Special interest holidays

5 star! Excellent in all respects! (more)Christine Carr

It was a truly an amazing experience and would thoroughly recommend it to other travellers. (more)Georgina Smith

Most memorable was getting close to the wildlife - particularly the Orangutans, but the brief encounter with a Black Handed Agile Gibbon was very special... Very, very good. (more)Michael Helliwell

Excellent. This was a memorable (and life changing!) experience. The most memorable part was the actual one to one life coaching sessions and being able to do these at a comfortable and relaxing hotel. (more)Karen Gorham

The most memorable part of the holiday was the life coaching that we had and, a fantastic highlight, the excursion to the elephant sanctuary. (more)Kirsten Stolz

Memorable parts? There were lots of memorable aspects but the two things that stand out were the varied mixture of activities in the programme, and the cohesion of the group and tutors alike. The whole programme was beautifully planned and managed professionally. Tips? I would definitely encourage people to book extra treatments in advance - you will not regret it, and to definitely encourage reduction of caffeine/alcohol before the programme Local benefits? Yes - all the... (more)Jita Shah

This would be a perfect and highly recommendable holiday if you're: interested in nurturing your mind and body by yoga and healthy tasty food...The love and warmth of the Winter family made you directly feel at ease and at home. The yoga classes were of good quality and inspiring. Loved the silent walks in the morning. (more)Jasmijn Visser

So many memories and amazing times. Probably the most exciting was swimming in fast flowing rivers and waterfalls around the house! ...A brilliant holiday and I'd definitely go back. (more)Laura Chan

Excellent. A great set up - the family open their home up to everyone and give you the chance to be part of their rural existence in splendid isolation. The best parts were the massage and acupuncture therapy. Meeting wonderful, caring people. Incredible food - sometimes it felt there was more eating than asanas! (more)victoria seymour

Memorable parts? Not sure I can narrow it down to one thing! For starters, the area was incredible. Think spectacular limestone mountains, lush green countryside, wild coastline and fresh air...so much fresh air! Jamie was great at choosing walks that were tailored to the weather and the abilities of our group. And I'm really not into birds, but even I was excited to see a rare vulture cruising overhead. And school was fun. Yes, really! My teacher, Sonia, was fantastic and tailored classes... (more)Carina Kane

Memorable parts? There was no one memorable moment - the yoga, meditation and life coaching experienced over the week all combined to produce a wonderful feeling of positivity and grounding. Tips? Attend the life coaching sessions even if you've not experienced them before as they provide some very useful tools to approach aspects of your life from different perspectives. Local benefits? Yes - we enjoyed local produce and facilities. Overall rating? I highly recommend... (more)Kirstin Jones

Memorable parts? Discovering an authentic and undiscovered part of Portugal. The combination of Yoga and acupuncture treatments was extremely beneficial and unique and the hosts were caring and thoughtful. The food was fantastic, fresh and plentiful. Even though we were in a group context, everyone's individual needs were attended to in a very subtle way so we all felt very relaxed. Tips? Bring plenty of layers of clothing as the weather is unpredictable and can be cold this time... (more)Katherine Wood

It was really enjoyable and I would do it again. Rosie and her team are welcoming, thoughtful and talented and the excursions, activities and meals they provided were clearly planned and prepared meticulously and delivered with charm, good humour and élan. (more)M Mannas

Fantastic. I was lucky to have four other great women in the holiday too, but Rosie and Joanie made it wonderful. When ever I talk about my week with them I literally find my shoulders dropping and my speech slowing down, and the glow returning. (more)Lara Gisborne

Lovely experience, very relaxing, highly recommend it as a great way to spend a week and come back vitalised (more)Loretta Kinsella

I cannot recommend a retreat here highly enough! Without a doubt the most relaxing and inspirational holiday we have been on. Anyone looking to get away from it all and reconnect with your self and nature should come here. We will definitely be back! (more)Jordan Paul

It was all fantastic, but the setting is extraordinarily beautiful and will be hard to forget. (more)Zoe Barling

Very good! I was very pleased to be in an environment that supported my inner growth...through the yoga/meditation and personally, by allowing me come to accept my present circumstances, both good and bad. (more)Suzanne Hunt

A very enjoyable holiday particularly for the children who have not stopped talking about it yet... Taking part in the bushcraft activity and watching our grandchildren as they tried wild foods and made fire. The enthusiasm with which they approached every new challenge and the knowledge that they gained is priceless. (more)Frank White

I loved it! It helped the environment and taught you a lot about the area and animals around you. We were kept entertained and had a really fun time - I will always remember this holiday. (more)Saskia Robinson

