Camilla Drinkall reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

We returned yesterday from our Morocco trip and I just wanted to write to say thank you to Tourdust as we had a fantastic time and everything went very smoothly, which is extremely impressive given the last minute nature of our trip. Thank you, and I will not hesitate to recommend Tourdust to friends.

Also I just wanted to add how fantastic we found our guide Abdul and our cook Mohammed to be. For three days they were great company and great guides/cooks and I have no doubt we would not have made it up Toubkal without them.

Nicholas Sim reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

We thought this was a very well planned out trip. It had a good balance of kayaking and fun time. All staff we came across from booking, to transfer to guides were always very helpful and friendly. The staff in Croatia were always welcoming and forthcoming with help and information. We loved the island, the car free environment was fantastic. The island and its neighbors were beautiful, the water is stunning, I cant remember seeing sea that clear before. The children were never bored, if they weren't kayaking they were snorkeling and loved it. We all loved the banana boat ride and the speed boat trip.

On the last day three families chartered the local glass bottom boat, 1300 Kuna for the day (approx £10 per person) and we had a fantastic trip around other islands, snorkeling and swimming in new areas and a lovely lunch on anther islands. I would recommend this to other travelers. I think this was arranged through Irvana.

We would recommend this holiday and Tourdust services to friends in the future.

Claire Hillman-Brown reviewing Family Sea Kayaking Holiday in Dubrovnik

We would not hesitate to give our guide and chef 5 stars as there was nothing really we could fault them on. The guide was very friendly and chatty, speaking great English and was very attentive throughout.

Although the chef didn't speak English to the same standard, he was always extremely polite and cooked the authentic Moroccan dishes to a high standard in rather difficult circumstances (in a large tent).

The accommodation was a tent, which we of course expected, but the guide did put the tent up and even provided sleeping mats, which were much needed.

The contact we received from both yourself and the guide prior to departure was great, especially the Itinerary, and the guide was very flexible in allowing us to return from the trip a little early for our onward journey.

Overall the trip was excellent and certainly a highlight of our 3 week stay in Morocco and we would recommend to anyone thinking of booking a similar excursion.

5 stars all round!

Adam White reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Having returned home after my trip to Morocco from 8th-15th August with your company I wish to compliment you in what was a fabulous first vacation to Morocco and first taste of trekking with my two children.
Mohammed and Abdu my guide, Muleteer and cook were outstanding in providing such a quality experience for us all up in the mountains. My children were particularly well cared for and the genuine hospitality shown by the owners and families at the various accommodations along the way made their first trekking experience a memorable one from start to finish.
My accommodation at Chez Momo and the wonderful Dar Vedra Riad in Marrakech were excellent and made us feel immersed in the architecture of Morocco. In particular Sebastian at Dar Vedra was a wonderful host during our time in the city and all the staff at Chez Momo were friendly and very accommodating to our needs.
Eight days passed very quickly. It was our first taste of trekking amidst this type of terrain and we only saw just a small part of Morocco but certainly this country has more to see and it will not be our last visit. I will thoroughly recommend to my friends Tourdust as a company and reiterate how much we all enjoyed trekking amongst the Atlas mountains and watching the buzz of activity in the city of Marrakech. It was the perfect itinerary for myself and my two 9 year olds.

Carole Sankey reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech & Mountains

I really loved this trip. Croatia is simply stunning and I will certainly go back there. Kayaking is a brilliant way to explore the beautiful coast. The highlights for me were the simple pleasures - exploring caves; playing around with my waterproof camera; the satisfaction of paddling over to the mainland in the heat of the day and once there, diving off the harbor walls.

I was already confident in a kayak so found the pace easy. Our guides were friendly, relaxed and helpful. The only downside for me for a spot of seasickness on the first day, but luckily the waters were much calmer for the remainder of the trip.

The food was typical Mediterranean fare - tasty and simple. My accommodation was just as I expected, a basic, comfortable guest-house with a friendly hug from my landlady at the end of my stay!

Can you please pass on my thanks to the excellent mainland-based tour guide who put himself out to drop me in Dubrovnik old town on Thursday and looked after my bags so I could explore, before driving me the airport that evening. That's the sort of helpful, friendly touch that you wouldn't get with a bigger company.

5 out of 5 for everything!

Anne-Marie Critien reviewing Dubrovnik Kayaking Short Break

I have nothing but praise for both your company and the people that you deal with. My initial contact with Ben and Anna was wonderful, they are both friendly, helpful and were always ready with a comforting or helpful reply when called upon. From the get go I knew that I had struck it lucky in my dealings with Tourdust.

Imlil:

Mustafa collected us from Marrakech train station, he was quiet but efficient and went out of his way to find a bank machine for us so that we would not be stuck for dirhams. As we drove further into the mountains his pride in his home village became apparent as he opened up a little and began to point out little things of interest. In Imlil we were met immediately by Hamid (of Dar Adrar) who escorted us to the gite. Upon arrival he showed us to our rooms and prepared the first of many mint teas that we were to sample in our time in Morocco. Realising that we may struggle to find somewhere to eat for lunch, seeing as it was Eid al Adha, he did not hesitate to offer us lunch, a tasty omelette and salad was promptly delivered to us in a cosy sitting room. Hamid was so hospitable and a pleasure to deal with. The rooms are exactly what we expected them to be - better in fact. They were comfortable and clean and typically rustic. The views from the terrace were breath-taking. Early on that first afternoon, a roaring fire was lit and we snuggled up and relaxed, reading our books in the tranquil atmosphere of the gite. Dinner was served and was a delight. We met with Mohamed as we were retiring to bed and he suggested we be ready to leave around 9.30 the next morning - perfect. After a good nights sleep, we hate a wonderful breakfast and set out. The guide (Lassan) was wonderful - a very experienced guide with years of training. He was talkative and absolutely marvellous with Katy (my nine year old daughter). The chef, Ibrahim was a bit of a wonder, we really couldn't figure out how he could consistently provide such wonderful meals on a portable stove. Mention must also be made of Hassan the other local that escorted the mule - he was constantly helpful and looked after Katy so well. The overnight in the village was wonderful, the Gite d'Etape, whilst expectedly basic, was a great night. The owner was present much of the time but stayed in the background making sure everything was running smoothly. There was only one slight glitch which was unavoidable I suppose, we had not realised that we would not be returning to Dar Adrar after the hike and had left many of our belongings there. We were met in the village by Mustafa for the return journey to Marrakech with all of our belongings but they had missed Katys two pairs of shoes that had been left in the communal shoe area, it was not a big deal and we were not put out at all.

Marrakech:

Monsieur Aztat had organised everything to perfection, we were met in Marrakech by Direse the man with a cart who steered us through the Marrakech back alleys like a pro. At breakneck speeds we careened through the frenetic streets until we finally arrived at Riad Boussa. Anyone who has never been to Marrakech before may have worried that they were being sucked into some little side alley for dodgy dealings but I knew the score. The door to Riad Boussa opened and we were led into this oasis. The first words my daughter gasped were 'it’s a sanctuary' and she was so right. The wonderful scent of essential oils drifted in the soft candle lit air. We were made comfortable by Madame Grillion and brought yet another round of the ubiquitous mint tea. Madame Grillion sat with us and went through a map of Marrakech with super suggestions for both sights to see and restaurants. We took all of her tips and were delighted with each one. Special mention needs to be made of Dejeuner de Marrakech for lunch. We had a wonderful time exploring Marrakech and enjoyed the many sights and sounds of this truly colorful city.

Sidi Kaouki:

The next morning, after another tasty breakfast in Riad Boussa, Madame Grillion confirmed our driver was on the way and Direse was called upon to guide us to Djem el Fnaa once more. Mohammed, our driver delivered us safely to Sidi Kaouki and all was fine. There had been quite a lot of inclement weather which had caused some problems for the taxi service and the surf school Blue Morocco but nothing that we were aware of in any negative way. The first afternoon the weather meant we were unable to have a surf lesson but I think we all welcomed the time for relaxation. There was a little confusion about meals with the Auberge owner (Auberge de la Plage), I believe her name was Francoise but I may be wrong, I am afraid it has slipped my mind. The surf instructors and owner of the school were all so friendly and really went out of their way to make the lessons an experience as opposed to just a lesson. The owner of Blue Morocco was friendly and a pleasure to deal with.

Sonja Owens reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech, Trek & Surf

We had a great trek and thought the Atlas mountains were really beautiful. The tour guide and the muleteer were both excellent and would score 5/5 without a doubt. The standard of the food we were served was excellent and probably the best we had on our whole holiday. I couldn't believe the trouble that Samir had gone to on the first day when we arrived for our lunch of freshly prepared food and mint tea.

Christine Wardle reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

We had a great trek and thought the Atlas mountains were really beautiful. The tour guide and the muleteer were both excellent and would score 5/5 without a doubt. The standard of the food we were served was excellent and probably the best we had on our whole holiday. I couldn't believe the trouble that Samir had gone to on the first day when we arrived for our lunch of freshly prepared food and mint tea.

Christine Wardle reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

Our trekking guide was great, walked at our pace, and taught us a lot about the mountains, we met his family while sheltering from the rain and had tea and cakes.

The accomodation at both Riad Tzarra and the Kasbar near Ilmil were great, staff could not be more helpful, or kind.The only thing we might have asked is that as we were the only guests in Riad Tzarra that after the initial welcoming from the Manager of Riad Da Hanne - was that she had come back during our dinner in the evening just to answer a couple of questions we had (but i think that was due to our actual manager being on holiday).

Food was delicious in both accomodations particulalry at the Berber Guest House. We even asked for a recipe for some of the food to take home with us.

Would definately go away with tourdust again and will reccomend to friends (as it was recommended to us via a friend).

It provided us with a really interesting authentic experience, with the ease of a tour without feeling like you were on a tour. All taxis and guides and arrangements were perfectly on time and perfectly suited to what we wanted. It allowed us to fit so much into a short stay.

Charlotte Sparke reviewing Day treks, Camels & Boutique Marrakech

I really enjoyed the trip despite the rotten weather. The guide, Mohammed, could not have been better - he was competent, friendly, informative and had a great sense of humour. He rose to every challenge that the weather posed and looked after us extremely well; definitely a 5. The accommodation at Imlil was exactly as I expected, the staff and the food were great. The Bel Haj in Marrakech was better than expected, the room was luxurious and the staff were all friendly and efficient, the manageress coming in to see me, suggesting places to visit etc. Once again a 5 for accommodation. All services prior to departure were also worth a 5 as was my overall impression. Thank you for an extremely well arranged and managed holiday

Warwick Hardy reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit

Amazing time, 6 of us joined the group, the two guides were so lovely friendly and very helpful. The guest houses on both islands were very traditional and very nice and the owners so welcoming. Ben and Anna at Tourdust made organising this group holiday very easy by constantly keeping in touch and answering questions etc. The kayaks and equipment was very good and each day was an adventure. I would highly recommend Tourdust to others. Thankyou for a very good holiday. Anne's group Norwich

Anne Herring reviewing Croatia Island Hopping Holiday

Ibrahim was my guide. I found him to be attentive, good humoured and relaxed. I did not appreciate until I got to the refuge that the final 1000 metres of Toubkal would be attempted in the dark commencing 5 am on the second day. That was a 3 hour hike, mostly in the dark, up the scree and it was tough going. Ibrahim was careful as we got closer to the top to make sure I paced myself and he slowed his own pace down quite markedly even though he felt the cold.

On refection it would have been preferable to have spent a second night at the refuge and walked back to Imlil the following day. The final hike up and down Toubkal was enough of a hike in itself and knowledge that one had to hike down from the refuge to Imlil added a time pressure to the day. This was of course subjective but I would recommend to anyone that they enjoy the moment of having climbed Toubkal and then spend the rest of that day at the refuge. I should add that the company and character of hikers at the refuge was outstanding. It was a pleasure to have met such a great group of open and sociable people at one time in such a place. I probably should add that that may have been a one off as the following day a small group arrived marked by a determination to keep to themselves and remain closed to others.

The walk back to Imlil was pleasant. It was a fair walk on top of an already full day. Ibrahim set a cracking pace.

The cook was also terrific. The food was superb. It really was excellent. I do not want to sound ungracious but the lunch cooked on the first day was a feast with the result that the rest of the hike was made more difficult as my blood supply moved to my stomach to digest food when it was needed elsewhere.

It was a great 2 day trip and I remain grateful for your expertise and your assistance.

Kevin Holmes reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

5/5 for the Guide
5/5 for the accommodation
5/5 for everything.

Fantastic trip and we thought the food the organisation and customer care was absolutely brilliant.

Marianne Peck reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

I had a fantastic experience and we were well looked after by our guide Abdul and cook Hamid. The staff at Tourdust provided an excellent organising and facitilating service. Abdul was 5/5 he was able, thorough and very thoughtful and had a good sense of humour. Hamid the cook was excellent too. The mountain huts were fine. Some other travellers had concerns over the squat toilet facilities but we were happy with everything. The beds were comfortable and the food was excellent. The question of tipping or not tipping hut custodians is a bit of a quandary and there seems to have been an increase in the size of tips expected in general. It would be useful to have advice from the company on this. Food was Really healthy and delicious food served with great enthusiasm. I particularly benefited from the porrage at breakfast times. The colourful salad supplied at the col at 3000 metres was particularly note worthy. The panacakes made for us at the Netlner refuge were of exceptionally good quality.

Sid Gallagher reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Definitely 5/5 across the board. An amazing and memorable trip enjoyed by everyone in the party – even those who had reservations about attempting the challenge. Elias was a great guide. His pace was just right for a mixed ability group of our size, he was helpful and very good at preparing us mentally for what lay ahead when answering the ‘how much further?’ ‘how much higher?’ questions. He was very knowledgeable about the local landscape scenery and was obviously very keen to educate us on Berber culture, which was fascinating.

The accommodation in Imlil and Marrakesh was absolutely stunning. A fantastic way to start and end the trip. Fantastic introduction to Morocco in Imlil in traditional riad. The place in Marrakesh was fabulous too – the setting, facilities, food, staff, and the amazing Mandy were faultless. Camping was less luxurious! Quality of the tents and the facilities in the refuge were better than expected although quite basic. The decision to sleep in tents rather than in the crowded noisy dorms was the right one. However the final night under canvas wasn’t much fun given the (unexpected and unseasonal) incessant rain and wind.

Food on trek was amazing. Fresh, tasty, filling and plentiful. Far superior to anything any of the group expected. Unbelievable that the cooks could whip up such amazing food in the middle of nowhere.

I’d have no hesitation at all in recommending Tourdust to anyone who wants first class service, accurate information, eager, informed guides and amazing chefs.

Marie Ghiloni reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

We had a really excellent time thanks and would rate everything 5 out of 5.
Murat was great fun, a careful and competent guide,
as well as being informative and entertaining.
Loved the hotel and the friendly staff.

Elinor Cole reviewing Seakayak Turkey's Turquoise Coast!

Got back from Morocco last night and the 3 day trek we organised with you was awesome! Such an amazing experience and well worth it to get to the top!

The tour guide Mohammed was excellent. He spoke perfect English and was very informative 5/5

Staying in tents in the refuges was really enjoyable for me but was basic. I was not expecting luxury and thought it was everything that we needed 4/5

Meals were amazing, true moroccan cuisine and plenty of it! 5/5

We were given all the advice and information needed for the trip 5/5

Overall experience was great! Thanks very much 5/5

Alice Stephens reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

My photogaphy week in Orvieto was simply wonderful. Patrick and his wife Lucia are terrific and generous hosts and Patrick's knowledge of Umbria, Tuscany and the historical context of the places you visit is absolutely encyclopedic - yet far from dry. The B&B I stayed in was great t and I cannot recommend Orvieto highly enough as a place to visit. Separately, and I suppose more importantly, the actual course itself was marvellous. The sights we saw, the way we started using 100% of our brain when looking at something rather than the usual 10%, the overall instruction - all absolutely faultless. Can't recommend it highly enough.

KatherineB reviewing Photography Courses in Italy

All three guides, one on each trip were excellent, coped with the variety of people on the trips well - especially so on the Canyoning - were knowledgable, competent and friedndly. Only slight disappointment was the snorkleing trip which was enjoyable but there wasn't a lot pointed out to look at; so kayaking and canyoning 5, snorkelling 4. The Riverside hotel - great, couldn't fault it for the price range. Staff really friendly and helpful, rooms basic but good, pool excellent. A really enjoyable trip, I would recommend it to others.

Dave Bradford reviewing Family Activity Holiday in Turkey

Our main guide, Ibrahim, was amazing. Our porters/cooks Mohamed and Samir were brilliant too. Ibrahim knew everything and, despite it being during Ramadan and trying to conserve energy, he would talk with us frequently and give us loads of information wherever we wanted it. As he knew so many people he was able to arrange everything quickly, and all three of them were a masterful team at preparing where we were sleeping and what we were eating and so on. I presume it was the Morrocan way, but there wasn't too much communication of what was happening next and so on. Things just happened - as we'd anticipate them to - but without too much fuss and chat about it. We'd always have a meeting at the end of the day to discuss the next day.

Accommodation was fine and certainly on level with expectations. We had 'guesthouses' in the Berber villages for the first three nights, and on the fourth night we were in the Toubkal Refuge. The accommodation was very basic - a mat on a floor in someone's house - but we weren't expecting anything else so it was good.

Drew Thomson reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

Everything, from start to finish, was perfect. Minalu, our guide, and Yohannes (Johnny) our driver, were absolutely wonderful. I had never taken a private custom tour before and was not sure what to expect. Minalu and Johnny were fabulous. I think what I appreciated the most was their flexibility and absolute sincere interest in showing us their country. I loved that over dinner Minalu would give us briefings on the history of the country. He was extremely knowledgeable and I truly appreciated learning so much from him. We would often stop in villages that neither of them knew so we could visit typical homes, or visit the markets. We also crashed a wedding near Hawzien as they thought it was something we should see. We were of course received with open arms by the people at the wedding and offered copious amounts of local honey beer. We made several spontaneous stops in villages when we saw a market or special event. There is no way we could have experienced this in a large organized group tour.

When we were planning this trip you asked us right at the start what our interests were. So, we said we were looking for a trip that included lots of culture and history and a lot of photography. And this trip delivered on all counts. Minalu knew that I was very interested in photography and ensured that this was a big part of the trip. Johnny was great, stopping whenever we wanted to let us take photos. Minalu often intervened for us with the local people to ask them to have their photo taken. I could not have asked for more in terms of photographic opportunities. Well, maybe less haze and bluer skies, which Minalu tried to get for us.

