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Bicycle Tours Vienna to Prague
I just wanted to thank you for your help in booking / organizing an absolutely fabulous vacation.
Virtually everything went like clockwork!
 We were met at the airport and taken to the train station as planned in Prague and the fellow assisted us to figure out the platform for the train to Vienna ( it was nice to relax on the train). We enjoyed the city tour and were able to then tour all the other things we wanted to see. We got a train to Breclav - unfortunately we were early so we took the commuter train not realizing that it does not go to Breclav but that the last leg is by bus - a lady on the train clued us in to what was happening and we were met by Tomas at the station with no troubles.
The guide, Lad'a Ptacek , was absolutely superb!! and if anyone needed a recommendation I would certainly give it... he was a fountain of knowledge , patient, funny and brought many personal stories to the history to make it real with lots of behind the scene tidbits. The porters were also very helpful with the bags and the bikes and the hotels were wonderful and with great meals, easy checkins, and wonderful dinners, and tours.
 We were blessed with perfect biking weather about 70F every day with only a bit of rain on the last day - which was fun as well for the half of us that decided to bike. Lisa and I took the side trip down into Hardegg (nice 3 km 12% climb out of the canyon but worth the effort) while the others went on - we were able to catch up with them pretty easily, and since I had my GPS we also were entrusted to lead part of the group ahead a couple of times. The maps and the route sheets were wonderful and informative. The scenery was lovely, the towns were beautiful and still unspoiled. Some of the group were somewhat older and did have some trouble with a few of the hills and in a couple of cases took the van instead.
I did wonder if I might have enjoyed doing the trip in reverse though since I found it kind of jarring to be in Prague with all the souvenir shops - all the people etc after all the peaceful non touristy days on the road... Thanks Tomas Belcik for helping to set up such a flawlessly organized trip and thanks to Lad’a Ptacek – a guide extraordinaire! Ron and Lisa
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Ultimate Everest Trek -
Gokyo Ri, Kala Pattar, Chukung Ri
Group of 8 women
We had a successful journey...
The
Himalayan mountain range was massively majestic and our gorgeous mountain
views always seemed like paintings because of being so surreal! The
alpine glow was breath taking! Despite the fact that our group took
an alternate route rather than
going to base camp, which supposedly was one that was less
traveled, there were still too many people trekking. We went to the
Khumbu Region and "overlooked" Everest Base Camp. We were at 19,000
feet and had full views of about 10 mountains that were all over
26,000 feet and higher...with Everest being 29, 028 feet. There were
over 1200 tents at base camp as we looked down upon the area and
thought this was impossible but the numbers were confirmed once we
got to the permit station and heard the facts! The area is so
amazing but we found too much litter and nasty debris! Some of the
places we went to were, Lukla, Namche Bazar, Tengboche, Pangboche,
Pheriche, Lobuche, Kalapatthar (my favorite), Khumbu Glacier, Chola
Pass, Gokyo and Gokyo Pass.
The
Nepalese people are very gentle, helpful and kind people with
needing very little, which was quite humbling. These people were
very hard workers, especially the 24 porters, cooks
and Sherpaswe had to help us along the way. Our lead
Sherpa, Pasang, was fabulous and most knowledgeable! He knew what to
do to help the group acclimate to the altitude and took things
slowly. The help are
very appreciative to be porters with very little pay and carry about twice their body
weight...I marveled at how they were capable of dealing with
altitude while doing these carries! It is quite difficult to breath
normally at high altitudes! The
food was very good with many choices offered throughout the trek. I
was very impressed with what they produced...without a real
kitchen! I slept in tents 19
nights and did not get to wash my hair. Although I did use what the
astronauts use...shampoo without H2O. We did get to buy a shower a
week which was a bucket of hot water! We had a latrine tent for
privacy which was great! (ha-ha!) We
had the best of weather with
crisp blue skies every morning and the temperatures of about
10 -15 degrees at night and
40-50 by day. The colder the better because of not sweating too
much!!! I had a fantastic time getting ready for the trip and I was
very happy to have had this beautiful experience!
