2 independent reviews for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania hiking vacation
Reviews for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania hiking vacation
Mark Bergherr review 10 Sep 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
More than anything, our guide, Ona, made the trip truly memorable with her knowledge of history, architecture and folklore.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
This trip is more than about sightseeing; it's about understanding the region's history and appreciating its economic success since winning independence from the former Soviet Union.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, and that's why I chose this operator at Responsible Travel.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
To say it exceeded my exceptions would be an understatement!Barbara Bilgre review 25 Jun 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Our tour guide and bus driver were amazing. Egle was so friendly and so knowledgeable, that she made the whole experience something more special than it already was. As someone who has been a tour leader, I can tell you that she was just wonderful - the best at her job! Our driver was friendly, funny and kind. On our "beach" day (which he had off as we did not need the vehicle for transport), he went to the beach in Nida and collected tiny pieces of amber which he gifted to all the women on the trip. I thought the bog walk (the one using the bog shoes as opposed to the one on the boardwalks) was a unique and amazing experience. I loved the dune and beach walk (though I wish I knew we might find amber slivers on the beach, as I would have done a little beach combing).2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
In summer, you don't need hiking boots; a good pair of walking trainers would be enough. I would also recommend that for the bog walk, you have shoes that you don't mind getting a bit wet - it doesn't have to be boots. The bog shoes are similar to snow shoes (sometimes used for both purposes here) so they are attached to your normal walking shoes. Also, we did a long hike into the bog area when we could have started at a closer point. Bog walking is not that difficult, but I found the standing still for 5-10 minutes while being given information about nature and the area to be challenging. It is difficult to stand comfortably in the uneven bog in the bog shoes. This trip is packed with things to do. Even though the days are long, activities and some of the things we did were not accessible after dinner hours, so we had to conclude most of our activities by 7 PM. This made some of what we did feel a bit rushed. Also, in summer, some of the hotel rooms were hot, especially ones we had on the top one or two floors. Even with the windows opened, not much cool air circulated. Luckily 2 out of the 3 hotels like this had standing fans that they provided upon request. Finally, it is summer in the northern hemisphere - the days are long. Not every room had blackout curtains, and many people had restless sleeps due to the light entering the room. I highly recommend bringing a sleeping mask (one with moulded eye pieces so they don't touch the lids), as it really helped me to sleep better.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It was hard to tell regarding the benefit to local people (other than our tourism dollars). Our guide and bus driver were local. Some of the hotel accommodations were by locals (though some were big chain economy hotels). Our nature walks were all environmentally conscientious which I did appreciate.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This trip was much better than I expected. I am so glad I booked it. I would recommend adding one extra day so that the trip doesn't feel rushed almost every day.Holiday Reviews
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