Our trip started with 2 days in Awash. The area does not have the abundant wildlife you would see in Kenya or South Africa but the huge plains of thorn trees and large herds of Oryx were quite impressive. We did see a few zebras, some austrich, antelope, warthogs, baboons, dikdik and the black backed jackal. My absolute favorite part of this area was our visit with the Afar people. We visited a local village with a local guide and got a quick glimpse into the lives of these nomadic people. My only regret is that this visit was very short. Accommodations in Awash were very good. The Anamalia lodge was a bit expensive for food, but we did get to eat antelope.

After Awash we went North towards to more historic highlands area of Ethiopia. We stopped at Bati market which we toured with a local guide. We did miss the camel market as we got there too late. Our local guide should have taken us there immediately on arrival in Bati however we only went to that area of the market after lunch and it was over by then. The market itself is spectacular as there are people from all over the area. This was an incredible glimpse into the lives of the Ethiopian people. They come from all over to sell their wares, just amazing, like stepping back in time.

Our next big stop was Lalibela. Of course the rock-hewn churches are amazing. We had a wonderful day visiting all the churches with our local guide. But for me the next stop, Ghelralta was an absolutely spectacular highlight. I never expected this at all. We climbed to the top of mountains to see incredible rock hewn churches and monasteries from the 6th century. To me, these were the absolute highlights of the trip. Going up Abuna Yamata Goh is something I will never forget, and I really appreciated Minalu taking us up there. When we saw where we were going we thought he was crazy, but he and the guides encouraged us and helped us all the way up. It does sort of require nerves of steel to go up the sheer rock face and then the small ledge along the cliff to the actually church. The Gheralta lodge is probably the best place we stayed. It is quite isolated but so calm and relaxing and the food was delicious. I could have stayed there for a week just to relax and visit the sites.

A short drive from Hawzien brought us to Axum, the ancient home of the legendary Queen Sheba. We toured all the ancient sites with an excellent local guide, and saw the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. It was a very full day of touring which was great.

The Simien Mountains was the next stop, three nights of camping. We were not sure what to expect but this whole trek was amazing. We joked about how many people it takes to take two Canadians camping. We had Minalu with us, and a local guide, a scout, a cook, the cook’s assistant, 4 mules and 4 muleteers. The service on the trek was top notch. Our cook was excellent. It is incredible to arrive at the camp after a full day of trekking in the mountains and have hot water waiting for us to clean up, a nice cup of coffee and popcorn. We had a bit of time to relax before dinner, then time for a short trek to see the sunset and wildlife after dinner. Our local guide set the perfect pace for us during the trek. The trek up to Inatye was difficult, but our local guide took his time getting us there. We got lucky and did not get any rain during the entire three days despite some menacing looking clouds.

The wildlife in the Simiens is fascinating, especially the Gelada baboons. I loved these animals. They allowed us to get quite close to photograph them. They are fascinating animals, plucking the dried grass to eat the fresher roots. While trekking we came to valley in the midst of a Gelada baboon fight. The sound of the screaming baboons echoing through the valley was unbelievable. And of course in the Simiens we encountered the Walia Ibex. There were a few near out camp at Chennek, and then we saw a whole herd of them on a short trek we took on out last morning in the mountains. We must have spent more than an hour watching the whole herd descend from the top of a cliff to the valley. It was nearing rutting season so there was a lot of sniffing and posturing by the males. It was just a wonderful experience to see this. We also saw the Bush Buck, the Klipspringer and many birds like the Lammergeier vulture.

One thing that surprised us was how populated the trekking area is. There were quite a few villages and lots of kids shepherding their flocks. It was kind of nice to see all the local people throughout the park. We stopped at a local house for a coffee ceremony during the second day of the trek.

(Just a side note about the trekking - I think it would be important to warn trekkers of the potential dangers in the campgrounds. There are lots of people milling around the campsites with all the muleteers and villagers around. We met a woman who was trekking at the same time as us but spend an extra night in Geech so was in Chennek the day after us. We met up with her again in Gondar and she told us she was robbed in the middle of the night in her tent at Chennek. Someone slashed her tent and made off with her bag. Armed guards and guides cannot prevent this kind of thing at night. So trekkers should be warned to keep all valuables on their person even at night. This woman lost almost everything and as you can imagine she was quite traumatized by the whole thing. We had discussions with our leader about this and from his point of view it would be too scary to the travelers to be told there were certain dangers. Our leader did however leave most of his money and his valuable with the driver, seemingly aware of the potential for thieves. It was never suggested to us that we do the same.)

After our wonderful trek we headed to Gondar, with a quick stop at a Falasha village. This stop was not very interesting, more of a tourist trap than anything else. Our stay in Gondar was very nice. The hotel Fasil Lodge was very nice, and the restaurant was very good. The history around Gondar is fascinating, a visit to the old castles and churches was our morning activity, and in the afternoon we went to visit a monastery on Lake Tana. The whole area of Lake Tana is so different. It has a more tropical feel to it. The monasteries on Lake Tana near Bahir Dar were interesting. Perhaps after having visited so many churches and monasteries we were starting to feel a bit churched out, but the paintings and history of the area are very fascinating. Some of the monasteries around the lake are very touristy, perhaps this led to our feeling of this being less authentic. Lots and lots of stalls selling jewellery and other local crafts.

We also saw the Blue Nile falls, the source of the Blue Nile and the Blue Nile Gorge. The falls are not what they were before the installation of a dam but just seeing the falls and the actual source of the Nile was amazing.

And so to end my little trip resumé, I have reiterate that the whole trip was outstanding. The hotels we stayed at were all excellent, and the restaurants suggested to us by Minalu were as well. While it is difficult to choose my favorite parts of this trip, I would have to say the highlights for me were the visit to the Afar village, the monasteries and churches of the Gheralta plateau and the Simien Mountains Trek. And seeing the churches at Lalibela was a dream come through after having read about them so long ago.

Anne-Marie Bernier reviewing Classic Northern Circuit & Simien Mountains

Our guide, Frederick was excellent and very knowledgeable, definitely a 5. The meals were great and the quantity of food slightly overwhelming on occasion! The service and effort put into presentation far exceeded out expectations

James Innes reviewing Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route

In the past I have always been a believer in independently organising my own holidays, as that has always been part of my holiday experience. However, I was wary about taking my wife and children (aged 15,14 and 10) on an adventure without some help to organise the trip. After some careful searching on-line I found 'Tourdust' who organise adventure travel 'everywhere'. All the reviews raved about their services, so I sent them an email...

Ben and Anna helped us plan a eleven day holiday to include trekking in the Atlas Mountains, exploring Marrakesh and surfing on the Atlantic coast. Using their wide knowledge they made some excellent suggestions and encouraged us to make choices that would not have occurred to me had I booked independently. This included an excellent last minute suggestion, based on up to date weather information, to stay in the mountains on our first night rather than in the heat of Marrakesh. They were also immediately on the case, by phone, when our taxi failed to turn up on the last day to take us back to the airport.

I could rave for a long time about the holiday; the amazing cooking on the trek, the beautiful Riad in Marrakesh and the friendly surf instructors... but you need to experience it yourself. I am complete convert to their style of adventure travel and knowledgeable advice and would think twice before attempting to organise my own holiday again, especially if travelling as a family.

PATRICK RICHARDSON reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech, Trek & Surf

Thank you for sorting out a wonderful comprehensive schedule with spot-on organization. I had a great time. Mohamed and his staff were excellent and helpful. My guide Hassan was excellent and knowledgeable. Accommodation at Dar Adrar was good (4/5) and excellent at Dar Vedra (5/5). I was impressed with La Maison Arabe where I had an exquisite lunch. Meals provided at the guesthouses were also good.
The advice I received prior to departure was excellent. I achieved what I set out to do and it is all thanks to the smooth organization laid out by you. I am truly impressed. Once again, thank you.

ALBERT LEON reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

We had a great time!!

Guides - 5
Accom - 4
Meals - 4
Prior - 4
Overall - 5

Paul Royston reviewing Dubrovnik Kayaking Short Break

Overall, we had a wonderful time.

The only downside was the toilets in the Gites(but we kind of expected that).

Special mention to Ibrahim, our guide, who was very good. Rashid and Hassan cooked excellent meals.

All three now know how to do the "hokey kokey"...... we weren't so good at the Berber signing and dancing!

Piers Tremlett reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

On the first day of the trek our guide was there to collect us, early, even though our Riad was possibly one of the hardest to find. He had a smile on his face and was willing to help in any way. From there on, things only got better. We had an extremely comfortable ride up to the start, with our guide explaining exactly what was going on and giving us well received Moroccan history lessons to boot!

Throughout the four days, our guide and cook would do anything for us! They were extremely professional! The guide was very knowledgable, spoke English as if it was his mother tongue and led us with confidence. The cook was able to knock up a pot of mint tea on demand and kept it coming, he was very well mannered and built an excellent rapport. We joked with him from day 1, truly lovely man!

The various places that we stayed were well thought out, giving us good variation. Allowing us to see how the local population lived as well as experiencing the mountain huts. The routes were excellent and we had a choice of making them more challenging if we so liked; but the treks are literally for anyone, hitch a ride on a mule if you struggle.

I have already recommended this service to a close friend and i urge anyone to give it a go! Top draw!

Dafydd Dennis reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

As a group of 8, fifty something women, our trek crew: a guide; 2 armed scouts; a cook with 2 assistants; 8 mule men with 10 mules; treated us with great care and kindness from the outset. Our goal was a moderate 10 day, 9 night, camping circuit including all the main camps in the National Park, the peak of Ras Dashen and then a walk out though the northern lowlands along the river Incya to the town of Adi Arkaye
The scenery was stunning from the outset. Our tents were generous to huge and offered a great vantage point to rest and watch the world go by at the end of a long day. April is late in the dry season with very hot, parched and windy conditions which we found challenging. Daily we coped with deep dust underfoot, dehydrating and abrasive sun and wind, temperatures soaring from the upper 80s down to sub-zero at night on the higher stretches. Our party were experienced trekkers and/ or runners so not fazed by the effort required.
Shetu, Our guide, had a proud demeanour, a wonderfully understated sense of humour, coupled with a deep knowledge of the place, people and wildlife. All this belied his youth. Nagar, our cook, took pleasure in serving up nourishing, simple meals and readily adapted to our broad range of tastes and needs. Ginger and Thyme teas soon became a regular feature alongside the end of day snacks coffee and black tea.
The first stretch through the park was busy with other trek parties and it offered us excellent acclimatisation with stunning escarpment views. Chennek camp gave close up encounters with Gelada baboons and Ibex. Walking out of the park, going East, we dropped down to Ambiko for the overnight camp en-route to Ras Dashen. From that point we left all visitors behind seeing only our support crew and local people for the rest of the trip. The climb to the summit was a long day, starting before dawn, walking ever upwards with local farmers, hawkers and construction workers for company. The summit was a scramble and rewarded us with magnificent views. Returning to camp exhausted our muleteers feted us with posies.
As we journeyed out north we stayed at a variety of village and wild camps, sometimes finishing our evenings with a group sing song. On one occasion our cook and scout joined in. The wild camp at Sonar was in a dramatic, cliff top location with huge views and a special atmosphere. The following day we dropped down a spiralling path to the valley over 1,000m below. As we followed the river we saw a huge array of birds and other wildlife.
Ben at Tourdust was quick to respond to all our queries. He helped to sort out a couple of pre-trip setbacks and we would recommend this service for those working on tight timescales. This was a really memorable trip and a great introduction to Africa for those new to trekking on this amazing continent

HelenRutter reviewing 10 Day Simien Mountain and Ras Dashen Trek

We had a great itme and Ibrahim (guide) and Shahera (cook) were both

Ellen Bartlett reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

Altogether a great trip. We were extremely well looked after by Tourdust, and Francis and his team from the moment we were picked up at our hotel in Nairobi to the moment we were dropped off at Lewa safari Park. Francis was an excellent ‘Leader’, bright and knowledgeable, and with very good judgement. We would very happily recommend both Francis and his team, and Tourdust. The final ascent to the non-technical peak of Mt Kenya, Lenana, was perfectly judged despite the foot of snow that had fallen overnight. A great trip.

Julian Winser reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek

I would rate the trip a 5. Mohammed the guide was great as well…was patient and telling us to go slow as to not over exert ourselves.
Food was to die for…and so much of it; couldn't even finish it all. Not to mention actually climbing toubkal itself, what an unbelievable feeling. Some parts of the climb were hard like the switchbacks and the final 200m to the top but it wouldn't be a climb without some hard parts, which were few and far between. The view from the top was amazing…the feeling of accomplishment.
I would totally recommend this trip to other travelers. Any traveller would not regret it, the mountain, the people; just unbelievable!!

Michael Manalo reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

We really had a wonderful time (despite us being unwell for a few days of the trip) and we found Anna at Tourdust and Mohammed in Morocco both really supportive, flexible & accommodating when we had to change our itinerary at the last minute due to being unwell. All of the staff at our riads and hotel were equally as fantastic & I think overall we would give the customer service and the trip itself five out of five!

Miranda Williams reviewing Coast, Souks & Mountains

The best part of the trek was certainly my guide, Mohammed, and cook, Ali. They were both just so incredibly professional, friendly, and helpful - and are just genuinely good people. Mohammed also definitely knew the trail like the back of his hand, and I was also really happy to have someone as fit as Mohammed. I wanted to push myself on this trek and get some good exercise, but also see and experience the beautiful scenery of the Atlas Mountains. Mohammed somehow read my mind and was always a step ahead of me. I also learned that there is a Toubkal marathon each year - 42km plus a 3,000m climb in elevation and that Mohammed did it in less than 6-hours. Incredible. It's also very impressive the English he has been able to pick up just from guiding tourists - in addition to French, Spanish, Arabic, and Berber. I also really appreciated him sharing some of the history of Morocco with me, from the Berbers to the Romans and Hannibal of Carthage, to the introduction of Islam and them French colonialism, and eventually independence. Fascinating.

Just a quick story: I didn't eat enough at breakfast one morning and was just starving by around 10am. Mohammed very thoughtfully offered me almost his entire bag of nuts from Imlil. I thought that was incredibly generous.

The trip was equally impressive. I had no idea the food that Ali prepared would be so good and plentiful. I meant to use this trip to get into peak physical shape, instead I may have actually put on weight from eating so well! Totally unexpected, but welcome. I also really appreciated the quality of the gear that I rented - a sleeping bag, raincoat, and tent. Finally, the Atlas Mountains are just beautiful, one of a kind, and perfect weather throughout the entire trip. Imlil was very nice too and an oasis away from the madness of Marrakech. I really did NOT like Marrakech.

The only bad experience was I got bed bugs from the mattress at the last refuge we stayed at. I'm pretty upset about this and don't know how to get rid of these things. Also, I didn't get any sleep that night from these loud Spaniards who snored all night. It was awful. Mohammed warned me not to sleep in the refuge because of the snoring, but I didn't listen. I really wish I had listened to him in retrospect. The shower and the toilets at the refuge were a pleasant surprise though.

I might also recommend that Imlil sell: (1) Toilet paper, (2) Sunscreen, and (3) Baby wipes or that TourDust strongly encourage customers to bring these items with them from their country and make it very clear that they will likely not be able to buy them in Imlil - and that they'll have to bargain for them in Marrakech - totally not worth the energy and time in my opinion.

Altogether, thank you for one of the best trips I have ever made.

Frederik Easterly reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Would rate the trip as 6 out of 5. Don't think I can say anymore than that. Had a fantastic time with great paddling. My only problem was we didn't stay for the week. I will recommend it to as many people as I can and I will return. Great value for money.

Theresa Torrance reviewing Dubrovnik Kayaking Short Break

A great trip. There was a choice of single and double kayaks which were of good quality. The trips included a mix of coastal exploration and short crossings which was a good combination.. A star feature was a trip to a family small holding where we were fed copious quanties of home grown vegetables, goat and chicken reared on the farm and washed down with home made red wine and an interesting selection of liquers. At the end of the meal the guide got out is guitar and played and sang some classic English folky type songs. Accomodation but modest but fine and there was a good selection of restuarants. Obala on Lopad and the hotel on Sipad were very good value for a upmarket meal whilst the other restuarants we visited all had good fish.

Angela Milne reviewing Croatia Island Hopping Holiday

We had a great time on this holiday, arranged efficiently by Tourdust. Transfer to the Calypso Plus - a really nice hotel, was only 30 mins from Dalaman airport and Dalyan, ther town, was a great place to be. It had a unique site on a large river with a variety of interesting boat trips and local historical sites to see. The combination of sea kayaking, camping overnight and staying in the hotel gave us the best of both worlds as we could explore locally on our 'rest' days.
Or guides on the kayak trip, Sonja and Murat, were friendly, efficient and experienced and we cooked on an open fire both nights. Idyllic, isolated beach/cove campsites, with plenty of time to practice kayak skills in the sheltered, shallow water. We found the Turkish people exceptionally friendly and the standard and variety of eating out in the local restaurants was very good.
All in all a very relaxing and enjoyable holiday!

John Donald reviewing Seakayak Turkey's Turquoise Coast!

We had a wonderful time on our trip through Morocco. We would rate the experience a 4/5 overall and Tourdust a 5/5. We had a wonderful time seeing the Moroccan country side. The only negatives were the extensive driving time (couldn’t be avoided) and that we wish we’d had a little bit more time on our own. We loved both our guide and our driver, but four days straight together was a little much.

Tourdust did a completely perfect job coordinating the trip. I was sure SOMETHING was going to go wrong. But the only things that did were our own errors (such as arriving at the airport too late).

Thank you so much for your help! We hope to use you again on a future trip.

Betsy Twitchell reviewing Boutique Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

Tourdust did an excellent job of organizing our trip. It was completely seamless. We had an amazing experience at both the trekking excursion in the Atlas Mountains and staying in Marrakesh. An adventure that we will never forget.

Janele Taveggia reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

It was obvious from the start of the trail that the guides know their job well I've been trekking and mountaineering for 30 years and I was confident that the group was in safe and experienced hands.

We had a great trip and will be back again in the future for more of the same.

EugeneMulholland reviewing Sahara, Souks and Mountains Explorer

It was bloody brilliant. We missed our out bound plane but both Tourdust in the UK and Mohammed in Morocco made sure we were still met and transported without problem or complaint. Every connection was on time, every driver was helpful- so customer service gets a 5.

The experience overall was fantastic. Our guide (Ibrahim) and cook (Mohammed) were friendly, funny and very much in control at all times. I hope you get them lots of work, even in their fourth language (English) they were brilliant.

The food was better than I eat at home (certainly healthier) and we learnt about the big stories (Berber history, Moroccan politics, Islam) and the small (wildlife, irrigation, local trade). Other travellers may wish to know that we learnt when we asked, they were not forcing information on us. Again a 5 from 5.

I can't think of any major improvements, but as a suggestion, perhaps a warning as to how tough the last day is. Climbing the peak and trekking back to Imlil was as physically demanding as I found the three peaks and 24 peaks challenges in the UK. But not a complaint, just an observation.