I want to thank you
for organizing my trip !
Our trip was
fantastic and I cannot say enough great things about Pasang. He
was so positive, fun and supportive in every way. I tended to be
the slowest hiker in the group, but he never pressured me to
"hurry up". The food was delicious and we had great fun with the
kitchen help. They were all lots of fun to be with.
I had had lots of concern about my ability to physically do this
trip, but I am so glad I did. It was great.
Marna
Our trek to and
around the Khumbu Valley was exceptional, not only for
spectacular scenery, but also because of our world-class
guide and support team. Their understanding of proper
acclimatization and selecting a pace and route appropriate
for this group (age 27 to 63) ensured everyone’s enjoyment
and success. Plus their buoyant infectious personalities
and sheer passion energized us through even the more
challenging terrain. I’d trek with them anyplace and will
again. Fantastic! Great trip, great
group, great weather, and especially a great job by Pasang
and his staff. Everyone loved the trip and people, and
Pasang was on top of every detail. It was a success on all
fronts. Thanks again for fantastic coverage and for picking
such a competent local contact. Pasang's a real pro. Ruth Anne
The Best Ever! The leadership of Pasang was incredible. He is friendly,
personable and honorable. I know the trek would not have been the same
with another group. From the team he has assembled to the menu of food
he provided was the finest quality. I feel that I have made lasting
friendships in Nepal.
Thank you for your fine work, Tomas.
Patti
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India
Hi
Tomas! India was exactly as we expected. The
hotels were wonderful, the guides were informative,
and the drivers were excellent. We were met on time
at all the airports and there were no problems.
But.... the guide in Udaipur was exceptionally
good. I can't remember his name but he realized
what we were interested in and he told us more about
the caste system, marriages, etc. He took us on a
morning walk of the the town and was so interesting
we were sorry to end the tour!
For some
unknown reason, the hotels had our address as the
U.S. Consulate in Wash DC. We received incredible
treatment! We were upgraded to suites, had a butler
at one hotel, and were given all kinds of extras --
Goan prawns which were ordered specially for us and
then we were comped for the entire meal, etc. At
the Taj Exotica when the head executive chef came
out to talk to us, he mentioned that we probably
knew other people from the embassies! We know that
the Taj hotels and Oberoi hotels are known for their
service, but they went overboard trying to please
us! We were extremely happy with everything and very
easy to please! But they asked us over and over and
over -- even calling us to ask what more they could
do! At almost every meal the chefs came out with
special dishes made specially for us (and they
didn't go to anyone else's table) and then they
wouldn't charge us for these dishes! Even the
breakfast chef made us coconut yogurt then came out
to explain how he made it with real fresh coconut
and the entire staff (about 8 people) stood around
(you like it? you like it?).
Overall
it was a great trip. You did a fantastic job
planning it for us! Thank you so much for
everything you did for us!
Jill
Lipman
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Ladakh, India
Hi Tomas,
Our trip was FANTASTIC!! Don't even know where to
start....Guest House Deskit was all you said it would
be... your Ladakh crew, Lobsang were excellent...our guide,
Gyalson Konchuk was a delightful young man and did a
great job, got a great cook and assistant - we had very
good meals...stayed in village houses which was a nice
way to see Ladakhi life...weather was outstanding -
gorgeous sunny, clear, warm days, cold nights with full
moon and starry skies - could not have asked for
better... weather starting to turn with clouds and snow
on the higher elevations when we returned to Leh. The
Sham trek was good for us, both Diane and I worked hard
on the steep places, but just went slowly and had no
trouble with elevation with the exception of panting on
those steep climbs, Jim could have easily done a longer,
higher trek, but it was great for all of us. Absolutely
wonderful monasteries and Gyalson made sure we got into
the "chapels".
I would certainly recommend Footloose to anyone - it was
great.
