Journey Through the Balkans

Excellent trip! Enjoyed the itinerary. The extremes of weather were not expected - but neither by the locals! Some of the coffee in hotels wasn't good. But rooms always fine. Leader was energetic, friendly and helpful. I noted that some hotels did not have lifts, and came prepared to carry my bags. (A bit disappointed that some others didn't feel the same.) Highlights of Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, and ethnic village in Serbia. And the train journey!

A trip which included historical sites, beautiful landscapes and wildlife opportunities. There were many highlights, and a couple of downsides. Because we visited Sarajevo on Sunday afternoon and Monday many of the museums and sights were closed, so a fascinating city was partly unexplored. While we were aware that lifts would not be available, we didn’t know just how many places had many many steps, in particular the Küstendorff resort. But a very enjoyable trip. Already considering the next one

An interesting and varied trip covering old coastal towns like Kotor, cities such as Sarajevo and Dubrovnik (visited properly with a couple of extra days at the end of the trip) and areas up in the mountains of Montenegro and Serbia. Boat trips, a train trip, a visit to one of Tito’s bunkers and walks in national parks added to the variety - as did the weather. It was lovely and warm on the coast - shorts and t-shirt weather but we experienced a surprise, early snowfall while staying in the huts of Sirogojno Open Air Museum! Well done to the local travel team who had to find a minibus with winter tyres that could get us down from the mountain.

A very varied trip, including time in historic towns like Kotor and Sarajevo, time in the countryside, walks, boat trips and even a narrow gauge railway trip. The roads are good so although it looks like a lot of travel, it was easy going. Two things to note: take seriously the warning about no lifts in hotels. This proved to be true and many of them have lots of steps up and down! Also, it can be very cold up in the mountains in late Sept/Oct while still hot and sunny on the coast so bring clothes for all seasons.

Some days/parts of the tour should be removed as nothing special. Tour leader was knowledgeable but information about next day activities was lacking in some instances. He hadn't read the leader notes or done the trip this year. A reluctance to use WhatsApp to communicate information.

A very enjoyable tour with lots to see and experience, Vanja led the tour capably and was always on hand. A lovely part of the world to experience.

The tour had a heavy schedule at times, and would have benefitted by being a 14 day tour as opposed to 12 days. In particular, an extra day at Dubrovnik would have been appreciated. The transport used (a 20 seater mini-bus) was extremely cramped, given that the tour was sold out, and a small coach would have been more appropriate. Nevertheless, Vanja, the Leader, worked hard to ensure that we had an enjoyable holiday.

Really interesting trip through the Balkans with a large number of varied activities. The tour leader, Dusan was fantastic and had a great deal of history and insight to share. We only had 2 real issues 1. The “optional” boat trips are not really optional ( as there nothing else to do - trip notes are misleading on this) and 2. The accommodation is pretty mixed with two hotels being of really poor quality. However, on balance I would still recommend this trip. FYI: it’s a tough one if you are vegetarian as there are often very few options.

A well organised and tested trip. Could be improved by having more interaction with local people.

Explore did what they said in the trip notes and didn’t disappoint! I would recommend looking at their website if you like adventure travel.

A great contrast of lakes, mountains, cities, culture and history from four fascinating countries. Dusan's dedication and attention to detail made the tour exceptional, and we were in the safe hands of Boban on those windy mountain roads. My highlights were the The Open Air Museum and Kustendorf. I recommend adding a couple of days before/after the tour to explore the Dubrovnik old town.