Romania's natural wonders holiday, small group
Description of Romania's natural wonders holiday, small group
This small group tour of Romania (also available as a private tour for minimum of four people) takes you into the heart of a country that is for the most part rural tranquillity, spending time with local communities where tradition, culture and folklore are at their strongest.
Many parts of Romania have an aura of being almost frozen in time, where ways of life carry on much as they have for centuries past. Exploring small villages, staying in locally owned guesthouses, and visiting many lesser-known destinations, you will gain a deeper understanding and clearer perspective on Romanian culture, as well as being immersed in many of the country’s most beguiling landscapes.
Memorable highlights of this 11-day tour that begins and ends in Bucharest include the fairytale painted monasteries and churches of Bucovina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the inspirational work at the famous bear sanctuary in the forests around Zarnesti, and the manifold historic landmarks of Sighisoara, such as the covered walkway and the clock tower.
Days spent visiting castles, museums and monasteries are interspersed with more active excursions: walking around the magnificent lakes of Bogdaproste, Trei Iezare and Cazanele to view the diverse birdlife; touring the canals, waterways and fishing villages of the Danube Delta; a short hike through the magnificent Bicaz Gorge.
What emerges is a country and a culture painted in vivid detail. Romania is still quite under-explored, and retains a unique identity, making it a country simply ideal for touring in the company of knowledgeable guides, and staying as a guest of local people.
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Reviews
1 Reviews of Romania's natural wonders holiday, small group
Reviewed on 29 May 2019 by Simon Seaton
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Wonderful scenery, painted monasteries, fortified churches, historic castles, varied wildlife and a fantastic guide able to explain everything. What’s “not to like” about this trip.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do discuss what you'd like to see and do on your trip with the owners of the tour operator, Dawn & Andy. They are extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. Nothing is too much trouble for them … customer service is excellent.
On your trip, beware, the culinary experience did have the effect of increasing our weight!!! ?
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Most definitely … some of the places we visited were "off the beaten track" and not commercialised and where we had the opportunity to meet and interact with local people.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent … top marks to the operator… we'll certainly travel with them again.
Responsible Travel
Planet
We have chosen to include places to stay where there is much more opportunity for you to interact more fully with the locals, to practice your language and to minimise your carbon footprint somewhat. The village guesthouses and local homes that we stay in use predominantly local produce in the preparation of meals, reducing the foodmiles, waste and carbon footprint associated with larger hotels. Our guides (and drivers/escorts) will also provide best practice information regarding your environmental impact upon sites and fragile landscapes which is key to respecting and conserving both remote and well-visited places.By including the opportunity to visit the National Parks and UNESCO sites on this holiday you choose to contribute to the excellent record of conservation in recent years through the entrance fees. This is particularly important to maintain the good work done by the bear sanctuary which protects wild bears and looks after rescued bears; they do some great educational work both with local groups, including schools, and, of course, to visitors. We ask all our customers to respect the environment. Litter, in particular, is damaging to the landscape and can injure animals so we encourage people to act responsibly.
As a company we employ responsible policies such as recycling paper, ink cartridges, glass and cardboard; we minimize the use of electricity and conducting the vast majority of our correspondence and promotion via the internet and email, minimizing the amount of paper used for our activities. We also compost waste in our company garden.
People
Accommodation on this holiday is in, primarily, family run, small hotels. The food in the hotels is primarily sourced locally and a large number of dishes on the menus are home made. We only employ local guides as their expertise and local knowledge will enhance your experience and understanding of the historical context and the environmental impact of your visit. In Bucharest in particular you will see the evidence for and read about the impact of the Ceauasescu period; the cost of rebuilding and repairing the historic centre has been enormous and every contribution made by visitors will help. Similarly the countryside was devastated in this time as whole villages were destroyed and communities forceibly removed to the cities - because of this experience rural Romania and its traditional way of life is so precious and through our tours we aim to assist the local economies to thrive with the help of tourism whilst not losing the integrity of the community structures.As well as supporting the local community and economy directly our holidays also encourage support indirectly. The latter because more interaction with local people and local tourist service providers engenders greater understanding and respect which almost always leads to larger and more careful spending by visitors.
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