E' stata una bella esperienza. Laura e Mike sono stati molto ospitali e di hanno dato una bella mano negli spostamenti. E' tutto molto spartano, ma comodo e pulito. Vicino alla fermata dell'autobus.
Casa Alle Scale, Verbania, Italy
Fantastic! The accommodation was great, hosts were lovely and local area beautiful!
Luca, Italy
Michael and his wife were super friendly and communicativ. The place was beautiful. We're looking forward to our next visit.
Hannah, Germany
We just had the most amazing time at this place!! It’s got everything you need, it’s very comfy and you sleep right between the olive trees. At daytime you have a great view over the mountains and at night you can watch the stars. The surrounding nature is truly amazing and you can discover a lot of beautiful things nearby. For example there is this cute little village called Dolceacqua nearby which one definitely needs to see. It’s got a river and an old castle from which you have a stunning view over the village and it’s surroundings. Furthermore there are beautiful waterfalls and pools just a few kilometres away in Rocchetta Nervina which is a must-see. You can also reach bigger cities like Sanremo or Menton which is just over the French Border very easily. Eventhough it is recommendable to have a car there it’s also possibly to get around without one. We for example didn’t have a car with us and still managed to see quite a lot of things because the bus stop is right in front of the property and arrives quite regularly (every 1-2 hours). And when we arrived on a Sunday where there were only very few busses and we would have had to wait for a long time, Michael and his wife picked us up from Ventimiglia. They both were really lovely people, good to talk too and great hosts. They did everything possible to make us feel comfortable (which we did anyway) and gave us tips where there a pretty places that we should see. Although it is only a tent you stay in it is very comfy. The summer kitchen area is equipped with everything you need and you can also enjoy a bit of luxury with a private jacuzzi. All in all I can only recommend this place and we will definitely be back some day for another holiday there!
Sabine, Germany
We really really enjoyed our stay at your place!! I can’t thank you enough for your great hospitality. This was the best vacation of our lives. We will definitely be back. I hope you and Laura fare well and we will see you again some day. I wish you all the best!!
Merel, Germany
Fantastic! The accommodation was great, hosts were lovely and local area beautiful!
Natalie, France
Hi Mike, We had a very nice time at your place in Camporosso. We want to thank you for your hospitality and the tips you gave us about the things to do. Nice place to relax, lots of things to do in the area!
Niels and Monique, Netherlands
Bel endroit au milieu de nulle part. Parfait pour se reposer ! Hôte très sympathique.
Angélique, France
Hey Michael, Thank you very much for having us in your small paradise! It was really a blast and we enjoyed our time in italy! Really cool place to stay... lot of different activities you can do and the host is just superb I will go back for sure.
Joel, Switzerland
Che dire...simpatici, tranquilli, rilassati. Due persone assolutamente da raccomandare.
Riccardo, Italy
The weather was perfect, food and drink wonderful and of course the company (my son) was good too. We kept on being mistaken for Germans which didn’t please us [!] but all in all the Italians were friendly and helpful and in most cases spoke good English when we were floundering with the lingo. The leaning tower of Pisa booking office lady was probably the only exception to that. Xtrallusion specifically.... yes, all in all what you did was very good, we had a great time - thanks.
Nick Page, Perth, Australia
Nice to meet you in person in Laigueglia. On our last day an old man was able to confirm the place I thought could have been San Georgio Hotel in 1965 was indeed it. Now apartments. Yes we had a lovely time - just great. Especially loved family hotels in Laigueglia and Manarola, but will give you more feedback on our stay later. Walked the Cinque Terre from Levanto to Riomaggiere. Dympna especially loved Manarola - she would like to send you the testimony. I especially liked the personal service provided, including meeting up with you on that first day in Laigueglia.
A most enjoyable stay.
It only remains for Australia to beat Italy, progress further, and knock England out of the World Cup !!!
Thanks again,
Tom.
Tom McCann, Tasmania
We did so enjoy our adventure with you and haven't stopped talking about it to anyone who will listen, I have put all our photos on a disc which we play through the TV on a big screen, makes quite a show! We have recommended you, your company and your daily adventures to many people so do hope that you get some return from some of them.
We really did appreciate the effort you made to make sure we enjoyed each day to it's fullest, even if we did get the map reading wrong the first day and walked miles out of our way!!!!
Thank you for all your hard work at setting up your company, your excellent web site that brought us to you and most of all your great company and organisation on our daily excersions.
Xtrallusion was a highlight of our trip, Thank you.
We wish you well
Kindest regards
Heather.
Heather & John Molloy, Basil & Sue Turnbull, New Zealand
Got home safely. Had a good trip. Thanks to the Recaro seat it was in quite good comfort.
Dropped the Land Rover off at the Land Rover dealer's today, hoping they will finally fix the oil leak without spoiling anything else. Guess what kind of car I got as a courtesy car.... a Fiat Panda. For a moment I thought about heading strait back to Liguria to test its off-road capabilities.
We had a great time, thanks again for that Mike. Really enjoyed the tour, the scenery AND the company. Looking forward to looking into your plans for new trips as they grow.
Cheers,
Bernd.
Bernd Voorsluijs, Netherlands
Dear Mike,
We had a lovely week in Laigueglia and the hotel was really pleasant and the family very kind and welcoming. Hopefully, I will have another holiday there at some time...... I just wanted to thank you for all your help and advice.
kind regards,
Louise.
Louise, Switzerland
Ciao! Mike
As promised I have attached a few of the photos of you & the group. Sorry it took longer than I expected, but with over 1200 photos in total, it has taken a bit of time to look through them all & select the best ones. I've also been away last week completing my residential part of my award, so been quite busy the past week. I haven't looked at everybodies photos but have had a big enough selection to choose from. If later, I find any other better ones, I will forward then to you. Just send me a quick reply to let me know you got the photos ok, please.
Anyway, I would just like to thank you both again on behalf of the whole group & all the staff for a truly amazing week & a fantastic experience. The scenery, people, towns, beaches & pizzas were nothing I had ever seen before, & similar for most of the other members of the group, especially the scenery & landscape. The mountains over there were completly different to what we are use to here in Scotland. Also the weather was something different & a new challenge, walking in the heat. The campsites were very good with all the facilities we required - more luxury than we are used to actually, & the fully supported vehicle you provided us throughout the walk was very much appreciated. The 2 offdays - at the pool & beach - were relaxing & made the 'holiday' part of our trip extremly enjoyable. The walk, as expected was very tough & much harder than we needed to do for our award but the sense of achievement & pride when we completed the expedition gave us all a huge boost.
Thank you again for a life-changing experience & all the best in the future. Also, we were congratulated by our rector, intially who was against the trip, for our hard work fundraising & a fantastic organised trip. He also mentioned, during head boy interviews, that he had noticed a grown maturity & confidence in the Duke of Edinburgh candidates, which gave us an edge. You will be very welcome anytime in Scotland & Arbroath, you might just need to bring more warm clothes.
Cheers & Grazzi,
Greg J. Milne.