I would also like to mention the staff at the Assia Riad. Despite us being very tired and disorientated, they were very helpful changing money for us, helping us with information and luggage storage. Polite, friendly and helpful.

We would recommend it to other travellers. We met a lot of independent and pick ups at the Toubkal bunkhouse and those without guides were notably disorientated with a degree of stress to add to the physical challenge. Sadly we are not young anymore but our guides read our capabilities perfectly and knew when to rest and when to push.

peter wilkinson reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Ben and Anna really know their stuff when it comes to Morocco and they answered all of our queries to do with our forthcoming trip out there - nothing was too much trouble. We loved the personal, friendly and expert service that we received, especially in a world of call centres and 'computer says no' type people and businesses! They are really good value too, especially considering the level of service received.

Our 3 day Atlas valleys trek was an amazing experience and one that we will remember forever - the scenery is just breathtaking with red, green and grey rock hills and mountains, cherry blossom and iris flora in the valleys, snow capped mountains against azure blue cloudless skies, stunning waterfalls and wonderful little villages dotted along the way with the most friendly and accommodating of locals to greet you. Our guide, Ilyas, was a brilliant guide too and really added to the fun and enjoyment of the trek.

The whole trip was organised brilliantly with plenty of useful and timely advice and communication from Tourdust prior to the trip and then a seamless transition from the airport to the mountains and then on to Essaouira for the next part of our holiday.

Overall, if you are looking for someone to organise all - or part - of your trip to Morocco, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Tourdust!

Kay Limb reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

Having Tourdust as our partner and being able to communicate with the British office gave us confidence (no offense to our African brothers and sisters, it is just an European thing - we think we can better understand each other having the same mindset and mentality, so easier to communicate). The communication as expected, went very well and smooth - both by e-mail and phone. We were told what can we expect for the price we agreed on, and there were only positive suprises during the trip: the 4WD Land Rover that came to pick us up was at the meeting point at the right time (which should not be a surprise, but we were far from Nairobi on Rusinga Island and the meeting was at 6 AM) and the driver even made the extra 2 km-s to pick us up from our mountain cabin. The car was very comfortable for 6 people (I would not recommend though to use it for 7 people plus bags - could be a little tight, but for 6 was great). We had an excellent driver - kind and knowledgable, ready to 'satisfy' the 'strange' requests of the tourist: 'check that bush on the right', 'lets look what is under that tree', etc. This was my first safari (out of 3 so far) where we saw the 'BIG 5': and much of the credit goes to our driver, who kept beleiving that we will find the animals, and kept looking for them. On the last day of our safari - which was a morning drive we still missed the rhino, having not seen any in the previous two days. We only had about one hour before we had to leave the park. the group was ready to give up, but our driver and guide - Samuel - kept saying, do not give up, we will find one. He was driving on roads where we were the only group/car, and suddenly we saw in the middle of the grass a beautiful black rhino, just waiting us to shoot - some pictures of course... We were the first ones, we found it! those who have been to safari know what I mean when I say, we found it! It feels special when you find an animal and not going there because you got through the radio the location of the animal found by somebody else. We of course announced it, and in 10 minutes there were like 12 cars and vans to see 'our' rhino. You can ask anybody: this was on February 22, 8.30 in the morning in Masai Mara, when Samuel with a group of 6 from Romania found THE RHINO…

Attila Daray reviewing 3 Day Budget Private Masai Mara Safari

The Simien mountain trek was a great experience. The views were truly awesome, I never tired of looking at the mountains as we trekked through them. Our guide and scout were fantastic and took great care of us, especially when altitude made walking more difficult. Our cook & his assistant also did a great job- food was plentiful and varied.
All the arrangements made at local level were efficient and friendly. The support and advice provided by Tourdust pre departure was very good.
Ethiopia is an incredibly interesting country and the people are very welcoming.

Hannah Sultan reviewing Classic Simien Mountain Trek

Tourdust has just delivered us a superb 5 day holiday in Morocco. Everything worked smoothly from the planning to the support on the ground. We stayed in 3 different places - each one true to the description on the website. Food that was included in the trip price and the food that we purchased at the Riad was of exceptional quality - fresh produce and huge portions. We were welcomed by the local hosts with generosity. We would not hesitate to recommend this trip to others.

Paul Bullen-Smith reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

Tourdust has just delivered us a superb 5 day holiday in Morocco. Everything worked smoothly from the planning to the support on the ground. We stayed in 3 different places - each one true to the description on the website. Food that was included in the trip price and the food that we purchased at the Riad was of exceptional quality - fresh produce and huge portions. We were welcomed by the local hosts with generosity. We would not hesitate to recommend this trip to others.

Paul Bullen-Smith reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

We have to tell you that this was one of the best holidays we've ever had! It exceeded all our expectations, and we are still reliving the many rich experiences of the week: so well planned, such spectacular scenery, wonderful people looking after us, a great introduction to a really beautiful country.

Brenda Stones reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

Professional, dependable, and efficient! We had a great time on the trek and would recommend the company to others trying to plan a trek in the Simien Mountains

Meryl Goodwin reviewing Classic Simien Mountain Trek

Just to let you know we had a most successful trip. All went like clockwork. Your itinerary was excellent. All the personnel– guides, cooks, drivers etc could not have been more helpful.
Many thanks for all your help and for opening up such a fascinating and complex country to us.

Mark Shepherd reviewing Simien Mountains & Northern Highlights

I'd be lying if I said our holiday started of in the smoothest of ways (with a phone call telling us that high winds and stormy seas looked set to spoil our week at the surf camp) but it was with this news that the proffesionalism and customer service skills of Tourdust really shone through! Within the hour the guys at TD had arranged to put us up in the most beautiful of Riads (Rhiad Dar Thania) in the busy city of Marrakesh. This Riad proved to be the perfect oasis to escape from the excitment of the city at the end of the day. I'm pleased to say that we did make it to coast eventually where we spent 3 incredible days learning to surf with 'Blue Morroco' a surf school expertly ran by Azhar and Alice in the tiny town of Sidi Kaouki. Azhar's passion for the sport and the ocean is evident in his teaching style and I can honestly say that he and his wife Alice made us feel more like friends rather than guests in their beatiful Berber beach front home. I for one will certainly return to Morroco and Sidi Kaouki in particular in the future and will have no hesitation in using Tourdust to do so. If anyone would like to see photos of our trip please find these in the album named Morroco 2012 on my facebook page at the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150606289819288.413565.818599287&type=1

As a final note I would suggest to anyone who plans to go to Morroco that mastering a few basic phrases in french or Arabic would improve their experience. These are by no means essential as nearly everyone in the tourist industry speaks English but I found my basic knowledge of Arabic and my girlfriends ability to speak french certainly came in handy on the odd occasion!

Rob Davis reviewing Trek, Cook & Surf in Morocco

Just to let you know we had a most successful trip. All went like clockwork. Your itinerary was excellent. All the personnel– guides, cooks, drivers etc could not have been more helpful.
Many thanks for all your help and for opening up such a fascinating and complex country to us.

GEOFFREY WILKINSON reviewing Simien Mountains & Northern Highlights

Trip was excellent - 5/5 on all accounts. Mohammed arranged an excellent guide. We will definitely use Tourdust again and recommend you.

Luke Mallett reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

It was a great trip - 5/5 overall and one that I would recommend to everyone. One improvement you could make, would be not to use the Ankober hotel in Addis - it was very average! (Gondor hotel was very good and Mountain View was excellent - 20 mins walk from the churches which we didn't mind but truly the best view I have ever seen in a hotel)

We had a great time and would strongly recommend the trip.

sarah green reviewing Simien Mountains & Northern Highlights

My sister, her boyfriend and I had a fantastic time.

Both guides were excellent, spoke good English and were very knowledgable.

The food was also excellent - some of the best I had during my 4 months in South America!

The taxi arrangements were good and on time to get us started on the first day and overall we had a really great time and would definitely recommend the trip to anyone!

flange reviewing Trek the Inca Trail in Peru

The Atlas Valley Trek was an amazing experience. The scenery in the valleys is absolutely beautiful, and staying in the villages is a great cultural experience that gives you a feeling of the authentic and local way of living. The guide was very competent, and spoke very good english. And the cook prepared the best food. I have no hasitation to strongly recommend this trip to other travellers who like trekking and also want a local cultural experience.

Christine Toessebro reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek

We did this trek during September 2011 and had a fantastic time. The transport to Imlil from Marrakesh was excellent and as described in the pre-trek info. We met with our guide Mohammed who was really helpful and knowledgeable. The camping out at night was a treat and the food was great... our muleteers really took care of us and nothing was too much trouble. The food was like eating in a good restaurant which is amazing considering that it is all cooked over one gas burner. We could really recommend this to anyone ~ the walking was hard at times but the scenery was fanstastic ~ well worth the stiff legs! Everything went to plan and the coordination of the trip was perfect. The whole tour was beyond our expectations. Will definitely be booking with Tourdust again.

Robert Bould reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit

Overall tour was fantastic, our tour guide was really really friendly and made a big effort to ensure we got to see the key attractions on the road to the Sahara, very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The guides in the Sahara were equally good, overall a great experience and one of the best activities we did in Morocco.

warren gregson reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

The guides on our trip to Croatia were really fun, knowledgable and helpful. They seemed to know absolutely everyone on the islands which was really nice and they always tried to include everybody in everything, even if their first languages weren't english. The guides were awesome.

The accomodation was very nice and authentic, everything you could ask for was provided and the views from the balcony were quite something

The pace and amount of paddling were good, shame one of the days we couldnt get out because of the bad weather which made the next day a bit harder but still very enjoyable.

The whole holiday as a package was very good. Everything was organised well even when the tourdust van broke down at the start, a replacement form of transport from dubrovnik was straight there. I would thoroughly recommend this trip to anyone interested in kayaking at all, because as a beginner i was slightly nervous at the start but thought i become quite good at the end, which is a testement to the guides and the trip really. I just wish i can get enough money to go again next year!!

David Langley reviewing Dubrovnik Kayaking Short Break

Our Guide was first class on our trek, very knowledgeable and always open to questions and was especially open in terms of background to the villages, the people of Morocco as well as the history of where we were trekking. The food, and Chef who prepared our meals, were delightful as well. The food was always more than enough and in the circumstances (on the side of a mountain pass) was first class and fresh. It really made a difference to have the meals prepared fresh and they were always plentiful. We were worried about the Taxi due to Marrakesh being notoriously difficult to find any location due to the mazey streets but the Taxi picked us up from our hotel dropped us at our Trek, and vise versa, no problem at all, which was a relief and very welcome after 2 days trekking. As far as the the whole experience all we can say is that we both loved it and are planning to use Tourdust again in the near future. The service from the booking process, Taxi Driver, Guide, Cook and anyone else we encountered on our experience was second to none. I cannot recommend Tourdust highly enough.

I would just like to add though it might be nice if you add some info on the website about the villages. What I mean in that is we visited a family in a village that had very little but were kind enough to invite us into our home. We also encountered children in the village. Rather than handing out money like confetti we would of liked to have brought some simple items from home which may have been well received by the children, colouring books, pens or something as simple as balloons, playing cards or something of that nature. Something that is practical rather than tipping being the only currency. I realise that this might not be for all your consumers but as a side note I think it would of made a world of difference to us, we did feel slightly uneasy when visiting the village and the warm reception we recieved that we couldn't offer something back that would of been better than trying to tip someone.

Leighton Harvey-Smith reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

Our Guide was first class on our trek, very knowledgeable and always open to questions and was especially open in terms of background to the villages, the people of Morocco as well as the history of where we were trekking. The food, and Chef who prepared our meals, were delightful as well. The food was always more than enough and in the circumstances (on the side of a mountain pass) was first class and fresh. It really made a difference to have the meals prepared fresh and they were always plentiful. We were worried about the Taxi due to Marrakesh being notoriously difficult to find any location due to the mazey streets but the Taxi picked us up from our hotel dropped us at our Trek, and vise versa, no problem at all, which was a relief and very welcome after 2 days trekking. As far as the the whole experience all we can say is that we both loved it and are planning to use Tourdust again in the near future. The service from the booking process, Taxi Driver, Guide, Cook and anyone else we encountered on our experience was second to none. I cannot recommend Tourdust highly enough.

I would just like to add though it might be nice if you add some info on the website about the villages. What I mean in that is we visited a family in a village that had very little but were kind enough to invite us into our home. We also encountered children in the village. Rather than handing out money like confetti we would of liked to have brought some simple items from home which may have been well received by the children, colouring books, pens or something as simple as balloons, playing cards or something of that nature. Something that is practical rather than tipping being the only currency. I realise that this might not be for all your consumers but as a side note I think it would of made a world of difference to us, we did feel slightly uneasy when visiting the village and the warm reception we recieved that we couldn't offer something back that would of been better than trying to tip someone.

Leighton Harvey-Smith reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

A fantastic experience in a beautiful landscape; I loved staying in the
villages and mountain retreats. It was my first multi day trek.
However I'll defiantly be back for more. My only wish was that my trek
was longer!

Mustapha was my guide. I was delighted
with the service provided throughout the trek by Mustapha and the two
muleteers. Mustapha was great company, friendly and professional and
really enhanced my experience. The food was excellent and all transfers went like clockwork.

Andrew Hale reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

Guide (Mohammad) was great, set a good pace, knew how much time to spend engaging with us and how much to leave us alone, friendly. Great guy - a mountain marathon runner with a slightly surprising array of card tricks.
Food was amazing and the chef really friendly. The trek overall was brilliant - I've recommended it to friends and family. Thanks for an amazing trip, and pass on our thanks to Mohamed and crew. He was there to welcome us at the end and was very friendly.

Jake Lomax reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

My partner Luke and I enjoyed the trek immensely. Both Mohammed the guide and Mohammed the muleteer/cook were warm, hospitable, knowledgable and helpful.
Both were very well equipped to guide us through the 3 days. The food was nourishing and delicious! I looked forward ti every meal!
During the summit climb, there was still ice on the mountain and unfortunately I had forgotten my gloves….Mohammed was so kind as to lend me his gloves for as long as I required them.
The taxi transfers were fluid and we experienced no problems at all with the timings.
I would highly recommend this trek to anyone looking for a bit of challenge at a good pace.

Angela Santos reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Guide: Mustafa was an excellent guide
He was attentive and perceptive of the groups needs and abilities. He was interesting and knowledgeable in relation to the information he gave on the local area. His company was enjoyable without being intrusive.

Food: This was one of the highlights of the trip.
I was constantly amazed and delighted by what was served up in the most difficult locations. The cook was imaginative and his food was varied and plentiful.

Grand taxi: Efficient and punctual

Overall impression: Very satisfied with the trip and the way it was organised.
My weather could have been better as a 4 hour trek in relentless rain was not fun.

anne sherriff reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit

Tour dust facilitated our tour of Ethiopia, which is an amazing country! It is a beautiful country with rich cultural varieties. The mountain trekking on Bale Mt was a great physical challenge, but with a great reward. We saw many different animals and birds that I had never seen (or heard of) before. The trip through Omo valley was like a trip back in time, a view of life before it was cluttered with the conveniences of technology. The tribes are advanced in their own rite, by surviving without modern conveniences, off of the land. Our tour guide, Minalu was very knowledgeable and gave us great insight and information about the tribes. There were people from many of the tribes who not only knew him as a tour guide, but as a friend of the family. This made the experience a more personal one for us. One definitely needs to be a bit adventurous to travel in Ethiopia, but the inconveniences are well worth it. Thanks so much! These are memories that will not soon be forgotten.

Mindy Unger reviewing Tribes of the Omo Valley

A trip that really challenged preconceptions. There was dust and rural poverty, of course, but breathtaking scenery, and people with a strong sense of a long, proud history. The altitude affects you, but you quickly learn to take things gently. I was amazed what fantastic food was produced in quite challenging conditions - although our guide clearly preferred his injera. I was prepared to endure the coffee ceremony with locals, but it was a real highlight. Local organisation was informal, but effective and friendly. Gondar has interesting history and is worth a day of anyone's time. (Disclaimer: Peter is an investor in Tourdust, travelled with Tourdust to the Simien Mountains in spring 2011)

peters reviewing Classic Simien Mountain Trek

We booked a hike in the simian mountains with tourdust because Danielle and I were on a very tight schedule with work and had no time for anything to fall through when we got there and also the big companies were very inflexible with their leaving dates.
Danielle actually didn’t read any of the emails I was forwarding her that Ben had sent us until a few weeks before we left to go to Kenya and then had a last minute freak out that I may have booked something dodgy over the internet. But she was very impressed by how thorough the tourdust emails were, especially their detailed advice on what to expect and what to bring, It was obvious that the people who run tourdust have done the walk themselves before and they give very sound advice.
The guide in Ethiopia was also very approachable by email and gave us advice, as we wondered whether the famine had affected the area and he was able to reassure us.
When we got to Ethiopia we met the man who runs the walks from Gondar and he gave us some last minute advice for the next morning and also we got to talk about diet as I am mostly vegetarian, which they could accommodate.
The next day we were picked up from the hotel and drove to the mountains. We met our guide there, and also the cook, cooks assistance, scout, and muleteers. You walk in the daytime with just a guide and a scout and the others beat you to the camp and set up! We did see some people walking with the minimum “support crew” which is just a scout (which you need to legally camp in the mountains- they have a machine gun to protect you, although it is not at all that dangerous, it’s mainly to give the local people some work.) those people did look a bit uncomfortable at night time because it does get cold and it is hard to organise your own camp food and fire! You would have to be more organised than us to do it independently. The staff were very friendly. The cook and the guide spoke excellent English and were very entertaining. They really looked after us and made sure that we were comfortable. The guide was careful with the pace to challenge but not exhaust us. I had never hiked at altitude before and was surprised at how puffy I was. The guide knew a lot about the birds and animals and geology of the mountains which was interesting. He also taught us some Amharic which was entertaining (especially our pronunciation!).
The food was good (it was faranji food)- cooked hot every night. It does have a lot of MSG in it- but maybe if you asked for that to be kept out earlier they wouldn’t put it in, I’m not sure. They certainly feed you enough (or too much!!). They set up a fire for you at night time, which is very welcome as it is cold!
All in all, the walk went very well. It is a beautiful area, especially at that time of year. You walk over fields of wild thyme and wildflowers, it smells and looks heavenly. And you have the sweeping panoramic vistas of the mountains of course. Photos don’t do it justice. You can see massive birds of prey circling the thermals underneath you. You are so high up that it feels a lot like what being a bird must feel like at times, except that you still have your feet on the ground! You walk through some of the smaller villages as you get to the end of the trek which is also very pleasant. You see some wildlife and a lot of domestic animals!
You camp at the same camp sites as the other faranji doing the hike. It’s very cold at night so bring warm sleeping things and coats!
I did get sick on this trek, though through no fault of the guides or staff! All the staff were absolutely lovely and very caring, making me special foods and drinks and setting up a place for me to lie in the shade. We had to stay a day extra at a camp site and they reorganised the whole trek around it- they provided us with some alternatives and we got to choose what we wanted to do.
All in all, I would recommend this trek booked with tourdust highly. Their local operator was a good one and we had a great trek! Tourdust was very supportive by email and I have trust in their advice. It’s very hard to book something over the internet as there is a big fear that you are throwing your money into the wind and will be left at the airport so to speak, or that you are booking something that will be frustrating and dodgy. In this trek they have chosen their local operator well. I would book another trek with them if I was similarly strapped for time. I would also recommend them to friends who were looking to trek.
The simian mountains are an absolutely beautiful relaxing experience and a great walk!

eb2906 reviewing 8 Day Simien Mountain & Lowlands Trek

We completed the 4 day version of the Classic Berber Villages and Toubkal Ascent at the end of October/start of November 2011. We booked as a couple and were joined by another solo male traveller who luckily we got on really well with, we all appreciated having someone else on the trip but also that it was a very small group.

