Outstanding scenery and hiking in truly stunning US National Parks 5 National Parks, each with something different to offer, but all share magnificent natural beauty. Our leader Jeff was also outstanding and his knowledge of not only each park, but the US in general and its nature and history added to the whole experience. Jeff was able to get us away from the crowds (walk more than half a mile from car parks and suddenly you feel you have escaped the crowds and your experience changes for the better). Going in early September was perfect as it was glorious weather. We enjoyed beautiful sunrises and sunsets, both easy walks and more challenging walks and a memorable barbecue under the stars, with our Navajo guide, in the less visited areas of Monument Valley with its glorious red rocks and silence as youre far away from people and traffic. Returning to the brashness and noise of Las Vegas at the end of the trip to fly home was a shock to the senses and made you appreciate the sense of escape you have on the National Park treks even more!
The tour was enjoyable and met my expectations. The tour leader Larry was clearly very experienced and knowledgeable and he tried to accommodate any and all requests made by group members throughout the tour which I appreciated. Leo the bus driver was friendly and drove us safely throughout the tour despite challenging driving conditions at times.
The tour operator provides me with the opportunity to see and experience the best of what many places have to offer, without the hassle of independantly looking for things to do or the expense of booking hotels etc. The tour(though fast pace at times) is good, however the highlight of my trip was the time spent at the Niagra falls. I am unable to express through words the feelings of joy and amazement while there. I would definitely recommend the boat ride into the falls. Larry(I.e the tour guide) and Leo(the bus driver) worked well together and were very personable and attentive to our needs. Larry is very organized and strived to be as detailed with all aspects of the tour. Alternatively, there are some aspects to the tour that should be amended. There are some travel days that are extremely too long(I.e. DC). 11 pm(having being up and on the road from 7:30), is far too late getting back to the hotel. Also the 2 hour stop in downtown Detroit should be assessed as there's not much to do there therefore, lots of time are being spent sitting and waiting for the return of the bus. Another issue I had was the fact that expat did not make sufficient effort in ensuring that the food stops tended to the needs of the vegetarians on the bus. The welcome dinner at dicks and the stop at cracker barrel did not account for the vegetarians, therefore leaving fast food as the most prominent food selections. This information was requested prior to the trip, so I'm of the view that this should have been sufficiently accounted for. Also, we were very disappointed with the "thank you token(I.e. a key chain)" received at the end of the trip. I understand that the US tours are fairly new, however, the operator, as a company is not new. In fact, I have been on a european tour with the company and we received a bag full of items branded with the tour operator's name....with the most important to me, being the passport book with stickers. I was really looking forward to getting a passport with stickers