Best regards,
Nancy
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Rajasthan, India
Hello
Tomas,
Well, we're
back from a wonderful trip. Your India people were terrific - we had a great
driver and excellent guides. Pushkar was
indescribable and we spotted two tigers at Ranthambore. Thanks again for your help in
getting this organized.
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Nicaragua
"The tour was excellent,
the hotels excellent, Granada is stunning, the scenery,
the volcanoes, the view of Laguna Appoyo, all amazing.
Nicaragua was simply a big surprise! Your organization,
local associates and guides all of you
did a great job! " Sara and Mark S.
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Ladakh, India
Dear Tomas,
Please forgive my delay in answering your email query
about our Sham Trek, but we still are traveling. We're
in Malaysia right now.
To answer your question, the trek was wonderful. Ladakh
is beautiful, the people are welcoming and kind, the
monasteries are among the best we have ever seen, with
many monks in residence. Our guide, Gyaltsen, was a
delightful companion, a very polite young man, and a
very good guide. Our trekking crew was very good.
Leh was very interesting, and Lobsang and his wife were
perfect hosts. Their guest house was very comfortable
and clean and it offered the best view in Leh, I think,
with Tang Kangri and the peace stupa on the horizon.
You offer the best trekking value and quality we have
ever found, and we have been trekking for more than 20
years in a half dozen different countries. We will
contact you when we plan our next Asian or European
trip.
Very best regards,
Jim Pearre and Diane DeRocher |
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Argentina -
Chile tour
"I had heard of
Patagonia being beautiful, read a lot before we went,
but I still was not prepared for what I was to see -
Perito Moreno Glacier left me speechless! The tour
was well
designed and run, guides full of information,
considerate and pleasant. Going on a
private tour just the two of us made all the difference. Thank you
Footloose!
I can't
wait to go on another trip with you!
" Gina and
John Harris
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Mt. Kailash,
Tibet
"We had a
great trip! The drive from Lhasa to Mt Kailash was
tiring, local guesthouses and food not too good but
our guide made it a
Tibet learning experience, very informative!
And the Kailash Kora was everything we expected -
seeing the pilgrims, their fervor, their total
preoccupation with their piety made us forget our
mundane concerns, aches and pains trekking, and the
thin air... Thanks!
Larry Hudson |
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Sikkim
The scenery in Sikkim certainly takes your breath
away-not to mention the roads and the hikes! Both
drivers were excellent-thank goodness. I had been warned
about the roads but the roads in Sikkim did take my
breath away a couple of times.
On the whole, I enjoyed the trip. Sikkim is so very
different from the rest of India, which is very
refreshing.
Suzanne Montgomery |
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Walking Budapest
to Krakow
Bottom line, the trip was
excellent. Our guide in Slovakia (Jano) was the best we could imagine. The
accommodations were good. The whole program was good with only minor
glitches. Even the day of hiking in the pouring rain was enjoyable for us.
We have already given your WEB information to some of our friends who may
be looking at doing the trip.
Will contact you
later about trekking in Bhutan/Nepal next year.
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China
"It was
truly valuable to have an agent that has traveled all
the places we wanted to see and not just passing out
information to us from some brochures (Thank you Tomas!)
Tour was smooth, all the guides very knowledgeable, a
great value considering there were just the two of us.
May be next year we go to India with you guys..."
Michael
Simms
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Ladakh
Here is my website address and
you can read all about it.
Sheila
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
The World's Best Travel Reviews
www.TravelsWithSheila.com
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ |
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Trekking Ladakh to
Spiti
Tomas,
The Rumtse to Kibber trek was a
success. On the whole your team did a good job. Lopsang Punchok was very
business like and put us in a wonderful guest house in Leh. He also got all
our Leh purchases delivered to Manali and made sure we had Volvo bus
reservations to Delhi.. The young guide Gel and the Nepalese cook, Shekhar
were great. We spent an acclimatization day hiking the hills above Rumtse
where we discovered prehistoric pictographs. As a result, I'm in touch with
Carlo an Italian we shared the Rumtse camp site with, and I'm looking for an
appropriate archeologist to review the photos.
