Eastern Med Tours

The tour was terrific, the guide Gem Tas - outstanding knowledge and native speaker, quality English. The accommodation generally was EXCELLENT - as were the meals - only one place had average rooms and a poor meal.

I thought this was a tremendous tour, with its combination of lovely small mountain villages, the city of Athens, and the Island of Corfu. We had a great Greek guide, Ourania, who loved to smile and laugh. Lovely driver as well. The highlight of the trip for me was the Meteora Monastries - absolutely amazing. We had a group of only 11 people, 4 couples (2 couples travelling together) & 3 singles, and we all got on really well. The accommodation was great most of the time. Corfu not so good with a ...read more split level suite (good exercise), but the location of all hotels was wonderful. Right in the middle of things. Some of the air conditioners struggled a bit, but generally no problems. Athens accommodation was very close to the metro station. I travelled in early July and would not go at that time of year again, as it is peak season for Europe, but also Europe experienced a heat wave during our trip time. We were walking around Delphi archaeology site in 39 degree heat. But the guides always look for the shade. I have used Trafalgar many times in the past, and will use them again next year for one of my trips. Booking with Global Journeys is always easy, and Yvonne was kind enough to send me a printed copy of my documents (since I am old school and like paper in my hand!).

If you want to capture the spirit and history of Turkey in just under a fortnight, take this trip. From the magnificence of Aya Sophia and Ephesus, to an afternoon tea in a cave house in Cappadocia, this tour covered the history and cultures of Anatolia from the Hittites to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. There were many highlights. Some were expected (Ephesus being one example), others were not: the House of the Virgin Mary was one, the Calcium Terraces at Pamukkale was another, and the farm-to-table lunch ...read more where a local family, who farm organically, served up a delicious meal was yet another. The accommodation was more than comfortable and even a touch exotic, like the cave hotel in Cappadocia. Most meals were provided, some were set meals, others were buffet meals, but in all cases the food was good and fresh. Although Insight does not include Cappadocia’s famous hot-air balloon rides as part of its itinerary, those interested can book a ride from the hotel. The organisation of the tour, from its beginning in Istanbul to its end in Istanbul, was meticulous, thanks to the tour director, Daghan Erdogdu. He brought his love of his country and its history to the tour. Like any tour, there will be some who will wish that they had stayed longer at one place and less time at another. This tour struck the right balance. To use a now probably long forgotten Australian expression, ‘I wouldn’t have missed this tour for quids’. As for travelling with Insight again, that I will. And as for using Global Journeys and Jemma again for future tours, that’s a certainty.

I was disappointed that there were 1500 people on the ship. Travelling alone I didn't get to be with the tour group. We had to pay extra to go to Santorini and then due to bad weather, didn't visit.