Our driver picked us up at 9am from the door of our riad as promised, and we drove to meet our guide, muleteers and mules at the start of the route. They had already sorted some equipment we needed to borrow like sleeping bags (to avoid extra luggage on the plane) and drove the other guy to their shop in Imlil so he could borrow some other things.

It's an easyish hike on the first day, we had an amazing lunch on a grassy plateau with the first of many stunning views. The muleteers do an amazing job preparing a range of fresh foods for lunch and dinner and manage to present it beautifully. And let's not forget the constant supply of lovely tea!

We then hiked to the first village where we stayed in a local run gite which was comfortable enough.

We found the 2nd day's hiking hard. The first few hours hiking through villages was really interesting and colourful, followed by a harder uphill hike with the sun beating down on us to where we stopped for lunch. The hiking after lunch was thankfully much shorter to our refuge for the night. The refuge was a great little building with a waterfall right behind. The size and personalities of our group made for a really good atmosphere in places like this, it didn't matter that we were freezing cold and didn't speak the same language, some tea, food, music and card games made for fun evenings together! You tend to reach the place you're sleeping quite early in the day. I'd suggest cleaning up, sorting yourself out for the evening and wrapping up warm as soon as you arrive, and pack some stuff to do! Books, music and card games supplemented chatting to keep us entertained.

Day 3 has a fairly difficult uphill nicknamed '90 zigzags' but when you pause for breath and water the views behind are increasingly amazing. The walk to the 'base camp' refuge after is an easier gradient and we got there by lunch (like I said, lots of down time). This is a large refuge with many groups going to or returning from the summit and their guides. It may be different if there are groups you can get to know but with a language barrier we didn't really chat to the others and preferred the smaller refuge from the day before. Still, comfortable sleeping arrangements, and a nice lounge area.

On our summit day we set off after an early breakfast before 6 (in the dark) and got to see the sun rise over the mountains ahead as we climbed. People talked about 'the first bit being the hardest' before we left but there's not much change in gradient until the last 10 minutes! It took us 3 hours to reach the summit and we had to use crampons for about half because of quite deep snow that was frozen quite solid. The views from the top are stunning and totally worth it. We were up there for about half an hour and were lucky enough to meet only one other climber at the top. As soon as we started descending it seemed less real that we'd been there. Glad we've got pictures and videos to remind me!

After lunch at the refuge we walked all the way down to Imlil (on a different route to the way up) which was straightforward but looong, and we were weary by the time we reached the Imlil shop to settle up for the things we'd borrowed.

A car met us outside the shop and drove us to Marrakech without a problem, however when we got there it was clear that the driver did not know how to get us back to our riads, and actually became quite confrontational about it when we said we didn't want to be dropped on the wrong side of the medina. He was not a taxi like the car on our way out, we got the impression that he had been asked to take us because he was heading that way. Luckily we could use internet mobile to look up the number of our riad and one of the boys from there came out to meet us and direct him. It was a shame to sour the end of our experience with a bit of a shortcut gone wrong.

Overall, a brilliant experience. Our guide, Mohammed spoke excellent English, was very informative and was a great pacemaker. The muleteers Ibrahim and Mohammed did a great job, spoke little English but their personalities shone through. We took everything on Tourdust's suggested list but did not need water tablets as bottled water was readily available to but at least once per day. We would recommend plenty of light and warm layers and both had sports 'skin' long sleeved tops which proved invaluable. We struck very lucky with the weather (no rain) but had both hot and cold climates to dress for.

Overall, a 5 star unforgettable experience and good value for money.

Alex Nicholson reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

Trekking to Machu Pichu has long been a dream of mine and this was a wonderful way to do it. The guides and porters on our trek took great care of us… reassuring us about the effects of altitude and encouraging us all to walk at our own pace. We were in a group of 12, a good size…large enough to have some interesting chat at dinner but it we never felt crowded when we were walking. The food was fantastic and could easily stand alone as a selling point for the trek. The weather in June was clear although chilly at night…gloves should be high on the kit list.
The trip up the Tambopata river into the jungle is in complete contrast to the heights of the Andes and quite magical. Before we had even got to the lodge the guides had pointed out caiman, capybaras and vultures along the riverbank. The accommodation itself was very comfortable, with a large bar, dining area and very clean comfortable bedrooms. I had been a little nervous about the prospect of sleeping in a room open to the jungle but am now a complete convert, the noises and views into the vegetation were fascinating and best enjoyed from the comfort of a hammock!

jenny reviewing Cusco, the Sacred Valley, the Inca Trail & Amazon Jungle

Stable kayaks, powerful doubles in interesting paddling conditions.
geologically interesting coastline well explained by Rod. Wildlife somewhat sparse
at time of trip, however, some surprises as well, particularly the number of
Eleanoras falcons seen on all trips. Very friendly people everywhere in comfortable
accomodation.

Catherine Morrison reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

We very much enjoyed our trip and met great people on our guided tour. The combination of sea kayaking/biking/hiking/diving etc really suited our penchant for activity holidays. The hotels were basic but absolutely fine, the food great and the Island to Island transfers exciting. You cannot help being impressed by the wildlife in the Galapagos Islands. We combined it with a visit to Quito where we did an awesome mountain bike ride down the slopes of Cotopaxi, then managed to climb the same mountain over the next 2 days - 19,000 feet!
I would thoroughly recommend this holiday as organised by Tourdust!
That's our second great trip with this company.

John Donald reviewing Galapagos Adventure

We had a great time thanks, the guide was excellent as was the lunch in the mountains, really good.

The only downside was that unfortunately my wife, who'd been so keen and excited to go, got a stomach bug the Sunday night so wasn't able to come on the trip on Monday. A real shame but otherwise a big success.

mark naylon reviewing Day treks, Camels & Boutique Marrakech

I would definitely recommend this to other travellers.


This trek was the highlight of our trip to Marrakech and couldn't have run smoother.
The pick up from our hotel was on time and the driver was fantastic, making up feel very confident and safe in his driving, along with giving great information about what we were seeing along the way into the Mountains.
Once we arrived our guide was waiting for us and after a chat about how long we wanted to trek for we set off. Again very informative explaining things along the way.
On descent we stopped at the Berber village Imlil and had lunch at the family-run guesthouse Dar Adrar, which was the most delicious food we had eaten during our stay in Marrakech and the greeting and hospitality fantastic.
Afterwards feeling well fed and tired we were driven back to our hotel again by our very competent driver.

I couldn't recommend this trek enough as a little taster and will definitely be going back to take on the longer trek through the Atlas Mountains and Sahara.
Thanks Tourdust!

Emma Reed reviewing Day treks, Camels & Boutique Marrakech

Just to let you know that we had an outstanding week of sea-kayaking, white-water rafting and trekking. Our guide, Sonja Grau, and Murat were simply outstanding in their manner, the design and delivery of the week's activities.

ThomasJ reviewing Seakayak Turkey's Turquoise Coast!

I had a fantastic group, the local knowledge of the guides was invaluable in ensuring the group had the best possible experience. Great paddling, great guides, great good, great time had by all.

TonyLitson reviewing Croatia Island Hopping Holiday

The 5day Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent was the highlight of our 2wk trip in Morocco. The guide and cook were both very friendly, respectful, and informative. The food was amazing - we wanted to take Rashid home with us! It was very pleasant walking through the villages, with the days getting progressively harder - a perfect build-up to the final 2days of great ascents. Climbing Toubkal was extremely rewarding, meeting various lovely people on that final day. We highly recommend this trek to others, and for those who have already booked it, additional advice would be to take a pack of cards and interesting books because there's so much relaxing time at the end of each day of trekking! Thank-you Tourdust & Thank-You Abdulla & Rashid!!!

Alanna reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

The trip was better than we could have hoped for. Dan & I are UK Mountain Leaders, so we weren't sure how necessary a guide was. The answer was very. Abdul was knowledgable about geology, plants and animals, but the discussions we had about middle eastern politics and religion were the most revealing. We could have done this trip on our own and spent a little less money, but the company and the food (amazing - not a ration pack or supernoodle in sight) made us glad that we had chosen to book through Tourdust.

Chris Billington reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

We had a wonderful trip - highlight of 2011! Everything ran like clockwork, the care and attention from the team was first class. The trekking was fantastic - challenging but just enough so. I don't think we would have changed a thing. Thank you

RachaelErskine reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

Sea kayaking is the ideal way to explore these beautiful islands. Warm clear seas, fantastic local cuisine and a very helpful company with local knowledge of all the best places to visit and eat.

Maureen Birch reviewing Croatia Island Hopping Holiday

we had a great time, all of the people we worked with were great, everything went pretty smooth.

A couple of bits which may help you when booking this for others:-

- Day one of the trekking we arrived with not enough water, believing that they would already have it for us to buy, luckily one of the guys had his car and drove off and got us some.
- Food was traditional and excellent!
- At the surf place due to Ramadan we couldn't stay at the centre but was placed in a hotel 200 yards away which had no electricity!! however living including showering by candle light was fab, we played cards, chess and read a lot of books which was great for the kids and i would sell this!!
- There was some confusion over the use of the surf boards outside of the lessons, they were very good about it but insisted that one of them was present at all times. This felt like we added a lot of pressure on them and as such rarely did it, partly because it was Ramadan and in the afternoons when we wanted to go out they were sleeping. To be honest we went to go out on 3 occasions and weren't able to. The team were great so i don't want you to go back and criticise but recognise that during Ramadan its far more complicated and if the equipment is to be used outside of the lessons that it has to fit in with them as well.

Ian Harbour reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech, Trek & Surf

a great trip. Organisation was very simple and smooth, and the walk itself - through villages, along valleys and up to the summit of Toubkal was wonderful - altogether a great experience.

tom howes reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

An excellent trip with a unique way to experience countries like Tanzania and Kenia.
Every day is different, with a different scenery, but also sufficient time to do the other holiday things like safari's and reading a book.

jacobus pepping reviewing Cycling in Kenya & Tanzania

We had a fantastic holiday - it's a lovely place and they are a great
couple.

Maryc reviewing Agriturismo family holiday

This was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We enjoyed the kayaking whch was quite manageable even for a couple in their late fifties. The weather was brillinant and we met some really nice people. What more could you want - a bit of white water?

Neil Badger reviewing Croatia Island Hopping Holiday

We had a great time! We really appreciated that the trip was booked with a local tour operator, which we learned was one of the biggest and best in Kenya. Patrick was exceptionally helpful, and came to meet us 3 times to check in and make sure things were going well.

There was an unfortunate change to our flight to Lamu which happened 2 weeks before leaving, but were only told the morning of, and it meant waking early, somewhat unnecessarily, except that our flight was changed to the intl. airport instead, and it also meant stopping in another city on the way, which added time to our flight, and detracted from our time in Lamu.

Nevertheless, we had an amazing time, and are very pleased with the trip!

I would rate both customer service and our experience a 5. I would definitely recommend you to others, and am looking forward to saving up again so I can book my next trip.

Jaclyn Rubin reviewing 11 Day Mount Kenya Trek and Masai Mara Safari Combined

We would highly recommend the site & have done very many times to our friends & family. May & Ron were more than accomadating, in fact they were perfect hosts.

Sarah Thomas reviewing Luxury Camping in Andalucia

We'd def recommend to others (and have already been spreading the word to our friends). A real bonus of the Yurt hol is the excellent site manager, LJ. She is extremely helpful and welcoming. She went out of her way to make our trip a really enjoyable one.

Kate Rowson reviewing Stay in a Yurt on the Isle of Wight!

A tough but rewarding challenge with spectacular views of the Atlas Mountains with its many waterfalls and lush green valleys. Make sure you wear good walking boots for this hike, and carry poles for the descent from the peak.

Laura Page reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

We have finally got back from Kenya. It was without question a holiday to remember.
Thank you for all your efforts; other than that slight glitch the Safari was incredible. I will be recommending you to any of my contacts that are planning to go to Africa.

Husain was an absolute treasure and I cant commend his commitment highly enough. The Landcruiser, was well worth the additional cost, despite breaking down less than an hour into the journey on the first day.

Once again, thank you for helping make this a truly unforgettable holiday.

Christopher Jones reviewing Amboseli and Tsavo East 4 Day Safari

An excellent introduction to map reading and using a compass which has given me the confidence to plan my own routes.

Christine Conboy reviewing Silva Map and Compass Courses - Bronze level

Overall, I was really impressed with the trek and it was definitely the highlight of our trip to Morocco. We stayed in relatively isolated villages, saw few other travelers, interacted with Berbers, saw amazing challenging hiking around the valleys and up Mount Toubkhal. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wanted to do something that was definitely off the beaten track in Morocco.

Jenna Jadin reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

We really thought our trip was great. I would rate your service and the whole experience as a 5. The only piece that would make your service more convenient would be if the prices were conveyed in dollars instead of pounds. We would definitely recommend the trip and company to other travelers. We had our own trip for 3 people and were given lots of special attention. The transportation was very easy and all of our needs were met. Thanks so much for arranging everything for us!

Rochelle Loughry reviewing Lares Valley Trek to Machu Picchu

This was a fabulous holiday. Four days of kayaking, one day white water rafting and a day of trekking and a boat trip - perfect.

It didn't take long to feel at home in the kayak and it was great to stop at secluded beaches for lunch and snacks and to camp under the beautifully starry night skies.

My personal highlights were the snorkelling opportunities and gazing open-mouthed up at the huge boats in Gocek harbour as we paddled by.

Huge thanks to Sonja from Kaunos Tours who was a great guide, chef and goat wrangler!

Thanks to Tourdust too for their smooth organisation and booking of the trip.

Louise Kelly reviewing Seakayak Turkey's Turquoise Coast!

We really enjoyed our trip. The driver arrived at the hotel on time. The
car was very clean and in good condition and most importantly he turned
out to be a very safe driver which is a must in the Atlas Mountains!

The guide once we arrived at the Atlas Mountain was also good and the
food that was prepared for our lunch was really tasty and fresh, a real
treat.

EsmeAllen reviewing Day treks, Camels & Boutique Marrakech

We really enjoyed our trip. It was a great introduction to Sea Kayaking and Milos has a wonderful varied coastline that is best appreciated by Kayak. We used the 2-man Kayak for some of the trips which helped when you wanted a lazier day. I completely agree with Angela's review already on site and add that Rod's a great photographer on the water. We also enjoyed relaxing in the guesthouse bar with the other kayakers after the day's paddling.

GavinStather reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

This is a great experience to see the real Croatia. I had never been on a group holiday before and was a little hesitant, however Filip and Radovan the guides were incredibly patient and I was blessed with a fantastic fun group.

MerihanTadros reviewing Dubrovnik Kayaking Short Break

Last week we returned from our trip to Morocco. Here's my story....

Originally we had booked the 6 day circuit of Mt Toubkal. On arrival, we met our guide and were informed that we were unable to do the circuit as the snow was too deep in places over the high passes and posed a problem for the mules. Luckily this didn’t come as a surprise as Tourdust had already informed us, during the booking process, that this could be a possibility (good services guys). So with an alternative route selected we set off..... Now I have to mention that my wife and I have done many trekking holidays, including Nepal a few times, Peru and Argentina. We have never booked through a tour agent, nor had a guide...However when we decided to go to the Atlas Mountains it was apparent that trying to trek alone would be "challenging" to say the least. Searching the internet for a possible tour company to book through we both agreed that large trekking groups were out of the question. Naturally, all the big names came up...prices were ridiculous and numbers were 12-16 per group...until we came across Tourdust. It seemed too good to be true..our own private guide and muleteer for a fraction of the cost ?
...back to the trip......
Our guide mentioned that another group of 4 would also be doing the same route as us, all with their own guide and muleteer. - we would meet them later on that day.
After a few hours walking we stopped for lunch and we had our first taste of the infamous Berber tea AKA Berber whiskey!..Tetleys eat your heart out!! The tea was amazing...but what was equally amazing was the food that was prepared by our muleteer, Mohammed. The guy is incredible. After a short nap under a walnut grove we set off for the afternoon leg of our first day. Our lodging in a Gite that night was basic but more than adequate, hot showers and comfortable mattresses made for a good night’s rest. I have to mention at this point, we met the group of 4 later that afternoon. *Sigh* Now I’m not sure if they had read anything regarding Morocco and suitable dress code, but the 2 woman had mini trekking skirts and crop tops on…along with a good portion of oversized muffin tops to go!...even I felt awkward and found myself staring at my feet alot!
As the trip progressed the group of 4 were a constant source of entertainment for the two of us and 3 basic rules should be adhered to at all times:
1) Always listen to the guide
2) Always keep up with the mule carrying the food
3) Never try outsmart your guide
Every village we stayed in, Lashon took us on a tour and it became clear that he was well known throughout the valleys. As a result we were lucky enough to be invited in to a locals house for tea with freshly made bread and local olive oil…mmmm….(not something you are likely to experience in a group of 16) Unfortunately my wife and I were unable to converse with the home owner other than some rudimentary hand gestures, so instead he turned on the TV and switched to an English Muslim channel and beamed from ear to ear. Very bizarre
On day 3 our lodging was at the base of a pass which crossed over to the Mt Toubkal refuge. We got word earlier that day that the lodge was experiencing a few roofing problems i.e. If it rained during the night we were in trouble. Luckily it did’nt rain and we had a wonderful evening with an open fire, scarlet sunset and a golden glow from the surrounding peaks..best of all we were the only ones there. (our group of 4 complained to the lodge owner about the plumbing at this point!!!) It has to said that the accommodation is basic throughout the trip, some better than others, but unlike other trekking holidays we’ve been on, you do get a hot shower at the end of each day.
Day 4 we said good-bye to Mohammed and his mule as the pass was too dangerous for the mule. We would meet up with them later that day as they took much longer alternative route around. The pass proved to be an interesting day…icy bare foot river crossings, hail, snow, rain and sunshine all in 6 hours. (our guide found it highly amusing that we paid money to do this)
The climb of Mt Toubkal on day 5 was perfect. Lashon insisted that we wear crampons for the ascent as practically the entire mountain was still covered in snow and ice. We saw many people trying to do the ascent without suitable footwear and all I can say is THANK YOU Lashon! We summited without incident and were greeted with the most incredible panoramic views of the High Atlas…a superb ending to an awesome trekking holiday.
If you are reading this review and are doing the same Google searches we did trying to find a Tour company. Look no further!..Even though Tourdust’s prices are well below the likes of Exodus for example…the personal experience we got from the local company (Mohammed Aztat Trekking Company) they use is first class. Our guide was safety conscious, never made a rash decision…our muleteer made sure that we were always fed and did an outstanding job catering in some fairly challenging places and best of all they were both very friendly and informative.
Right from the outset Tourdust has been fantastic, recommendations by Anna and Ben were spot-on and any complications that arose were swiftly dealt with and sorted out. It was a memorable holiday…So a big thank you Tourdust.
One recommendation that we have, is that a bag weight limit should be recommended/ imposed. (15kg max)

Andrew M

Andrew Matthews reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit

i had a great experience and would rate it 5/5. The whole trip went very smoothly and i really enjoyed the trek and my guide and muleteer Hassan and Rasheed. The conditions were still quite bad on the mountain because of the late winter but i always felt safe. It was also great to meet lots of people from different backgrounds and nationalities at the refuge.

