Holiday Reviews
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same trip can have different views!
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Sicily walking holiday, independent reviews
 Reviewed 23 Oct 2008 by Fiona Paterson |  |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Being on Stomboli while the volcano rumbled and spat - being so close to lava fountains.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go for it.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Not really, it didn't detriment them, and it did use local companies where relevant. It also highlighted the effect of an active and unpredictable volcano on the people who live under/round it.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
5 * - It was fantastic from start to finish.
| Reviewed 29 Oct 2005 by Sydney Fremantle | |
A summary of my impressions:
Hotels: 4 of them, only one of any size, others quite small; all locally owned, not chain. Comfort, moderate, not always with reliable hot water.
Food: 4 out of 5.
Guide very knowledgeable, a good guide of pace and safety conscious.
Planning: days full of walking or travelling between islands.
Walks interesting, varied and demanding enough without imposing too much strain for those who like walking/scrambling holidays.
Subject matter: fascinating for those who like the opening lines of Paradise Lost: Programme consisted of 21/2 days on Etna, day visiting Stromboli, including an evening ascent of the volcano - alas, mist and a rather somnolent crater reduced the excitement - a day visiting and staying in Lipari, archaeological museum in the Citadel well worth a visit, a day visiting the crater in Vulcano, a final day returning to Sicily and ascending a low mountain - we could not reach the rocky summit because of danger from high winds. The lateness of the season put us, of course, at risk from high winds.
On this type of holiday there is always a risk of disappointment from incompatibility, either mental or physical, with fellow holiday makers. The former was dealt with by a certain identity of interest that attracted all to that holiday. The latter is largely a matter of luck as individuals' criteria for their fitness vary widely; the party has to go at the pace of the slowest and wide differentials in fitness make for impatience in the fitter and anxiety in the less fit. We were lucky and all had more or less the same pace.
Difficult to give an environmental rating. No obvious waste of energy given that the trip required a fair amount of travel.
Food and wine (varied and mainly good value) local. Apples in the shops nearly all Golden or Red Delicious in spite of having truly delicious local varieties falling off the unpicked trees - how much the American breeder of those two former varieties has impoverished the world. We kept to the trails: wandering off would risk geological damage as well as danger.
Hotels: 4 of them, only one of any size, others quite small; all locally owned, not chain. Comfort, moderate, not always with reliable hot water.
Food: 4 out of 5.
Guide very knowledgeable, a good guide of pace and safety conscious.
Planning: days full of walking or travelling between islands.
Walks interesting, varied and demanding enough without imposing too much strain for those who like walking/scrambling holidays.
Subject matter: fascinating for those who like the opening lines of Paradise Lost: Programme consisted of 21/2 days on Etna, day visiting Stromboli, including an evening ascent of the volcano - alas, mist and a rather somnolent crater reduced the excitement - a day visiting and staying in Lipari, archaeological museum in the Citadel well worth a visit, a day visiting the crater in Vulcano, a final day returning to Sicily and ascending a low mountain - we could not reach the rocky summit because of danger from high winds. The lateness of the season put us, of course, at risk from high winds.
On this type of holiday there is always a risk of disappointment from incompatibility, either mental or physical, with fellow holiday makers. The former was dealt with by a certain identity of interest that attracted all to that holiday. The latter is largely a matter of luck as individuals' criteria for their fitness vary widely; the party has to go at the pace of the slowest and wide differentials in fitness make for impatience in the fitter and anxiety in the less fit. We were lucky and all had more or less the same pace.
Difficult to give an environmental rating. No obvious waste of energy given that the trip required a fair amount of travel.
Food and wine (varied and mainly good value) local. Apples in the shops nearly all Golden or Red Delicious in spite of having truly delicious local varieties falling off the unpicked trees - how much the American breeder of those two former varieties has impoverished the world. We kept to the trails: wandering off would risk geological damage as well as danger.