Greg J. Milne, Arbroath High School, Scotland
Thank you very much for a very well organized self-guided walking trip in Cinque Terre. We were a little apprehensive dealing over the internet with a company so far away, however, our fears were unfounded. Our experience in dealing with you has been more than satisfactory and we would not hesitate to use your services again or recommend you to friends. The walks were an ideal length for us. Your choice of hotel and its location were perfect, adjacent as it was to both the Italian Riviera and Cinque Terre. We are not used to being served at dinner in tuxedos, but all went well. It was great to receive our itinerary before our trip so that we could fully anticipate the adventure and get an idea of what to expect..
Mr & Mrs O'Connor, Ottawa, Canada
Our trip was so great ........ Carle went back to work raving about Italy etc. and everyone laughed, seems Brian was back from Italy the day before and was complaining ... never go back etc. so many people etc. ha ha guess he was in Rome!
Anyway probably have a booking for you next year - think Loretta wants to book soon while Ken is caught up in our enthusiasm!!
Sadness of the trip though - I lost my camera card of the first half! I've been phoning and emailing ........... England to Triora is missing and that means Cinque Terre - ouch! Guess we'll have to come again!
I've got to say that a great part of visiting Italy is embracing the food and the wine (I appreciated your suggestions) the Italians have great pride in these and we had such a special time 'cause we requested 'locale' - that last dinner in Arezano was unbelievable - I went to the kitchen, bowed and had someone translate that that was the dinner I wanted to have the night before I died! Pasta with scampi, zucchini in a creamy sauce .... yummy!
Dianna.
hello mike;
as we are now in belgium until end of month, we will send you an e-mail upon return to canada, we had a fantastic time.
ken and silvana.
Ken and Silvana, Canada
Dear Mike,
I was just sitting down to sending you an email about our holiday when I received your email!!! The whole trip was perfect. I could not believe how close the hotel in Pisa was to the Tower. You were so right to suggest the evening and morning in Pisa... what an interesting city.. we walked our legs off in the evening and the following morning. The hotel staff were great and yes I received the package when we booked in. We took the suggested train to Manarola and WOW.... although we had stopped off 2 years ago for an afternoon in Monterosso, the sheer beauty of the area is overwhelming. Again the choice of the hotel was superb.. very helpful and accommodating.
We started exploring Manarola after a welcome shower and freshen up and Geoff had to try the Gelati.. he considers a day without gelati in Italy is not worth living!!! We walked around, had a pre dinner drink, and then dined looking over the ocean. We found everywhere we went on the Cinque Terre that the people were quite lovely, and nowhere did we feel that they were overcharging the tourists. As you know the seafood is fabulous and we dined everynight on it.. the prices were very reasonable for the quality of the food. That night at 9 oclock we were treated to the local marching band circulating through the various levels of the town..then at 11pm, being the feastday of a local saint, there was a parade which started at the church at the top of the hill, priests, altar boys, choir, candles, marching band, and a sacred relic being carried through the town. They went right past our hotel, and we were very impressed that you had this organized just for us!!!!!!
We spent the second day hiking the trail. We followed your suggestions to the letter since you had done such a great job for Pisa and Manarola. We caught the train to Monterosso and walked in 30 degree heat to Vernazza. Walking the trail in that direction was a stroke of genius, because we got the stair climbing section done before we wilted, and then had a swim in Vernazza. After a stroll around town we headed to Corniglia which is a gem.. quite a different vibe from the other towns.. great lunch there. We then caught the train to Riomaggiore where we swam again, Geoff continued his in-depth study of gelati, and then the Via del Amori home. An outstanding day.
The next day we took the train to Santa Margherita.. another beautiful town with really interesting buildings and a beautiful view of the ocean. We walked around to familiarize ourselves with the town and after some more gelati, took the bus to Portofino. They should advertise that 1 Euro ride as the best deal in the world.. we have ridden the Amalfi Coast local bus and figured we had experienced it all, but the bus to and from Portofino was the best. 100 people in 30 degree heat standing on a bus designed for 50. The bus driver is in training for the Formula One, and the road is only wide enough for 2 scooters, not a bus. The horn blowing at every turn added to the excitement, and the views were marvellous. Portofino is well worth the trip.. we stopped for-yes of course- gelato, and then hiked up through Castillo Brown gardens.. beautiful. The views, the boats, the plants everything was perfect. We arrived back in Manarola in time for another fabulous seafood dinner.
The family at the hotel arranged a wake up call for us and even though they start breakfast at 8 they would not hear of us leaving without breakfast.. We bid Manarola good-bye and headed for La Spezia and the train to Rome.
We can't say enough good things about your plans and suggestions. Every one of our friends will have your website address within the next couple of weeks. Great job.. thanks again for helping us make this memorable journey.. we will certainly be repeat customers.
Stella and Geoff.
Stella and Geoff, Richmond BC, Canada
We have had a great holiday and most informations provided were accurate and some needed confirmation. We Will certainly return to Cingue Terre. Thank you for all the arrangement and organisation.
Lian Yee.
Lian Yee, Stafford, England
We spent five days over the New Year walking the Levante Riviera coast around Sestri Levante. It was fantastic to take a short flight and transfer to a lovely family hotel, mountains on one side sea on the other. Xtrallusion provides a very thorough walking itinerary, choose your walks, jump on the train for 10-20 minutes and you are off. There is time for exploring the coastal towns as well as having a good days walking. It is all so easy, without feeling that you have been organised. It was just what we needed - fresh air, peace and quiet, breathtaking views, a range of walks, local trains and a typical Italian family run hotel. Thank you Mike. I am sure we will be back.
All the best
Karen.
Karen Stamper, Cambridge, England
Now, what did we think of our stay in Italy?
The best bits:
Being met at the airport was great and did away with all of that finding taxis bit. I would be quite happy to make my own way now, though, having 'mastered' Italian trains.
The location, ambiance and service at the hotel was wonderful - what a great find... everything was A1 and all the staff were delightful. The town was an ideal location both as a base and as a little resort in it's own right. If we didn't want to go far there were still lovely strolls and more interesting walks on the doorstep.
The itinerary was so useful. Just to have things like what to do at the station and how to ask for tickets was really helpful and certainly gave me confidence on my first foray into Italy for hundreds of years. We tended to take the pages we needed out of the book each day so as not to carry too much. This also meant that it could be folded up and away in a bag so we didn't rely on following it and miss what was around us.
The trip out to the Cinque Terre was, for me, the best bit. I would love to return and do the whole walk one day even if I have to wait until I retire! It was very good to know that you were available on the end of a phone to iron out any problems - even doors which refused to open!
We did find that dinner in the hotel was a bit 'rushed' in comparison to, say, French meals. I'm sure this is a cultural difference, though, as every aspect of the service and the food was just great. We just would have preferred to take more time between courses and so on. Having said that I thought the food was delicious and managed to put on 4 pounds to prove it!
Thank you so much for making our Christmas break so memorable. I have loads of lovely photos to keep me going until I find the time to return to the area. I would definately use Xtrallusion again and have already recommended it to friends who are becoming bored with me going on about the holiday!
