My Escorted Tours

This was a 12 day National Geographic Journey with G Adventures trip which started in Capetown and ended in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe.

Highlights of Cape Town (2 full days)

1) Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens 2 hours Guided Tour - named as top 10 gardens in the world according to National Geographic.

2) Guided Cape Town Orientation Tour and Excursion to Cape Point

3) Hike up Table Mountain - we did the hike on our own and it took us about 5 hours. We took the Skeletal Gorge route that started from Kistenbosch Garden - highly recommended for those who love to hike. It would have been better if we had got a guide as the signage along the way is quite poor in some areas and hiking that route is not really recommended in winter.

4) There is an outfit in Capetown that offers free walking tour - you pay the guide what you think is worth at the end of each tour. Typically people pay ZAR$200 which works out to about C$20

Historic City Tour  from Green Market Square – 11am 4:20pm Bo-Kaap Tour  from Green Market Square – 2pm 4.20pm  Apartheid to Freedom Tour  from Green Market Square – 11am 2pm V&A Waterfront Tour from City Sightseeing office by the Aquarium - 11am 2pm and 4.15pm

We did the Apartheid to Freedom and Bo Kaap tours - guide was excellent and took her time answering every question everyone had - highly recommend them.

 On Day 4 we flew from Capetown to Johannesburg. Overnight there and left for Kruger National Park the next morning. It was a full day drive with  stops at Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes, and God's Window.

 We stayed 2 nights at Nkambeni Safari Camp which is just outside. It is a decent 4 star resort. Only complaint is that there is a railway line close to the camp and it gets very noisy when the train pass by in the middle of the night.

We did 4 game drives during our 2 days there. The only Big 5 animal we did not see was the leopard in Kruger. We also did a walking safari in the morning - it was very interesting and a bit scary. However the guides had shotgun with them for protection. We saw buffalos, baboons, birds, warthogs and impalas.

Next stop - Victoria Falls. Canadians passport holders can get a Visa on arrival in Zimbabwe. You have a choice of getting a Visa for Zimbabwe itself or get one that includes Botswana & Zambia (called UniVisa). The single country Visa cost US$75 and US$50 for the UniVisa - no one could quite explain why the Visa for 3 countries is cheaper than that for a single country. Best to bring cash for the Visa as their credit card machine does not work most of the time.

Highlights in Zimbabwe -

1) Vic Falls of course

2) Walking with the lions - there are a few outfit - we did ours with Lions Encounter - an organization dedicated to an active conservation program of lions

3) Walking across the bridge linking Zimbabwe to Zambia.

Took the 8 day river cruise in July with Uniworld sailing from Lyon to Avignon.

Flew in 2 days earlier for the cruise and explored Lyon - highly recommended as Lyon has a lot to offer for someone visiting the city for the first time. Easy city to explore on your own. Hike the Notre Dame Basilica from Old Lyon - all of 580 step!

This River Cruise is a journey of exquisite pleasures. You will cruise both the Saone & Rhone River and take in the spectacular views of Burgundy & Provence that inspired Van Gogh, Cezanne and Gauguin.

Highlights of the cruise for me:

- hunting for truffles in a truffle farm with the help of a Lab dog

- kayaking on the tranquil Gardon River. A 3 hours leisurely kayak that takes you under the Pont du Gard Aqueduct in Avignon. 

We stayed in Avignon for another 3 days on our own after the cruise. If you are in Avignon I recommend going over to the  little island (free ferry service from Avignon) and rent a bike and cycle around the island. You can grab lunch from a food truck that is parked near the landing point on the island - also do not miss the organic farms nearby.

Highly recommend this cruise for those wishing to walk through the lands that inspired Van Gogh, Cézanne and Gauguin,history buffs, gastronomes and wine connoisseurs.

Took a group of 13 to Turkey with Globus Vacations. It was a 14 day escorted coach tour that started and ended in Istanbul.

We flew in a day earlier to do a private tour of Istanbul - it was awesome and it covered the areas where Globus did not. The great thing with having a private guide is that they will you off the beaten track where the locals shop and eat. Instead of the Blue Mosque we went to the Rustem Pasha Mosque built by the Ottoman and is famous for the Iznik tiles.

 Cities covered - Istanbul, Bursa, Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Antalya, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Troy & Gallipoli. Like most coach tours it is just an overnight stay in majority of the cities we stopped by so the pace is quite hectic. The 2 nights stay in Cappadocia and Antalya were welcomed relief to all of us.

Turkey is a country with an amazing history and its location has given it geopolitical and strategic importance throughout its history. It is surrounded by 8 countries and is a country that span 2 continents - Asia & Europe.

The tour itinerary was excellent but our trip was marred by Guide who was not up to par.

Highlights

- Hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia

- Archaeological site of Ephesus

- Battlefield of Gallipoli

- Underground city near Goreme

Took a group of 10 people to India and Turkey in Feb 2014.

 This tour started in Delhi and ended in Katmandu. In India we covered the "golden triangle" which is Delhi, Agra and Jaipur as well as the holy city of Varanasi. We flew in a day prior to the start of the tour and did a private 1/2 day tour of Old Delhi. The tour was amazing - we definitely were off the beaten tourist trip. Flew kite and played cricket with some local boys on the rooftop of store in Old Delhi. Tour ended with dinner in a private home!

Delhi is exactly like what you see in the movies - chaotic traffic but did not see a single accident. Lots of history and the food was great. Places of interest we saw include the Red Fort, Raj Ghat (Gandhi's resting place), Jama Masjid (largest mosque in India) and Qutb Minar (240 foot minaret).

Drove to Jaipur from Delhi (aka Pink City - capital of Rajastan) . It is 260km west of Delhi. Enthralling, historical Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital, is the gateway to India’s most flamboyant state. The city’s colourful, chaotic streets ebb and flow with a heady brew of old and new. Careening buses dodge dawdling camels, leisurely cycle-rickshaws frustrate swarms of motorbikes. Highlights of the city - Jantar Mantar (Royal Observatory), Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) and the elephant ride up Amber Fort. 

After 2 days in Jaipur it is on to Agra. We booked the full moon night tour of Taj Mahal in Agra - unfortunately it was a bit foggy - so we did not see the full splendour of the Taj with the full moon. The next morning was not any better as it was still foggy. We ended up seeing the Taj from across the river later on in the day.

We left for Nepal by coach from Varanasi to Nepal - a 12 hour journey over potholed roads and cows walking in the middle of the road! By the time we reached the border it was almost 10pm. Let's say it was a ride that none of us will forget anytime soon.

A group of 9 of us went on a 15 day cruise Avalon Waterways from Budapest to Amsterdam in July 2013.

I took a group of 17 intrepid travellers on an East African Safari in August 2012.

Off to Peru in July 2010 with a group of 8 to explore Machu Picchu and hike the Lares Trek.

Off to Egypt with 6 of our best friend and clients to Egypt in Feb 2009.