DanDelaney reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Very impressed with Tourdust right from enquiring about experiences to our departure. Always very helpful and efficient. We went on the cookery course in Marrakesh and recommend it to anyone of any skill level. The hotel was amazing with fantastic kitchen facilities and when we went to the spice market we were taken through all the herbs and spices and all there uses! A great experience all in all!

SallyStrudwick reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

Very impressed with Tourdust right from enquiring about experiences to our departure. Always very helpful and efficient. We went on the cookery course in Marrakesh and recommend it to anyone of any skill level. The hotel was amazing with fantastic kitchen facilities and when we went to the spice market we were taken through all the herbs and spices and all there uses! A great experience all in all!

SallyStrudwick reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

We really can't speak highly enough of our holiday. You and Ben were a pleasure to deal with, knowledgeable, helpful with no pressure or hassle.

Our guide Mohamed and our muleateer Mohamed were a delight - solicitious but never intrusive. You seriously under sell the gourmet element of the trek - every meal was a feast, fabulously presented in wonderful settings. Mohamed Aktaz's house was great and chips a novel but welcome sight!

Some specific suggestions:

- add a water bottle to the kit list. We had tablets as a precaution but anticipated water being provided en-route.
- weather link from your site was helpful, we probably should have taken less "winter" kit on the back of this.
- the 1:50,000 map (Toubkal) from Stamford's was well worth having

Adrian really enjoyed the Toubkal summit - up and down in three hours despite a broken crampon!

AdrianBelton reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

We just got back from our trip and it was wonderful...It's really hard
to adjust back to real life!

We had a great trip and the trek was wonderful. Jatoo, our guide, was an
extraordinary guy, his English was very good, he knew the area very
well, he told us a lot about Thailand and he was a riot over all! I
think he made a big difference to our experience.

I'd rate the overall experience at 4. I think it'd be helpful to be a
little more detailed in the requirement up front, as we thought the trek
was walking around the forest but it was a bit more than that. We
thoroughly enjoyed the challenge, so the last day, the bike ride fell a
little short of expectations, we woke up really early and wished that we
did a bit more at the end. I'd certainly recommend it to my friends and
we'll look at other tours that you arrange in the future.

OyaEcevitt reviewing Hill Tribe Trekking in Thailand

.The trekking experience was great (i.e. day 1 and 2) would rate that a 5, Day 3 was a 4, Day 4 was a 3. Some elements of the trip such as the dancers at Lisu lodge was not really necessary as we prefer to see the Lisu tribe in their village rather than a forced dance in the lodge. Also, the bike trip on day 4 was too short. I think you should look at extending this trip and rearranging some of the other activities.

Having said these, I must point out that we had an excellent tour guide (Jatoo). I would recommend him to all my friends. He was very knowledgeable, and never got tired of our detailed questions.

Overall my main disappointment was that apart from the Lahu Outpost, the "rules" did not allow Jatoo to have dinner with us. I find this very strange at this day and age. This decision should be left to the guide and the visitors, not the owners of the lodges.

Hope these comments help. We had a wonderful time and saw the best part of Thailand.
Thanks for your help.

OzgaUste reviewing Hill Tribe Trekking in Thailand

The actual trip, logistics, accomodation etc. worked really well! I didn´t expect the Eco basecamp to be so luxurious. The sleeping domes were so cool, the bathroom facilities amazing as well as the whole restaurant and bar area. Almost like being at the Hilton but in the wilderness ;-). The cabins and dorms worked well too but after two days of long trekks it felt great coming back to the Eco domes. A perfect balance. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable. I was lucky to end up with a great group that had a lovely dymanic which also contributed to the overall experience. I only have one little comment and it´s not a biggie. In the eco camp I shared dome with another female (a fellow country woman from sweden it just so happened). However the one night in cabins I had to share with a man in my gruop. It worked out ok but I guess I only expected to share with the same sex. Maybe something to prepare others with in the future.

In summary, I would highly recommend this trip to others it´s one of the most awesome things I´ve ever done!

Thanks for all your help in the run up to my trip!

P.S. My boots also turned out amazingly well in the end ;-)

AnnBergstrom reviewing Torres del Paine Trekking Expedition

An exhilarating two day trek soaking up beautiful scenery in the High Atlas. The guide was excellent, spoke good English and very knowledgable. We had many laughs with him. The picnic up the mountain was a very happy moment... a freshly cooked tagine tastes so good in the mountain air. Highly recommended

YoTakatsuki reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

An exhilarating two day trek soaking up beautiful scenery in the High Atlas. The guide was excellent, spoke good English and very knowledgable. We had many laughs with him. The picnic up the mountain was a very happy moment... a freshly cooked tagine tastes so good in the mountain air. Highly recommended

YoTakatsuki reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

I'd give it a 5. Can't think of improvements. The experience itself was great and the guide/muleteer were both fantastic - friendly and generous guys who obviously knew what they were doing. It was the best experience of my holiday there - both the agency and the guides themselves were helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. So much of the trip exceeded my expectations and I wouldn't hesitate to book again.

Marcus Perry reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

I'd give it a 5. Can't think of improvements. The experience itself was great and the guide/muleteer were both fantastic - friendly and generous guys who obviously knew what they were doing. It was the best experience of my holiday there - both the agency and the guides themselves were helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. So much of the trip exceeded my expectations and I wouldn't hesitate to book again.

Marcus Perry reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

As you predicted, we didn't have one drop of rain and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and already recommended it to our friends.

So to rate your customer service, it must be 5, and our experience of this trip's rating is also 5.

Thanks again and keep up the good work.

William He reviewing Day treks, Camels & Boutique Marrakech

Overall we had a fantastic time doing the Mt Toubkal trek. The climb is casual (no climbing gear/ropes required) however it is not for the light hearted. It was fairly heavy going, very long uphill walks for 4-5 hours on loose rocks and snow. If you aren't used to trekking then you may find this difficult. Altitude sickness is a definite possibility and sore legs are almost guaranteed. The accommodation is very basic and not very pleasant (cold water, dirty, too many people in each room so no sleep at all). The ascent to the summit is tough, very steep, and difficult in the snow. The reward is amazing views, the summit of Jebel Toubkal was excellent and we had an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and achievement. Our guide was very experienced, helpful and we would recommend him to anyone.

Darren Isbell reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

I would highly recommend Tourdust to all wanting a well organised, no fuss trip. The Tourdust Team are friendly, knowledgable, and readily available; and offered a superb value-for-money service. Our group sea-kayaked on a bespoke tour, and fully indulged in all the organised delights. Lots of credit to our guides Sonja and Murelia too! Incidentally, the scenery along the coast is stunning, the stars at night are totally magical, and the wild camping is a pretty decent experience - all lent to make a great time with friends and colleagues. A rustic treat!

Robert Streeter reviewing Seakayak Turkey's Turquoise Coast!

We had a wonderful and rewarding time in the Atlas Mountains. We loved the flexibility of the route and pace, which was possible because we had the guide to ourselves. This is definitely something Tour Dust has above the rest. Ali the cook and his trusty mule were also a bonus!

CLARE MACDONALD reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

We had a wonderful and rewarding time in the Atlas Mountains. We loved the flexibility of the route and pace, which was possible because we had the guide to ourselves. This is definitely something Tour Dust has above the rest. Ali the cook and his trusty mule were also a bonus!

CLARE MACDONALD reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

Clare and I had a fantastic break in morocco. The trek was a real highlight.

Andrew Larter reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

I would definitely recommend this trip to other travellers.
Everything ran like clockwork. Mohammed met us at the airport and took us to our riad in Marrakech which was a lovely place right in the centre but quiet as a retreat. We loved sitting on the upstairs terrace chilling out and having cups of mint tea prepared by their lovely staff.

On the trek Mohammed picked us up at 9am and we were taken to the start were we met our guide Mohammed ,our cook Hammed and our Mule who we named Janet.
We spent a lovely 5 days trekking and were really looked after by Mohammed and Hammed. The food was amazing and nothing was too much trouble for them.
The climb up Toubkal was amazing. Lots of snow and beautiful views.

We met some lovely people in the villagers.
We will definitely like to return to climb some more peaks.

Kevin Dawes reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

The Indochina boat Red Dragon III, we stayed on in Halong bay was really lovely, food was delicious and plentiful, and the dinner party in the cave a real treat.

Karen reviewing Halong Bay on the Red Dragon Junk

This was a great trip, although you do need to be prepared for a lot of travel, however that was certainly part of the fun, looking out for motorbikes loaded with livestock, families, kitchen appliances. The landscape was breathtaking, and our guide had lots of information to help us understand our surroundings. The homestay was clean and comfortable, the family fed us extremely well, and were very friendly.

Karen reviewing Ba Be Lake and Homestay in Vietnam

The trip was a huge hit... A massive success

The trekking was good... We were a bit out of shape but our guide was amazing. He just got it and was super knowledgeable. I really think he was the gem. We were cold at night even though we had terrific sleeping bags but that is part of the fun.

The people from the surf school were awesome. The accomodation was a wee bit to funky for us and the man moved us into a super duper cute little studio bedroom with terrace near the village. He was terrific even had everyone to his house for dinner one night and that was one of the best meals I ever had. The surf instructor was perfect.

I found tourdust online and I am sure after our amazing trip that they are a gift from heaven. In two days they created a personal trip for me and my 10 year old son. We wanted adventure,surfing and hiking and it was feb half term we had 5 days to travel...ben and anna could not have been cooler or more organised. We knew every detail of our trip and had an itinerary that met our individual needs and interests. We even had a hand drawn map where no map had existed before. Both harry and I were sorry that the rest of our family couldn’t be with us but feel that we lucked out with our wonderful adventure.

ElizabethWalker reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech, Trek & Surf

we have just returned tonight from Morocco and would like you to know how much we enjoyed our Atlas Valley Trek. The guides were fantastic and we were very impressed with Atlas - they responded extremely well to a situation which unexpectedly presented itself : Nanette's leg was causing her some pain so our schedule was slightly altered to give a shorter trip on the 2nd day (the anticipated 6 hours of walking was actually more like 8 hours which in the circumstances would have been too much so the 6 hour day which was then provided was preferable).

Just to give you some feedback - the change of plan was in fact a benefit in other ways as we did spend a very cold night in an unheated shelter on our first night and the change meant that we had a delightful night in a guest house in Imlil instead of a second freezing night in unheated lodgings. It might be useful in future in terms of info you give out to your guests at this time of year - winter sleeping bags are required even for an indoor mountain stay as the mountain gites aren't heated although the guest house in Imlil was. We both had adequate sleeping bags but hadn't expected to be quite as cold as we were when we got into them!

Overall this was a great tip and we would definitely use your company again for booking similar holidays in other areas.

June reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

we have just returned tonight from Morocco and would like you to know how much we enjoyed our Atlas Valley Trek. The guides were fantastic and we were very impressed with Atlas - they responded extremely well to a situation which unexpectedly presented itself : Nanette's leg was causing her some pain so our schedule was slightly altered to give a shorter trip on the 2nd day (the anticipated 6 hours of walking was actually more like 8 hours which in the circumstances would have been too much so the 6 hour day which was then provided was preferable).

Just to give you some feedback - the change of plan was in fact a benefit in other ways as we did spend a very cold night in an unheated shelter on our first night and the change meant that we had a delightful night in a guest house in Imlil instead of a second freezing night in unheated lodgings. It might be useful in future in terms of info you give out to your guests at this time of year - winter sleeping bags are required even for an indoor mountain stay as the mountain gites aren't heated although the guest house in Imlil was. We both had adequate sleeping bags but hadn't expected to be quite as cold as we were when we got into them!

Overall this was a great tip and we would definitely use your company again for booking similar holidays in other areas.

June reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

Tourdust made the booking of our 2-day trek in Morocco extremely easy. I called them up first to ask a bit more about the trek that I wanted to do and what kind of equipment we should take with us. These were all answered very quickly and I even got some advice for other parts of our trip in Morocco. The trek itself went exactly as it should have done, we were picked up promptly from our Riad, the guide was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly and the walk itself was off the beaten track and we saw only 2 other travellers during the full two days which was excellent and made for the true walking experience we were looking for, nothing touristy at all - Thank you!

Rebecca Hardy reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

Tourdust made the booking of our 2-day trek in Morocco extremely easy. I called them up first to ask a bit more about the trek that I wanted to do and what kind of equipment we should take with us. These were all answered very quickly and I even got some advice for other parts of our trip in Morocco. The trek itself went exactly as it should have done, we were picked up promptly from our Riad, the guide was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly and the walk itself was off the beaten track and we saw only 2 other travellers during the full two days which was excellent and made for the true walking experience we were looking for, nothing touristy at all - Thank you!

Rebecca Hardy reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains

The experience was very enjoyable. The climb was tough, but worth it.
The guide was very competent, albeit a little quiet. Fantastic experience, great views, well worth the trek to the top.

matrekker reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

From beginning to end the service from both Tourdust and the local operator was fantastic. Despite being the rainy season we had a fair bit of good weather, and even when we didn't it couldn't take away from the great experience and amazing sites. Our guide Odon really made it for us. There was a smallish group of 8 of us. He understood everyones needs and tailored our days to make sure everyone got the most out of it. Whenever he could he made sure that we were ahead of other groups and got time at the most interesting sites on our own. He also hads fantastic knowledge and always had really interesting things to tell us which made the trip even better. Our team of porters were also fantastic. The food was amazing and you wouldn't believe they were cooking it in a camp tent. Thank you to the whole team for making this such a great trip. I would highly recommend Pachamama if you are thinking of doing the trail. Becks and Will - Jan 2011

beak101 reviewing Trek the Inca Trail in Peru

My thoughts on the trip was that it was over all an amazing experience. The Erg Chebbi trip was the most enjoyable part of our stay in Morocco, Im glad we booked it through yourself as everything ran smoothly and we feel we got an excellent service. We heard some bad experiences of similar trips but were a lot cheaper so I think you get what you pay for.

KateThorburn reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

We were absolutely delighted with our recent kayaking trip. Both your handling of the booking and Rod's handling of the week were exactly what we expected and it was all good!

I would rate your service as a 5/5 and cannot think of anything to suggest improvements.

We would also rate Rod's service as 5/5 and have already recomended it to a couple of friends if they were to do a similar trip.

Many thanks to you and Rod for making this a very stress free holiday.

LynnKitching reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

We would highly recommend booking a trek with Tourdust. We had a tailor made 4 day trek with friendly, professional guides. It was fun and well organised with good accommodation and great food. Lots of great memories and stunning photos.

We had an amazing time, mohammed and loshum were both really helpful. took us into the village in the evenings to see the village celebrating eid, played football with the kids in the village. We felt safe. Food was excellent, had our own impromptu cookery course with mohammed. On the last day lucy went with loshum for a harder walk and I stayed with mohammed so catered to both levels of fitness

RuthCrook reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

Trip to Erg Chebbi

What a really wonderful trip – many thanks to everyone involved in making it happen. Riding over dunes in the desert at sunset has to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, watching the sun going down behind the orange glowing sand and crescent shaped shadows. I found, to my great relief, that camels are actually quite cooperative animals – or maybe that was down to our guide, Zaieed, who led them patiently for an hour, until we reached our tent. Then a delicious tagine, cooked on the spot, followed by sleeping under the brightest moon and stars imaginable. To top it all, we set off (again guided by Zaieed) in the morning while it was still dark so that we could park our camels on the side of a dune so we could clamber up and watch the sun rise. Pure magic.
It was a long drive down to the desert from Marrakech, but we stopped off at some fascinating places along the way, and enjoyed getting a feel for Moroccan villages after the bright lights of Marrakech. And the drive was worth every minute for such a wonderful experience.

lizsweetman reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

Fantastic trip. Top marks on all counts.

ClaraFay reviewing Photography Courses in Italy

We had a thoroughly enjoyable holiday - Rod Feldtman looked after us very well on the sea trips and as beginners we felt 100% safe at all times. Milos is a lovely island & we'll definitely return one day

StephenBrown reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

Brilliant and varied trips for a whole week. The scenery was very different each day and there was a good combination of trips with caves and arches to explore and crossings to nearby islands. Lunches and snacks provided were good and the trips seemed suitable for both those with and without previous experience of kayaking. It was also nice to be able to choose single or double kayaks.,We enjoyed some very good food in the local villages in the evenings.A bonus was we were given a cd of pictures of our trip at the end.

Angela reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

Firstly, you guys at Tourdust- what can I say really?! perfect service, informative, timely, reasonably priced etc etc Can't fault you, thanks so much, i'm really glad we didn't leave it to our Riad to book or just risk someone selling tours on the side of the road when we got there! The few extra quid was very well spent.

Mohammed and Aztat Tours- we had 2 guides (just for Andy and I!) the whole time. Met us at our front door and dropped us off practically at the next front door. EXTREMELY sensitive to our wimpy British needs (always checking we were cool enough, had enough water, wanted to take pics, stop for lunch, loos etc) They couldn't have been more thoughtful, even moreso considering they were both without food and water all day because of Ramadan.

The tour was very comprehensive- mountains, gorges, the desert and other stops like fossil factories, film studios and various places of interest along the way. The dessert was an INCREDIBLE experience, the most bizarre silence i've ever experienced and I now know camels regurgitate their food and eat it as mine did this for the entire trip back (rather nice at 5am!)