Good luck with the company. I hope 2006 proves a good year for you all.
Ciao,
Margaret & Elsie.
Margaret Beswarick, Flintshire, UK
Our trip to Italy and our stay at the Cascina was wonderful, so thank you very much for helping to arrange it for us and your suggestions too..
Ms Sellers, Kennington, England
I think I can speak for Tom when I say that our holiday with Xtrallusion was very enjoyable. I loved the freedom of being able to choose which level of walk to do each day within the reassuring structure of an itinerary. In fact, this was one of the most stress-free breaks I've ever had. I was also impressed by how much we were able to see and do within a mere seven days..
Caroline & Tom, London, England
We really enjoyed our few days holiday in Italy.The walking in the Cinque Terre was wonderful and your description of the hotels selected as charming and in an excellent position was very accurate. The hotel in Manarola was particularly attractive and the proprietors very kind and helpful. Thank you for arranging our holiday very professionally,we will recommend you to family and friends and hopefully return ourselves..
Mr & Mrs Foster, Liverpool, England.
After getting a little lost in the hills to the west of Genoa (make sure you take a map!), we finally arrived at the Cascina which was an idyllic spot, (more so than I imagined) hidden away from the winding road with wonderful views across the valley. Dinner was fantastic, having the opportunity to eat delicious freshly cooked dishes that aren't on the menu at your local Pizza Expresss! It was a perfect base to drive around the countryside, visiting Aqui Terme and a great local vineyard called Cascina Bertolotto where you can sample the wines and learn about their history from the owner. The only negative point I would make is regarding the bedroom walls. The rooms were lovely and sympathetically decorated yet at times they didn't seem to provide great sound insulation between the other guests! Other than that, it is a truly great place to escape too.
Katie, London, England
We have just returned from our most enjoyable holiday in Sestri Levante. We loved the hotel and the town, which seemed far less "touristy" than that on the Cinque Terre. The walking was great, though the steps were hard - going, worth it for the views though, and we had a good day in Genova and got thoroughly lost, so saw a lot more than otherwise !). Thank you so much, for arranging our holiday and making it so easy. I should certainly use your company again and shall recommend it to my walking friends..
Maggie Jeays, Staffordshire, England
What can I say, we had a great time, your itinerary ensured that we discovered the best of the region. We would like to return again with some of our friends, for perhaps a long weekend, to do some walking, on the mountains, and visiting again some of the little villages of the Cinque Terre with their delightful food and wine and ambience. It was wonderful to discover a company like yours 'with the personal touch'. Your choice of hotel was excellent, it is very reassuring to know how careful you are in selecting the hotels that you use. We wish you every success with your business in the future..
Carol & Terry Jull, Surrey, England
I had a great time in Italy it was just what I was looking for. I liked the fact that the region isn't particularly geared up towards the English speaking tourist but most Italians spoke enough English for me to get by and their English was certainly better than my Italian!
The Hotel was nice and comfortable and the staff were pleasant. The part of Sestri Levante that the hotel is situated in couldn't be much better both in terms of the views and access to the town. Sestri Levante itself is probably one of the best places to stay as its very picturesque but also big enough to be interesting for a weeks stay (or longer).
The itineraries were really good and more than enough walks detailed to fill a weeks holiday. The Cinque Terre was a fantastic part of the world the walks were great and the five villages quite stunning in an old world quaint way. They were very busy with tourists and I can imagine that it would get a little crowded in the peak summer months.
The other walks in the itineraries came as an added surprise and really did add to the holiday. Places like Portofino, Camogli and Santa Margherita and the coastal path to Punta Manara were all breath-takingly beautiful places to walk & see. In fact considering how well all the little resorts are served by the coast hugging railway you really could promote the whole stretch of coastline as worth visiting - helped by the cheapness of train travel there. As it happens my only gripe would be the train times. I found that sometimes even with the timetables included it was difficult to understand when or if a train was running and to which destination. And the screens on the platforms didn't always make sense. That said I didn't have any major problems.
Tony.
Tony, London.
Dan and I had a really great time in Sulzano. The hotel was fantastic, great location and incredibly friendly and helpful staff. It was only a 40min drive from Milan Bergamo airport so transfer time was perfect. The location was ideal as it was far less crowded than neighbouring Lake Garda which meant site seeing, driving and eating out were a pleasure without the droves of tourists.
Our experience of dealing with Xtrallusion has been fantastic with a very personal touch. The whole process of booking the holiday was very smooth and any questions we had were answered quickly. We also liked the information you provided us with before departing such as the itinerary suggestion. We would definately consider booking with Xtrallusion again and would certainly recommend to friends and family.
many thanks
Jessica Murray.
Jessica Murray, London, England
We both had a fantastic time, no travel problems with either planes or trains. In fact all our apprehensions soon disappeared when we realised that train travel in Italy really wasn’t as bad as our imaginations had led us to believe. Thank you for arranging the lovely anniversary surprise for Carole, sadly my limited grasp of Italian would have prevented this and she probably would have ended up with a bouquet of seaweed and salt water instead, she was thrilled, Mille Grazie!
Both hotels were very good,
SESTRI LEVANTE – the room was pleasant, at the rear of the hotel, a little small maybe but clean and tidy, mini bar fridge and safe, and ample bathroom, what you would expect from a medium sized hotel. Excellent restaurant, with impeccable service! But make sure to reserve a table.
MANAROLA – the room was lovely, overlooking the main street, large and well furnished, air conditioning, good bathroom, all in all a delightful small hotel.
Now the important bit, the walking.
- To the sanctuary at Montallegro and the Gulf of Tiggulio, suppose our biggest complaint, for which you were in no way to blame, the weather. Having hiked all the way up, and upon reaching the summit visibility was down to 10 metres no views at all! Also, but only minor, from the restaurant to the fork in the path is quite a bit farther than the ½ kilometre stated in the route guide, but just keep walking it can’t be missed. The section of path to the shrine, where the trail crosses from west to east side of the ridge, is severely overgrown and proved a little hazardous in the wet conditions.
- The Grand Traverse to Portofino, what else can be said but “spectacular!”, and the route description is the most accurate. Portofino, wow, and “oh” how the other half live.
- Mountain trail from Monterosso to Vernazza, stiff ascent but worth it for the initial descent into Vernazza, along the narrow path with the most glorious views down to the sea over the terraced vineyards. Very remote, and as peaceful as described, no one but us on the trail.
- Morning walk from Sestri, before our transfer to Manarola, to Punta Manara. There is a terraced view point, about two thirds the way up, with a clear view back down to Sestri, which don’t come any better. (I have the very scene saved on my computer desk top). Great circular walk, well described.