The week was very enjoyable - good photography tips, great locations in Spanish villages and coasts, and with 'staff' that seemed more like old friends than small business operators. And it was excellent value for money. (more)Murray Rudd

Meeting the host, wonderful people who looked after our every need...Excellent. (more)John Bell

The photography holiday in Andalucia included a wide variety of locations and excellent tuition. The food was of a very high standard - especially the picnic lunches which were superb. The ethos was very friendly and hospitable and the staff went out of their way to make the holiday enjoyable. (more)Christopher Wilson

Very well organized the leaders worked very hard to ensure we all had a good time. The beach and glacier with the huge ice cubes were the most memorable parts of the trip. (more)sandra thomas

Excellent, well looked after. Unique and fascinating activities. Good conversation. (more)Shane Woods

The most memorable part was taking photos of ice on the black sand beach at Jokulsarlon. (more)Mary Gledhill

Superb locations and expert tution made this a holiday to remember. Both Geraldine and Martin were friendly, approachable, knowledgeable and tirelessly patient (more)Kym Barlow

I would rate the holiday with full marks! The organisers, (Geraldine and Martin) were extremely patient, always on hand to answer questions, and the trip was extremely well organised. Highly recommended! (more)Bert Hand

Memorable parts? The most memorable and exciting part of the holiday was drinking nettle beer as the sun went down on the Saturday night. We'd had a busy day digging, foraging and cooking, so seeing it all come together at the end of the day with a crackling fire and that beautiful view of the valley below was truly memorable. The company and the food were great. Tips? The holiday is mentally very relaxing and you will feel rejuvenated after, but is it physically quite busy. Apart... (more)Heather Pollington

This was the most fantastic holiday. I was not that keen on going, but my husband is a very keen birder and he really wanted to go. I am now so glad he persuaded me, and will definitely visit Sri Lanka again... (more)John Diley

This was a really excellent holiday. We had fun, we were stimulated, we were educated and we made good friends with our locals who showed us their country. We also feel that we had excellent value for money with two locals, a new vehicle, most meals, all entrance fees and other extras included for a very inexpensive daily rate. (more)Keith Pigdon

It was great and our guide, Jith, was an incredible birder, funny, and generous. The most memorable was the smiles of all the people in Sri Lanka whom we passed in our bird walks and the children who got all excited and waved and called to us (more)Gisela Meyn

Fantastic! Loved every minute of it. Excellent accommodation and food. Owners were extremely accommodating, helpful and knowledgeable. Great activities in an amazing setting. Would highly recommend it and would love to go back! (more)Amanda Ford

It was fantastic. Scenery and people made it all worth while...Staying in the wilderness cabin for 2 nights was an amazing experience. (more)Bolette Bruun

The most exciting part was finally seeing the Northern Lights the night before I left. (more)Natasha Cafane

The most memorable part of the holiday was seeing northern lights, the wilderness retreat and a real log fired sauna. Mika and Maja lovely hosts. (more)Jonathan Marsh

Exhilarating...The warm friendly welcome, dog-sledding and the wonderful Wilderness Cabin were the best parts. (more)Liz Evans

Amazing! The best parts were the snow , local people, husky dogs, father Christmas , -38 !!! And the ice hotel (more)Lynne Walker

Memorable parts? Having Nathan Horton on the trip gave a very interesting slant to an already enjoyable holiday. Nathan had a flair for taking the group to places which were not on the tourist trail and this was very much appreciated. His photographic tuition was well worth the premium paid for this service and my photography improved whilst enjoying the country and the people - Boom. Tips? Just enjoy it. One tip is that Nathan does not hike at a leisurely pace and, as a resident... (more)John Martin

It's almost impossible to put into words how restful, life affirming and soul enhancing this yoga diving holiday at the Bedouin Moon hotel has been. The combination of learning deeply restful, energising and challenging breathing yoga techniques with diving over some of the most stunning reefs in the world I will never ever forget. (more)Penelope Granycome

The yoga was wonderful, the diving was awesome and two Bedouin children spontaneously helped me beach clean on my last day. (more)Fiona Tibbitt

This was my first visit to Egypt and the holiday was a great introduction to Dahab and diving in the region. The diving was amazing. I was the only person on the course the week I went in early April so had one-to-one diving sessions... An amazing experience and great chillout. I'll definitely be returning. (more)Tania Charles

Stepping out on the terrace and facing the magnificence of the Al Hambra Palaces in the sunshine. It’s one of those wonderful places you spend your whole life gazing at in pictures, but when you see it for yourself it is far more than any picture can portray. (more)Negla Salem

Excellent, the school and it's staff were well organised, encouraging and excellent value for money. The accommodation offered at the school site was basic but enjoyable for the company. (more)Maureen Perkins