Things that may be useful in terms of other clients doing the same tour and asking questions: we had no idea we would be travelling quite so far, so although the first and second day were fine and split up with visits and obviously a night in a hotel, the full journey back on the 3rd day was a marathon. I think we stopped twice for the loo and once for lunch in almost 12 hours because there was so far to go.

We also had no idea we'd be leaving our guides once we got on the camels, and trekking 4km to the camp. Our Berber 'host' there was amazing, the tagine the best we had the whole holiday and the 4 other guests a real nice bunch. But we then trekked back at 5am to see the sunrise. Again, a fab experience but we were in shock when we were told at camp we'd be getting up before 5am and going back on camels as 1- Camels are the most uncomfy beasts ever, and 2- We were absolutely knackered!

Also, the sleeping in the desert- we had packed a fleece and our toothbrushes along with wipes medication other items on the list etc. The torch was the most valuable item listed, we would have been lost without it! But anything other than maybe medication and wipes is pointless as there are NO facilities whatsoever, just a loo in a tent. We slept in our clothes and went back in them the next day, there's no point doing anything else really. It is a complete myth that it gets cold in the desert- it was a good 30 degrees all through the night with no wind whatsoever and the camp has thin mattresses and sheets to use if needed so no need for sleeping bag hire either, it was all just extra stuff to lug around. Our guide told us it very rarely gets cold in the desert and this is at the time of year when they move their camp out anyway so no-one would be staying there, doing tours etc

Elena reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

I cannot imagine a better guide than Odon. From the very first time we met, he has been funny, kind, supportive, very knowledgeable and a real pleasure to be with. The fact is I was not fit enough to do this like some of the other young fit people, but he made me feel welcome and cared for - a wonderful man and a wonderful experience. Apart from my shame at taking the horse, I have loved almost every minute of this trek and Odon has been the second best part of it - countryside came first :)

Charles reviewing The Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu

We very much enjoyed the course run by Pete Hawkins. The two instructors were thorough and patient (very important in my case) and our confidence visibly grew as the weekend progressed. We were very pleased at the end to receive the bronze award and look forward to the next level.

Pauline reviewing Silva Map and Compass Courses - Bronze level

Received good support for my late booking through Tourdust who were able to answer all my questions in a timely way and even put me in touch with the Tour leader in Turkey via e mail. I thought Kaunos Tour staff were good and our Kayak leader Sonja was excellent. The camping food was ample and tasty. Felt that all our needs were met without any fuss.

Gill reviewing Seakayak Turkey's Turquoise Coast!

We had a fantastic holiday and would rate it 5 out of 5, the experience booking through you and all your help also 5 out of 5 and the experience of being there 5 out of 5!

Allie reviewing Mountain Biking in the Alps

Great holiday. Excellent value for money. We were looked after extremely well. I would recomend this holiday to anyone wanting to experience Turkey and not follow the crowds. It was everything we hoped for and more.

Ken reviewing Seakayak Turkey's Turquoise Coast!

We had a fantastic holiday in Greece. The island was beautiful and Rod, Paul and Petronella looked after us very well. We met some great people whose company made the trip hugely entertaining.

I'd highly recommend the adventure.

ZoeF reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

My holiday experience was very good,for all round care and attention to
detail, standard of accommodation, and our tour guide Sonjia who was
brilliant, all round I would give it 4 out of 5, but for value for money, i
would give it 5 out of 5.

I will almost certainly return next year possibly for a week in May.

Gary reviewing Seakayak Turkey's Turquoise Coast!

We had an absolutely fantastic time in Milos and have recommended it to
many of our friends.

Chellie reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

Amazing. I didn't expect to have so much fun. Each day there was something new to explore or see that was unexpected. Rod is the perfect guide and coach. Paddling conditions varied which also made for some interesting windy trips and some more serene calm ones.

Louise reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

This was an absolutely brilliant holiday and pretty much ticked all the boxes - fantastic weather; lovely scenery; not too touristy and an activity that teenagers and middle aged adults alike would enjoy.
I had not kayaked before but Rod was so positive and encouraging that any feelings of apprehension were soon banished and paddling over the crystal clear waters and into the caves was fantastic. We all loved the snorkelling and jumping off the rocks.
On two of the trips we paddled home into the setting sun -so stunning!
The room we stayed in was basic but clean and comfortable and right above Petronella's cafe so great for ice creams and ouzo!!
Everything was so well organized but really relaxed and laidback at the same time. Generally we set off at 10am which feels pretty civilized and then we'd be back by about 6.30, nicely tired and hungry.
We can't wait to go again!

Robyn reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

I found this trip a fantastic and unique trip, First, I liked the professional team who took care of everything and was always on time, secondly, it was a good chance to enjoy the mountains in Spain. I do recommend it to anyone who love adventures and enjoy a special experience.
Also the experienced staff, helped me to have the right expectations about the trip, therefore I was prepared to everything. it is unforgettable experience.
Simply, at the top, you have just reached the highest summit in Spain.

Ahmed reviewing Climb Mulhacen - the Highest Peak in Spain

Mary and Alison were great - and we learned a lot. Everyone was just so helpful and thoughtful.

Judith reviewing A weekend of rediscovery

Yes I would highly recommend for those with a hardy sense of adventure - Toubkal climb itself is a little more challenging than maybe is made clear, and I am an experienced walker. Hostel was very basic, which is fine as long as travellers are aware from the outset. Need to remind travellers to take passport numbers for hostel registration - add to kit list. Also, tips are appreciated by guides/taxi drivers at end - it is part of African culture.

I have to say that our mountain guide was fantastic. He was friendly and very knowledgeable. The food prepared for us was excellent and substantial. We were really well looked after all of the time. The taxi service to/from Marrakech was very efficient. The arrangements went exactly as planned from start to finish, so we had nothing to worry about, other than ensuring we kept going on the climb. Watching the sun rise across the Atlas mountains was breathtaking, an experience that will last with us for some time.

Pierre reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Very happy with everything, very nice yurt site, Anthony who runs it was very helpful, booked the ferry and was always about to help out , he communicated by text and was always available, would def recommend to friends and revisit

JohnB reviewing Stay in a Yurt on the Isle of Wight!

Thanks very much. Everything was of a high standard and we really enjoyed our weekend. Peter Hawkins was a fantastic leader.

EmmaW reviewing Silva Map and Compass Courses - Bronze level

This holiday is really great- I'm back in London now and missing the easy-going days of eating, paddling, swimming/snorkelling and paddling some more.

There are lots of different trips to go on and Rod (the guy who runs things along with his wife, Petrinela) tells you which you're doing at breakfast depending on wind and such like. One day we went to an old sulphur mine, another we spent going through lots of arches and into caves (Kleftico- my favourite day), another we paddled across to the nearby island Kimolos.

Ability doesn't matter. I started the week in a kayak with a rudder (easier for steering) and then 'graduated' to one without. I was happy just to paddle along and play about in the rocks but my brother wanted to eskimo roll and learn how to rescue people who fall in- Rod duly taught him to do so. There were some hardcore enthusiasts who practised their kayaking skills during breaks, folks on day trips only, and couples in two people kayaks. This meant group dynamics changed- sometimes the group would be speedy/fitter but on other days paddling was more leisurely (and Rod adapted as such). Either way I love the peacefulness of kayaking and Milos' beautiful coastline and gorgeous blue/green sea meant my holiday was pretty bloody fantastic.

The place where you stay is comfortable and clean and on your day off you can hire a buggy from nearby Adamas to whizz round the island on. Fun, fun, fun.

Caroline Harper, London UK

Caro07 reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

Great riding, great companions and fabulous trails with very little road work. A glorious weekend, where we arrived as strangers and left as friends.

I would recommend this to others, but they do need to be able to ride its not a novice yard.

Erica reviewing Horse Riding Weekend Break

The trip was very well organised, and the accommodation was excellent. What really makes a trip like this special is that you can walk off the beaten track and our guide Richard was very knowledeable so we learnt a lot about the local history,flora and fauna. Nothing was too much trouble for Richard or our hosts Peter and Melanie and that made the holiday really enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this trip.

Pat reviewing Walk the Camino de Santiago

We had a wonderful time, it was simple yet magical; toasting marshmallows on crackling fires at the end of the evening, cooking locally caught fresh fish over hot coals, being a stones through away from the beach, stunning landscapes and beautiful bike rides, waking up to birdsong...we loved it and would recommend it to anyone.

MarieC reviewing Stay in a Yurt on the Isle of Wight!

I would be happy to recommend this holiday to anyone! Richard, the guide, was extremely knowledgeable and it was a delight to go walking with him, Snippets of information about the geology, history, architecture, flora and wildlife added extra interest to every walk we went on. The walks were well planned out in terms of the interests we had expressed and our walking ability. One member of the group was injured and Richard, along with our hosts at Casa Sarasa, made individual arrangements so that she could still join us at different stages of the walks. They also adapted a couple of days because of poor weather but managed this in such a way as to still provide excellent and varied walking experiences.

We stayed at Casa Sarasa which again exceeded our expectations. Peter and Melanie had exactly the right balance between treating us as friends in their home and customers. We could not have been more welcomed or better looked after. Our daily picnics were a triumph and different every day.

Organisationally everything went like clockwork; Richard and Peter made the planning look effortless a sure sign that in actual fact a lot of thought had gone into it!

I would score this holiday a 5 and we hope to book again. ( Probably 2012 as we have already booked a 2011 walking holiday through Tourdust) We would again want to stay at Casa Sarasa and have Richard as our tour guide, we would include some of the other activities on offer, canoeing, riding etc and we would go a bit later in May hoping for warmer weather!

Sian reviewing Walk the Camino de Santiago

Really good holiday - lovely cycling, both from ski lifts and straight from the farm. Trails you'd never find without a guide, and tailored to suit your ability.

High quality food to match - def one to recommend.

Charlie reviewing Mountain Biking in the Alps

I had a brilliant time and want to do it again next year. Ian our guide was fabulous. Really lovely group we met up with. Went at our own pace and made it. Harder than kilimamjaro and way more rewarding as I made it to the top. With no altitude sickness a trek like this is hard but doable. Would recommend it to anyone. See you next year!

Laki reviewing Climb Ben Nevis

The tour of the Dingle Peninsula was wonderful, the accommodations were impeccable and the food was lovely. The tour operator was very friendly and responsive to our needs. Even though this was a self-guided holiday I felt well cared for the entire time.

Debora reviewing Walk the Dingle Way

Along the dirt tracks of Masiphumelele, we arrive at the bicycle shop, stocked with imported, second-hand bikes and operated by local residents. One of the first things I notice is a striking mural, which graces the walls of one of the containers. ‘This was painted by the children,’ our guide, Mzwamadoda Zwai explains proudly. ‘This was painted by the children?’ I gasp. In fact, all of these containers comprise an entire complex for the youth including; a sewing centre, a small church, an arts and crafts centre and the bicycle shop itself.

We are each handed sublime, old fashioned bikes with long, curved handle bars, which you have to pedal backwards to brake. After a rusty start (it’s been years since I’ve ridden a bike!), we are soon cycling through the streets of Masiphumelele, with nothing to separate us from the shacks, houses, dirt tracks and local people. I already feel part of the experience.

I don’t believe in God, but I’m smiling. I can’t help it

Our first stop is a Sunday church service and we can hear the rumble of gospel, beckoning from within. We take a seat at the back and observe throngs of people of all ages, in joyous song; dancing and clapping with such energy. When the church leader orders everybody to shake hands with, or hug the person next to them, we are no longer voyeurs, but have folded into this scene. The congregation are shaking us by the hand and offering a warm embrace. ‘I know you,’ one woman says to me, ‘You have a familiar face’. I don’t believe in God, but I’m smiling. I can’t help it. I glance around and the rest of the tour group are too.

If doctors can’t heal your ailments, an African traditional healer can

Our second stop in the township of Masiphumelele is the home of a sangoma (an African traditional healer). We cycle past a local shebeen – the music is pumping and loud, in stark contrast to the church from which we have just come. Off road, we dismount and our walk takes us through a myriad of dirt roads and small shacks. It’s raining heavily and large puddles block the majority of our paths. I’m wondering if these shacks suffer flooding when the rain hits. My thoughts are broken as we reach the home of the sangoma.

This is where you come if doctors can’t heal your ailments; be it physical, emotional or spiritual. We are sat on wooden benches around a low-lit, bare room. A woman sits in a corner with a drum whilst a young traditional healer emerges (the traditional healer’s daughter). ‘Welcome,’ she says. Welcome is also written in many different languages on the walls.

Mzwamadoda is teaching us some Xhosa words, but we struggle with the pronunciation. It doesn’t come naturally to us to make sounds with the back of the throat at the same time as vowel sounds. We simply don’t have the linguistic coordination. Mzwamadoda offers to translate my questions, as the sangoma doesn’t speak English.

She is wearing an intricate headdress with tassels, which she tells me takes a full day to make. Her ancestors spoke to her and told her to make the headdress in the colours of red, blue and white. It is these beads that let her know when someone is coming and, thanks to her ancestors, she already knows what is wrong with a person, before they tell her. The bells on her feet act as a drum, when she dances to evoke her ancestors. Although the role of traditional healer is largely inherent in her community, they have been known to share their art with other traditional healers. Beneath the costume and dancing, the piercing eyes of a wise woman peer out. I stare back at her, wondering what it must be like to possess such ability.

Masiphumelele: ‘We shall succeed’

Our third and final stop is Charlotte’s Place – a small, but cozy shack which she shares with her granddaughter, Tamika. We huddle in from the rain and sit in her living room, sipping on welcome cups of tea (a detox tea, grown in the Cederberg Mountains) and nibbling on delicious chunks of Vetkoek. Charlotte recalls her childhood – her mother was a domestic worker for an Israeli family in Tamboerskloof, so Charlotte grew up in a large house, dining on mussels and herring, and playing with children from a local boarding school. When the Israeli family left, they bought her family a house in Mitchell’s Plein to thank them for their hard work. Township life, in contrast, took a little getting used to for Charlotte.

Charlotte has been waiting for a house for a long time. She doesn’t work full time, which is what is required to qualify for housing, and her job as a tourist guide is seasonal. Despite this, she would never leave Masiphumelele, because she loves her community. It’s a community that shares, a community that toyi-toyi’s for better education for all and a community that campaigns to empower its women. In 2008, Masiphumelele was awarded the annual Reconciliation Award from the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), in recognition of it’s efforts to live in peace with foreigners and resist violence. ‘Tamika is always asking ‘why?’ and ‘what?’’ exclaims Charlotte, ‘Perhaps she will become South Africa’s first female president.’

Before you think of typing ‘Xhosa customs’ into Wikipedia, or driving with your camera pressed against the glass of an air-conditioned bus, think of taking a bicycle tour of Noordhoek’s Masiphumelele instead. This great day tour is fully interactive and opens your eyes to age-old Xhosa customs and the township spirit of togetherness. It’s a unique opportunity to say: ‘I was there’.

Lisa Nevitt
Cape Town Magazine, 2010

CapeTownMagazine reviewing Township Tours by Bike

Our holiday arrangements for the Dingle Way walk were excellent. Everyone was professional, helpful and friendly with the accomodations being of a high quality for cleanliness, comfort, and location. Highly recommended!

Sheila reviewing Walk the Dingle Way

We're now back at home and I'm looking out at a rather wet Liverpool day, a great contrast from our marvellous few days in Cape Town. This is to thank you for being a wonderful guide for our trip to Stellenbosch and for enabling us to learn so much about South African wines in a short time - you've started us on a long journey, I think, and I've already got sawinesonline.co.uk saved in my favourites! I think you'll understand that Albie Koch was the stand out, although being able to tell the very good sommelier at the 12 Apostles that we'd met Jose Conde gave us more than a few brownie points! Can I also congratulate you on choosing Overture for our lunch? You'd obviously read us right from our e-mail correspondence, but how you managed to fix the weather is beyond us! This goes into our very best meals anywhere category, along with the breakfast on the shoreline of Lake Annecy and the dinner overlooking the Mediterranean at Eze, close to Monte Carlo. Exquisite combinations of setting, food and, of course, occasion.

You helped give Jill an introduction to South Africa that make us determined to return and see and learn more - thank you for this. We'll certainly recommend you to friends and would hope to make use of your services on another visit.

john reviewing Classic Cape Town wine tour

I would definitely recommend this trip to others. A great challenge and fantastic views make the uphill exertion completely worthwhile!

Natasha reviewing Climb Mulhacen - the Highest Peak in Spain

We love camping and cooking outside but we also like a bit of luxury - this was the perfect combination of both.

We loved being able to hire bikes for the whole family - including a tag along for our four year old - and to be able to cycle on quiet lanes and cycle paths to Yarmouth. Successful crab fishing in Yarmouth also went down very well with our young family.

We loved it and would recommend this to other travellers

Mike reviewing Stay in a Yurt on the Isle of Wight!

I had a wonderfully warm welcome in St Lucia. The volunteer house where I stayed was spacious and all the staff friendly and helpful. The food was also very good and the cook catered for all our needs. Being a more mature person, I was concerned whether there would be a range of ages amongst the volunteers and I was pleasantly surprised that there were people of all ages from different parts of the world.

I was one of three people on the photographic and conservation project and this started with a fantastic but intensive 3 days with a professional wildlife photographer who was inspiring and great fun. The programme was well organised and there was always plenty to do from game drives, bush walks, volunteering at the Crocodile centre, visiting the other projects in the local village such as the Creche and orphanage and of course editing all those photos. The area is fantastic with many different eco-systems from beautiful beaches, sand dunes, lake and wetland etc. I also enjoyed the conservation project in the local village and with the local High school where we helped the children create a garden and build a compost. The local people were very welcoming and very happy to have our support.

There were great opportunities for weekends away too and I went to Kosi Bay and saw turtles hatching and also to Mozambique swimming with dolphins, but you could also relax at the house and pool and explore St Lucia.

I had wished that I had not been a complete beginner in photography as I feel I would have gained much more from the 3 days with the photographer and on reflection I would have chosen to do a course or two before embarking on the trip. Also for me as a beginner it was a slight
frustration that there was only a limited amount of photographic support for the rest of the month.

Overall though I had a fantastic time, met some wonderful people, saw some amazing wildlife and took a some great photos. I would rate my experience at 4.5 out of 5.

Judy reviewing Wildlife Photography volunteering holiday in South Africa

I would rate the course 5 out of 5. We both had an excellent time and we learnt a lot, probably a bit more than we both expected.

First, it was an excellent walking weekend as we got to do some lovely walks in the Tideswell area. Second, we both had the opportunity to learn and then practice what we had learnt so I genuinely feel that I got my money's worth out of the course. And third, Pete was an excellent instructor.

I would thoroughly recommend it to other would be orienteers and friends.

EmilyJM reviewing Silva Map and Compass Courses - Bronze level

We just got back from our overnight stay. It was excellent. We could not have asked for nicer accommodation and the staff are wonderful.