The 5 villages of the Cinque Terre, fabulous! Luckily for us we had already spent some time in both Monterosso and Vernazza earlier in the week, and being based in Manarola we had also sampled it’s delights, allowing more spare time in Corniglia and Riomaggiore, route well described, impossible to go wrong. Earlier that week, while taking lunch in Vernazza, we were chatting to a charming lady, from New Zealand, who was adamant that we would not be able to walk the trail between the 5 villages in just one day. Although the climbs out of Monterosso and Vernazza were steep, walking between Monterosso and Riomaggore is easily achievable in a day. In fact not only did we accomplish the walk, including a stop for a welcome swim along the way, but we spent a very enjoyable afternoon in Pisa (such was, by now, my expertise and confidence with Italian trains) with some lovely photos of the Leaning Tower.
- Bay of Poets and Portovenere, yet another truly spectacular walk. The scenery was simply stunning. Again the route description was accurate, but having negotiated the “Difficult” section, where the path finally emerges at the hairpin bend, there is a little path just visible on the right that descends to a road, which takes out a good stretch of the road walking, that is in my mind more preferable.
We would be extremely hard pushed to pick a favourite walk, they were all splendid. We would have no hesitation in recommending your services and company to likeminded walkers, and will regularly check the web site for new itineraries.
Once again, mille grazie.
Ciao,
Steve & Carole Gardner.
Steve & Carole Gardner, Shropshire, England
We enjoyed our walking holiday organized through Xtrallusion. The arrangements were first class and everything worked like clockwork. The directions we were given were easy to read and to follow and the walks were enjoyable. The hotels were good and came up to expectations.
John.
John Sudworth, Wakefield, England
Hi Mike
Thanks for your email.
Brian and I had a really great time at Sestri. For us it was the perfect combination of walking, rest and exploration for that time of year. So some feedback.
TRAIN TRAVEL
Well organised and well informed.
HOTEL
Directions to the hotel were excellent. The staff were wonderful and the mix of several generations of the same family was lovely. Being the only brits there was also good!
WALKS
The choice of walks was good and in the right order. We got lost a few times on walk 1 & 3 but it was easy enough to find our way again. I enjoyed the extra challenge.
The Cinque Terre was touristy but it did not spoil the experience. Would love to see it in winter. I rate the holiday 9/10. We had a lovely time, met some great people and the scenery was wonderful.
Thank you.
Sylvia.
Sylvia Burgess, Wimbledon, England
Hi
I had a great time thanks :). Difficult to be back at work now! So loved the walking - wow, just amazing!!
And for all the help, much appreciated - I have fallen in love with Cinque Terre!!
Caroline.
Caroline Stewart, London, England
Hello Mike
Arrived back in England safely and on time. Weather here has matched Italy over Easter which has been great. We enjoyed our holiday break very much and thanks for all what you did for us. As suggested by yourself it would have been better perhaps if we had the last night stay in Pisa to cut down on train travel, but we made that decision.
Otherwise all was fine. Hotel good. We enjoyed staying at a seaside town rather than in the cities.
You never know I might be able to persuade our friends to come over walking with me & Ian to make a change from Plaus. Will keep your webb page to check out your holidays.
thanks again
Pat.
Pat & Helen, Leighton Buzzard, England
First of all thanks for planning an excellent holiday which we both enjoyed. It was good to meet you and Steve and the individual attention was much appreciated, especially as we were new to Italy.
The walks were excellent and at just the right level for us; the one to Cervo was especially appreciated as we would not have had the confidence to follow this ourself in a region we didn't know. We had no trouble following the Albenga to Alassio self-guided walk. Your personal attention such as helping with obtaining tickets, etc. was also appreciated. The knowldge you and Steve had of Italy and the region was also very useful (so much better to go somewhere and here about it from the 'locals'), although perhaps you should brush up on your knowledge of the flora!!
The choice of accommodation was good. The hotel was a high standard with excellent facilities. We also felt the choice of Alassio as a base was a good one, right for the time of year as there was plenty to see and do in the evenings.
As we discussed, encoraging more 'green' travel by train from the UK would be good (we had no difficulty getting back after an overnight stay in Paris) and possibly a marketing niche.
We don't have time for a lot of holidays so we did appreciate this one and would certainly recommend it to others. Jane is now reading another Annie Hawes book so you never know, we may be back again at some future point, probably again in the winter.
Thanks
Tony and Jane.
Tony & Jane, Yorkshire, England
We had a fantastic holiday, and both agreed that we would definitely like to do it again – and soon. Both hotels were good and it was lovely to have all your rail tickets all organised, so that you just had to pick up the instructions and start walking.
I thought Manarola was going to be too small, but we thoroughly enjoyed living like a local and in fact when we moved to Sestri, it seemed almost too big and brash after the quietness and serenity of Manarola.
All the walks were great, though it looked like they had been written by different people, so some were better to navigate than others. Can I urge you to remove the word “soon” from the walking instructions and insert the number of meters instead? In some of the walks “soon” meant instantly and in other “soon” could mean a good 10 minutes away, so, much anxious time was spent double checking to make sure that we hadn’t missed anything. Also I liked it when the walks had a synopsis at the beginning, telling you the length in kilometres, the level of assent etc. along with a short précis on what you could expect.
A previous holiday maker suggested splitting the walking instructions up so that they were easier to carry. I can only agree. We ended up numbering all the pages and then tearing them out of the book. A plastic wallet would be great too for those wet days.
We had a little trouble on the way back, as the man in Genova Brignole bus station told us that the nr 100 bus to the airport no longer stopped at Genova Brignole and that we would have to get a 30 bus to Genova Principe and pick it up from there. There was a fair on that day, which may have caused buses to be diverted, but perhaps you should double check for others.
All in all a great holiday which more then exceeded our expectations.
Thanks
Sue.
Sue Redpath, London, England
I'd always wanted to ski a number of good ski resorts in a single holiday - kind of a 'reccy' for future trips. To have done this with all the arrangements taken care of, including transport, was just what we were looking for. The fantastic local food each evening in a relaxed and extremely friendly environment was the icing on the cake. Thanks and let us know as soon as you have a ski touring holiday on offer..
Mr & Mrs Brock, Oxford, England
From the moment we arrived in Genova, we knew from Mike's friendly enthusiasm that we were going to have a good time. For us one of the best things about the holiday was going to some beautiful places off the beaten track, which visitors would never know about, with a real local, who was English speaking. This gave us the best of local knowledge but with ease of language.
All the activities were great fun, from swimming in river pools to exploring the area on bikes. The trusty Defender took us through valleys and hills, getting to some quite remote places. I loved the flexibility of Xtrallusion, in that we could add extra days, do different things. Our last day was spent in Pisa, enjoying this beautiful city. Mike had told us that it was like a big village, which we couldn't understand until we got there, and it really was.
We have all had such a fantastic time and I cannot imagine there being another company which could have allowed us such a relaxed, friendly, flexible, but well organised holiday.
Pam, Lyndsey and Pieran.
Post Script: Everything went great in Pisa. I didn't like having hundreds of tourists around though after the other Italy that we had been experiencing earlier in Liguria. Hotel was really good. We really weren't expecting the quality of hotels you booked for the price. Don't know how you do it !! It is quite warm here so didn't feel too bad when we got off the plane. Nice to be home in some ways, but wanted to see so much more of your area, which is stunning.