It is so good, I am still here - have arranged to stay an extra week! (more)June King

A wonderful time, relaxed good weather and well organised. (more)David Pinner

The smile of the Sri Lankan people was uplifting as was luxuriating in a herbal bath overlooking the Sinharaja Rainforest with lightening flashing on the horizon. Also being accompanied by two guides during our trip who were so enthusiastic, generous hearted and committed to making our holiday everything we had hoped for. (more)Linda Bryant

For us the nature based activities and birdwatching were tremendous. We had some really good guides and got to see tigers and a leopard which is very rare. The people, the culture and the environment were very exotic to us. (more)Dianne Reidy

Seeing the Taj Mahal at Sunrise is an unforgettable event in our lives. Many special rare species of birds seen on our Birding Himalyan tour...Superbly organised. (more)Michael Clark

The bird watching was excellent...Bird guides were very good too, and all knew their local birds. However outstanding was Sunil (Kumar?) in Nainital. His excellent English made our outings a great pleasure (more)Jacky Davis

The Lake Baikal Homestay and the Mongolian Ger Camp... both have incredible memories for me that will stay with me for life! (more)Heidi Hosgood

I loved the train journey, chatting to the locals, making food, using the hot water urns at the end of the carriage and having the wheels changed on the Mongolia/China border was a fantastic experience. (more)Sally Foote

The most memorable was staying in a ger at Terelj National Park [Mongolia] and walking in the park... The most exciting was seeing the cosmonaut memorial in Moscow and balancing a Kazakh hunting eagle on my arm outside Terelj. (more)Christine Johnstone

Exactly the relaxing break we needed and more....The cottage was wonderful and the views superb. We did some great walking and some amazing eating. The farmhouse breakfast has to be described as memorable -delicious! (more)Kathy Longford

Most memorable part was arriving at the beautiful cottage surrounded by glorious hillside views!...Amazing- we'd love to go back! (more)Hannah Merriman

The landscape and walking were the most memorable parts of the holiday (more)Niall Smith

Excellent...Extremely welcoming host, all facilities excellent & so refreshing to see eco policies put into practice so thoroughly (more)Geraldine Moon

This was the best holiday I have had in a long time and I travel frequently as I am retired. Everything about the accommodation is first class, from the moment you are met on arrival, through the delicious and wonderful meals, the oh so cozy bedroom and the exquisite decor of the house. (more)T. J. Rose

B&B was excellent with very comfortable accommodation, great food, wonderful Highland stoneware crockery (a personal favourite) and fantastic facilities. (more)Joan Johnson

Memorable parts? Seeing the farm and the animals and finding out about how they have converted to an organic farm. Tips? Make sure you book restaurants in advance as they get busy. Local benefits? Yes yes yes. Overall rating? Excellent, would go there again. (more)Sue Kerrigan

Staying in this farm you may feel you are staying at home. The farm owners are simple and friendly. (more)chanuan ratanawaraha

The wonderful breakfasts that Rose cooked were made up of local produce and tasted delicious. Rose is a very good jam maker too! (more)Amanda Porter

The highlights were the warm welcome, wonderful cream tea on arrival. Very child friendly - Rose went out of her way to find books and puzzles for the children to play with. (more)Andrea Wilkes

Memorable parts? Seeing the gorillas. Tips? Take more US$ Local benefits? Yes. Overall rating? I think it could be re-organised to maximise time spent in Rwanda. For example, it should definitely include a trip to Diane Fossey's grave and, as it was a specific photographic trip, the afternoons should have been spent on one to one tuition together with more photographic sessions around the lodge. The group and David discussed this and broadly agreed - David will submit... (more)Ann Mazzucco

Memorable parts? The number of different animals we saw or heard was amazing, from being woken up by howler monkeys just outside our lodge; to seeing Capuchin monkeys eating berries by the lake. From floating past a huge black Caiman in the dead of night to seeing a black Tarantula running from our torch lights; it was amazing. Tips? Make sure you book at least 3 nights there; you then don't have to hurry your stay and can appreciate everything there is to see at a slower pace and... (more)Harriet Holloway

Most memorable was walking through the Amazon with one of the Sani guides (whose father happened to have established the Sani Lodge), in the rain, through the mud, finding the most incredible birds, reptiles, insects and plants. (more)Julia Saurazas

The tapir emerged from the forest and remained at the clay lick drinking water for an extended period of time. Simply remarkable. (more)Robert Roberto

We loved the Eco-lodge that we stayed at, the Napo Wildlife Center. It was beautiful, well appointed and our guides were absolutely top notch. We learned an incredible amount and got to experience a wonderful place with wonderful people. (more)Elizabeth Essner