We were treated to walks with giraffes and really enjoyed the cheetahs. It was unbelievable and a memory of a life time.

Kristen reviewing Overnight Safari from Cape Town

I have one word to describe my Cooking experience: AMAZING! What a fantastic experience! I must say that Pamela went above and beyond what she was required to do as a tour guide. She allowed me to pay once I arrived into Cape Town, met my husband and I at our convenience and gave us a ride back to our hotel from the Pic-n-Pay at the waterfront so we wouldn't have to walk with our groceries! She is not only friendly, but extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what is going on with the black community in Cape Town/Langa. I did two cooking classes and wished that I did all our tours through them, as they are so personal. I cooked with Gamidah in her home in Bo-Kapp for a Cape Malay cooking experience, then two days later I accompanied Pamela to the District 6 Museum where she recounted the history of Apartheid, then drove out to Langa where I was warmly greeted by Eugene, the instructor! What passion he has as well and what an amazing grassroots movement Eziko Restaurant/School is doing. I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of helping this movement succeed and will therefore be writing letters to guide books such as Lonely Planet, Rick Steves and such. I also plan on posting a review on Trip Advisor so the word can get out as to the amazing service and experience Cape Fusion provides at such a reasonable cost! I am recommending it to all my friends who will be in Cape Town for the World Cup.

EmilyM reviewing African Cooking Class Cape Town

We very much enjoyed the Ben Bikes Township Tour. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and helped us get a glimpse into life in the Masi township. Seeing the township by bike was a unique and intimate experience. We found the township tour to be an important part of our trip to South Africa to gain an understanding and appreciation for how much of the population lives in these communities. The visit to the healer, the local businesswoman, and a local restaurant was a great experience.

Tracy reviewing Township Tours by Bike

The tour was absolutely brilliant, it was just the 2 of us, and we had the opportunity to meet and discuss with many people working on community projects in the townships all around Cape town. The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable!

celine reviewing Township Tour in Cape Town - Cape Care Route

The Silva bronze Navigation weekend was a wonderful opportunity to mix with like-minded strangers who had missed out on learning about map reading and navigating earlier in life. The first evening was spent at The Anchor being introduced to the basics of map reading in preparation for Saturday's 7 hour walk in the lovely Derbyshire countryside with ample opportunity to practice navigating from point to point using map and compass. After many years of cursorily scanning OS maps it was only under Pete's expert guidance that they began to release their hidden store of information to make navigating both challenging and fun. The second day proved even more of a challenge having woken up to a 6 inch covering of snow obscuring many of the features that were to be the object of Sunday's attention. Unfazed, we set off for a long snowy walk putting our new skills to the test in conditions that we will meet again unless we become fair-weather walkers, which I doubt. Throughout the weekend Pete proved to be good host and the arrangements for the evening meals at The Anchor met everyone's approval. The B&B Jaret House was comfortable and I will never forget the wonderful packed lunches provided by Pete's lovely wife. The weekend Navigation course could not be more highly recommended and is well deserving of five out of five.

RichardS reviewing Silva Map and Compass Courses - Bronze level

The course was really good, Pete was very friendly and made it much less daunting -particularly when you go on your own. He gave lots of encouragement but also challenged you. Village and the b & b I stayed in also seemed very friendly. I liked the way we had evening sessions in the pub as you had the option of being sociable if you want and it helped the group to bond.

all in all would recommend it

rebecca reviewing Silva Map and Compass Courses - Bronze level

My memories of our Bream Head Coastal Walks adventure are of spectacular scenery, luxurious accommodation, fresh gourmet food and the feeling of satisfaction that comes from a bit of exertion and a lot of fun.
We’d had a tough couple of months so arrived very tense and stressed. The warm welcome and the excitement of exploring the unexpected luxury of our surroundings, coupled with a glass of wine and delicious nibbles, set the tone for the entire weekend. Enjoying the 180° views over farmland to the ocean beyond, we immediately forgot our worries and set about planning the walks we would do.
Day one dawned with warm spring sunshine for our walk over farmland and along the beach. We were only 3 hours from home but this was a different world. The locals were very friendly, both human and animals, as we wandered over their land and onward to the deserted beach. The sea was so blue and inviting that we abandoned our footwear to paddle our way along the shoreline. The backdrop for the entire day was the spectacular ridgeline that we would be exploring tomorrow.
We were up early on day two and keen to get started, only delayed by the decisions to be made on which of the yummy foods to include in our lunchboxes. It was another beautiful day in paradise, so the shade of the bush was welcome after the hot uphill trek from the beach. We spend a lot of time tramping in the New Zealand bush, but still found ourselves continually stopping to take photos of the truly spectacular rocky outcrops and views beyond. Cheeky fantails joined us on route and a variety of birdlife was heard as we made our way through the bush along the ridge. Our host Claire was there to pick us up at the end of the day with a cool ice cream as reward for our efforts.
A good days fishing for our hosts meant a quick change to the menu that night, with the added choice of ocean fresh fish or the prime Angus beef. Some of us also chose to experience the open air bath to soak those weary muscles, hoping to hear a native kiwi calling in the nearby bush.
For day three we finished off with a climb to the summit of Mount Manaia. A change in the weather made this even more special with the views appearing and disappearing as the mist passed over, and added to the mystic of the spiritual origins of this great landmark.
We couldn’t help looking back in awe as we headed for home, feeling revived, refreshed and truly satisfied from a weekend well spent.

Marie reviewing Northland Coastal Walk

A superb wildlife cruise. This is really less about the cruise and more about the beautiful islands, the walking and great company. The food on-board is superb and comes in seriously hearty proportions. There is loads of time to explore the Islands independently, but skipper Mark was always on hand to point out a great hiking route or interesting diversion. I failed to spot much marine life but saw some fantastic bird-life, including the incredible sea eagle. Read our review in full here

ben reviewing Hebridean Wildlife Cruise

The next morning, Brad, arrived to take us on our two-day adventure. Brad was ...a typical Australian, nothing was a bother and his motto was "it's all good, no worries". He took us to the Oak Valley Aboriginal community where we met Craig, an Aboriginal rocker, just back from the AC/DC concert in Sydney, having driven for 28 hours... He proudly showed us around his land, explaining his heritage and by the time we were leaving I dared to address him as "cous".

And then it was off to camp, where we gathered wood and built a campfire (well, Brad was the one who actually built it), and the girls prepared the potato bake while the men stood around the barbie sipping beer. Nothing changes. Sparkling wine, steaks and potato bake under a star-filled sky. What more could you want? Brad maybe. We slept under the stars in swags which are, to the uninitiated, a sleeping bag and mattress all in one.

After a hearty hot breakfast cooked by Brad, we motored on towards Ayers Rock ...We stopped off at Kings Canyon, a spectacular sandstone gorge in Watarrka National Park, where we undertook a three and a half hour walk, the first half of which was vertical. Given that I'm no longer young and a smoker, I must admit I did lose the plot a small bit on the vertical stretch. In fact my legs started to turn to jelly, but with the constant exhortations of our hero Brad, I got to the top. We travelled around the rim of the gorge amid amazing scenery and those, unlike me, who were not afraid of being out of their depth enjoyed a swim in the water hole.

We arrived at Uluru, the Aboriginal name for Ayers Rock in time for the much talked-about sunset and it wasn't a let down. It was spellbinding and what better way to enjoy its ever changing copper, ochre and orange hues than sipping a glass of champagne.

(Irish Independent, April 25, 2010, Eleanor Goggin)

The-Irish-Independent reviewing 4WD Uluru Safari

The surroundings are satisfying, warm, everything we need, cosy rooms with their two towels, hot showers, fat sofas, kettles starting to whistle, as those in our eight-strong group begin to get to know each other.

And the food, in the evening, is good and plentiful. Very, very fresh. I compliment the tiny bustling chef on the crab, and she beams. 'I'm so glad. Caught it myself just this morning.' By lights out (because of the generator) at 11, we know each other pretty well. Splendid bunch. Some retired, some still busy, some Scots, some English, some who know these hills; we all vie in self-deprecating fashion to say who's going to be the slowest. Unfortunately, I am telling the truth.

A sweet, sweet sleep by the sea, a good hot breakfast, and the walking begins. Plans are fluid, depending on the weather on the hills and the state of the water, and on this first day we get to go, gloriously, to Eigg. A half-hour or so's boat ride, with Skye and Rum passing to port in splendid sun, and then we're there. It's hot. I know this is Scotland, but it's hot. But there's a breeze, and I soon stop panting, or at least pant in a semblance of rhythm, and we find our walking legs, and move up towards the dark, looming, sheer, magnificently scary An Sgurr. It's only 393m high, good for our first day, but the fall, on those three sheer sides from the top, is pretty much every one of those 393.

Next day is, as they all are, different. We walk in Knoydart, up a long, twisting isolated glen, towards the apparently splendid peak of Meall Buidhe, hidden in the mist. We pass huge horned Highland cattle, asleep amid misted trees, and a cluster of white ponies, used to haul down stags during the season. We are very much in a wilderness, in Scotland, a knowledge that comes whirling in with the wind and rain. That's the thing about weather: it changes.

In the morning, the group set out again, chattering. Long days, long climbs; mist and wild wind and sun, and supple hard sinews by the end, and happy scrambles for the showers, and long talks into the night.
(Euan Ferguson writing for the Guardian in August 2008)

The-Guardian reviewing One Week Knoydart Peninsula Tour

It’s a slog to get there with a 50-minute flight to Port Lincoln from Adelaide, plus a two-hour drive to Widunna (pop: 680), but if you want to see the real thing, this is it. So far Geoff is the only person with a concession to run a camp on the boundary of the Gawler Ranges National Park, 1,500 sq km (600 sq miles) of film-set Australia with red-dirt tracks, sheep stations, gullies, creeks and gum trees.

Nothing beats seeing your first roo in the wild, and unless you really want to be a jolly swagman you may as well do it in comfort. Geoff’s Kangaluna Camp equals five-star Africa, with three roomy tents, sleeping four each. They have sisal floors, sheepskin rugs, hot showers and flushing loos, plus extra touches such as beds made from local woods, silk throws and cushions painted with cockatoos, wombats and other Oz wildlife.

The Australian bush hasn’t got the cover-girl cats and big game of Africa, and it helps if you love birds, but for me the kangaroos make any effort worthwhile. We had countless encounters with these gentle creatures, who always stop to stare back, gazing obligingly into the camera.

There were so many highlights: the emus of course, but also the time Geoff persuaded me at a slow limp to stalk a wombat. It twitched its cute piggy nose at my strange shuffle and let us get close before it ambled off down its hidey hole. Then there was the day he drove us to Lake Gairdner, a spookily beautiful white salt pan that featured recently in a series of BMW car ads. It’s a famed beauty spot, but it was ours alone.

(Jill Hartley for The Times, October 27 2007,

Times reviewing South Australian Outback Safari

Getting to Refugio Amazonas from the airport at Puerto Maldonado involved a slow, bumpy hourlong bus ride to a sweltering jungle outpost aptly named Infierno, where we transferred into 55-foot-long motor boats that resembled hollowed-out bananas. The 2 1/2-hour ride upriver instantly oriented us to our new environment. Sixto pointed excitedly to a black caiman, an endangered reptile that resembles an alligator, sunning itself on the riverbank. We drew in for a closer look, which prompted the fierce reptile to eye us warily and slither into the water, its eyes still trained on us like periscopes. Moments later, we were distracted by the primordial shriek of a scarlet macaw. Perched on a clay outcropping were two of the storybook birds with their coats of crimson, gold, and green. Our normally skeptical teenager took in nature's technicolor with disbelief. "Can you believe where we are?" she said

Our boat finally pulled ashore at a set of wooden steps that rose up from the river. We had been hiking for 10 minutes when the lush green forest suddenly parted to reveal what looked like an enormous ship's prow cutting through the vegetation. This was Refugio Amazonas, a giant open-sided structure with a thatched roof and spacious two-story common area that included a bar, dining room, and hammock lounge. Our rooms had three bamboo-lined walls and beds draped with gauzy mosquito nets. The fourth wall was open to the rain forest. The bathrooms had running water and cold showers. Candles and kerosene lanterns provided our only light (the dining room has several hours of electricity each night where you can recharge camera batteries). We fell asleep that night to a thrilling cacophony made by howler monkeys, macaws, parrots, and crickets.

The next morning, while Jasper (7) was helping to save the forest, (along a special children's rain forest trail created with help from a Peruvian nonprofit organization, ANIA, which aims to teach children about natural and cultural resources of the rain forest) Ariel (15) was out with another group climbing a 75-foot tree with ropes and a harness. Another day featured kayaking and fishing on the Tambopata, hiking a remote clay lick to observe macaws and parrots, and following Sixto as he showed us how he used rain forest plants as medicines. "I don't go to a pharmacy," he said, motioning to the dense growth around us. "I have all the medicine I need right here." He won over Ariel by curing her nagging stomachache with a potent tea he brewed from a forest vine.

On our last morning, we climbed an 80-foot canopy tower to bird-watch with Sixto and take in the sunrise. Jasper and Ariel were glued to their binoculars as they took in the bird's-eye vantage point. Mist rose over the green carpet beneath us, and we peered into the tops of giant kapok trees. We spotted more birds in an hour than I had ever seen, including a toucan, tanager, parrots, macaws, and parakeets, to name a few. A full-throated symphony of birdsong rang out around us.
(David Goodman, writing for the Boston Globe, August 2007)

Boston-Globe reviewing Family Holiday in Peru: Incas & Amazon

Mohamed is simply the best guide with whom I have walked in Morocco... (Conde Nast Traveller Magazine, Dec 2007)

CondeNastTraveller reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Mohamed Aztat, a fluent speaker of English, French, Berber and Spanish is equally at home taking a family group through the low level M'goun valleys or experienced trekkers and climbers up the steepest slopes.

LonelyPlanet reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

Chiang Mai Thailand –The lush green farm fields of northern Thailand are beautifully framed by the jagged Chang Dao mountains as we spin through northern Thailand on a seven-day cycling trek.
People call out "Sa wa dee kha!" ("Hello!") as we pedal by. The many glittering Buddhist temples (wats) are awe-inspiring, but even more important: The food is mind-blowing. Together, we ride from the city of Chiang Mai, a cool enclave of art and culture, to the northern border that Thailand shares with Myanmar.

Pedalling at 25 km/h (on flat terrain), I can stare into the hills in the distance, eyeball the cows grazing by the side of the road or wave back at the kid sitting on the back of a motorbike who squirms around to laugh and greet the silly tourist on a bike. Going downhill is another matter: reaching speeds upward of 40 km/h scares the hell out of me. At every sharp curve, a blast of cool mountain air, chilly as air conditioning, shocks me into giddy excitement. It's a thrill you can't get from walking or being shut in a car.

Lunch is always a stop at a roadside noodle shop. At first, eating is just the fuel for our pedalling, but with each passing meal, invariably delicious, cycling becomes just the means to the end of having more food. Khao soy, a northern specialty, is egg noodles in a soupy, lightly curried sauce with chicken. Green papaya salad, in its native land, is a revelation, salty and fishy, with bits of crab, crushed peanuts and fragrant herbs. Plates of food leave me reeling with their complex flavours, while Thai snacks are about simple pleasures. Steamed sticky rice and coconut milk is a favourite, whether it comes wrapped in a banana leaf pocket, or stuffed into a rod of bamboo the length of my forearm. Every morsel is swoon-worthy, and the range of food so vast that I forego any Fear Factor bravado and pass on the fried insects and other unfamiliar delicacies available at every market.

By the end of our trip, we have visited temples with grandeur that rivals any European cathedral. We've stayed in luxurious resorts, passed through an elephant conservation centre and marvelled at the traditional dances of hill tribes in the border region of the north.

The whole trip was done at the right pace, the tempo over the 150-kilometre journey set by our pumping legs and growing appetites.
(Hannah Sung, writing for the Toronto Star, March 2010)

Toronto-Star reviewing Cycling Tour of North Thailand

After a week spent taking part in the Woodlander course, learning wilderness bushcraft, I know that I will never own a PlayStation. No amount of sitting in front of a television exercising my thumbs could possibly have the magical effect of this supremely absorbing subject. Strangely, producing fire by friction is an emotional moment. I feel initiated. There is something quite primal about the process, as if I’ve connected in some significant way with my ancestors. I feel more tuned-in with the outdoors than I have ever felt. I also have an irrepressible grin etched across my face.

The course takes place in one of nature’s most beautiful classrooms on a remote 300-acre private forestry estate to the west of Lake Windermere, with a spectacular backdrop of mountains, lakes and rivers. Such a location gives the participants - a maximum number of 12 taught by five instructors - the chance to really commune with nature on a very intimate level. In my ten years of enjoying outdoor pursuits, mainly climbing and mountaineering, with a healthy dose of mountain biking and hill walking thrown in, I’ve never really engaged with my surroundings in this way until now.

Before I arrived, I did have concerns about the nature of the subject matter, in particular whether it would be an exercise in Rambo-style machismo, an initiation into tree-hugging pseudo-spiritualism, or a sentimental regression into the past. Thankfully, it is none of these things. Rather, it encourages me to see what I’ve been missing when out walking.

(Written by James Reynolds published in The Scotsman on 19 June 2004)

Scotsman reviewing Survival & Bushcraft Courses in the Lakes

Sunshine, warm blue seas, beautiful scenery, comfortable air conditioned accommodation and a grinning Aussie guide. ………We had come to Milos to paddle but the warm evenings, when the shops and cafes reopened after their long siesta, gave us time to glimpse Greece at its best. Milos is where many Greeks go for their holidays, and within easy walking distance of Petrinela’s guest house is a labyrinth of picturesque lanes and alleyways, strung with fairy lights and flowers, tiny white-painted houses with colourful doors and balconies, and a wondrous array of artisan craft shops and relaxed restaurants (most with English translations in the menus). After dinner, if you have any energy left from the day’s paddling, I would recommend the stroll up to the top of the hill to the castle, originally a lookout post for pirates, but now affording beautiful views across the whole island and unparalleled glimpses of the sun setting over nearby islands. I could feel my cares dropping away from me on the very first evening and soon felt more relaxed than I had done for years.

The scenery was amazing. Milos is volcanic and Rod (who came to Milos originally as a geologist) was able to explain about the fantastic rock formations, caves, arches and islands. Each corner revealed a new surprise: a tiny fishing village, a deserted beach, and a labyrinth of mining tunnels or a kingfisher flashing past.

The first few days were calm, time to get used to the boats and enjoy the scenery. The trips were long enough to make us feel pleasantly tired but nothing strenuous. Each day we had two lengthy stops, usually on a sheltered beach or rocky area good for snorkelling. After morning snacks of biscuits and chilled fruit I was amazed to find I still had room for the huge amount of lunch Petrinela packed for us each day.