Thank you again so much for really making our holiday special. I am so glad that I stumbled on your web site. I wish you every success with the business, as long as you don't expand so much that you lose that infectious enthusiasm and personal touch. The extra things that you put in such as the off road experience and the long way home so we could see more of the area, were appreciated.(despite the sickness !)We all felt you were our friend, not a holiday company. Thanks Mike.
Pam, Lake District
All the arrangements worked out very well. No problems with the train journeys and the hotel was in a very good location, and the room was great. Your choice of walks were very good.
First one was easy and very enjoyable.
Second one we went up with the cable car and walked back. There was a section of the path that was very overgrown and we reversed our steps twice before we decided to continue and it eventually brought us to the shrine [ This can sometimes happen after heavy rain in summer with prolific growth in the following few weeks ]. The rest of the walk was very nice and easy going. There is one section where the directions aren¹t very clear when you enter Rapallo. When you get to the t-junction at the end of the steep downward path, you don¹t know which street you¹re coming up against, so you don¹t know if you should turn left or right. Unfortunately I don¹t have the walk directions with me and can¹t give you the exact wording. So I hope you can figure out what I¹m trying to say [ We have now updated the walking notes to clarify this]. The markings were very clear on all the paths.
The third walk we didn¹t do. We took the ferry to Portofino and just had a relaxing time.
Thanks again Mike, for organising everything. We found your company pleasant to deal with and very professional, and will most certainly make use of your services again in the near future.
Kind regards
Linda..
Linda Lubbe, London, England
Cheers Mike
I had a great week and a lovely journey back via Briancon and Col de Vars. It all went a bit pear shaped with the tunnel being closed, but I took the long ferry from Le Havre to Portsmouth instead arriving home on Saturday night.
I enjoyed the holiday immensely; the route, format and guiding style all worked well for me. In our initial planning we were looking for an alternative to the 'camel train' format, which wouldn't have suited us so well. Especially I found that travelling light, without the weight (and expense) of carrying full expedition gear made the driving a pleasure, rather than a chore.
I liked the way that the routes, views and photo opportunities became progressively more spectacular during the week. We became totally immersed in the adventure and totally forgot which day it was! Now back at home I've had to be absolutely ruthless choosing the photos for the albums and editing the video. I've been telling everyone about the holiday, maybe even bragging a bit to my friends back home and would love to hear about any future 4x4 based holidays you can offer; on the journey back through the French Alps there appear to be many more tracks in the footsteps of Hannibal and around the world renowned 4x4 Club of the Eagles site at Val D'Isere for instance.
Kind Regards
Jonathan.
Jonathan Buckley, Newbury, England
SULZANO LAKESIDE HOLIDAY
Hello Mike
Just wanted to thank you for your advice on our holiday to Italy - we went last week and stayed on Lake Iseo, it was amazing and the best hotel I have ever stayed in. It is most likely we will go to a another part of Italy next year so will be in touch!
Thank you once again
Best wishes
Kath.
Kath Jones, England
PONENTE RIVIERA TOWNS
Hello Mike
Sorry for delay in responding.
Yes we very much enjoyed the holiday. The Hotel Gandolfo was a bit simpler than I was expecting from the website, but was perfectly fine. Elaine thought it was great. The owners and staff were very friendly and they were very helpful when we had to stay over the extra night. We had a top floor room near a terrace which we used a lot to sit out - we didnt use the beach sunbeds. The itineraries were useful to provide some structure to the day, but we just enjoyed bumbling about.
As to suggestions: a map of Alassio would have been useful on arrival and it night have been easier to walk with luggage along streets rather than along the seafront. We managed to miss the tourist office in San Remo, so didnt find a street map until we had walked most of the town!
After Alassio we went to Apricale - staying at Apricus Locanda. We had booked this directly on their website, and it was only when we got back that we found we could have arranged them through you! We liked the Locanda very much indeed.
We are quite likely to use you again, for the short city breaks or for exploring holidays, particularly if you have trustworthy car rental with companies who wont try to rip us off.
Thanks again
Elaine and Simon Liddle
Dear Simon,
Thank you very much for taking the time to write and provide us with your feedback - it is much appreciated.
Regarding the Hotel Gandolfo, I have stayed there many times and agree that it is quite simple. However, I have visited vitually all the hotels in Alassio, which is one of the most expensive resorts on the Riviera, and it does offer good clean facilities in an excellent location at almost half the price of many others. For this type of holiday in the summer, when it is nice to be by the sea but not wanting to use the beach facilities, it is I feel one of the better options.
The walking and sightseeing itineraries are supplied as a suggestion and as you said, provide a good start for planning your day to day trips. Bumbling around is as you say a great way to see and enjoy the Riviera. Your comment about a map of Alassio is well received and we will in future provide a map to give people a sense of bearings. The train tickets used to be sold for either weekdays or weekends but they changed the system before you arrived and there is just one type of ticket sold now valid for every day of the week - the tickets you had should have been accepted.
I am pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay in Apricale, it is a quite magical place and you chose a very nice place to stay - I like it there very much. As far as car rental are concerned, we try to make our holidays as convenient as possible for taking trains and public transport and for those who do prefer a car, leave this for them to arrange directly since overall, dealing with car rental companies here is often a good source of hassle and admin problems.
Once again, thank you for booking with us and please do keep us in mind for your future travel plans to Italy.
Yours sincerely,
Mike
Xtrallusion holidays for the independent traveller.
SUMMER ACTIVITY BREAK
Hi Mike,
We got home yesterday at the end of our two weeks in Italy. It was throwing it down with rain and the temperature was 15 degrees! Quite a change from the 32 when we left.
Thank you again for a wonderful holiday. We did complete the three extra days at Sestri Levante. The hotel was great and in such a unique position. We completed the two trips as detailed and enjoyed very much the activities. Thank you again for the excellent documentation and organisation and also for your personal guidance and support which was very much appreciated by us all.
Jon and Jan send their best wishes and I do expect we will return, that is if you will have us.
Very best wishes.
Colin and family.
The Briddick Family, Fordingbridge, England
WALKING the CINQUE TERRE
Mike
We had a fantastic holiday and will certainly use Xtrallusion for any future walking holidays in Italy. Train journeys (except for the day we arrived when there were serious rail delays from Genoa) were excellent, both hotels were extremely good, the walking was outstanding, and the weather superb.
We found your walking notes took just a little while to get used to but as soon as we realised that they covered all the walking options we found them generally very good and easy to follow.
