This was a good holiday, although we will be communicating with the operator direct about the poor quality of organisation on site (staff turning up late, arriving at sites on the itinerary which were closed (routinely - not because of a specific holiday), getting lost on the way to key elements of the itinerary) We have no idea if we were the first run-out of the season but it certainly felt like it.

The comments to Responsible Travel is really of a feeling of mis-marketing. There was nothing about the holiday which felt particularly responsible. The standard travel package involved two flights, where there were viable one-flight one- train or single flight alternatives. (Two flights more harmful than one). It involved long journeys each day in mini-buses. The holiday hotel was a thriving business in a busy holiday resort. Of the four reps who transported us, two were not Spanish, but German and there for the fun of working for an activity company.

I'm not at all sure how any of this helped the environment or the local people any more than if we'd book with any other travel company.

Our tips for other travellers booking this holiday would be - don't go in the very first week it's offered unless you speak fluent guinea pig. Make your own independent travel arrangements and don't rely on Responsible Travel to select the most environmentally friendly route for you.

Very enjoyable and a bit disappointing

Read the operator's response here:

Unfortunately the direct flight to Seville operated by Iberia was withdrawn by the airline and so we were forced to move to the indirect service via Madrid. Passengers booking on the trip were made aware of this at the time of booking. Our passengers have the choice of either booking our trips including the flights from the UK or alternatively they can choose to make their own way to the start of the trip if they prefer.

We have a general policy of using group leaders and staff from the countries in which we operate. For this trip the main group leader, Manuel, is Spanish. Unfortunately Manuel was ill for a day of the trip and the company’s operations manager, who is German, had to step in for the day. Whilst all the other staff normally used are also Spanish due to the fact that the trip took place during the exceptionally busy Easter Week it was necessary to use a German driver for one of the vehicles.

I am sorry if the organisation of the trip was not as polished as expected. Although an experienced leader with excellent client feedback Manuel had not led this particular trip before and this did lead to some delays. This was regrettably compounded by Manuel being ill for the day which meant that things needed to be re-ordered. We have discussed this matter with Manuel and will ensure that he will shadow a leader who has done the trip many times in the past so that he will be better prepared for future tours. Although this was Manuel’s first trip we would like to underline that this is an established tour which we have run successfully for a number of years.

This is a centre-based trip with a number of activities and excursions that require different locations and therefore transfers to these areas are necessary. We try to keep these to a minimum but unfortunately they cannot be entirely avoided. One of the main reasons people chose this trip is the opportunity to round off the days at the beach. By basing ourselves in a hotel in Zahara de los Atunes it is only a short walk to the beach and so extra transport for his is not needed.

With regards to the hotel used we feel that it is a responsible choice as it is a small family run property which is not part of a large chain. It is true that the hotel and town of Zahara de los Atunes are popular especially given that this was Easter week however we do not believe that this detracts from the responsibility of the trip. The village itself is a fishing town and the income derived from tourism enables the local inhabitants to buy better fishing boats and meaning that they are no longer obliged to go out in the worst weather thereby improving the overall quality of life.