(Rhoda Daniels Published in Canoe Focus in September 2008)

CanoeFocus reviewing Sea Kayaking in Greece

There's plenty to see. Effectively a 364-mile (585km) long aquarium, Lake Malawi contains more fish species than Europe and America combined, many of which have evolved in Darwinian fashion according to local conditions around the specific groups of rocks they inhabit.

But you don't have to be a fish fanatic to appreciate the beauty of this place. Within a couple of hours of the minibus-with-earrings experience, the bows of my kayak were biting into the sand of what could have been an exclusive private island in the Seychelles, albeit with limpid fresh water and associated bird life.

My arrival was greeted from the trees by sea eagles that looked like demon headmasters. On a rock around the corner, a group of whitebreasted cormorants lined up to face the evening sun, their beaks open and wings wide, and wherever I walked on the island I seemed to be preceded by the same rainbow skink with a jauntily skew whiff blue tail.

Although the island of Mumbo is uninhabited, this was no hardship experience. A walkway of planks led out to an offshore islet which was home to a luxury tented camp in true upmarket safari style, with fresh Malawi coffee and home-made cinnamon biscuits waiting on the table.

Adamson, who introduced himself as an "island man", chided me gently for having pulled up my own kayak - he would do that - and added that ice had just arrived from the mainland to "chill the greens" - green- labelled bottles of Carlsberg.

Mumbo is one of two islands in the Lake Malawi National Park with camps run by Kayak Africa, a company set up by a group of thirtysomethings from South Africa who've managed to blend the ingenuity of man with the creativity of nature.

The tents are on wooden platforms overlooking the water; you can lie in your hammock in the moonlight, listening to wavelets beneath you.

Kayak Africa's concept is for an all-inclusive island exile, with your own canoe, snorkel equipment and dive gear, and if you don't have a PADI certificate (as I didn't), this is one of the cheapest places in the world to learn to dive.

You don't need to dive, though, to swim with the fish. The majority are ciclids, striped yellow or blue, and they are so unfazed by snorkellers that you could almost reach out and touch them. Many species have developed curious personal habits, which include playing dead, holding their offspring in their mouths, and reproducing in a way which would have Sir David Attenborough struggling for a non-salacious euphemism.

(The Times, London, 15 Feb 2003)

Times reviewing Kayak the deserted islands of Lake Malawi

Our stay was fantastic. Both Nick and Kate were so obliging (and Nick's mum on our late arrival....!)
The two yurt are beautifully set out, and are a wonderful place to stay. With the gas heater we were plenty warm enough even in late October. The kitchen with wood burner is a lovely place to cook and meet other guests. There's even stuff to read and games to play.
The shower and toilet block is very clean and the shower hot and spacious.

Overall I can thoroughly recommend the Broome Retreat to anyone wanting to try out a yurt or just have a different type of holiday.

Jonathan

Jonathan reviewing Yurt holiday in the Tanat Valley

There's lots of interesting life at the Poor Knights because of the mixture of warm and cold currents. My log says: Snapper, Bigeyes, Nudibranch and Scorpion Fish as well as Morays and a whole bunch of stuff I couldn't identify. Vis was excellent. Water temperature 20C. Dolphins on the bow wave each trip I went on.

Dive Tutukaka are a very professional outfit, with good procedures and comfortable boats. I will dive with them again if I go back to the North Island.

peters reviewing Dive the Poor Knights Islands

I had just the best time here. It was peaceful, beautiful and unlike anywhere else I have stayed.
The yurts are very comfortable and warm and the kitchen area was unexpectedly good, had everything we could want.
Local pubs were great and our visit to Chirk Castle was fantastic!
My one and only negative would be (and this is very much a personal thing) is that we had the facilites to ourselves and that was amazing but if the other yurt had have been booked, we probably would have not been able to spend so much time in the kitchen area or let ourselves go as much. However, this wasn't the case, and we had the best holiday!!

nikki reviewing Yurt holiday in the Tanat Valley

This course has been a fabulous experience! We arrived a couple of days before and stayed just outside Orvieto in a fantastic hotel called InnCasa (http://www.inncasa.eu) so we were refreshed and relaxed before the photography began.

Patrick Nicholas picked us up in his beat up Land Rover as promised right on time at the top of the Orivieto Funilcular and our course began straight away with wine and pizza then a gear review.

The accommodation Patrick supplies is charming and comfortable but we were seduced so much by InnCasa we decided to go back there and use the hotel as the base for our course.

Orivieto is a beautiful town and Patrick knows the place and it's people like the back of his hand. A 'frightfully English' chap, Patrick has spent half of his adult life in Italy and speaks Italian like the true local man he is. You could not wish for a better guide for the area and his photography skills are second to none.

Not only did we see all the best spots in the area through the 3 day course we learnt an amazing amount from him about photography and the history of the local area.

From ancient Italian towns and architecture through to the beautiful rolling Tuscan landscape we photographed it all! Going off road in the Landrover and picnicing in 2500 year old tombs were some amazing moments. Patrick's course encourages you to discover the culture as well as the correct aperture and shutter speeds!

We were fortunate in that it was just two of us on the course, but we are considering going back again next year!

funkbunk reviewing Photography Courses in Italy

The best destination for an all round mountainbike experience. Trails are endless, terrain varied with something to suit every skill level. Hospitality and proffessionalism from Upanddownhill is something to be experienced. Location and scenery second to none. Accomodation excellent and food from this region irresistable. They really have a gem.

rossil46 reviewing Mountain Biking in the Alps

When I originally booked this Bushcraft day I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Were we going to be like Ray Mears, skinning rabbits, or cooking moose on hot coals, or were we going to be exposed to the Bear Gryls way of life where we dived into frozen rivers, and jogged 50 km’s through mosquito ridden swamps. Luckily it wasn’t the Bear Grylls side, phew! but it was definitely more Ray Mears, and definitely a lot of fun!

As soon as we arrived in camp, which is set in a beautiful pine forest, set on the far banks of Lake Winderemere, we had to make fire, and properly. We all failed miserably at this task, but we learnt very quickly how to make a fire properly, and this lesson will stick with me for a long time to come. Throughout the rest of the day we made some Banock cakes that we then ate. Tracked foxes and squirrels, ate wild berries and mushrooms, and even made fire from wood. Not only do I feel like a proper caveman but the whole group thoroughly enjoyed the whole day and we were all sad to see it come to an end!

Stephen was a great instructor, who delivered at just the right level, and the day has made us all want to learn more about how to survive in the wild.

Bear Grylls, eat your heart out! And maybe a snake too!

5 out of 5 – Brilliant!

nbamford reviewing Survival & Bushcraft Courses in the Lakes

I stayed here with my wife, sister and young son in early July and enjoyed it can highly recommend it.

The location is great, close to some stunning coastline, off the beaten track family beaches whilst the site itself is nestled amongst an orchard which keeps any breeze to a minimum.

We stayed in a yurt which was as good if not better than it looked in the pictures. I really liked the fact that it was in an Orchard criss crossed by pathways rather than in an open field like most camping setups.

Love, love, loved cooking by open fire and savoured the smell of the woodsmoke in the evenings. (we we're lucky with weather, could be a little of a bind if it rains).
Each Yurt had decent quality table and chairs to enjoy the al fresco dining which was a nice touch and meant we spent nearly all our time outside. (Very rosy cheeks on return).

Some might find the compost toilet a little much but the cafe next door offered use of their toilet. Owner Anthony was very welcoming and helpful, even when it came to helping us contact a local GP for our son.

The site was perfect for little ones and we felt very comfortable giving out two and a half year old a farly free rein. There were also lots of other little ones to play with when we were there. (but not so many as to annoy;))

The only very slight disappointment was that the adjoining Farm Shop had very limited stock (particularly on the drink front) which forced us to visit the local Co-op more than we would have ideally liked.

Excellent mid week value for us means I wouldn't hesitate in giving this fabulous holiday experience a 5 out of 5 and will hopefully visit again.

almacaw reviewing Stay in a Yurt on the Isle of Wight!

I absolutely loved the Orchard Hut. It was well worth the lovely walk to get there. The air is crisp, the water is fresh and everyone is smiling. The family there is so pleasant and accommodating. The room we stayed in was super clean and so comfortable and though the bathrooms are shared, they are quite clean. I didn't mind it at all. In fact, it adds to the family-share-everything atmosphere. Furthermore, all of the home made, organic food is excellent. I've never had better pickle or eggplant (and I don't usually like eggplant). And yes, the homemade jam is just awesome. Plus, the fresh, clean water is addictive. I couldn't get enough... it just felt so good to drink.

Not to mention the amazing views. Chamba Valley is beautiful and rather untouched by tourists in general. This was definitely a big plus for me. Such a getaway. It was just great reading my book in the hammock, gazing out at the mountains and taking a nap in the breeze and shade.

All in all, you must visit and stay at least 3 days or a week... at the least!

dawnsomebody reviewing Home stay in the Himalayas

I had been traveling in northern india a rather rough way for a little less than a week before I went to Orchard Hut and it felt like heaven by the time I got there. The rooms are cozy and have an amazing view of the valley. The family has a warm and contagious nature that attracted me immediately when I got there making me feel at home. The other truly great thing about Orchard Hut is the food. I think I had some of my most favorite meals while staying there, and you MUST request the home-made (all of the food is grown and cooked on site) plum jam - it is outstanding!
The water was delicious I am still missing the taste of the spring water. In the morning with a refreshing shower(which is kept very clean), full belly and smile on my face my friend and I took a short trek from the home stay and had lots of fun enjoying the views. I absolutely recommend this place ! Thank You orchard hut for such a pleasant experience.

kayleigh_abigail reviewing Home stay in the Himalayas

By far the best cycling holiday I have ever been on! Staying in the stunning converted barn in Mas de Flory, I was treated to fabulous 4 course dinners every evening after touring the spectacular sites that the region has to offer. I particularly enjoyed the visit to Rocamadour, a beautifully unusual Monastry overhanging a cliff with spectacular views over the valley below- especially if you're brave enough to venture to the top! As this is quite a way away, John kindly drove us here on our rest day, although I have heard some valiant souls once cycled this! A very personalised , perfectly balanced holiday with carefully planned routes by the very patient John and amazing food and wine prepared by the extremely talented Aileen, who in my opinion deserves a few Michelin stars! - The best Tarte Tatin probably ever made! I would happily recommend this to anyone who is a lover of great food and cycling (at any level), and will definitely be paying them another visit.

chloj110 reviewing Cycling holiday in the Lot

As an inexperienced hiker I was worried that this would be too difficult for me. The experience was great, walking along the coast listening to whale song was fantastic! The guides were great, full of information about the native flora, and the barnecue was fantastic- almost as good as the sunset from the Cape! I recommend this to everyone! The hike was so much fun that my friend was hooked- he even gave up smoking (for the duration of the hike!) so that he could hike in the lead and see all the animals first!

PhilBer reviewing Overnight Cape Point Hike

Excellent holiday! The accommodation on the family farm was warm and hospitable. Stunning setting amongst the mountains.

Keith was an excellent mountain bike guide - he had outstanding local knowledge, was extremely patient with our level of fitness and even had us 'catching air' by the end of the day!!

Unreservedly recommend the accommodation, the area and Keith as a guide. The only problem is that now we are back home we want to buy one of his high spec bikes - a pleasure to ride!!

Dave and Caz - West Yorkshire

detheri reviewing Mountain Biking in the Alps

A wonderful four days that far exceeded my expecations. Kevin is a great tour guide, good company, a great cook and everything was superbly organised. It was fantastic being able to tailor-make the trip in advance and I heartily recommend Afruka Eco Tours

stepcots reviewing Explore the Cederberg Wilderness Area

A fantastic 2 day hike through the varied landscape of the Cape with the outward and return journeys being entirely different. Magnificent sea views, wildlife, and the abundant flowering fynbos make for a unique experience and endless photo opportunities. Kevin's in depth knowledge and empathy with the area makes him an informative guide and great companion for the trip. We recommend it highly.

JohnT reviewing Overnight Cape Point Hike

First off, Kevin is one of the nicest people I met in Cape Town let alone in my life. A truly genuine and insightful person you can learn a lot from.. Not just about safaris and South Africa, but about geology, botany, engineering, politics, where to eat, where to stay, where/what car to rent, how to get to the airport, worth-while tours, red wine, white wine, other places to see, and the appreciation of nature and life!! Oh -- and then you get to the game reserve and see some of the most amazing animals on the planet.. An incredible experience, indeed! From the time you get picked up, to the time they drop you off at your hotel. Afruka tours and Kevin were some of the most accommodating and knowledgeable guides you could ask for.

jpd reviewing Overnight Safari from Cape Town

A great tour, very well organised with a really knowledgeable guide. The reserve is great and you'll get up close to lots of different animals with the benefit of an excellent park ranger. It's perfect if you only have a few days in Cape Town and I would definitely recommend Afruka tours if you are looking to do something a little bit different.

Mawgan reviewing Overnight Safari from Cape Town

I heard whale song as I walked among the coast through a trail set among the unique vegetation. At the coast I saw more whales than anywhere else, a mother and calf drifted slowly in the water. At the peninsula we watched a seal batter an octopus on the rocks then gobble it up.
The barbecue dinner at the hut was fantastic, even difficult vegetarians like me were catered for. The hot shower a welcome relief and the comfy cots a treat.
The next day we followed a family of ostrich (not intentionally) as they used the trail to make their journey.

Kevin makes a great guide, knows every inch of the cape and respects it. 10/10.

Dilbinder reviewing Overnight Cape Point Hike

It was an extraordinary experience in the beautiful and unique Cederberg area. We discovered not only the spectacular rock formations and Southern Africa San Rock painting art, but also a rich flora and wildlife. This is an amazing - and quite preserved - region, not so well known by foreign tourists, and at only 3h by car from Cape Town.
Last, by not least, our guide was just great !

Hélène, Olivier and Georges from Paris, France.

hbierne reviewing Explore the Cederberg Wilderness Area

Everything about this holiday was brilliant. LOCATION - very rural, next to woodland, peaceful and relaxing. ACCOMMODATION - in a superbly converted barn - first class, very comfortable, lovely showers. FOOD - to die for - every meal was a class act. THE CYCLING - different routes every day, includes historic sites, vineyards, great scenery - friendly bars! Diversions available for those who wish for a more challenging ride. THE COMPANY - great to spend a day relaxing with the others over a glass of wine on the decking, enjoying some music in the spacious dining room. THE SUPPORT - Nothing was too much trouble, whether at the farm or out cycling. We felt really well looked after at all times. All in all a fantastic experience.

scrunch reviewing Cycling holiday in the Lot

I'm a repeat customer and I absolutely love riding with Dry Ridge Outfitters. Deb and Kevin greet you like family and are sure to find the right horse to match your needs. These trips have certainly opened my eyes to some of the most beautiful country I've found in the US -- each unique vista of the the Teton Range, the thousands of wildflowers, high mountain lakes, and crystal clear creeks. It's a true step back from my busy life in the city. Highly recommended!!

brynaberry reviewing Horse Riding in Yellowstone

Went down the Subansiri last year with these guys and It was a trip that makes you wanna come back for more. So hopefully I´ll be in the raft on the Siang pretty soon!

pontusw reviewing River Rafting in India

I have traveled extensively and I have to say that my experience on the RiverIndia expedition marks the best trip I have ever had the privilege of experiencing! From the food to the quality of the guides, this trip was superb. In fact, I still keep in contact with a number of people both rafters and guides, from the trip and I consider many of them lifelong friends. Thanks to RiverIndia for making such an impact on my life, I hope to do another trip again!

acoolidge reviewing River Rafting in India

Well, what can I say?, This has to be one of the best holidays I have been on for a while. Very knowledgeable people who will go out of their way to make sure everything is to your expectations. All the cycling equipment was in a very clean and very good conditition. I was a bit dubious at first about going as I'm not a fast cyclist and like to take things easily, but this was no problem as we were able to go at our own pace due to having very clear instructions on which route to take. We visited some fantastic places and I was able to take some wonderfull photographes. Another great thing about this holiday was the food Aileen prepared for us. It was out of this world. Excellent home made soup for starters followed by fillet of beef (which I believe is sourced locally), locally produced cheese with walnuts and to top it all off some fresh fruit. With excellent accommodation, gourmet cuisine, picturesque scenery and excellent hosts you just cannot go wrong with this cycling holiday. Highly recommended.

mjd245 reviewing Cycling holiday in the Lot

We had a blast. What a great white water trip! Amazing pristine scenery, great food and lots of big exciting rapids. You and the Momentum crew were awesome. It was the best food of any river trip I have been on, especially your special french toast I LOVED IT! What really stood out above all was your commitment to safety. The river was BIG and all the measures you had in place to make us feel safe made the trip that much more fun. Keep up the good work (play).

viola reviewing California Rafting - The Salmon River

I have to start my review with the gorgonzola butter I watched our guides prepare by hand. We ate it with our steak, but I wasn't about to end there. It was good on the fish from our mixed grill dinner, it went excellent (oddly enough) with our chocolate fondue, and my favorite was on the apple slices. But then again, every meal with Momentum was a grand experience and delicious. Maybe it was the crisp Spring air, all that big sky, the towering cliffs we rafted through that made me so hungry! And after the gorgonzola butter, it would have to be the hot springs that made me happiest. No, wait! It was the guides, who were funny, kind, and for macho river folk, ridiculously nurturing and always there to take care of any extra needs I had and to answer my millions of natural history questions (Thanks, Glenn and Anthony!). But actually, the canyon itself was the highlight, and the hieroglyphs, and the hike. Is there a word limit on this review? There's just so many wonderful things to say about my Momentum Rafting trip!

Jewels reviewing Owyhee River Rafting

The Rogue River is for everyone!!! This is one of the best multi-day river trips in the country and I have done them all! A little something for everyone with its exciting rapids, beautiful scenery, abundant wildlife, and historic past. I took my mother on her 50th birthday. She had never been rafting before and she absolutely loved it!
Momentum does an amazing job! I have done many trips with them and this is by far one of the best!!! You won't be sorry!

rvrjames reviewing Raft the Rogue in Oregon!

Silver Salmon Creek is magical! Worth the journey in every respect. My family has been going to this place for decades (way before there was a commercial lodge) - it's wild Alaska at its best.

christina reviewing Bear Photography in Alaska

Teniqua Treetops is magical. We stayed a couple of nights in Dec 07 and absolutely loved it. We overlooked a stunning pristine forested valley (even the bath overlooked the view!). So peaceful - birds and wildlife everywhere. Did some great hikes around the valley - we have some great photos of us looking very sweaty, lugging the little-uns up a steep path. tree-house was very well equipped, and the owners were really friendly. Couldn't recommend highly enough.

ben reviewing Treetop Lodges on the Garden Route