No, I;ve not been bribed nor blackmailed for this, Caro is just incredible. You;d better appreciate my use of the thesaurus too.
Caro has been easily the most incredible guide I;ve had the pleasure of following, and one of the most personable and approachable people I;ve ever met. There was not a local on the entire tour that was not transparently excited to see Caro, every time, and I think that sums them up perfectly.
Their passion for the places, animals, and activities on the tour is so authentic and infectious; I had never, and will never again, be quite so excited for a beach cleanup as I was with Caro. Nor will I ever have as much fun viewing a temple in torrential downpour. I can;t credit them enough for the amazing time I;ve had on this tour, and all the time I;ve laughed till my tummy hurts. (Bali intro, 12 day)
The knowledge Caro has, and has passed on, of the local area, people, traditions, food and customs is outstanding. I feel so much more well-travelled and learned with them as our guide, and empowered to go on solo. They showed us around like a local (literally, in some cases; those ferry loos were not for the weak), and the experience with them was so special. (Not the ferry loos though, I;d pass on them next time)
Also, I cannot understate the usefulness of having a photographer as our tour guide - I have my life worth of profile pictures now, and I was so grateful for the fact I could enjoy every moment and not think about recording it, because Caro was our personal little documenter.
I was struck by Caro sensitivity and empathy; any and all concerns were addressed rapidly, with compassion and precision. I never felt as though there was anything I would be uncomfortable to share with them, or anything they wouldn;t be able to help with. Maybe the most level-headed in a non-monkey related crisis person I;ve ever met (she didn;t even scream that loudly when confronted with a rouge monkey on her shoulder, which is impressive in itself.) As an anxious girlie, I;ve never met someone so willing to sit patiently with me through multiple panic attacks, with reassurence, cuddles and kindness that reduced me to tears every time. Every emotion was validated and understood. There was no judgement from their end the whole trip, even when I had to admit to losing half my underwear leaving it outside to "dry" in a storm.
Caro genuine care for the people she guides shines through, and it something I;ve been so grateful for. Their inclusivity meant there was never a person left behind, nor left out, nor uncomfortable at any time. Thank you Caro, for such a wonderful trip ’•
p.s. never go immediately after Caro in Karaoke this queen can SING
