How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Exceptional. By far the best tour leader I have met. Great sense of humour, thorough understanding of the Camino, its people, cultures and terrain.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Travel light; be prepared to enjoy local dishes, wines and cultures. Book a trip that Bert is leading!!

Do you have anything else to add?

Wonderful holiday. Thanks

I enjoy touring through Europe. I especially enjoy trekking my way through Europe because I see village life up close and personal. I can feel the restoration of my mind and body, with each next step. But of all the treks with EXPLORE I have enjoyed (~10 now), Camino de Santiago ranks as #1. Yes, the scenery is majestic and beautiful, and yes I lucked into rare sunny weather for my 3 weeks there (the rain in Spain falls mainly... in Galicia!), but also because our guide, Martin Paulus, simply was the best. Oh, sure, Martin took care of sorting out the logistics, and he got us from point A to point B safely. But those are the basics, what you expect from any tour leader. No, Martin went over, above, and beyond the call of duty. In Las Medulas, for example, Martin secretly arranged for an especially memorable dinner; the meal was not only at a restaurant none of us would ever have found, and likely never have tried had we found it, but Martin had the owners show us Celtic magic that had us oohing and aahing for hours. And then the locals serenaded us! Oh, did I mention the food was magnificent? It was. The phenomenal thing is that was only one night; Martin pulled off items like this for the entire near-2 weeks! No surprise that we 16 hardy but independent travelers quickly bonded into one unit; fast friends. I sometimes thought we would never make it to the next destination what with all the talking. Eleven months on, and I keep thinking about this trek. Which EXPLORE trek should I book next to capture a similar bit of magic? (CDS- 1st September 2009)