The only exception was on the "High Ways to Portovenere" walk. We chose to do Itinerary 3 and had no trouble until leaving the high coastal trail when it meets the asphalt road at the hairpin bend. We took the right hand side of the hairpin bend as instructed and the walking notes then say "continuing down along the road until you arrive at a junction with a road going left to right". But how far away is this? 100m or 2k? Whatever the distance, we never found the convergence point with the inland trail. We carried on walking down the road and eventually ended up in what we assumed was Portovenere but which turned out to be Le Grazie. A couple of suggestions: perhaps paragraph 46 of the walking notes could indicate the approx distance to the convergence point and it would also have been useful to have an area map with the notes so we could have worked out just how far Le Grazie is from Portovenere and whether it's a walk or a bus ride (definitely the latter!). [ Route notes now updated ]
On almost all of our walks we found your walking times for each section pretty much spot on. The only exception was on 2 on the sections of the Mountain Trails of the Cinque Terre where it took us much longer than 45 mins to get to the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene and much longer than 1 hr 15m to get to Reggio Sanctuary (but maybe the wine had been particularly good the previous night!).
I have only been on group walking holidays before but found the self guided walking gave us greater freedom and will certainly choose this type of walking holiday again.
Thanks also for taking time out to meet us at the airport to hand over the hotel details and walking notes etc. Appreciated.
Best wishes
Derek and Val.
Derek and Val Spicer, Weymouth, England
SUMMER ACTIVITY BREAK
Hi Mike,
I'm so sorry that I didn't contact you after we returned from our holiday with you in the summer and didn't respond to your email - no excuses, just time running away!
I hope you and the family are well and looking forward to Christmas!
My sister and brother-in-law were asking us about our 'activity break' with you recently as they are thinking of doing something like that this summer. I highly recommended you and I think she might be contacting you soon. It reminded me that I had never emailed you to thank you for the fantastic time we had, despite the weather! Both us and the Leeds family really enjoyed the activities (even the canyon walking in the pouring rain!) and have been highly recommending it to others. We asked the kids which was their favourite bit and they said all of it. Rain didn't bother them at all - they loved the canyon walking, and the inner tubing day for them will always hold special memories of how they tried to catch fish with sticks! We thoroughly enjoyed the bike riding day - such a fab cycle path along that coast and needless to say the kids loved the very long dark tunnels.
Arenzano is a lovely town - we had great meals at all the restaurants we tried there and especially liked the one you recommended down the little alleyway. Thanks also for your help and advice re the day trip we did to Portifino which worked really well.
I've attached a couple of photos to remind you of the fun we had, which you are welcome to use if you want to (not sure you'd want to use the canyon walking lunch shot - not good publicity!!!).
We are determined to do a girls walking trip at some time so no doubt I'll be in touch again in the future.
Thanks again
Fiona Lay.
The Lay family, Tunbridge Wells, England
LEVANTE RIVIERA WALKS
Dear Mike,
Thank you we had a wonderful time. The weather was sensational and the area quite beautiful. We found the walks strenuous but manageable. Our only complaint was that the breakfasts at our hotel were rather unexciting, something cooked other than cold hard boiled eggs would have been welcome.
We will recommend your company to our friends, thanks again.
Regards
Maxine Long.
Maxine Long, Surrey, England
ITALIAN RIVIERA SOARING
We would just like to thank Mike for a fantastic few days, with superb accommodation, great para gliding guidance, and all set in the most spectacular surroundings. This would be a great holiday for flyers of all levels of experience, and as we were fairly low air time pilots, we appreciated Mike's advice and patience.
On non flyable days there is still lots to do, i.e. hill walking, quad biking, cycling, and a number of water sports.. or just lazing on the beach.
We will definitely be back!!!.
Dave & Kim Harris, Northampton, England
SUMMER ACTIVITY BREAK
Hi Mike
We're nearly there - tried sending photos at the weekend but too large so Darrell is picking up a disc tomorrow so we can send them to you.
Feedback from our holiday - our most favourite day of the whole two weeks was the gorge walking. It was fabulous to be totally alone (not that we're unsociable!) in such wonderful surroundings. We loved the scrambling and jumping into pools and your advice to take our time was really good as it really made us slow down, sun bathe and generally relax. We could repeat that day again and again as you never got too hot as you could always cool down in a pool and I'm sure you would find a different route every time.
The cycling was enjoyable but the heat was a bit too intense that day which made it difficult at times. The route was great but a bit more advice about the exact location of toilets and places to eat would have helped. We need to return and enjoy it in cooler weather.
We also enjoyed floating down the river although Darrell found it a bit frustrating at times as he kept getting stuck. You'll be pleased to know that the football that we found en route came in very useful in Pisa when it was used as a way of squashing mosquitos on a very high hotel room ceiling. Darrell was an excellent shot. In retrospect, the evening barbecue would perhaps have been better after the cycling as it resulted in a very long day, as you had told us already. Another option would have been not to include it in the overall 4 night package but have it as an optional extra - so those people who only spend half a day on the activities might go for it but those who are out all day might not.
The hotel was fab - the most comfortable of our whole trip. The only problem was limited space to dry things - I'm sure most people who stay there do not end up in such a wet, sweaty state. We also really enjoyed the town. Your notes about restaurants could be improved by adding names to the numbers and a short piece about food served and price range.
We stayed at a hotel that you recommended in Pisa - Hotel Locanda La Lanterna. Apart from the noisy air conditioner and mosquitos, it was great - the central location was perfect as it meant we could take a break in our rooms in the heat of the day and easily enjoy the Tower when most of the tourists had disappeared. The room for four was very spacious and comfortable. We stayed centrally in Venice as well which again allowed us to enjoy the city when it was less crowded.
Thanks very much for all your help and advice - we certainly learned alot more about the real Italy by talking to you and getting off the beaten track. It was also very useful having an ex-vegetarian providing us with lunches and cooking a barbecue. We will certainly recommend you to friends.
Cheers, Sue.
Sue and Darrell Marchand, Woodstock, England
4x4 CROSSING of the SOUTHERN ALPS
Mike,
The holiday was great. Its typical that the weather was so gloomy. When we returned everybody told us about the heat wave that happened in Britain.
The propshaft UJ was totally knackered by the time we came to go home. So I removed it. I finally stripped the engine again. The cowboy who built it, had put the camshaft and pulley together using a sledge hammer. He had deformed the cam and fractured the pulley so that it would always kill the oil seal. Its all fixed now.
I went to buy a new UJ from Paddocks but they were selling the whole propshaft for £44, so I was lazy.
Thanks for a great holiday
Chris + Janet.
Chris and Janet, Hatfield, England
BEIGUA REFUGE HIKE
Mike
I know I can speak for the others when I say we had a brilliant time. Possibly the biggest physical challenge any of us have taken on and we loved it despite being tired at the end of both days. The scenerey was truly amazing and kept me going even when I started to feel tired. The reward at the top was everything I expected and more (certainly the feast). And that pint (2) at the end was the best ever! Even beat Sean's Ben Nevis one apparently!
Pisa was great and we even squeezed in a trip to Florence the day after so it was certainly an action packed holiday.
I really don't think there was anymore you could of done to help us and we consider ourselves extremely lucky that you came up with us else we may never have found our way. For me air conditioning in the hotel would have been great as we were so hot at the end and the rooms were stiffling but thats us not being used to the heat.
I have already put pictures of my trip on my facebook account and have received loads of feedback from friends very impressed and some jealous. The latter of which I have given you website and email address too so don't surprised if you get an enquiry or two probably from Bournemout/Dorset area soon!
