Majorca Tours and Trips

Not my first time with Explore, and it won't be my last ! A fantastic trip, well organised and executed. Accommodation, food, itinerary, guide, transport, all spot on ! I've visited Mallorca a number of times but this is the first time I've really "seen" it. ( albeit a very small part of it ! ) I extended by 2 nights to see Palma and would recommend this if you've not been there.

Wonderful holiday. Challenging climbs. Breathtaking mountain and coastal views. Knowledgable guide who went out of her way to make sure we all were happy .We really found the real Mallorca.

The accommodation was good. In Barcelona the town was far away and required a lot of taxis and Ubers to get there which was an added cost that should not be required. A bus into town each day provided by Contiki should have been done. The additional activities by the trip manager was good and made the prices for drinks and entry very cheap and good value for money. There was a lot of chill time at each location which was needed but maybe a few more walking tours or guided activities could have been better use of time. All over everything was fun and I had a great time. Just a few things could be changed to make the trip better.

It was almost a fabulous week. The first 4 nights were based in the lovely Esporles for walking in the scenic surrounding mountains. Weather was perfect, not too hot and although weather was supposed to have been awkward for us it decided to be on our side, so all walks were done. The hostal in Esporles, although an old building was comfortable and had character. Breakfast was plentiful and presentation lovely. My only gripe on the hostal was how dark the room was and poor lighting. Presuming anyone who would go on this walking trip would be fit and able to manage the very steep narrow staircase to the rooms as there is no lift!! The last 3 nights are spent in Cala Ratjada, a pleasant smaller seaside resort with lots of small beaches/bays. The hotel here was a bit budget from what we were expecting, a bit tatty and walls very thin but it was fine for a few nights. Our first night we ate in the hotel buffet as we were late arriving. Although still in time for the buffet, it was awful. I believe Explores responsibility was to ensure that they had employed a well prepared tour leader who had first class knowledge of tried and tested routes and was passionate about his role to lead a walking group effectively, safely and with good ability to talk about local Mallocan surroundings and history. Unfortunately this was not the case. Early days the leader was concerned for our safety but later on he disappeared ahead of the group and the group became separated where he should have waited. The leader relied on google maps alone to guide us. We walked across unsafe coast paths where our way was lost. Unfortunately early on, the group tended to fragment and lose confidence. I think I will probably not wish to do another walking trip, I think this trip was an unfortunate one. We have had Explore cycling trips in the past and had very good experiences of the tours and the leadership. I think on this particular trip Explore has failed.

We enjoyed our trip to Mallorca, our 6th holiday with Explore but our first group walking holiday with them. The accommodation was olde worlde in Esporles and tourist hotel in Cala Ratjada, both clean and comfortable. The walks were all different, some moderate, one more challenging. All our previous Explore holidays have been brilliant but this holiday was spoiled by the Tour Leader allocated to the tour. We have submitted a detailed complaint to Explore about this. We were all delayed in arriving at Esporles because of a storm. Our leader was ending another tour in Portugal the same day that ours started in Mallorca. He missed the welcome meeting and didn’t arrive until 9am the following day, stressed and tired. Why allocate a guide expecting them to be in 2 countries on 2 tours the same day? The guide spent the entire time on the walks with his phone showing him which way to go. I can do that with Strava. Why pay a premium holiday price? He admitted he’d never done this walking tour before and had never even done the longest walk. We also raised the health and safety issue of taking people into the mountains without knowing the terrain and without sufficient safety equipment as he was only carrying a small rucksack although he did say he had a first aid kit. There was general dissatisfaction with the guide and lack of confidence in him which caused much grumbling and a negative effect on the mood of the group causing it to become fragmented. Explore say that their Tour Leaders are bursting with local knowledge and want to share it. Not this time. We agree with the previous reviews added today.