How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Outstanding. Cristian is extremely knowledgable and enthusiastic. He gave a lot of background knowledge of the places and sites we saw and this gave us a greater understanding of Romania and its people. He showed a good deal of respect for all in the group and all this with a sense of humour!

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

Read the trip notes about walking boots! Enjoy the local wine. Make sure you have a good seat rotation system on the bus. Every trip needs a Coleen! 

Do you have anything else to add?

We both enjoyed the variety this trip offered. If you do this trip in the near future you really get a feeling of such recent history. You get to see a country emerging from a communist regime. Go now!

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Cristi was brilliant.  Very knowledgeable, experienced and keen to make the trip as memorable as possible.

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

Try not to bring large note denominations (anything larger than 50 lei) - not easy if you're getting money in advance.  But there are loads of cash points - including one in the starting hotel in Bucharest, which do.And Bucharest is a lot nicer than a lot of guide books suggest!

Do you have anything else to add?

This is my second Explore trip, and like my first one was really good and well organised.  It covers a huge area of Romania, so there is quite a lot of driving, but consequently I do feel like I've seen a lot of the country

Gypies. Communists. Why Romania, our friends asked. I can now re-assure them that the bad gypsies must have emigrated, along with the Communists of a past era. We were surprised and delighted to find Romania bursting with enterprise and relishing their two decades of freedom. Brasov with its outdoor cafes and concert in the handsome town square, the Bucovina region with our hikes from one painted monastery to the next, and birdwatching in the Danube Delta with our expert Explore leader, were highlights of a tour I would recommend to anyone who likes adventure-lite. We spent extra time in Bucharest, which was bustling in the warm evenings in the marvellous Old Town. (TD -9th September 2010)

When I told friends and colleagues that I was going to Romania for a holiday, I was met with blank faces.   Why go there?  Some people asked out loud, almost everybody was thinking it.    My reason was a recommendation from another Explorer on a holiday some years ago.  Without his enthusiastic recommendation, it would never have occurred to me to go and I would have missed a wonderful trip.    The Village Folklore and Danube Delta trip has an exceptionally well thought out and varied itinerary.  You see the capital, with its pre-communist faded charm and soulless soviet relics.  You visit Dracula’s castle (or one of the alleged contenders) and admire or shudder at the wonderfully tacky tourist tat on sale outside.  You get to walk in the beautiful Carpathian mountains, which are home to a large population of bears, and you might as we did see very recent evidence of their proximity.  The painted monasteries have to be seen to be believed, you could take the entire holiday time just looking at the hundreds of biblical scenes, from the uplifting to the frankly gory.   The river boat trip on the Danube was heaven, the wildlife simply amazing.  I saw my first otter in the wild, as well as fantastic birdlife.    There is far too much on this holiday to mention everything.  However the merry cemetery is one highlight which is unlike anything else I have seen.  Instead of headstones, each grave in the merry cemetery has a painted wooden cross, with a picture of the deceased in a characteristic setting, and words from them to the visitor.  It is touching, comforting and entertaining.    Romania is changing fast.  Everywhere there are boards boasting of European Union funds financing projects and infrastructure.  In the rural areas, transport is still mostly by horse and cart, and many homes rely on village pumps for water.  Many rural people build their own homes, and they are lovingly decorated and maintained. I wanted to see Romania before it catches up too much with richer European economies.  All our group had a wonderful time, and I am truly grateful for the recommendation which inspired my visit.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. (TD -10th September 2009)