Are any of the pictures you took on the website as I did try to look?
Thanks again for a great trip and I certainly wouldn't rule out us coming again.
Tristan.
Tristan, Sean, Stuart & Sarah, Bournemouth, England
LEVANTE RIVIERA WALKS
Hi Mike
I felt I had to write and thank you and the staff at Xtrallusion for all the arrangements you made that allowed us to have a fabulous short vacation at lovely Sestri Levante.
We arrived in sunny weather and non of our party of 6 had been before. The resort is lovely and the Hotel full of old charm, antique furniture, exotic plants and nooks and crannies everywhere which we could not hope to fully explore in 3 days. The staff were also very friendly and ever helpfull.
Your well thought out walks were fantastic and we managed to walk the full Cinque Terre walk the first day and the Black walk on the Portofino National Park the second. We also managed the final days walk from Levanto via Punta Mesco but we were well tired by the time we descended into Monterosso.
It was a very kind thought of yours to provide the surprise gift of champagne for Angela's 50th birthday and the memory will last for a long time of a great evening made even better by your generosity.
Once again thanks for everything and we hope to be back in the not too distant future for some more Xtrallusion adventures!!
Kind regards
Max Robinson.
Max Robinson, Bristol, England
WALKING THE CINQUE TERRE
Hi Mike
We absolutely loved the holiday, we really did. We dont have any good photos to forward you but I think what we most appreciated was the local knowledge. What made the Cinque Terre so lovely for us was actually staying in one of the villages and we would never have thought of staying at that hotel in Sestri but it was fine and the position was great.
We loved it
Thanks again
Claire.
Claire Waxman, Cheshire, England.
LEVANTE RIVIERA SEASIDE BREAK
Mike
Yes we enjoyed the short break, and were grateful to you for making the booking in the very suitable hotel, just the right style for our “middle of the road” taste, at affordable price, with very helpful staff and owners.
Thanks too for the gesture of the special bottle of sparkling to mark our happy anniversary, which was greatly appreciated.
The general instructions about travel, and suggested excursions were well thought out and clearly explained. I do not go on many holidays like that but it was the first time in my experience to receive a really personalised service.
Best wishes
David.
David Le Breton, England.
WALKING the CINQUE TERRE
Apologies for not getting back earlier but work and life has just been hectic. We had a marvellous time and thoroughly enjoyed our exploration of the Ligurian coastline. Our holiday in Sestri Levante was enhanced by your excellent and very detailled walking guides. We used public transport - trains and boats and found all your guidance very helpful.
Many thanks, Vivien.
Vivien Kelly, Ireland.
BELLAGIO LAKESIDE HOLIDAY
Hi Mike
Just back from Italy last night and yes, thanks, we had a wonderful time (as usual!)
Yes, weather at Lago di Como was bright and sunny, although generally fairly cool. Lago di Garda was quite a bit warmer, also very sunny, apart from one storm which passed over quickly. The two lakes, as you say, make a nice contrast, in terms of scenery - both beautiful, and each with its own particular advantages.
The hotel in Bellagio was excellent - location-wise, it's just not possible to imagine anything lovelier or more atmospheric. My husband would happily have sat all day on the balcony, watching the boats coming and going at the jetties right beside the hotel! The room was a fair size, very clean and comfortable, and every member of staff with whom we spoke was friendly, welcoming and very helpful. Breakfast choice was varied and plentiful. Bellagio is definitely the best location on the lake, in terms of facilities and boat links. Some nice, low-level walks around that area, and I believe that there are also some good walks down nearer to Como itself, although we didn't get around to them on this visit. Bellagio is certainly on our 'must return' list!
A couple of comments re transport links towards the Garda area, just in case you have anyone else doing this combination - We found, two years ago, that going straight on to Verona, then changing to another train up to Domegliara-S. Ambrogio was slightly cumbersome route, plus which, D-S.A. is a tiny, rural station, unmanned for much of the time, and with no taxis around. We had to walk to a nearby bar and ask the staff there to call a taxi, which took ages to arrive. An easier route from Malpensa Airport or from the Como area, we found, is to go into Milano Centrale (bus from Malpensa is only 3 euros each), then take the Venice train as far as Peschiera del Garda, from which a regular bus service goes up the east side of Lago di Garda - again, costing about 3 euros each.
Thank you for all your time and patience over the arrangements - very much appreciated.
Until next year, all best wishes!
Janice.
Janice Menzies, Kincardineshire, Scotland
PISA CITY BREAK
Hello, Mike,
Just got home last night, having spent a couple of nights in Edinburgh en route.
Yes, thanks, we got the airport transport sorted out with no problems- were just worried that it might have to be ordered in advance, being such an early start.
The hotel location was brilliant - just glad it was on that side to the tower, and not the direction of the 'lean', in case the tower finally gave in to gravity! Seriously, it was the closest hotel to the tower - less than 100 metres, I think, and we got the whole view, tower + duomo, from our window. Particularly magical at night.
Our rooms were all small (although I did see into the room next door to us, which was quite spacious) - this wasn't a problem, as we were out and about all the time anyway. The beds and pillows were very comfortable, the shower had a good head of water, air con was efficient, and the whole place was immaculately clean. Breakfast was basic but plentiful.
The only criticism we would have of the hotel is the staff/family who all seem to have had a humour/hospitality bypass. Apart from one man who appeared twice at breakfast time, we got not a single smile out of any of them, the entire week we were there! Breakfast was generally slammed down with a scowl, and without even a muttered 'prego', and keys were handed over wordlessly. At first, this was really off-putting, but they were all SO dour, that it actually got to the stage that we found it hilarious - Fawlty Towers meets the Leaning Tower! Maybe they do understand English, as you were told, but they sure don't want to let you know it - although I don't think that Italian guests were faring any better, and I noticed a lot of similar comments on Tripadvisor.
We would happily use the hotel again, because of its location and comfort, but a re-think on staff attitude would just make all the difference to the holiday. It seems weird to go to all that trouble to make the place so comfortable, and not to at least make some attempt to appear welcoming?
Re trips or walks. Before our son and daughter arrived, we went to Lucca, which my husband and I had visited on previous trips to Tuscany - just wandered round, enjoyed lunch, walked round part of the walls. On the Sunday, we went to Viareggio, had lunch ( you can see a theme developing here, can't you!) walked along the beach, paddled in the Med, etc.. We also went to Florence, enjoyed the bus tour ( and lunch!) but found the crowds and humidity a bit uncomfortable, so were glad to return to Pisa. We used the railways throughout - as on our previous trip, we found this a good way to get around, and amazingly inexpensive for those of us used to British Rail prices.
The rest of the time, we just wandered around, enjoying the atmosphere - especially early morning and evening, when the day-trippers had gone, and it was easier to imagine the Field of Miracles of 600 years ago. One must-see for anyone interested in the history of art is the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo on Lungarno Mediceo - the most amazing collection of 12th & 13th century paintings, and not all that well-publicised.
