Your voices have been heard! With 3600 reviews so far and counting, it’s your views that have helped thousands of other travellers to choose their next trip. Here are some of our top reviewed holidays and what other responsible travellers have had to say about them…
We kick off with Sarah Schmitz who headed out to land of contrasts Namibia, for a journey that was to take her across the Kalahari and Namib deserts, bringing her face to face with big game and exotic birds. Her
16-day Namibian safari, explored the wind-swept and gloriously empty landscapes of this colourful country and took in a range of cultural stops at local markets and villages.
Sarah recalls an intimate moment before bidding goodbye to the country... "Going up Elim Dune, not far from Sossussvlei one evening close to the end of the trip. There had been a vicious wind stirring up the sand in the campsite earlier that afternoon and most of our group had decided they just wanted to stay behind as the sand was getting everywhere. However, the wind dropped and with a bit of coercion from our guide, Derek, 3 of us went with him to see the sun set from the top of the dune.
It was a hard walk, but the sand was such a beautiful rust colour, and purple in the shadows. The fact that only a few of us went made us feel very pleased, I think. Then Derek persuaded us to hurtle down the dune on the return journey, which was terrifying but such fun. The others didn't know what they missed."
Jon Bushell travelled
slowly down the Ganges, the Hindu's holy river that has a deep spiritual and historical importance to the people of India and along which many of its breath-taking cities lie. On his trip, Jon passed by the Taj Mahal, like fairy-tale palace rising from the earth and visited Varanasi, the thumping spiritual heart of India, its "city of temples". He also went on a camel ride outside Pushkar where he experienced an eye-opening mystical scene of his own.
We rode out of the desert on camel back at dawn and came upon a scene of biblical proportions: in the purple brown haze of new light, thousands of camels, silhouetted in silver, were etched across the fields and slopes beyond the holy city. It was absolutely beautiful. Jon Bushell
The Silk Road has fascinated writers and dreamers for centuries, winding its way through unexplored, little-known lands and connecting Asia with Europe and North Africa. Treading paths once traced by Ancient Romans, Valerie Apted encountered scenes of aching beauty and experienced first-hand the exuberant Samarkand and chaotic bazaars along one of the world's oldest trade routes. Valerie's favourite moment "was the hairy drive in a jeep along a narrow track before a three hour walk - (I confess I used a horse!) up to the wonderful paradise of Fairy Meadows-rustic cabins with candles looking out onto the green upland meadows, glaciers and the towering peak of Nanga Parbat. The other exciting event was in Pakistan when we found the road washed away and we had to head up the mountainside round the landslip to where our Chinese bus met us on the other side."
Adventure and wild animals aside, many of you also enjoyed more relaxing breaks winding down in beautiful countryside. Many of you enjoyed the delicious home-cooking and swims in the azure seas at this
Italian Riviera B&B. Ian Napier seemed particularly fond of his holiday's gastronomic offerings, relishing the memories of "melon and delicious ham, artichoke tart, fried courgette flowers and a freshly baked cake each day, among many other gargantuan meals - were always delicious. The area itself is a fascinating mixture of rural Italy, with mountainous roads leading to medieval villages and yet France and the glamorous Cote d'Azur only 15minutes away."
Similarly excited by the food, but also the fantastic range of walking trails and peaceful scenery in its green and rambling Welsh location, lots of you raved about our
Snowdonia B&B accommodation. "The food was far too good for my waist line!" claims Linda Constant. Sounds like the Welsh bacon went down a storm! Lindsey Holland praised its eco-friendly policies:
...from the grass-roofed buildings (we stayed in one of these - the Garden Room - which was very nice and spacious. Another is called the Hobbit House!), to the solar panels on the buildings...There was a stream just outside our window, running through their semi-wild land which was brimming with finches and sparrows." 
As for being whisked away for a pampering, exotic holiday,
the Cuban tour proved popular combining beautiful, evocative Havana with its strong musical heritage and the opportunities to meet and stay with locals. Trinidad's beaches provided the escapism and indulgent luxury, with snorkelling for the energetic and pearly white beaches for those who simply wanted some "couple" time and romance.
"Havana's quiet back streets are definitely worth a wander through-we stumbled upon an impromptu jamming session with about ten musicians squeezed into one small space who were making incredible sounds...On the way to Trinidad in our hire car we stopped at a beautiful beach called Caleta Buena with the most amazing snorkelling...we had a late lunch at a hidden Hacienda with delicious fresh home cooked food and a glass of rum on the veranda- a serene and peaceful end to the day." Amelia Shepherd's experience was reflected by many others.
Exotic wildlife can be found both in far flung locations as well as closer to home. From keen bird-watchers, big-game spotters or marine animal nuts, reviews flooded in about your encounters with the weird and wild on every continent. In
Borneo, Samantha Ellix "stayed overnight on Seligan Island and saw a turtle lay her eggs. Earlier that day we saw the baby turtles that had just hatched and we watched them being released into the sea. Sepilok Orangutan sanctuary was good fun and it was the only chance we got to see them as it is very difficult to see them in the wild. We did a couple of river cruises and saw probiscus monkeys and long tailed macaques."
On a
Uganda gorilla holiday on the other hand, Archie Fleming enjoyed "seeing Gorillas passing on each side of us after a 6 hour trek through the Bwindi rainforest, seeing Hippos, elephants, crocodiles and masses of birds from a boat trip on the Kazinga channel, tracking chimps in the Kibale forest".
The most exciting was hearing the chimps in Kibale forest hunting and then sharing their monkey kill in the trees above our heads to the accompaniment of much noise and swinging on branches. Even in Scotland, Hilary had an exhilarating time on a
Whale and Dolphin conservation holiday, and when asked about her most memorable moment, answered "I’m not sure if it was the sight of a pod of dolphin surging towards the boat and bow-riding or the excitement and happiness of my fellow volunteers and the crew."
Finally, Diana Paine chose one of our family holidays, walking in the Slovenian Julian Alps and packed so many activities into her holiday she felt she really got her money's worth. The local guides provided heaps of information, form local history tidbits to weather updates and restaurant recommendations - always a good thing to have on a holiday somewhere new. Like all great holidays, this was the prefect package of good food, good exploration, a dash of adventure and a sense of peace. "No cars, no radios, no machinery - just the occasional goat's bell & the stirring of the leaves in the breeze...You can do mad things in a kayak in the gorges. Even the rain just enhances the smell of the flowery mountain meadows. The other exciting aspect was really discovering the extraordinary events of WW1. We had read up about the Italian front & Hemmingway but there is nothing like seeing the trenches in the high mountains & visiting the excellent museum in Kobarid."
Next time you're headed out the door, take a travel diary with you. Keep sending your reviews: thanks to your great commentary and thrilling memories you're helping other travellers make the perfect holiday choices!
By Emma Jamieson
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