Although Laura and I had camped
at 18700ft. on our 2003 Mt Kilimanjaro climb and also made it to the top of
19700ft. Mt Elbrus in 2004, we were initially surprised by the fierce sun
and wind on the high plateau around the two lakes and beyond.. I think the
high dry desert made the weather more intense. We did adapt though. I never
mentioned it but I injured my left hamstring on Memorial Day. The leg
improved steadily on the trek and both Laura and I made it over the 18850
ft. Parang La in snow and fog without problem. After that we really enjoyed
the rest of the trek to Kibber.
We had a great experience at
Johnson's Lodge in Manali. They let us stay in our hotel room until 5pm on
Thursday although checkout time was twelve noon. They also served the best
trout dinner I've ever had. We had the same great treatment at the Park
Hotel in Delhi. The Manali bus arrived in Delhi at 7:20 am instead of 10am
as scheduled. The Park gave us our room at 8am without extra charge. Harrish
the travel agent you had arranged to get us to the airport was really
efficient and helpful. He got us there in plenty of time for our flight and
saw us through right up to security. We were impressed with Indian
hospitality. We really enjoyed the trip.
All the best,
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China
"How was our trip? We had a ball in
China! Will get back to you again in the future - thanks!"
Tina
and Don Mars |
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Egypt
"Depth of knowledge of the guides, well run,
Egypt truly was
amazing and one of the best trips
we've ever done! Private tour is a way to go!
Thank you
Footloose!" Michelle
Rouge
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North-Western Panama
Hello Tomas,
Changuinola was wonderful and I would like to go
there again sometime or see a different place. I'm glad I chose to do my
fishing in different places because there was a lot of things to see and
explore for me. I personally like to stay away from the regular tourist
traps, as I miss all the nature stuff that I like.
A couple of things about the Indian community if the people asking for a
request are planning to take the long walks which I take :)
1. wear good hiking /travel boots as the paths are steep and easy to
lose your grip after the rain and you can then fall on the slick mud and
have a major injury if you are climbing in the hills in the community.
I'm not kidding or exaggerating about this because the paths are not
maintained in the jungle and if one slips /falls, it can be a bad
experience.
2. it is best to leave any heavy
luggage with Sr. Elladio (in his office)
in Changuinola when going on the jungle trip - he is a very nice man and
when he is around he gives you a lot of very good information about
Changuinola. This is simply because the boat cannot carry heavy
luggage and a daypack is enough for a day or two to visit the
community.
The food at the Indian community was excellent and I had no complaints.
The shower and toilet facilities were as good as other jungle places I
have been in....and the wildlife was spectacular, particularly the dart
frogs!
By all means I'll keep in touch.
Tony P.
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Ladakh, India Jeep
Safari
Hi Tomas,
Back home I want to
let you know that our holiday in Ladakh was one of the nicest we have
had so far. Apart from the country itself, the people and landscape
which you all know better than we do it was perfect timing, no stress ,
excellent guide and driver - excellent hotel in Leh and Delhi, fine
resort in Tso Morriri - only the camp in Nubra Valley was not too clean,
the food very poor, and I think parties of two or four people should
better be put in a guesthouse...the tent itself is romantic, but the
rest isn't. Also we personally would go back from Tso Morriri on the
same road, instead of the Tso Kar on....I remember that you
suggested this version....but I did not listen to you.......
Mahabodi is a
special place - we were the only clients, and liked it very much .
Excellent service, excellent food - staff more than friendly, David
special person - but maybe not suitable for "normal" tourists, who might
prefer the pollution and chaos of Leh and would probably not be too
happy with the low electricity (one can hardly read in the tent or find
something) and the lack of shade.
Ciao-ciao
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