Thanks again for all your efforts to get this set up for us, Mike - I know that we gave you a very complicated remit, with all the different lengths of stay, etc., and without too much notice. You came up trumps again, and I expect we'll be in touch with you again in the not-too-distant future.
Thank you to all at Xtrallusions for another great trip!
All the best,
Janice..
Janice Menzies, Scotland
WALKING the CINQUE TERRE
Home again, after a wonderful two weeks in Italy - thankfully, yesterday was a glorious day here, with not a cloud in the sky, so we took the dog out for the day, onto the hills, to prolong the holiday mood! Today not so great, but improving.
The Cinque Terre was really great - our first time in that region, but certainly not our last! The scenery, of course, is spectacular, and we were really pretty lucky with the weather - one day which turned drizzly, and one night which produced so much rain and flooding that we had to jiggle around the walks for next day. Other than that, it was hot (sometimes too hot for those climbs!) and sunny. In particular, the route from Sanctuario Saviore to Sanctuario di Reggio was just a magical experience, with views, wild flowers (even in late September) butterflies, and we had it completely to ourselves, meeting the first two people just as we reached the road at the end - a nice change from the coastal trail, especially the section from Monterosso - Vernazza which is very popular! A couple of points;
1) We had a problem with pathfinding coming out of San Fruttuoso - we think that one of the signs may have been changed/shifted. We were using Itinerary 2 ( really fancied Itinerary 3, but in the last couple of years, I seem to have developed a minor problem with 'raw' heights, so heeded your warning re the via ferrata).
We left the courtyard at the tower, continuing up the steps to the left, as per instructions. Kept waiting to see the right fork "where you must follow the red dots at a wooden post and blue sign with a yellow arrow pointing to the right, with directions to Base O". Sounds fairly obvious! - but we kept going on and seeing none of these signs. Didn't know just what you might have meant by "Soon after", but after a good 30-45 minutes of clambering upwards we reckoned we must have overshot. A closer study of the map we had bought showed that we must now be well on the way up what looked like a dead-end track up to 'Sorgenti Caselle' and Bocche di San Lorenzo, so turned back. On the way down, almost back at the courtyard, we saw what must have been the correct path going fairly level, on the far side of small ravine, and finally located the start of this path - sure enough, a right fork off the path we had taken, but we still couldn't see either the red dots on a wooden post or the blue sign with a yellow arrow, plus which, the entrance to the path was fairly overgrown, and not particularly obvious. At this point, overheated and well behind time, we gave up, and went back down to San Fruttuoso to get the boat back!
We could only assume that someone had removed the post and dragged the vegetation over the start of the path for some reason - perhaps as a joke on mates who were following behind them. This is obviously nothing to do with Xtralussion, but just thought that perhaps you should be aware of it?
2) Would you consider either including a published map as part of your package? - or else giving recommendations for people wishing to purchase those maps covering the appropriate areas? Being used to the Scottish hills, we always feel safer with a map and compass, and had bought one of the Cinque terre and one of Tigullio/Parco di Portofino. The latter was on a bit too tight a scale, unfortunately, plus which I had mislaid my specs, which is why we hadn't studied it closely enough at an earlier stage, to prevent the problem above! [ Xtrallusion now supply maps to all those on our self-guided walking holidays. ]
3) It would have been really useful to have had the day's walking notes in a removeable, more portable fashion, rather than having the choice of carting the whole folder with us each day, or tearing out the day's notes and risking getting them out of order/dropping a page, or whatever.
4) Again, nothing to do with Xtralussion, really, but if you are chatting to hotels, perhaps you could suggest that us Brits (+ Aussies+Kiwis, etc!) might appreciate having some English language TV channel - other than the eternal CNN? The last thing I want to relax with on holiday is the American take on the world situation!
These are the only suggestions that we would make - everything else worked like clockwork, including the train system ( which seemed to surprise every Italian to whom we mentioned it!) We were also very grateful for your extra help in sorting out the transfers to Bardolino which, again, worked just fine. We're thoroughly converted to train travel now.
Both hotels - in Manarola and in Sestri Levante were excellent. Staff were helpful and welcoming, and both were very clean. In particular, the family run hotel in Manarola must be one of the most spotless places I have ever stayed in, the room and bathroom were both spacious, and - everything worked! The family were reticent at first, but the signora started chatting away with us in Italian, we replied in English,. we seemed to understand one another, then her son became more confident of his English and we were soon communicating just fine. We were given a bottle of their own wine as a parting gift. Just about everyone we dealt with in Manarola, shops, restaurants, etc., was really friendly - it's a great wee place, and we'd certainly hope to stay there again.
We very much appreciated having an emergency number to call, if it had been necessary, and also appreciated your 'phone call on the Sunday morning to check if we had been affected by the awful weather further west.
Sorry this is such a lengthy epistle - just wanted to give you our thoughts, in case they are of any interest or help to you in building up the business. We will certainly recommend you to several friends who are interested in the same sort of holidays as we are.
Thanks again for all your help! and all best wishes,
Janice.
Janice Menzies, Scotland.
WALKING the CINQUE TERRE
Hi,
Currently relaxing on a balcony overlooking Lago di Garda, digesting yet another good meal and nursing a badly-swollen foot - the result of an insect bite and the only negative thing about our entire week in the Cinque Terre! Typing this on a Blackberry mini screen and will email you properly once home, but all very positive, plus which your suggestions for train transfers to Bardolino worked very well!
Thanks for it all,
Janice.
Janice Menzies, Scotland
WALKING the CINQUE TERRE plus Pisa
Our holiday booked through Xtrallusion was seamless from start to finish. I would have no hesitation in recommending Xtrallusion and have already done so to many people - many, many thanks for all your help..
Kristine & Kenny McAdam, Pitlochry, Scotland
CLOUD to COAST WALKS
Hi Mike
thanks for everything on an excellent holiday. Your arrangements were superb and we loved Arezzano as well as the hills.
We are talking to friends to see if we can put a party together for September and will let you know.
Best wishes
robin and celia.
Robin and Celia, Scotland.
ALPINE SPA & TRAIN to ST. MORITZ
Hi Mike
The holiday was superb, we have seen parts of Italy that we would never have visited thanks to your itinerary. Of note was the visit to the spa in Bormio, the day spent there was out of this world, bathing in hot spring waters whilst the snow was falling looking at the snow covered mountains, absolutely idyllic.
We also took the Bernina Express over the Alps, again the views were spectacular followed by a day in St. Moritz walking around the lake.
Just for your future itineraries, the visit to St Moritz was excellent but as it was on a Sunday no shops were open, which was good on my wallet - but maybe worth a mention. Finally, I would like to suggest that the last day in Varenna may be better spent in Benaggio, as we took a boat ride across the lake and spent all day there, lots more shops and different places to eat and drink.
Once again I would like to thank you for a fantastic sightseeing holiday, which your organising and itinerary made very easy to follow and gave us experiences of a lifetime. I hope you find this feedback useful and I have attached a photo of the Spa which you may like to use.
Thank you
Chris.
Chris Davies, Cardiff, Wales.
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