There really aren't words for the experience of standing on the rim of an active volcano at night and watching it explosively erupt. It is a full frontal assault on all of the senses. It starts with a brilliant flash of orange light followed closely by a boom that you feel as much in your chest as you hear with your ears. Then the pyrotechnic fountain of lava congeals into bombs that pound into the ground around the crater with a resounding chorus of heavy thuds. This is followed shortly by a shower of ash and a wafting cloud of sulfurous vapors. To say it is awe inspiring does the experience a serious misjustice. I can't recommend this trip highly enough. Our guide was excellent, the treks were well paced, and sights were magnificent.
As past reviewers have stated, this is a fast-paced tour. I do have a couple of regrets: we didn't get to visit the Louvre in Paris because it was closed on the day we were there. Secondly, we had to leave Pisa, Italy exactly when the Leaning Tower was opening. I reeeaaalllly wanted to go inside, though. However, everything is timed on this tour, as it has to be, so delays do affect subsequent destinations. Still, it does sting to know that I got all the way to the Leaning Tower, but couldn't go in. My "misgivings" notwithstanding, this tour was well-organized. When I think of the logistics of planning such a trip, there is just no way I would have seen and done as much as I did if I had gone on my own. Expat eliminated all the stress by taking care of the details--the devil's details. ;-) Optional tours and experiences: I went to all except the cabaret show in Paris. For those balking at the extra cost, just ask your tour leader what the must-see optional experiences are and go from there. To me, it's all worth seeing. Our tour leader, Master Luke (yes, because that is how I choose to address him), was outstanding in his knowledge, expression, energy level, interaction with passengers, and willingness to assist as needed. Our driver, Chris, was THE BOSS. I highly recommend this tour--5 stars!
First and foremost it all started with our guide Antonio. He really stressed the fact that over the tour we were a family. I and many others really took that to heart. As a result, we were a very close group and forged lifelong friendships. From there Antonio did a great job of laying out each day. What to look for, what we will experience, be flexible, etc. It really helped throughout the tour. Antonio also did a great job of adding detail and color throughout each day. Antonio also did a great job of making suggestions based upon his observations of the couples and other attendees. Our driver Onorio was amazing! Great respect for how hard these two worked throughout! We also had Mayra who was learning the Italy tour and she was also great. She will be a great guide!