2 independent reviews for Madeira family holiday
Reviews for Madeira family holiday
Josie Aston review 6 Aug 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
I liked the island boat trip particularly. My daughter liked the canyoning and the farm visit. We all thought the guide, Felipe, was terrific and all the other hosts were great too, especially the farmer and the lava tube guide.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
You do need to be sporty, brave and quite fit and it's helpful to have done activities like paddle boarding and canyoning before to know what to expect. There was absolutely no way I was going to participate in canyoning once I realised what it involved! And to be honest I could only just keep up on the bike ride and could have used some instruction on the paddle board. If the other family hadn't been so lovely we'd have been in trouble, as we wouldn't have been able to supervise our daughter safely. Also, you should add a mention that the type of tour can't handle anyone with a food allergy or intolerance (the restaurants can't tell you what's in anything and have no concept of e.g. gluten intolerance even if you show them an info sheet in Portuguese). It would be really quite dangerous for someone with a serious allergy.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Well, the Azores seems to be entirely in the thrall of the internal combustion engine so Londoners are doing better on that front. But our guide Felipe was great as I said. The farm tour was interesting and educational. It was good to hear the progress they're making there e.g. the new bus service to the caldera; the limiting of numbers of visitors to sensitive sites; nanning swimming in places where the run off would damage the water etc. The island was clean and tidy and facilities were in good condition and rubbish was carefully disposed of. The guides were very careful of the wildlife and even knew the whales we saw by name/description and what studies had been done on them!4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was really great overall. Something we'll remember for ever and the other family and the guide being so nice was a massive bonus. But please try to give a bit more food information/choices. It's not nice to have to worry constantly that you're eating something that's going to upset your stomach. Obviously there are gluten intolerant Azoreans as the hypermarket has a gluten free section...Clare Sandling review 1 Sep 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing whales in the wild2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be aware that the canyoning is quite physically demanding3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We ate at local restaurants and supported local tourism projects like the tea farm.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was a brilliant vacation! Everything went smoothly, the activities were stunning, we were well taken care of and in a great group.Holiday Reviews
You can trust Responsible Travel reviews because, unlike many other schemes, reviews can ONLY be written by people who we have verified have been on the holidays. In addition, we don't run these holidays ourselves - our only interest is giving you the best independent advice.
